The voice of the Beloved


R. M. McCheyne.
I. WHEN CHRIST IS AWAY FROM THE SOUL OF THE BELIEVER, HE SITS ALONE. Whatever he the mountains of Bether that have come between his soul and Christ — whether he hath been seduced into his old sins that "his iniquities have separated again between him and his God, and his sins have hid his face from Him, that He will not hear "for whether the Saviour hath withdrawn for a season the comfortable light of His presence for the mere trial of His servant's faith, to see if, when he "walketh in darkness and hath no light, he will still trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God" — whatever the mountains of separation be, it is the sure mark of the believer that he sits desolate and alone. He cannot laugh away his heavy care, as worldly men can do. He cannot drown it in the bowl of intemperance, as poor blinded men can do. Even the innocent intercourse of human friendship brings no balm to his wound — nay, even fellowship with the children of God is now distasteful to his soul.

II. CHRIST'S COMING TO THE DESOLATE BELIEVER IS OFTEN SUDDEN AND WONDERFUL. Some text of the Word, or some word from a Christian friend, or some part of a sermon, again reveals Jesus in all His fulness — the Saviour of sinners, even the chief. Or it may be that He makes Himself known to the disconsolate soul in the breaking of bread, and when He speaks the gentle words — "This is My body broken for you; this cup is the New Testament in My blood shed for the remission of the sins of many; drink ye all of it" — then he cannot but cry out, "The voice of my Beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills."

III. CHRIST'S COMING CHANGES ALL THINGS TO THE BELIEVER, AND HIS LOVE IS MORE TENDER THAN EVER. The world of nature is all changed. Instead of the thorn comes up the fir tree, and instead of the brier comes up the myrtle tree. Every tree and field possesses a new beauty to the happy soul. The world of grace is all changed. The Bible was all dry and meaningless before; now, what a flood of light is poured over its pages! how full, how fresh, how rich in meaning, how its simplest phrases touch the heart! The house of prayer was all sad and dreary before — its services were dry and unsatisfactory; but now, when the believer sees the Saviour, as he hath seen Him heretofore within His holy place, his cry is,-"How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts, etc." The garden of the Lord was all sad and cheerless before; now tenderness towards the unconverted springs up afresh, and love to the people of God burns in the bosom — then they that fear the Lord speak often one to another. The time of singing the praises of Jesus is come, and the turtle voice of love to Jesus is once more heard in the land; the Lord's vine flourishes, and the pomegranate buds, and Christ's voice to the soul is, "Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away."

IV. OBSERVE THE THREEFOLD DISPOSITION OF FEAR, LOVE, AND HOPE, which this visit of the Saviour stirs up in the believer's bosom. These three form, as it were, a cord in the restored believer's bosom, and a threefold cord is not easily broken.

(R. M. McCheyne.)

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