Meditations on the Song of Solomon-A Miller

8/9/2019 Meditations on the Song of Solomon-A Miller

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Meditations On The Song Of Solomon

By Andrew Miller

http://www.biblecentre.org

"My meditation of him shall be sweet." - Psalm 104!4

"Song o'er all songs transcendent; Mighty theme!

Amid the lovely, lovelier still.

Amid the loty, more maestic still,

More richly, more seraphically raght

#ith msic rom the everlasting hills $

%n awe, in reverence, and yet with oy,

&rn we to listen to thy sacred tones;

And rom the world and the world's din removed,

%n sweet retirement, rom the oo( o )od,

&o cherish contemplation on each line,

*eplete with meanings high and wonderl,

%ndited by the +ord, the omorter!

Metrial Meditations

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#OT$

AS &67 ollowing Meditations were more the e8pression o my eelings, than any

attempt at e8position, when they were written, % have not thoght it right to alter a singleword in a second edition. As sch, they remain as a memorial o my e8perience at that

time. And % can trly than( the +ord or any measre o commnion with 6im that istraceable in these pages. &hat 6e may contine to bless the little boo( to many precios

sols is my most earnest prayer. A.M. +ondon.

P%$&A'$

A& the re9est o many o the readers o "&hings ew and ld," the "Meditations" now

appear in a separate volme. And here % may state what % thoght and elt in commencing

these stdies on the anticles.

Amidst the incessant calls to pblic labor in +ondon, it re9ires great diligence and

watchlness, to maintain the sol in lness and reshness sited to the +ord's service;and nless the sol inds ways and means o drin(ing or itsel at the ontain head, it

will soon become nproitable in ministry. 7very resh service oght to be the reslt oresh, personal commnion with the living 6ead, the ontain o all spply. othing short

o this will meet the need. &here mst be enoyed association with the Sorce o lie and

blessing, in order to become the channel o lie and blessing to others. Ability, howevergreat, git, however distinct, are not enogh withot personal commnion.

% anything be allowed to come in between the heart o the servant and his Master, his

service will be marred. "


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as it were, to the inner temple o the Savior's heart, is srely the greatest privilege and

blessing we can now enoy.

% have ths reely e8pressed my thoghts and eelings, in the hope that some may behelped and encoraged thereby. Many (nown to me, who have a willing heart or service,

eel pressed or time. 7ngaged in bsiness dring the day, and with meetings almostevery evening, when or where is the time, they may trly say, or drin(ing in= % am

amiliar with the diiclty. t it is a mch happier thing to be overpressed with serviceor the +ord, than hardly to (now how to ill p yor time. e than(l! &he very

pressre, when the Master is beore the mind, separates the heart rom the scene arond.

othing else will; and the moment the hands are reed rom the seclar they are ready or the spirital.

t, ater all, the one grand personal 9estion is $ 6as hrist 6is right place in my heart,

and 6is trth its right place in my ways= % so, all other things will natrally all into

theirs, and divine light will shine on all my path.

&he +ord grant that this may ever be the case with both reader and writer, or 6is own

name's sa(e. A. M. +ondon.

'antiles 1

&67*7 is nothing which the men o this world dread more than solitde and relection.

&hey wold rather be over pressed with engagements than have leisre or thoght. &heconscience, ill at ease, will at sch times lit p its voice; bt its warning voice mst be

hshed by that convenient word dty, and its honest speech is soon and willingly

orgotten. Sins $ many sins $ are there, and the thoght o )od as the dge o sin is

dreadl. &he condition o the sol is sch that it cannot bear the light, thereore dar(nessis loved. &he activities o this present lie are soght and welcomed, that the crshing

weight o relection may be escaped. &he pleasres o the world, too, in de time and place, serve a similar prpose.

&hs every care is ta(en that solitde may be avoided, and that there may be no

opportnity or calm and serios relection. &he solemn and eternal realities o the sol

have no portion o thoght or time allowed them; the higher, nobler, and better part oman is totally neglected, and let ncared or, and nprovided or, notwithstanding its

deep, pressing and eternal need. "


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solitdes o the sol's separation rom the world, where the scene is radiant with the

presence o the Savior, and oyos with "&he Song o Songs." &he wider the separation

rom the world, the deeper the commnion, the richer the blessing. %n heart and spirithaving no sympathy with it; and, really, thogh in it yet ar away rom its bstle and all

its nhallowed scenes. A mighty chasm now separates believers rom this present evil

world: "&hey are not o the world," says hrist, "even as % am not o the world," &he position o hrist in resrrection is the deinition o ors as seen in 6im. &he calm,

relective 9iet o the sol in commnion with the -erson o the e8alted +ord, is what

characterises its sweetest moments while here on earth. &hese may be ond in thechamber o sic(ness, the rral scene, or in the very seat and centre o this world's

activities. All depends on the state o the heart. &o be alone and yet not alone, how

blessed!

ant. : . "&he song o songs, which is Solomon's." t why call this precios little boo(, "&he Song o Songs"= st becase it is Solomon's, or rather, hrist's, who will in

de time be ing in @ersalem, in tre Solomon glory. n the same principle 6e is called

"ing o (ings, and +ord o lords." -re$eminence in all things is 6is. &here are manysweet songs in scriptre. Moses, Miriam and her maidens, Beborah, and Bavid, all sang

sweetly o the +ord's goodness. %t is said o Solomon himsel that "his songs were a

thosand and ive"; bt this one he styles "&he Song o Songs." %t ar srpassed them all.

%t is the deep melody o hearts illed with holy love, and inding their spreme delight inits ll and ree e8pression. "#e love him becase he irst loved s." h! to be able at all

times to sing the song o the Savior's love, with the heart and with the nderstanding

also.

"May each, may all, that master$(ey o trth $

%ts reerence to hrist $ throgh grace attain,

And, holding irm the torch o scriptre$light,

omparing boo( with boo(, and te8t with te8t,

7nter the precincts, otherwise obscre,

meditation on '&he Song o Songs.'"

ant. : . "+et him (iss me with the (isses o his moth." #hat nsspecting, pre, and

impassioned aection breathes in this remar(able address. %t is li(e the artless, yet ardent,(indling o aection between the nearest (indred when they meet ater a long absence. So

engrossed is the heart with its obect, that orms, ceremonies, and all srronding

circmstances are entirely lost sight o. &he happy consciosness o the place which shehas in 6is heart carries her away. 6ow ew there are in this world that one cold so

inormally and aectionately address: and yet this is the langage o a saved sinner to the

holy Savior. Bost tho, my sol, nderstand this= o dobts, no ears are in the heartthat can ths address the divine ridegroom $ the gloriied @ess in heaven. Many now$a$


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days thin( it presmption to have ll, perect nmisgiving conidence in 6is grace and

love, and i they dare ventre to trst 6im, it is with many dobts and ears; and that, too,

ater 6e has written 6is love to lost sinners in characters o blood, and engraven it as onthe ace o the roc( or ever. #hat mst sch thin( o the boldness o the bride= &hat she

has orgotten hersel, her place= Ah! no. &he secret is this: the conscience, having been

cleared o all sin by the one sacriice o the once lowly @ess, the heart is now ree andhappy in the presence o the risen and gloriied hrist. And this is all that any gilty

sinner needs to ma(e him eel at home and happy in the chamber o the ing, namely, the

blood o hrist or the conscience, and the -erson o hrist or the heart. 7very blessingwill be ond olded p in these two. 7very hristian has both. +ord, help them to believe

it!

%n this blessed little boo(, mar( well, my sol, there is no mention o sin, pardon, or

stiication. #hy is this= &hese 9estions had been previosly settled, and now the heartis enoying ll and perect liberty in the +ord's presence. All sch 9estions, in every

case, are settled when the sinner is irst broght to the eet o @ess $ settled on the solid

grond o the Savior's inished wor( $ never, no never again to be raised, so ar as )odand aith are concerned. Satan, and the nbelie o or own hearts, may see( to distrb

the eternally settled 9estion; bt all sch thoghts shold be treated as coming rom sch

sorces. "% (now that whatsoever )od doeth, it shall be or ever: nothing can be pt to it,

nor anything ta(en rom it." >7cc. 0: 1? 6ence, the heart that (nows these things is ree,happy, and at home in the immediate presence o the +ord, and that, too, in the highest

sense. "+et him (iss me with the (isses o his moth."

6ere, the heart is breathing ater, not the sense o orgiveness bt, a more direct

demonstration o 6is love. She is occpied with 6imsel. ot so mch with any o 6is9alities, or with any particlar (indness she has received rom 6im, as with 6imsel

personally. 6aving 6im she has all 6is 9alities and all 6is (indness; as she says, "+et6%M (iss me." She has no idea o e8plaining o whom she ths spea(s. &here is acondensed as well as an e8pansive energy in love. %t reminds s o the loving and

bereaved heart o Mary when she said, "Sir, i tho have borne 6%M hence, tell me where

tho hast laid 6%M." 6e was irst and last in her mind, no one else was in her heart romwhom to distingish 6im, and there was none with whom she cold compare 6im. She

(new o no one else to be thoght o, or cared or. othing cold satisy her heart bt the

-erson o her +ord, dead or alive. #ondros aection! h, that 6e had sch a place inthis poor heart o mine! "A little while," and 6e shall have it all and or ever. h! hasten

the happy day, my +ord, tho well$beloved o the chrch, &hy bride.

