JESUS CHRIST, The Leader & Commander of His people

"I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me." -Song of Solomon 8:2 [KJV]


My soul! hast thou ever noticed the peculiar beauties of this scripture? if not, make it the subject of this evening's meditation; it will amply recompense thine attention. The church is here in great liveliness, and actings of faith upon the person of her Lord; indeed, so much so, that we do not find any thing like this holy familiarity, used by the church towards her Lord, in any other part of the bible. It is the well-known office of Jesus, to lead His people, and to draw them to Himself. God the Father hath given Him for this blessed purpose, as "a Leader and Commander to His people." -Isaiah 55:4


And Jesus Himself declared, that "if He was lifted up, He would draw all to Himself." -John 12:32  But here, it is the church leading Christ. Pause, my soul. Dost thou know any thing of this, or like it, in thine own experience? Shall I not hope thou dost? Look diligently; for if so, it will form a blessed subject, not only for thy present meditation, but for every evening and morning of thy life. And it will have a blessed effect also, in proving the reality of thy faith, and of endearing to thyself the Redeemer's love.


Say, then, is not Jesus led by His people, when He is constrained at any time, as the disciples constrained Him at Emmaus, to remain with them, until He maketh Himself known to them in breaking of bread? Hast thou not thyself been compelled, at times, to say, as they did, that "thine heart hath burned within thee," when Jesus hath made Himself known, in the word of His grace; or when He hath manifested Himself in the tokens of His love, in softening thine heart when hardened, in warming it when frozen, comforting it when cast down; and thou hast held Him in the galleries of His grace, by faith and prayer, and the exercises of the graces of His Holy Spirit, which His own hand first gave thee, and which His own power, in all the after-enjoyments of them, called forth into actings upon His person, work, and righteousness? -Luke 24:28-32.


What wilt thou call these things, but leading Christ, and bringing Christ into thy mother's house, the church, where Jesus manifests Himself to His beloved, otherwise than He doth to the world? Was it not thus that Jacob led the Lord, and constrained Him not to depart from him, until He had blessed him? Genesis 32:26. Was it not of the same kind, in the instance of Lot, when, by faith and prayer, the patriarch so led the Lord concerning Zoar, that the Lord said, "I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither?" Genesis 19:22.

Precious, precious Jesus! is it thus Thy people have power with Thee, and prevail with Thee to stay with them; and Thou sufferest Thyself to be led by them, in all those instances where their furtherance in grace, and the promotion of Thy glory will be accomplished by it? Oh! then, Thou dear Lord! I beseech Thee, give me such a double portion of Thy blessed Spirit, that, taking hold of Thy strength, I may lead my Lord, by faith and prayer, and all the goings forth of grace upon Thy person and righteousness, into such rich enjoyments as the church here had in view, until "I cause thee to drink," also as she did, "of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate!"


-preacher Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.) 

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