Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-09-18

the bridegroom talking intimately and
Familiarity with and about HIS beauti-
full bride, the church, and He permits
us to eavesdrop.
Solomon, 1t seems to me, wrote the
Proverbs In his sturdy manhood,
when he was strong In moral AMI spir-
itual strength. Then he backslides,
and in his backsliddcn state he wrote
Ecclesiastes, and We have the ric'ure
Of life under the sun" The SONG OF
Solomon was doubtless Writer af err
he had made confession OF his sin. and
God had restored him: He is living
now In his old age a deeply spiritual
life.
Christ our bridegroom is altogether
lovely"
His Birth.
I. He is lovely in his birth. He was
the only child that eve chose its
mother. He was the on'y one ever
born In this world who could select
the place of His birth. an arid
most of us would have selected a
kings palace, or some NJ" n ion RI the
rich, but It was very lo"e:y in J sus
that He selected a lowly place and
chose to be a man among men. rather
than simply one Of class
His Boyhood.
H. He was lovely in His boytood.
He served. He grew in wisdom and
stature. In His humanity H devel-
oped He was perfect at ten years Of
age: He was perfect at 12: He was
perfect at 20. He grew in perfection.
His Social Life.
III He was lovely in His sec al life.
Christ was gentleman. You fee it
every time you see Him in the New
Testament Not the gentleman who is
a pole for the exhibition OF ta''or's
goods, the gentleman whose business
1t is simply to dress and wear the
latest fashions. That is not the true
gentleman. The gentleman is one who
is gentle. tender and considerate.
His Holiness.
" Again, He was lovely in His holi-
ness. There are s0mn people not so
lovely in their holiness. They are
really good people. but not lovely
They are so austere and severe. Some
of them have 10 put their holiness
under glass case to keep the weather
from it. They hide themselves away
In some monastery or cell, in order to
keep their holiness from contamina.
ton. Jesus was holy. but not austere
He had a holiness that could touch
pollution and not be polluted. Jesus
was lovely in holiness without as
ceticism or austeFity.
His Humility.
V. He was also lovely In His humili-
ty. There was nothing of the "Uriah
Heep" mock humility about Him.
His humility was not a sample in the
window for exhibition. There went
with 1t a manliness that always COM
manded respect He made high claims
for Himself, because upon this de-
pended our salvation. But there was
no trace Of presumption or vanity.
His Greatness.
VI. He was lovely in His greatness.
There is greatness that is very ugly.
lOI IL uCCS POnCi III Noy IhAO ioNCA ave
and Cypress and kill. National great
ness is, to a large extent. slavery.
Civilization goes forward largely by =
process of slavery. The Lord Jesus
has a greatness more loving than that,
He is willing to make Himself serv=
greatness is not in making slaves. but
giving liberty.
His Death.
VII. Christ was lovely in His death.
The crucifixion scene was not lovely.
There is nothing lovely in driving
nails through hands and feet. in a
crown Of thorns, in blood trickling
down and becoming clotted, in the
pierced side, in the quivering flesh.
The tragedy of the crucifixion is one
thing, but the deeper meaning is an
other
Jesus Christ was lovely in His
death, for He died for others. He
prayed for those that killed Him. He
was lovely in His resurrection. He
was lovely in His ascension. There
was no attempt at spectacular dis
play. He is lovely in His intercession.
He is still pleading for others. He be-
came incarnate for us; He lived for
us: He died for us; He rose from the
dead for us; He mercedes for us. He
is altogether lovely" Have you eyes
to see His loneliness? Are you not
charmed by It? And !, II | be lifted
up. will draw all men unto Me"