%n holy scriptre we ind a (iss is the to(en o reconciliation, the pledge o peace, and the

e8pression o aection. %t is said o Bavid and @onathan, that they "(issed one another,and wept one with another, ntil Bavid e8ceeded." > Sam. C: 1? Sweet illstration o

the tre Bavid, ever e8ceeding all or love. "#here sin abonded, grace did mch more

abond." And @oseph, too, "(issed all his brethren and wept pon them, and ater that his

brethren tal(ed with him." >)en. 12: 2? And, again, the ather (issed the prodigal whilehe was yet in his rags. And wold sch demonstrations o love be too mch to as(, or

e8pect, ater he was cleansed rom all his deilement, and clothed in the best robe=


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Assredly not! %s it too mch then or the bride in the anticles $ or the believer in @ess

$ to desire sch an e8pression o the +ord's love= ertain we are that she desired it, not

becase she had any dobt o its being there, bt becase she delighted in itsmaniestation. +ove can only be satisied with love.

" -eter : 5?

&he vine tree has its roots in the earth. &he aDarite, while nder his vow, was to taste

nothing that was made o the vine$tree, rom the (ernels even to the hs(. >See m. 3?

6e was to be entirely separate rom the pleasres o the world nto the +ord. 7very

believer is a aDarite, according to the blessed +ord's own vow. "t % say nto yo, %will not drin( henceorth o this rit o the vine, ntil that day when % drin( it new with

yo in my


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ant. : 0. "ecase o the savor o thy good ointments thy name is as ointment pored

orth, thereore do the virgins love thee." ow she gives s some idea o 6is name, "&hy

name is as ointment pored orth." &o her heart it is most ragrant. All 6is names, titles,attribtes, and relationships are most sweet to her taste. 6is name is 6imsel. %t is

e8pressive o 6is natre, e8cellencies, and graces. She is at a loss to tter the riches o

6is goodness, thereore she says, "&hy name is as ointment pored orth." &he savor o6is ointment is not conined to hersel; those associated with her share in its prosion.

&he attendant virgins are attracted and rereshed by the sweet odors o 6is name. 6appy

thoght! %t is not an ointment sealed p, bt "pored orth." h! what ellowship there isin the love o @ess! 6ere pase a little, my sol, and meditate on the lness o the

name o @ess: "


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&hese are its mingled permes! holy oil

Men cannot by, and may not contereit,

t lowing o'er or mystic Aaron's head,

'&will reach 6is lowest s(irts; and bless 6is saints.

A savor nto lie. &hereore they love,

&hereore in love increase eternally."

ant. : 1. "Braw me, we will rn ater thee." &he more we (now o hrist, the more

shall we desire to (now o 6im. &he nearer we are to 6im, the more shall we desire to be

drawn nearer still. As -al says, "&hat % may (now him," yet none on earth (new 6im sowell. And, again, "&hat % may win hrist," Iet never was saint more sre o his priDe than

-al. 6e cold say in trth, thogh a prisoner in *ome, and in want, "


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name o the +ord," and, "Away with him, away with him! crciy him!" Sch, alas, is the

brie dration o hman poplarity! At last they illed p the measre o their sins. &heir

relationship with )od was bro(en. &he Messiah was ct o $ the testimony o the 6oly)host was despised $ and, or the time, all was gone, as to the (ingdom.

evertheless, the word o the +ord shall stand ast or ever. Man's nbelie and sin neverma(e the aithlness o )od o none eect. %n the redemption accomplished by hrist, a

ondation was laid or the tre restoration o %srael, in grace, according to thechangeless prpose o )od; and or placing the children in the ll possession and

enoyment o all the blessings promised to the athers. "ow % say that @ess hrist was a

minister o the circmcision or the trth o )od to conirm the promises made nto theathers." >*om. 2: 5? othing can be plainer than the predictions o )od's word as the

tre reign o the +ord @ess, in connection with the throne o Bavid, and the whole

hose o %srael. corse, 6is reign and 6is glory will not be conined to the restoredtribes and the land o %srael; bt @ersalem and the cities o @dah will orm the earthly

centre o 6is millennial (ingdom; st as the heavenly @ersalem, the city o the living

)od, will be the heavenly centre o the many connecting circles o 6is heavenly glory.>6eb. : $1?

t as or meditations are o "the ing," we will dwell a little on the prophecies which

reveal and nold 6im to s in this character. "


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ings : 0E? &his is a principle o immense

importance, not only with %srael and the chrch, bt with the individal hristian. &he

same great principle is reerred to by the apostle when he is handling the sbect o%srael's reection and restoration. "ecase o nbelie they were bro(en o . . . . t as

toching the election, they are beloved or the athers' sa(es.


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oaD $ which signiies in him is strength $ now esposes, with all his heart, the case o

the eeble remnant o 7limelech's hose. 6e is a type o the risen hrist, who was

"declared to be the Son o )od with power . . . . by the resrrection rom the dead.">*om. : , 1? #hat ma(es this pictre so perectly beatil, is the circmstance, that

*th had no direct claim on oaD. 6e was not the nearest o (in; so it was all grace.

%srael, as well as the )entiles, mst now come into the inheritance on the grond o pregrace. "And *th bare a son . . . . and aomi too( the child and laid it in her bosom, and

became nrse nto it," and the women said, "&here is a son born to aomi." &oching

scene! +ovely grace! &he widow's heart is made to sing as in the days o her yoth. &hedesolate one is become, as it were, a mother o children. &he bereaved bosom is again

illed with a living heir. All is oy. 6ere, we have preigred in the most lovely way, the

ll restoration o %srael to honor, glory, and dignity in the land. &he tre oaD will, ere

long, ta(e p the case o the )od$earing remnant, and re$establish %srael in the land,pon a new ooting altogether. &his is the oyos theme o nmberless scriptres.

&a(e a sample. "And the )entiles shall see thy righteosness, and all (ings thy glory; and

tho shalt be called by a new name, which the moth o the lord shall name. &ho shaltalso be a crown o glory in the hand o the lord, and a royal diadem in the hand o thy

)od. &ho shalt no more be termed that is, my delight is in thee?, and thy land

elah >that is, married?, or the +ord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.">%sa. 3? And again, "&hereore, behold % will allre her, and bring her into the

wilderness, and spea( comortably nto her. And % will give her her vineyards rom

thence, and the valley o Achor or a door o hope; and she shall sing there as in the dayso her yoth, and as in the day when she came p ot o the land o 7gypt . . . . and % will

betroth thee nto me or ever; yea, % will betroth thee nto me in righteosness, and in

dgment, and in loving (indness, and in mercies. % will even betroth thee nto me in

aithlness; and tho shalt (now the +ord." >6osea ? h! wondros, matchless grace!&he grace o )od in hrist @ess to the chie o sinners! +ove is the spring. )race lows.

&he lost one is ond. +ove is ever the same. &he +ord loves %srael $ 6e loves the chrch

$ 6e loves the individal believer. 7very sol that is drawn to 6im 6e loves with a perect love. &he deeper love and oy are 6is. "&he (ing hath broght me into his

chambers."

ant. : 2, 3. "% am blac(, bt comely, ye daghters o @ersalem, as the tents o edar,as the crtains o Solomon. +oo( not pon me becase % am blac(, becase the sn hath

loo(ed pon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the (eeper o

the vineyards; bt mine own vineyard have % not (ept." &he bride has spo(en o the

ing's embrace, 6is love, 6is name, and 6is chambers. ow, stirred p by somethingthat has occrred, she calls to mind, and reely conesses, what she is in hersel; at the

same time, as happily airming what she is in 6is sight $ needed trth at all times, i we

wold preserve a well$balanced mind. &he more thoroghly we (now the worthlessnesso the lesh, the more shall we appreciate the worthiness o hrist, and the better shall we

nderstand the wor( o the 6oly Spirit. #hen the total depravity o hman natre is not a

settled reality in the sol, there will ever be consion in or e8perience, as to the vain pretensions o the lesh, and the divine operations o the Spirit.


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t thogh, in or meditations on the words o the bride, we have rn into these practical

details, we by no means thin( that sch thoghts were in her mind, @ewish e8perience

being more o an otward, temporal, and typical character.

&he blac(ness o which she spea(s is e8ternal. %t is a dar(ness o comple8ion $ she is

snbrnt; the warning word o the prophet has come to pass "&here shall be brninginstead o beaty." >%sa. 0: 1? And becase o this, she eels (eenly the crios gaDe o

the daghters o @ersalem. "+oo( not pon me, becase % am blac(, becase the sn hathloo(ed pon me." &he time was when the daghter o Fion was beatil and glorios, a

praise in the earth. "&hy renown," says the prophet, "went orth among the heathen or

thy beaty; or it was perect throgh my comeliness, which % had pt pon thee, saith the+ord )od." >7De(. 3? t becase o her ingratitde and naithlness, she had been

redced to the sad condition o a poor snbrnt slave. &he prophet @eremiah also in his

"+amentations" over the downall o @ersalem, describes in the most toching manner,not only what she once was, bt what, throgh aliction and sorrow, she had become.

