Reading: “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

Just as we have that favourite place to walk, Jesus is indeed come down into His garden, the church, for He loves the sacred walks in a spot so near and so dear to Him. It is the gift of His Father, and the purchase of His own most precious blood. Moreover, He has gathered it out of the world’s wide wilderness, and separated it as a sacred enclosure by His distinguishing grace.

Surely then He will visit us, and here He constantly walks. Here He comes to observe the souls of His people as trees of His own planting. He is said to feed here, for the graces of His Spirit which He gives are more fragrant to Him than all the spices of the world. And all the beauty and whiteness of the lily in nature is not to be compared to the glory, loveliness, and sweet-smelling savour of the righteousness of Jesus, in which the souls of His redeemed are clothed. Here, then, He is satisfied (see Isaiah 53:11).

Here Jesus is gathering them to Himself in all the different degrees of their growth, from the first moment of planting them in His garden, until He transplants them into the paradise of God. Are you, reader, in this garden of Jesus? Are you rejoicing under His gracious hand? Are the dews of His ordinances (the means of grace) in this enclosure of the Lord, dropping upon you, and will you be one day transplanted in the paradise of God?

“In math, if you divide an infinite number by any number, no matter how large, you still have an infinite quotient. So Jesus’ love, being infinite, even though it is divided up for every person on earth, is still infinitely poured out on each one of us!”—C. H. Spurgeon.

Taken from The Poor Man’s Evening and Morning Portions by Rev. Robert Hawker, Works, Vol. 8; 1830. Edited by Aaron Dunlop for thinkgospel.com ©2013.