Spurgeon: April AM
* 04/25/AM
"Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away."
--Song of Solomon 2:10
Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me ! Fair
weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, and He would not
have me spiritually asleep while nature is all around me awaking
from her winter's rest. He bids me "Rise up," and well He may,
for I have long enough been lying among the pots of worldliness.
He is risen, I am risen in Him, why then should I cleave unto
the dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations,
I would rise towards Him. He calls me by the sweet title of "My
love," and counts me fair; this is a good argument for my
rising. If He has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus comely,
how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial
associates among the sons of men? He bids me "Come away."
Further and further from everything selfish, grovelling,
worldly, sinful, He calls me; yea, from the outwardly religious
world which knows Him not, and has no sympathy with the mystery
of the higher life, He calls me. "Come away" has no harsh sound
in it to my ear, for what is there to hold me in this wilderness
of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would that I could come away, but
I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from them as I
would. I would, if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor
ears, nor heart for sin. Thou callest me to Thyself by saying
"Come away," and this is a melodious call indeed. To come to
Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the
raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to come to the
goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes. But Lord, how
can a stone rise, how can a lump of clay come away from the
horrible pit? O raise me, draw me. Thy grace can do it. Send
forth Thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my
heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time
behind me, and indeed come away.