1 ^ ;n^ G^ ■v •^ ^^ :$^ ^ 1-3 o o H P^ ^ ^ •^ .^ "^ t-J "S 5 ^ ^ ^ (^ "^ ^ ^ I •# ^' 1 ^ THE SONG OF SOLOMON COMPARED Solitl] ot^er flirts of Scriptun* ADELAIDE LEAPER NEWTON. 'TEXTLT OUE rELLOWSHIP 19 WITH THE FATHER AND WITH HIS B0» jKBUS 0HBI8T." — 1 John i, 3. NEW YORK: EGBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, No. 630 BROADWAY. 1858. 8TEBE0TTFEO BY S.B.THOMSON, PRINTED BT TaOHA:! e. SMITH, BINDER, E.O.JENKINSa t2 >& 84 Beekman-street. 82 & 84 Beekman-st. 26 Frankfort-st. ESTTEODUCTOEY THOUGHTS S0ng 0f S0l0m0n. " The general character of this Book in contrast to Ecclesiastes is very striking. Ecclesiastes, from beginning to end, tells of the vanity of the creature — Canticles, of the sufficiency of the Beloved. In Ecclesiastes, the world is searched through and through in all its treasures of wisdom, of pleasure, and of riches ; but an object to satisfy the heart is not found in them all. " All is vanity, yea, vanity of vanities ! " In Canticles, what a contrast ! An object to satisfy the heart is found ; that object is not the creature, but the Beloved. One verse in St. John's Gospel gives the contrast perfectly, John iv. 14. Ecclesiastes is the first half of the verse — ' Whoso- ever drinketh of this water shall thirst again ;' Canticles is the latter half of the verse — ' Whoso- ever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst^ ' His love' is better than wine, IV INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS ON than riclies, tlian treasures, than all things." — Ex- tract. Thus the Book is full of Jesus. But it is Jesus in a peculiar character. He is not seen here as " Sav- iour," nor as " King," nor as " High Priest," nor as " Judge," nor as " Prophet," nor as " the Captain of our Salvation," nor as " the Great Shepherd of the sheep," nor as " the Mighty God," nor as " the King of kings," nor as his people's " Surety" — No ! it is in a dearer and closer relation than any of these — it is Jesus as our " Bridegroom," Jesus in mar- riage union with his Bride, his Church. This is a great mystery, but it is one of most peculiar preciousness to " all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." It pervades every part of Holy Scripture. It was first revealed in Adam and Eve in Eden, Gen. i. 27, and ii. 21 — 24. It was more fully brought out in the typical characters of the Old Testament ; as, for example, in Boaz and Ruth ; it was distinctly taught in the betrothment of the Jewish nation ; and it is plainly declared in the spiritual language of the Epistles — "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" 2 Cor. ii. 2. The Song of Solomon is to be understood as the mutual interchange of the aft'ections of the Bride- groom and the Bride. It is the experience of the soul towards Christ in this peculiar relationship. We may be quite as safe, though we realise our interest in Christ onli/ as our Saviour from the guilt THE SONG OF SOLOMON. V and condemnation of sin ; or if we know liim only one step further, as the Captain of our Salvation, making us more than conquerors in fighting the good fight of faith. But it is our privilege [and a great one) to know him in a world that passeth away, wherein we are but strangers and pilgrims, ever learning the bitterness of creature-disappoint- ments, and the drying up of creature-streams of happiness — as the one object in whom our aftections may supremely centre with no danger of excess, no fear of disappointment, no possibility of coolness or variableness, in return ; but rather, in tohose love we shall meet with a response that shall make our love as nothing, by reason of the love that excelleth ! This is our privilege — a purchased privilege — ours in virtue of our relationship in Jesus. The question is never once raised throughout the Book whether indeed it is so or not. Grief and sadness arise from other causes. For, as the one grand aim of the Bride throughout is the enjoy- ment of free, uninterrupted, and constant com- munion with the Beloved, so the grand source of sorrow and distress is when seasons of coldness, lukewarmness, and drowsiness ever and anon creep over the soul, coming between it and Jesus, like clouds which hide the sun — not, indeed, affecting its bright shining, but effectually hindering the genial warmth of its cheering, enlightening, and life-giving rays from reaching the soul. One of the most striking features of this Book is VI INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS. the development of the onward, ripening progress of Christian experience, as traced through the spring, summer, and autumnal seasons, chap, ii., iv., and vi. " First the blade, then the ear ; after that the full corn in the ear." And one of its most prominent characteristics is, that THE PERSON of Christ is dwelt on rather than his work and offices. He is loved, so to speak, for his own sake. It is " his own self'' that is the much- loved object. May our affections more and more centre in Jesus ; and may he be the constant companion and friend of our otherwise desolate and unsatisfied hearts, " until the day break and the shadows flee away," and " the marriage of the Lamb" be come ! C0ntnUs. PAOK CHAPTER 1 9 CHAPTER II 51 CHAPTER III 88 CHAPTER IV 110 CHAPTER V 147 CHAPTER VI 195 CHAPTER VII 224 CHAPTER VIII 262 €^t fang nf Inlomnn COMPAKED WITH OTHER PARTS OF SCRIPTURE. *' THIS 18 A QRKAT MYSTERY ; BUT I SPEAK CONOEENIlfQ OHBIST AND THE CHURCH." — Eph. V. 27. CHAPTEE I. Verse 1. "S^^e ^ong of songs, fobiclj is ^olomoit's." " Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord," Col. iii. 16 ; Eph. v. 19. For " it is a good thing ... to sing praises unto thy name, O most High," Ps. xcii. 1 — 3 ; Ixxxix. 