will live in them and walk in them ;" and, "I will be their God, and they shall be my people, saith the Lord Almighty."

Verse 5.-Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

"Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me." Such is the unmerited love and tender compassion of our dear Lord, that as soon as a poor sinner's heart is turned with an eye of living faith to him for mercy, the Lord is overcome with bowels of compassion towards all such, and they are precious in his sight; for, as soon as they look by faith to him, they are restored to the image of their Lord, and are "as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead;" fair and amiable in their Lord's sight. See Isaiah liv, 8:

Verse 6.-Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

Here again we hear our Lord speaking in high terms of honour of his Church, saying, that her teeth were as a flock of sheep, &c. to shew that his saints are all clean in his sight, and comely before him; bearing twins, bringing forth ample fruit to his praise, being that of his own raising; and to shew that it is he by his own power that doth enable his children to bring forth abundantly, that there be none barren among them.

Verse 7.—As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

The pomegranate is considered a great dainty at the table of the rich, and when opened, its richness more eminently appears, from the many red spots within, which remind the believer of the red spots of blood on the face of our dear Lord, when crowned with thorns by the rabble. Ah! he bore our curse, that we (that is his Church) might wear the crown of glory.

Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,

And did my Sov'reign die?

Did he devote that sacred head,

For such a worm as I?

Watts.

Verse 8.-There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

Many and various are the sections of the Christian Church in this vale of tears; and some are more holy in all their walk than others; of whom it may be said. they are so many queens; alas! the concubines are more than the queens; but the virgins are without number. The virgins may refer to the innumerable company of scattered souls, who are unknown by the world and by the Church: yet they are virgins, the chosen of the Lord, and looking for his return.

Verse 9.-My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

The bridegroom continues to express his unabated love and esteem to his Church; as one "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing;" calling her his dove, his undefiled, and the only one of her mother; for all the saints of our God are but one in him: so may be truly called the "choice one of her that bear her; who is the mother of us all." See Gal. iv, 26. It is said, the daughters, the queens, the concubines, and the virgins, saw her and praised her; so lovely is the Church in the sight of their Lord, and in the sight of their numerous brethren, that they are constrained, not only to praise the Lord, but to speak well of their brethren, and praise them as the children of their mother in Christ, the "resurrection and the life" of all his saints.

Verse 10.-Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

The question asked in this verse is, "who is she that looketh forth as the morning," &c. In answer to the question, we may conclude it to be the Church of Christ, rising up out of the darkness of this world's wisdom, 66 as an army with banners" in the face of a

wicked and adulterous generation, "fair as the moon, and clear as the sun." The Church being well equipped by the graces of the spirit for the holy warfare with the sword of the spirit, she is able to go forth in her master's cause in the strength of her Lord and captain, as did the Church of old, when under the types and shadows; but was then "fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners," before their enemies; but now in this gospel day, she may be seen to be as "clear as the sun," yet "terrible as an army with banners.”

Verse 11.-I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

Here we behold the Lord of the vineyard going "down into the garden of nuts, and to see the fruits of the valley :" how condescending is our Lord to stoop so low as to visit the valley, the lowest parts of our hearts: but such is his amazing love that he must visit even the lowest recesses of the heart, in order to search out and to root up every plant that is not of his own right hand planting; and to see whether the vine doth flourish, and the pomegranates bud; meaning the first buddings forth of the heart to the Lord, who is ever watching its growth, and watering it every moment; that the plants of grace, engrafted into the heart by the spirit of the Lord, may bring forth abundantly to his praise.

Verse 12.-Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib.

The Lord of the vineyard may for a time withdraw his sensible presence, to shew us our weakness, and our utter insufficiency to do anything acceptable of ourselves, as men and creatures; that we may more and more know from whence all our blessings come, and thereby be better prepared to look for our God, who will quickly come without sin, to the final salvation of all the redeemed. He is daily brought, in the chariots of living faith, to the souls, like the chariots of Amminadib for beauty and swiftness.

Verse 13.-Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in

the Shulamite! As it were the company of two armies.

God, in the riches of his mercy, in all ages of the world's history, yea, before this world was, thought upon it with love; and the very language of the text is a proof of his love; for four times the word "return" is expressed, and mark the expression, "that we may look upon thee:" may we not understand this, as the Father, Son, and Spirit as one, and all being concerned to visit the spouse, the church? and the church may well say, when looking at the pit from whence she had been dug, "what will ye see in the Shulamite ? as it were the company of two armies:" a constant