66. The Rose and the Lily

I am the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the valleys. Song of Solomon 2:1
HERE we have the Bridegroom praising himself, and this is a thing to be considered with careful attention.
This self-praise is not tainted with pride: such a fault could not find a place in the lowly Jesus. His egoism is not egotism. He does not commend himself for his own sake, but for our sakes He sets himself forth in glowing terms because:

• In condescension he desires our love. What a poor thing it is for him to care about! Yet he thirsts after it.
• In wisdom he uses the best way to win our love.
• In tenderness he deigns to describe himself that we may be encouraged by his familiarity in praising himself to us. This is one of the most effectual proofs of lowliness.
• Of necessity he describes himself, for who else can describe him? "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father" (Matt. 11:27).

Moreover, he here states a fact which else might not be believed, seeing he makes himself so common a flower of earth, so graciously a joy for men, that all may have him.

We will not take up your time by trying to discover what flowers these may have been in the eastern flora: we may select those most like them in our own western land, and do our Lord no wrong.

I. THE EXCEEDING DELIGHTFULNESS OF OUR LORD.

He compares himself, not only, as in other places, to needful bread, and refreshing water, but to lovely flowers. In Jesus there are all delights as well as all necessaries.
1. He is now all that he ever was, for his "I am" runs through all eternity in unabated force.
2. He is in himself the delight of men. He speaks not of offices, gifts, works, possessions, but of himself. "I am."
3. He is delightful to the eye of faith, even as flowers are to the bodily sight. What more beautiful than roses and lilies?
4. He is delightful in the savor which comes of him. In him is a delicious, varied, abiding fragrance.
5. In all this he is the choicest of the choice: the rose — yea, Sharon's rose: the lily — yea, the most delicious lily of the valleys. There is none like him. He is indeed "a plant of renown."

Yet blind men see no color, and men without scent perceive no odor in the sweetest flowers; and carnal men see no delights in, Jesus. Roses and lilies require eyes and light ere they can be appreciated, and to know Jesus we must have grace and gracious dispositions. He says, "I am the Rose of Sharon"; and so he is essentially; but the grave question is, — "Is he this to you?" Yes or no?

II. THE SWEET VARIETY OF HIS DELIGHTFULNESS.

1. Of the rose, majesty: of the lily, love.
2. Of the rose, suffering: of the lily, purity.
3. Of both a great variety: all the roses and all the lilies, all the beauties of heaven and earth meet in Jesus.
4. Of both the very essence. Of all the creatures, all the excellences, virtues, and blessings, which may be found in them, come from Jesus, and abide in Jesus without limit. Many eyes are wanted to spy out the whole of Christ. No eye, nor all eyes, can see all that lies in his varied perfections.
5. Of all these a perfect proportion, so that no one excellence destroys another. He is all a rose should be, and yet not the less perfect as a lily.
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Hence he is suitable to all saints, the joy of all, the perfection of beauty to each one.

III. THE EXCEEDING FREENESS OF HIS DELIGHTFULNESS.

1. Meant to be plucked and enjoyed as roses and lilies are.
2. Abundant as a common flower. He is not as a rare orchid, but as the anemones which covered Sharon's plains, and as the lilies which abounded in all the valleys of Palestine.
3. Abiding in a common place, as roses in Sharon, and lilies in the valleys, where every passer-by was free to gather according to his own sweet will. Not found on inaccessible steeps, or within guarded enclosures, Jesus is out in the open: a flower of the common. This is a leading idea of the text. Those who desire Christ may have him.
4. Scattering fragrance, not over a room or a house, but far and wide, perfuming every wandering wind.
5. Yet roses and lilies fail to set forth our Beloved, for his is unfading virtue.
They are soon withered, but "He dieth no more."
In all things look for Jesus. See him in primroses and daisies.
In Jesus look for all things of beauty and sweetness: lilies and roses are in him.
Listen much to Jesus, for he can tell you most about himself; and, coming at first hand, it will be surely true, and' come with great force and unction. Hearken, and hear him say, "I am the Rose of Sharon."