"6er aDarites were prer than snow, they were whiter than mil(, they were more rddy

in body than rbies, their polishing was o sapphire. &heir visage is blac(er than a coal;they are not (nown in the streets; their s(in cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is

become li(e a stic(." #ell might he e8claim, in the bitterness o his sol, "6ow is the

gold become dim! 6ow is the most ine gold changed!" % sch, oh my sol, be the

awlly evil, bitter, and sorrowl rits o sin in this world, where "mercy reoicethagainst dgment," what mst they be in the world o woe, where hope perisheth and

where despair seiDes pon the gilty sol= anst tho loo( bac( to the cross and see thy

sins, all thy sins dged there, and pt away or ever! )od and aith alone (now the power o that cross $ and glory in its eternal eicacy. &hen, dge all evil in thy heart and

ways lly now, (nowing that hrist was dged or it there. &hat which was impted to

hrist shall never be impted to thee. "lessed is the man nto whom the lord impteth

not ini9ity and in whose spirit there is no gile." >-s. 0?

#hen % see that the sin which % morn over was borne by @ess, and that 6e pt it away

or ever by the sacriice o 6imsel, all gile departs. % have no desire to hide, e8tenate,

or e8cse my sin. %t was pt away on the cross, and is now pardoned on that grond. %nthe presence o sch love and goodness, ear is cast ot. % am ree and nreserved; and %

can only praise the +ord or 6is bondless grace to me.

&he term "blac(" is generally sed in scriptre as e8pressive o aliction, sorrow, and

persection. "My s(in," as @ob says, "is blac( pon me, and my bones are brnt with theheat." >@ob 0C: 0C? %t is emphatically so with disobedient %srael. t here, the conession

is sweetly copled with aith in hrist, and so becomes, morally, the trthl e8pression

o all believers. "% am blac(, bt comely." lac( as sin in mysel $ whiter than snow inhrist.

&his will be the langage o the )od$earing remnant in the latter day, who shall have

passed throgh the depths o @acob's troble; or sorely scorched indeed shall they be, by

the brning heat o "the great triblation." ot only shall they ser persection nderAntichrist, the great oppressor, bt even their own brethren ater the lesh shall be trned


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against them. "6ear the word o the +ord ye that tremble at his word; yor brethren that

hated yo, that cast yo ot or my name's sa(e, said, +et the +ord be gloriied: bt he

shall appear to yor oy, and they shall be ashamed." >%sa. 33: 2?

&his, we believe, is what the now oyos bride reers to. "My mother's children were

angry with me: they made me the (eeper o the vineyards." +i(e another *th, thevineyards which she was compelled to toil in, became her own. And happy now in the

love o her great Beliverer and rich +ord, she cold reely spea( o what she had passedthrogh, and what she still was in her own eyes, "lac( as the tents o edar $ comely as

the crtains o Solomon."

&he sons o %shmael, it is said, se the rogh, shaggy s(ins o their blac( goats or theotward covering o their tents. And, to the traveller's eye they have an intensely blac(

appearance in the desert, beneath the rays o a bright sn. And, most srely, were man in

his best estate, placed nder the beams o the brighter Sn o *ighteosness, blac(er ar

than the wild Arab's tent wold he be. 7ven o a brning lamp, as one has said, when

placed in the rays o the sn, nothing can be seen bt the blac( wic(. t, oh! thricehappy thoght, i the sense o or ncomeliness shold still troble s, it no longer

trobles the blessed +ord. 6e has removed it all and or ever rom 6is own eyes. Andaith's eye sees with 6im. &he dgment o )od, and the dgment o aith, are ever the

same. &hy sins which were many are orgiven. &he blood o @ess hrist cleanseth s

rom all sin.

&he e8pression, "crtains o Solomon," may have reerence to the beatil veil o (ingSolomon's temple: the type, we (now, o the holy hmanity o @ess. All believers shall

yet be conormed to the new perect Man in heaven, the 6ead o the new creation. "As

we have borne the image o the earthy, we shall also bear the image o the heavenly." >

or. 2: 1C? &he "daghters o @ersalem," here introdced, are evidently distinct romthe bride, thogh intimately connected with her, as may be seen rom the important place

they occpy in this beatil scene. % the ride be the representative o the beloved city,@ersalem $ the earthly capital o the great ing, the daghters o @ersalem may

represent the cities o @dah, 6ence we can nderstand their presence and place on so

many occasions, yet never reaching the position o the bride in the estimation o the

ing. According to the word o the +ord, @ersalem mst ever have the pre$eminence."


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&here are three things, my sol, in this beatil verse, which well deserve thy serios

meditation.

. &he earnest aection o the heart. She does not say, observe, " tho whom my sol"oght to love, or even desires to love, bt " tho whom my sol loveth." &here is a

bright lame o love in her heart to the -erson o her +ord and Savior. She loves6imsel. "&ell me, &ho." &his is nearness, "Me," "&ho," $ "&ho," "Me." 6appy

condition or a sol! #hat, my sol, (nowest tho o this=

&he word appreciation seems more itly to e8press the little % (now o this blessed matter,

than the idea o the sensations o an earnest, ardent aection. #hat is there in e8istence, %

in9ire, that % care more or than my Savior $ that % wold preer to 6im= #hat is this=%s it love= #ho else $ what else $ is loved more=

t, oh! the day draws near, when these eyes shall see the ing in 6is glory. &hen shall

this cold, dll heart be ravished with 6is beaty, and brn or ever with a pre lame o

perect love or 6im alone.

"Soon shall my eyes behold &hee,

#ith raptre ace to ace;

ne hal hath not been told me

all &hy power and grace

&hy beaty, +ord and glory,

&he wonders o &hy love,

Shall be the endless story

all &hy saints above."

. She desires rereshment and norishment directly rom 6imsel. "&ell me . . . . wheretho eedest thy loc(=" She goes not to the shepherds o %srael, who cared more or the

leece than the loc(; bt to the chie Shepherd 6imsel. She had been broght to 6im as

ing, now she appeals to 6im as Shepherd. li(e Bavid o old, 6e is the Shepherd$ing;

and oh! how graciosly, lovingly, and tenderly, will 6e yet gather the now scattered sheepo %srael. othing can e8ceed the grace and beaty o the ollowing verses. "


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eed them in good pastre, and pon the high montains o %srael shall their old be; there

shall they lie in a good old, and in a at pastre shall they eed pon the montains o

%srael. % will eed my loc(, and % will case them to lie down, saith the +ord )od." >7De(.03?

0. 6er heart longs ater the noonday rest o 6is highly avored loc(. "&ell me . . . .where tho ma(est thy loc( to rest at noon." -ersonal commnion, divine norishment,

and 9iet rest, are the rich blessings her sol now earnestly breathes ater. #earied withthe ritless search or rest and rereshment apart rom )od, she longs ater the green

pastres and the still waters o 6is love and grace. &hose who have wandered on the dar(

montains, ncheered by the light o )od's contenance, (now their dreadl barrenness.t when restoration is ll and happy, the tender blade is sweeter than ever. &he bride,

having tasted the blessedness o commnion with the +ord, now desires that it may be

increased and ninterrpted.

&he thoght o being sspected by others o insincerity greatly trobles her. "


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to the 9estions. And most important 9estions, srely, they are. #hy is this= %s the

eloved not delighted in hearing sch 9estions as(ed by 6is loved one= 6e does not say

so, important thogh they be. 6e is delighted with hersel, and assres her o 6is delightin the strongest terms. " tho airest among women." 6is love is nchangeably the

same. 6appy thoght! othing in her ways $ nothing said o her by others can ever alter

the aections o 6is heart or 6is bride, althogh, alas, there are many things said anddone by her that 6e cannot approve o. &he believer, personally, is perect in hrist, and

in 6is sight. 6e is "stiied rom all things" bt practically he is ll o ailre.

%n the present instance, 6is address to hersel, and 6is answer to her 9estions, breathes a

dierent spirit. #hy is this= again % as(. My sol wold (now the Master's mind. h orone bright gleam o the 6oly Spirit's light on the sacred page. &hen shold % (now, not

the letter o scriptre merely, bt the thoghts and eelings o the mind rom whence it

lows. +earn, then, my sol, that approval is never e8pressed in scriptre, save whenconsistent with trth and holiness. h! how oten we pray or what we have! 6ow oten

we as( or light and direction as to or path, when the light o a clodless s(y shines on

the way in which we shold go. atrally, the sheep is the most wandering creatre in theield.

%s there not something in that little word "i" which seems to imply that 6e e8pected she

wold have (nown the pathway o 6is loc(= As i the +ord had said $ Srely tho

(nowest. My mind on all these 9estions, as the Shepherd o %srael, lies plainly beorethee. #hy not read, my love, and nderstand= 6e cannot pbraid, yet 6is love is aithl.

As 6e said to -hilip, "6ave % been so long time with yo, and yet hast tho not (nown

me, -hilip=" 6ow gently 6e leads! 6ow (indly, even the reb(es o 6is love!

hristian ellowship, as taght in the word, is oten very little thoght o by yong

converts. &hey ollow, generally spea(ing, where it will be most convenient or mostagreeable to themselves, withot any e8ercise o conscience, as to whether they are

ollowing in the ootsteps o the loc(. &hey may be right, or they may be wrong, as totheir path, bt they have never prayerlly e8amined the word o )od to ascertain 6is

mind on the sbect. 6ad the chrch contined ndivided, as it was at -entecost, there

wold have been no need or sch e8ercise and e8amination; bt seeing the proessing

chrch is now bro(en p into so many sections, it becomes every child o )od to searchthe scriptres, that they may (now and do 6is holy will.

