Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? (Quality: Very Good)

[0:00] I venture once again, as I may be helped, to speak from the Song of Solomon, chapter 8, and the first part in verse 5.

[0:20] Song of Solomon, chapter 8, and the first part in verse 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?

[0:41] The verse reads, I raise thee up under the apple tree. There thy mother brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth that bear thee.

[0:56] Their poor ramblings this morning was on the first clause of our text. Who is this?

[1:08] And we try to answer the question, as we have found the question mark here, and truly it is a question, who is this?

[1:20] And we come to this conclusion, it was the bride of Christ. The bride is chosen, is redeemed people, the old church of God, part in heaven, some upon the earth, in this our day.

[1:47] And we hope there may be yet further. many brought forth, out of nature's darkness, into the spirit of Christ.

[2:00] And this, the time will come, when this family of God, sons and daughters of Zion, will be gathered together, and never, never depart again.

[2:17] Does that describe, dear friends, the first part of our text? Who is this? That cometh up from the wilderness. Then we try to make a few remarks of their experience in coming up out of the wilderness.

[2:39] That is, to be taught of the spirit, quickened of the spirit, taught of the spirit, led by the spirit. And these are the people that shall eventually enter glory.

[2:53] We also made some remarks of their exercises. In their heart, and the way the Lord leads, is chosen.

[3:05] Not in a plain path, always far from it. In a rugged. Often in a pathway, that is contrary, as it were, to our natural mind, and our fleshly desires.

[3:25] But these are the people. So the Lord leads us along. And I try to make a few remarks, seeking whether we were among this people.

[3:38] That's the most important thing to know, that we are among this people that are journeying homeward, journeying along through the wilderness, here but now.

[3:53] Now may I be helped to take another step into the text if fine. If the Lord helps, otherwise it will not be so. these people will be brought to feel that they are completely helpless in everything that is spiritual, helpless in taking a step, one step, toward it.

[4:25] Oh, we hear so much of it today, that they do this and do that. They give their heart to God. They are there among the righteous and all their good deeds.

[4:38] The Lord frowns upon it and says, By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

[4:50] Dear friends, how true it is, every favor that we are blessed with that are spiritual comes from one course, one source, one, that is Jehovah.

[5:16] Amen. And oh, how sweet as we read at times and sing that short hymn, how sweet the name of Jesus sounds.

[5:30] In a believer's heel, heals his wounds and dries his tears. This is the one that is spoken of by saying as being a name sweet above all other names.

[5:51] Leaning upon our beloved. So as we are brought to know a little of Jesus Christ in his love, in his power, what he is able to do, his compassion and so on, leaning upon him, we shall be in the pathway.

[6:13] can I say that God has designed and will bring us safely through. Now this leaning, well, who needs, I speak with all reverence, who needs a prop?

[6:30] Who needs one to hold you up? Everybody here this afternoon needs a support. You have been singing in that wonderful hymn and it's very, very true.

[6:46] As thy day, so shall thy strength be. And it is these people that feel to be so weak and so helpless. No wonder the poor woman came to that place and breathed out, Lord, help me.

[7:06] Oh, the Lord is pleased to then to bring his followers, his children, his bride, as we mentioned, his bride to his feet in making them poor.

[7:20] If we were rich, as it were, in ourselves and in our spirit and able to do this and that, we shouldn't come to Christ, should we?

[7:31] We shouldn't want help, we shouldn't want a support. We could manage everything ourselves, but with these people whom the Lord has called his bride, these people who are leaning upon him, travelling through the wilderness, are brought down and laid low that they should look up.

[8:00] Some are brought low but look into self, but the Lord will have us to look unto him. So we can say the bride is looking unto the bridegroom to this gracious God who is the bridegroom of the old church.

[8:25] Leaning. Well, if we've got nothing more to lean upon, nothing else, no prop, God, well then we are to come to lean upon Jesus.

[8:38] My mind goes to the disciple of old in the upper room, John, and he leant upon the bosom of Christ.