Observations

"I am the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Valleys"; words most seemly in the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom it is not robbery from others, but condescension and grace, to commend himself to the sons of men. "I am meek and lowly," would be the utterance of pride in Gabriel, but it is humility in Jesus, who has stooped that he might become meek and lowly. "I am the true Vine, "I am the good Shepherd," etc., are the expressions alike of truth and grace, and so here. — A. Moody Stuart

Not to flowers which only the rich and great can possess, but to those easily obtainable, does he liken himself; for always did he stoop to the lowliest, arid the common people ever heard him gladly. His presence on earth never failed to bring comfort to the needy, and refreshment to the downcast spirit, just as sweet odors float around roses and lilies, and minister solace to the organ of smell, while their fair forms and rich and delicate colors gratify the eye. — H. K.Wood, in "The Heavenly Bridegroom and His Bride"

We believe there can be little doubt that the rose is really intended by the Hebrew word. Even if in the general sense it should mean but a flower, we should still infer that, when applied in a particular sense, it means a rose, for this would be according to the usage of the East. Thus, the Persian word gul describes a flower in general, and the rose par excellence. This suffices to show the estimation in which the rose is held in the East. In the Persian language, particularly, there is perhaps no poem in which allusions to it, and comparisons drawn from it, do not recur even to repletion The extreme fragrance and beauty of the rose in some parts of Western Asia have attracted the notice of many travelers. It is also cultivated, not merely as a garden plant for pleasure, but in extensive fields, from the produce of which is prepared that valued and delicious perfume called rose-water. The size of the rose trees, and the number of the flowers on each, far exceed in the rose districts of Persia, anything we are here accustomed to witness. — Pictorial Bible
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

66. 玫瑰與百合花

• 出於俯就，祂渴望我們的愛。對祂而言，這本是何等微小的一件事！然而祂竟切切渴求。
• 出於智慧，祂採用最能贏得我們愛的方法。
• 出於溫柔，祂竟屈尊描述自己，使我們因祂向我們自我表明而得著鼓勵；這正是謙卑最有力的證明之一。
• 出於必要，祂必須親自描述自己，因為還有誰能描述祂呢？「除了父，沒有人知道子。」（太 11:27  27一切所有的，都是我父交付我的；除了父，沒有人知道子；除了子和子所願意指示的，沒有人知道父。）

此外，祂在此陳述了一個事實——若非祂親口說出，我們幾乎難以相信：祂竟如此甘願成為地上普通的花朵，如此慈愛地成為眾人的喜樂，使人人都可以得著祂。

我們不必花時間去考證這些花在東方植物學中究竟是哪一種；即便我們以西方最相似的花來理解，也不會虧待我們的主。

一、我主極其可愛的本質

祂不僅像其他經文中那樣，被比作維生的糧、解渴的水，也被比作可愛的花朵。在耶穌裡，不但有一切所需，也有一切可悅。

1. 祂如今仍是祂從來所是的，因為祂的「我是」貫穿永恆，從不減弱。
2. 祂本身就是人的喜樂；祂不是談論職分、恩賜、工作或產業，而是說：「我是。」
3. 祂對信心的眼睛而言，是極其可愛的，如同花之於肉眼；有什麼比玫瑰與百合更美呢？
4. 祂在所發出的香氣上也令人喜悅；在祂裡面，有甘美、多樣、長存的芬芳。
5. 在這一切上，祂是精華中的精華：玫瑰——不，是沙崙的玫瑰；百合——不，是谷中的百合。無人能與祂相比；祂真是「有名的苗裔」。

然而，瞎眼的人看不見顏色，沒有嗅覺的人聞不到香氣；同樣，屬血氣的人在耶穌裡看不見任何可愛之處。玫瑰與百合需要眼睛與光才能被欣賞；認識耶穌，也必須有恩典與屬靈的性情。
祂說：「我是沙崙的玫瑰」——這在本質上是真實的；但嚴肅的問題是：「祂對你來說，是不是如此？」

二、祂可愛之處的甘美多樣

1. 玫瑰顯出威榮；百合顯出慈愛。
2. 玫瑰顯出受苦；百合顯出純潔。
3. 二者都顯出極大的多樣性：一切玫瑰與一切百合，天地間一切的美善，都在耶穌裡相遇。
4. 二者都顯出精髓：受造界中所有的卓越、美德與祝福，都出於耶穌，也無限地住在耶穌裡。要看盡基督，需要許多眼睛；但無論一隻眼，或所有的眼睛，都看不盡祂豐富多樣的完全。
5. 這一切之間，有完美的比例，沒有任何一種美德破壞另一種；祂完全是玫瑰所當是的，卻同時也是毫不遜色的百合。

