Address—G. Hayhoe
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166 one 6/6.
Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run, and never tire thy presence. Shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desire, our present Savior. Well nor fear nor sin can come if thou art near 166.
For thou has drawn.
Early now I lost.
Strong and never die.
Thy fries and yells are converted, 'cause I fell our whole our souls our soul days our.
Nor still have all the.
Lord there.
Are.
Your wild horn.
Last way on our star by night, our sun by end.
And blows us again and.
So I'd like to read first of all in the 40th chapter of Isaiah.
Beginning at the 27th verse, Isaiah 40 and verse 27.
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Why sayest thou or Jacob, And speakest thou Israel? My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings. As Eagles they shall walk, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Well, the head of my heart to speak of two things. God's understanding as we have here, and His love.
I believe that the human heart craves those two things. Understanding and love. You feel sometimes that people understand you, and when you feel they understand you. So I can talk to that person, they understand me. Isn't it wonderful, dear friends, that there is one who understands you perfectly. He watched your body being formed before you were ever born, says thine eyes did behold my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned.
When as yet, there was none of them.
He knows all your physical weaknesses, your physical strength. He knows all about you. It is not wonderful that knowing that he loves you, he cares for you. You say I'm kind of rejected. I don't feel understood. But the one who knows all and who isn't changed by knowing it all because his love is so perfect. That's the one we want to talk about. And then too, in this chapter, it brings before us about walking and the enjoyment of all this and the last verse. I just like you to notice.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles.
They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Perhaps I hear somebody say. Well, I feel so slowed down. I don't think this would apply to me. But isn't it nice that it brings before us three different conditions? If I can speak of it in that way, says they shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You see, there's a lot of problems in my life, and I can't seem to get above them. But the Lord can help you to rise above them. But you say, I haven't yet risen about them. Then it goes down and says.
They shall run and not worry. Maybe you can't get above them, but you can run. Floridas grown us after thee. Now let us run and never tire. But you say I can't even run. I'm just walking. But isn't this lovely? They shall walk and not faint. And there's somebody here that says, well, I see other Christians. They seem to be happy and enjoying these things, but it isn't my portion, I guess. Well, perhaps you are just walking, but don't faint. Don't faint because the Lord gives you the strength. Even when we get slowed down. And sometimes we do in our Christian pathway.
Isn't it blessed to know that He gives us the strength even just to walk along? But don't stop, don't give in and say, well, I'm just going to give up now. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And so He's able to give you that strength that you need. And so this passage, I just wanted to look at it briefly, because process brings before us the thought of understanding. Perhaps all of us have thought something like that.
27th verse My way is hid from the Lord that nobody seems to understand, and I wonder if the Lord really understands how difficult it is for me, my situation and all about it. I couldn't talk about it to other people because they wouldn't understand. But He does. He does. He understands. He has allowed that He puts you in a certain place for your good and for your blessing, and someday you're going to be like the children of Israel.
Who, in that coming day, when they look back over those 40 years of wilderness life, they're going to say he led them forth by the right way, a journey that could have been made in 11 days, that took 40 years. You say they must have made a lot of mistakes. Well, they did too. But he led them forth by the right way because he bore with them an older weakness and failure, made provision for them, cared for them, until he finally brought them into that land.
That good land flowing with milk and honey. And if you really know the Lord as your Savior, one thing I can assure you, the end of your journey is going to be bright and glorious When the Lord comes, or when perhaps He might allow you to pass through the article of death, it will be to be with Christ, which is far better, or at his coming to join with all redeemed company, to see the Savior face to face and praise Him as we ought. Well, I say this passage perhaps brings before us the thought of.
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Understanding.
What I would really like to speak of is the Song of Solomon, and I'd like to trace a few points through this beautiful book.
As it brings before us, shall I say I I believe the thought in it is more particularly love, and I think it brings before us in a practical way, God's ways with us.
We like illustrations, you know? And the Bible is full of them because God uses in this.
Book of the Song of Solomon The relationship that exists between husband and wife to be a picture of the relationship between US and the Lord. Isn't it a marvelous thing that we have brought into such a near relationship? There is no nearer human relationship than husband and wife. And so God uses this in this beautiful book and Song of Solomon to bring before us that relationship that you and I can enjoy with the Lord.