[8:52] Is there anything, dear friends, so blessed, so sweet, has been able, by the grace of God, to lean upon him as the only true prop, speaking with reverence, and he will not give way, and you will not fail.

[9:13] Put your all right. In fact, the more we are able to put our all weight and strength upon him, the better it is for us, and also brings more honor and glory unto his name.

[9:29] leaning upon our beloved. So, as we pass along, I think first we will mention a little about the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[9:48] Did we mention in prayer, he gave his life for the ramps of the many? Oh, if we have some inward sight of this, and some faith to believe it, I'm sure he will be our beloved.

[10:06] I'm sure he will be one whom we love, if we can see our old soul hangs upon him for eternity, and to bring us safely to death, and over Jordan, and to that place where he dwelleth.

[10:26] surely he is a loved saviour, beloved saviour, he is the bridegroom of the bride.

[10:40] Now are we in the church, are we leaning upon him? The poet says, who is this fair one in distress that travels from this wilderness, and pressed with sorrow and with sins, on her beloved Lord she leans.

[11:03] That's the way to heaven for us. He's a stronghold in the day of trouble, as you know. this is the spouse of Christ our God, brought with the treasures of his blood, and her request, and her complaint, is but the voice of every saint, is it ours?

[11:27] Can we number ourselves among the saints, knowing it is our one stay, yea, our one hope, to be fixed in Christ, and that forever, leaning upon her beloved?

[11:51] In what way do we lean, and for what purpose do we lean upon him? How I have just hinted, we are brought down and low.

[12:03] It's the poor and needy that come to Christ. It's the poor bankruptcy soul, got nothing, nothing of their home. There the people, and the Lord will see, and work in us by his grace, to empty us, that we shall come with nothing, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.

[12:30] That's the place. And the apostle said, I'm determined not to know anything among you, you saved Jesus Christ and him crucified, leaning upon her beloved.

[12:46] Well, we did hint this morning, there is an inquiry in our heart to know whether he is our God and our Saviour, our Redeemer.

[12:58] And do we not come sometimes in this way, leaning upon him, crying unto him in prayer, that we might have some full assurance of him being the bridegroom and that we are numbered among the bride in the church of God.

[13:23] Do we not have to lean upon him in prayer, go to him, remember me with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people, oh, visit me with thy salvation, show me, reveal to me that I am in and amongst these people.

[13:46] There is an inquiry in your heart, how did you become with that concern? It may be a very deep concern, hope it is, in your heart, in the matters of eternity, and whether he is thy beloved.

[14:03] Oh, it's no small mercy to behave to come leaning upon him in prayer and seeking to know outstanding whether we are upon the rock and building upon the rock for eternity.

[14:20] Because there's no other foundation for us, you may seek it, many do, and think their world on the rock, but it will fail in the moment of death unless it's Christ himself.

[14:40] So you are praying, leaning upon him for some token. Show me some token, Lord, for good. Some token of thy special love.

[14:52] Show me that I am born of God and that my treasure is above. And there we lean upon him sometimes to know that we have that true religion that God is the author of.

[15:10] Yet again, how many have a religion, how many fall down as it were and worship graven images, wood, and so on, but this will not do for this church, this bride.

[15:25] They go and lean upon their saviour and the bridegroom for to know that they are in Christ, in the bridegroom, and also building upon him.

[15:43] How often we have quoted these words, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, leaning upon him.

[15:55] And these are the vital things, dear friends. If we are born of God, we want to have a good foundation, and the foundation is in the gospel.

[16:08] The gospel is Christ, and Christ is the gospel. Leaning upon him. Prayer, what a wonderful thing prayer is.

[16:20] And how wonderful have you ever thought of it, how wonderful it is, oh, the Lord, by his Holy Spirit indicts prayer into one's heart. And you may be assured of this, if prayer is indicted, that prayer will be answered.

[16:38] It will be answered in God's own time. Are you leaning then for a token? Can I hear say it? Some poor souls say, will I be leaning in this direction upon the Lord for many, many months and years it may be, but I cannot get what I desire.