因此，祂適合所有聖徒，是眾人的喜樂，對每一個人而言，都是完全的美。

三、祂可愛之處的極大白白賜予

1. 如同玫瑰與百合本是要被採摘、被欣賞的，祂也是如此。
2. 祂豐盛如同常見的花；祂不是稀有的蘭花，而是遍滿沙崙平原的銀蓮花，是遍布巴勒斯坦各山谷的百合。
3. 祂生長在尋常之處，如沙崙的玫瑰、谷中的百合，任何過路的人都可以隨意採摘。祂不在不可攀登的峭壁上，也不在重重守護的園中；耶穌是在開放之地，是普世可得的花。這正是本節經文的核心思想——凡渴慕基督的人，都可以得著祂。
4. 祂散發香氣，不只充滿一室一屋，而是隨風遠播，芬芳四溢。
5. 然而，玫瑰與百合仍不足以完全描繪我們的良人，因為祂的美德永不衰殘。

它們很快枯萎，但「祂不再死」。
在萬事萬物中尋找耶穌；
在報春花與雛菊中也看見祂。
在耶穌裡尋找一切美與甜；
百合與玫瑰都在祂裡面。
多聽耶穌的話，因為沒有人比祂更能述說自己；而且祂親口所說，必定真實，並帶著極大的能力與膏抹。聽吧，聽祂說：
「我是沙崙的玫瑰。」

評註

「我是沙崙的玫瑰，是谷中的百合」——這話出於主耶穌基督的口，是最為合宜的；因為祂如此稱許自己，並非奪取他人榮耀，而是出於俯就與恩典，向世人推薦自己。「我心裡柔和謙卑」這句話，若出於加百列，便是驕傲；但在耶穌口中卻是謙卑，因為祂已降卑自己，成為柔和謙卑。「我是真葡萄樹」、「我是好牧人」等話，都是既真實又充滿恩典的宣告；此處亦然。——A. 穆迪·史都華（A. Moody Stuart）

祂不是把自己比作只有富貴之人才能擁有的花，而是比作容易得著的花；因為祂總是俯就卑微的人，平民百姓也樂意聽祂。祂在世上的同在，從未不帶給貧乏者安慰、給沮喪的心靈清新；正如玫瑰與百合的香氣撫慰嗅覺，它們美麗的形態與豐富細膩的色彩也滿足眼目。——H. K. Wood，《天上的新郎與祂的新婦》

我們幾乎可以確定，希伯來文所用的字，確實是指玫瑰。即使在一般意義上它只表示「花」，在特定用法中也應理解為玫瑰，這符合東方的語言習慣。正如波斯語的 gul，既可指花的一般概念，也特指玫瑰本身。這足以說明玫瑰在東方所享有的崇高地位。特別是在波斯文學中，幾乎沒有一首詩不反覆提及玫瑰，並以它作比喻。西亞某些地區玫瑰的濃郁香氣與美麗，吸引了無數旅人的注意；它不僅作為園藝觀賞植物，還被大量種植，用以製作珍貴而甘美的玫瑰水。波斯玫瑰產區的玫瑰樹之巨大、花朵之繁多，遠超我們在此所見的一切。——《圖解聖經》（Pictorial Bible）
查爾斯．海登．司布真

67. Constraining the Beloved

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. Song of Solomon 3:4
THE first position is "I passed from them." We must go beyond the fellowship of the best of men, and commune with him whom our soul loveth. Our love must lead to action: "Isought him." Those who love Jesus seek his presence with an agony of desire.
After this seeking, we read at first, "I found him not." Sad, but needful disappointment. But this lasts not for ever; we soon come into the region of our text, where everything is bright with sunlight. Three flashes of delight follow each other: "I found him"; "I held him"; "I brought him." May these be our joyous experience! To that end let us muse upon them and pray the Holy Spirit to help us.

I. "I FOUND HIM": or, love in fellowship.

1. I was inquiring for him.
2. I had got beyond all men and means, and could not be contest with any but himself.
3. I beheld his person. He drew near in his Word and ordinances. I perceived him by the Spirit. Faith saw him clearly.
4. I was assured of his presence. My heart felt peculiar influences operating upon it. It was a time of love.
5. I knew him to be mine. There were no doubts and fears. He was "my Beloved," and I was all his own.
6. I was filled with content. I looked for no one else, for in finding him I had found my all for earth and heaven.

