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sufficiently distinguished by internal marks, as I shall endeavour to shew in the sequel of this com mentary but as the whole of this is matter of hypothesis, rather than absolute certainty, I have marked the periods only as distinct sections, adding the common divisions of chapter and verse, for the sake of reference, as in our common versions.

It is an important observation of Bp. PERCY', that the marriage festivals of the Hebrews began on the morning after the celebration of the nuptials, which always took place at night. Here therefore the Song begins; and this sufficiently accounts for the poet introducing no account of the ceremony, though most of the circumstances are afterward alluded to. He adds, that after the consummation of the marriage on the first night, the bride and bridegroom associated only in the day time during the continuance of the feast, which accounts for the bridegroom's absence during two nights particularly mentioned.

The ingenious Bossuet observes, that every part of the Canticles abounds in poetic beauties: and he shews the objects which present them

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selves on every side' to be either in themselves 'the most beautiful in nature,' or rendered so 'by contrast' with others which are terrific and sublime; the dens of the lions,' and the moun 'tains of the leopards.'-These beauties it will be part of our employment to survey as we travel through them and to direct our views to objects of a spiritual nature, still more beautiful and sublime.

1 New Translation, p. 19. See also LEWIS's Heb. Antiq. Vol. III. p. 308.

Spouse.

Virgins.

SECTION I.

Ch. I. ver. 2—4.

[FIRST DAY.-Morning.]

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For better is thy love than wine:

Because of the odour of thy good ointments

(Thy name is as ointment poured out)
Therefore do the virgins love thee.

O draw me!

After thee will we run.

Spouse. The king hath brought me into his chambers.
Virgins. We will be glad and rejoice in thee:

We will celebrate thy love more than wine.
The upright love thee.

THE scene of this first section is evidently the royal apartments of the women, called by the Hebrews Hadarim, and by the Turks, the Harem. Here the royal spouse is supposed to be newly introduced, and is accompanied by the virgin daughters of Jerusalem, her attendants.The time appears to be the morning; because she purposes to meet her beloved in his noon retirement; and, as I conceive, the morning after the celebration of the nuptials.

The poem commences with an abrupt expression of the attachment of the spouse to her beloved, without naming the object of her affections: a circumstance which strongly indicates their sincerity and ardour. This is, literally taken, a poetical beauty; and spiritually understood, highly characteristic of a mind full of sentiments of piety and devotion. The church is supposed to be deeply engaged in meditating on his expected appearance, who is styled, the

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desire of all nations,' but was most eminently so of the believing Jews, who waited for his sal'vation.' Thus the elegiac prophet, full of his afflictions, and deeply impressed with a conviction that they sprang not out of the dust, thinks it unnecessary to name their author.

'I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of HIS wrath.

He hath brought me into darkness, and not into light.

So Mary Magdalen, when she supposed her, self conversing with the gardener, seemed to think it unnecessary to name the object of her solicitude Sir, if thou hast borne HIM hence, 'tell me where thou hast laid him.' Her mind was full of Jesus, and she thought that he also occupied the attention of all others. Such is the frame of soul, in which the church-the believer exclaims,

'Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth."

We may write here, as the heathen inscribed upon their temples- Far hence be the profane !? A kiss was a token of reconciliation and submission, and was thus figuratively used by David in a similar application: Kiss the son lest he be angry.'

But the kiss here is intended as a mark of con

jugal affection. 'Now the king hath honoured me with the character and rank of a royal bride, let him not withhold the tokens of his conjugal affection.'

Profane minds may ridicule images borrowed from conjugal affections and embraces, as if these

were something impure or improper; but the holy Author of this state hath sanctified it by his appointment, his blessing, and the adoption of these images in many parts of scripture; and 'what God hath cleansed let no man call common 6 or unclean.’

The expression, kisses of his mouth,' hath been marked as hebraistic and poetical: it certainly well agrees with the antiquity and simpli city of the language; but it is not merely redundant, or emphatical: it distinguishes the kiss of love from that of mere submission and obedience, Servants and subjects might be allowed to kiss the hands or feet of their prince; but to be kissed by him, to be favoured with the kisses of his 'mouth,' implies the highest degree of familiarity and affection.

The next line introduces a change of persons in my conception highly beautiful and poetical. I see no reason for supposing, as many have done, that the king is introduced here, or in any part of this section. It appears to me to injure the beauty of the following sentiments. But the change of person is another mark of the situation of the speaker's mind. The same principle on which we account for the omission of her beloved's name, will account for this change of person, The same love which so engrossed her mind as to render it superfluous to name the object of her attachment, realized his image, and led her to speak as if he had been present, without that

restraint which his presence might have imposed'.

'Because better is thy love than wine.' It is the excellency of this love that made the spouse so anxious for discoveries of it. The term for love is plural in the original, as intending the various instances of this love, and the different methods in which it is displayed: it might therefore have been rendered affections, but I have not thought the change important.

The love of God has been compared to wine, both for its qualities and effects. The qualities of good wine, are age and strength: the love of Christ is stronger than death,' and more antient, for it is from everlasting: but the effects of good wine are chiefly pointed at when it is employed as a sacred metaphor.

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Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine to those that be bitter of soul3.'

The discoveries of divine love then are more animating and consolatory than wine is to the faint and heavy hearted.

The literal sense of the following verse is, that the king's fame attracted love and admiration.

1 Those who suppose this poem to have been sung as an epithalamium, or to include part of the processional songs, consider these verses as part of the chorus: but I consider this as a circumstance so very uncertain that I have not ventured to offer any opinion on it.

2 The LXX, Vulgate, and Arabic, both here and in verse 4, read breasts,' instead of loves,' but they are not supported by MSS. and the common reading seems preferable.

3 Prov. xxxi. 6. Margin.

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