CONTENTS The Chapter opens with giving the title of the book. The Church then takes up the subject with expressing her love to Christ, and desiring fresh manifestations of his affection to her. She compares his love to the fragrancy of the richest ointment. She prays to be drawn by him, and profess... [ Continue Reading ]
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Thus the song, opens: and there can be no hesitation to discover the singer, namely, the Church. It is she which begins it. But Reader! do not imagine, that because the Church opens this Song, that thereby is meant to in... [ Continue Reading ]
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. It is the Church which is here addressing herself to Jesus. And the substance of what this verse contains seems to be, that there is in her esteem so much fragrancy and preciousness... [ Continue Reading ]
Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. The Church is still going on in her discourse in this verse: and her address is still to him, whose name is as ointment p... [ Continue Reading ]
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. There is a very great beauty in this verse, considered as to the view the Church had of herself as she really was in herself, and as she really was in Christ, and as beheld in him. And I think, i... [ Continue Reading ]
Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. If, as some have thought, the Gentile Church is here particularly referred to, who being converted from... [ Continue Reading ]
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? There is a great beauty in this verse. The Church had been speaking in the preceding to the daughters of Jerusalem. She... [ Continue Reading ]
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. Some have thought, that this answer is given by the virgins or daughters of Jerusalem: but, not to remark that it is a little unlikely, that young converts sho... [ Continue Reading ]
I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. I beg the Reader to be particularly careful in his observations on the very tender appellations which pass between Jesus and his Church. It is, indeed, one of the most distinguishing features of this delightful book; and... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. The Bridegroom is still going on with commending the beauty and loveliness of his bride as she appeared in his eyes. For, notwithstanding the consciousness she had of her own blackness and deformity, yet to him she appeared mos... [ Continue Reading ]
We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. I desire the Reader to remark with me the alteration that is here made in the language of the Speaker. All that went before is delivered by one person, and is in the singular number. But here, it is as if by more than one, and is in the plural.... [ Continue Reading ]
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. At this verse the Church takes up the conversation. And as her Husband had spoken so graciously of her, she now breaks out in commendation of him, and his loveliness, and condescension. By the King, there can be no qu... [ Continue Reading ]
A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. (14) My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. I bring both these verses into one view, for the sake of making one observation answer for both. A bundle of myrrh, and a cluster of... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. (16) Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. I include in one reading these verses, because the beauty of them is in my apprehension, heightened in being read together. The former, I conce... [ Continue Reading ]
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. The same thought is pursued in this verse, as in the former. The house is said to be their joint-property; and the parts of it are described under images suited to the Eastern manner, of the best and most durable materials. And whether we con... [ Continue Reading ]