All Saints Day
The Collect
|
O
|
ALMIGHTY God, who hast knit
together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of
thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all
virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou
hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Twenty-First
Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
|
G
|
RANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a
quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13."A
bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me….".
(Song 1:13)
The Song of Solomon is a book devoted to the preciousness of Christ to His
Beloved Bride, the Church, and her love and devotion to Him. Here, the Bride
compares Christ to a `bundle of myrrh.' To what end is Christ as a
Bundle of Myrrh? Do you remember the Wise Men from the East who brought gifts
of frankincense, gold, and myrrh? Do you wonder what prophetic meanings these
gifts represented? Frankincense symbolized that the baby Jesus was worthy of
worship – frankincense at the altar represented the prayers of the people being
wafted up to God. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
(Rev 8:4) The gold symbolized the royalty of Christ as King. The Myrrh was
prophetic of His death. Myrrh is an expensive and rare herbal extract that is
grown only in what is today, Oman. Myrrh is a bitter herb with a camphor-like
odor. It is also useful in treating certain diseases. The Myrrh fully
represents the death of Christ, and then it represents the healing (by that
death) of the lambs who come to Him. A small bit of myrrh is expensive, but a BUNDLE
signifies an over-abundance that is beyond the customary small amount available
to the wealthy – much like a bundle of money, only more so.
Myrrh has an aromatic quality that recommends it as a perfume for clothing and
household accoutrements. It fragrance is strong and cannot be hidden if it is
present much like Christ in the heart of a believer – He cannot be kept secret
to all who inquire. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and
cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad
(Psalms 45:8) I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
(Prov 7:17) Christ is a sweet-smelling fragrance in the lives of His people.
Myrrh, like salt, has a preservative quality. It slows or prevents corruption.
Though we sin egregiously, the myrrh of Christ is sufficient to cover our
repented sins and make them as if they never existed. Myrrh was also used to
make the skin smooth and wrinkle-free. The Myrrh of Christ makes beautiful and
young-at-heart. Remember the preparation of the young maidens along with
Esther: Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus,
after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women,
(for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months
with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for
the purifying of the women;) (Esth 2:12) Most of the vulgar class of
people does not know of Myrrh. It is rare and rarely known. Those who procure
it must seek it out in knowledge and truth – so with Christ.
The medicinal qualities of myrrh are legion. It helps in easing the effects of
rheumatism (just as our walk in life is made easier in Christ. It clears our
voices so that they are rich and distinct – so does Christ improve the effect
of our voices toward others.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even
thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
(Heb 1:9) The principle and active ingredient of the oil of anointing for Aaron
was myrrh. Benjamin Keach says: "He is the Myrrh tree, from whence the
divine oil flows, wherewith the ministers and saints of God are more or less
anointed."
The Myrrh given Christ is symbolic of His death just as Christ is symbolic of
our death to trespasses and sins, and quickening into the life eternal offered
by His healing nature. Christ died for us that our sins might be remitted – we
die to sin that we might have that eternal life purchased in Christ. He is the
myrrh of our death – and healing unto LIFE! Just as the Myrrh of Christ's
prophetic sacrifice was given as a gift at His birth, so is Myrrh of our death
to trespasses and sin given in Christ unto newness of Life in Him.
The sweet-smelling Myrrh of Christ will cover that repugnant odor of our filthy
rags of sin just as the best Robe covered the filth of the Prodigal Son.
Dear Reader, when men and women meet you, do they smell the sickening odor of
your sins, or the sweet-smelling Myrrh of Christ?
