The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 89

repetition, the dwelling upon phrases. Four times in these five verses we have the fond description of the bridegroom, which occurred for the first time in eh. i. 7, "him whom my soul loveth," Twice we have the utterance of unsatisfied longing, " I sought him, but I found him not." She was sleepiog, but (as in eh. v. 2,. "I sleep, but my heart waketh ") her thoughts were busy and active. Her whole heart .vas given to her beloved. Those oft-repeated words, "him whom my soul loveth," imply a very deep affection, e. great love. The believer remembers God in the watches of the night. The psalmist says, "In the night his song shall be with me, an<l my prayer unto the God of my life;" e.nd again, "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: e.nd my spirit me.de diligent search" (Ps. xiii. 8; lxxvii. 6). If our heart is given to the heavenly Bridegroom, we shall think of him as we lie on our beds; our first waking thoughts will be of him. Alas! our love for Christ is not like the bride's love in the Song of Songs. How few of us can in truth speak of the Saviour as "him whom my soul loveth" I The bride dwelt upon those words as the simple truth, the sincere expression of her feelings, We dwell upon them, too; but, alas! with a sense of much coldness and ingratitude, a remembrance of much insincerity and unreality. " God only knows the love of God ; Oh that it now were shed abroad Iu this poor stony heart I For love I sigh, for love I pine: This only portion, Lord, be mine, Be mine this better part." The Christian dwells on the words, longing for grace to make them his own, the utter- ance of his inmost heart. Here is the spiritual value of the Song of Songs, We see what a great love is; how it absorbs the heart and fills the soul. Such should be our love to Christ; such should be our" songs in the night" (Job x.xxv. 10). The bride sought her beloved in the visions of the night. We seem sometimes iu our dreams to be going on long trackless journeys, wandering ever in search of something we know not what. So the bride could not find him whom her soul loved. Such are sometime8 the experiences of the Christian soul. So Job ouce complained, "Oh that I knew where I might find him I that I might come even unto his seat! . . . Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him" (Job xxiii. 3, 8). The Lord has said, "Seek, and ye shall find;" "Every one that seeketh findeth." But he has also said, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say uuto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Those who seek shall surely find at last ; but the seeking must be diligent seeking, patient, persevering; there must be striving too, struggling to overcome obstacles, wrestling against the spiritual enemies who would bar our way. It is not enough to seek by night on our beds; there must be effort, sustained effort, not mere dreamy aspirations; and that not only by night, not only in the hour of darkness: "in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord" (Ps. lx.xvii. 2). We must seek the Lord always; in the hour of health and strength, in the days of our youth; giving him our best, doing all things to his glory. Such seeking will surely find him. 2. The seai·ch. "I will rise now," she says. 'fhe Hebrew tense is cohortative. She is addressing herself, arousing herself. Dreaming as she is, she feels that this is not the way to seek; she must leave her bed, she must rise. Perhaps she remembered the bridegroom's words spoken in the freshness of their first love: " Rise up, my love, my fair 0110, and come away." She seems to rise; in her dreams she goes about the city in the streets, seeking him whom her soul loved. We must arise and seek the Lord ; we must not lie still in careless slumber; we must seek him wherever his providence has set us, whether in tho quiet country or in the bustling, crowded city. We may find him in any place, provided it be one where a Christian may ~afely tread; in any employment, provided it be lawful and innocent; in the city, in the streets, and in the broadways. "There are ill this loud stunning tide Of human care and crime, With whom the melodies abide Of th' everlasting chime ; Who carry music in their heart Through dusky lane and wrangling me.rt, Plying their daily task with busier feet, Because their secret souls II holy ~train repeat." 'iS THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [en. m. 1-11,