Prcciou8 fruit; litcmlly, jructus l.audum, not see a eymbol of the spiritual life in Anch "fruils of reuown" or excellence (cf. 8yriao language (cf. John vii. 38)? Ethically. at maqdo, "dl'iecl fruit"). 'fhe carcom, or lenst, the blending of the freshness of a so.flron, n ldnd of crocus (Ind. 8ajran), yields mountain stream with the luxuriance an<l 1ho saffron colour from its dried flower-eyes, fragrance of a cultivated gar<len is .cry usccl both 11s n cosmetic aud ns e. medicino sugl(estive. To an Eastern monarch, such (cf, Sansc. 1'ualmina). 'fho calamm, simply purity ancl modesty as Solomon found in 11, reed, the sweet reed, a corn indigenous to his bride must have been a rare excellence tho East. Cinnamon ( Quinnam,,n), Lauru8 which might well be made typical. l'innamomum, is indigenous on lhe east Ver. 16.-Awe.ke, 0 north wind; e.nd come, coe.st of Africa and Ceylon, found later in thon south; blow upon my garden, that the lhe Antibes .. The inner bark peeled off and spices thereof may liow ont. Let my beloved rolled together forms tho cinnamon bark come into his garden, and eat his precious (see Pliny, bk. 12). There e.re seven spices fruits. This is the answer of tl1e bride to mentioned. \Ve need not trouble ourselves the lavish praises of her husband. I am all to identify them nll, ns they are mostly his. She is yet unworthy of the king and Indian, e.nd such ns Solomon would fetch of his love until the seasonal changes have from the fe.r Enst in his celebrated ships. developed and unfolded and spread forth 'l'he description is highly poetical, and her excellences. The north represents cold ; simply mean's that all sweetness and at- the sonth, heat. Let the various influences tractiveness combine in the fair oue. But from different quarters flow gently over symbolically we mo.y see an alllli,ion to the the gnrden e.nd call forth the fragrance spread of the Church over the world, and and the fmita (cf. Esth. ii. 12). There is "all the glory .nnd honour of the nations" rich suggestion in such words. Whether being introduced into it, So the gro,ces of we think of the individual soul or of the the i'1,dividuo.l soul expand themselves under Church of Obrist, the true desire of those the influence of Christian truth e.nd fellow- who delight in the love of the Saviour is ship. •• that all the gifts and graces which can be Ver. 15.-Thon art a fountain of gardens, bestowed may make them worthy of him e. well of living waters, and !lowing streaDl.ll who condescends to call his people his from Lebanon, Referring, of course, to the delight. Surely it is no mere romantic i,lyll clear, cool streams coming down from the that is before us. Such significance cannot snowy heights. The sweet freshness of the be e. mere coincidence when it is so trans- country mniden suggested this. May we parent and so apt..
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-6.-The bridegroom with the bride. I. His PR.USE OF THE BRIDE. I. The earthly bridegroom. The bridegroom rejoices over the bride. She is wholly his. He enumerates her beauties; they are very precious to him; his great love lea,ls him to dwell on every point. The love of the espouse.ls (Jer. ii. 2), the young love of the newly wedded,. is a beautitul thing, very tender and touching; it leaves a fragrant memory behind-a memory treasured still after the lapse of many years, when the love of wedlock has become, not less true, not less blessed, but calmer and more mellow; and perhaps even more blessed, when no jealousies, no quarrels, have tended to put asunder those whom God bath joined .together, but love has continued to increase with increasing years, with less and less. of earthly passion, bnt more and more of holy tenderness and mutual self-denials for the loved one's sake. Such, alas I was not the lo\'e of Solomon. The fair promise, so very bright and beautiful at first, was soon blighted. Goi·ruptio optimi pessima. Nothing in this world is more beautiful and blessed than .that holy ~statt1 of matrimony which was instituted of God in the time of D)an's innocency, which God has consecrated t() 11uch an excellent mystery that in it is signified and represented the i,piritu~l marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church. And, ou the other hand, nothing is more degrading and ruinous than that sensual passion which is the c!).ricature of wedded love. The early goodness of Solomon, the bright promise of future happiness and usefulness which gilded his youth, excites au interest in him so personal, that it makes us foe! a real grief e.nd disappointment when we read that " King Solomon loved many strange women; " that "when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his'heart;" that "he went after Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians;" that he "did evil in the sight of the Lord." And so it came to pass that that briiht beginning ended in utter gloom, in the mouruful cry of dis- 9G THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [err. 1v. 1-16.