Do we know what this blessed finding means?
If not, let us never rest till we do.

II. "I HELD HIM": or, love in possession.

1. By my heart's resolve, determining never to lose him again.
2. By my tearful pleas, entreating him not to mane me wretched by withdrawing I pleaded —

• My joy in his society.
• My need of his gracious protection.
• My love to him, which made me hunger for him.
• His love to me, which surely would not let him leave me.

3. By making him my all in all. He stays where he is prized, and I set him on a high throne in my spirit.
4. By renouncing all other loves, sins, idols, etc. He is jealous, and I kept myself altogether for him.
5. By a simple faith: for he is pleased with trust; and dwells where he is rested in.
6. By his own power. "I would not let him go," because I held him by his promise, and by the power which it gave me.

If you have Jesus, hold him.
He is willing to be constrained. See how often, in his life on earth, "they constrained him," and he yielded to their will.

III. "I BROUGHT HIM": or, love in communication.

The love of Jesus creates in our hearts love to our fellow-believers for their Redeemer's sake.
The church of God is our mother: the holy assembly is her chamber, where we were born unto God, and nurtured in his fear. We are to labor to promote communion with Christ among those who are our brethren, taking Jesus with us whensoever we go up to the gatherings of the faithful.
This we should do—
1. By our own spirit: communing with Jesus before we go to public worship, and going there with him in our company.

We shall always find him in the church if we take him in our hearts to its hallowed services.

2. By our words: we should so speak as to set forth Jesus, and promote fellowship with him. Alas, how many speak controversially, or without savor, or with carnal oratory wherein is no room for the Beloved! Oh, for a crucified style of speech!
3. By our prayers we should bring him into the assembly; ay, bring him into society where hitherto he has been unknown. The world also was once our mother. Oh, that we could introduce the Lord Jesus into her chambers, that he might reign and rule there! "Thy Kingdom come." By loving violence we will constrain him to come with us in his presence and power.

See what the church needs! — Christ in her midst.
See how he is likely to come! — he must be brought.
See what must first be done! — he must be held.
See who alone can do this! — those who have found him.
Yet see, also, who may find him! — all who love him, and seek him.
Are we among the number?

Further Suggestions

Hold him by not offending him. First, by sloth. When the soul turns sleepy or careless, Christ goes away. Secondly, by idols. You cannot hold two objects. Thirdly, by being unwilling to be sanctified. Fourthly, by an unholy house. "I brought him into my mother's house." Remember to take Christ home with you, and let him rule in your house. If you walk with Christ abroad but never take him home, you will soon part company for ever. — McCheyne

"I found him", I, a man, found the Lord of Glory; I, a slave to sin, found the great Deliverer; I, the child of darkness, found the Light of life; I, the uttermost of the lost, found my Savior and my God; I, widowed and desolate, found my Friend, my Beloved, my Husband. Go and do likewise, sons and daughters of Zion, and he will be found: of you; for "then shall ye find when ye search with all your heart."

But we have another mother, and other brethren, in the human family from which we are sprung. The Church has the first, not the only claim on our affections; the perishing world has its right to a large share of our pity and our prayers. Comparatively, it is not hard for us to bring Jesus into the Church, which is his mother's house as well as ours. But the world hates Christ, has nothing in common with him, is aware that he rightfully claims the dominion, is sensitively jealous of the claim, and lives with its doors barred against him night and day. No criminal keeps so vigilant a watch against the officers of justice, no lonely widow makes her gates so fast against the midnight robber, no miser spurns so haughtily the beggar from his door, as the unrenewed heart keeps watch and ward against the entrance of Jesus, and scornfully sends him away when he asks for a lodging in the soul. To introduce him, therefore, into this home of our mother is a work demanding effort, watchfulness, patience. There is much to provoke him to turn away; we must plead with him, hold him, and not let him go; and with our mother's children we must also plead with "the soft tongue that breaketh the bone;' for they are offended with us as well as with him. So sought and prevailed the Bride of the Lamb, till she brought her own Beloved into the midst of her mother's children, by whom she had been herself so hardly entreated, requiting evil with good. Have you attempted this? Are you engaged in the effort now? If not, rise and commence such a work of faith and labor of love on behalf of the lost. — A. Moody Stuart
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

