bridegroom and bride have in each other, are in this book often. compared to wine. Chap. i. 2. ii. 5. v. 1. So wine was made use of in the tabernacle and temple service to represent both the comforts the church has in Christ, and also the gracious exercises and good works of the saints offered to God. See also Proverbs ix. 2, Isai. xxvii. 2, Hosea xiv. 7, Zech. ix. 15, and x. 7. The comforts the bridegroom and bride here enjoy mutually in each other are in the song compared to wine and milk, agreeable to Isai. Iv. 1; and also to the honey and honeycomb, agreeable to the frequent representations made of spiritual comforts in the scripture. The spouse here is represented feasting with the bridegroom. Chap. ii. 4. and v. 1. So the church of God is represented as feasting with him in the sacrifices and feasts appointed by Moses, and in the prophecies, Isai. xxv. 6, lv. at the beginning. God's saints are all spoken of as the priests of the Lord, Isai. Ixi. 6; but the priests eat the bread of God. What the spouse entertains her lover with is called fruits, chap. iv. 16, vii. 13, viii. 2; as the good works of the saints abundantly are represented elsewhere as fruit which the church brings and offers to God. The spouse is here compared to fruitful trees, chap. iv. 13, &c., vii. 7, 8. The saints are compared to the same, Ps. i. 3, and Jer. xvii. 8, and Isai. xxvii. 6, and other places innumerable. The spouse is compared to a flourishing fruitful vine, chap. ii. 13, vii. 8. So is the church of God often compared to a vine. The spouse's excellency is compared to the smell of Lebanon, chap. iv. 11. So is the excellency of the church, Hos. xiv. 6, 7. "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon." The fruits of the spouse are often compared to pomegranates in this song. Chap. iv. 3. 13. vi. 7. viii. 2. So the spiritual fruits of the church of God are reprerented by pomegranates in the tabernacle and temple. The spouse is in this song said to be like the palm-tree. Chap. vii. 7, 8. So was the church of Israel, whose representation were the seventy elders, typified by seventy palm-trees. Exod. xv. 27. So the temple was every where covered with cherubims and palm-trees, representing saints and angels. 1 Kings vi. 29. 32. 35, vii. 36, 2 Chron. iii. 5. So in Ezekiel's temple, Ezek. xl. 16. The spouse in this song is compared to a garden and orchard, to a garden of spices, and of aloes, in particular, ch. iv. 12, to the end, and v. 1, and vi. 2, which is agreeable to the representations made of the church. Num. xxiv. 5, 6. "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel. As the valleys are they spread forth, as the gardens by the rivers side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, as the cedar-trees be

side the waters." The spouse is compared to a fountain, chap. iv. 12, 13; so is the church, Deut. xxxiii. 28, Ps. lxviii. 26. The twelve tribes of Israel are represented by twelve fountains of water. Exod. xv. 27. The spouse is called a fountain of gardens, chap. iv. 15. So the church of God is represented as a fountain in the midst of a land of corn and wine. Deut. xxxiii. 28. And a stream among all trees of unfading leaves, and living fruit. And as a watered garden, Isai. lviii. 11, Jer. xxxi. 12. The spouse is called a well of living waters, chap. iv. 15. The blessings granted to the church, and by the church are represented by the same thing Zech. xiv. 8. "Living waters shall go out of Jerusalem." So Ezek. xlvii., where we read of waters going out of the temple and city of Jerusalem that gave life to every thing, and flowed in the midst of the trees of life. Another thing that is a very great evidence that this song is mystical, and that the spouse signifies not a person but a society, and the church of God in particular, is that she is compared to a city, and the city of Jerusalem in particular. Chap. vi. 4. "Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem;" and that particular parts of the spouse are compared to buildings, and strong buildings, as towers and walls. Chap. iv. 4. "Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armory whereon they hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." Chap. vii. 4. "Thy neck is like a tower of ivory-Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh towards Damascus. Chap. viii. 10. "I am a wall, and my breasts like towers." We find elsewhere people and societies of men represented by buildings, houses, and cities, but never particular persons. And the church of God is a society or people often represented in scripture by such similitudes, and particularly is often compared to a city with strong towers and bulwarks, and to the city Jerusalem especially, and that on the fortifications and strong bulwarks. account of her many

Again, it greatly confirms that the spouse is a people, and the church of God in particular, that she is compared to an army, an army terrible with banners. Chap. vi. 4. 10. "And as a company of two armies, or the company of Mahanaim." So the church of God when brought out of Egypt through the wilderness to Canaan, was by God's direction in the form of an army with banners. So the psalms and prophecies often represent the church of God as going forth to battle, fighting under an ensign, and gloriously conquering their enemies, and conquering the nations of the world. And the company of Jacob, that was as it were the church of Israel, with the host of angels that met them and joined them, to assist them against Esau's host, was the company of Mahanaim, or company of two armies, so called by Jacob on that account. Gen. xxxii. at the beginning.

So it is a great evidence of the same thing that the spouse is compared to war-horses, chap. i. 9, &c. which it is not in the least likely would ever be a comparison used to represent the beauty of a bride in a common Epithalamium or love song. But this is exactly agreeable to a representation elsewhere made of the church of God. Zech. x. 3. "The Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle." And ver. 5. "And they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies, as the mire of the streets in the battle. And they shall fight because the Lord is with them." And ver. 7. "And they of Ephraim shall be like mighty men."

Chap. i.

