The notices for the coming week are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn 570. The tune is Sheffield. 235 the lord on high his love proclaims and makes his goodness known to men deserving endless pains he gave his only son him 570 june sheffield 235 I miss my brook-bank, and makes its bird-nest sound. Amen. Peace. Amen. Amen. Peace. ♪ In a place of their life to live ♪ ♪ To save them from their sin ♪ ♪ From death and hell, their sin ♪ Ahem. O come ye, O come ye, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Our own subjects have not helped themselves, have cried for help till now. The gates of Zion close to thee, Thou the temple of peace, is the Son of Israel, Savior by His grace. Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in the Song of Solomon, part of chapter 4 and chapters 5 and 6. Solomon's Song, chapter 4, we'll commence reading at verse 8 and we'll read down to the end of chapter 6. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amarna, from the top of Chenier and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of leopards. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse. Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thine neck. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine, and the smell of thine ointments and all spices. Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, camphire with spikenard, spikenard with saffron, calamus with cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind, and come thou south. Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits. I am coming to my garden, my sister, my spouse. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. I sleep, but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, 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. I have put off my coat, How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer. The watchmen that went about the city found me. They smoked me, they wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, let ye tell him that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, His locks are bushy and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers. His lips like linners dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl. His belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, sepon, sockets of fine gold. His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. With it is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest of women. With it is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee. My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He feedeth among the lilies. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go out from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins. and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are they temples within thy locks. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled, is but one. She's the only one of her mother. She is the choice one of her that bear her. The daughters saw her and blessed her. Yea, the queens and concubines they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. Wherever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Eminidib. Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will you see in the Shulamite? As it were, the company of two armies. May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us the spirit of real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal God of heaven, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, We desire to bow before thy glorious majesty. We come, Lord, as poor sinners. Thankful to find thee at his room before the throne of grace. Thankful, O Lord, for those things we've read in thy word of our beloved, of his everlasting love in our Lord Jesus Christ. O most gracious God, we pray that as we gather together around thy word today, though we come as poor, wretched sinners, unclean and unrighteous altogether, and yet, Lord, may we have that sacred sense and realisation, my beloved is mine, our Lord Jesus Christ, mine forever. mine eternally, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Oh, we do thank thee for the sending forth of thine only begotten Son. We do thank thee for the love of our eternal Father. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved. or that we might feel the sweetness, the power, and the freshness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we have his wonderful presence in our sanctuary today, and may we see no man save Jesus only, for he is all our hope, he is all our desire, his precious blood washes away all sin, his glorious Righteousness covers our nakedness and may we know and feel the power of the atonement in our hearts and may we know and feel the divine power and the heavenly unction of the Holy Ghost as we gather round thy word. Oh we we do pray that thou would be with us and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us, we do humbly beseech thee. Remember us as a church and as a congregation, and remember us with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people, and visit us with thy great salvation, we do humbly beseech thee. Lord, we do pray for our brethren, the deacons, that thou wouldst richly bless them. O Lord, for that measure of recovery of our dear beloved brother, and we pray that thou wouldst continue thy gracious help and grant thy strength in mercies day by day. We do thank thee for thy mercy, O Lord, in preserving unto us. And we do pray that we may know thy richest blessing upon us as a church and as a congregation. that thou hast