67. 勉強良人同行

一、「我遇見他」——愛在相交中

1. 我正在尋問他。
2. 我已越過一切人與方法，除他以外，沒有任何能使我滿足。
3. 我看見了他的位格；他藉著話語與聖禮親近我，我藉著聖靈感知他，信心清楚地看見了他。
4. 我確信他的同在；我的心感受到奇妙的影響正在運行。那是一個愛的時刻。
5. 我知道他是屬於我的；沒有疑惑，也沒有懼怕。他是「我的良人」，而我完全屬於他。
6. 我心滿意足；我不再尋找別人，因為在遇見他的時候，我已得著天地間的一切。

我們是否知道這樣「尋見」的福分？
若不知道，讓我們決不安息，直到真正得著為止。

二、「我拉住他」——愛在持守中

1. 藉著我心中的決志，立定心意再不失去他。
2. 藉著含淚的懇求，求他不要因離去而使我痛苦。我懇求他——

• 因為我在他同在中的喜樂；
• 因為我需要他慈愛的保護；
• 因為我對他的愛，使我對他如飢如渴；
• 因為他對我的愛，必不忍離我而去。

3. 藉著以他為「我的一切中的一切」；他停留在被珍視之處，我在心靈中為他設立至高的寶座。
4. 藉著棄絕一切其他的愛、罪與偶像；他是忌邪的，我完全為他而保守自己。
5. 藉著單純的信心；因為他喜悅被信靠，也住在被完全交託之處。
6. 藉著他自己的能力；「我不容他走」，因為我抓住他的應許，而那應許賜給我能力。

若你已得著耶穌，就當拉住他。
他甘願被人「勉強」。你看，在他地上生活的日子裡，「人強留他」的次數何其多，而他總是順從。

三、「我領他去」——愛在傳遞中

對耶穌的愛，必在我們心中產生對弟兄姊妹的愛，因為我們共同愛同一位救主。
神的教會是我們的母親；聖潔的會眾是她的內室，我們在那裡重生於神，也在敬畏中被養育。我們當努力，在眾弟兄中促進與基督的相交，每逢我們前往信徒聚集之處，都要把耶穌一同帶去。
我們當如此行——

1. 藉著我們自己的心靈：在赴公共敬拜之前，先與耶穌相交，並帶著他同行進入會中。
   若我們把他帶在心中進入教會的聖會，就必在其中遇見他。
2. 藉著我們的言語：我們說話當顯明耶穌，促進人與他相交。唉，有多少話語充滿爭辯、毫無馨香，或只是屬肉體的雄辯，卻毫無良人的地位！但願我們有「被釘十字架的說話方式」！
3. 藉著我們的禱告：我們當把他帶進聚會；不，只帶進聚會還不夠，也要帶進從前他未曾被認識的社會中。世界曾經也是我們的母親；但願我們能把主耶穌帶進她的內室，使他在其中掌權作王！「願你的國降臨。」藉著充滿愛的「屬靈暴力」，我們要勉強他與我們同來，帶著他的同在與能力。

看看教會所需要的是什麼！——基督在她中間。
看看他最可能如何臨到！——他必須被領來。
看看首先必須作的是什麼！——他必須被拉住。
看看誰能作成這事！——那些已經遇見他的人。
然而也要看，誰都可以遇見他！——凡愛他、尋求他的人。
我們在其中嗎？

進一步的提醒

要拉住他，就不可得罪他：
第一，不可懶惰；當靈魂昏沉或漫不經心時，基督便離去。
第二，不可有偶像；你不能同時抓住兩個對象。
第三，不可拒絕成聖。
第四，不可有不聖潔的家庭；「我領他進我母家。」記得把基督帶回家，讓他在你家中掌權。若你只在外與基督同行，卻從不帶他回家，你們終究必分道揚鑣。——麥琴（McCheyne）

「我遇見他」——我，一個人，遇見了榮耀之主；
我，一個罪的奴僕，遇見了偉大的拯救者；
我，一個黑暗之子，遇見了生命之光；
我，一個極其失喪的人，遇見了我的救主、我的神；
我，孤單失依的人，遇見了我的朋友、我的良人、我的丈夫。
錫安的兒女啊，你們也去照樣行吧！他必被你們尋見；因為「你們尋求我，若專心尋求，就必尋見。」

