{"id":2988,"date":"2014-09-17T12:21:11","date_gmt":"2014-09-17T12:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2988"},"modified":"2014-09-17T12:21:11","modified_gmt":"2014-09-17T12:21:11","slug":"jesus-in-his-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2988","title":{"rendered":"Jesus in His Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesus in His Garden<\/span><\/p>\n

James Smith, 1865
\n“My Beloved is gone down into His garden<\/em>, to the beds of spices; to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.” Song of Solomon 6:2<\/p>\n

Solomon’s Son<\/em>g reveals the Lord Jesus Christ as the Beloved<\/em>, and sets forth his love to his people, and his communion with them. To the truly spiritual mind, who has a knowledge of Eastern customs and manners, it is one of the most precious books in all the Scriptures; and we find that just in proportion to our spirituality \u2014 do we enter into and enjoy this inspired portion of Gods Word. From the power <\/em>that has attended it, the sweetness <\/em>found in it, and the effect <\/em>produced on the affections by it \u2014 some of us have concluded that, if any book contains full and satisfactory internal evidence of divine inspiration \u2014 it is this. But the carnal man does not understand the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And the carnal-minded believer <\/em>has but little sympathy with the contents of this most blessed <\/em>and precious <\/em>portion of God’s most holy Word.<\/p>\n

The Church had lost the presence of her Beloved, and she could find no substitute for Him; her restlessness awakens attention, and excites the inquiry, “What is your beloved more than another beloved?” She endeavors to describe Him \u2014 but fails; therefore she exclaims, “He is the chief among ten thousand! Yes, he is altogether lovely!” And adds, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”<\/p>\n

This brings out the inquiry<\/em>, “Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn \u2014 that we may look for him with you?” Our text is her reply: “My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.”<\/p>\n

Observe the Savior’s TITLE<\/strong>, “My Beloved.” Every believer loves Jesus, and loves him supremely. He is the <\/em>Beloved, not a <\/em>beloved. He stands above all others, and is loved above all others. Every believer loves Jesus sincerely, loves Him with the heart \u2014 with the whole heart. Every believer loves Him supremely \u2014 above and beyond all others. His language is, “Whom have I in heaven but You; and there is none upon earth that I desire beside You!”<\/p>\n

Believers love Jesus \u2014 because of his loveliness.<\/strong> When the Spirit reveals Him to them, He appears divinely sweet and glorious. All the glorious perfections of God<\/em>, and all the amiable excellencies of man<\/em>, are seen in Him; and the language of Watts is expressive of the view the soul has of Him \u2014<\/p>\n

“All over glorious is my Lord,
\nMust be beloved and yet adored.
\nHis worth if all the nations knew;
\nSure the whole earth would love Him too!”<\/p>\n

Believers love Jesus \u2014 because He is worthy<\/strong>. Whatever can commend Him to the understanding<\/em>, or endear Him to the affections<\/em> \u2014 is found in Jesus. Many sigh and suffer from setting their affections upon an unworthy object \u2014 not so the believer. Jesus is worthy of our highest, holiest, and warmest love!<\/p>\n

Believers love Jesus \u2014 because He is related <\/strong>to us. He is at once our Father, Brother, Friend, and Bridegroom. What would be monstrous in a natural sense \u2014 is right, lovely, prudent, and glorious, in a spiritual sense. We are espoused <\/em>to Him, our affections are set upon Him, we long to see Him, and hope to spend an eternity with Him! What an eternity will that be! An eternity of love, holiness, happiness, and indescribable splendor!<\/p>\n

“We love Him \u2014 because He first loved us<\/strong>.” But <\/strong>for this, we would never have loved Him. Because He first loved us \u2014 He taught us our need <\/em>of himself, revealed <\/em>himself to us, shed abroad his love in our hearts \u2014 and thus won our affections for himself. Oh, to love Jesus more! To love Him right heartily, and to love Him without one moment’s intermission!<\/p>\n

“None among the sons of men,
\nNone among the heavenly train,
\nCan with Jesus Christ compare;
\nNone so sweet, and none so fair!”<\/p>\n


