Verse 8.-The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

Here we find the spouse awake to the voice of her Lord and master, and of his speedy return to her soul, saying, "behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, and skipping upon the hills." Such are the exclamations of the soul after a night of darkness and gloom, when the rays of the sun of righteousness dawn again on the soul, like a new creation, causing the soul and all that is within to sing for joy.

Verse 9.-My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at

the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

In this verse, we find the spouse willing to acknowledge the speedy return of her Lord, who had been waiting long behind the wall of ceremonies, looking through those darkened windows of separation, which now he hath broken down by the sacrifice of his precious blood; that "the ransomed of the Lord might return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their head; for they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." See Isaiah xxxv, 10.

Verse 10.-My beloved spake, and said unto me, rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

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may we

My beloved spake," says the spouse; and in compliance," arise and shine, for the true light is

come, and the glory of the Lord hath risen" amongst his people. O it is in Him, and through Him, his people are made fair; and may we all, in compliance with our Lord's gracious command, come away from all and everything his holy controversy is against, that we may answer the end for which we were created, even to be as a city set upon a hill which cannot be hid ;" so shall we reflect the character of our divine Lord and master.

Verse 11.-For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and

gone.

Here the spouse is speaking of her wintry state being past, and the rain over and gone; how often does the mind resemble the gloomy day of winter, when the heavens are blackened with clouds of rain; but when these seasons pass away, and the sun and flowers appear, then all nature begins to rejoice; so doth the soul after long and dreary nights of darkness, when the sun of righteousness ariseth upon the poor, tried, and afflicted soul, with his healing rays upon the same; it is then the soul is prepared to say "the winter is past, the rain is over and gone."

Verse 12.-The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

The introduction of the everlasting gospel to this earth, was like the time of the singing of birds to a lost and ruined world. After a long night of Pagan

darkness, well might the Church exclaim, "the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." See Luke ii, 13.

Verse 13.-The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

The poor sinner, having but recently been brought, through unmerited love and mercy, from under the cloud, begins to put forth his holy aspirations, which is a goodly smell, like holy incense unto the Lord, well pleasing in his sight, and soon will he say, " arise, my fair one, come away," and take possession of the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundations of the world."

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Verse 14.-O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

"O my Dove," is the endearing language of the Saviour to his Church; and most gracious are all his words to his children and people; for his saints are ever precious in his sight, and all their prayers and praises are comely before him: and in him the soul is sheltered as in the cleft of a rock: and Christ is that rock into which the soul enters as into the secret place of the stairs; by which they ascend into the presence of their Lord, from whence he hears their voice with delight, and their countenance to him is comely, for he loveth them with an everlasting love.

Verse 15.-Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes.

Corruptions unmortified and unsubdued are like so many young foxes to destroy the vines which have tender grapes; and many of the first buddings forth of holy breathings to the Lord are like the young and tender grapes, which unsubdued tempers oftendestroy, like so many foxes.

Verse 16.-My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

Here the spouse, or Church, appears to have arrived at a state of holy confidence and living faith in the power of an endless life, saying, "my beloved is mine and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies; for his delight is with the sons of men." See Revelations, iii, 20. Such is the most blessed unity of Christ and his Church, having "loved us, and washed us in his own most precious blood." See Colossians i, 12, 13, 14.

Verse 17.-Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

In this verse we find the Church breathing forth the very longings of her soul for the return of her Lord into the vineyard of her soul, until the gospel day break forth, causing thereby the shadows of the Law, with all its ceremonies, to cease, and for ever to flee away; and thus to usher in the return of the Bridegroom, who is

coming quickly like the "roe or the young hart upon the mountains of Bether," with great speed. So "come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," that we may behold thy glory, and be with thee for ever.

CHAPTER III.

Verse 1.-By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

Here again we perceive the spouse to be as under a cloud, as many of the saints of our God often are in the present day of conflict and trial, as in days of old; to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight, as many before us have done, and so to trust the Lord where we cannot trace him, and daily pour out our hearts before him, and that continually, with fervor of soul; for though the Lord may see meet to hide his face for a moment, yet" with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer." See Isaiah, liv, 8.

Verse 2.-I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

Here the awakened soul is led to cry out "I will arise and go about the city, in the streets and broadways," or in other words, I will search more diligently the holy oracles of my God, which are as a city with