[16:55] Still lean. And if you pray to be taught deeper, it may be the Lord will answer that prayer to bring us lower and lower and more helpless in and of ourselves.

[17:11] And the more helpless we feel, the more weight we will put upon this God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is most profitable, acceptable unto the Lord, leaning upon our beloved, journeying along through the will of this time state with this desire to know more of Christ, to be given more faith.

[17:45] We ask sometimes the Lord will give us more faith. We have bear this in mind. The heavier the burden, the more we shall desire to put our old faith and concern upon him.

[18:03] And how does the Lord bring us there? By showing us what we are, what's in their heart. When you have cried out, it may have been years ago and you still have to cry now, and tell the Lord, same as I do, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

[18:23] you need cleansing. Have we not quoted the words of the psalmist in that most blessed psalm of it, where he confessed his many sins, creating me a clean heart, O God, if we know the filth of our heart, we shall lean upon him for the cleansing.

[18:44] if we know anything, the deceitfulness of our heart, we shall speak to him for forgiveness. Created me a clean heart, said the psalmist.

[18:58] He needed it, so do you, so do I. It's a leaning towards him. And what else? Was he satisfied just with that prayer?

[19:12] He wanted it answered, and therefore he leaned upon him and put his weight that those prayers should be answered.

[19:23] And did he not ask for this, when he said, make me whiter than snow, leaning upon the Lord Jesus?

[19:37] Can we in our day, dear friends, in many experiences, or in many those dear old saints, the Lord had not yet come to that point of death, opening a fountain.

[19:54] But that wonderful faith the Lord gave to them, we have it in the 11th of Hebrews, how they good prophets and saints and patriarchs walked in faith.

[20:08] in faith, leaning upon her beloved. Now in our day, and oh how much we have to be thankful for, that Jesus has come, and Jesus has suffered, and that he has opened the fountain, and is for, and for his chosen, his bride, leaning upon her in, for that precious blood, cleansing blood, make me, says David, whiter and slow, leaning upon her.

[20:50] Are you the soft to do? Have you been leaning upon him? Are we still leaning upon him to cleanse us from her many failings, sins, iniquities and transgressions?

[21:07] Are you amongst and can take the language of the publican? God be merciful to me our sinner. If so, dear friends, in the same spirit of the publican, we lean upon our beloved.

[21:27] what do we read of that man? He went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee.

[21:43] Oh, may the Lord deliver us from all that spirit of the Pharisee and bring us to the spirit of grace, falling at his feet, seeking that precious blood of his, leaning then upon our beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[22:04] And then we have to lean upon him sometimes for faith. Other times when there seems so little faith. Our dear friend, aged friend, that I just said a few words with, he says, I seem to have so little faith, so little.

[22:23] But friends, the Lord, he gives all his dear people a little, just a little. And therefore we lean upon him for a little more, and a little more.

[22:38] And as I we journey through the wilderness, leaning upon our beloved for faith. And then again we lean upon him for that grace to be able to trust in him.

[22:53] that psalm. I was thinking of reading it this afternoon, and then the other which we've read came to my mind.

[23:10] But in this psalm, trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee desires of thine heart.

[23:25] Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as life and thy judgment as the new day.

[23:39] Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Trust spirits. Oh, for that grace to be able to lean upon him, to be given and more grace, and more grace to trust in him as a leaning upon the Lord for these blessings.

[24:01] These are spiritual blessings. These are the blessings I've mentioned that are the rich provisions, as it were, of the gospel. So we come along in here, pilgrimage, leaning upon him for token, leaning upon him for forgiveness, leaning upon him for his precious blood, the fountain, leaning upon him for faith, and leaning upon him to trust, leaning upon him to stand, and to know we stand upon the rock Christ Jesus.

[24:47] Now, when we feel, and we often do, at least some of us, what we are, that we've got no garment to stand in, never been brought there, not to stand in, which is acceptable to God, no garment, nothing that cleanse us, nothing that shelter us.

