Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to the chapter we read, Song
of Solomon, chapter 8, and we read for our text verse 5, and
particularly the first part of that verse. The question, who is this that
cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? And the verse follows
on, I raise thee up under the apple tree, There thy mother
brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth that bear
thee. Song of Solomon chapter 8 and
the first part of verse 5 The Song of Solomon is a love
song between Christ and His Church. Sometimes it is Christ that is
speaking, other times it is the Church, and the Church then is
divided up into those that are the believers, or those that
are going out after Christ, and those that are inquiring after
him that are exercised in the things of God which you might
say make up the congregation of seekers and those that really
covered earnestly those best of blessings and sometimes it
is difficult to discern what is what but we have in this chapter
the church that in a believer that is speaking of the desire
of that relationship with Christ and Christ has that relationship
with his church as a brother he is of our flesh he was made
flesh and dwelt among us and he was came unto his brethren,
he's not ashamed to call them brethren and so the church desires
that union and desires that fellowship with the Lord and she speaks
in these first verses of what she sees in Christ and what Christ
is to her and the love that she has to him, and in speaking of
these things and going over those things as to what Christ is to
her, to this believer, to this one that sees such a beauty in
Christ, she then turns to those round about, the daughters of
Jerusalem, or we might say those in the congregations that exercise,
that look on and notice the work of God in believers, in the church
those around about them, you know, it's a sad thing that some
would come and go from the house of God and they see the ordinances
and hear the preaching and hear the word but they are never exercised
concerning their own souls and they do not even take notice
of what is happening in the lives of others and how others are
speaking of the blessings that they have had or what they've
seen in Christ or what they've handled and tasted of the things
of God but there are others that do notice these things and they
do see the change that is wrought by grace in the hearts of those
that they esteem now to be as the people of God because of
the difference that is wrought in them and here the believer
turns to those that are round about, that may be inquiring
and exercised. And in verse four, I charge you,
O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up nor awake my
love until he please. And in fact, this is the third
time that this is actually mentioned in this book. In the second chapter,
in verse 7, we have, again, I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
by the rows and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not
up, nor awake, my love, till he pleas. Again, the spouse,
the bride of Christ, is knowing something of this love again.
It's a similar situation. His left hand is under my head.
right hand doth embrace me the same as it is in the verses prior
to our text and again there's that desire that nothing be said
or done to grieve the spirit or to change that love and union
and blessed time that she is enjoying And we have again in
chapter 3 and verse 5, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the rows, by the hinds of the field, that you stir not
up nor awake, my love, till he please. And so it follows as
well in verse 6, very similar question that's being asked,
who is this that cometh out of the wilderness? those that are
blessed with the blessings of the Lord they don't want anything
to disrupt that and take that away they may have waited a long
while for it and to have it and to have it there they don't want
that to be disturbed and to be destroyed in any way so there's
this charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, and they then in
turn have this question that they ask. Who? This one that
is charged just like this. Who is this? Who is this that
cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? They
ask this question, and then I believe in the middle of this verse,
as if the bride, the believer, takes no notice of this that
has been asked and goes straight back to her beloved, straight
back to when the Lord first worked in her heart, when first through
prayer and longing the Church of God had brought her forth,
