must the honour due to him be, of whom it is said, that the "Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him," and of whose kingdom there shall never be an end: and yet he humbled himself even unto death, the shameful death of the cross; but blessed be God, in that he raised him again from the dead, and thereby destroyed all the powers of hell, having risen conqueror over them all, and has thereby opened a new and living way to the Father: and though the Jews crowned him with thorns, yet the saints of our God have crowned him, and do crown him, " King of Kings and Lord of Lords." May we, his people, go forth in the gladness of our hearts, and in the strength of the Lord, to meet him, who is the "chiefest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely."

CHAPTER IV.

Verse 1.-Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy

hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from Mount

Gilead.

Mark the condescension of the shepherd of the sheep, in thus looking upon the Church, whom he hath purchased with his blood, as fair and clean in his sight; as one all glorious within and fair, with "doves' eyes ;" a description of the innocency of the Lord's redeemed, who are fair and comely in the eyes of their Lord, being

washed and made clean through the blood of the Lamb; that her hair is compared "to a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead." Such is the description of his love to his Church and people, for they are ever precious in his sight. Such is the blessed unity of the Church with Christ their head.

Verse 2.-Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; where

of every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

In this verse we find the same strain of admiration carried on by the heavenly bridegroom of his Church and people. Whether the language of the text is applied to the ministers only, or to the whole body of the true Church, is a matter of but small moment to know. The text says, 66 thy teeth are like a flock of sheep," and so on, as a people washed and fruitful, bearing twins, to shew the fruitfulness of the Church of God; saying, none is barren among them," shews a most blessed state of the Church. Lord, hasten the day, when all the Churches of the saints shall be one, to praise the Lord, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same.

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Verse 3.-Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.

It is a saying that the redness of the lips bespeaks the health of the body, and the Lord speaking of his

Church says, her "lips are like a thread of scarlet," and that her speech was comely, to signify the consistency of her profession; and that her " temples are like a piece of pomegranate within her locks." Thus beautifully setting forth the humility of the Church; for when a pomegranate is opened there are many red spots to be seen: so may the Christian traveller discover many spots in his own life, the sight of which humbles his soul in the dust; but being washed in the blood of the Lamb, gives redness to the lips and comeliness to the speech.

Verse 4.-Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Christ our living head speaks of his Church as the neck on which the living head doth rest; thus shewing the unity of the body of Christ: and as David's tower was well furnished with weapons of war for all the king's soldiers, so is Christ the strong tower of his people, into which his saints in all ages have ever fled, and found safety; and on Him they hang, and from Him they fetch, all their armoury; thousands hang on Him, for he is the almighty supporter of all his saints, and from Him all blessings flow.

Verse 5.-Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

The Church is here spoken of as having "two breasts," both pleasing and pleasant as the roe; but

various are the opinions of men on the subject of the meaning of the two breasts; many suppose them to allude to the two Testaments, from which the saints, by faith in Jesus, draw all their nourishment to sustain them in their heavenly journey: others think they allude to the two Sacraments in the New Testament: but the text speaks of them as "two young roes that are twins, that feed among the lilies." As it respects my own opinion on the subject of the two breasts, they are the faithful ministers of our Lord, who being one with him, feed amongst the lilies, the saints of our God; for the Lord's delight is with the sons of men, and so it is with every faithful minister, to feed among the saints

of the Lord.

Verse 6.-Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

It will ever be the pleasure of all the faithful ambassadors of the Lord to deal plainly and faithfully with the flock over which the Lord hath placed them, until the day break, and the shadows flee away, whereby they may behold the king in his beauty: but until then their language will be, "I will get me to the mountain of myrrh," the Mount of Moriah, where the temple was built, and where incense was daily burnt to the honour of God; and may we, as the purchase of his blood, be found to the honour of his glory, shewing forth his praise, like holy incense, in which the soul

may be truly prepared to say, "I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense," the foot of Jesus; for in his " presence there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

Verse 7.-Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

It is true, however great our deformity appears in our own eyes, through sin, yet through the precious blood and merits of the Redeemer we are "without spot or wrinkle ;" for the Church in Him is all glorious, and without fault before God, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Verse 8.-Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

"The spirit and the bride say come," as may be seen in the text; an invitation from the great shepherd of the sheep to forsake all the hills and mountains of this world's pleasure, which are like so many dens of lions to destroy and to devour the holy seed, the plants of the Lord's right hand planting in the souls of his saints. Ah! there is no safety, but as the saints are concerned to abide under the shadow of his Almighty wing; and in proportion as they are enabled to abide there, so will be the peace of his saints.