1. It was thus that Moses sang, to celebrate the exodus and redemption of Israel from the land 10 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. of Egypt, Ex. XV. It was thus that Deborah sang, to celebrate the victory of Barak over S'lsera, Judges v. It was thus David sang, " in the day that God delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies," 2 Sam. xxii. It was thus that Paul and Silas^ even in the prison, " sang praises unto God at midnight," Acts xvi. Israel shall, in like manner, sing " in the land of Judah" the song that is prepared for them in the coming day of their restoration, Isa. xxvi. And yet all these are but foretastes of the heavenly song which shall be sung by the re- deemed out of " all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," Eev. vii. 9, &c. — "a new song" — " the song of the Lamb !" Eev. xiv. 3, and XV. 2 — 4, The heavenly song will be sung bj the Church of Christ iii glory ; " the Song of songs, which is Solomon's," is the song they sing here upon earth. Pre-eminence is given to it above every other, when it is called "the Song of songs," which double rendering is very emphatic in the Hebrew. Thus Jehovah is called the CHAPTER I. 11 "God of gods and Lord of lords," Deut. x. 17; and Christ is called "King of kings and Lord of lords," Eev. xix. 16. So also the "most holy place" is called "the holj" of ho- lies," signifying that it was the treasury of the highest and most sacred mysteries of God. And St. Paul has explained to us how great is the mystery contained in this " Song of songs," when he declares, "^r this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery ; hut I sjjeak concerning Christ and the Church^' Eph. v. 31, 32. The mystic union is involved in the attrib- uting of the Song to Solomon ; for it is uttered mutually by Christ and by his Church, but it is attributed to him only, for they are not twain, but one. And she is lost sight of in him. The same Spirit actuates both ; for the Head and the members form hut one Christ. The Song is, therefore, emphatically " Sol- omon's," or Chrisfs. 12 THE SONG OF SOLOMON, Verse 2. '"^tt I/im ^iss me foUlj tlje JBlsscs of Ijts piont^." This abrupt commencement bespeaks the impassioned affections of the Bride. She is so wholly engrossed with thoughts of her Be- loved, that she does not stay to explain of whom she speaks. Just as Mary at the sepul- chre, looking for Jesus, addressed herself to one whom she believed to be the gardener, exclaiming, " If thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away," John xx. 15 — as though every one must know whom she sought — as though there were but one object to be cared for — One for whom she would count all things else but loss, Phil, iii, 7, 8 ; and 07ie pearl of great price, to buy which she would sell all that she had, Matt. xiii. 44 — 46. For, " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee," must ever be the language of the Bride of Christ. "Let him kiss me." A kiss is a token of CHAPTER I. 13 very near and intimate friendship, or of re- lationship. It, therefore, bespeaks, in this instance, the intimacy and closeness of the relationship between Jesus and his Church. We have a striking representation of it in the case of David and Jonathan, in 1 Sam. xx. 41 : " They kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded." But a kiss is also a token of reconciliation, which we have beautifully brought before us in the Prodigal Son returning to his father's house : — " When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and hissed Mm" &c. — Luke XV. 20. And a similar instance of reconciliation occurs in the history of Joseph, who, in making himself known to them, ^^ kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them : and after that his brethren talked with him," Gen. xlv. 15. *' God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. v. 18 — 21 ; Eom. V. 10, 11 ; Col. i. 21 ; Heb. ii. 17. "With the kisses o/ /m mouth;" for "his mouth is most sweet," Cant. v. 16; "Neither was guile found in his mouth ;" " All bare him 14 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. witness, and wondered at the gracious words whicli proceeded out of his mouth/' Luke iv. 22 ; 1 Pet. ii. 22 ; Matt. iv. 4. And, there- fore. Job declares : " I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food," Job xxiii. 12. Contrast " his mouth" with ours^ Jas. iii. 2 —10. "iax lljg lobe is better tljau mm." " Thy love" — the love of Jesus : truly it is sweet. Very tender is the love between the Husband and his Bride ; therefore she ex- claims, " Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." Dearer is such love than the choicest earthly good — more refreshing, more reviving, more strengthening. It is " an ever- lasting love," — Jer. xxxi. 3. " Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end," John xiii. 1. How un- like a mere earthly passion, producing a sud- den flash of excitement, and dying away again ! " Thy love is better than wine" — " Thy lov- ing-kindness is better than life," Ps. Ixiii. 3. Oh! to comprehend more of "the breadth, CHAPTER I. 16 and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth know- ledge I" " Greater love hath no man." It was love " strong as death," John xv. 13 ; Cant. viii. 6. It was the very same love as that wherewith the Father loved the Son ! — "• as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you," John xv. 9. Well, therefore, may we exclaim with David, " How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God !" for " thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures," Ps. xxxvi. 7 — 10, — an exhaustless stream — " BETTER than wine \" Verse 3. " ^Mawse of iht ^nhat of tijg goob Ointments, tijg |lam£ is as dintnuiit poureir fortlj." "When Mary brake the box of ointment of spikenard, very costly, we read that " the house was filled with the odor of the oint- ment," John xii. 3. It is thus when the " name" of Jehovah is revealed : " thy name is ointment poured forth." For God's name is the expression of his nature, character, and attributes, as we may 16 THK SONG OF SOLOMOX. learn from the proclamation of it to Moses, Ex. xxxiv. 5 — 7. But it is essentially Jesus : " Thou shalt call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us," Matt. i. 23 ; in him the ointment is " poured forth," the name of God is exhibited ; and wheresoever Jesus comes, the place is filled with the sweet odor of " the name" of our God. Thus it is written, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory ;" there was, as it were, the breaking of the box, that the ointment might be " poured forth." God revealed his name in the person of his dear Son, Isa. vii. 14 ; ix. 6. It is compared to ointment because it was 1. Most precious and costly, Ex. xxx. 23 — 25 ; Ps. cxxxiii. 2 ; Mark xiv. 3 ; John xii. 3 ; " Unto you, therefore, which be- lieve, he is precious," 1 Pet. ii. 7. 2. Of sweet odor, John xii. 3. " Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savor," Eph. v. 2. 3. Compounded of a variety of parts, Ex. xxx. 23—28. "It pleased the Father CHAPTER I. 17 that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. i. 19 ; ii. 9. 