O my God,' though he knew that will required that he should sacrifice his life. And after he had assumed human nature, and began to be a 'man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,' he cries, I have a baptism to be baptized with,' alluding to his sufferings, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished!' Nor is the Saviour less ready, now he is exalted to power and to glory, to fly to the salvation of his people. How often hath his church in the most perilous circumstances experienced his delivering hand! And how often have we as individuals found him to be a very present help in 'time of trouble!' 2. Our next observation relates to the gradual manner in which the beloved discovers himself -upon the hills-behind the wall-and through the windows of the choisk. Commentators apply this to the gradual discoveries of Messiah under the Old Testament, which was like the shining light which shineth more and more un'to the perfect day.' In the antediluvian ages he appeared as on the distant mountains, shrouded with a morning cloud; by the revelations made to Abraham and his family, he drew nearer, and was more distinctly seen; but in the types and emblems of the Mosaic economy he displayed himself with great beauty, and in great glory. Under this dispensation lived the writer of this poem. We know that he saw the Redeemer's glory, and spake of him, not only in this song but in some of the psalms, and, as they are commonly understood, in several chapters of the Pro verbs. This dispensation introduced the gospel, in which the voice of the Redeemer calls up his church to arise and enjoy its privileges. Thus he speaks: Chap. II. Ver. 10—13. Bridegroom. Arise! my consort, my beauty, and come ( away, For, behold! the winter1 is past; The rain is over-is gone. The flowers appear upon the earth: The time of the singing2 [of birds] is come: land: The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs : The vines, [with] their tender buds3 yield fragrancy: Arise! my consort, my beauty, and come ' away.' Winter. The word no, used only in this place, is generally considered as a Chaldee word, and the Jewish critics draw a mystery from it, on the supposition of its referring to the Babylonian captivity. But Mr. Parkhurst derives it from the Hebrew np, to stir, disturb, q. d. The disturbed season; and observes from Niebuhr, that the Arabs call their winter Schitte. 2 Time of singing,' . So R. Sol. Farchi, Aben Ezra, and other Jewish, with most Christian writers. But the LXX read The time, rns rouns, of cutting,' i. e. prun ing vines, which it is admitted the word may signify, and which agrees well enough with the season. The former sense, however, I have preferred as most poetical, and consonant to the other images. 3 Tender buds.' Our translators read grapes, but this is carrying the season too far. Dr. Gill says smadar, D, signifies to flower. So Symmachus renders it here by ovaven, the vine blossom, and the Vulgate by florantes: The LXX, however, render it, xupil, to bud; and in chap. vii. 12. by xungiopos, a bud-the budding of a flower, which agrees exactly with the marks of the season-for the vines and roses bud and blow very nearly at the same period. Both eastern vines and roses, when in bloom, are extremely fragrant. See Harmer on Sol. Song, p. 138, 189. Ff In examining the literal sense of this passage, we must be struck with the beautiful description of an eastern spring: one circumstance only requiring an illucidatory remark; namely, that in Judea, and the neighbouring countries, the rains are periodical, and when the spring-rains are over, which is about the end of April, a succession of fine weather follows, without those changes to which we are subject. There is no doubt but if this passage be allegorized, it must be referred to the gospel dispensation compared to the spring', in which I hope we may be allowed to trace the following resemblances. 1. The spring is preceded by the winter: so the times of the gospel were preceded by ages dark, barren, and tempestuous, especially in the heathen world. The apostle Paul calls them 'times of ignorance,' and it is very evident they were times of great wickedness. They sat in ' darkness and the shadow of death.' 2. The spring is a season of fruitfulness. Now the flowers blossom, the figs gather sweetness, and the vines yield fragrancy; so, under the gospel, those nations who in time past were barren 1 So Theodoret, and the Christian commentators in general; and not these only, but certain of the Jewish writers, as quoted by Bp. Patrick. Benjamin Tudelensis, for instance, in the conclusion of his Itinerary, expressly applies these words to the coming of Messiah; confessing that Israel cannot be gathered to their own land till the time of the singing of birds come, and the voice of the turtle; and till they come who preach glad tidings, saying alway, The Lord be praised!' and unfruitful, have become fruitful in every good word and work: And individuals who be fore conversion are barren toward God, or bring forth none but the wild and poisonous fruits of nature, when quickened when quickened by the grace of God, "bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" fruits of righteousness, and holiness, and peace. • For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all 'people'.' 3. The spring is a season of love and joy, both which ideas are expressed by the voice of the turtle and the singing of birds'. So the gos. pel is a dispensation of love and joy. What is the gospel message but a display of the love of God to sinners? What, but love, is the principle of gospel holiness? God's love is the argu ment, not only of our love to him, but to one another just as the love of a tender father is not only a ground of gratitude from the children, but of mutual love between each other. 1 Isa. lxi. 11.. 2 The eastern poets feign the nightingale to be in love with the rose, because they both appear together in the spring. So Hafez: The beauty of the age of youth returns again to the meads; joyful tidings from the rose 'arrive to the nightingale of the sweet songs.' Sadi reckons the nightingale as the herald of the spring: Bring, O nightingale, the tidings of spring; leave all unpleasant " news to the owl.' The author of Bahur Danush joins the strain of the bulbul,' (or eastern nightingale) with the cooing of the turtle dove.' Jones's Pers. Gram. p. 19, Bahur Danush, vol. III. p. 180. The gospel is also a dispensation of joy. There is joy in heaven over every repenting sinner ; and there is joy also in the church of God, over every addition, to their number. But especially is there joy in the heart of every converted sinner, so soon as he is assured of his interest in evangelical blessings. 4. The spring is a kind of resurrection of nature, which appears as if dead during great part of the winter season: but in spring the flowers, the trees, and the herbage are all renovated, as by a new creation. We have observed above, that the gospel found the world, as it finds every individual, in a state of barrenness and death.→→ Men are by nature dead in trespasses and sins, until a living principle of faith is by grace im. planted in their hearts. 5. The causes and progress of this renewal in nature and grace,' are strikingly analogous. Winter, it is well known, is brought on chiefly by a change of the relative position of the earth and the sun. It is not that the sun is really weaker in itself, but from this change of position its rays falling obliquely upon the globe, are weakened in their effect; the earth gets gradually cooler, and the long nights and short days, greatly contribute as well to the coldness, as the gloominess of winter. So it is in the other case. Sun of righteousness is eternally the same. glory and his strength admit of no diminution. But the fall has so placed us, that, in our natural state we receive not the direct beams of his grace; but only, if I may so speak, the oblique bles The His |