\nNotice the Savior’s RESORT<\/strong>: “He is gone down into his garden.” His paradise <\/em>is above \u2014 but He has a garden <\/em>below. This garden is his church \u2014 the whole body of his elect, who believe in his adorable name. These are separated <\/em>from the world \u2014 by an act of sovereign grace, and the exercise of omnipotent power. They are enclosed \u2014 <\/em>by his promises<\/em>, providence<\/em>, and presence<\/em>. For He is a wall of fire round around them, and the glory in the midst of them. They are cultivated <\/em>by his ministers, Word, and Spirit \u2014 that they may blossom for his delight, and bring forth fruit for his glory.<\/p>\n

They are beautiful in his eyes. Nothing so beautiful. Hence He exclaims, “You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah; as lovely as Jerusalem. Turn away your eyes from me \u2014 for they have overcome me. You have ravished my heart \u2014 my sister, my spouse!” What language for Jesus to use toward such worms <\/em>as we are. It is this that stumbles the carnal<\/em> \u2014 for they cannot understand it. But it fills the bride of Christ with admiration and grateful love. Here are the heights, the depths, the lengths, and the breadths of the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.<\/p>\n

As separated <\/em>for Him, enclosed <\/em>and cultivated <\/em>by Him \u2014 they are not only beautiful<\/em> \u2014 but fruitful<\/em>; they bring forth fruit to his Father’s glory, and to His own satisfaction and delight.<\/p>\n

The church is the Lord’s garden \u2014 a garden . . .
\npurchased <\/em>with his precious blood,
\nplanted <\/em>by his skillful hand, and
\nvalued <\/em>by Him more than all the world!<\/p>\n

This is the treasure He found hid in the field of this world, which He hid, went and sold all that He had, and purchased the field. Now He claims the world as his own; but his church is “his peculiar treasure.”<\/p>\n

He comes down into his garden, which is at present low in a low place. His coming down <\/em>into his garden \u2014 indicates her condition and His condescension. He visits his poor, despised, and persecuted people. He visits them not merely from pity \u2014 but love. He is always with them \u2014 but in a special manner when they appear as a garden.<\/p>\n

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.” “He is gone down to the beds of spices<\/em>.” To meet with the little companies of believers, which He compares to spice-beds. Every Christian is a spice-plant, and these spice-plants grow in beds. The world sees not their beauty<\/em> \u2014 for it is spiritually discerned. The world smells not their fragrance<\/em> \u2014 for it is spiritually inhaled.<\/p>\n

These plants are rare<\/em> \u2014 none has them but Jesus; nowhere can they be found but in his church. They are fragrant<\/em> \u2014 and their perfume is drawn forth by Jesus, as the Sun of Righteousness, and wafted upward by the Spirit’s influence, as the south wind. To Jesus, there is fragrance in the persons, graces, services, and sacrifices of his people; especially in their prayers and praises.<\/p>\n

“The prayers and praises of the saints,
\nLike precious odors sweet,
\nAscend and spread a rich perfume
\nAround the mercy-seat.<\/p>\n

When God inclines the heart to pray,
\nHe has an ear to hear;
\nTo Him there’s music in a groan,
\nAnd beauty in a tear.”<\/p>\n

Mark the Savior’s OBJECT.<\/strong> “To feed in the gardens.” To feed, delight, and find satisfaction in his people. Never did mother delight herself in her first-born child \u2014 as Jesus delights himself in his people. Never did gardener delight himself in his rare, costly, and excellent plants \u2014 as Jesus does in his people. Hence He speaks of them and calls them, “The excellent of the earth \u2014 in whom is all my delight.” And He speaks to them and says, “You shall be called, Hephzibah<\/em> \u2014 my delight is in her.”<\/p>\n

But He comes not only to refresh, satisfy, and delight himself \u2014 but to feed them<\/em>. This He does with his Word, his ordinances, the operations of his Holy Spirit, and the manifestation of himself. Oh, how it refreshes, revives, satisfies, and delights the soul \u2014 when Jesus walks in his garden, among the beds of spices; or, without the figure<\/em>, when He manifests himself <\/em>unto us as He does not unto the world.<\/p>\n