4. It had healing properties, Acts iii. 16, " His name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong." Lastly, Nothing was ever to be made like it, Ex. XXX. 31—33, 37, 38. "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved," Acts iv. 12. " (ir|jcrtfo« Ibo iljc IDirgiits ITobe ®bc£." It is as the Father is known in the person of Christ that he is loved. " This is life eter- nal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," John xvii. 3. Because in Jesus there is such a full manifestation and exhibition of the char- acter and name of God, like ointment poured forth, '■'■therefore do the virgins love thee." Compare 1 John iv. 9, 19. " We love him because he first loved us." See also Luke vii. 47. "The virgins" are so called for their spirit- ual chastity. " That I may present you as a 2* 18 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. chaste virgin to Chiist," 2 Cor. xi. 2. The same word is rendered " thy hidden ones," in Ps. Ixxxiii. 3. Verse 4. " f rab Pc mz biUl ^itit after %\tt:' The word " draw" rather signifies precede, or go before me. Thus we should follow Jesus as our " forerunner," who has gone be- fore, " leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps," 1 Pet. ii. 21. See Heb. vi. 20. The prayer implies a sense of helplessness — ^^ draw me;" it implies also a looking to God for the needed help — " Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord," &c., Ps. xxv. 15. ' ' Send out thy light and thy truth ; let them lead me, let them bring me," &;c., Ps. xliii. 8. It fur- ther implies a sense of restlessness at a dis- tance from God, and an earnest desire for closer communion with him : " It is good for me to draw near to God," Ps. Ixxiii. 28. " Draw me." And how truly the God of our mercy does "prevent" us I Ps. lix. 10. "I drew them with cords of a man, with CHAPTER I. 19 bands of love ;" " With loving-kindness have I drawn thee," Hos. xi. 4 ; Jer. xxxi. 3. So again, in Deut. i. 33, " Who went in the way hefore you^^^ &c. It is his own promise, " I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me," John xii. 32. And yet the necessity for the prayer is evident, for that he hath also said, " No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him," John vi. 44. But wherever the cry is sincere, it is a sure earnest of the Spirit in the heart already ; and we know that whatsoever we ask according to his will, or according to the intercession of the Spirit in us, he will give it us, 1 John V. 13, 14. And. the soul appears to realize this, being quickened in the lively exer- cise of faith, even whilst in the very act of prayer. For, instead of inertness, the following words suggest the idea of more than ordinary activity — " Draw me, we will run after thee." It expresses something of the energetic spirit of Peter, in John xxi. 7, who, as soon as he heard that it was the Lord, "cast him- self into the sea," as though he could not soon enough find himself at his Lord's feet. He 20 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. was unable to restrain his ardent love whilst they drew the ship to land. Thus David also says, " I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart," Ps. cxix. 82 ; and, again, " I made haste, and delayed not," &c., ver. 60. And St. Paul says, " This one thing I do, for- getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are be- fore, I ;press toward the mark," &c., Phil. iii. 13, 14. We have likewise the word of exhortation — " so run that ye may obtain," 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25. " Let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb. xii. 1, 2. " Not slothful in business ; fervent in spirit," Eom. xii. 11. And there is a precious promise and word of encouragement in Isa. xl. 81, " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength : they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." Only we must see that we " run after'''' our Lord, and not h^ore him ; that is, not marking out for ourselves a way of our own, but treading CHAPTER I. 21 in His steps. " When lie putteth fortli his own sheep, Jie goeth before them, and the sheep fol^ lo',u Jiim,^^ John x. 4, 5, 27. " ^^t liiitg I^allj brougl^t me into bis Cljamhrs." The prayer is answered, and answered in God's own way, far exceeding even our own desires. We are permitted not only to follow after, but to enter in with our Beloved to his royal chambers ! Here is the soul " entering into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," having access within the vail, Heb. x. 19, 20. For, by virtue of our marriage union with Jesus, we are "kings and priests." " He hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 6, being *' of the household of God," ii. 19 ; and it is our amazing priv- ilege to dwell " in the secret place of the Most High," Ps. xci. 1; xxvii. 4, 5; Ixv. 4. "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts,^^ &c. Surely it is here that Jesus manifests himself unto us as he doth not unto the world, John xiv. 18, 23, And it is here we taste the sweet anticipations of 22 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. being hereafter admitted into the " many man- sions" of the " Father's house," in glory, John xiv. 2. We are now, as it were, abiding for a season in the ante-chamber through faith ; but Jesus is preparing a place for us, when the earthly house (or hut) of this tabernacle is dis- solved, where we shall sit down with him in his throne, and reign for ever and ever in the royal presence-chamber of our King ! " They shall see /us yace, . . . and they shall reign for ever and ever," E.ev. iii. 21 ; 2 Cor. v. 1 ; Kev. xxii. 4, 6. " They shall enter into the King's palace !" Ps. xlv. 15. Jesus is seen as the Priest, in ver. 3, seated on his throne as "the King," in ver. 4, for he is our Melchizedec, our royal High Priest, in the temple made without hands. " Wit fajill be dllab nxi^ Mcjoicc vx ®Ijce." There is here the inward feeling and the out- ward expression of joy. The gladness .is the same as in Ps. civ. 34, " My meditation of him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord" — a joy in the inmost recesses of the soul — " My heart is glad," Ps. xvi. 9. So the rejoicing is CHAPTER I. 23 the outward manifestation of it, "and my glory rejoicetb," Ps. xvi. 9. These two com- monly go together ;^" My soul shall make her boast in the Lord ;" there is the inward feel- ing : " the humble shall hear thereof and be glad ;" there is the outward manifestation of it, Ps. xxxiv. 2 ; But it is all " in thee''' — " in the Lord." xxxiii. 1. