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Better than wine!
by Spurgeon-
"Your love is better than wine." --Song of
Solomon 1:2
Nothing gives the believer so much joy as fellowship with Christ.
He has enjoyment as others have in the common mercies of life,
he can be glad both in God's gifts and God's works; but in all
these separately, yes, and in all of them added together,
he does not find such substantial delight as in
the matchless person of his Lord Jesus.
He has wine which no vineyard on earth ever yielded; he has bread
which all the corn-fields of Egypt could never bring forth.
Where can such sweetness be found as we have tasted
in communion with our Beloved?
In our esteem, the joys of earth are little better
than husks for swine compared with Jesus, the heavenly manna.
We would rather have one mouthful of Christ's love, and a sip
of his fellowship, than a whole world full of carnal delights.
What is the chaff to the wheat?
What is the sparkling paste to the true diamond?
What is a dream to the glorious reality?
What is time's mirth, in its best trim,
compared to our Lord Jesus in His most despised estate?
If you know anything of the inner life, you will confess that our
highest, purest, and most enduring joys must be the fruit of
the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
No spring yields such sweet water as that well of God
which was digged with the soldier's spear.
All earthly bliss is of the earth earthy, but the comforts
of Christ's presence are like Himself, heavenly.
We can review our communion with Jesus, and find no regrets
of emptiness therein; there are no dregs in this wine,
no dead flies in this ointment.
The joy of the Lord is solid and enduring.
Vanity has not looked upon it, but discretion and prudence
testify that it abides the test of years, and is in time and in
eternity worthy to be called "the only true delight."
For nourishment,
consolation,
exhilaration,
and refreshment,
no wine can rival the love of Jesus.
Let us drink to the full this evening.
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