And how we can enjoy it, because that is very important. All marriages aren't happy as we know.
But sometimes we're not happy Christians too, and we don't enjoy the relationship we have with the Lord.
But it's never his fault. It's always ours, because his love never changes. His ways with us are perfect. He never, I think what is an interesting thing, as I read this book, never once did the bridegroom reproach the bride. Never once. Never. He sometimes told her about little things that hurt him, but he never reproached her. He always showed her love and sought to win her affections. And that's what the Lord has done.
Brother was just talking to me a minute ago and he said he heard some remark that my father made and he said never try to love the Lord any more than to do think of how much He loves you. And that is a good thing for us because we try to love the Lord. We we get occupied with ourselves, we find out how people our love is and we get discouraged. But as we think of his love, his wondrous love, I've often noticed in the scripture the times that God assures his people of their love was always at a time when you might least have expected it.
At the end of their wilderness journey, says yeah, he loved the people. All his Saints are in thy hand. 40 years of murmuring and complaining. He loved the people. They were still in his hand. Jeremiah had to warn them that they were going to be carried into captivity. Did the Lord cease to love them because of their carelessness? Now that's where we find that wonderful verse. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. And then we turn over to the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, and that feeble remnant that came back.
They were going on just as they should. They didn't want to serve the Lord, for not. They were just interested in their own houses and not in the Lord's house. Who would have thought that in fact caused his love to change? No, it didn't. It says the burden of the word of the Lord by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. How marvelous. And I trust that if this meeting can have this little effect upon me and upon you, that we realize his love.
Then perhaps it will draw out a responsive love in our hearts. Because what a person really loves you and showers you with kindness. It's natural. It's going to create some response. You say, well, I made a lot of mistakes, but when they say, well, I love you just the same, doesn't that mean a lot to you when a friend says that? And how wonderful the Lord's love? Well, it's this book I'd like to told us through this Song of Solomon.
Because I got. I believe God uses this as a picture for us. I'd like to notice little points through the.
Song of Solomon that bring us bring out what I'm speaking about and I trust the Lord will.
Be pleased to use it in blessing. I just like notice the first one. It says the Song of Songs, which is Solomon's Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For thy love is better than wine. It's not talking about her love, but his love. And that's what we need to begin with, before I begin to speak about any practical things in our lives. And there are many things that need to be practically set right.
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In my life, and in your life perhaps too. And evertheless, isn't it good to start with this? Not your love, but with thy love Is better than wine. The best things that people know to make them, to lift them out of themselves and make them feel happy. How wonderful. There's something far better, better than anything that this world can offer. That's the difference between the book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, it's a heart that's too big for the object.
That is, he tried everything. He had power to do it. He had lots of money. He had position, he said. I withheld not my heart from any joy. He tried everything the world, so to speak, had to offer. And what did he find out after he had it all? He said. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yeah, he tried it all. The heart was too big for the object.
The object that he had, the world couldn't fill the heart and so.
There may be dear young people here and you say, well, I want to have my flame, well, you're going to find that out. The world can't fill your heart. It may be for a time, for there are pleasures in sin for a season. You might think that it's offering you something worthwhile, but it's nothing lasting. It's just for a season, and it's all vanity and vexation of spirit. But when we come to the Song of Solomon, we find just the opposite experience that is.
An object that's too big for the heart, now that is Christ and all that He is in figure to us is far more than the heart can contain. You'll never find a Christian who is enjoying the Lord who says, well, I've got it all, I can't have any more. True as to our position, we've got it all. But as to the state of our souls, how far short, how little we enter into His love. We set up meetings like this and no matter how well.
We have an instructed in the things of God. We find out things in his wonderful word that we hadn't perhaps noticed before. We say, oh, there's not lovely another gem I have found You'll always be gathering gems all your life because they're innumerable and they're all yours. You pick up something and you say, well be nice if I had that, you see a nice car. He said be nice if I had that, But maybe you'll get it and maybe you won't. But isn't it lovely? Every spiritual blessing.
