Extract
from "The Believer's Journey from the Wilderness of this World to the
Heavenly Canaan", a sermon on Song of Solomon 8:5 by Ebenezer Erskine.
Ebenezer Erskine
(1680-1754)
and his brother Ralph were famous Presbyterian ministers
in Scotland, and close friends of Thomas Boston. Their father was Henry
Erskine, under whose preaching the youthful Thomas Boston came to Christ.
Song
of Solomon 8:5. Who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved.
3.
See hence the excellency of the Christian religion, which makes a discovery of
things that lie beyond the wilderness of this world, and calls a man to come
up from the wilderness, in order to his being possessed of them.
"Life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel." The
Heathen philosophers had indeed some foolish guesses about another world, a
life to come; but how strangely were they in the dark about it! One of the
best of them, when he was dying, told his friends, "that he was persuaded
of a future state; but whether he was going to a state of happiness or misery
he did not know." But, now, the Christian religion brings life and
immortality (I say) to light, and opens a way and passage to a happy eternity:
it is like
Mount Pisgah, from which one may stand and
discover the goodly land that lies on the other side of Jordan. David, Ps. xvi., when he wins up
to the top of it, and gets a view of the glories of heaven and eternity, he
cries out like a man in transport, "My heart is glad, and my glory
rejoiceth:" Why? "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore."
Reference
The
Works of Ebenezer Erskine, Vol 2, published by Free Presbyterian
Publications, 2001, p 114.