然而，我們還有另一位母親，也有另一群弟兄——就是我們所出之人類家庭。教會固然居首位，卻不是唯一值得我們愛的對象；將亡的世界，也有權得著我們大量的憐憫與代禱。相較之下，把耶穌帶進教會並不算太難，因為教會既是我們的母親，也是他的母親；但世界恨惡基督，與他毫無相通，知道他理當掌權，對這主權的宣告極其敏感，日夜緊閉心門。沒有任何罪犯像未更新的心那樣，對公義的使者保持如此警戒；沒有任何孤寡像它那樣，嚴防午夜的闖入者；沒有任何守財奴像它那樣，傲慢地拒絕乞丐——當耶穌請求住進靈魂時，它冷酷地將他拒之門外。因此，把耶穌帶進這「母親的家」，是一項需要努力、警醒與忍耐的工作。許多事足以惹他轉身離去；我們必須懇求他、拉住他、不容他走；同時，也必須用「柔和的舌頭折斷骨頭」，向母親的兒女懇求，因為他們既厭惡他，也厭惡我們。如此，羔羊的新婦努力尋求、並且得勝，終於把她的良人帶進那曾苦待她的母親兒女中間，以善報惡。你是否嘗試過這樣的事？
你如今是否正從事這樣的工作？若沒有，起來吧！開始這信心的工作、愛心的勞苦，為著那失喪的人。
——A. 穆迪·史都華
查爾斯．海登．司布真

68. The Conquest of a Holy Eye

Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Song of Solomon 6:5
Much of our life's business consists in overcoming evil, but here we have to deal with overcoming him who is perfect good.
It is not to be supposed that there is any opposition in the heavenly Bridegroom, nor any unwillingness to be overcome by his bride: no, it is the loving heart of Jesus which is readily overcome by the love of his chosen one.
Let us learn from this most remarkable exclamation:

I. THAT LOOKING UPON HIS CHURCH HAS OVERCOME THE HEART OF THE LORD JESUS.

1. He left heaven to be one with her. He could not bear to see her ruin, but left his Father that he might share her lot.
2. He died to redeem her: "found guilty of excess of love."
3. His delight is in her now; she is lovely in his sight.
4. His eternal joy is to spring from her: he will see in her the result of his death-agony: "he will rest in his love."

Jesus is so overcome that he still gives all that he is, and has, yea, and his own self, to his beloved.

II. THAT THE EYES OF HIS CHOSEN STILL OVERCOME THE LORD JESUS.

Because his eyes are full of love, therefore is he overcome by our eyes when we are —

1. Looking up in deep repentance

• At first seeking for pardon.
• At times when we pine for restoration from backsliding.
• Whenever we are struggling to maintain fellowship, and mourning our breaches of it.
• Whenever we groan under inbred sin, and would be free from it.

2. Looking at him by faith for salvation.

• At first, by a desperate act, daring to glance with feeble hope.
• Afterwards, in simplicity, day by day gazing at his wounds.
• In deep distress still hoping on, and never removing our eyes.

3. Looking for all things to his love alone.

• When in sore trouble, patiently submitting.
• When in humble hope, quietly waiting.
• When under severe tests, firmly believing.
• When in full assurance, joyfully expecting.

4. Looking in prayer.

• In personal trouble, like Jacob, pleading the promise, and saying, "I will not let thee go." The Lord says, "Let me go."
• In holy compassion pleading for others, like Moses, to whom the Lord said, "Let me alone."

5. Looking in rapturous, restful love.

• He is altogether lovely, and all mine: my eyes swim with tears of delight as they gaze on him, and thus they overcome him.
• My heart burns with love to him, and I adore him; and this wins everything from him.

6. Looking in sacred longing for his appearing.

• Pining for a personal revelation of himself to me by his Spirit.
• Most of all, sighing for his speedy coming in the glory of the Second Advent. He replies, "Behold, I come quickly!"

Oh, the power of a spiritual man with Jesus!
Oh, the power of a church with heaven! The Lord will deny nothing to the prayer of his elect.