she'd been raised up in the Church and amongst the people of God,
And she again has these petitions, set me as a seal upon thine heart,
as a seal upon thine arm. And in a way is a beautiful picture
with those that enjoying the blessing and the love of God,
they quickly charge those round about them not to destroy it
at all. they start to ask questions,
but she just presses on and still is full of the things of the
Lord. And we think when our Lord was
coming into Jerusalem, and then they cried, Hosanna to him that
cometh in the name of the Lord. They said, Master, reprove thy
brethren, cause them to hold their peace, thy disciples. But
he said, if these should hold their peace, the very stones
would cry out. We think that those that know
something of the blessing of the Lord cannot but speak of
the things that they have heard. The two on the way to Emmaus,
when the Lord had warmed their heart through that journey there
and then revealed Himself to themselves, yes, it may be the
day is fast spent, they constrained Him, but though it was fast spent,
it was not fast spent enough to go immediately back and tell
what things were done in the way and how Jesus was made known
unto them. And so the effect of a love visit
from the Lord has a profound effect upon a believer. And the love of God shed abroad
in the heart by the Holy Ghost, the joy that a visit from the
Lord brings, and how it so changes the word, it changes everything,
as if they're a great weight off a person, and everything
has got a different hue to it. How different those two on the
way to Emmaus, their heaviness, their sorrow at the beginning,
their joy at the end, and the disciples later on in that day,
then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord, And those
visits, the precious visits of the soul, the joy of the Lord
and the love of God in the heart, well, those that are looking
on, and it's a good thing. to look on, to notice the blessings
of others and to covet them, desire them yourself in Psalm
119, how that psalm begins and it's a long psalm of course,
speaking of the Word of God It begins with observing, blessed
are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, that seek him with
a whole heart. They also do no iniquity. They
walk in his ways. And then we have in verse five,
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. And so
there's a observing the blessedness of the Lord's people, observing
the way that they're walking and what the Lord has done for
them and it swells out from them a desire those same blessings
and is that desire no at the end of this chapter it may well
be the Lord speaking to his church, to thou that dwellest in the
gardens, the companions, they hearken to thy voice, cause me
to hear it." But sometimes it can be the language of the church
as well. You can say, the companions,
the other members of the church, thy people are hearing thy voice,
cause me to hear it. The church wants to hear from
Christ and Christ wants to hear from the church, that is where
true love and union is, they want to hear from each other,
they want that fellowship one with another. And so at the end
of this chapter it is from verse 8 going on speaking of the little
sisters, speaking of the Gentile church which of course in this
time very much in infancy and undeveloped and yet it's pointing
to that time when they shall be brought in as well and part
of that vineyard, part of that Church of God from every nation
and kindred and tongue." Well, in this inquiry then of the daughters
of Jerusalem, that which they ask here, who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? What is it that they have actually
seen that has made them ask this question yes they have heard
what she has charged them but who is this this is the question
and what further goes from that the observing coming up from
the wilderness leaning upon her beloved. And so I want to look
with the Lord's help at two points. Firstly, a real change that has
given rise to this question, who is this? A real change. And then secondly,
What the exercised in the congregations sees in this believer, and there's
two things that is seen, and they make observance of it in
our text here. One is that they're coming up
from the wilderness, and two, they are leaning upon Christ. So the first thing is that there
was a real change that gave rise to this question, who is this? Now maybe in our congregations
we gather together and we have a person we might have seen for
many years come and go from the house of God and we've got used
to them, how they talk, how they act, how they live their lives.
