Songs 2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. I have taken a text, chiefly because it is generally supposed that a sermon cannot be preached without a Bible text. But I only want those two words — Rose, Lily; and I take those two because they may be regarded as the chief and the representative of the midsummer flowers. But how can we learn from the rose and the lily concerning God? In this way. Everything a man does or makes embodies and expresses himself. The Bible tells us that is true even of children. "Even a child is known by his doings." Somehow children and men always stamp themselves on everything they make and everything they do. And this is one of the chief ways by which we come to know God. We look at the things He makes, and when we find out what character they bear we may say, God is like this, only infinitely better. If He made this, the possibility of making more and better than this must be in Him. If God made the rose and the lily, what must He be? 1. Now the first thing that comes to our thought, when we notice the exquisite form of the rose and the stately grace of the lily, is — How beautiful God must be. What beautiful thought He must have to have designed such forms, and what a beautiful touch to mould such forms, and so how beautiful He Himself must be. 2. Looking again at the rose and the lily we are reminded of their fragrance, we feel their fragrance — that sweet scent of the rose, that rich and almost overpowering odour of the lily. Then it strikes us that they are not merely beautiful to look at, they are scattering blessings continually — pouring forth their treasures to enrich the air, and to give us pleasure and health, filling the summer sky with balmy breath, spending themselves to do others good, to make others glad. And so they tell us what God is. For in God's thought they were filled with that fragrance, and in breathing it out they fain would tell us of Him of whose eternal sweetness they partake. What must the fragrance of God be who put such fragrance into His flowers? And this we can feel to be true of God manifested in Christ. The fragrance of Christ's life on earth is its greatest charm. It was a life of self-denials, generosities and charities; crowded with thoughtfulnesses and helpfulnesses, exemplifying His own words, "It is more blessed to give than receive." 3. Then, again, we are struck with the colour of the rose and the lily — that creamy whiteness of the lily, that tinted whiteness of the rose. We feel purity in colour, more especially in white flowers, but it is the characteristic of them all. God made these pure white flowers, then what must His purity be? We are often touched with God's wonderful and exhaustless power of making pure things — clear waters, white snows, woolly clouds, new leaves, blue sky, and the exquisite pale tinting all about the summer sunset. Moses had a vision of the surroundings of God, and under His feet was a paved work of a sapphire stone, and, as it were, the body of heaven in His clearness. This purity is characteristic of God manifest in the flesh. Jesus was clothed in white all through His life, and on His beautiful garments one stain never came. 4. So the leaves and petals of rose and lily become leaves of a Bible to us, from which we may learn of God. The flowers say, "We come to tell you that God lives, that God loves, and that God wants your love." The roses say, "Love and serve the good and beautiful God, who may be served by everything that is kind and lovely." The lilies say, "Love and serve the pure and righteous God, who may be served by everything that is holy and true." And all the other midsummer hewers, gathering round their king and queen, seem to join in one great chorus, and to say, "We love and serve the One, the living God — the Wonderful, the Beautiful, the Pure, the Good — and you should love Him too." (R. Tuck.) Parallel Verses KJV: I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. |
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