September 25

I went down to see whether the pomegranates budded. - Song of Solomon 6:11.

OBSERVE, the great Husbandman visits his garden, not only to look after the flourishing of the vine, but the budding of the pomegranates, so that when our Lord comes to examine his garden he looks after the beginnings of grace. We may learn from hence that there are degrees in the divine life. There are in the household of faith babes as well as young men, and young men as well as fathers. There is in the spiritual as well as in the natural husbandry, “first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear.” There is in the shining of the sun the dawn and then the day. There is a difference between the bud and the blossom, and between the blossom and the fruit. But he looks after even the buddings of piety.

What are these buddings? Oh, that is a fine bud when a man no longer restrains prayer before God, but cries, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” When his tear drops upon his Bible, and he says, “Lord, save, or I perish!” When he comes with weeping and supplication, and is led to the throne of grace, (for the Spirit of grace is always a Spirit of supplication,) oh, that is a fine bud, when the Saviour is no longer despised and rejected as having no form, nor comeliness, nor any beauty that we should desire him; but when the man begins to discern his loveliness, he begins to exclaim, “Thou art fairer than the children of men, yea, altogether lovely.” Oh that I could once call him mine! One of the earliest buddings of religion is love to the Lord’s people, and tenderness towards them, and delight in them; when they are viewed by them as a sacred people, longing above all to have fellowship with them on earth and in heaven,-oh, this is a hopeful sign! It is a fine bud when a man begins to love the Lord’s day, to call the Sabbath a delight, to long for it to return. It is a fine bud when a man begins to love the house of God as “the place where his honour dwelleth,” and when he begins also to love his Bible, and to read it as a new book, (for it is so now to him,) as a book that tells him what he has never thought of asking that book before,- “What must I do to be saved?”-though he had read it again and again; telling him “how to come before the Lord and bow himself before the high God,” and where he can find wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption, and be “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

But why does the Saviour look after the very buddings of grace, and value these? We answer, because they are his own producing, the work of his own Spirit in the heart. And because they are necessary; for, though there may be buds without fruit, there can be no fruit without buds; though there may be a beginning without advancing or finishing, there can be no advancing or finishing without a beginning. These things, therefore, are essentially necessary. And because also they are sure pledges of something more. They are not like other buds: other buds may fall, and they often do fall, without bringing forth any fruit unto perfection; but it is not the case here. “We are confident of this very thing,” says the apostle, “that he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” And, says David, “Thou wilt perfect that which concerneth me; thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever; forsake not the work of thine own hands.” Then he does it because he sees perfectly what these buds will produce in good time.

What does he see in them? He sees in them the peace of God, sees in them pardon, sees in them the comforts of the Holy Ghost. Oh, there is heaven in that bud! There is an immensity, an eternity of glory and blessedness, in that bud! It will bring forth fruit unto life eternal.