let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children, that we may see the work of the mighty Spirit of God in our midst, that we may see the fulfilling of those wonderful gospel promises, I will bring thy sons from far and thy daughters from the ends of the earth, and they shall come from the north and from the south and from the east and from the west. Lord, may we see Zion's offspring come. May we see prodigal's return. And thou wonderful grace in this, we do humbly beseech of thee. Thou art indeed able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. And thou hast said unto us in thy word, open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. and that thou hast promised in thy word that I, the Lord, will hasten in his time. Lord, may we see a day of real prosperity and in-gathering. May we see the glory and light of the gospel shine into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets and the strongholds of Satan pulled down and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of sinners. Lord, let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly beseech thee. Grant signs to follow the preaching of the word. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel, O thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. We do humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst bless each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship and that thou wouldst indeed bless us as a church and as a congregation. Thou knowest the individual pathways of each one, the afflictions, the troubles, the perplexities, the temptations. Lord, thou knowest all things and we pray that thou wouldst be gracious and have mercy upon each one. in all their various concerns. And, O Lord, we do pray that Thou, in Thy precious mercy, would remember the little ones, the children. We lovingly commend them to Thee. We love to see them and hear them in the sanctuary. And we pray that Thou would richly bless them, that Thou would put the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom into their hearts in their young and in their tender years. Lord, remember the young friends and graciously bless them and guide them. O thou great Jehovah, be with them in their schoolwork and be with them, Lord, as they launch forth from school into the world of work. And may they see thy goodness pass before them in the way. and may thy gracious hand rest upon them in that wonderful way, in the blessing of blessings, that they may be brought to living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may be enabled to forsake all and to follow him and to serve him in their day and in their generation. Arise, arise, O God of grace, into thy rest descend, Thou in the ark of thy strength, and let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall shout aloud for joy. Oh abundantly bless the provision of thy house, and satisfy her poor with bread. Oh Lord, we do beseech of thee for thy great namesake. And may those in the midst of the journey of life, and graciously undertake for each one, and remember parents and give them grace and wisdom to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deliver us from temptation, whether it be the temptations in this world, which would draw us aside, or whether they be the temptations of Satan, as promised in thy word, that when the enemy comes in like a flood, The spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. We pray that glorious standard may be lifted up today, that even our Lord Jesus Christ, his cross, his resurrection, O most gracious God, grant thy blessing upon us. Remember all in the evening time of life's journey and guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. Help us to lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine today. Grant that they may dip their foot in oil, be made acceptable unto the brethren, and that there might be an outpouring of the Spirit, and mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel, shine forth. We do humbly beseech of Thee. And O Lord, we do pray that Thou wouldst remember those that go out from among us as a group of churches among the nations of the earth. Remember Thy servant Ian Sadler and grant, Lord, good success in those labours that he undertakes in so many different countries in the distribution and the exposition of thy holy word, I will do crown his labours with success. Remember the Mombasa mission and thy servant that labours there. Grant, O Lord, that they may see thy work and thy power and thy glory in the ingathering of precious souls. Remember the Savannah Education Trust and that great work that they're doing in Ghana. Lord, supply all their many needs, we do humbly beseech thee. Remember our nation and graciously give wisdom to our leaders, guidance and direction in all matters. We live in truly solemn days. Wickedness abounds on every hand. The powers of Antichrist are so powerful and prevalent. We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst hear the cries of thy little remnants, and send out thy light and thy truth again in the length and breadth of this nation. Wherever thy servants stand and thy people gather, grant the outpouring of thy spirit. We do humbly beseech thee. Do bless the royal household. Do bless our king and graciously give wisdom and guidance and direction. Grant them thy grace. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord we thank Thee for every mercy and every favour, we thank Thee for our house of prayer, we thank Thee for the Word of God, for the open Bible, we thank Thee for every mercy of Thy kind providence, but above all we thank Thee for Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for the incarnation of the Son of God, for the holy life He lived, for the holy law he fulfilled, for the bringing in of everlasting righteousness for his people. Oh, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. We thank thee for that glorious atonement for sin and for uncleanness. His precious blood has been shed and the divine justice has been satisfied and God and sinners are reconciled. We thank thee that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification and has bodily ascended into heaven and sitted at thy right hand. We indeed have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Fill our hearts with praise, with thanksgiving, with adoration. We thank thee that in him we know the love of our eternal Father, and through him we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn number 268, The tune is Lorenza 49. If Jesus kindly say, and with a whispering word, arise my love and come away, I run to meet my Lord. Hymn 268, tune Lorenza 49. ♪ When in Israel's glorious city ♪ ♪ Thy faithfulness be found ♪ ♪ Alas, my love, I'm drawn away ♪ ♪ Turn not to thee, I know ♪ ♪ My soul is divided ♪ Alleluiah, alleluia. O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ♪ O praise Christ, the heav'nly King! ♪ O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, ♪ ♪ I give you my heart ♪ ♪ Last hope and endless night ♪ ♪ I give you my prayers ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, direct your attention to Solomon's Song and Chapter 6 and we'll read verses 10 to 13 for our text. The Song of Solomon, Chapter 6, verses 10 to 13. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. I went down into the Garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. Wherever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of a minoted. Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon them. What will you see in the Shulamite? As it were, the company of two armies. The Puritans and Dr. Gill, they often refer to the Song of Solomon as being the Holy of Holies of the Scripture. And the reason being is the rich spiritual teaching that there is found in this sacred portion of God's Word. It's called the Song of Songs, which is Solomon's Song of Songs. It's like Christ is called the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. And this is the Song of Songs because there is no other song like it upon earth. And what it describes is that intimate union and communion that there is between Christ and the church. It's sacred Hebrew poetry. There's nothing like it. And the only entrance that you and I can ever really truly have into it is by having experience of the love of Christ shed abroad in your hearts. I've often told you that when I was under the law and in deep darkness and bondage. One day, I took my Bible, I wasn't in the habit of reading it regularly, and I opened it on Solomon's Song. And I read it right the way through. And I remember closing the book and thinking and actually saying, I do not understand a syllable that I've read, just it was a completely closed book. I didn't understand it, at all. But eventually, when Christ was revealed to me, as the way, the truth and the life, and Christ was made precious to me, and the love of Christ was shed abroad in my heart, What a different book. It came alive. It literally came alive. You know, in the first chapter of Solomon's Song, and this is what initially was made so precious to me, is the prayer of the spouse. The spouse, of course, is the church. A husband is Christ. He's called the bridegroom in other places in Holy Scripture. And so we have in Solomon's Song in particular this sacred, intimate, loving intercourse that there is between the poor sinner and Christ. And if we look at even the first part of it, let him kiss me. You know, until you've known that a little bit of that intimate union and communion with Christ, you cannot understand Solomon's Song. Once Christ has been revealed, once Christ has been made precious, you can understand this language. Let him kiss me. With the kisses of his mouth, this is the spells speaking to Christ, for thy love is better than wine. There is no love like the love of Christ. Love is powerful, it is. The love of Christ is rich and free, blessed to his own eternally. We have those wonderful words in Jeremiah 31, yea I have loved thee, with an everlasting love. It's a love that is eternal. It's a love that is from everlasting to everlasting. It has neither beginning nor end. Here in Solomon's Song we've read it together. His hands, whose hands? The hands of Christ. His hands are as gold rings. You just think of that. It is his fingers, the ring. What does the ring represent? Well it's gold and in this metaphorical way, in poetry in particular, they use metaphors, things drawn from this life that we understand to express spiritual truth here. So gold especially in the context of Solomon's Song, it represents deity. That Jesus Christ is not just a man, he's not just a good man, he's not just a righteous man, he's the Holy God man, he's the Eternal Son, he's the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. And the gold sets forth his divinity. glorious reality that he is the eternal son of God, as gold rings. Now the other feature that in a ring it has neither beginning nor end, it's continuous, has neither beginning or end. How beautiful, concerning the person and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. has neither beginning nor end. So these sacred words that we find here, so the only way that we can really properly understand Solomon's song is to realize that we have before us two lovers, two lovers and that is what is being used here to set forth the eternal love the pure, holy, eternal love of Christ to his church. It is. And the spouse, his church, once the Holy Spirit has quickened her soul, once the love of Christ has been shed abroad in her heart, she's drawn to Christ. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine She now has, after being born again of the Spirit, after having Christ revealed, she has a spiritual appetite for the love of God in Christ. Let him kiss me. She wants that intimate union with her beloved. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love. is better than wine. And then in verse four of chapter one, another one of those beautiful prayers, and it's the prayer of a living soul, draw me, we will run after thee. I remember my late pastor, Mr. Jupp, speaking from that on one Lord's day, draw me, we will run after thee. And he described it like this, and I absolutely agree with his exposition as well. We, draw me, singular, we will run after thee. And he said, this is the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart of the believer. Draw me is the desire of the living soul. We, the Holy Spirit and the believer, we will run after thee. You see, every true believer has dwelling in them the Holy Ghost. And it's the only way you can understand this. We will run after them. It's the language of a living soul. And then in verse 7 again, these beautiful prayers of the spouse, the desires and longings of the spouse. Tell me. Tell me. She's praying to her Beloved. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest. That's not where he himself feeds, it's where the church feeds, and he feeds the church. Her desire was to be among the Lord's people, among accompanied believers. And that is the language of a living soul. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? And you know, friends, she receives an immediate answer in verse eight, chapter one. If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth, by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside thee shepherds' tents." What are the footsteps of the flock? They are the footsteps of Christ. My sheep know my voice and they follow me. The footsteps of the flock are the footsteps of Christ. know my voice and they follow me. Are you following Jesus? Do you see a beauty in Jesus? Do you see a loveliness in Jesus? Is there something in Jesus Christ that so draws your heart, your soul? You know friends this is real religion. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. They're hungering and thirsting after Christ. That's what it is. They hunger and thirst. They long, they watch, they wait. Precious thing, you know, my beloved friends, when the Lord so blesses us. You notice in the beginning of our reading today, verse 8 in chapter 4, this is the language of Christ unto his spouse come with me from Lebanon my spouse come with me from Lebanon look from the top of Amarna from the top of Shaner and Herman from the lion's dens then these lovely words in verse nine thou has ravished my heart My sister, my spouse, has ravished my heart. With one of thine eyes I see I have faith. With a chain of thy neck, the eternal love of God, known and felt in the heart. You know, friends, one of the periods when I was very afflicted, was taken into hospital one day, released, and then had to go back in the following morning. It was in the early hours of that morning. I couldn't sleep and I felt so ill. And I went downstairs and I sat and I was reading here. And these words here, the Lord breathed them into my very soul. Come with me from Lebanon, my sister, my spouse. Look, I cannot express to you what I saw, the glory of Christ. The wonders of redeeming love. It was in 2005. It was inexpressible. The wonderful glory of Christ. I, in myself, was utterly, completely finished. Physically weak, mentally weak. But I cannot express to you the glory I saw. You know, friends, little did I know That was the beginning of February 2005. Little did I know that I would not preach until the middle of November that year. I was in hospital eight times. But the wonder of glory that the Lord gave me, a view of Christ, of His glory, the wonder of it. ravished my heart. It's an amazing thing, isn't it? The eternal Son of God, manifest in the flesh. A poor, wretched sinner looking to Christ in all their emptiness, filthiness and poverty, looking in faith, believing, and Christ overcome. The glory, the wonderful glory of God in Christ, he is overcome by a poor sinner. Overcome with a poor sinner looking to him, a poor sinner coming to him, a poor sinner trusting in him, cleaving to him, a poor sinner who come to the ends of the earth and what does he say? Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be ye saved for I am God and there is none else. That's what he speaks to these poor needy sinners. