D. Scott Meadows

“Thy 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, yea, and in all of them added together, he doth not find such substantial delight as in the matchless person of his Lord Jesus [Psa 4.7]. 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 [Jn 6.49, 50]. 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 [cut glass] to the true diamond? What is a dream to the glorious reality? What is time’s mirth [amusement, esp. assoc. with laughter], in its best trim [form], compared to our Lord Jesus in his most despised estate [condition; i.e., appearance]?

If you know anything of the inner life [essentially, the real, personal experience of fellowship with Christ in the soul], 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 [Rev 2.7]. No spring yields such sweet water as that well of God which was digged [pierced and opened] with the soldier’s spear [Jn 19.34]. All earthly bliss is of the earth earthy [1 Cor 15.47–49], 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 [sediment] in this wine [Psa 75.8], no dead flies in this ointment [Eccl 10.1]. The joy of the Lord is solid and enduring. Vanity [emptiness] hath not looked upon it, but discretion [discernment] and prudence [caution before choosing] testify that it abideth the test of years, and is in time and in eternity worthy to be called “the only true delight” [as the Source of all that is delightful]. For nourishment, consolation [comfort], exhilaration [fullness of joy], and refreshment [restoration of strength and liveliness], no wine can rival the love of Jesus [cf. Psa 104.15; Prov 31.6]. Let us drink to the full this evening.

—C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, 8 January PM

On Song of Solomon 1.2

The whole verse reads, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: For thy love is better than wine.” At least since Origen (b. 185 AD), the Song of Solomon has been interpreted in a spiritual way as ultimately referring to the relationship of Christ and His beloved Church. Bernard of Clairvaux (b. 1090 AD), appreciated by Luther and Calvin, preached 86 sermons along these lines. In Sermon 74, he taught that believers are “kissed” by God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Incarnation. Steeped in the literature of that long tradition, Spurgeon heartily embraced this metaphorical approach in this and in many other messages he delivered upon this supreme love poem of the Old Testament and other relevant biblical passages. Some modern preachers express disdain for treating the Song of Solomon this way, but the many texts in both Testaments comparing the covenantal bond of God and His people to romantic love and marriage rather justify it (e.g., Isa 54.5–8; Eph 5.22, 23), as long as we do not miss the significance of such passages for earthly marriage.

The structure of this devotional message

I. Proclamation of Highest Joy in Fellowship with Christ

• Experience of a believer
• Exceeds all earthly joys
• Excellence of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ

II. Solicitation of the Reader’s Agreement with This

• Appeal to the inner life
• Allusion to biblical imagery
• Advisement to fill your soul (by faith and meditation) with the love of Jesus

Closing thoughts

This praise of Jesus and His love surely arose not only from Spurgeon’s study of Scripture but also from his personal experience. It is hard to imagine that anyone one could write like this otherwise. Knowing firsthand of the goodness of the Lord, the preacher was eager to commend it to others with all his powers of sanctified, Victorian eloquence.

Let every preacher note this well. Our styles will vary from Spurgeon and one another, but in our own, authentic manner we should and must be able to testify of deep, joyful fellowship with Christ as the fruit of our own personal experience. As well, let other believers aspire to increase our felt joy in this fellowship, and let jealousy be thoroughly aroused in those who are not yet true Christians. Ω