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord ; my soul shall be joyful in my God," Isa. Ixi. 10 ; Kab. iii. 17, 18 ; 1 Sara. ii. 1 ; Phil. iv. 1, 4. If we rejoice at any time in frames and feelings, in earthly prosperity, or in spiritual welfare (see Ps. xxx. 6, 7), it can- not be abiding joy. " Rejoice in the Lord alway," for in him there is " alway" cause of rejoicing, but in none else. We should seek to share Jesus' joy : " that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves," John xvii. 13. " 'Wz bill llemcmbcr tljo ITobc more iban Sfltirc." " There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. For thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the 24 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. time that their corn aud their wine increased," Ps. iv. 6, 7. The behever feels that the Lord's love is " more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." Thus he can rejoice in the love of his Grod, " though the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines," &c., Hab. iii. 17, 18. He has a fountain of living waters to draw from, therefore he needs not to go to the well for water ; earthly treas- ures can no longer charm him. " If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned," Cant, viii. 7. " We will remember thy love more than wine." But the term " remember" implies past ex- perience looked back upon ; it is contemplation, and not seeking for some new thing: " I re- member the days of old," &c., Ps. cxliii. 6 ; Ixiii. 6 ; Ixxvii. 10, 11. The Lord's Supper is a special act of re- membrance. "Do this in remembrance of me." " To the end that we should alway remember the exceeding great love of our Master and CHAPTER I. 25 only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us . . . he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a cou' tinual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort." It is a most precious ordinance for the strengthening and refreshing of the soul, as the body is refreshed by the bread and wine. "(Tbc '^Ijjviiibt ITobc fbcc." "Let love be without dissimulation," Rom. xii. 9. There must be integrity and zvholc- JieartednesSj where there is true love to the Lord Jesus. Not "a heart and a heart," for we cannot love God and Mammon, Is it not so even among men, that if any man will marry, our Church inquires, "Wilt thou love her, comfort her, &c. ; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her?" &c. And how muclj more, then, when we are espoused to ihe Lord Jesus Christ ! Very great is the blessedness of integrity and uprightness. " No good thing will he withhold from them tliat ■walk uprightly,'''' Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. " The in- tegrity of the upright shall guide them," 26 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. Prov. xi. 3. Ob, for grace to be able at all times to say with an ripright heart, " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee !" John xxi. 17. Verse 6, "I ant black, bat tomcliT, ^ rt bnugbtcrs of |fcnt- saltm, as tbe tents of Jubar, as tbe curtatus of ^ol- omoiT." The contemplation of uprightness seems to have turned the thoughts of the Bride aside for a moment, to reply to some who appear to have charged or suspected her of a different character. These " daughters of Jerusalem" are frequently mentioned throughout the book, and may, most probably, represent jjro/essors ; those who compose a part of the visible, but not the true, Church of Christ on earth. They are "daughters of Jerusalem," but they are not " the Bride — the Lamb's luifey They partake of the outward privileges, but they know not the vital union of the Bride with her Beloved : and, therefore, they fail to understand much of her experience. She therefore unfolds to them here one of CHAPTER 1. 27 the fundamental truths of Christianity — the utter blackness of the child of God in himself, together with his completeness and beauty in Christ. " I am black, but comely." " I am black" — here is the full acknowledgement of her state by nature. " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother con- ceive me," Ps. li. 5; Eora, iii. 10, &c.; Jer. xvii. 9 ; Gen. viii. 21 ; Mark vii. 21, 23, &c., &c. And even after conversion, it is equoJly true of us, as it was of St. Paul, " For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing," Eom. vii. 18; see also Isa. vi. 5. And it appears to be in this latter sense that the expression is intended here; for the orig- inal word is literally " dark'^ as the dawn of day, justly representing the state of the Churoli of Christ on earth, emerging, as it were, from the ruins of the tomb, from a death in tres- passes and sins, but awaiting the light of day in the morning of the Resurrection. None are so ready to soy of themselves, " I am black," as the most advanced Christians. St. Paul had been one for thirty years when he 28 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. declared himself the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15 ; and the better we know ourselves, the more deeply we feel, "/am Uachy "Black — as the tents of Kedar." There is great force in this illustration. " The tents of the Arabs are of a dark or nearly black color, being made of the shaggy hair of their black goats." And what could be a fitter repre- sentation of the Church of Christ in the eyes of the world ? " Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in fliith, and heirs of the kingdom ?" James ii. 5. " Poor and afflicted, Lord, are thine, Among the great they seldom shine." They have nothing to render them outwardly attractive — to the eye of sense they are " as the tents of Kedar." They have no earthly city to dwell in — they are literallj^ "strangers and pilgrims" on the earth, sojourning in " fewfe," and content with the traveller's fare, for they seek a city. But if destitute of exterior beauty, like the Arab tents, they are richly adorned rvilJiin^ "as the curtains of Solomon," 1 Pet. iii. 4. CHAPTER I, 29 None saw the exquisite loveliness of tliose curtains, save those who entered icilhin the tabernacle or temple. Even Jesus Avas " with- out form or comeliness" to those who looked only on bis outward lowly garb of suffering humanity. But his Bride discovered such charms in her Beloved, that, at a loss for words to express it, she exclaimed, "Yea, he is altogether lovely !" And it is in las comeliness site is comely. " I am black, but comely." — ■"■ Perfect through my comehness which I had^w/ upon thee, saith the Lord God," Ezek. xvi. 14. Precious truth ! Without one of the filthy rags of their own righteousness, they are " covered with the robe of his righteousness," and " clothed with the