These expressions show this song to be mystical. My mother's children were angry with me," &c. If it is supposed to be used of the church, they are easily accounted for; they are agreeable to accounts in scripture history of Cain's enmity against Abel, and Esau's against Jacob; and their posterities enmity against Israel; and the prophecies that represent the future persecutions of the church, by false brethren.

Another thing that shows this to be no common love song, is that the spouse seeks company in her love to the bridegroom, endeavours to draw other women to join with her in loving him, and rejoices in their communion with her in the love and enjoyment of her beloved. Chap. i. 3, 4. "Therefore the VIRGINS love thee." "Draw me; WE will run after thee." "The king hath brought me into his chambers; WE will be glad and rejoice in thee." "WE will remember thy love more than wine." "THE UPRIGHT love thee." Chap. vi. 1, 2. "Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women; whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee? My beloved is gone down into his garden," &c.-Chap. viii. 13. "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice."

The bridegroom in this song speaks of his willing people, chap. vi. 12, which is agreeable to the language used concerning the people of the Messiah. Ps. cx. 2. (See Psalm xlv. No. 507.)

[96] Cant. i. 5. "As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." Kedar was a place where shepherds used to seat their tents and feed their flocks, a noted place for shepherds, as you may see, Isai. lx. 7. "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee." And Jer. xlix. 28, 29. Concerning Kedar. "Their tents and their flocks-they shall take to themselves their curtains." The people of Kedar it seems used to dwell in tents, in moveable habitations, and lived by feeding of sheep; and therefore the church is very likely represented by these, and it is agreeable to many other representations in scrip

ture, where God's people are called his sheep, his flock, and Christ and his ministers shepherds, and the church is also compared to a tabernacle or tents: it is fitly compared to moveable tents, for here we are pilgrims and strangers, and have no abiding place; these are the shepherds tents referred to in the 8th verse.

[458] Cant. i. 5. "As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." That the spouse in this song is compared to a tent, and to the curtains of the tabernacle and temple, is an evidence that this song is no ordinary love song, and that by the spouse is not meant any particular woman, but a society, even that holy society, the church of God. It is common in the writings of the Old Testament to represent the church of God by a tent, or tents, and an house and temple, but never a particular person. See Isai. liv. 2; Zech. xii. 7; Isai. xxxiii. 20; Lam. ii. 4. 6; Isai. i. 8. And the tabernacle and temple were known types of the church, and the curtains of both had palm-trees embroidered on them, which are abundantly made use of to represent the church. church of God is called an house, in places too many to be mentioned. The church used to be called the temple of the Lord, as appears by Jer. vii. 4. The church is represented by the temple, as is evident by Zech. iv. 2-9.

The

[461] Eccles. i. 9. "The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun," &c. It appears by the connection of these words with what went before, that the design of the wise man is here to signify that the world, though it be so full of labour, mankind, from generation to generation, so constantly, laboriously, unweariedly, pursuing after happiness and satisfaction, on some perfect good wherein they may rest; yet they never obtain it, nor make any progress towards it. Particular persons while they live, though they spend their whole lives in pursuit, do but go round and round, and never obtain that satisfying good they seek after. "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing," ver. 8. And as one generation passeth away, and another comes, (v. 4.) the successive generations constantly labouring, and pursuing after some good wherein satisfaction and rest may be obtained, not being discouraged by the disappointment of former generations, yet they make no progress, they attain to nothing new beyond their forefathers, hey only go round in the same circle, as the sun restlessly repeats the same course that it used to do in former ages, and as the wind and water after their running and flowing have got no further than they were formerly; for to the place from whence they came, they constantly return again; and as the sea is no fuller now than it used to be in former

ages, though the rivers have all the while with constant and indefatigable labour and continual expense of their waters, been striving to fill it up. That which goes round in a link, let it continue moving never so swiftly, and never so long, makes no progress, comes to nothing new.

[395] Cant. ii. 7. "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love till he please." In the 2d verse of this chapter is represented the church in her state of persecution; in the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th verses is represented the comforts and supports Christ gives her in this state of hers; in this verse is represented her duty in patience, meekness, and love to her enemies, and humble and patient waiting for Christ's deliverance, in Christ's trial while she is in this state of suffering. In the five following verses is represented Christ's coming to her deliverance, to put an end to the suffering state of the church, and introduce its properous and glorious day. In this 7th verse, it is strictly charged upon all professing Christians, that they should not stir up nor awake Christ till he please, i. e. that they should not take any indirect courses for their own deliverance while the church is in her afflicted state, and Christ seems to neglect her, as though he were asleep, but that they should patiently wait on him till his time should come, when he would awake for the deliverance of his church. He that believeth, shall not make haste. They that take indirect courses to hasten their own deliverance, by rising up against authority, and resisting their persecutors, are guilty of tempting Christ, and not waiting till his time comes, but going about to stir him up, and force deliverance before his own time. They are charged by the roes and hinds of the field, who are of a gentle and harmless nature, and not beasts of prey, do not devour one another-do not fight with their enemies, but fly from them, and are of a pleasant loving nature, Prov. v. 19. So Christians should flee when persecuted, and should not be of a fierce nature, to resist and fight, but should be of a gentle and loving nature, and wait for Christ's awaking.

The same thing is represented in the iii. chap. ver. 5. There as that chap. in the 1st verse, is represented the fruitless seeking of the church in her slothful, slumbering, dark state that precedes the glorious day of the Christian church, and then is represented her seeking him more earnestly when more awakened, ver. 2, and then the introduction of her state of light and comfort by that extraordinary preaching of the word of God, which will be by the ministers of the gospel, and then, in the 5th verse, is the church to wait patiently for Christ's ap