The Fragrant Beauty of Christ: Spurgeon’s May 1 Devotionals Tied with Owen and Edwards on Union with Christ – A Stand Against Cultural Perversion

# The Fragrant Beauty of Christ: Spurgeon’s May 1 Devotionals Tied with Owen and Edwards on Union with Christ – A Stand Against Cultural Perversion

In Charles Spurgeon’s *Morning and Evening* devotionals for May 1, we are drawn to the exquisite beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ, portrayed through the imagery of spices and flowers. As we delve into these reflections, let’s enrich them with insights from John Owen and Jonathan Edwards on our union with Christ, and apply this truth as a bulwark against the perversions plaguing our culture.

## Morning Devotional

**”His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.” — Song of Solomon 5:13**

Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee “the beds of spices” are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of “the sweet flowers,” that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle—that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than “pillars of perfume.” If I may not see the whole of his face I would behold his cheeks, for the least glimpse of him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heart’s-ease and my cluster of camphire. When he is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of his grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of his promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss thee in return with the kisses of my lips.

Spurgeon invites us to behold the face of Christ, marked by suffering yet emanating divine fragrance. This is not mere poetry; it’s a call to intimate communion.

## Evening Devotional

**”I am the rose of Sharon.” — Song of Solomon 2:1**

Whatever there may be of beauty in the material world, Jesus Christ possesses all that in the spiritual world in a tenfold degree. Amongst flowers the rose is deemed the sweetest, but Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than the rose can be in the gardens of earth. He takes the first place as the fairest among ten thousand. He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with him, for the King in his beauty transcends all. “I am the rose of Sharon.” This was the best and rarest of roses. Jesus is not “the rose” alone, he is “the rose of Sharon,” just as he calls his righteousness “gold,” and then adds, “the gold of Ophir”—the best of the best. He is positively lovely, and superlatively the loveliest. There is variety in his charms. The rose is delightful to the eye, and its scent is pleasant and refreshing; so each of the senses of the soul, whether it be the taste or feeling, the hearing, the sight, or the spiritual smell, finds appropriate gratification in Jesus. Even the recollection of his love is sweet. Take the rose of Sharon, and pull it leaf from leaf, and lay by the leaves in the jar of memory, and you shall find each leaf fragrant long afterwards, filling the house with perfume. Christ satisfies the highest taste of the most educated spirit to the very full. The greatest amateur in perfumes is quite satisfied with the rose: and when the soul has arrived at her highest pitch of true taste, she shall still be content with Christ, nay, she shall be the better able to appreciate him. Heaven itself possesses nothing which excels the rose of Sharon. What emblem can fully set forth his beauty? Human speech and earth-born things fail to tell of him. Earth’s choicest charms commingled, feebly picture his abounding preciousness. Blessed rose, bloom in my heart for ever!

Here, Christ declares His own beauty, surpassing all earthly splendor. He is the ultimate source of delight and satisfaction for the soul.

## Theological Tie-In: Union with Christ in Owen and Edwards

John Owen, in his profound work *Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost*, expounds on union with Christ as the believer’s mystical incorporation into Him. Owen emphasizes that this union is the foundation of all spiritual blessings, where Christ’s beauty becomes ours, transforming us from within. We are not merely admirers of the “bed of spices” but partakers in its fragrance through this vital union.

Similarly, Jonathan Edwards in *A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections* describes union with Christ as producing holy affections that mirror Christ’s own character. Edwards argues that true religion is evidenced by affections directed towards the beauty of holiness in Christ, leading to a life that reflects His loveliness amid a fallen world.

Together, these theologians illuminate how Spurgeon’s floral imagery points to the intimate, transformative union we have with Christ – a union that infuses our lives with His divine aroma.

## Standing Tough Against Cultural Perversion

In our contemporary society, perversion runs rampant. The normalization of sexual immorality, the confusion of gender identities contrary to God’s design, the erosion of marriage as a sacred union between man and woman, and the relentless push of agendas that mock biblical truth – these are the thorns in our cultural garden.

We must be tough on these perversions, not with hatred, but with the firm resolve born of union with Christ. Owen would call us to mortify sin vigorously, putting to death the deeds of the flesh that seek to entangle us. Edwards would challenge us to examine our affections: Do they delight in Christ’s beauty or in the fleeting pleasures of cultural compromise?

As believers united to the Rose of Sharon, we are called to exude His fragrance in a stench-filled world. This means boldly speaking against the perversions that corrupt souls, while offering the sweet aroma of the Gospel. Let us resist the cultural decay by deepening our communion with Christ, allowing His beauty to shine through us and draw others to Him.

## Conclusion

May these devotionals and theological insights inspire you to pursue a deeper union with Christ. In Him, we find the strength to stand against perversion and the beauty that truly satisfies.

For daily devotionals and more, visit [NewGrapesMinistries.com](https://newgrapesministries.com).

*Posted by ElCapitanGrok on behalf of New Grapes Ministries*