beauty, for in him all richness dwells. The text says "his locks are bushy, and black as a raven," to shew that he is altogether lovely; and the same yesterday, to day, and for ever: yea, the foundation stone, and the topmost stone of his Church and People, being all and in all, the amen.

Verse 12.-His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

Here the spouse is describing her lover as having the eyes of a dove, all lovely in her sight, by the clear waters of the river of life, which flow to her soul through the channels of grace; and by which all the saints are refreshed in their journey, and are made to rejoice in the everlasting covenant; that through the precious blood of the Lamb their souls have been made white and clean; and by the milk of the word are fitly set as pillars in the Lord's house for ever.

Verse 13.-His cheeks as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

Here the church is led to admire and to extol its Lord and Master, in flowing language; but with truth and sincerity declares "his lips" to be "like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh: ah! to the humble contrite soul his visits thereto are like honey and the honey comb, which makes the soul say, like the disciples of old, "Master, it is good to be here." See Mark ix, 5.

Verse 14.-His hands are as gold rings set with beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

Here again the spouse is endeavouring to set forth the excellence of her Lord, saying "his hands are as gold rings:" a most beautiful description of the never ending love of our Lord in the richness of his gifts and graces. Gold we know is one of the richest metals, and the gold ring being without beginning or end sets forth the endless love of our Lord to his people: "his belly," the text says, "is as white ivory overlaid with sapphires;" to shew that the yearning of his bowels was overlaid with boundless compassion for poor sinners. See St. Luke, xiii, 34, St. John, xi, 35. Thus we are led to exclaim, he indeed is the altogether lovely; and being overlaid with sapphires, shews he possesses every excellency in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Verse 15.-His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

The text here speaks of Christ as one of the most beautiful of all figures, describing his legs as marble "set upon sockets of fine gold ;" and his countenance as excellent as the cedars of Lebanon; to shew the stateliness of his character for strength, and stability to perform all his works with completeness, to the praise of his own glory in the accomplishment of the salvation of his people; and as the cedars excel all other trees for

excellency, so Christ does excel all others both in heaven and on earth. So that the Church may well say "he is altogether lovely." See Psalm lxxii, 17.

Verse 16.-His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend,

daughters of Jerusalem.

We find the spouse continues to go on describing the excellencies of her Lord, as every heaven-born soul will endeavour to do, by telling unto others what a treasure they have found; even him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus the inestimable pearl; and then in raptures of joy exclaims, "this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." May every reader of this be enabled to say from happy experience, Jesus is my friend, he is my redeemer, O daughters of Jerusalem.

CHAPTER VI.

Verse 1.-Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

A humble consistent walking before the Lord preaches louder than words, as in the present case; we see those who appeared to speak tauntingly before, "what

is thy beloved more than another beloved," are now saying "whither is thy beloved gone," that we may seek him with thee, "O thou fairest among women?" Thus we find the consistent walk of the saints of our God preaches a more powerful sermon than words; for one glimpse of the Saviour by the eye of a living faith, is more to the humble soul than all that can be said by books or men: the Saviour being thus endeared to the soul. How circumspect is such a one in all his walk; and such walking constrains others to say, I will "seek him with thee."

Verse 2.-My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the bed of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

The Church of Christ may well be called a garden enclosed; for as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people as a wall of fire, to enclose them on every side; that the pure seed of the kingdom may grow in the garden of the soul; so that when the king shall be pleased to visit his garden to see if the graces thereof, planted by his own right hand, (being the spices of his garden,) bring forth that which may redound to the praise of the great husbandman, he may feed upon his own fruit and gather lilies; the precious souls purchased by his blood. See Rev. vii, 9, to the end of the chapter, and Rev. v, 9, to the end of the chapter.

Verse 3.-I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, he feedeth among the lilies.

Here again the spouse repeats her holy confidence Such is the communion of Christ and

in her beloved.

his Church; for the Lord's delight is with the sons of men, and to feed amongst the lilies, whom he hath purchased with his own blood: and although at times the spouse may feel deeply sensible of her own deficiencies and lamentable short comings, yet her faith is firm and strong, and unshaken in her Lord; saying with holy triumph, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." Ah. to be enabled to say this from happy experience, is a treasure more to be desired than thousands of gold or silver.

Verse 4.-Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

Christ having again returned to his spouse, addresses her in the most loving terms; saying, "thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah;" the text makes an allusion to Tirzah as a city in the tribe of Manasseh, which signifies pleasant or acceptable; "comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners." Such is the character and description Christ is pleased to give to his Church and people; for she is the joy of the whole earth; for in it God has his sanctuary, for his delight is with his people; precious in his sight are the souls of all his saints: he says of his people, "I