garments of salvation," Isa. Ixi. 10 — " Accepted in the beloved," Eph. i. 6— "Perfect in Christ Jesus," Col. i. 28— Yea, " complete in him,^^ Col. ii. 10. " I am black but comely." " Since, therefore, I can hardly bear What in myself I see, How vile, how Hack, must I appear, Most Holy God, to thee 1 30 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. But, oh ! my Saviour stands between, In garments dyed in blood : 'Tis lie instead of me is seen, When I approach to God." newton. Verse 6. " Jfook not itpoit nic, bctuusc I am Hack, because Ibe ^mt bnti] looheb upon me : inn |!lotbcr's Cbilbrcit fotrc angvn toitb me; ibeu mabc me Jlceper of Ibe iUiueuarbs, but mine oton l)iiuj)avb Ijabe | not kept." The offence of the Cross has not ceased. " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. iii. 12. — " In the world ye shall have tribulation," John xvi. 33 ; see also John xvii. 14 ; John xv. 19 ; 1 John iii. 13. Nay more, " A man's foes shall be they of his own household,'''' Matt. x. 36 ; Mic. vii. 6 — • " My mother's children were angry with me." And there is no persecution so hard as this, arising not from avowed enemies, but from professed friends or relatives. A large part of Job's trial arose from it ; he was misunderstood and bitterly reproached by his own friends. And it has been truly re- marked that " Moses knew the trial of the camp, even beyond that of the wilderness.'''' To ' CHAPTER I. 31 be looked down upon bj fellow-Christians (or those professing to be such), is indeed an ar- row that pierces the heart very keenly. But it is a great sin to despise one of the Lord's little ones, Matt, xviii. 10. The judg- ments on Edom were very sore and terrible, for having thus lightly esteemed his brother Jacob. " Thou shonldest not not have looked on the day of thy brother, in the day that he be-came a stranger ; . . . yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity," &c., Obad. 12, 13, &c. Yet the Lord oft-times tuius this day of affliction into a day of blessing to his people, inasmuch as it leads them to self-conviction of grievous shortcoming, and the many times in which they have " given occasion to the ene- mies of the Lord to blaspheme." "Mine own vineyard have I not kept." Verse 7. "ildl mc, tboii bijom mjT §oiil lobtilj, fobrrc iljou fecbcst, bhcxt ihou mahcst Ibii i^lock to rest nt IToon; for tobii ebonli) | be as one ibnt lurnetlj asibe h\i l^c ^'locks of lljit Companions ?" The Bride soon returns to address herself to 32 THE SONO OF SOLOMON. her Beloved ; and we have in these words a full turning of the heart to Jesus, in whom the soul alone finds rest, when all others are against her. The crj seems to arise out of soli- tude of experience ; for none else could under- stand or sympathise with her. By the flocks of his companions she was as one veiled (see margin). They could not read the secrets of her heart, but he could ; and in full confidence of heart she appeals to him — " Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth." Here was the stongest evidence of her up- rightness — " The upright love thee ;" and in full consciousness of the love she bore to him, she turns directly to him as the Searcher of hearts, who knew what others could not know of the longings of her inmost soul. This is precious experience, and it is well to be brought to it by any means. " The sun," saith she, " hath looked upon me— I am faint and languishing — tell me where I may find rest in those green pastures, and beside those still waters, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon ! for ivhy should I be as one that turneth aside ?" &3. Oh ! how often believers CHAPTER I. 33 are heard to speak thus ! Why cannot I en- joy the rich provisions of covenant love as others do ? Why am I cut off from a partici- pation in the means of grace, or from enjoy- ment in them ? " Why go I mourning all my days because of the oppression of the enemy ?" Ps. xlii. 9. " O tell me where thou feedest thy flock, and where thou causest them to lie down," &c., Ezek. xxxiv. " Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths," Ps. xxv. 4, 5. This should ever be the language of the wandering sheep. '' Seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments," Ps. cxix. 176. And that it was but a wandering sheep, a sheep that had only strayed from the fold, is evident ; for none but a true member of Christ's flock could have urged that plea, " thou whom my soul loveth." Sad it is, but too true, that the Lord's people are prone to wander. And yet (blessed be God !) they find no rest away from him. Hav- ing once known the Lord as their "Good Shepherd," they will never find satisfaction in any other pasture, Ps. xxiii. 1, &c. ; John x. 5 ; see also 1 John iv. 1- 34 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. Verse 8. " |if Iboa luiob not, Q than fairest among Silomeit, go l[)w toau forllj bg tljc footsteps of tljc (^lotK, aub ftcb tljn lUbs bn tlje ^Ijcp^crbs' ^tnts." There is no upbraiding with our God. If at any time we lack wisdom, we may ask it of him, for he giveth to all men liberally, James i. 5. '^ If thou know not" — the words almost im- ply that there was the knowledge, though not in exercise. As in John xiv. 8, 9, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip ?" How is it that ye know not? "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the icay^ and see, and ask for the old. paths^ where is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find rest for your souls," Jer. vi. 16. " / am the way," saith Jesus. Follow the leading of the Good Shepherd, and tread in the footsteps of his flock, for " they folloio himy Therefore, " be followers of them,^^ &c., Heb. vi. 12; 1 Cor. xi. 1 ; 1 Thess. i. 6; CHAPTER I. 35 Heb. xiii. 7; Phil. iii. 16, 17. "Forsake not the . assembling of yourselves together ;" for, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Heb. X. 25; Matt, xviii. 