May 13
18
A union which will last forever!
(John MacDuff, “The Christian’s Pathway” 1858″)
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Songs 2:14
This is the language of the Christian in the book of Canticles. How great is the blessedness involved in such an assurance! My beloved Jesus is mine . . .
in the dignity of His person;
in the suitability of His offices;
in the immensity of His love;
in the efficacy of His atonement;
in the riches of His abounding grace!
His righteousness is mine — to justify me,
His Spirit is mine — to sanctify me,
His power is mine — to defend me,
His wisdom is mine — to guide me, and
His Heaven is mine — to receive me!
And what does Christ say to the believer in return?
“I am yours — and all that I have is yours! I have boundless and unsearchable riches — and those riches are for you! I have happiness to bestow, such as the mind in its largest grasp has never been able to conceive — and that happiness is for you! I have crowns and scepters at My disposal — and all those honors are for you! Yes, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My glorious throne!”
The Christian’s exaltation and bliss is not a matter of doubtful disputation. And what makes it so certain? It is the blessed truth that the union which exists between him and Christ — is an indissoluble union! All other relations, however close and endearing, must be broken. That union of husband and wife; and soul and body — has no power to resist the assault of death, the great destroyer.
All earthly ties must then be severed. But death, which breaks every other bond — only strengthens the bond between the Christian and Christ! Death, which quenches every other love — only kindles that of the believer for Jesus, into a purer and intenser flame! Death, which snatches every other object from our grasp — only brings us to the full enjoyment of Him, who is the fountain of life, the great center and source of all blessedness.
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus!
The changes of time cannot touch it!
The storms of life cannot injure it!
The sword of persecution cannot sever it!
The damps of death cannot affect it!
The malice of hell cannot move it!
It is a union which will last forever! It follows, therefore, that you, if a partaker of it — will be rich forever, safe forever, dignified forever, and blessed forever!
—
My Beloved is mine — and I am His!
(James Smith)
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Solomon 2:16
“My Beloved is mine!” He is . . .
the Savior in whom I believe and trust;
the Husband whom I reverence and love;
the Lord whom I adore and obey;
the portion on which I live; and
the beloved One upon whom my heart and affections are set.
“And I am His!”
He chose me — or I would have never chosen Him.
He redeemed me — or I would have still been Satan’s slave.
He called me — or I would have still been wandering from God.
He sanctified me — or I would have still been vile and polluted.
He manifested Himself to me — or I would have never seen His glory.
“I am His!”
I am His spouse.
I am His portion.
I am His delight.
I am His choice out of all worlds.
I am His glorious crown!
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Solomon 2:16
—
Where then, are all my spots?
(Susannah Spurgeon, “A Basket of Summer Fruit”)
“You are all beautiful, My beloved; there is no spot
in you!” Song of Songs 4:7
“Ah!” I hear some timid, trembling believer say, “Such
a text can have nothing to do with me! I am the very
opposite of all that is beautiful and spotless. The eyes
of my soul have seen hideous sights within, which I can
never forget; and I loathe myself and my sin so much,
that though I believe God has forgiven me for Christ’s
sake—I feel it impossible to take those precious words
as addressed to one so sinful and imperfect as myself!”
Yet, trembling soul, I would bid you take courage, and
look up! Christ’s love for His people is marvelously set
forth in this Song of Songs. The same precious blood
was poured out to redeem the least lamb of the flock,
as for the choicest sheep!
Come, then, timid one—rejoice in the blessed fact that
you are indeed precious to the Lord—and He says, “You
are all beautiful, My beloved!” Adoringly bow before Him
in wonder—at the miracle His love has wrought in you.
It ill becomes the bride of Christ to ignore His loveliness,
which He has put upon her, and go about bemoaning the
scars and blemishes which His great love overlooks and
forgets.
It is quite true that, in themselves, believers are sorrowfully
imperfect and sinful; but if the Lord Jesus, in His marvelous
mercy, unrobes Himself to cover over their unrighteousness,
they may well be content to be thus made “beautiful” in His
sight. We cannot comprehend the mystery and sublimity of
Divine love; but it is the sole and all-sufficient reason for the
dear Lord’s estimate of us; and when He uses such endearing
language—our hearts melt and are ravished by His wondrous
condescension. With reverence we say it—when our dear
Master deigns to address us in accents of love and admiration,
our souls are thrilled with heavenly bliss, and we are uplifted
beyond all the sorrows and vexations of this world, into an
atmosphere of unspeakable spiritual joy!
“My beloved!” Oh, say it again, dear Savior! Let the music
of Your voice touch and vibrate through the deepest chords
of my nature, and awaken sweet responses in my soul! You
are the fount and source of all love; oh, fill me, overwhelm
me, plunge me in this sea of mercy and of grace! I would be
swallowed up in it—knowing no other joy or bliss comparable
to that of being able to say, “My Beloved is mine—and I am His!”
“There is no spot in you.” Can our loving Lord really mean
this? He does, indeed! “Where then, are all my spots,
dear Lord, for they were legion—and sin must render me
vile and loathsome in Your pure sight?”