[25:13] Now, we lean upon him for that wonderful robe of righteousness that the Lord has given to his people, wrought out, did he not, in and of himself, even as he journeyed along through this wilderness, to Canaan.

[25:39] There's a hymn close here, I breathe on the matter which is far better than I can express. Awake my heart, arise my tongue, prepare a tainful voice.

[25:54] In God, the life of all my joy, a lobe will I rejoice. Tis he adorned my naked soul, and made salvation, mine. Upon a poor, polluted worm, he makes his graces shine.

[26:10] I after it. You come leaning upon him to be clothed in that righteousness. We have a righteousness, we might call it, well, as it appears in the sight of God, filthy legs, and nothing better.

[26:32] But are you and I coming unto this God, leaning upon him, for these things one has mentioned, leaning upon him.

[26:44] And do we not lean upon him in prayer, that he might give more of the Spirit's work within our hearts, within our heart, leaning upon him.

[27:02] I believe this is the way to heaven, dear friends, all the way along, is to lean upon him, call upon him. Wrestling prayer can wander as do, bring relief in deepest traits.

[27:17] Prayer can force a passage through iron bars and brazen gates. A dear prophet of old, that dear minister of the Lord, Paul, what is he to say?

[27:31] Pray, he says, pray without ceasing. And oh, how that dear man, in his journey through life, how he had to lean upon his God, did he not?

[27:44] Through all the changes of life, the various paths he was called to trade, also the heavy work upon him, in the ministry, how it caused him to lean upon his God.

[28:00] Take those Paul and Silas in the prison, being so bound down. Wasn't they leaning upon their God?

[28:12] They were. They got no strength, as it were, to look to any other, to be delivered from the chains and the prison and so on, that they were looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their life, looking unto Jesus, of their faith.

[28:39] Who is this then? It cometh up from the wilderness. He is beloved of God, leaning upon him. And when we are able to lean a little upon the Lord Jesus, there's a rest, dear friends.

[28:57] But if the Lord doesn't give this sweet experience of leaning upon him, there's often darkness in the mind, trouble in the soul.

[29:10] In fact, we are like the waves as we have been reading of this afternoon. there. He brought them out of darkness, and the shadow of death, and break their bands in death.

[29:26] Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works, to the children of God. And we read this, Their soul aborreth all matter of need, and they draw near unto the gates of death.

[29:44] Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

[30:04] What was the hope of it? Oh, how they should thank the Lord. So, bingle with their prayer, and I trust with us from time to time, there's a bingling of praise.

[30:19] And this, as you know, is acceptable unto God. How little praise does this dear man have? who has done such great things for us.

[30:33] Leaning upon our beloved. And there's this leaning. You may be sure what I'm thinking of, especially as some of us in our old age are drawing very near to the time, is to lean upon him, to be prepared.

[30:58] another thought strikes my mind, how Jesus, the bridegroom in their text, leant upon his father, and how his father favoured him during that long period of time of suffering in body and in soul, did he not lean upon his beloved father.

[31:31] And in that sense of the word, did not the father let his love lean toward his dear son, Jesus? Oh, here they were and still united together in a way man cannot explain, but there was this, when Christ was here, he did help.

[31:53] He knew what it was to be weak, and how he leaned upon his father, as he called out even from the gate, from the garden of Gethsemane.

[32:09] If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. There was a leaning upon his father.

[32:22] And how he went to prayer, day by day, night by night, often by the mountain side, in solitary places, to call upon his father.

[32:34] And what for? Well, for strength, for one thing, but mostly for his bride. Oh, the bridegroom was here below, working out that wonderful work of salvation, to deliver them from the pit of destruction.

[32:54] Oh, he cried and prayed unto his father on their behalf. Were we included in his prayer?

[33:06] We read, as you know, on the 17th of John, I prayed not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me. So, here we are, friends.

[33:22] Another day's journey. How often we have to say it. Nearer to our eternal home. Are we leaning upon him?

