Songs 2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.… We find flowers of some kind or other growing everywhere. They spring up in the sandy desert. On the tops of bleak and snow-capped mountains, where even trees will not grow, the little flowers may be seen. Travellers who have gone near the North Pole, where ice and snow last all the year, have been surprised to find in some places red snow. And when they came to examine it with a microscope, they were still more surprised to find that the colour of it was owing to an exceedingly small kind of plant, bearing a flower too little for the naked eye to see. But among all the multitude of flowers which grow on the earth, there is none like this which Solomon speaks of in the verse before us. "I am the Rose of Sharon." This, we suppose, refers to Jesus. He is the "Rose of Sharon." Sharon was the name of a large plain, or level tract of country in Palestine, famous for the number of flowers which grew there. And if we consider this "Rose of Sharon" as referring to our blessed Saviour, then we may well say that this Rose is the best flower. I. BECAUSE IT WILL GROW EVERYWHERE. This flower does not grow in the ground like other flowers. You must not look for it in the beds of the garden; nor in the fields, the valleys or the mountains. The soil in which it grows is the human heart. And when any person learns to love and serve Jesus, and is made happy by Him, then we may say that the "Rose of Sharon" is growing in that person's heart. This flower is sometimes found growing in the hearts of very young people. And the old as well as the young — the poor as well as the rich, may have it if they will. It is growing now in the hearts of people in all the different nations of the earth. John Williams, the martyr-missionary of Erromanga, planted it in the sunny islands of the South Seas. Robert Moffat planted it far up into the southern part of Africa; and other missionaries are planting it all along the western coast. Dr. Livingstone carried it into the very centre of Africa, from the East. The great wall of separation, which kept the missionaries so long out of China, has been thrown down, and now all that vast country is waiting to receive the Gospel. The servants of Jesus are going about over the burning plains of India, and planting this best flower there. The heat is dreadful there sometimes, but still it is not too hot a climate for the "Rose of Sharon" to grow and flourish in. The Moravian missionaries have carried it to Greenland's ice-bound shores; and that climate, even, is not too cold for it. For above a hundred years it has been blooming sweetly there. And now, this very day, it is growing and flourishing equally well in all these different countries. Oh, what a wonderful flower this is! There is no other like it in all the earth. II. BECAUSE OF ITS MANY USES. 1. It is beautiful to look at. When Jesus was on earth, most people saw no beauty in Him, that they should desire Him. But those who learn to know and love Him, find Him to be "the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." The greatest happiness of heaven will be to "see His face." There is nothing in all the world half so beautiful as the sight of Jesus will be in heaven. 2. It is useful for its fragrance, as well as for its beauty. Every one knows how sweet it is to smell a beautiful rose. And we read in the Bible, that the name of Jesus is "as ointment poured forth." This means, that it is just as pleasant to the souls of those who love Jesus to think about Him, as it is to their bodily senses to smell the sweetest flower, or the most fragrant ointment. 3. The "Rose of Sharon" bears fruit as well as flowers, and its fruit is wholesome and pleasant. It is made to be eaten, as well as looked at, and its "fruit is sweet to the taste" of those who partake of it. 4. The "Rose of Sharon" yields pure water to drink, as well as food to eat. There is a singular plant in the East Indies called "the pitcher-plant." It has leaves, or flowers, in the form of small pitchers. Each pitcher has a lid to it, and at certain seasons these pitchers are filled with a sweet, pleasant liquid, which is very good to drink. The "Rose of Sharon" is a pitcher-plant. It is full of pitchers. These are not only always full, but they never can be emptied. The water of salvation flows into them as fast as it is taken out. And oh, it is delightful water! It is cool, clear and refreshing. 5. The "Rose of Sharon" is good for medicine, as well as for food and drink. When Jesus, who is this "Rose of Sharon," was on earth, He opened the eyes of the blind; He unstopped the ears of the deaf; He made the lame to walk, and went about "healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people." Then, He cured all kinds of bodily diseases. Now, He cures all kinds of spiritual diseases. 6. The "Rose of Sharon" is good for clothing. This is a very singular use to make of a flower. We often hear of people making wreaths of flowers to ornament or dress the head with. But no one ever heard of an earthly flower that was good to make clothing off The "Rose of Sharon," however, is good for clothing. We read in the Bible about "garments of salvation" — about "robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb" — about "clothing of wrought gold — all-glorious within." These all refer to that righteousness of Jesus, which He puts upon all His people as the dress they are to wear in heaven. Oh, the clothing which is made out of the "Rose of Sharon" is very beautiful! It is so in God's sight. There never was any like it. 7. And then the "Rose of Sharon" is good to make people rich. Nobody ever thinks of feeling rich because he has a rose. Why, you may have a bunch of roses; yes, a whole garden of roses, and yet not be very rich. Sometimes we hear of a king making a present of a golden rose to one of his friends. Yet that would not make him rich. But every one who has the "Rose of Sharon" is rich. Nobody can tell how rich Christ makes His people. "They shall inherit all things." What more could they have? III. BECAUSE IT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY WHEN NOTHING ELSE CAN. What a dreadful thing it must be on board a burning ship, far off on the ocean! We all heard about that dreadful calamity — the burning of the steamer "Austria. She was full of passengers. The fire spread almost like lightning. Could anything make persons calm and happy on board that burning vessel? Yes, there were some there who loved Jesus, who had the "Rose of Sharon with them and that made them happy. IV. BECAUSE IT NEVER FADES. Its beauty never decays. Its leaves never fall off. Winter never comes in heaven. The flowers are blooming all the time there. And chief among them is this beautiful "Rose of Sharon." Ah! my dear children, if you want to love one who never dies and never changes, then love Jesus. He is the "Rose of Sharon," and this is the best flower, because it never fades. V. BECAUSE ITS BEAUTY IS ALWAYS INCREASING. There never was another flower known of which this could be said. You take a small rose-bud and look at it. How beautiful it is! As it grows larger its beauty increases. Every day it swells to a greater size. You see more and more of its lovely crimson colour.- Presently the bud begins to open. You can almost see its leaves expanding as you stand and gaze upon it. How interesting it is to watch it! Gradually it unfolds itself, till all its many leaves have opened themselves, and now it stands before you a fragrant, blushing, beautiful, full-blown rose. How sweetly it looks! Can anything in the world be more delightful? But now it's all over! You have seen all there is about the rose worth seeing. Very soon it will wither away, and you won't care to look at it any more. But it is very different with the "Rose of Sharon." This will be always growing and always blooming. And its flowers will be always increasing in beauty. I do not mean that some of its flowers will die, and others, more beautiful, come out upon it. Not one of its flowers will ever die. But they will all go on increasing in beauty continually. Oh, wonderful plant! How glorious it will be, if we get to heaven to look on and to watch its increasing beauty to all eternity! (R. Newton, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. |
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