Is yours when you lay hold of it, you don't say, well, is this really mine? He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. In Christ, God is always giving us. He's a giving God. And even when we preach the gospel, it's lovely to present him as a giving God. Dear friends, that's what he is. He's a giving God. He delights to bless, and through all eternity, he's never going to stop giving.
Because his resources are infinite, immeasurable. So he begins here with thy love, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. We all know what a kiss means. It's getting pretty close to a person when you kiss them, isn't it? And that's what it means. Are you really getting close enough to the Lord to feel the warmth of his love, maybe even walking at a distance from him? Peter walked a distance from the Lord.
And then He denied his Lord, and he was very sorry He was restored afterwards, But the Lord still loved him, and He looked upon him when he denied him in a little poem, says towards the look that melted Peter towards the face that Steven saw, because the heart that wept with Mary can alone from idols draw. And so I believe this is the beginning, if I might say, of the introduction of what I would like to talk about.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than one.
To him that you let him do what he wants to do, shower you with his love, tell you how much he loves you, and that he wants to bless you not only in spiritual things, but he cares about those natural things. In life too. Has been made a wonderful world. Did you ever think he could have made the world all one color? He could have made all our food taste alike, but we got quite a variety of dinner. He could have made these things. Why did he make them all different? Why did he make those colors? Why did he make the beauty of the horizon? It tells you why in Proverbs.
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Because when he built all this, his delights were with the sons of men.
Said, I'm going to make it beautiful for those people when they live there. They see my handiwork and how good I am that I have given all these wonderful things. Well, that's in nature. But his love is more wonderful still. All those things have been tokens of his goodness. He left not himself without witness that he did good, sending rain from heaven, unfruitful seasons, filling men's hearts with food and gladness, I'm sure.
All the young people here have enjoyed what you haven't used, and you can enjoy it. The health God's given you and this wonderful created world that He's given to us. And He wants you to not enjoy them apart from him, but in communion with him in a way that honors him. But He has given us all things richly to enjoy. But he wants to get closer still and kiss me. Doesn't say I'm going to kiss him. Let us let him kiss me. He wants to shower his love upon you. Will you let him? You let him kiss you.
Will you let him tell you how much he loves you? That's the very beginning. That's the first thing that we have.
In this chapter and then in the third verse.
That second verse I'll notice. Draw me. We will run after the King hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will remember thy love more than wine, the upright love thee having learned a little of his love. Then we say, draw me. I want to be close to a friend like that.
Somebody made some advance to you and they loved you and they created a response in your heart.
And then you wanted to be together. And that's exactly what we have here. Draw me. We will run after thee. And so we sang That little ham Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Thou let us run and never tire. So you see, at first he's loved, and then it's you answering and saying, Draw me is your heart. Saying that I'm going to ask my heart and your heart, Are we saying to the Lord, draw me. I know I quite often am like Peter. I walk afar off. I walk at a distance.
I really do love the Lord, and I do follow him. Don't make a mistake, but I want to get too close. The Lord wants you real close. When you have someone you love, you don't like them a long way away. You like them right at your side, right beside you. And is that the desire? So there's the response, His love.
In the second verse, and then the answer of the heart draw me. We will run after the the king hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. But then we come to this fifth verse. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon, look not upon me, because I am black.
Because the Son hath looked upon me. Well, we know that Speaking of God's people, they were not to marry outside of their own people. They were to marry of their own. But we know that King Solomon married a daughter of Pharaoh. And so I believe this is what it has reference to. But did he love her? She she wasn't of the, shall I say, of the favored race, the favored nation.
She was black but she was comely and isn't that lovely? What comeliness do we have?
He's put his comeliness upon us. It tells us in another verse, he's put his comeliness. You say I'm so unworthy of all this. Yes, we are. This is the way she felt too, she said. I know that I'm outside of this favored nation. I'm just black, But I think he sees beauty in me because she said more than I think he. I know I'm black, but calmly, Are you walking in the enjoyment of the fact that at this very moment?
Although you may have failed and grieved him as to your standing in Christ, your holy.
And without blame before him in love, holy and without blame before him in love. That's the when you have a real friend and you've done something that's hurt them and you feel you have to tell them, You have to acknowledge to them that you did something that grieved them. And they say they put their arms around and say, hasn't changed my love. I still love you just the same. How does that make you feel like, oh, you say what a wonderful friend. I don't have many friends like that.