All the sins—past, present, and future—all the deformity and
blackness—are cleansed away by Christ’s blood—covered by
His righteousness! And so completely is this done, that God
Himself can find no remnant or stain of that which would
have meant eternal death to an unwashed soul. The poor
sinner is lifted from the depths of sin—to the heights of
heavenly bliss! “What kind of love is this?” It is so Divine
and incomprehensible that, in the contemplation of it,
we are lost in wonder and amazement!
Lord Jesus, what a glorious Savior You are! All the sin,
which made Your bride so black and vile—was laid upon
You!
“There is no spot in you.” An old writer says—”Now, if
God sees no spot—why should you be prying after one?
Poring over your misery, searching after your blackness
and depravity—will be no help to you. This only keeps
your eyes off Jesus, instead of up unto Jesus. You cannot
look two ways at once. How did the poor serpent-bitten
Israelites in the wilderness get relief and healing? By
looking to their sores, their wounds, their malady? Oh,
no! It was by looking to the brazen serpent! And if you
would get relief—it must be by looking to Jesus Christ!”
—
Christ’s love-letters
(Charles Spurgeon)
“The Scriptures point to Me!” John 5:39
Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the Bible. He is the constant theme of its sacred pages; from first to last — they testify of Him!
We catch a glimpse of Him in the promise of the woman’s seed;
we see Him typified in the ark of Noah;
we walk with Abraham, as He sees Messiah’s day;
we dwell in the tents of Isaac and Jacob, feeding upon the gracious promise;
we hear the venerable Israel talking of the coming Shiloh; and
in the numerous types of the law, we find the Redeemer abundantly foreshadowed.
Prophets and kings, priests and preachers, all look one way — they all stand as the cherubim did over the ark — desiring to look within, and to read the mystery of God’s great atoning sacrifice!
Still more manifestly in the New Testament we find our Lord — the one pervading subject. It is not a single gem here and there, or dust of gold thinly scattered — but here you stand upon a solid floor of gold; for the whole substance of the New Testament is Jesus crucified, and even its closing sentence is bejewelled with the Redeemer’s name!
We should always read Scripture in this light — we should consider the Word to be as a mirror, into which Christ looks down from heaven. And then we, looking into it, see His face reflected as in a mirror — darkly, it is true — but still in such a way as to be a blessed preparation for seeing Him — as we shall see Him face to face!
This volume contains Christ’s love-letters to us, perfumed by His love. These pages are the garments of our King, and they all smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia. Scripture is the royal chariot in which Jesus rides, and it is paved with love for His children. The Scriptures are the swaddling bands of the holy child Jesus — unroll them and you find your Savior!
The quintessence of the Word of God — is Christ!
—
Sons! Brethren! Princes! Friends! Heirs! Jewels! My Portion! Mine!
(John MacDuff, “The Night Watches”)
“And they shall be Mine, says the LORD Almighty, in that day when I make up My jewels!” Malachi 3:17
“MY JEWELS!” Of what favored creatures does Jehovah thus speak? Is it of seraphs? Is it of angels? Methinks, at such a title, even they would take the dust of abasement, and veiling their faces, cry, “Unclean! unclean!” But, marvel of marvels! It is redeemed sinners of the earth — once crude, unshapely stones, lying in “the horrible pit and the miry clay,” amid the rubbish of corruption — who are thus sought out by divine grace, purchased by divine love, destined through eternity to be set as jewels in the crown of the eternal God!
“The Lord’s portion is His people!” There is a surpassing revelation of love here. Great, unspeakably great, is the privilege of the believer — to be able to look up to the everlasting Jehovah, and say, “You are my portion, O Lord!” But what is this, in comparison with the response of Omnipotence to the child of dust, “You are Mine!” Reader, have you learned to lisp your part in this wondrous interchange of covenant-love, “My beloved is Mine — and I am His!”
What an array of wondrous titles belong to the saints of God, and given, too, by God Himself, in His own Word! He calls them — Sons! Brethren! Princes! Friends! Heirs! Jewels! My Portion! Mine!
And when is the time when they become thus dear to Him? Sinner, when you wept at the cross of Jesus — you became His jewel. No — from eternity past — “He has loved you with an everlasting love!” True, you are not yet set in His crown. You are yet undergoing the process of polishing. Affliction is preparing you; trial is needed to remove all the roughness and blemishes of nature, and make you fit for your Master’s use. But, blessed thought! “Now it is God who has made us (literally, chiseled or polished us) for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Yes, God Himself, the possessor, who prized that earthly jewel so much, as to give in exchange for it Heaven’s “Pearl of great price” — He has the polishing in His own hand! He will not deal too rashly or roughly!
A jewel in Immanuel’s crown! Not only raised from the ash-heap to be set among princes; but to gem through eternity — the Forehead that for me, was once wreathed with thorns!
Shall I murmur — can I murmur, at any way my Savior sees fit to polish and prepare me for such an honor as this? Let me sink down on my nightly pillow overpowered with the thought; and as I hear my covenant God whispering in my ear the astounding accents, “You are Mine!” I may well reply, “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me live in safety!” Psalm 4:8