III. THAT IF THE CHURCH WOULD BUT LOOK TO HER LORD MORE SHE WOULD OVERCOME THE WORLD MORE.

To overcome the Lord is the greater thing, and when this is done, the church may well go forth conquering and to conquer all that is less than her Lord. The eyes of the church should be set on Jesus, and then she would overcome. If we were —

1. Weeping for dishonor done to him, he would see this, and retrieve our defeat.
2. Depending on him for our strength, our faith would give us victory through Jesus' love.
3. Obediently following his commands, he would then feel it right to give honor to his own truth, and to reward obedience to his own precepts.
4. Confidently expectant of victory, Jesus would make bare his arm for us. Faith's eyes calmly watching, or flashing with exultant expectancy, would be as flames of fire to the foe.
5. Eagerly pleading for his interposition, our tearful, earnest eyes would soon succeed with our gracious God.

See the secret of strength. Look to Jesus, and overcome.
Let us lament our infrequent use of this conquering weapon.
Now for a long and loving look at the Bridegroom of our souls.
Help us, O Holy Spirit, to whom our eyes owe their sight!

Hints

Who has not felt the power of the eye? The beggar looked so imploringly that we gave him alms; the child's eye so darkened with disappointment that we indulged his desire; the sick man gazed so sadly at our departure that we turned back, and lengthened our visit. But the eyes of those we love master us. Does a tear begin to form? We yield at once. We cannot endure that the beloved eyes should weep. Our Lord uses this figure to most encouraging purpose. The weeping eyes of prayer move the loving heart of Jesus. Matthew Henry says, "Christ is pleased to borrow these expressions of a passionate lover to express the tenderness of a compassionate Redeemer, and the delight he tales in his redeemed, and in {he workings of his own grace in them."

We read in Matthew 15 that the Lord Jesus said to the Canaanitish woman, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." He seems to surrender at discretion, conquered by that faith which he had himself put into her heart. Now, faith is the eye of the soul, and here is an instance of the eyes overcoming the Lord. We cannot vanquish him with the works of our hands, or the eloquence of our lips; but we can win the victory by the pleadings of our eyes, those eyes, which are as the eyes of doves, seeing afar, the eyes of true faith.

Some devout persons find it a profitable exercise to bow the knee, and to look up. Using few words, they commune through a long, upward, pleading glance. One only cried, "My God," and at another timer "God be merciful to me, a sinner''; and yet he came forth from his closet as one who had bathed in heaven.

"Have you a glimpse of Christ now that you are dying?" was the question asked of an old Scottish saint, who, raising himself, made the emphatic reply, "I'll hae none o' your glimpses now that I am dying, since that I have had a full look at Christ these forty years gone." — Annals of the Early Friends
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

68. 聖潔眼目的得勝

「求你轉眼不看我，因你的眼目使我驚亂。」——雅歌 6:5 (5求你掉轉眼目不看我，因你的眼目使我驚亂。你的頭髮如同山羊羣臥在基列山旁。)
我們一生中許多事工，都在於勝過邪惡；但在此，我們卻要思想一件奇妙的事——勝過那完全良善的主。
這並不是說天上的新郎心中有任何抗拒，或不情願被他的新婦勝過；絕非如此。乃是耶穌那充滿慈愛的心，甘心樂意地被祂所揀選之人的愛所「征服」。
讓我們從這句極其非凡的呼喊中學習——

一、注視祂的教會，已經征服了主耶穌的心

1. 祂離開天上，成為與她合一的一位；祂不忍見她沉淪，便離開父神，與她同受命運。
2. 祂為救贖她而死——可說是「因愛過甚而被定罪」。
3. 如今，祂以她為喜樂；她在祂眼中是可愛的。
4. 祂永恆的喜樂要從她而來；祂要在她身上看見自己受死之苦的果效，「並要在愛中安息」。

