CH. VIII. SECTION XIV. [7th Evening.] SPOUSE. 8 We have a sister who is little, and her breasts are not [grown ;] What shall we do for our sister in the day that she is spoken for? BRIDEGROOM. 9 If she be a wall, we will build on her turrets of silver; If she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar : SPOUSE. 10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers : Thence was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace. TO THE VIRGINS. 11 Solomon hath a vineyard at Baal-hamon: He hath let the vineyard to keepers, Each shall bring for the fruit thereof a thousand siverlings. TO THE BRIDEGROOM. 12 My own vineyard is before me; A thousand to thee, O Solomon ! And two hundred to the keepers of its fruits. 13 O thou who inhabitest the gardens, The companions listen to thy voice, SPOUSE. 14 Haste thee, my beloved, And be thou like an antelope, or a young hart, Upon the craggy mountains. END OF THE POEM. COMMENTARY. HAV in AVING in the preliminary essays endea voured to lead the reader into the true nature and design of this book, and the principles on which I conceive it ought to be explained, the object of this commentary is to apply those principles, as a key to open and expound the book. I have given my reasons for considering this poem as an allegory-a sacred allegory describing the relation and communion between God, in the person of Christ, and his true church, or those individual believers of which the church is composed. It may be proper to enlarge a little on this general idea before we enter on the explanation of the song itself. I have said that God is the Husband of his. church, and have shewn that this idea pervades the scriptures of both testaments. In the Old Testament it is the Lord JEHOVAH who is thus described and represented as rejoicing over his church as a bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride;' this character we have seen the ancient Jews applied to the MESSIAH-the MESSIAH applied it to himself and the writers of the New Testament frequently represent him under the same character, and the church of God, as the bride, the LAMB's wife.' Now as Now as JEHOVAH our God is one JEHOVAH' and as Christ Jesus is the only head and husband of the church, we have here an argument for his divinity, that he is one with the Father, as well as with the church, and therefore properly and emphatically called JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.' Indeed, I consider it as one of the most solid arguments on this topic, that though the sacred writers are always careful to distinguish between God and the highest creatures, and will not suffer an angel or a seraph to compare himself with Deity: yet in speaking of God and Christ, they frequently leave it in doubt, which is particularly intended-often use the terms as convertible and synonimous— and never betray the least fear lest, in consequence, too much honour or respect should be paid to the latter. On the contrary, our Lord himself teaches us that all men should honour the Son as they 'honour the Father; and that he that honoureth ⚫ not the Son honoureth not the Father;' a serious hint to those persons who seem to think that the honour of the Father cannot be secured but by the degradation of the Son. The characters of bridegroom and bride, husband and spouse, imply the following relative ideas: 1. Government and obedience: He is thy * LORD, and worship thou him.' Whatever evasions our fair companions may invent to vindicate their supposed equality with their husbands, they can have no place here. It is past a doubt that Christ is the sole head, and supreme go vernor of his church-and that he claims absolute 1 |