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That would keep on. That's the friend that you have in the Lord Jesus. He doesn't cease to love at every moment of your Christian life as a believer, as to your standing, your holy and without blame before him in love. And it's not hard to confess your faults to somebody when you know that when you tell them, they're going to say it hasn't changed me. I still feel the same. I'm glad you told me, but I still feel the same towards you. I love you just like before.
Oh, it's not wonderful. You can have that confidence. We need to confess our sins. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That doesn't change. His love doesn't change our standing. And it seems that she's conscious of that because she says I am black. But comely look not upon me because I am black. Because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children were angry with me.
Maybe sometimes your brother may not be as kind towards you as the Lord, but the Lord is still the same. He's always the same. And so isn't this beautiful here what we see? And so, as I say, it starts out with His love, and then it brings us.
To the desire that we'd be drawn after him. And the closer we got to him, the more we realized how unworthy we are, but how wonderful this blessed Savior is.
That as a little song we sometimes sing, and yet to find thee still the same tis this that humbles us with shame. Then there's another little step here in the seventh verse. Tell me all thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feed us, and where thou makest thy thy flock to rest at noon. For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd tents. You know you're talking a little bit about fellowship, and I think this verse brings this in so laughter.
The one here, the bride, has been brought to some enjoyment of what is in the heart of the bridegroom. Then she wants companions. And so she says, Tell me, and he's a little bit grieved that he doesn't know that she doesn't know, he says, If thou knowest not, oh, thou fairest among women, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd tents. This brings before us the thought of fellowship with one another.
You know, we can enjoy the Lord alone, and that's a very precious thing. And I hope you do. And I hope each one of us have a personal communion with the Lord. We're talking a little bit about fellowship and common thoughts. Isn't it nice? The Lord has given us brethren in Christ with whom we can have common thoughts. And it seems rather interesting that she says, Where do you feed your flock? I want to be there, where you are and where the flock is.
And isn't it blessed that the Lord has in his wondrous grace provided for two or three are gathered together in my name?
There am I in the midst of them. As Christians, we can enjoy the Lord for ourselves, but there's something very precious in enjoying it with in company with others who are in his flock, those who are his. And so he tells he tells her, If thou knowest not, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tents. And so there is a place where we can have.
Fellowship with one another.
John speaks of personal fellowship, fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and it also talks about fellowship with one another and where the Lord is the shepherd, where he's caring for them. They're very great privilege, and I think this is something we need to bear in mind. I know Christians that say well.
I can just go out alone. Well, there may be times when it may be necessary, but it isn't normal. The Lord has given us Companions. Companions in tribulation. Perhaps He's given us others with whom we can have fellowship. And so how blessed this is. So we see an order here, I think, in what is brought before us in this portion, this lovely Song of Solomon. Well, I'll just pass over.
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To the pass to the 12Th verse.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the spell thereof. Now we find a table. Isn't this beautiful? A table? Yes, we sit around the table. A table is precious to us. Scripture talks about the Lord's table as we partake of that one loath as we have the privilege tomorrow morning, if the Lord leaves us here, what do we see in that one loaf? It says.
Think of it. We partake of it.
As members of the one body of Christ, what a blessed privilege this is. Don't join a group of people you partake at the Lord's table. And I think it's very precious to see that table with that one loaf. There's maybe a few hundred of us here. If the Lord leaves us here tomorrow and that loaf is there, is that just going to represent one or two believers now? It's going to represent every member of the body of Christ.
There are only two here. Two or three, Isn't it, precious brethren? May we value the privilege of remembering the Lord at His table, at His table, where we can gather in fellowship. We have the thought of fellowship brought before us in the Where is the flock resting? And now we find this lovely fact. All Christians may not be at the Lord's table, but they're all represented there.
I'm sure others have heard me tell this.
Incident. But I thought it illustrated it nicely. There was a brother in a certain place that I knew, and the thought of being gathered not as members of a group or members of a sect, but as members of the body of Christ, it was very precious to him. And as he remembered the Lord, there weren't very many in that little place, that company. And they spread the table, and they put the one loaf on it, but in his heart.
