in ancient prophecy; then under the Mosiac dispensation she acquired the beauty of the moon; and as that plannet 'reflects the beams of the sun, cooled and weakened in their effect, so that dispensation presents a faint tho' beautiful image of divine truth. At length, the path of the just like that of the light, shining more and more unto the perfect day, the church was clothed with the 'Sun of righteousness,' and under the gospel dispensation shines forth in all its splendour. Still proceeding in her course, her light was partially intercepted by the clouds of persecution, and she became like the evening streamers of a western sky-shone gloriously in martyrdom and death -and sunk beneath the shades of papal ignorance and superstition, until the glorious morning of the reformation. The course of an individual believer is like that of the church, considered as a body. First, he receives the dawn of light, in the conviction of his sin and guilt-this light advances in the increase of knowledge, and gradual sanctification, till it assumes the beauty of the moon, and the glory of the sun; at length clouds arise, and obscure for a time, perhaps, his happiness and comfort, with affliction or persecution at length, he finishes his race with glory, like the setting sun; and sinks into the grave, to arise again in the morning of the resurrection. Mr. HERVEY considers these emblems in a different point of view" He compares the church to the moon in her sanctification, and to the sun 1 Contemplations on the Night. Note. in her justification. In the former respect we may well compare her To the moon Dark in herself, and indigent; but rich YOUNG. Nor is the other comparison lest just,; for certainly when clothed with the robes of righ teousness, the righteousness of God our Saviour, she may well be compared to the orb of day, for purity and glory. For then JEHOVAH himself sees 'no iniquity in Jacob'-no perverseness in Israel;' but pronounces her altogether beautiful and comely, through the comeliness, he puts upon her. If we thus disjoint the metaphor, and give up the climax, in which I am by no means confident, we may then refer the last metaphor, as I have already hinted, to some more awful and terrifying object; to the northern-lights for instance, which are sometimes very vivid, and excite great alarm among the vulgar, who imagine to themselves the conflict of bannered hosts' in the sky, and consider them as predictive of terrible wars and revolutions on the earth. sidering believers under this military image, as properly the church militant, we may observe that the state here below is a state of perpetual conflict, in which they are supported, and made more than conquerors, through the Captain of of their salvation. Con. Ch. VI. Ver. 11-13. Bridegroom. Into the garden of nuts I went down, Virgin 1. Virgin 2. Virgin 1. If the pomegranates blossomed. Return, return, that we may behold thee. As it were the chorus of two bands. In the first lines of this paragraph the Bridegroom, after relating the commendations the spouse had received from her own sex, adds, that when he left her to go alone into his garden, she so occupied his mind, that he instantly as it were turned back, and seeing her at a distance flew to meet her. Then her heart seems to misgive her, and she withdraws, upon which the chorus of virgins calls on her repeatedly to turn again, and wait for his approach. Such appears to me the general outline of the drama; but there are difficulties in the meaning of particular words, not so easy to be explained. What for instance was the garden of nuts? and why go down among the nuts in the valley to examine the vines and pomegranates, which generally grew upon the hills? That the word is rightly rendered nuts, I am inclined to believe on the authority of the Septuagint, the Vulgate, the Targum, and the majority of Jewish as well as Christian exposi tors'. That these grew in the valleys may easily be admitted. It appears also, from authorities produced by Mr. HARMER, that the eastern gardens are generally planted in low situations; for the conveniency of water, and Jo-. SEPHUS tells us that the nut tree (though a curious exotic in that country) flourished in Galilee, near the lake of Genesareth, along with plants of a warmer region. What particular species of nut be here intended, the walnut, the filberd, &c. is hardly worth discussion; but Dr. SHAW, who votes for the former, tells us that these trees begin to be very shady and pleasant by the time the vines blossom, Whether Amminadib3 be taken for the pro 1 Sec Poli Synop. and Gill in loc. But Mr. Parkhurst, following the derivation of the word (p for a), explains it of a garden pruned or cultivated: hortus putatos,' Tremellius: 'Putationis vel tonsionis, Jun. Piscator. See Castell. Lex. Hept. in 8. Joseph. de bell. Jud. lib. iii. chap. 35. The celebrated Song of Ibrahim, says also, I went down to admire the 6 beauty of the vines.' This verse is remarkably obscure and doubtful; for, 1. the MS. and versions so vary as to make the reading of the original very doubtful. Twenty MSS. and one edition read (27) Amminadib in one word: five of these MSS. and two editions, point the word so as to determine it to be the proper name. Many other MSS. read it in one word, with the insertion of a second yod, 2. The most antient versions also consider it as the name of an individual. LXX, aquala Apnadal: Vulgate, Quadrigas Aminadab.' Tigurine, Currus Aminadib.'-On the other hand, it must be confessed, the general current of the copies, both MSS. and printed, runs for the division of this word into two 273, the chariots of my willing, noble, or princely people.' So per name of some eminent charioteer, or should be translated, as in our margins, is extremely doubtful. Either way, the meaning seems to be, that the affections of the prince carried him to meet his love with the rapidity of a chariot-the chariot of a warrior, a racer, or a prince. But by what name do the virgins here describe the spouse, and to what do they compare her; They call her the Shulamite1, the bride of Solomon, and 6 6 Montanus, Quadriga populi mei munifici :' Pagnius, ' Quadrige populi mei spontanei: Junius, Curribus populi 'mei ingenui:' Cocceius, 'Curribus populi mei voluntarii.' Also Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and other rabbins, as well as Christian expositors. 6 But 2d. If we could ascertain the reading, there is still a difficulty in the translation. The Hebrew literally reads, ་ I knew not,' (ny7' xh) i. e. I was insensible, as it were, at the moment, just as Paul says, Whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth.' (2 Cor xii. 2-4) My soul set me,' i. e. says Dr. Hodgson, My soul placed for me or my fancy conceived My 'affection transported me,' says the editor of Calmet; which, as a paraphrase is very good, but not literal. Le Clerc translates it, Non novi qui anima mea me fecerit instar quadrigarum Hammi-nadibi;' and Bp. Percy, I knew not [the irresolution of] my mind; [which] made 'me [withdraw swift as] the chariots of Amminadib.' I might go on; but this is enough to shew the general sense of the text, and the difficulty of being more exact. 1 The original (nwbtwn) is evidently equivocal, and I have endeavoured to preserve the ambiguity. It may either be rendered the Shulamite, meaning an inhabitant of Jerusalem; or Solima, as the feminine of Solomon (anbw), and implying her relation to him. The former, it must be confessed, has the authority of most antient versions and commentators; but the latter, which was suggested by Menochius (de Repub. Heb. lib. iii. cap. 21. n. 14), and is countenanced by Aquila (who translates the word 'povσay. pacific) is followed by most of the modern translators, par, |