%t is sorrowl to ind, however, that many o the +ord's dear ones cont this sbect

nimportant, non$essential. &his thoght, let me aectionately say to all sch, never came

rom the ible. %t is most dishonoring to )od and inrios to the sol. &he trialsthrogh which we ind the bride passing in the dierent parts o this boo( seem entirely

owing to her neglect o the instrctions here given. #e eel assred, that ne8t in

importance to the sol's salvation, is chrch commnion. % the hristian be carelessabot this matter and not e8ercised as to the +ord's mind he will be sre to ollow his

own will. And then what mst the conse9ences be= )od is robbed o 6is glory 6is word

is set aside; the Master is not ollowed; the Spirit is grieved and the sol loses its


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reshness. Jnder sch circmstances, "irst love" soon declines, and peace and oy give

place to dobts and ears.

omparatively ew, we believe, long retain, in divine reshness their irst love. &he livelysense o the +ord's "great love" to s, and how 6e has met all or necessities, is soon bt

eebly remembered! &his is alling rom or irst love. And why is this= %n place o goingon to (now the +ord more lly, and see(ing only to please 6im, we choose or own way,

ollow or own will, and thereby grieve the 6oly Spirit: hence, dar(ness creeps over themind, the light is, as it were, sht ot, and we become eeble and ncertain abot

everything.

&he +ord spea(s o two (inds o rest in Matthew , which it may be well to notice here."ome nto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and % will give yo rest." &his is

the immediate git o 6is love throgh aith in 6imsel. All who believe, withot

e8ception, have this rest. All or weary and ritless eorts ater salvation are broght to

a close when we come to @ess, and the heavy brden o sin nder which we groaned is

or ever removed. t the +ord rther says, "&a(e my yo(e pon yo, and learn o me;or % am mee( and lowly in heart, and ye shall ind rest to yor sols." *est o conscience

6e gives throgh the orgiveness o or sins, when irst we believe in 6im. *est o heartwe ind in obedience and sbection to 6is will. "&a(e my yo(e pon yo, and learn o

me . . . . and ye shall ind rest" $ rest and peace in every circmstance, however trying.

&his te8t e8plains why so many get into troble o sol soon ater the oys o conversion;and why, when diiclties appear, thogh they may (now the orgiveness o sins, they

are neasy and restless. Sbection to hrist in the details o lie, both socially and

ecclesiastically, and learning o 6im, are lost sight o. &o be nder the same yo(e with

hrist is to wal( side by side and step by step with 6im. "&a(e my yo(e pon yo." &hiswold indeed be wal(ing closely with the +ord and ths wold we srely "ind rest" or

all or wea(ness wold all on 6im. #hen two are yo(ed together, the strong one canhelp the wea( one along; and srely, the most eeble hristian when nder the same yo(ewith @ess the mighty ne, need ear no diiclties. othing can be a diiclty to 6im.

All needless ears wold vanish rom 6is presence, and or chariot wheels wold move

lightly throgh the deepest sand o the desert.

t it will be said by some, that all this is clear enogh as to individal wal( andholiness, bt or ecclesiastical path and position are not so plainly revealed. othing

wold be more nseemly than or yong hristians to be sitting in dgment on the

dierent denominations o proessing hristians. t all may, and it is incmbent on all, both old and yong, to in9ire into the +ord's mind on this important matter. #e have

both individal and corporate responsibilities; and the word o the +ord tells s as plainly

o the one as o the other.

othing, srely, cold be plainer, on the sbect o chrch ellowship than Matthew 5:C: "#here two or three are gathered together in my name, there am % in the midst o

them." 6ere we have plainly laid down the tre ondation o all christian commnion $

hrist the centre, and believers gathered to 6im by the 6oly Spirit. %t is not said, observe,#here two or three meet, or where two or three gather, bt where two or three are


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gathered. &hs reerring to a gathering power, and not to the mere choice or e8ercise o

the hman will. &he 6oly Spirit, we all (now, is the power that gathers to the name o

@ess. >@ohn 1, @ohn 3? hrist is )od's centre $ 6is Spirit the power o gathering to thatcentre $ 6is children, those that "are gathered." &his is the chrch o )od. And this is

what we are to search or, not in word or in spirit merely, bt in an embodied orm.

"% will pray the


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nable to tell the dierence between one section o the proessing chrch and another, bt

% need be at no loss to ascertain i either be according to the word o )od so plainly

revealed. *ather, then, let me as( 6im to (eep me rom every bye$path $ rom ollowingmy own will; and that 6e wold lead me by 6is 6oly Spirit in the way o trth. t,

my sol! never orget that 6e has pledged 6imsel to be where disciples are gathered to

6is name. &here they eed, and there they rest. 6is presence is enogh to ill the sol tooverlowing. "%n thy presence is lness o oy." &he most attractive ministry $ the most

ascinating observances $ the most loved associations, are not hrist. &hey may, or they

may not, have 6is sanction. #hat % desire, what % need, is to be where aith can say orcertain, hrist 6imsel is there.

"


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happiness. h! may )od gather the many precios lambs o @ess in these last days to the

tre old o the Shepherd and ishop o sols.

"'&is the treasre %'ve ond in 6is love

&hat has made me a pilgrim below,

And 'tis there when % reach 6im above,

As %'m (nown all 6is lness %'ll (now.''

ant. : E, C. "% have compared thee, my love, to a company o horses in -haraoh's

chariots. &hy chee(s are comely with rows o ewels, thy nec( with chains o gold." ow,

6e spea(s o hersel entirely. &he sbect o the 9estions is dropped, 6is address isdirect and personal. And oh! how ll and ree are the e8pressions o 6is admiring love.

"% have compared thee, my love . . . . thy chee(s are comely . . . . thy nec( with

chains."

6ow oten the hman mind invests with attractions the obect o its admiration, and thenloves and worships its own image. ot so the divine mind: there, all is real. &he +ord

invests the bride o 6is heart with 6is own attractions, and then admires her. 6e loved

her, adored be 6is name, beore there was anything abot her to admire. &his is divine.")od commendeth his love toward s, in that while we were yet sinners, hrist died or

s." 6aving adorned her with 6is own e8cellencies, there is now nothing to oend 6is

eye, or grieve 6is heart. "&ho art all air, my love; there is no spot in thee." "ld thingsare passed away; behold, all things are become new." She has the same lie and position

as her risen, living +ord h! what dignity, glory, and blessedness!

%n the greatness o 6is love 6e "gave himsel or s." And now, as the crciied and risen

@ess, we are ellow heirs with 6im. "ot as the world giveth, give % nto yo." >@ohn 1:4? &he world gives a part and (eeps a part, bt hrist gives all. "&he glory, which tho

gavest me, % have given them." >@ohn 4: ? %n admiring 6is bride, thogh she is still in

the wilderness, 6e is consistent with 6imsel, or she is perect in 6is own perectness.*ebe(ah was enriched and adorned with the ewels o %saac, long beore she reached his

mother's tent.

"%n 6aran ths

&he (indred o *ebe(ah wondering saw

&he newly$given splendor; bracelets rich

ircled her arms; and pendant on her ace

&he weighty proo o %saac's bonty shone,


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%n vale 9estionless. And cold she dobt,

old any dobt, who saw her dec(ed with these,

6is covenanted love and bonteos heart,

whom they were the spar(ling messengers="

And o the bride o @ehovah it is said, "% dec(ed thee also with ornaments, and % pt bracelets pon thy hands, and a chain on thy nec(. And % pt a ewel on thy orehead, and

earrings in thine ears, and a beatil crown pon thy head. &hs wast tho dec(ed with

gold and silver . . . . And thy renown went orth among the heathen or thy beaty; or itwas perect throgh my comeliness, which % pt pon thee, saith the +ord )od." >7De(.

3?

ant. : . "#e will ma(e thee borders o gold with stds o silver." A chain o gold, we

(now, is the to(en o promotion, high avor, and dignity, as in the case o @oseph andBaniel. t what meaneth these wonderl words o the ing= 6e has been admiring 6is

bride $ her "rows o ewels" $ her "chains o gold," and now 6e is moved to do yet more

or her: "#e will ma(e thee borders o gold and stds o silver."

Some have thoght that the mystery o the 6oly &rinity may be reerred to in the plral"#e." %n the words o creation it was said, "let s ma(e man in or own image, and ater

or own li(eness." And in the wor( o redemption, we (now, the opportnity came or

the maniestation o the dierent -ersons o the )odhead. "% a man love me," says @ess,"he will (eep my words; and my


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&here is always something in the manner o the +ord's love most gratel to the heart. 6e

says to hersel what is in 6is mind. &his meets the irst desire o love $ personal

commnion. #ell does @ess (now how to ill the heart with deepest oy. t will italways be so= Ies, yes, my sol! 6is love shall endre or ever. 6e changeth not. 6e is

the same yesterday, today, and or ever. %n the past, the present, and the tre, 6e is the

same. t oh! how the heart delights in being so immediately, so individally, sodistinctly addressed by 6imsel. Amongst the myriads o the redeemed, not one is

overloo(ed, or neglected by 6im. "6e loved me, and gave himsel or me," will be the

thrilling note in the song o all. 6is love, in its eternal sweetness and lness, ills allhearts to overlowing, and trns all hearts into harps o sweetest melody, to sond orever

6is n$beginning, never$ending love.

"+ove that no tonge can teach,

+ove that no thoght can reach;

o love li(e 6is.

)od is its blessed sorce,

Beath ne'er can stop its corse,

othing can stay its orce;

Matchless it is."