He looked at that one love and he didn't just think of the little company that was there. He thought of what that loaf represented. There is one body and says by 1 spirit we are all that's all believers bapped into what one body baptized by 1 spirit into one body? Well, you knew what you're Christian in the community. And on Monday morning he met him in some business place and he said, oh brother, so glad to see I saw you at the Lord's table yesterday.
Remembering him, he says no, I wasn't there. I went to my own church. I know he knew where he went. He said I wasn't there. I went to my church. He said no, I saw you there. He said you made a mistake. I wasn't there. He said I saw you in that one loaf. Isn't that lovely? And so perhaps you're in a place, a nice number here, but perhaps you're in a place where there's not very many. But that loaf, that one loaf speaks of every member. The King's table. What a lovely.
Lord of glory.
King of kings and Lord of Lords.
My spikenard sendeth out the smell thereof. Claudia's are you sitting there and just saying, Well, I fulfilled my responsibility. I came to remember the Lord. There was their worship flowing from your heart. Maybe you feel led to give out of him.
Says We're going to see later on, he says. Let me hear thy voice. But nevertheless, he sees you there, and there needs to be, and there should be.
Worship in our hearts to Him as we remember Him in His death and what He has done for us. And so we find here that it says.
My Spartan, my spikenard, sendeth forth the smell thereof. Now we come to the next chapter, and I want you to notice here in the 15th verse. Well, I'll read the 14th.
Oh, my doubt, thou art in the clefts of the rock and the secret places of the stairs. Let me see thy countenance. Let me hear thy voice. For thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. Perhaps we find two things here it says, Let me hear thy voice. Let me see thy face.
Now the Lord likes to hear our voice. He likes us to. For the brothers, I would say. And you sit there in His presence and never feel exercised even to give out of him. He likes to hear your voice. Oh, you say, I'm. I'm going to choose the wrong hymn. Well, some of us are parents here. We don't tell our children don't speak at the table until you can talk plainly. We never talk like that. We're glad to hear their lesbians, even though sometimes.
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We may find it hard to understand just what they're trying to say. We like to hear their voice. Let me hear thy voice.
Let me see thy face, for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely. Oh, how lovely he delights to have us there. But more than that, he delights to hear our voices. He likes to hear us, perhaps in some way or other show our appreciation. Even the sisters alone, they don't take the lead in giving out of him. They certainly sing. And the Lord hears our voices, someone said. Well, how is that they hear their voices when they sing?
Well, because even in the temple, I think I just mentioned this because it's been helpful to me.
In the temple there were never any women priests, but there were women singers. There were women singers. And so it says when it talks about it in First Corinthians 14, it says that your women keep silence as also Seth the law. In other words, they didn't take the place leaders, but they did sing. And So what a privilege. The sisters have to join their voices. And let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face. Thy voice is sweet and thy countenance is come thy But then there's another little one here that comes in.
It says in the 15th verse, Take us, the fox says. The little fox says that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. We've been talking about pretty nice things so far, but now there comes something kind of serious here. The enemies are busy. He doesn't like there to be fruitfulness and they spoil little foxes. I can remember when I was young, our dear old brother Dunlop used to talk so quite a bit about watching those little foxes, he said.
And all they creep into your life and mine. How easily those little things come in. You say it was only a little thing. Yes, a little thing can get you out of communion. A little thing. The enemy never starts with big things, always starts with little things. And so he says here, just a little foxes. They spoil the vines, they spoil fruitfulness. They spoil that communion with the Lord. My beloved is mine and I am his.
And now we come to another one here, and we find perhaps these foxes have been allowed. There's something here that seems rather sad. The third chapter in the first verse. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise and go about the city and the streets, and in the broadways I will seek him who my sole loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. The Watchmen that go about the city found me to whom I say.
Sorry. Here. Whom my soul, sahih. Him whom my soul loveth. So we find here that there were the little foxes. Now we find something's happening. She's not doing anything particularly wrong at this point. What is she doing? Just seeking her ease. Apart from him, my father used to have a little expression I thought was quite good. The flashlight's an easy path as well as an evil path. And sometimes we can let ease, we can let this occupation with.
