duct of the church, which very well represents the state of a mind awakened to enquiries after the Lord. She sought him a-bed; but he was not there. She arose and sought him in the cityin the open court, and in the narrow street; hither and thither she pursues him-enquires of all she meets, and rests not till she finds him. Thus is it with an awakened soul-with one that seeketh after God. The mind being convinced of the true and only source of happiness, it is in vain to present other objects; it is the beloved of her soul she seeks, and her cry is with Job, O that I knew, where I might find him.' She may find the watchmen, but they can be of no use, unless they direct to the beloved. : We must also notice what is said of these watchmen-their office and their conduct. We know that ministers of God, under both dispensations, have been called watchmen. So the Lord to Ezekiel Son of man, I have set thee a watchman ' over the house of Israel:' and St. Paul explains the term in adapting it to ministers of the New Testament- They watch for souls.' This is doubtless meant by going about the city: they are the guardians of the night, and it is their office particularly to notice such enquirers found me.' They It is observable in the next place that her en • It 'seek shall find,' is the great promise of the gospel. But when did she find her beloved? was but a little that I passed from them,' namely, the watchmen. It should seem that their informa tion was of use to direct her; for she met the object of her enquiries immediately afterward. We must not omit to notice the affectionate and expressive character she gives him- Him whom 'her soul loveth.' Observe she gives him no name-and full (as we observed above') of the object of her love, she finds no name requisiteher soul loveth him, and she is ready to suppose that all must know him as well as she did. She found him, and how did she then treat him? She held him, and would not let him go, till she brought him to her mother's house. The vision of Jacob, and the angel of Jehovah, will furnish us with a true explanation of this expression. He found him in Bethel I will not let thee go,' said he, except thou bless me.'—' He had power ' over the angel, and prevailed: he wept and made supplication unto him"." She brought him to her mother's house; that is, according to most commentators, to the church, the temple, the house of God. Possibly the simple meaning may be, she conducted him where she could best enjoy his company; but this will lead us to the same idea, for where is the divine presence so much to be enjoyed as in the house of God? It Will the reader say, this was all a dream? was so; and such are all our enjoyments in the See page 155. 2 See Gen. xxxii. 24. and Hos. xii. 4. present state. The golden objects of our vision present themselves-we embrace them, and they vanish. This world's a dream, an empty show; WATTS. This will apply even to spiritual enjoyments. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zi on, we were like them that dream,' says the Psalmist. And how true is this in the experience of the Christian! Our brightest views of the divine glory are as imperfect and transient as a vision. While we enjoy these divine comforts we begin to doubt them-and what is the vision when withdrawn? The repetition of the chorus shews the conclusion of another scene-another day-and, with us, another section. But with what beauty or connexion is it here introduced? She had dreamed of being in the company of her beloved, she supposes him still in her embraces, and she deprecates the loss of his presence. But I cannot forbear here introducing a few more lines from my favourite commentator-WATTS. ་ 'I charge you, all ye earthly toys, Nor sin, nor hell, come near my heart, SECTION VI. Chap. iii. Ver. 6—11, 1st Virgin. What is this rising from the wilderness, like columns of smoke, 2d Virgin. 1st Virgin. Fuming with myrrh, and frankincense, More [precious] than all the powders of the merchant? Behold! Solomon's own palanquin ! Threescore warriors surround it, the warriors Every one having a sword, being skilled in war; A carriage hath he made for himself, non. The pillars thereof hath he made of silver: 2d Virgin. Go forth, ye daughters of Zion, and view King Solomon, In the crown wherewith his mother crowned him, In the day of his espousals, In the day of the gladness of his heart. THIS section, like the preceding, seems not well to admit of division. A grand scene now opens upon our view. The royal palanquin is seen coming up from the wilderness-i. e. from Egypt, which lay beyond the wilderness, To render this scene intelligible, it 1 Its cushion-the same word 2 is used for a seat, or saddle to ride on, Levit. xv. 9. It is properly, I think, the seat of a carriage.-Beds, i. e. carpets of gold and silver are mentioned, Esther i. 6. may be necessary to give some account of the kind of carriage here introduced, and explain the other parts of the poetical imagery, before we attempt any spiritual application. The use of perfumes at eastern marriages is common, and, upon grand occasions, very profuse. Not only are the garments scented till, in the Psalmist's language, they smell of myrrh, 'aloes, and cassia :' but it is customary for virgins to meet and lead the procession with silver-gilt pots of perfumes; and sometimes even the air around is rendered fragrant by the burning of aromatics in the windows of all the houses, in the streets through which the procession is to pass'. In the present instance, so liberally were these rich perfumes burnt, that, at a distance, a pillar, or pillars of smoke arose from them: and the perfume was so rich as to exceed in value and fragrancy all the powders of the merchant3. 1 Harmer on Sol. Song, p. 123—5. 2 Twenty MSS. the LXX, Symmachus, the Syriac, and Vulgate, all read this word singular (n). The word used for columns means strictly palm trees, which from their height and straitness were often used for that purpose; and a pillar or column of smoke, in a calm atmosphere, strongly resembles that tree-rising very high, and then bending downwards.Columnæ, ad formam palmæ assurgentes." Buxtorf. 3 More (rich, excellent, or precious) than'-I take to be the exact force of the particle in this place, (See in Heb: Ps. iv. 8. cx. 3. Prov. iii. 14. Is. x. 10. Job xxxv. 2.) and so it is rendered by Junius & Tremel. and Piscator. I have rendered abekat (npax) powders, rather than perfumes, as. more literal; and as comprehending gold dust, which was a grand article of commerce, and probably here alluded to. |