&here is divine wisdom, and instrction or the sol, in the selection o 6is irst

comparison. "% have compared thee, my love, to a company o horses in -haraoh'schariots." &he mystic bride o the tre Solomon is here reminded o 7gypt, ot o which

6e redeemed her with an otstretched arm; and o "-haraoh," rom whose iron grasp 6e

resced her. Most sggestive reerences to the children o %srael, and morally, to s. &he

trth o )od is a circle. &he love that delivered s ot o 7gypt, that brings s intoanaan, with all its mercies by the way, is a perect nbro(en circle o grace and trth.

And, moreover, every part o that circle shall be held in everlasting remembrance. &he

grace that meets s in the world, condcts s to the heart o )od, its native ontain. "tnow, in hrist @ess, ye who sometimes were ar o, are made nigh by the blood o

hrist." >7ph. : 0?

&he chariot$horse, with its gorgeos trappings, may be the symbol o strength, symmetry,switness, royalty and willingness in service. o sooner has the charioteer ta(en his seat,than his steeds are in readiness to move o. &hey become impatient o delay, the raising

o the oot, the movement o every mscle, plainly tell him, that i he be ready, they are

9ite ready. And then, how sbect, notwithstanding their power, to the slightest toch othe giding rein. Seest tho, my sol, in this ready, willing service a air representation

o thine own= %s it so= r, alas! what= o switness, no symmetry, no consistency, no

sbection to the giding hand. #hat! %s it so= 78amine all thy ways beneath the glance


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o the Master's eye, %s there one thing on earth that tho woldst dread more than to be

trned ot o 6is service= *emember, remember! that thogh as a son tho shalt be in

thy


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&he heart never rises to the point o worship ntil it rns over. &hen it has nothing to as(

or. &re worship is the overlowing o the heart. And oh, how sweet, how precios, how

blessed it is! #hen the 6oly Spirit ministers o the lness o @ess to or sols, howsoon the heart rns over! And this overlowing o the heart, with the lness o hrist, is

tre, heavenly worship. 6ence the important dierence between a prayer, and a worship

meeting. #e shold come to the ormer with empty vessels, and so cry to the +ord, as iwe wold storm the heavens, rather than go away withot or answer. t to the latter,

we shold come thoroghly sel$dged, well prepared to east on the ing's dainties $ the

spoils o 6is victory $ the rits o redemption. &hs shall we ind or every need met,and or every desire satisied. And have we nothing to as( or at the table= othing

nless the ing has orgotten something yo need $ e8cept it be or a larger heart. &o be

in the presence chamber o the +ord $ the holiest o all $ and to be easting on the rich

provisions o 6is table; what can we be bt satisied; what can we do bt praise, admire,adore, love, and worship the +ord or )od and -s.

11: ?

#e are taght the same trth by or blessed +ord in @ohn 4: 04, "%n the last day, that great

day o the east, @ess stood and cried, saying, % any man thirst, let him come nto me,and drin(." %n vain shall we see( to become the means o rereshing and blessing to

others, nless we drin(, and drin( daily and deeply, at the ontain$head or orselves.

7very resh testimony or hrist shold be the reslt o resh commnion with 6im. h!how needl or the servants o the +ord to remember this. 78. ? &hs close to the well, he was in a position to be helpl

to the seven daghters o the priest o Midian and to his loc(. &his scene may spea( ohrist opening the ontain o redeeming love to 6is bride, bt srely it is a most


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&hy air and glorios bride srvey,

Jnblemished in thy sight."

ant. : 1. "My beloved is nto me as a clster o camphire rom the vineyards o 7n$

gedi." &he bndle o myrrh is hidden rom the eye in the breast, bt the clster ocamphire is an obect or the eye, and carried openly in the hand. Myrrh is the living ice

o the tree, which lows in drops throgh bro(en parts o the bar(, something li(e blood

rom the veins, or tears rom the eye.

"As myrrh new bleeding rom the tree,

Sch is a dying hrist to me."

&he lowers o the camphire tree grow in dense clsters and are beatil as well as

ragrant. "&hat hrist may dwell in yor hearts by aith," is the prayer o the apostle. And

we are to be "Always bearing abot in the body the dying o the +ord @ess, that the liealso o @ess might be made maniest in or body." > or. 1: C?

6ow widely dierent the line o thoght sggested by a tree in ll blossom, and one,

wonded and brised, and the lie$ice lowing rom its veins! &he one is the symbol o

death, the other the power o lie. &he tender bd inding its way throgh the hard bar( o winter is always a stri(ing and interesting illstration o resrrection; the blossoms and

the rit are the maniestations o the power o lie and o the rich blessings to man. &he

little seed that is cast into the grond, and pon which the clods are heaped, may seem or a time hopelessly lost; bt the reviving spring comes rond, and throgh the energy. o

lie, every srronding circmstance is mastered; the tender blade appears, and in de

time waves its golden grain in trimph over them all.

6ow sweetly all this, and more than this, was shadowed orth in Aaron's rod that bdded,throgh the intervention o )od in grace. >m. 4? %n one night the dry rod o Aaron $ a

piece o dead wood $ bdded, bloomed, and bore rit. -recios type o the risen @ess,

ritl now in resrrection! 6ere in types and shadows, we are taght that we need therisen @ess, as or great 6igh -riest to ta(e s throgh the wilderness and into the land o

anaan. )race reigns in priesthood and saves the people. othing short o the priestly

ministry o @ess can meet or need. 6e who died to ma(e s clean, now lives to (eep s

clean. >@ohn 0: $4? 6e is both or sacriice and or priest. &he blood o atonement,and the water o priication, both lowed rom the wonded side o @ess.

6ow lovely to the eye as well as ragrant to the heart is or risen, e8alted, and gloriied

+ord! 6is -erson $ 6is ministry $ 6is relationships are ininitely precios and ever the

same. "My beloved is white and rddy; the chieest among ten thosand . . . . yea, he isaltogether lovely. >ant. 2? "


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aections on things above, not on things on the earth." >ol. 0: , ? h! what clsters o

attractions are there, had we only eyes to see them, and hearts to vale them!

&he vineyards o 7n$gedi, we are told, were celebrated or their rich rits and costlyspices. &hat which is beatil to the eye, sweet to the taste, and ragrant to the senses,

was to be ond there in abndance. And amos, too, are these scenes, as havingrnished a hiding place or Bavid and his men when persected by Sal. > Sam. 1: $

1? &he ritl valleys below, and the strongholds in the montains arond, providedshelter, norishment, and rereshment, or )od's anointed (ing and those who had cast in

their lot with him.

Iet oh! how aintly do all the good things o earth shadow orth the nsearchable richeso hrist. All abndance comes rom 6im. &here is nothing rich that 6e has not enriched

$ nothing sweet that 6e has not sweetened $ nothing ll that 6e has not illed, and yet all

that we (now now o 6is lness, is bt as a drop to the ocean. 7very good thing cometh

down rom above; and all spea( o 6im. &he really good thing that is ond in the

creatre, reminds thee, my sol, o 6im in whom all perection centres, as the Manhrist @ess $ )od with s. As tho wal(est in the ield, or in the garden, in the valley or

on the montain, or in thy sal rond o daily dty, every second thoght may be o the"well$beloved" absent ne. &he bleeding myrrh and the blooming camphire may well

recall to thy mind the cross and the glory, and lead thee to thin( o 6im "who was

delivered or or oences, and was raised again or or stiication." >*om. 1: 2?

o tree ever bore sch rit or )od and man as the cross o alvary. &here, sin was ptaway according to the claims o the glory o )od; and there, too, the enemy was

van9ished and his whole power completely destroyed. &he cross is the ondation o or

pardon, peace, reconciliation, acceptance, and every blessing, both in time and in eternity.

%t is the procring case o all. &here, )od has been revealed in perect love, and perectrighteosness; as hating sin, yet loving the sinner. +ove trimphed in the cross; yet

holiness and stice, trth and righteosness, were displayed and gloriied. n this solidondation, the chie o sinners is lly and reely orgiven, the same moment he believes

in hrist; and his pardon is as perect as the wor( o the cross. Sin, and sins, were "pt

away" on the cross $ by the blood o @ess and on that grond, the sin o or natre, and

the many sins o the lie, are all orgiven throgh aith in that precios blood.


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)od throgh or +ord @ess hrist, by whom we have now received the reconciliation."

>*om. 2: $?

ant. : 2. "ehold, tho art air, my love; behold, tho art air, tho hast doves' eyes."#hat is it, some will as(, that can ma(e one deiled and deormed by sin, ths "air" to

the eye o @ess= #here, when, how, can it be ond= &his is all that is needed to ill tooverlowing the sol's cp o happiness! #hat wold all the riches, honors, and glories

o this world be, compared with hearing sch words rom sch lips! "ehold, tho artair, my love." Most trly, this is the sol's ineable blessedness! &he gospel o the grace

o )od, my riend, gives the answer to thy 9estion. now then, that when a sol is

drawn to @ess, it is received by 6im, and placed in the light o )od's presence, in the llvale o 6is inished wor(, and in the matchless beaty o 6is adorable -erson.

&his is grace $ the grace o )od in the gospel o 6is Son to every one that believeth. "All

that believe are stiied." And all that believe are "accepted in the beloved," throgh the

accomplished wor( o the cross. >7ph. , ? 6is precios blood cleanseth rom all sin. >

@ohn ? &hen oh, how "air"! "+et the beaty o the +ord or )od be pon s." >-s. EC:4? #hat perection o beaty this mst be! "&he beaty o the +ord or )od." 6ow air

or the corts above! &he beaty o angels will be perect ater their own order, bt thesinner saved by grace shall shine in the beaty o the +ord or ever.

