and unconditional submission and obedience. Nor can there be any thing painful in the idea to a believer, when it is considered that the object claiming this respect is perfect in wisdom and goodness, as well as power; and therefore can only employ his authority to the happiness and advantage of his people.

ance.

2. These relations imply protection and reliThe husband is the natural and legal guardian of his spouse; to whom she is in all cases intitled to look for support and defence. The Lord has promised in all circumstances to be the defender of his people; and they are authorized in every situation to look up to him as their protector- a very present help in time of trouble.'

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3. These relations imply reciprocal affection and attachment. Thus Christ loved the church and gave himself for it; that he might present ' it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it 'should be holy and without blemish in his sight'.' On the other hand the Lord demands the supreme and entire affection of his church. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with 'all thy strength'.' The warmest conjugal affection, however it may exceed our love to the Redeemer, is but a faint image of his love to us.

4. They imply the most intimate union and communion superior to that of every other rela

1 Eph. v. 25-27.

2 Matt. xxii. 37.

tion; for it is said, 'A man shall leave father

and mother and cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh: The apostle Paul applies this spiritually. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the 'church.' Jesus the Son of God, left the bosom of his Father in the mansions of eternal glory, and demonstrated his infinite affection by dying for his church upon the cross.

5. Marriage induces a common property between the parties: thus, in a spiritual sense, whatever is ours, whether health or wealth, or life itself, is certainly the Lord's: and so on the other hand, it is our unspeakable privilege, that, whatever belongs to Christ in his mediatorial character, as the head and husband of the church is also our's. Thus runs the inventory of the believer. All things are yours: whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to 'come all are your's; and ye are Christ's: and 'Christ is God's.'

6. These relations imply permanency and fidelity; for the love of this state should not be transient nor changeable; but durable as life itself. Such is the love of Christ; eternal, because he is eternal: such is the love of believers; immortal, because they are immortal.

And

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 'shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay; in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us,'

In consequence of the fidelity required on the part of the church, idolatry, of every kind, is spiritual adultery, and as offensive to the Lord, as infidelity to the marriage bed must be to an affectionate husband. This is true, not only of idol worship, or the worship of improper objects; but also of all inordinate affection to the world, and its enjoyments. So, covetousness is idola

try,' and as such, a species of spiritual adultery. Thus saith the Spirit to the angel of the church in Thyatira: I know thy works:notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, ⚫ which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 'And I gave her space to repent of her fornications, and she repented not. Behold, I will 'cast her into a bed', and them that commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. From this passage, taken in connexion with the context, it appears that beresy as well as idolatry, is considered by the Head of the church as spiritual adultery, and as such resented and punished by him for it should seem, it is the heresy of the

3

:

1' A bed,' namely of sickness and affliction but the king's MS. reads us Þuλany, • into prison.'

2 Rev. ii. 19-24.

By heresy, I understand such a deviation from the grand and fundamental truths of the gospel, as is inconsistent with Christian communion, and consequently forms a sect, which is the primitive idea of the word aptors, heresy.

Gnostics, who penetrated the depths of Satan' and the doctrines concerning demons,' which are here particularly alluded to.

Having thus far considered the conjugal characters of Christ and the church, it is proper to enquire who are intended, mystically, by the virgins, the daughters of Jerusalem,' and the companions of the bridegroom.' Commentators seem divided on this subject; but we have a happy clue to our enquiry in an infallible expositor. When the dispute was agitated between the disciples of John and those of Jesus, why the former fasted, and not the other: Jesus calls his own disciples children of the bride-chamber'" which seems of the same import with companions of the bride-groom:' These are introduced in two parts of the song in a manner corres ponding to their office, which was to wait upon, and occasionally negotiate between the parties, as well as to partake of the marriage feast. John the Baptist assumes this character when he calls himself the friend of the bridegroom',' rejoicing to hear his voice. This character seems to answer then to the ministers of the gospel: as we shall find what is said of them does to their office.

'The daughters of Jerusalem' are literally its inhabitants, and more particularly, the ladies of the palace, and the female attendants on the Ha

1 Matt. ix. 15.

2 John iii. 29.

ram, or apartments of the women: but who are mystically intended, is a more difficult question.

That it cannot design mere hypocrites, which are always hateful in the sight of God, is, I think, sufficiently obvious from the manner in which they are introduced, and spoken of, as well as from their bearing the character of virgins who love the bridegroom. And yet it seems desireable to make some distinction between the bride and her attendants'. I should suppose therefore that the daughters of Jerusalem may intend young converts,' or such persons whose hearts are touched by divine grace, and attracted by the charms of piety and holiness; but not yet admitted into their full privileges as believers, nor enjoying that complete communion of established Christians. In this interpretation I meet the ideas of Dr. GILL, and the best spiritual expositors.

So much for the characters of this poem: our next enquiries should be directed to the time and scenery; avoiding as much as possible the use of terms, which, though harmless in themselves, are profaned by their application to a licentious theatre.

The time we have supposed to be the seven days which the Jewish weddings lasted; but these days are divided, in the manner of the Hebrews, into evening and morning, which seem

1 It may be thought, that if the spouse intends the Jewish church, these virgins may be proselytes from the Gentiles but then why call them daughters of Jerusalem? The daughters of a place are in scripture language its inhabitants. See Luke xxiii. 28.

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