耶穌如此被征服，以致如今仍將自己的一切——所有、所是，甚至祂自己——完全賜給祂的良人。

二、祂所揀選之人的眼目，仍在征服主耶穌

因為祂的眼目滿有愛，所以當我們以充滿愛的眼目仰望時，祂便被我們「征服」——

1. 在深切悔改中仰望

• 初次尋求赦免時；
• 為退後而渴望恢復時；
• 努力維持相交、並為破裂的交通而哀傷時；
• 為內住的罪而歎息、渴望得釋放時。

2. 以信心仰望祂得救

• 起初，帶著微弱卻孤注一擲的盼望，勇敢一瞥；
• 其後，單純地、天天凝視祂的傷痕；
• 在極深的患難中，仍舊仰望，不移開目光。

3. 在一切事上只仰望祂的愛

• 在極大痛苦中，耐心順服；
• 在謙卑的盼望中，安靜等候；
• 在嚴峻的試煉下，堅定相信；
• 在完全確據中，喜樂期待。

4. 在禱告中仰望

• 在個人的患難中，如雅各緊抓應許，說：「我不容你去。」而主卻說：「讓我去吧。」
• 在為他人代求的聖潔憐憫中，如摩西，主對他說：「你且由我吧。」

5. 在狂喜而安息的愛中仰望

• 祂全然可愛，完全屬我；當我含著喜樂的淚水凝望祂時，這樣的眼目便勝過了祂。
• 我的心向祂燃燒著愛與敬拜，這便從祂那裡贏得了一切。

6. 在神聖的渴望中仰望祂的顯現

• 渴求祂藉聖靈親自向我顯現；
• 尤其是切慕祂在第二次降臨中的榮耀快快來臨。祂回應說：「看哪，我必快來！」

噢，一個屬靈之人與耶穌同在，是何等有能力！
噢，一間與天相連的教會，是何等有能力！
主必不拒絕祂選民的任何禱告。

三、若教會更多仰望她的主，就必更勝過世界

勝過主，是更大的事；一旦這事成就，教會便能出去，勝了又要勝，一切比她的主更小的仇敵都不足為懼。教會的眼目若專注於耶穌，就必得勝。若我們——

1. 為主所受的羞辱而流淚，祂必看見，並扭轉我們的敗局。
2. 全然倚靠祂得力量，我們的信心必藉著耶穌的愛使我們得勝。
3. 順服地遵行祂的命令，祂就以尊榮祂自己的真理為美，並獎賞對祂誡命的順服。
4. 充滿信心地期待勝利，耶穌必為我們顯出祂的膀臂；信心的眼目或安靜注視，或帶著凱旋的期待閃耀，對仇敵而言如烈火一般。
5. 熱切地懇求祂的介入，我們含淚、迫切的眼目，很快就會在慈愛的神面前得勝。

看看力量的秘訣吧——仰望耶穌，就必得勝。
讓我們為自己少用這得勝的武器而哀歎。
如今，讓我們長久而深情地注視我們靈魂的新郎。
聖靈啊，求你幫助我們——因為我們眼目的視力，全然來自你！

提示

誰沒有感受過眼目的力量呢？乞丐懇切的眼神，使我們施捨；孩子因失望而黯淡的眼睛，使我們滿足他的心願；病人憂傷地注視我們離去，使我們回轉並延長探訪。但我們所愛之人的眼目，更能完全制伏我們。一滴眼淚將落未落，我們立刻屈服；我們無法忍受所愛之人的眼睛流淚。我們的主正是用這樣的比喻，帶來最令人鼓舞的教訓：禱告中流淚的眼目，能感動耶穌慈愛的心。馬太·亨利說：「基督樂意借用熱情戀人的言語，來表達慈悲救主的溫柔，以及祂在被救贖之人身上、並在祂自己恩典運行中的喜悅。」

在馬太福音第十五章，我們讀到主耶穌對迦南婦人說：「婦人，你的信心是大的！照你所要的，給你成全吧。」祂彷彿完全降服，被那信心所征服——而那信心，正是祂自己放在她心中的。信心就是靈魂的眼目；這正是一個「眼目勝過主」的例子。我們不能靠雙手的行為，或嘴唇的雄辯來征服祂；卻能藉著眼目的懇求得勝——那如鴿子眼目的信心之眼，能遠遠看見。

有些敬虔的人發現，跪下並仰望，是極有益處的操練；他們用極少的言語，卻用長久、向上的懇求目光來交通。有一位只呼喊過一句：「我的神！」又在另一時刻說：「神啊，開恩可憐我這個罪人！」然而他卻像在天上沐浴過一般，從內室中走出來。

「你臨終時，是否還能看見基督？」有人這樣問一位年老的蘇格蘭聖徒；他撐起身子，堅定地回答說：「如今我將要死了，我不需要你們所說的那種『一瞥』；因為我已經整整四十年，定睛注視基督。」——《早期友會年鑑》
查爾斯．海登．司布真