Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1525
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, February 29, 1880
“As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.” Song of Solomon 2:2.
WE shall not enter into any profitless discussion this morning. We take it for granted that the Song of Solomon is a sacred marriage song between Christ and His Church and that it is the Lord Jesus who is here speaking of His Church and, indeed, of each individual member, saying, “As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.” I will not even enter into any study as to what particular flower is here intended by the word translated, “lily,” for it would be very difficult to select a plant from the Holy Land about which travelers and botanists would agree. The lily, which we should most naturally fix upon, is, as I have gathered from books on travel, not at present found in that country, though we may not, therefore, be sure that it was never there, or may not yet be discovered. Several other fair and beautiful forms, according to the fancies of various travelers, have been preferred to occupy the place of the plant intended by the original Hebrew, but none of them quite come up to the ideal suggested to an English reader by our translation.
I will for once take the liberty to clothe the Scripture in a Western dress, if necessary, and venture to do what Solomon would surely have done if his Song of Songs had been written in England. I shall assume that he means one of our own lilies—either the lily of the valley, or one of those more stately beauties, matchless for whiteness—which so gloriously adorn our gardens. Either will do and serve our purpose this morning. “As the lily among the thorns, so is My love among the daughters.” It is of small moment to be precise in botany so long as we get the spirit of the text. We seek practical usefulness and personal consolation and proceed at once in the pursuit, in the hope that many are taking root among us, now, newly transplanted from the world.
It is well that they should be rooted in a knowledge of their calling by Grace and what it includes. They ought to know, at the commencement, what a Christian is when he is truly a Christian; what he is expected to be; what the Lord means him to be and what the Lord Jesus regards him as really being! In that way they may make no mistakes, but may count the cost and know what it is that they have ventured upon. Thinking over this subject carefully and anxiously desiring to warn our new converts without alarming them, I could not think of any text from which I should be able, in the exposition of it, to better set forth the position, condition and character of a genuine Christian.
Jesus Himself knows best what His own bride is like—let us hear Him as He speaks in this matchless song! He knows best what His followers should be and well may we be content to take the words out of His own mouth when, in sweetest poetry, He tells us, “As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.” Join me then, my Brothers and Sisters, at this time, in considering how our Lord’s lilies grow! Concerning the Church of God, there are two points upon which I will enlarge. First, her relation to her Lord and secondly, her relation to the world.
I. First, I think my text very beautifully sets forth THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH AND OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO CHRIST. He styles her, “My love.” An exquisitely sweet name, as if His love had all gone forth of Him and had become embodied in her. The first point, then, of her relation to Christ is that she has His love. Think of it and let the blessed Truth of God dwell long and sweetly in your meditations! The Lord of life and glory, the Prince of the kings of the earth has such a loving heart that He must have an object upon which to spend His affections—and His people, chosen from among men, whom He calls His Church—these are they who are His “love,” the object of His supreme delight! “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.”
He looked on His people and He exclaimed, “as the Father has loved Me, even so have I loved you.” Every Believer, separated from mankind and called into the fellowship of Christ, is also the peculiar object of His love. Not in name only, but in deed and in truth does Jesus love each one of us who have believed on Him. You may, each one of you, say with the Apostle, “He loved me.” You may read it in any tense you please—He loved me; He loves me; He will love me, for He gave
Himself for me. This shall be your song in Heaven, “Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, to Him be glory.” Let your hearts saturate themselves with this honeyed thought! Heaven lies hidden within it! It is the quintessence of bliss—Jesus loves me!
It is not in the power of words to set forth the charming nature of this fact. It is a very simple proposition, but the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths of it surpass our knowledge. That such a poor, insignificant, unworthy being as I am should be the object of the eternal affection of the Son of God is an amazing wonder! Yet, wonderful as it is, it is a fact! To each one of His people, He says, this morning, by the Holy Spirit, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn you.” Each one of us may rejoice in the title under which our Lord addresses us—“My love.” This love is distinguishing love, for in its light one special object shines as a lily and the rest, “the daughters,” are as thorns. Love has fixed on its chosen object and, compared with the favored one, all others are as nothing. There is a love of Jesus which goes forth to all mankind, for “the Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works,” but there is a special and peculiar love which He bears to His own.