Present things down here. Just like making life easy for ourselves, hinder communion with the Lord, it's very easy to get occupied with the things of this world. Things that may not be wrong in themselves. Nothing wrong with her going to bed. Father was wrong with her when she sought her and her pleasure apart from Him. And what is real pleasure? What is real joy in this world if the Lord is left out of it? We sing in a little hymn, No joy we know apart from Thee.
And who tried to find some pleasure in this world apart from the Lord? You may say to me, What's wrong with it? Well, I may be able to say there's nothing really wrong with it. But are you in the company of the Lord? Or are you in the company of those that love the Lord and want to please the Lord? Or are you in a place where you're away from him, away from the company of those that love Him? The Psalmist said, I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.
It's a good thing to choose your friends from those who love the Lord of them that fear thee. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that keep thy precepts. Well, there was a watchman there, and he was watching too. And it says here.
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The Watchmen that go about the city found me. We can be thankful for those who care for us. Perhaps you might at first resent it that the Watchmen have found you and discovered that you're out of communion. Perhaps sometimes a brother or sister may say, well, are you really walking in communion with the Lord? Are you getting away from him? That friendship that you're forming, Is it pleasing to the Lord?
Don't resent it. The Watchman is seeking your good and your blessing. Sometimes we may say things kind of bluntly, and we should say them in love, but nevertheless we should have a care one for another that the members should have the one care. My hand never said I don't care what the foot is like. All the members are affected, and if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. So there are Watchmen, and thank God for this watchman because.
She was restored through the work of this watchman. And it says here it was what a little that I passed from them. I found him whom my soul loveth here. There's Restoration. This is so lovely here to see. There's restoration. And now we come to the 4th chapter. I.
I want to notice here the 12Th verse. I just like to read the rest of this 12Th verse to the end. A garden enclosed as my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up. A fountain sealed thy plants, Sir. An orchard of pomegranates and pleasant fruits. Campfire with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon with all manner of Frankenstein smear and aloes with all the chief spices. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters.
Streams from Lebanon, see here is.
A garden enclosed as my sister. This is the bridegroom speaking, and what he really found in her, and how he saw those precious fruits. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6 The fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy. Peace, long-suffering, meekness, gentleness, a lot of things, precious fruits of the Spirit. Are they manifested in my life and yours? Is this the way we act and the way we react? Maybe you say, I didn't do anything wrong, but sometimes rather than our.
Reactions are wrong, it's been said about those two boys in the 15th of Luke. One had wrong actions, the other had wrong three actions. The one boy got off far into the far country. The other boy reacted with jealousy toward his brother when he saw him blessed. Sometimes. I didn't do anything that you react the right way to. We sometimes have kind of bad reactions to things that happen. We have to judge.
The reactions.
As well as the actions. And so here we find what we should be. There should be fruit bearing in our lives. And there is also the a spring of living waters. The Lord Jesus said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. There ought to be that which flows forth from us for the good and blessing of others. And then there is a there is the plants that.
Pomegranates. That's fruit that we can eat. Then there's other that just give a nice smell.
There's all these different things. Well, there's various fruits that there can be in our lives too. Some Christians, they may not say a lot, but at just the spirit of Christ, you can see in them, you meet them and there's a warmth, there's a feeling that they're Christlike. I heard about a dear Christian, someone who read it somewhere, a Christian man who lived in a town in England and when he died, someone said.
Well, he didn't know him very well. It said there was a man like Jesus died. He lived in this town. Wasn't that nice? Is that what they would say about me or you? A man like Jesus, We should be like him. He has desired that we should. Our lives should be fashioned like him. That tells us he's the pattern for us. Well, then we see this and then we see trials in the end, how we go north wind and come now South.
Blow thou upon the blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out at my beloved. Come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits. Yes, sometimes the north wind does blow. Everything seems to be going well up to this point. It does seem in the main things were going on quite well. Been a little slip here when she went to sleep without the bridegroom. Nothing very wrong that she had done. But here it says, Awake thou north wind.
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Sometimes the Lord does allow a wave of trouble to come into our lives. Everything seems to be going along fairly well. All of a sudden, disparaging wave of trouble comes. You know what happens? Well, supposing there's a garbage dump and the wind blows, what are you going to smell? Going to smell the garbage down, aren't you? But supposing there's something, a perfume factory, and the wind blows, what are you going to smell of? Perfume and Janelle Brevin were tested when trial comes.