All this % thin( % can believe, some may reply, bt oh, can sch a place $ can sch blessing

ever be mine= "elieve on the +ord @ess hrist, and tho shalt be saved," is heaven's

answer to every an8ios in9irer $ is heaven's declaration o perect grace to all. elievein @ess, trst in 6im, deiled and deormed as tho art, and sooner ar than thy thoghts

can trn rom one sbect to another, tho art altogether "air" in 6is sight. "nly

believe." &he wor( is inished "long, long ago." h! beware o that "deadly doing." &he

gospel seems too simple to admit o e8planation. %t is a report to be believed $ aninvitation to be accepted $ a voice o love beseeching thee to be reconciled to )od $ a

proclamation o pardon and peace by @ess hrist. >Acts C: 03; Acts 0: 05, 0E? ot,observe, the promise o pardon and peace, bt the preaching o pardon and peace. &his

ma(es a wonderl dierence. And observe, rther, that it is neither by law nor promise

that the sol is ths richly blessed; bt by @ess hrist. &he moment tho hast aith in

6im, thy orgiveness, stiication, and reconciliation, are proclaimed by the trth o )od.

&a(e one e8ample, as an illstration, o the ways o )od, in grace, with sinners. %n the

third chapter o Fechariah we see @osha standing beore the +ord 6e is a type o )od's

dealings, in grace, with @ersalem in the latter day. &his chapter is the history, % believe,

o how the bride o the ing is so "air" in 6is sight. &his is important as to or present9estion. %t is also the history o every sinner saved by grace. @osha is clothed in ilthy

garments. Satan is there to resist him. 6e always see(s to hinder the blessing o sols.

t the +ord shelters the deenceless one. 6e casts ot none that come to 6im. 6ereb(es and silences the adversary; and spea(s and acts or @osha. &his 6e always does.

e o good corage. &he ilthy garments are ta(en away; his sins are all orgiven. &here

is not a rag let or Satan to lay hold on. &hs cleansed rom all his deilements, "6e isclothed with a change o raiment." &he robe o )od is pt pon him. And now, how


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"air"! t this is not all. A air mitre is set pon his head. Srely, "&he beaty o the +ord

or )od" is now pon him! 6e is what )od, in "the e8ceeding riches o his grace," has

made him. "Jnto him that loved s, and washed s rom or sins in his own blood. Andhath made s (ings and priests nto )od and his


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esposed o the Savior, the Son o the


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the line o the tempter, "Ie shall be as gods." t the divine natre is content with the

place wherein )od has set it, ntil 6e says, "ome p higher."

t what o the old natre in the hristian= &he scriptres say plainly, that it came to itsend on the cross. "Ie are dead," is plain enogh. "And they that are hrist's have

crciied the lesh with the aections and lst." And again, % am crciied with hrist,nevertheless % live yet not %, bt hrist liveth in me; and the lie which % now live in the

lesh, % live by the aith o the Son o )od, who loved me and gave himsel or me." >ol.0; )al. ? #ere we to wal( in the light and power o this great ondation trth, hmility

wold characterise s. &he lesh, in its vanity and assmption, wold be mortiied; and

the mee( and lowly spirit o @ess wold be maniested.

"&he bird that soars on highest wing,

ilds on the grond her lowly nest,

And she that doth most sweetly sing,

Sings in the shade when all things rest.

%n lar( and nightingale we see

#hat honor hath hmility.

#hen Mary chose the better part,

She mee(ly sat at @es's eet.

And +ydia's gently opened heart

#as made or )od's own temple meet.


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&he ootstool o hmility."

#hen hrist is a complete covering to the eye, contentment ills the heart. #e can aord

to ta(e the lowest place. 7verything needed to ma(e s happy is ond in 6im. 6e is notonly air to the eye, bt pleasant to the heart. Many are air that are not pleasant, and

many are pleasant that are not air, bt hrist is both. "ehold, tho art air, my beloved,yea, pleasant." h! what combinations, what perections, what harmonies are ond in

@ess! 6ere, and here alone, the heart can ind rest $ 9iet, perect rest. 6ence the bridemost signiicantly adds, "Also or bed is green." &he green pastres, and the still waters

o @ehovah's plenteos grace have long been amiliar to or minds, as the e8pressive

symbols o the repose and rereshment o the sheep o hrist, nder 6is shepherd care."&he +ord is my shepherd, % shall not want. 6e ma(eth me to lie down in green pastres;

he leadeth me beside the still waters . . . . . -astres o tender grass . . . . waters o

9ietness," are the daily are o those whose eet are ond "by the ootsteps o the loc(."t the shepherd never pitches his tent inside the walls o the city. &here is no tender

bdding grass $ no waters o 9ietness there. tside the dingy walls, in the rral scenes,

6e rests 6is loc(. "&he city," dobtless, in this boo(, is typical o the world, the contry,o heavenly places. nly shame and sorrow beall the bride when she is begiled into the

city. &he ridegroom is never ond there, 6is avorite retreats are the vineyards, the

gardens, the montains o myrrh, the hills o ran(incense, and the valleys where the

lilies bloom.

t there is one word in these closing sentences which indicates ll, conscios, happy

ellowship with the "well$beloved." % mean that little word "or," "or bed is green . . . . .

or hose," "or raters." %t is li(e the precios little "s," "we," and "with," in the 7pistle

to the 7phesians. h! happy nion $ blessed nity, "or, s, we, with." 7ternal onenesswith hrist! ne in lie, one in righteosness, one in acceptance, one in peace, one in

rest, one in oy, one in heavenly, eternal glory!

@oyless indeed wold be the airest scenes o earth, and oyless, too, wold be the hoseo many mansions, withot the presence o the blessed +ord $ the divine ridegroom o

the heart. t the sre word o promise is, "And so shall we ever be with the +ord." And

again, "that where % am, there ye may be also." 7nogh! +ord! %t is enogh! #ith &hee

and li(e &hee! onsider this, my sol! 6ere is perect rest or thee $ calm repose. #ith&hee, and li(e &hee, +ord, or ever, in the -aradise o )od $ in the hose o many

mansions, ill p the ll measre o or eternal happiness, dignity, and glory.

"#ith 6im % love, in spotless white,

%n glory % shall shine,

6is blissl presence my delight,

6is love and glory mine.

All taint o sin shall be removed,


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All evil done away;

And % shall dwell with )od's beloved

&hrogh )od's eternal day."

'antiles (

ant. : . "% am the rose o Sharon, and the lily o the valleys." #hat a wondros thinggrace is $ the grace o )od to sinners! #hat mighty changes it eects in those who (now

it, as to their thoghts, obects, desires, and aections. %t gives s the mind o the +ord as

to what we are in 6is sight, and to 6is heart. 6ere, mar( it well, my sol, and meditatedeeply thereon. &he ontain is deep, drin( reely.

&o (now grace, is to (now )od, and 6is ll salvation by @ess hrist, throgh the

teaching and power o the 6oly Spirit. t a little while ago, and the bride was

conessing, "% am blac( . . . . blac( as the tents o edar," and now, throgh grace, shecan say, and say in trth, nothing dobting, "% am the rose o Sharon, and the lily o the

valleys" $ the very crown and ornament o Sharon $ the very beaty and sweetness o the

valleys. And mar(, too, that she says, "&he rose . . . . the lily." She spea(s not in generalterms o her attractions to the ridegroom, bt in the most deinite way. She is not vainly

boasting to others o what she is, bt addressing 6imsel directly, in the happy

consciosness o her own place in 6is heart. &here is ll commnion, or 6e

immediately adds, "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daghters." Andrther on in the boo(, 6e says plainly, "My dove, my ndeiled, is bt one, she is the

only one o her mother, she is the choice one o her that bare her." Sch is the

distingishing love and grace o or +ord @ess hrist, and sch is the special place

which the bride has in 6is sight. 6e always goes beyond her in the e8pression oaection. &his is most blessed to the heart. 6ow widely dierent is the beatil, ragrant

lily rom the lacerating thorn!

&here are many who say, when they hear sch trth, "h, % am not worthy o sch a place." Kite tre i yo spea( o yor own worthiness. t what place do yo thin( yo

are worthy o= % not this one, an inerior one, % sppose. t is this hmility= o, riend,

it is pride o heart. #e are worthy o no place at all in 6is presence. onse9ently, any place there mst be pre, sovereign grace. &o be within the threshold, wold be as pre

grace as to be on the throne.

&he prodigal son, no dobt, thoght that it wold be very hmble in him to say, "Ma(eme as one o thy hired servants." t this was remaining pride and legality o heart, nothmility. All sch thoghts spring rom the natral heart, which is essentially prod and

legal, and tterly ignorant both o its own condition and o the grace o )od. &re

hmility is seen standing aar o, and conessing that it is not worthy to lit p so mchas its eyes to heaven. >+(e 5? &he prodigal had no more title to be received as a servant

than as a son. 6e had oreited all claim on the grond o righteosness. 6e had bt one

plea to oer; namely his pressing need. 6e cold only be met in grace. 6ad he been met


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in righteosness, he wold have been condemned or ever. t grace reigns; nothing is

said abot his sins. 6e cold not have answered or one o a thosand. &he 9estion o

sin was settled between )od and hrist on the cross. And now, grace shines, and shinesin all its heavenly brightness. &he 7ph. : 4?

ant. : 0. "As the apple$tree among the trees o the wood so is my beloved among the

sons. % sat down nder his shadow with great delight, and his rit was sweet to my taste."