Then the Lord begins to work a work in their hearts and there
is a real change that is wrought. We think this is not the same
person, this is not the person that we once knew. Who is this? We think of the case of Naomi. Naomi had gone with Elimelech,
her husband, from Bethlehem in the time of famine. and they'd
gone down to Moab and their two sons had both married and then
Elimelech had died and her two sons had died and she was left
with the two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth and in her affliction,
in her trial and the Lord is being pleased to be gracious
to her helps her to bow under his hand inclines her heart again
to come up from that affliction and from that place so far from
Israel and the true worship of God and to go again unto Bethlehem
and she comes up from Moab and she goes up to Bethlehem, and
the Lord so graciously gives her Ruth to go with her, as one
that would not leave her, that claimed to her and desired to
be with her, to have her God and to live with her and to die
where she was to die. But when she comes to Bethlehem,
we read in verse 19 of that first chapter of Ruth, So they too
went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they
would come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about
them. And they said, Is this Naomi? Is this Naomi? Who is this? Is this the same person? Naomi,
she responds in this and says, Call me not Naomi. Yes, I am. But The Almighty hath dealt bitterly
with me, called me Mara. A change had been wrought in
that dear woman. And it rises this question, who
is this, is this, is this, now am I? When God works in a sinner's
heart and life, when he visits his people, it makes a real change
with them. We think of the case of the man
that had been born blind in John chapter 9 and the Lord gave that
man sight. He visited him and blessed him
with sight. But then there was the questions. Is this really this same man? Had he really been blind? The
change is so great Can it really be the same person? This one
that was begging, this one that could not see, compared with
this one now that can see, is it the same person? And so there's
the asking, the scribes, the Pharisees, those that were around
about, they've seen this change and they are asking the parents. They said, is this your son,
who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see? And the questions that they're
asking is because of the change in that man. You think of the
case of the mad Gadarene, that he had been known as those that
had been cutting himself, going around about in the tombs, and
no man could tame him. Possessed of a devil, and the
Lord came to him, and that man, he came to the Lord, cried, What
have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God that thou
torment me not. And for he had said unto him,
Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And we read of the swine
that were feeding there. The devils besought him, saying,
Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And Jesus
gave them leave. The unclean spirits went out,
and those swine, they went down a steep place into the sea, and
they were destroyed. But then those that fed the swine,
we read, they fled, they told it in the city, those in the
city, they came out to see what was done, and what do they see? They come to Jesus, they see
him, this is Mark chapter 5 verse 15, they come to Jesus, see him
that was possessed with the devil and had the legion, and what
is he doing? Sitting and clothed and in his
right mind, and they were afraid. What a difference, what a change
that had been wrought in that man. Was it the same man? Yes it was. But what a change
had been wrought by the Lord and it was noticed by those of
the city. They saw it, they knew that this
change had taken place in this man. And we have the same in
the case with the Apostle Paul. in Acts chapter 9 and how that
saw that he was going about hailing men and women to prison hating
the people that called upon the name of the Lord turning them
over to the authorities and yet the Lord met with him on that
Damascus road and blessed him and opened his eyes And what
a difference was wrought then. And the first observance of that
is when the Lord spoke to Ananias and told him to, in a vision,
to go to the street which is called Strait, inquiring the
house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. Well, behold,
he prayeth. And hath seen in a vision a man
named Ananias coming in, putting his hand on him, that he might
receive his sight. And Ananias answers in this way,
Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath
done to thy saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from
the chief priest to bind all that call on thy name. But the
Lord said unto him, Go thy way. For he is a chosen vessel unto
me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel." What a change, what a difference had been wrought
in him. we have in verse 21 and verse
20 where we read that and straightway he that is Saul preached Christ
in the synagogues that he is the son of God this name that
he hated and persecuted those that called on his name but all
that heard him were amazed and said is not this He that destroyed
them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither
for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief
priests, is this the same man? What a change has been wrought
in him! What a difference! And we see
that where the work of God is, and where suddenly this person