What this trial produce in your life and mine, if we're really in the enjoyment of the Lord. Some dear Christians, when you see a trial coming to their life, you see the spices flowing out, spices flowing out. My father used to sometimes say you'll never know whether I'm walking with God until trouble comes. And then you'll find out how I react when that trouble comes. And so troubles come in our lives. Troubles come in the assembly.
What do they produce in us? Bitterness, upset and everything. Or do they produce We're in us just a blowing out. You say, oh, there was a trial, but that brother or that sister, all you could see was the fragrance of Christ. Isn't that beautiful? Well, that's what it means. At the end of this chapter, he invites the wind to blow and says it'll just blow out the spices. And so when? That's when the trials come.
That's what has happened here. Well, then you come into this next chapter, you find another one. The time is flying into heaven. Got time to read it all, but perhaps I could.
Read the second verse well, I'll read two or three verses. Here I sleep, but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my beloved that knock us, saying open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night. And now she answers, This is a sort of a conversation I have put off my coat. How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?
She had again sought a raise.
I think I've learned my lesson. But she did it again, didn't she? And don't we do that too? And we say, I think I learned my lesson, but the situation arises. We do the same thing again. She does it again, but he's out there knocking. He's concerned, he wants her company and he knocks. And it seems rather sad this time because this was the second time she's got a little farther away. I sleep.
The third verse I I put off my coat. How shall I put it on?
Wash my feet? How shall I defile them?
She really loved him, I'm sure, but there was too much bother. Do we sometimes say that? I haven't got time to read my Bible? I haven't got time to pray. I haven't got time for my brethren. I'm just too busy. And that's what she had done. She'd laid down. He was knocking and she said no. I put off my coat and the latch was on the outside.
It says here.
In the fourth verse, my beloved put in his hand by the whole of the door. My bowels were moved by him.
Yeah, He put in his hand. Doesn't that make you think of the time the Lord appeared in the midst of his own?
Those ones who had wandered away from Jerusalem were on the road to Emmaus and and the Lord came along and talked to them. And it says here my beloved put in his hand and it says that he showed them his hands, says when he I believe when he took his hands to break the bread for it, says he broke the bread on that occasion that they recognized it says he was known of them in the breaking of bread. Those hands, those Pierce the hands and so.
Doesn't touch your heart to think he puts in his hands. Supposing the Lord were to come right now in the midst of this company, and show us his hands and his side would not touch our hearts. Wouldn't we be ashamed of ourselves that we said, oh, I was just seeking an easy path in my life. I just want to have everything easy and good, and I want all things to work out well in the Lord. The rejected one, the one who went to Calvary, put his hand and He showed us His hands. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord?
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And we find here, she goes out now to seek him and we find the watchman again. And they, they have to deal with her a little more harshly this time because you know, she's become she had been warned, but now she's becoming careless. And sometimes the president, let's not resent it. If some brother or sister says something to us, maybe it hurts at the time. Maybe they didn't say, well, you say they didn't say it in the spirit of Christ. Well, the Lord will deal with them.
I have nothing to do with that. Did I need it? Was it true what they said? Sometimes we just resent the Spirit in which they did well. We don't always do things in a nice spirit. We should do them in the Spirit of Christ. But we find here that the Watchmen, the Keepers, the Wall took off my away, my veil from me. In other words, she couldn't say I belong wholly to my beloved if I'm not, if I'm not really seeking his company, seeking what pleases him.
We can say we're a separated people, we're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. But if we don't walk consistent like that, it's just like taking away our veil. Maybe we walk as those who are gathered to a rejected Christ following him.
Then it goes on to tell us.
She starts. Now there's another company that are brought in here and that's the eighth verse. The daughters of Jerusalem, I think in this book they represent to us.
The world who looks on and sees us. And they ask the question, what is thy beloved more than another beloved?
Does the world see that the Christ is precious to us? Or do they say, Well, you talk a lot, but I don't see that the Lord means very much to you. They ought to. They ought to see that the Lord means. But what is their answer? Well, I believe that she's been restored here. I believe the Watchmen have been used. I believe she's been brought back in her soul. And now she starts to describe her bridegroom. And I'd just like to notice the last verse.
