This article is from Issue 6, Called to Praise
By A. B. Simpson
“Blow upon my garden
that the spices may flow out.”
(Song of Solomon 4:16)
A characteristic of the Lord’s garden, and the one that is emphasized in sevenfold variety and fullness, is fragrance. The perfume is the soul of the plant. It expresses the finer, the more delicate essence of its life. It stands for that in our Christian experience and in the outgoing of our heart, which is most sensitive, spiritual and devout. It is the very aroma of the heart.
Some of the spices mentioned here are quite suggestive. The aloe was a bitter spice, and it tells of the sweetness of bitter things, the bittersweet, which has its own fine application that only those can understand who have felt it. The myrrh was used to embalm the dead, and it tells of death to something. It is the sweetness which comes to the heart after it has died to its self-will, and pride, and sin.
Oh, the inexpressible charm that hovers about some lives simply because they bear upon their chastened countenance and mellow spirit the impress of the cross, the holy evidence of having died to something that was once proud and strong but is now forever at the feet of Jesus, nay, in His bottomless tomb. They are far sweeter for having had it and died to it than if they never had possessed the proud will and died to the strong desire.
And then the frankincense was a fragrance that came from the touch of the fire. It was the burning powder that rose in clouds of sweetness from the bosom of the flames. It tells of the heart whose sweetness has been called forth, perhaps by the flames of affliction, perhaps by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the heavenly fire that kindles all the heart until the holy place of the soul is filled with clouds of praise and prayer. Beloved, are we giving out the spices, the perfumes, the sweet odours of the heart.
Not enough do we realise how much of our service is due to Christ Himself and how truly He appreciates and enjoys the riches of our affection. It is the heart that is wholly dedicated to Jesus that becomes the greatest blessing to mankind. It is the ointment which was poured on Jesus’ head which fills all the house with its odour. None can be such blessings to the world as those who, beyond all they do for the world, love and serve the Lord alone.
God never can use any man very much till he has grace enough to forget himself entirely while doing God’s work; for He will not give His glory to another nor share with the most valued instrument the praise that belongs to Jesus Christ alone.
A. B. Simpson
Taken from Life on the Altar Publication
Issue 6 Autumn 2022
Called To Praise
LIFE ON THE ALTAR 