He not only comes to feed \u2014 but “to gather lilies<\/em>.” Another figure to represent his saints. Every saint is a lily<\/em> \u2014 not a nettle, or a thorn, or a poisonous weed. Oh, no; but a beautiful, fragrant, useful, ornamental lily. They may be lilies <\/em>among thorns <\/em>sometimes, that is, when in the world; but they are arranged and beautiful when in the church. Jesus plants, waters, watches, enjoys, and preserves his lilies \u2014 and in his own time comes to gather <\/em>them. He will allow no one to gather his lilies, but himself.<\/p>\n

He has the keys <\/em>of death and hades. He opens \u2014 and no man shuts. He shuts \u2014 and no man opens. He comes and severs soul <\/em>from body, removes his lily plant <\/em>out of the reach of frosts, nipping winds, and the crude hands of man. He places it in his bosom, presents it to his Father \u2014 and preserves it in blossom and beauty before his throne forever! How gently <\/em>He gathers them oftentimes. How wisely <\/em>He removes them, before the storm descends. How carefully <\/em>He takes them to his Father’s house. Of many it may be said, as it was written of one \u2014<\/p>\n

“Dismissed to glory \u2014 with a kiss of love,
\nHe bade the lagging moments swifter roll;
\nDeath was to him as harmless as a dove,
\nWhile floods of glory overwhelmed his soul.<\/p>\n

Not plucked but gathered<\/em> by the hand of love,
\nAs tender fruit or fragrant lilies are;
\nTransplanted to the paradise above,
\nTo blossom in eternal glory there!”<\/p>\n

Sometimes Jesus comes into his garden specially to plant<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 this is what his church needs now. Oh, Savior, come and plant Your garden with many fruit-bearing trees, who shall bring forth the fruits of righteousness<\/em>, to the praise and glory of God! Come and plant in Your spice-beds, many rows of young spice-plants \u2014 take them from our congregations, from our Sunday schools, from our families, and from our neighborhoods, and let the whole earth be perfumed <\/em>with their fragrance!<\/p>\n

Sometimes Jesus comes to prune <\/em><\/strong>and water. Oh! how much pruning we need, and how sharp <\/em>the pruning knife He finds it necessary to employ! How often we need watering <\/em><\/strong>by his hand \u2014 how dry our soil, and how withered our appearance! Oh, Savior! You have said of your garden, “I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it!” O Lord, water my soul. Water the souls of your people abundantly, that they may revive as the grain, grow as the vine, and spread forth their roots and branched as the cedars. May we, from sweet experience and inward evidence of its truth, often sing \u2014<\/p>\n

“Each moment watered by Your care,
\nAnd fenced with power divine;
\nFruit to eternal life shall bear,
\nThe feeblest plant of Thine.”<\/p>\n

Sometimes Jesus comes to gather <\/em>and take his people home to his Father. He has said, “I will come and receive you to myself \u2014 that where I am, there you may be also.” Though spoken of his second advent, it is true of his removing us by death<\/em>. He comes for us, He wisely gathers us, He safely transports us to a milder and healthier climate.<\/p>\n

O my soul, Jesus is daily coming down into his garden to gather his lilies; He will soon come and gather you<\/em> \u2014 are you ready? Oh, to be full of fragrance, that the sick-room may be filled with the fragrance! Jesus! Savior! kindly preserve and supply me now, and gently gather me with your own loving hand at last, to the praise of your glory!<\/p>\n

“My best Beloved keeps his throne,
\nOn hills of light in worlds unknown;
\nBut He descends and shows his face,
\nIn the young gardens of his grace.<\/p>\n

“In vineyards planted by his hand,
\nWhere fruitful trees in order stand,
\nHe feeds among the spicy beds,
\nWhere lilies show their spotless heads.<\/p>\n

“Oh, may my spirit daily rise,
\nOn wings of faith above the skies,
\nUntil death shall make my last remove,
\nTo dwell forever with my love.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jesus in His Garden James Smith, 1865 “My Beloved is gone down into His garden, to the beds of spices; to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.” Song of Solomon 6:2 Solomon’s Song reveals the Lord Jesus Christ as the Beloved, and sets forth his love to his people, and his communion with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-james-smith","category-pictures-and-types"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2989,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2988\/revisions\/2989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}