that once never spoke about the things of God, couldn't see a
beauty in Him, couldn't have spiritual conversation with them,
only went to the house of God under sufferance, just did their
duty, but never had any delight and never had any conversation
and fellowship with those of the people of God, suddenly they
are speaking of the things of God they're speaking of what
they see in Christ and what they feel of the things of God there
is a real change and it's noted it's noted by those round about
them it's noticed by those that are exercised in the church of
God you know it was noised in Antioch that there God had blessed
the people there so The church had sent Barnabas along to see,
see what had happened. And Barnabas, when he came, he
saw the grace of God and was glad. He saw the effect on souls
converted unto Christ, saw them turned from idols to the living
God. And to speak like on that day
of Pentecost, those that were there from other nations, they
heard in their own language What were they speaking? The wonderful
works of God. They were speaking to the glory
of God. Their mouths weren't open just
to speak anything, but to speak of Christ and to speak of the
glories that they saw in Him. This is a spirit's work, to take
the things of Jesus and to reveal them unto us, and to take sinners
that saw no beauty in Christ and bring them to see a beauty
in Him. and to speak of what they see
in him. Come and hear, all ye that fear
God, I will tell ye what he hath done for my soul." And so this
first thing that these daughters of Jerusalem had seen that gave
rise to this question, who is this, was because there was a
change, there was a difference, and the grace of God. does make
a difference, does make a change, and especially those that have
known a person, then they notice that even more. Years ago, over
in Australia, I visited New Zealand and stayed at the late pastor's
home there, Mr. Kroon, and he was a very, very
straightforward, very austere man. and very blunt, as it were,
but my Dutch friend that I was speaking to and staying with
as well, and he said, well, he said, if you'd have seen him,
if you knew him before he was called by Grace, he said he used
to be a foreman in a motor mechanics workshop, and one of the chaps
did something wrong, and he was so frightened of facing him,
he ran away from his employment and didn't come back. He said
the difference that God's grace has made in that man, it has
really softened him, changed him. You could still see, as
it were, a hint of what he could be and what he had been. But the testimony of those that
knew him before, there is a real, a great change in that person. And that is vital for us. The
work of God brings about a real gracious change. I am not now
what I once was, but I am not now what I one day will be. Yes, the Lord makes a change
by grace, and in due time a change when we are brought to heaven
itself, and these mortal garments, these sinful, this body of death,
shall be replaced by a new tabernacle, a celestial body, as we are born
the image of the earthly, so we shall bear the image of the
heavenly. We may ask ourselves in this,
Have we noticed the change that God has wrought in other people's
lives? Those in the church where we
worship, the congregation that we are in, are there those of
our loved ones, our friends, that you have seen a change? Maybe in a parent, maybe a parent
in a son, a daughter, And you know what they were like in unregeneracy,
and you know what they are like now. And sometimes it may be
when you hear them in prayer, or when you see them filled with
the blessings of God, when they have the tears flowing from their
eyes in repentance or in joy because of the love of God shed
abroad in their hearts. I think, is this the same young
man? Is this the same rebellious one
that I struggled with those years ago? Is this the same person? What a change has been made. You know, it's good to think
back of those changes. I believe if we do, it will bring
us to love the brethren more, to realize the grace of God that
they're partakers of, and what God has done in some, and we
look upon others and encourage us to pray still, that the Lord
will work in them as well. Are we those that look on, or
are we those that never take notice of what happens in the
Church of God? And are we those that look on
and are able to notice and comment, but never think, well, I have
a soul, Is there a change in my heart? Has the Lord turned
me? Or am I still going in these
ways? Or do the changes in others'
hearts bring a renewed vigour and cry to the Lord like that
at the end of this chapter? They have heard thy voice, cause
me to hear it. They have been changed. Do change
my heart, renew my will, Turn my feet to Zion's hill, work
in me these blessings as well, and seek for those same blessings. Cover it earnestly, says the
Apostle, the best gifts. And so it was this change. We think of what Peter says,
that we are to be ready to give a reason of the hope that is
within us to everyone that asks of us. It is with meekness and
fear. We're to sanctify the Lord in
our hearts. Why do they ask? Because they
see we do things that they do not do. We don't do things that
they do. There is a change. There is a
difference that is between us. And especially where they've
seen the change and that person is then different. Now years
ago when I was doing my studies for engineering, we did communication,
report writing and speeches and one of the things that we were