19, 20. Be diligent in the use of means ; " feed thy kids," &c. It seems as if the Lord would say, " Indulge not in thy feelings of lonely deso- lateness; withdraw not thyself from thy fel- low Christians — the Shepherd is with his flock; and, if thou wouldest find him^ abide with them." Verse 9. " I ^afec tomjiarcb tljc£, ^3 mir ^obt, ia a Compaii^ of poises iir l^^arao^'s Chariot." So far from casting reproach upon his Bride, the Lord encourages her with words of tender- ness and delight, in a figure most fitly repre- senting her condition while militant here upon earth — "a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariot." And in this and the two following verses, he strikingly contrasts his estimation of her strength, activity, and swiftness, and her exceeding beauty, with her own sense of 86 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. feebleness and acknowledgment of blackness expressed in verses 4 — 6. Believers may be compared to Pbaraoli's horses in tliat they were very choice and costly, see 1 Kings x. 29. For we are "a chosen generation," and "purchased" with the inestimable price of "the precious blood of Christ." There is remarkable beauty in this figure, when taken in connexion with Solomon's his- tory ; it is stated, in proof of his amazing wealth, that " Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt — and they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt, a chariot for six hun- dred shekels of silver, and a horse for an hundred and fifty," 2 Chrou. i. 16, 17. It is a very beautiful figurative representation of the true Solom^on redeeming his people, at an infinitely higher cost, "out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." And it gives a peculiar propriety to the selection of this as the first figure chosen by the Lord in which to address his Bride, calling vividly to remembrance whence she was brought ; for he would ever have us humbled under tha CHAPTER I. 37 recollection of " the rock whence we are hewu, and the hole of the pit whence we are digged," Isa. li. 1. Verses 10, 11. " (Tbn Cljcchs arc comclii bitlj robs of ,|ff bc(s, Ibir |tttli foitlj chains of (L^olb. S'lc {nill nvahc tljcc borders of (iol&, toitlj stubs of ^ilbcr." The Lord takes pleasure in heaMifyinrj the meek, and in adorning his Bride, Ps. cxlix. 4. The word "TFe" is the same as that used in Gen. i. 26, which involves the three Persons of the Godbead. As they created, so they new create and "beautify." Thus Isaiah says of the Lord — " He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorn- eth herself with jewels," Isa. Ixi. 10. And the Lord himself declares of Jeru- salem, that when he entered into covenant with her and she became his, he decked her also with ornaments, and put bracelets on her hands, and a chain on her neck, &c , Ezek. xvi. 11, 12. And then he adds, " Thus wast 4 38 THE SONG OF SOLOMON'. thou decked witli gold and silver." — " Borders of gold, with studs of silver." Chains of gold about the neck were always tokens of promotion ; as, when Pharaoh pro- moted Joseph, " He arrayed him in fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck," Gen. xli. 41, 42 ; and when Daniel was promoted by Belshazzar to be the third ruler in his kingdom, he also clothed him with " scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck," Dan. V. 29. But our adorning is not to be of " gold, or pearls, or costly array — but in good works," 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10. Verse 12. " M]nU tin ^ing sttfctlj at Ijis (Fable, nm Spiheitarb senb- ctlj fovlb iljc snuU lljcuof." Here is the royal Bride promoted to the highest dignity, "seated beside the King," at his royal feast, yet " clothed with humility." " The King sitteth at his table." Once the King of glory, veiled in human flesh, headed the CHAPTER I, 39 table at which sat his twelve apostles, when he instituted that precious ordinance in which we commemorate his dying love ; nor is he less present with us now in the Gospel Feast — " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am /in the midst," He "sitteth at his table." How sweet to remember that the feast is "his!" The table is "his!" — the provisions are "his!" — and the guests are "his!" Boasting, therefore, is ex- cluded, for it is all of grace, and the Bride may humbly own the fragrance of her spike- nard — " My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof." It is in seasons of communion with the Lord that the graces of the Spirit are called forth in most lively exercise — " While the King sitteth at his table." When the presence of Christ is realised, then do love, gratitude, humility, faith, gentleness, meek- ness, &c., &c., flow forth in sweetest fragrance towards tlieir Author. The sinrit of the Bride (intimated by the spikenard sending forth its smell) is beautifully expressed in our Com- munion Service : " We do not presume to come to this thy table, O Lord, trusting in our 40 THE SONG OP SOLOMON. own rigliteousness, but ia thy manifold and great mercies. "We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table, but," &c. For the "spikenard" is a lowly grass, scarcely rising above the surface of the ground. A lovely emblem of humility. And being admitted into the royal presence, and even sitting down to the same royal feast with Jesus the King of kings, does not foster pride, but deepens humility. What, indeed, could so effectually cherish a lowly spirit at this feast, as the remembrance of the Saviour's words, that at his coming again, "he shall gird himself, and make them (his servants) to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve themT' Luke xii. 37. Is it not strange that any can leave this same Jesus knocking without at the door of their hearts, when he has said that if any man will open the door, he will come in to him, and sup with Mm ? Eev. iii. 20. Alas ! that any should reject that wedding-garment in which alone they can appear at "his table I" Matt. xxii. 10, 12. It is too precious a thought to the children CIIArTER I. 41 of God to be forgotten here, tliat tlae Captain of tLeir salvation does not leave them without provisions in their enemies' land, whilst they are engaged in fighting the good fight of faith; for it is written, " Thou preparest a table be- fore me in the presence of mine enemies," Ps. xxiii, 5. Even there their King is in the midst of them, and "sitteth at his table." Verse 13. "^ IJnnble of Purrlj is nui ralcll-f elodcb «nfo me: l)c s]p\{ lie all IW^ht kibivt mg liicasfs." So precious are the seasons of communion Avith her " well-beloved," that his Bride resolves upon unbroken intimacy of the closest kind. " A bundle of myrrh" is he unto me ! " Myrrh" was one of the choicest spices of the East. " A bundle" of it would therefore bespeak great treasures, and rich abundance of them. Yet the figure but faintly portrays the fulness that is treasured up for us in Christ Jesus. " For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col. ii. 9. " Tlic only begotten of the Father, full of grace and 4* 42 THE SONQ OF SOLOMON. truth," Jolin i, 14. " All fulness dwells in liim." And be is all tbis to each of his people : " A bundle of mjrrh is my well-beloved unto me." When the soul is so enamored with the loveliness of Jesus as to call hira in all sin- cerity " my well heloved^'' we need not wonder at the strength of her appropriating faith. She felt how much she loved him. IIow could she question whether he was lier be- loved ? " My weZ^-beloved !" " Unto you which be- lieve he \b precious,'''' 1 Pet. ii. 7. He has become the one supreme object of your affections ; you can say, " There is none upon earth I desire heside thee^ No creature-idol shall share his place in your heart. The Bride of Jesus ought indeed to seek after no other lovers ; none should have any share in her affections. At all times she ought to be able to say, "5e shall lie all night betwixt my breasts." But, alas ! how often believers have to mourn over a "divided heart!" and even when bereft of one idol, how they turn to another, and yet another I As in Ezek. -xvi. 15, 30, that chap CHAPTER I. 43 ter which gives us such a picture of the return we make for God's love to us ; or, as it is writ- ten in Jcr. iii. 1, " thou hast phijed the harlot with many lovers ;" our hearts running after one and another whom we love, alas ! better than Jesus. And yet, so unalterable, so unchanging are His affections towards us, that he says, " Yet return again to me, saith the Lord!" "Let her, therefore, put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries /yo;>i between her breasts,^^ &c., and I myself will constrain her to return unto me. For, " behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wa}^ that she shall not find her paths. And she shall fol- low after her lovers, but she shall not over- take them," &c. ; " then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband. And it shall be, in that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi (that is, ' my husband') and I will betroth thee unto me for ever f" see Hos. ii. 2, &c. What amazing love ! what marvel- lous forbearance ! what comfort to the wretch- ed adulteress, who, after the manner of men, imagines that Jesus can never love such an 44 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. one again ! But lie will never cast thee off, though thou hast wronged him thus, lie hns entered into covenant with thee, and though thou hast broken " thy covenant," he sa_ys, " nevertheless^ I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant," Ezet. xvi. GO, 62 ; and he undertakes for thet — "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me," Jer. xxxii, 40. Tlicrefore, in the covenant the Bride may truly say, "He shall lie all night betwixt my bi^easts." The whole period of the existence of the Church of Christ on earth may be called " the night," for the Eesurrection will alone reveal the full light of day. All this time, therefore, the Church would seek to abide in close union and communion with her beloved, Q\xri^i dwell- ing in her heart by faith, Eph. iii. 17. Verse 14. " W^X ^dobcb is imto inc as a cluster af Ciimgljire ill the lUneiiarbs of 6u-(LTcbi." " Camphire," the most highly esteemed, the sweetest and loveliest, and most fra";rant of CHAPTER I. 45 plants in Eastern countries, is the one chosen by the Bride, to express her estimation of her beloved. As " a cluster," too, from the vine- yards of Eu-gedi, where it grew in richest profusion — how it reminds us of what St. Paul says, "My God shall supply all your need, according to la's riches in glory hf/ Christ Jesus P'' Phil. iv. 19, We do not half e?yb?/ the sweet fragrance of Jesus as we might. He is not only " the Lamb slain," to save us from sin, but " a cluster of camphire," to be unto us as the most refreshing perfume, the most delicious fragrance. O that believers did but more enj'oi/ Jesus with joy unspeakable ! not using him only as a bitter herb for medicine, but as a delicious plant for actual enjoyment. And if a cluster /wtti the vineyard prove so exquisitely sweet, what will it be to dwell in the vineyard for eternity ? We may now, by faith, taste the sweet foretastes of heaven's joy, just as the Israelites did "the cluster of grapes" from the promised land ; but the land itself is ours, and soon we shall enjoy the fragrance of Jesus, not "as a cluster" from the vineyard, but as the " vm"?/cr./" himself! 16 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. Verse 15. "^tl)olt», Ibou art fair, mn ITofae; bcIiol&, tijou art fair ; tljoit Ijast §lottcs' rncs." So completely has the Lord covered our vileness and adorned our nakedness, that he beholds us as " fair." He has made us sucli that he can behold us with deli2:ht! He is not taken up, as we are, with our present state and condition ; past, present, and future, are one with him. And the little moment of our existence here, is a mere speck to his eternity. Therefore he looks not upon us " because we are black," he does not despise us for our pres- ent deformities ; but, seeing our brief span of sinful mortality swallowed up in the ocean of a fathomless eternity, he regards us m the ever- lasting covenant, as " chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, to be holy, and without blame before him in love," Eph. i. 4, 5; and in the fulness of time to be pre- sented "faultless before the presence of his CHAPTER I. 47 glory with exceeding joy ;" " without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," Jude 24 ; Eph. v. 27. " So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty," Ps. xlv. 11. Whatsoever others might think of his Bride, the Lord looks upon her with holy complacency. He can discern her comeliness (ver. 5), and the assurance to the believer is most precious — "Behold, thou art fair, my love." At this moment, Jesus is saying so of his Church, of each Ciiristian — "i/iow art fair!" Verse 16. "^cljotb', ibott art fair, mn ^dobb, rn. pirasnnt ; also our ^cb is grccit." There is something peculiarly sweet in this reply of the Bride ; there is no vaunting of herself upon the commendation of the Lord, but contrariwise, she immediately turns to his beauty, "Behold, thou art fair, my beloved." Neither is there anything of false humility, or denial of beauty, but only the grateful re- IS THE SONG OF sbLOMON. turn- of adoring admiration of him. For, after all, her beauty was his — " Let the beauty of the Lord our God be ^q)on us," Ps. xc. 17. "The beauty of the Lord our God !" She delighted herself in him — " Thou art fair, yea, pleasant." Since he has been made unto her " wisdom," 1 Cor. i. 30, she has learned by experience that his " ways are ways of pleasantness ;'''' and that at his "right hand there are pleasures for evermore," Proy. iii. 13—17 ; Ps. xvi. 11. And she owns their mutual enjoyment ; " Also, our bed is green." " He maketh me to lie down in green pastures," saith David ; or, as it is in the original, "in pastures of budding grass," Ps. xxiii. 