+earned men have searched and written mch, endeavoring to ascertain the particlar(ind o rose and lily that are reerred to in the irst verse, and the particlar (ind o tree in

the third. Most say that what is here called, "&he rose o Sharon," belongs to the lilyamily, and shold be translated, "&he arcisss o Sharon." Many dierent opinionshave also been given as to the particlar lower here meant by the "lily." And many good

and learned men have thoght, that in the irst verse we have the voice o the

ridegroom, not o the bride. And many, alas, who have written, and written mch, have been more occpied with the lowers than the persons. t srely in the second verse the

ridegroom owns the spea(er in the irst verse to be 6is loved one. "As the lily among

thorns, so is my love among the daghters." All are agreed that this is the voice o theeloved. %n the irst verse, we have no dobt, the bride is the spea(er. She is

ac(nowledging in oy o commnion, what 6e in 6is grace has made her; that all her

beaty in 6is sight, as well as the aections o her heart or 6imsel, are 6is own

creation. And in comparing hersel with these beatil lowers, she is only repeatingwhat 6e 6imsel has taght her.

t mar( well, my sol, that she says, "% am the lily o the valleys" $ not o the cities. %n

the 9iet vale she inds her native soil, and breathes her native air. &here she blooms, or

the eye o her eloved, and sheds her ragrance or 6is rereshment. "6e eedeth amongthe lilies." %t was in the city she lost the oys o 6is presence; and there she was inslted

and nveiled by the watchmen. &hese were her wandering, bac(sliding moments. h!


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how mch better or her, had she never let her native valleys! My sol, here pase a

little. Meditate on these things. At a distance $ ar rom the stream and spirit o this world

$ in heart ar rom its attractions, stdy that which will be pleasing to the eye o @ess, andrereshing to 6is heart. h! wondros trth! that 6e who is seated on the throne o )od

in heaven, and srronded with its glory, shold yet thin( at all o sch good$or$nothing

ones as we are, and, most o all, to be pleased and delighted or grieved and wonded, bythe character o or ways! Alas! that 6e shold be so re9ently wonded in the hose o

6is riends! h! is there one thing nder the sn, that shold give thee sch neigned

pleasre, as to please 6im= anst tho thin( o anything more nworthy o a hristian,than his see(ing to please himsel, and to ind pleasre in the things o the world=

7specially when he (nows, as men spea(, that it is to grieve the heart o ne whom only

he shold ind his spreme delight in pleasing $ the ne who died or him on alvary.

6aving well dged thy heart and ways on this solemn sbect, let thy care, love, andsympathy go ot ater others; especially the yong o the loc(, or the +ord's glory. 6ow

beatil to the eye o @ess now, and how rereshing to 6is heart, to see those or whom

6e died, wal(ing happily and steadastly in the ootsteps o the loc(, and eeding besidethe shepherd's tents. &here the tender bdding grass is ond, and the 9iet waters low.

t oh! how grieving both to the chie, and to the nder shepherds to witness, it may be,

a dear yong disciple, who seemed or awhile to be all heart or the +ord, yielding to the

argments o nconverted riends, and to the attractions o the world, and, by and by,ma(ing e8cses or a measre o conormity to the ashion o the world. Mst % give p

this $ and mst % give p that= sch will sometimes say. *ather thin(, my brother, my

sister, on what yo gave p in order to enoy these things. Most solemn thoght!


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green oliage o the citron boghs aords a most convenient shelter rom the rays o the

sn, and its delicios rit is most ragrant and rereshing. ompared with the common

trees o the wood, it mst be an obect o great beaty and interest to the eye o the wearytraveller. So the spose compares her eloved with all others. "As the apple$tree among

the trees o the wood, so is my eloved among the sons." &here is none li(e hrist. 6e is

the "chieest among ten thosand." She is in the ll enoyment o 6imsel. ot o 6isgits merely, blessed as these are, bt o 6imsel.

&here is now, observe, ll personal commnion. She is in the clodless light o 6is

avor. &he response is perect: "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the

daghters." "As the apple tree among the trees o the wood, so is my beloved among thesons." #hat has grace wroght! See where it leads to! old the @ew ever have reached

the bosom o )od by climbing the rgged clis o Sinai! Ah, no! %t mst be all grace

rom irst to last. 6ere we see perect reconciliation and commnion. &he +ord rests in6is love; as it is written, "6e will rest in his love, he will oy over thee with singing."

>Feph. 0: 4? &he bride, too, is now enoying perect repose in that nchanging love. "%

sat down nder his shadow with great delight, and his rit was sweet to taste." 6ere hersol inds rest, oy, and abndance. &he heart is eeding on hrist. 7very need is met. She

is in her own happy place now. She once had another place; the place, alas, o sin and

death. t the lord has delivered her ot o it, and broght her into 6is own $ 6is new

place as the risen Messiah. And this is now her place: she cannot be in both. "% raised theep nder the apple tree." &he apple$tree is hrist.

%srael, we (now, shall ere long be raised p rom their present condition o national death,

to enoy the blessings o the new covenant nder hrist. t they can only be raised p

by hrist, and come into blessing nder hrist. Mercy is their only grond, helplessnecessity their only plea, and hrist their only way. #hen it comes to this, all is well, or

ever well, both with @ew and )entile. %srael shall yet be gathered on this grond andnder this blessed 6ead. &hen shall they sit nder 6is shadow in the llest sense, andind 6is rit sweet to their taste $ the glorios rits o 6is wondros love in dying or

the rebellios nation.

"And so all %srael shall be saved: as it is written, &here shall come ot o Fion the

Beliverer, and shall trn away ngodliness rom @acob." >*om. : 3? "%n that day, saiththe +ord o hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor nder his vine and nder his ig$

tree." >Fech. 0: C?

"6ail, blessed scene o endless oy!

#here @ess shall or ever reign

#here nothing hrtl shall annoy,

t gladness ill the happy plain.


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one shall e'er sigh or shed a tear."

ant. : 1. "6e broght me to the ban9eting hose, and his banner over me was love." %n

meditating on the dierent scenes o delight, into which the happy bride is introdced bythe ing, let thy thoghts, my sol, dwell or a little on the sorce o these many

streams o happiness. %t is the believer's privilege to drin( at the ontain as well as at thestream. )od 6imsel is the sorce o all or blessing. &he pleasres which are at 6is right

hand can never be nmbered. t the deep, deep ontain o the sol's perect blessednessis the happy assrance that nothing was needed to trn the heart o )od to s. h,

precios trth! 6is love is li(e the ring that was pt on the hand o the prodigal, it has

neither beginning nor end. ")od is love." 6e changeth not. &hereore all the rich blessings o 6is love are secred to s or ever, by what 6e is in 6imsel. ot by what

we are, bt by what 6e is. "6erein is love, not that we loved )od, bt that he loved s,

and sent his Son to be the propitiation or or sins." > @ohn 1: C?

&his is the perect rest o aith $ the heart o )od $ the native ontain o all tre

happiness. 6ow can % dobt the love that gave an only$begotten Son= #hat an answer toevery 9estion! $ 6e gave 6is Son or me a sinner. ")od commendeth his love toward s,

in that, while we were yet sinners, hrist died or s." >*om. 2: 5? #hat is nbelie= ot believing how good )od is in giving 6is Son to die or s. #hat is aith= elieving in the

perect love o )od, and the git o 6is dear Son. "Lerily, verily % say nto yo, he that

heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting lie, and shall notcome into condemnation; bt is passed rom death nto lie." >@ohn 2: 1?

&he wor( o hrist was not needed to trn the heart o )od to the sinner, bt to trn the

heart o the sinner to )od. All scriptre reveals this blessed trth. %t was revealed in the

garden o 7den when man ell. &his was the irst occasion to bring it ot. &he gilty pair

soght a hiding$place rom the presence o the +ord behind the trees o the garden. tthe voice o 6im who came to see( and to save the lost, alls in gracios accents on their

ear: "Adam, where art tho=" Man is now a lost sinner, and )od is see(ing him. &he irstwords o redeeming love characterise the whole wor( o redemption. And the revelation

o )od's love in the prediction that the seed o the woman shold brise the head o the

serpent gained their conidence, we dobt not, and drew them rom their hiding$place

into the presence o )od. 7ver since then, and now, at this present time, when the sinner,throgh grace, believes in the perect love o )od, in the git and wor( o 6is Son, he is

broght to )od in aith, and in the ll credit o the death, resrrection, and glory o the

+ord @ess. &hs he is pardoned, and accepted in the eloved, and the desires o the hearto )od toward him are lly answered.

t thogh the love o )od towards s has ever been the same, there were many

hindrances in s to its ll and ree otlow. )od is righteos as well as love. 6e is holy

as well as mercil. 6e is ever consistent with 6imsel. t what love desired, wisdom planned, and power accomplished. &he removal o the hindrances proves the greatness o

the love. @ess came to do the will o )od. 6e inished the wor(. 6e pt away sin by the

sacriice o 6imsel. +ove, divine, eternal love, cold not do more than this. 6e abolishedsin by the sacriice o 6imsel. &o what end, my sol, was this great, mysterios


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sacriice! &he apostle answers $ "&hat he might bring s to )od." ot merely into heaven,

bt bac( to )od 6imsel. &o the (nowledge o 6imsel, and to perect reconciliation with

6im. "


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one new man." &his is what )od is now occpied with, and what we shold be occpied

with, namely, the new man; not the old man. 6ence we are e8horted to "pt o the old

man," and to "pt on the new man." >7ph. 1? t ere long the chrch, which is 6is body,the lness o 6im that illeth all in all, shall be complete, and caght p to meet the +ord

in the air, and so shall we ever be with the +ord. >7ph. : , 0; &hess. 1? &his will be

accomplished beore %srael can be owned again as the people o @ehovah. t thogh the@ews have been long set aside and chastised or their sins, the apostle assres s that they

are not cast o or ever, and that "the gits and calling o )od are withot repentance."