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls come with me from Lebanon my spouse from Lebanon from this he says here from the top of Amarna, from the top of Shunur and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of leopards. That's this world. We're surrounded with the enemy, with the world and Satan and his deep-laid snares. And he says, come with me. And he says, how fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse. How much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine ointments and all spices. You know, friends, wonderful sacred language. He speaks here of the church as a garden. In chapter four, verse 12, a garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed, You know, in Jerusalem, we have gardens, and if you go to central London, you have lots of houses and flats, but there's no gardens. Well, it was like that. Jerusalem was a very compact city, and very, very few gardens within the city of Jerusalem. But what they used to do was they would go outside, they would find in the out of the city a place with a spring and they would wall it around and they would plant their spices and all their vegetables and the whole families to go out and spend a day out in the garden watering and looking after the garden which was without the city and this is the language of Solomon's song and you've got to understand what it means in this sense you look at it spiritually the church a garden enclosed my sister my spouse it's been built she's walled around she's loved with an everlasting love she's chosen in Christ she's walled around there's an eternal covenant that God has made. And within that garden there's a spring of living waters. Spring of living waters. This is the church of God. A garden enclosed. The electing love of the Father. The redeeming love of the Son. The sanctifying love of the Holy Ghost. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up. This is the church. Christ loves the church. It speaks of the plants in that garment, the plants, orchard of pomegranates, pleasant fruits, camphor, spikenard, saffron, calamus, these wonderful spices. What do these spices represent? The divine work of the Spirit in the heart of a true believer. These precious spices, faith, love, humility, contrition. This is the divine work of the Spirit in the heart, bringing a poor sinner to see their lost condition, bringing them to the feet of Jesus, to see him as the way, the truth and the life, to follow him, to leave everything, And these precious spices in the heart of the believer, they're a sweet savour unto Christ. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. The Church of God. The Spirit, you know, living water, and again and again in Holy Scripture, the Holy Ghost is likened to water. And this spring, It's the spring that's always there. And our Lord Jesus Christ, he speaks of this living spring of living water in the Church of God. In John chapter 4, when he saw the woman by the well, and he spoke to her, the woman of Samaria, and she was quite alarmed. How is it that Thou being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria. You know, it's said of Jesus Christ by the Pharisees in a derogatory way, this man receive his sinners and eateth with them. Hallelujah, my beloved friends. He still receives sinners. He does. He still receives sinners. Jesus answered and said, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it Is that saith to thee, give me to drink? Thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. That's the Holy Ghost. It shall be in him a well of water. The believer has within them a well of water. bubbles up constantly and continually. It does. The glorious person, power and grace of God the Holy Ghost. You know, again in the Gospel according to John in chapter 7, it speaks of this living water that Christ gives to his people and so clearly and beautifully sets before us the divine person, power and grace of God the Holy Ghost. If you turn to John chapter 7 and verse 37, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me. If any man thirst, let him come unto me. What wonderful words of grace and drink! He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorious. that wonderful, glorious person of God, the Holy Ghost, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind, and it's sometimes very difficult, and here in the last verse of chapter four, is to know whether it's Christ speaking or the church. actually believe the first part of this verse is Christ speaking and again the Holy Ghost is likened to wind in Holy Scripture when the Lord Jesus speaking to Nicodemus he must be born again except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and that and again illustrating the work of the Spirit he says the wind bloweth where it listeth We know not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. And now Christ, he says, Awake, O north wind, and come thou south. A north wind is a bitter cold wind. A south wind is a warm balmy wind. You know, we need both. And if you look at this in the spiritual light of it, The North Wind is when the Holy Spirit brings the law of God in its convicting and convincing power into our heart and conscience. Awake, O North Wind! But then, not on alone, and come thou South! That's the warm balmy winds of the everlasting love of God in Christ. Awake, O North Wind, and come thou South! and blow upon my garden, it's his garden, it's not ours, it's Christ's garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Those wonderful spices that we've mentioned in the previous verses of spikenard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, and these precious graces of the Spirit, faith and hope and love, flow out. We have the answer from the spouse in the garden. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits. And then the beginning of chapter five, I am coming to my garden. It's Christ answering the spouse. I am coming. And the lovely, loving language he uses to his spouse. I am coming to my garden, my sister. spouse. I've gathered my myrrh with my spice. I've eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved." What wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and in a sense we've already now open to you the first part of our text. Who is she? That looketh forth as the morning. Who is she? It's a rhetorical question. Who is she? Well, we have a description of her in the previous verse. By Christ, in that beautiful loving language in verse 9 of chapter 6. My dove, My undefiled is but one. She is the only one of her mother. She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters, that's fellow believers, the daughters saw her and blessed her. Yea, the queens and the concubines, they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth? You know, He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. This spouse is on a journey and she's leaning on her beloved. Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? This is the spouse. of Christ our God, bought with the treasures of His blood. She's a poor, wretched sinner. She was born in sin, she was shaped in iniquity, she lived in sin and rebellion until the Lord, by His infinite love, mercy and grace, sent His Spirit, the Spirit that precedeth force from the Father and the Son. He sends that Spirit into the heart of each one of his chosen vessels of mercy. They were chosen by the Father, they were redeemed by the Son at Calvary, and now they are to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. When the Spirit comes into the heart, when He, the Spirit of Truth, had come, He will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning? She looks forth as the morning. You know when the precious gift of faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost, there's a looking forward. There's a looking onto Jesus. There's a looking onto Jesus. the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And by faith, and it's a faith that works by love, it unites the soul in love to Christ. They look to Christ. They cleave to Christ. They love Christ. They're drawn to Christ. They see a beauty in Christ. They see a loveliness in Christ. As we read the language here in the latter part of chapter five of the Beloved's description of Christ. My Beloved in verse 10, the first thing she sees in him, my Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among 10,000. Beloved. White and ruddy, that white representing the purity and the holiness of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Ruddy is red, it represents the blood of Christ and the spouse sees in Christ, he sees in her, all her salvation is in him. He his perfect holy life, his fulfilling of the holy law, his bringing in of everlasting righteousness, his precious sinatonic sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. That's what she sees in her beloved. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among 10,000. You put him among 10,000 of the glorious angels of God, and he stands out. You put him among the most finest specimens of the sons of men and he stands out, the most glorious, the chiefest among 10,000. He's the eternal son of the eternal God that was manifest in the flesh. He lived a life that was holy and pure. He lived a life that was full of sorrow and sadness and grief. He took our sins He suffered and bled and died for our sins. My Beloved is white and ruddy. She sees in Him all her salvation, not in some cold, clinical, intellectual way, but she loves Him. She loves Him. Her affections, her desires, are all found in Christ. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved? over thou fairest among women. She, and who is she that looketh forth as the morning? She's looking for. Looking at the apostle, he puts that in a beautiful way, doesn't he? Hebrews 12, looking unto Jesus. Are you? Are you? Am I? Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We do not worship a dead Christ. We worship a living Christ, who has the power of an endless life. He does. A living Christ, who has the power of an endless life, looking unto Jesus, all our righteousness, His precious sin atoning sacrifice, looking unto Jesus, His precious blood that He shed on Calvary to redeem us from the law, from the curse of the law, from the power of sin. What is that name that speaks for me? in heaven's high courts above, and from the curse has set me free, tis Jesus' precious blood. My beloved is white and ruddy. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? She sees her beloved here in chapter five, His head is as the most fine gold, cold again, representing divinity. My beloved, he's not just a man, he's not just a good man, he's the eternal Son of God that was manifest in the flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. You know, there's such a glory and a beauty when we see God manifest in the flesh, the glorious person of Christ. beloved. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, black as a raven, full of strength, full of vigor. His eyes as the eyes of doves, soft, tender, pure, clear, the eyes of Christ. I've often explained it, you know, like Peter when he denied his Lord and Master with oaths and curses and Jesus turned and looked in the judgment hall. And he went out and wept bitterly. You know, friends, that look of Christ of Peter was a look of infinite love. It was. It broke his heart. It absolutely broke his heart. His eyes are as the eyes of dust by rivers of waters washed with milk. His cheek as beds of spices, as sweet flowers, His lips, the lips of Christ. His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. In this metaphorical way, myrrh represents love. His lips like lilies. Lilies are soft and tender and beautiful, aren't they? His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. How soft the words my Saviour speaks. How kind the promises He makes. He does. His hands as gold rings set with the barrel. His belly as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs. His legs are as pillars of marble. Strength, stability. Upon this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It's what we see in Christ. Firm, immovable. his legs as pillars of marble, but the secret here, set upon sockets of fine gold. He's the eternal son of God. The strength and the stability that there is in Christ. He will not fail. No. He will not fail, nor be discouraged. He gave his life a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? You know, in scripture, and let us look at the sun and the moon, and of course the sun is very central to our creation, for all the light and heat that this world has, comes from the sun and of course very beautifully in the last chapter of the Old Testament in Malachi chapter 4 unto you that fear my name shall the sun, s-u-n shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, that's Christ the sun of righteousness now the moon doesn't have any light of its own The light you see in the moon comes from the sun. It's a reflection of the light of the sun shining on it. It has no light of its own. The moon in scripture represents the church of God. It has no light of its own. It's absolutely completely dependent on the light of the sun. The sun is Christ. The sun is Christ. And all the light the church has is in Christ. We see light in thy light. And Christ is the light of the world. He said himself, didn't he, I am the light of the world. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun? Terrible. There's an army with banners. the church. Never forget this, friends. Whoever weak and helpless the church may look, she's terrible as an army with banners. An army with all its banners, all its standards, marching forward to battle. Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. He does. living by faith in Jesus Christ, cleaving to Christ, looking to Christ, in spite of all the opposition, in spite of all the difficulties, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that has so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. How? Looking unto Jesus. There's no other way. to run this waste, but looking unto Jesus, cleaving unto Jesus Christ. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning? That is by faith. She looks forth. She looks forth to the time when she's finished with all this world of sin and woe. She looks forth to the time when she bids adieu to everything here below. The Apostle Peter puts it in that way, doesn't he? Looking and hasting unto the great day of the Lord. Looking and hasting unto that great day. A glorious day when the whole of the redeemed church shall meet the Lord in the air and so shall they ever be with the Lord. Looking to that glorious day. Looking to that Final deliverance, looking to eternal glory. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, said Jesus. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. that where I am, there you may be also. You know, friends, we have to be weaned away from those things that we get so taken up with. They may be good things, they may be right things, but we have to be weaned away from them. Let all fruitless searches go, which perplex and tease us. but desiring not to know, but a bleeding Jesus. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun? Her beauty is Christ. Her all in all is Christ. Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. You know, friends, With heaven and earth at his command, he waits to answer prayer. The church, in prayer, is terrible as an army with banners. She's marching forward. She has no armour for the back. The only armour she has is at the front. He that looketh back, he thinketh, remember Lot's wife. She looked back and she was turned into a pillar of salt. There's no armour for the back. We have to press on and press forward. This one thing I do, I press toward the mark to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Well, friends, I hope this afternoon, if the Lord will enable us, that we'll look at the following verses in our text. May the Lord have his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 92, the tune is Hampstead 340. Who is this fair one in distress that travels from this wilderness and pressed with sorrows and with sins on her beloved Lord she leans. Hymn number 92, tune Hampstead 340. Hmm. This is the star-spangled banner of the free and the home of the brave. It hath the voice of heav'n resounding. O let thy children hear the sound, World, oh my world, how long I have yearned. Still, dear and soon, I'll be home and well. ♪ Heaven and earth are full of thy glory ♪ ♪ I love this land ♪ ♪ Which my soul ♪ ♪ For ever grows ♪ ♪ Heaven and earth ♪ ♪ In vain combine ♪ ♪ Children can fall so hard and take the weight ♪ ♪ But I am jealous of my mother ♪ Message for all the nations Let there by name be well impressed as a fascinate on thy breast. Till thou hast called him to thy home, ♪ Where peace and love ♪ ♪ Were never found ♪ ♪ Thy countenance when in London seen ♪ ♪ Heav'n or hell thou shalt know ♪ Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.