Sermon Preached by C.H. Spurgeon
Solomon’s Song 1:4
“We will remember thy love more than wine.”
(Part Five)
Earthly comforts, too, like wine, leave but a mingled impression. In this 'cup of joy' there is always a 'dash of sorrow'. There is nothing we have here below which is not somewhat tainted with grief. Solomon has warned us against the sparkling wine: "Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it gives it's color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.” Even "friendship", the very cream of joy, trembles on the confines of disappointment, as it is written, "Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm.”
But in Christ's love there is nothing for you ever to regret; when you have enjoyed it to the full, you cannot say that there has been any bitterness in it. When you have come forth from the secret chamber of communion with your Lord, you have realized the purity of his love, there has been nothing to qualify your enjoyment of it. When you have been to a party of your friends, you have said, "I have been very happy, but I could not enjoy myself there six days in a week;” but when you have been with Christ, you have felt that you could enjoy yourself in that way to all eternity; you could not have too much of such fellowship, for there was nothing in it to mar your happiness.
True, there is the remembrance of your sin, but that is so sweetly covered by your Lord's forgiveness and graciousness, that his love is indeed better than wine. It has had all the good effects of wine, and none of its ill results.
Equally true is it that the remembrance of earth's comforts, of which wine is the type, must be but 'transient'. If the sinner could live many days, and have much wealth, would he remember it when he entered the unseen world? Ah! he might remember it, but it would be with awful sighs and sobs. You know how Abraham spoke, across the great gulf, to the rich man in hell, "Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.”
But we can say, of the love of Christ, that it is better than wine, for we shall rejoice to remember it for all eternity. We shall recount the labors of him who lived and died for us. That is what we shall talk of in heaven; sure I am that this is the theme of all the music and songs of Paradise:
Jesus, the Lord, their harps employs,
Jesus, my Love, they sing!
Jesus, the life of all our joys
Sounds sweet from every string.”
Do you not see, then, why this comparison is made in our text? We remember Christ's love more than the best earthly comforts, because they make but a feeble impression, a mingled impression, a marred impression, and their impression, at best, is but transient; but the love of Christ is remembered as something that is better than wine.
continued tomorrow...
Solomon’s Song 1:4
“We will remember thy love more than wine.”
(Part Five)
Earthly comforts, too, like wine, leave but a mingled impression. In this 'cup of joy' there is always a 'dash of sorrow'. There is nothing we have here below which is not somewhat tainted with grief. Solomon has warned us against the sparkling wine: "Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it gives it's color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.” Even "friendship", the very cream of joy, trembles on the confines of disappointment, as it is written, "Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm.”
But in Christ's love there is nothing for you ever to regret; when you have enjoyed it to the full, you cannot say that there has been any bitterness in it. When you have come forth from the secret chamber of communion with your Lord, you have realized the purity of his love, there has been nothing to qualify your enjoyment of it. When you have been to a party of your friends, you have said, "I have been very happy, but I could not enjoy myself there six days in a week;” but when you have been with Christ, you have felt that you could enjoy yourself in that way to all eternity; you could not have too much of such fellowship, for there was nothing in it to mar your happiness.
True, there is the remembrance of your sin, but that is so sweetly covered by your Lord's forgiveness and graciousness, that his love is indeed better than wine. It has had all the good effects of wine, and none of its ill results.
Equally true is it that the remembrance of earth's comforts, of which wine is the type, must be but 'transient'. If the sinner could live many days, and have much wealth, would he remember it when he entered the unseen world? Ah! he might remember it, but it would be with awful sighs and sobs. You know how Abraham spoke, across the great gulf, to the rich man in hell, "Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.”
But we can say, of the love of Christ, that it is better than wine, for we shall rejoice to remember it for all eternity. We shall recount the labors of him who lived and died for us. That is what we shall talk of in heaven; sure I am that this is the theme of all the music and songs of Paradise:
Jesus, the Lord, their harps employs,
Jesus, my Love, they sing!
Jesus, the life of all our joys
Sounds sweet from every string.”
Do you not see, then, why this comparison is made in our text? We remember Christ's love more than the best earthly comforts, because they make but a feeble impression, a mingled impression, a marred impression, and their impression, at best, is but transient; but the love of Christ is remembered as something that is better than wine.
continued tomorrow...
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