>*om. ?

&he time to avor Fion shall come, the time which )od hath set. 6e shall appear in 6isglory when 6e bilds p Fion. -s. C? &he word o the +ord shall stand ast or ever: the mere

theories o men shall come to noght.


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e8perience o the e8hasting and sstaining power o the +ord's gracios presence! h,

or a larger heart $ a more capacios sol!

ant. : 4. "% charge yo, ye daghters o @ersalem, by the roes, and by the hinds othe ield, that ye stir not p, nor awa(e my love, till he GsheH please." At the close o this

happy and clodless day, we leave the bride o the ing, in the repose which 6ischangeless love alone can give. &he banner o 6is love over her, the everlasting arms

nderneath her, she rests in 6is eternal embrace. She delights in what 6e is. 6ence shespea(s o 6is shadow, 6is rit, 6is ban9et, 6is banner, 6is let hand, 6is right hand. %t

is all, it is only, hrist. #hen the sol is ths occpied with 6im, 6e o all others is the

most carel that it shold not be distrbed. &he roes and the hinds are the most easilystartled creatres in the ield. And their sense o hearing is so acte, that a ar distant

sond o danger will alarm them. So (eenly sensitive shold we all be to the most distant

approach o that which wold interere with or wal( and commnion with the +ord; orthat wold in any way trn s aside rom the paths o practical holiness, and entire

devotedness to the +ord @ess hrist.

"&he startled roe, the timid, trembling hind,

See how they stand in watchlness intense,

oting the changel breeDe, lest on its wing

Some tones o distant peril shold be borne

% charge yo, daghters o @ersalem,

% charge yo by the roes and by the hinds,

Ie sons and daghters o Almighty )od,

e watchl too; $ be ealos over prayer,

#ith sensitive alarm observe and shn

#hate'er distrbs or threatens to distrb

ommnion with yor )od! $ the roving thoght,

&he sel$e8alting ancy, and the dobt

Mistrstively nst; come they not ot

Strggling to 9ench the lame o holy love

7n(indled in the sol, and intercept


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)lory's bright dawning rom the eager eye=

ant. : 5. "&he voice o my beloved, behold he cometh leaping pon the montain,

s(ipping pon the hills." #hen the sol has been maintained, or a length o time, inninterrpted commnion with the +ord, the aections become more lively, and the

desire or 6is retrn becomes more real and earnest. 6ast tho caght, my sol, thespirit o the loving and the loved Shelomith, in these blessed words= "&he voice o my

beloved, behold, he cometh." %s 6e indeed thy best beloved= %s there no voice to thee li(e6is= Art tho waiting and longing or 6im daily!

&here is a great dierence between a person believing in what is called "the doctrine o

the second advent," and a loving sol in the oy o commnion, earnestly loo(ing andlonging or the +ord 6imsel to come. 6ow little inlence the belie o the doctrine has

on the heart and lie, compared with having the -erson o hrist, as the all inlential

obect or the heart, and being li(e the &hessalonians, "waiting or the Son rom heaven,"

or li(e the bride waiting or the ridegroom.

"&he Spirit and the bride say, ome." %t is the heart o the bride that says ome, thogh

moved and stirred by the Spirit who dwells there. 6e gives s the happy consciosness o

the relationship, and the aections that belong to it.

#e are swit to hear, and 9ic( to recognise, the sond o the voice we love. &he well$(nown voice, and the amiliar name "Mary," thrilled her whole sol. And even when the

person spea(ing is too ar o or s to hear the words, the sond is enogh to toch the

chord that vibrates the whole heart, and awa(ens all its drowsy energies. "&he voice omy beloved," she e8claims, "behold he cometh." 6er whole sol is illed with

e8pectation. ow 6e is near. "&he +ord is at hand." +o, 6e comes! 6e comes! "+eaping

pon the montains, s(ipping pon the hills. My beloved is li(e a roe or a yong hart."6is eet are swit as hinds' eet.

%n place o nearness to the +ord in spirit lly satisying the heart, it really increases its

desires or the ller oy which 6is personal presence gives. #hat cold be more near,

more dear, more intimate, than the commnion which we have seen the bride enoying,

by aith, since the commencement o or meditations= &here has been no interrption toher oy, t decided progress in the apprehension o 6is love, and the enoyment o 6is

avor. Some have thoght, that in the passage beore its, there are signs o the heart

going bac( and getting ot o commnion $ dring the season o her repose; that theabndance o her privileges led to a measre o carelessness; and that her great spirital

enoyment was scceeded by a measre o declension. Sch a thing, no dobt, has oten

occrred, bt we see no signs o it here.

%s it when we are in commnion or ot o commnion that we desire the coming o the+ord= 7asily canst tho answer this 9estion, my sol. &here can be no real desire or

the +ord to come when we are not happy with 6im. &re, we are always sae in 6im, bt,

alas, we are not always happy with 6im. % we have gone a step too ar with the world, or neglected sel$dgment, we lose or happiness with 6im, and at sch times, we wold


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rather that 6e did not come. "-eter saith nto him, &ho shalt never wash my eet. @ess

answered him, % % wash thee not, tho hast no part with me." >@ohn 0: 5? 6e does not

say, observe, tho hast no part in me. &hat 6e cold never say. t he teaches -eter, ands, that i sel$dgment is neglected, i the daily deilements are not cleansed away "with

the washing o water by the word," ellowship with 6im is interrpted. 6e cannot go on

with ndged $ nconessed evil. "&ho hast no part with me," are words o deepestsolemnity. #hat woldest tho not rather part with, my sol, than part company with

thy +ord even or a day, or an hor= #here wold be thy power or wal(, worship, and

service= #hat wea(ness, what dar(ness, wold beset thy path! Shame may cover thyace, and sorrow ill thy heart, as tho placest thy soiled eet in 6is hands, or srely 6e

will see where tho hast been. t remember this, they never can be clean ntil 6e do it.

"% % wash thee not tho hast no part with me." % tho woldst wal( with @ess, and be

happy with 6im, tho mst wal( in separation $ in tre separation rom all evil $ rom allthat is contrary to 6is holiness, and nbearable to 6is natre. +ead me, +ord, in &hy

way, in this evil day, that so % may ever most earnestly pray or, and lovingly desire, &hy

coming!

"My lord delayeth his coming," is the langage o a heart that is see(ing present

gratiication in this world. "ome, +ord @ess, come 9ic(ly," is the langage o a heart

that is illed with love to @ess, and earnestly breathing ater personal nearness to

6imsel. %n the proportion that we enoy hrist spiritally, we shall long to see 6im aceto ace. %n the ew @ersalem, "&hey shall see his ace." #ho wold not long or this,

that has seen 6im even throgh a glass dar(ly= &his is always a test o the sol's

condition. #hen the hose is in consion, the wie is not waiting and longing or herhsband's retrn. o, she is occpied in getting things pt in order, and when everything

is straight and sch as he li(es, she begins to thin( o his coming, and longs to hear his

voice and see his ace.

%s it not enogh, some hristians say, that % (now % am 6is= #hy shold % be every dayloo(ing or 6is coming rom heaven= % (now my sins are pardoned, and that % am saved.

esides, % can trst and love the nseen Savior. So ar well, my ellow$hristian; bt is

this the voice o an earnest, loving heart, or o one that is cold and indierent as to 6is blessed -erson= anst tho thin( o all 6is love and grace, o all 6is serings, and

death or thee, and o 6is e8altation and glory, and not long to see 6imsel= Art tho not

longing or a glimpse o that ace, which shall ravish thy heart or ever, and ill thee withlotiest praise= #hat wold the absent hsband thin(, how wold he eel, were his wie

ths to spea(: "% (now % am his. &hat is enogh or me. % am satisied. esides, % am

hearing rom him daily, and receiving the assrance o his love, bt % never thin( abot

his retrn $ % have never once said $ Ma(e haste home. % never long to see his ace." Ah!my riend, my riend, how wold yo interpret sch a condition o things= #old yo

call this love or the absent one= #old it satisy yor own heart $ especially i yor love

had not cooled down= As the love o hrist never cools down, 6e eels at once the leastalling away in s. othing bt love will ever satisy love. "#e love him, becase he irst

loved s." hristian love is the relection o hrist's. &he more re9ently the loving wie

hears rom her absent hsband, the more is her desire 9ic(ened or his retrn. And thecommnications o his love by letter, only ma(e her long the more to see himsel. &he


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home circle may be perectly comortable, bt to her heart it wants the presence o one to

ma(e it completely happy. And while he is not there, nothing on earth can ill the blan(.

Alas, how little we eel the blan( which the -erson o hrist alone can ill!

%t is the +ord 6imsel, as Messiah the ing, that the loving spose so longs ater here.

"&he voice o my beloved, behold, he cometh." 6e has revealed 6imsel to her heart. Shenow enters, by aith, into 6is love and oy as the ridegroom, the ing in Fion. ow she

(nows and vales 6is love, and longs to possess 6imsel as her own Messiah. lessedchange! &he place where 6e was once despised and reected, by the daghter o Fion,

Meditations on the Song of Solomon-A Miller

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