told that if you have this group pressure, if you have a group
of people together and a person comes in and perhaps they're
a smoker and they're accepted by the group as a smoker and
if suddenly then they give up smoking then the group has to
adjust. They've been used to that person
being what they were, and now they're not, and they've got
to adjust with that. Well, how much adjustment there
is when one is amongst an assembly that once loved all the things
of this world, that enjoyed all its pleasures, that spoke its
language, that joined up with all of the ungodly, and then
the Lord touches them. and works in their hearts and
makes a profound change, and they desire then a change of
company, a change of what they read, a change of where they
go to worship, and those things really make a difference in that
person's life, their family, their relationships, and they
say, who is this? This is not the person that we
once knew, you know, going over again to to New Zealand in the
early forming of that church there, and the Lord was pleased
to call one man by grace out of his family, and for two years
that man was a stranger to his own family, and then the Lord
was pleased to convert the rest of that family and now their
mainstays in the church there in Carterton, New Zealand. When a change is wrought in one,
what a difference that makes in those round about them. Who
is this? Has the Lord made a change in
our hearts? A change that has turned us unto
the Lord, to see a beauty in Him and to speak well of Him,
and to set Him forth as the altogether lovely unto one's soul. Where do we stand in this? But secondly, what the congregation
sees in this believer. There's two things that they
speak of as seeing in them. And the first is this, that they're
coming up from the wilderness. Now in a sense, Israel of old
that went through the wilderness and brought out of Egypt and
brought into the wilderness and through the wilderness and into
the Promised Land is a type of the Church of God the Apostle
speaks of the church that was in the wilderness and that Christ
was in that church and they came up out of that wilderness and
into Canaan, into the promised land. So in a sense that they
are a type in that, and we think of the barrenness of that wilderness,
and that it wasn't the promised land, it wasn't a promised rest
at all. Well, this world, this world
that lieth in sin and wickedness, the world within and without,
to a believer is like this wilderness. The children of Israel, when
they went through that wilderness, they didn't eat of the things
that grew there. They had the manna from heaven. They didn't drink of the water
from there. They had it out of the rock that
was smitten. They had what was termed angel's
food. And all that sustained them,
guided them, kept them, was the Lord in that wilderness. but
they weren't to stay in that wilderness, they were to come
up out of that wilderness. Now when the Lord begins to work
in a sinner's heart, then he takes away and mars that love
of this world. Satan is the king over all the
children of pride, and we read in Solemn Judgment that God himself
has set the world in their heart that they cannot find God. But
when he works by grace, then he overturns and overturns that
which is uppermost in the heart, that which is ruling there, and
instead of at peace with hell, with God at war, in sin's dark
maze they wander far. The Lord turns that about, so
that the world then is not their friend, but an enemy, and one
that is taking them away from the Saviour. Whosoever will be
a friend of the world is an enemy of God. The world says of Christ,
away with him, away with him, crucify him. The world says of
those that have the word of God, the Lord said, I have given them
thy word, and the world hath hated them. They that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And this world is
not a friend to they that will live godly, that will live after
Christ and see Christ and see that which is above. The sins
and snares and tribulations and the evils and the ungodliness
and all that goes on in this world, they are not of the Father,
that is of the world. This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even your faith. But the world is an enemy an
adversary and it is a hostile place like the wilderness was
and here we have a believer that they're coming up out of the
wilderness but first they need to view it and know it as the
wilderness has our view of this world changed or is it the same
as it always was It is attractive to the old nature, to the new
nature it is that which threatens the blessings of God. And yet
you might say there are many that see the tribulations and
troubles of this world and sees the sin and even owns it and
confesses it and the troubles of it in their own heart but
there's not a coming up out of it there's a solemn thing that
some almost make a religion or make it a praiseworthy thing
to be able to speak of their sense of sinnership and the world
and what it is and all of the abominations and sins and evils
and all what is in this world but there's never a evidence
that they're coming up out of it they remain in it and what
is specifically noticed that this is one that is coming up
from the wilderness it is a wilderness and they are coming up from it
and that is a vital thing is not just what we feel and see
of sin in ourselves and in the world and the hostility to Christ
in all around us of an ungodly world that lieth in wickedness.