Of this 5th chapter.
His mouth is most sweet. Yay, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, oh, daughters of Jerusalem. Now she's been restored. And she begins to describe him. I didn't read all the, but as it were, she looks at him from head to foot and says, oh, he's just altogether lovely, brethren, that's our Savior. That's the one who's the head of the body, the church.
That's the one who loved the church and gave himself for it. Has he changed? No, he's still altogether lovely. What a friend. We have friends in this world, but there's no friends like the Lord Jesus. And what is more wonderful to me? I can say he's my friend, but what thrills my heart? He says you're my friend. I haven't called you servants. I've called you friends. We sing to him what a friend we have in Jesus. That's wonderful that we have such a friend when he looks at a poor failing thing like me and says.
You're my friend. I'm going to tell you a few things. I'm concerned because I love you. Isn't it wonderful? That's the kind of a friend says this is my friend. Wasn't the result in the next chapter? Notice the first verse of the 6th chapter.
Whither is thy beloved gone? O thou fairest among women. Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee? That is now these daughters of Jerusalem. They begin to talk and they say, well, we'd like to know a friend like that. We never, we never heard of a friend that would be like that. The matter that we've acted pretty badly. But he's still the same. He's just exactly the same. Our friends aren't like that. But I like we'd like to know, your friend.
Mr. Darby once said our testimony to the world.
Is our joy in the Lord? Did the world see us as happy Christians? Do we talk about the Lord Jesus as the one who is so dear to us? Or do they find us seeking after things just the same as they are, as if we were trying to find our happiness here? Or can we say, oh, I know the Lord Jesus. He's altogether lovely if you only knew him. One brother stood up to speak and he took for his verse in the Psalms.
They that know thy name shall put their trust in thee.
And then he said you couldn't help but love him if you knew him. You couldn't help but love him if you knew him. And dear friends, that's the one. Our brother last night was bringing before us the wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus, what he would do for us and cleanse us and fit us for the glory. But he's more than that. He's a friend. And I believe there's no greater testimony to the world than to say that we have such a friend. Was it because she'd always done what she should? No, she wasn't perfect.
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But she's restored now, and she starts to talk about him after. There. Perhaps you've got away from the Lord and he's brought you back. Start talking about him. Tell your friends what a wonderful savior he is. Not only saved you, but you got away from him and he loves you still. He didn't stop loving you, and he brought you back.
That's what is the greatest testimony, I believe. And when we speak of him, then it touches. I think this is sweet. Let me read it again. Whither is thy beloved gone, although fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee?
Well, that's lovely. Well, I just like to turn before we close to the last chapter.
5th verse Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness? Leaning upon her beloved, I raised the I raised the up under the apple tree. There thy mother brought thee forth. There she she that brought the 4th there she brought the 4th That bear thee, set me as a seal of online heart, as a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave.
Coals are over coals of fire which have the most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot quench love. Neither can the love. The floods drone it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be condemned. Well, this is the last thing. And what is she doing? She's come now to the end, we might say, of the wilderness journey. She's coming up out of the wilderness. Some of us are getting a bit older.
Isn't this nice or attitude? What is she doing? She's leaning upon her beloved brethren. We're soon going to. Whether we're young or old, we're going to soon leave this wilderness.
Are we leaving on our beloved? It's a troubled world we live in. There's a lot of confusion everywhere.
There's upset everywhere. Business world, family life. Sad to say. Even in the assembly there are upsets and trials are relating on the everlasting arms. Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness? I think it's beautiful to see this last view of the bride after all these experiences. And perhaps as I've spoken of them, you can look back in your own life and say, I think I've had a few of these experiences myself too. And I I know what you're saying. Well, I think we all have to say.
Amen. It's so true that we go through these. What are we doing now? Maybe we're getting near the end of the journey in life. Are we leaning upon our beloved? We're soon going to come out of the wilderness, brethren. Whether we're young or old, may the Lord grant that we will be leaning upon him out of fellowship. What a joy to find leaning on the everlasting arms. So we pray.