2. Such being the exquisite freshness of delight and rej^ose en- joyed by the flock of the Good Shepherd in their beloved. Verse 17. " S^Ije ^mxas ai mu' |5ous£ arc Ccbar, aitb out llaftas of Jir." It is scarcely possible to read these words without calling to remembrance the house CHAPTER I. 49 built by Solomoa for the worship and dwell- ing-place of the Most High, for which we read that Hiram sent him " timber of cedar, and timber of fir," 1 Kings vi. 15 — 18 ; and v. 6 —10. Both are so costly and so desirable, that probably that may be the main idea suggested. "We know that if our earthly house (liter- a]ly, ' hiif) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," 2 Cor. V. 1. The Temple of Solomon was but the tj-po of the heavenly temple, which is composed of " lively stones" built up upon Jesus, the " liv- ing stone," "the chief corner stone, the sure foundation ;" stones so completely taken into himself, that in Rev. xxi. 22, it is written, " The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of itJ^ " Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house^^^ 1 Pet. ii. 4 — 7 ; see also Eph. ii. 20, 22 ; 1 Cor. iii. 9 ; Ps. xcii. 13. " Christ, as a Son over his own house, whose house are we," Heb. iii. 6. "The beams of our house" 60 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. — ^so perfect is their identification — " ye in me, and I in you," John xiv. 20, and xvii. 21. " In my Father's house are many mansions," John xiv. 3. Jesus and his Church abide to- gether in the Father's house, for we are no more strangers and foreigners, but " of the household of God," Eph. ii. 19. " I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever," Ps, xxiii. 6 ; Ixxxiv. ; xxvii. 4 ; Ixv. 4. There is a striking contrast in this enduring building to the "tents" spoken of in ver. 5 ; the perishing abode of the Church on earth, to the "inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven," 1 Pet. i. 4. "Him that overcome th will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out" Rev. iii. 12. CHAPTEE II. Verse 1. "I am ilje llose of ^I;ar0it, ^nh tijc ^ilg of iljc All tHe best commentators ascribe these words to tbe Bride, and not to Christ ; since the original rendering is, " I am a rose of the mere field, and a lily of the mere plain," strongly indicating meanness of extraction. And then the reply of Christ immediately fol- lows — " As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." The language is most truly applicable to the Bride, but it is no less truly so of Jesus. He was fragrant as the rose, and as fair as the lily. Yet it is written of him, " He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground,^'' Isa. liii. 2. Indeed, both flowers are peculiarly emblematical of him. 62 THK SONG OF SOLOMOX. The rose delights in shadowy places^ and thence has its name in the orioinal ; whilst the lily thrives in " the valleysy So the Lord laid aside the glory of his Di- vine majesty for a season, and, " though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor," 2 Cor. viii. 9 ; " and took on him the form of a servant," Phil. ii. 7. For he was *' meek and lowly in heart," and '' had not where to lay his head!" "A root out of a dry ground" — "A rose of the mere field, a lily of the mere plain." And all this was, that he might set us an example that we should walk in his steps " with all lowliness and meekness ;" for "not many mighty, not many noble are called," but God hath "chosen the poor of this world^ rich in faith, and heirs of the king- dom," Eph. iv. 2 ; 1 Cor. i. 26 ; James ii. 5. Yet another thought is suggested by the color of these two flowers : — • "Jesus, tho saints' perpetual theme — What fragrant odors fill the name Of lovely Sharon^s rose ! As ointment poured forth, it spreads A sweet perfume, an unction sheds, Whence joy celestial flows. CHAPTER n. 63 " Meek as the lily, too — and luhite, The lowly, spotless Xazarite, The Lamb for sinners slain ! With blood bedevv'd, his own rich blood, For us he pour'd the crimson flood ; — He died, yet lives again I " "Verse 2. "^s tbc iriliT nmoug (Tborns, so is mii ITotrc nmoitg the ^aucibtcrs." What a lovely picture of the Church in the world I "A lily among thorns" — "Sheep in the midst of wolves" — "Lights in the world," Matt. X. 16 ; Phil. ii. 15. " AVe know that loe are of God, and the whole ^\ oild lieth in the wicked one," 1 John v. 19, Gr. " So is my love among the daughters." It is true of each individual — " the lily ;" each one is, as it were, singled out by Christ from professors around ; and, oh ! precious truth, he sees the "thorns" which surround us, he knows the opposition we meet with. And he places " the lily" in striking con- trast to the "thorns." In Hos. xiv. 5, the lily is spoken of in reference to fruitfulness — "He shall grow as the lily," &c. ; teaching us how the fruit-bearing character of the children of 5* 54 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. God should distinguish them from the waste, barrcD, fruitless "thorn." This distinctive character, this manifested difference, is far too little evidenced bj Christians, as separating them from the world around. But there is yet another thought arising from these words, namely, the electing love of God — " the lily among thorns." " I have chosen you out of the world," John xv. 19. " I brought thee out o/the laud of Egypt," Ps. Ixxxi. 10. " Many are called, but/ez^ chosen,'''' Matt. xxii. 14. "So is my love among the daughters." Verse 3. " g,s ll^e gj^pglc-trce among ilje STrm ai tlit SHooir, so is ing ^dobtb among tljc ^ons." If Christ esteemed his Bride as more ex- cellent than all the daughters, so she esteemed him above all the sons. She compares him to an apple or citron-tree, bringing forth de- licious fruit (which may remind us of " the CHAPTER n. 65 tree of life that bare twelve manner of fruits,") so presenting him to view in the strongest contrast to the sons, whom she compares to "the trees," literally, "the wild trees of the wood." " Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?" Ps. Ixxxix. 6. What son is comparable to " the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth ?" " I sat bofoiT unbcr bis ^Ijabofo bitlj gucnt ^cligbf, anb lyis