But it's our desire to come up out of it, to rise above it,
to be delivered from it, to be saved from it. One of the evidences
of faith in the Hebrews is that they confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims in the earth. It was something they
actually confessed and said. And that is what makes a believer
different. It's not all the professions
that they might make, of the evils that they see in themselves
and in others, it is their seeking to rise above it. And there's
only one way, only one way we'll overcome it, and that is in the
way that was noticed here again by those looking on those exercised
in the congregation, this one was leaning upon Christ, not
seeking their own strength or their own wisdom or their own
way. It was something that was really
prominent and noticed, that not only were they having those conquests
over sin and death and hell, but the reason why they were
was because they were leaning upon Christ. Now you picture
this, it's quite a vivid illustration, isn't it? If there's one that
is not able to stand on their own, or very weak, perhaps had
an operation on their leg, knee, whatever, and someone else is
going to help them to walk, and they lean on that person, cleave
close to them, and every step they make The weight of the invalid
one is transferred to the one that is strong. And they're so
dependent upon that one in all that they do. They must be with
them. They must go at the same pace
with them. And they need them to be able
to continue. And we have this with a believer,
a dependence upon Christ. Without him, says the hymn writer,
I perish must, and without Him we must be swallowed up in the
world, we must be overcome by the world, we never rise above
it at all. All nature will never conquest
over the world, sin cannot overcome sin, corruption cannot overcome
corruption, it is the Lord alone that shall deliver. So this is
what is noticed, here is one that is leaning upon Christ,
and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,
looking beyond the things that are seen, and looking unto Christ,
and how he is set forth in the word for his dear people. And they are leaning by prayer,
casting their burdens upon him, Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and He shall sustain thee. Thou shalt still have that burden,
but as you walk along, as you go along, you're being sustained
by the Lord, upheld by the Lord. He's bearing the weight of that. Leaning upon Christ. Do we lean
upon Him? Do we lean upon Him for life? The Lord says, I give unto them
eternal life, they shall never perish, but no man can keep alive
his own soul. I am come that they might have
life and have it more abundantly. And there's a leaning upon the
Lord that He would keep alive our souls. There's a leaning
upon Him who gave His life for our life and shed His precious
blood that we might have life. then there's a leaning upon His
righteousness. When we feel our own to be as
filthy rags, and all our works to be of nothing worth, sin,
mud, and in everything, then there's a leaning, a looking
to the Lord, that it be His righteousness that clothes us and fits us for
heaven, so that we may stand faultless before the throne. What about the Apostle Paul,
blessed as he was with spiritual blessings, but the old nature
rises up. One of our hymns says, the heart
uplifts with God's own gifts and makes even grace a snare. And the Lord knows how prone
we are, even when we are given a degree of success, whether
it be in the ministry, in conquest over sin, The heart rises up
in pride, mars at all, takes the glory to itself. But the Lord gave to the apostle
Paul, a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, really
gave him what he needed. But Paul didn't know that at
first, he wanted it taken away. But the Lord said, My grace is
sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness.
And so the apostle had to lean upon His beloved for grace, day
by day, grace to help in time of need, grace, He giveth grace
and more grace, and we need that, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that help laid upon one that is mighty. And what about love? What love do we have of our own? How we need that shed abroad
in our heart by the Holy Ghost, not only to the Lord but to the
brethren. We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. What a difference
that makes. What a difference is wrought
in a sinner when they go from loving the world to then being
let go to go unto their own company, and their own company is not
the world, it's the Church of God. They're my best friends,
my kindred dwell, their God, my Saviour reigns. But where
does that love come from? If you know your own heart, you
know it doesn't come from there. Lovest thou me? Lovest thou me? Dear Peter, here to have recourse
to the Lord. Lord, thou knowest all things.
