hart for strougth and swiftness, looking in through the lattice window, calli □ g to his beloved, o.ud inviting her to join him amidst the beauty, the fra\rrance, 0 and the freshnes, of the spring I So comes Obrist uuto the soul. J, TnE VOICE OF THE BELOVED, Jesus speaks in his Word and gospel, and his utter- ance is (1) Divine; (2) o.uthoritative; (3) gracious; (4) er.coura!rina; 0 0 and (5) welc,,me. There is no voice like his; he "spake as never man spake." II. 'l'HE GLANCE AND GAZE OF THE BELOVED. 1. Our Saviour's regard is one <,f interest. Never is his Church forgotten or neglected by him; never does lie withdraw his o.ttention or treat with indifference and neglect those for whom he died. 2. He makes himself acquainted with our state and our wants. 3. He looks with affectionatu kindness upon those who are dependent upon his favour and bounty. 4. Christ'~ gracious regard .awakens in the minds of his people a desire to know h'm more inti- mately. To see him once is to· wish to see him again; to see him now and here is to hope for the nearer and perfect vision hereafter. III. 'l'HE INVITATION OF THE BELOVED. We may notice in the ter.th verse: 1. The address-remarkably kind, familiar, and affectionate. 2. The appeal: " Rise up!" Is there slothfulness and inactivity? The summons of the Lord is enough to rouse to earnestness and animation. 3. 'fhe entreaty: "Come away!" Thus Christ calls his people to himself, and bids them seek his society, accept that spiritual companionship, desire that affectionate intercourse, which a.re the prerogative r,f those whom he loves. Even if to act upon this invitation be to leave all that earth can offer, still there is more than compensation for such loss in the joy and privilege of the peerless friendship of the Son of God.-T. Vers. 11-13.-Spring~time. In this poetical language there is an anticipation of that delight in rural scenery which we a.re accustomed to regard os distinctive of modern feeling and modern literature, But there is no doubt of the power of ardent love to. colour all nature to the eye of him who yields himself to the strong emotion- the power of ardent love to m.ake all this world melodious, fragrant, and fair. Emotion gives keenness to the sense and vigour to the imagination. And he whose mind is open, not only to the power of nature to elicit sentiment, bnt to its power to suggest spiritual truth, the seasons of the year and the shifting panorama of earth speak of a Divine presence and of a thousand sacred realities. I. WHAT SPRING-TIME BANISHES. "The winter is past, the rain is over and gone." There is a spiritual winter-the winter of darkness and gloom, of ignorance and error, of sterility and death, of vice and crime and sin. It was beneath the rigour and the depression of this winter that the world lay, in seeming hopelessness, until the Sun of Righteousness arose upon the world with healing in his wings. It i, well, whilst in the enjoyment of the blessings of the spiritual dispensation, to look back upon the winter of humanity, from whose dreariness we have been delivered. II. WJIA'l.' SPRING-TIME BRINGS. "The flowers appear on the earth; t.he time of the ~inging of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." There is a blessed spiritual spring, bringing beauty and fragrance as of flowers, and sweetnes, as of the music of the grove. Life is the distinctive note of the new and spiritual economy; and with spiritual life all good things come to us. The beauties and all the treasmes of the spring are emblems of peace. and joy, of purity and glad service, of obedience a □ d ?I"aise. The Easter of humanity is the sea.son for thanksgiving and triumph, for radiant hope and for inspiring song. Ill. WHAT SPRING-TIME HERALDS, "The fig tree ripeneth her green figs; and ths v~nes a.re in blossqm, they g~ve for.th their fragrance." The blossoms of the spri1:1g; tell 1,1s of the coming. fruit in a.bun~e,i.ce and lusciousness, Far off as the world's spmtual summer may 11e.em, the mission of the Son of God and the mission of the Comforter assure the faithful mind 'that there is a. harvest yet to come. He who could call life out of death, could banish the winter of humanity, can and will, in his own time, bring his work to perfection. The blossom she.II mature into fruit, the green of spring shall mellow into nutumn's gold. Fruit~,<?f the Spirit shall abound, and the heavenly Viuo- dresser and Husba.ndman shall be satisfied and glorified.-T.
V'~r. 15.-" T}ie little fo;r,es." 'l'he maid~n sings a vintage-song, or repeat~ tho 72 TRB SONG OF SOLOMON. [cu. n. 1-17.