THE REDEEMERS GOODNESS TO A BELIEVING SOUL - Robert Murray Mcchene
“(Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved?) I raised thee up under the apple-tree: there thy mother brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.”—SONG 8:5–7.
WE are introduced to the great Redeemer and a believing soul, and are made to overhear their converse.
I. The posture of the church
(1.) From the wilderness.—To a child of God this world is a wilderness. First, Because everything is fading here. Here is nothing abiding; money takes wings and flees away; friends die. All are like grass; and if some are more beautiful or more engaging than others, still they are only like the flower of the grass,—a little more ornamented, but withering often sooner. Sometimes a worldly comfort is like Jonah’s gourd,—it came up over his head to be a shadow to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm, when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. So our worldly comfort sometimes grows up over our head like a shadow, and we are exceeding glad of our gourd; but God prepares a worm, we faint, and are ready to die. Here we have no continuing city; but we seek one to come. This is a wilderness: “Arise, depart, this is not thy rest, for it is polluted.” An experienced Christian looks upon everything here as not abiding; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. Second, Because everything is stained with sin here. Even the natural scenery of this world is stained with sin. The thorns and thistles tell of a cursed earth. Above all, when you look at the floods of ungodly men.—“We are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” The world does not know a Christian, and does not love him. Though you love them, and would lay down your body that they might pass over to glory, yet they will not hear. Above all, the sin in our own heart makes us bend down under our burden, and feel this to be a valley of weeping. Ah! wretched man, if we had no body of sin, we would what a sweet glory would appear in everything; we would sing like the birds in spring.
(2.) Coming out of it.—Unconverted souls are going down into the wilderness to perish there. All Christians are coming up out of it. Sabbath-days are like milestones, marking our way; or rather they are like the wells we used to come to at evening. Every real Christian is making progress. If the sheep is on the shoulder of the shepherd, it is always getting nearer the fold. With some the shepherd takes long steps. Dear Christians, you should be advancing, getting higher, nearer to Canaan, riper for glory. In the south of Russia, the country is of vast plains, rising by steppes. Dear friends, you should get on to a higher place; up another step every Sabbath-day. In travelling, you never think of making a house in the wilderness. So, dear friends, do not take up your rest here, we are journeying. Let all your endeavours be to get on in your journey.
(3.) Leaning upon her beloved.—It is very observable that there is none here but the bride and her beloved in a vast wilderness. She is not leaning upon him with one arm, and upon somebody else with the other; but she is leaning upon him alone. So is it with the soul taught of God; it feels alone with Christ in this world; it leans as entirely upon Christ as if there were no other being in the universe. She leans all her weight upon her husband. When a person has been saved from drowning, they lean all their weight upon their deliverer. When the lost sheep was found, he took it upon his shoulder. You must be content then to lean all your weight upon Christ. Cast the burden of temporal things upon Him. Cast the care of your soul upon Him. If God be for us, who can be against us? They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. The eagle soars so directly upward, that poets have fancied it was aiming at the sun. So does the soul that waits on Christ.
II. Christ’s word to the leaning soul
(1.) “I raised thee up,” etc.—He reminds the believer of his natural state. Every soul now in Christ was once like an exposed infant (Ezek. 16), cast out into the open field. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity.” Do not forget what you were. If ever you come to forget what you were, then you may be sure you are not right with God. Observe when the contrition comes. When you are leaning on Christ, then He tells you of your sin and misery, Ezek. 36:31.
(2.) He reminds you of his love: “I raised thee up.” He himself is the apple-tree, open on all sides round, affording shadow and fruit. I raised thee. Christ not only shelters, but draws into the shelter. “To Him be glory.” Are there not some who feel like an infant—cast out? Turn your eye to Christ, He only can raise up your soul under the apple-tree.
III. The leaning soul cries for continued grace
Set me as a seal.—It is a sure mark of grace to desire more. The High Priest had a beautiful breastplate over his breast, adorned with jewels,—make me one of these. He had also a jewel on each shoulder,—make me one of these. These were bound with chains of gold, but the believer with chains of love. This is a true mark of grace. If you be contented to remain where you are, without any more nearness to God, or any more holiness, this is a clear mark you have got none. Hide me deeper, bind me closer, and carry me more completely.
(1.) The love of Christ is strong as death.—Death is awfully strong. When he comes upon a stout young man, he brings him down. So is the love of Christ.
(2.) Cruel, or stubborn, as the grave.—The grave will not give up its dead, nor will Christ give up his own. Oh! pray that this love may embrace you. Vehement as hell,—unquenchable fire. You have your choice, dear friends, of two eternal fires. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ,” etc.? Rom. 8 Floods cannot drown it,—afflictions cannot.
(3.) It cannot be bought.—“If a man would give all the substance,” etc. You must accept it free or not at all.
DUNDEE, 1840