[33:34] Are we leaning upon him in praise? in praise? That he has wonderfully opened the way that our poor soul might be delivered from death, from the pit of destruction, though we praise him.

[33:56] Is that a verse that we, the doxology, ever come out of your heart? I believe it has by eternity. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

[34:08] Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, how we lean upon him, to bring us there by his grace and in his love to the place where we are enabled to praise God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[34:34] Leaning upon him in praise and in thankfulness. Yes, and above all things that he has given us as a little witness that he has redeemed our souls.

[34:49] Leaning upon him then to know Jesus, to hear from him that some poor soul is waiting and leaning upon him to hear his voice. My sheep hear my voice and they know it.

[35:02] What are you requesting from this? Prepare me, gracious God, it may be. Leaning upon her beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[35:13] And dear friends, none can lean too much, too often. You'll never be able, as it were, to put too much weight on it, dear man.

[35:25] No, he wants to come with your whole heart, with all your burdens and lay it at his feet and he will manage it. Again, just a thought as we, respecting Bunyan of old, some of you have heard me say it before, I believe it's recorded in his book, when he picked up the burden on his bank, as it were, and made and leaving the place of destruction and going forth, seeking that celestial city, leaning upon him.

[36:09] That's where Bunyan was, leaning upon him. And are we not, dear friends, can we say this afternoon that we are coming up out from the wilderness?

[36:22] Oh, that little word has been very sweet to me at times. It's wrong. Some of us have had, and I'm going to say, enough of the wilderness.

[36:33] Though we desire grace to linger until God's turn, there's times when we desire to be freed from the body of sin and death, to be freed from our whole carnal nature, to be freed from the devil, to be freed from this lower world, from this wilderness.

[36:56] Are we leaning upon him to bring us safely to that haven of eternal rest where Jesus dwells, a place prepared?

[37:09] Let not your heart be troubled. Is it troubled at times? Let not your heart be troubled. believe in God. Are we believing in God?

[37:21] If we are one, as it were, the bride, if our name is written in heaven, if we are in the covenant of divine grace, if Jesus came for us, if he suffered for us, if he prayed for us, if he died for us, if he shed his blood for us, then it will be well.

[37:43] Be not troubled. let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in the Son. There are many mansions, he tells us.

[37:57] The Father has prepared many mansions. Are we leaning upon him to bring us there? Never in your own self, in your own strength, nothing in us, dear friends.

[38:10] we do not deserve not the least of the Lord's mercies, but all one great ocean, shall I say, of love and mercy and compassion to this people, his bride, to bring them safely through life and then to death and to eternal glory.

[38:34] As I mentioned in Hebrews, they were looking for an heavenly gut. Heavenly.

[38:47] They had enough of the wilderness, had enough of it, and there they wanted something better. They wanted to be brought into peace.

[38:57] No doubt they had tasted the peace of God in their heart. There they wanted the fullness of it. Is it so with you and I? I trust we have felt at times a little.

[39:09] Oh, that peace of God, the love of God, but oh, it makes you long for a little more. A little more, says the poor sinner, cries out, a little more, Lord.

[39:22] Cannot get it from any other source, but they do mercifully look upon us and bless us. I just have to leave it with you, dear friends. I've only rambled around.

[39:33] May the Lord be pleased to lead you further into it and give you a sweet touch that you are amongst his people, the bride.

[39:44] He is the bridegroom. He is thy saviour. Lean upon him. Lean upon him. You can't lean to him.

[39:55] Put your all strength upon him. All you've got in the way of faith. Lean upon him and he'll bring you through. through all the storms, all the stumbling blocks, everything that will be in the way for your poor soul, the Lord Jesus will manage.

[40:17] Yes, he'll bring you through. Nothing, nothing could stand in the way of a poor pilgrim, chosen and blessed of God, as he's travelling through the wilderness to the heavenly city and there to see him face to face without a vile between.

[40:39] Till thou hast brought me to thy home, where fears and doubts can never come, thy countenance let me often see, and often thou should hear from me.

[40:56] Amen.