NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 28
NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 28
It is most important to enter into Christ’s interest in the church. He loved the church, and gave Himself for it. We often speak of His death for us, but this conveys much more. He gave Himself. In Psalm 16: 3 we read: “The saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight”. Note that it is to the saints in the earth; those who have passed away are in perfect rest. It is to those who are still here, as we see in John 20 how His heart lingers with His own down here; He does not ascend at once. We read in Song of Songs 5: 1, “I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb [p. 72] with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved”. But there is no response from the bride. She says, “I sleep, but my heart waketh”. There is not a continued concert with Christ in His interest in His own, and as the heart is awakened to it, extremes are resorted to (verse 3), because there is not full restoration. The keepers took away her veil. At length she ponders on His personal beauty, and then she is restored. She can say (chapter 6: 2), “My beloved is gone down into his garden”. We gain much when we are in communion with His interest and delight in His own.