Thou knowest that I love thee. How? because we love Him because
He first loved us. The love of Christ constraineth
us. If we are to be constrained and
walk in the ways of the Lord, it is Christ's love that will
constrain us, that will do the deed, that will draw us, that
will be which moves our heart. When the Lord rose from the dead,
came to the disciples in the upper room, then opened he their
understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. You
know, in that key parable, the parable of the sower, the four
types of hearers, the first and the last, contrasted with each
other. The first, the seed that fell
upon the wayside that was so soon taken up, It was he that,
hearing the Word, understood it not, and Satan came, took
it out of his heart. But the one that bore fruit was
the one that heard the Word and understood it, and then it bore
forth fruit. And that understanding, that
comes from the Lord. He gives that key of knowledge,
opening the understanding, showing to light the eunuch through the
ministry of the Word, himself through the lattice of the Word,
the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah 53. It is the Lord that gives
that, and He gives wisdom. He gave it to Solomon. He gives
that wisdom to His people, wisdom to direct, to direct their way. We'll feel our ignorance, our
insufficiency, our failures, our darkness of mind. and yet
to lean hard upon the Lord for all wisdom. The Lord says, from
me is thy fruit found. We need to lean upon the Lord
for any fruitfulness, any usefulness. The Apostle Paul was greatly
used. Now what does he say? I laboured
more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God. which was with me, and he puts
the crown upon the Lord's head, and on the Lord's alone. And what about repentance? Is
not that a daily exercise? If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. And yet how often we struggle
with that, a hard heart that will not bow, that will not repent,
It will not let go of its idols. The Lord is exalted to give repentance
and remission of sins unto Israel. The gift, the blessing, is upon
the Lord. Dear friends, we are to lean
hard upon the Lord for that, yea, for the whole of our soul's
salvation. Everything comes to us through
Jesus' precious blood. It has pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell, not in ourselves. We are empty
and blind and dark and dead. And what a testimony when those
that look on, when those are inquiring after the Lord and
they notice this one who never lay claims to anything of their
own, but says, my all is in Christ and I lean upon him. He is my
guide. He is my strength, my wisdom.
He is my salvation. He is all in all unto my soul. What a testimony that this one
had to those round about. They didn't have to say anything.
They didn't have to profess that this was the case. It was evidently
so in how they lived, in how they prayed, in how they walked.
They're not acting like the scribes and the Pharisees and going about
trumpeting what they're doing. But no, it was very evident this
was their whole life. The Apostle says, When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with
him. The blessed union, a yoke taken
upon us to learn of him who is meek and lowly in heart, find
rest unto our souls. Where do we come in this dear
friend? Are we leaning upon Christ? Are we leaning upon our beloved? Leaning upon one that we truly
love and desire to be with in heaven? I believe we should more
think of this, dear friends. One day, if we are the Lord's
dear people, one day, We shall see Him as He is. We shall be
with Him. May we be desirous of, here below,
magnifying His grace and what He is to the church militant,
to the church triumphant, all in glory. What a wonder! No sin,
no Satan, no world come up completely out of the world, but really
the picture of a believer all the way through his life is a
coming up, coming up. And at last the Lord says, come
up higher. Father, I will that they whom
thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold
my glory. May that characterize our lives,
those who profess the name of the Lord to be coming up out
of the wilderness, and that those that are seekers, those that
are exercised in the Church of God, they take knowledge of us,
that we have been with Jesus, that we do lean upon Him, that
we do truly bear this resemblance here. Who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved? There is no
other way of coming up from the wilderness of this world than
leaning upon the Lord. Our Lord said very clearly you
cannot serve God and mammon. You cannot think to come up out
of the world and still have the world. Whoso will be a friend of the
world is an enemy of God. It may be that we are able to
say with the Apostle Paul, Be ye followers of me, as I also
am of Christ. And here, perhaps in the words
of this Beloved, Be ye companions with me in coming up from the
wilderness, leaning upon my Beloved. Lean upon him as I lean upon
him, Trust in Him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart
before Him. He is a refuge for us. May this picture here be a picture
of us. May it be a picture that we recognise
also in others. And it may be looking back this
evening. Freshly glorify God for the changes
that He has wrought. in those that are in the church
with us, those that were not a people of God but are now the
people of God, once were in the wilderness and loved the sins
and wilderness of this world, but now the pattern of their
lives is coming up out of it. Bless God for that change and
may we be helped to lean day by day upon him. Other refuge have I none. Thanks, my helpless soul, on
thee. May the Lord add his blessing.
Amen.