The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 125

to the taste in hours of scorching beat. Some bad a value as medicines for the cure of disease, and for soothing burning pains. Some yielded rich perfomes (as spikenard), and &!lded to the joy of royal or marriage banquets. Others produced myrrh and rrnnkincenso, and were consecrated to Divine worship. Others, again, conferred a dolicious flavour to human food. Each and all had a mission of 11sefulness among mnnkind. So is it also in the Church of Christ. You cannot put finger on a genuine Christian who is not more or less a blessing to the race. His piety has a delicious savour in the circle in which ho lives. His prayers bring blessing upon a thousand bosoms. As God blessed Egypt for Joseph's sake, as God blessed Israel for David's sake, so for the Church's sake be often blesses the world. Every Christian is a light, illuminating the world's darkness. "Ye are the salt of the earth." Since Christ lived, and because he now lives in others, the moral and social aspects of the world are changed. Tyrannies have disappeared. War has lost its barbaric rigour. Industry is productive of substantial good. Agriculture prospers. Ill. OBSERVE THE DEPENDENCE OF THIS GARDEN UPON BOUllCES OF PROSPERITY OUTSIDE ITSELF. It needs the "fountain;" "the well of living waters;" "the streams from Lebanon." 1. This may well teach us that the (Jhurch needs God in the way of providence. While yet the Church remains on the earth it needs earthly good. It. needs, at least, toleration or sufferance from earthly governments. It needs human -teachers, and all the aids of human learning. It needs the use of books and printing. It needs material buildings for public worship. It needs earthly wealth to carry on all the agencies of instruction and of blessip.g. Likewise the individual disciple receives much from God in the way of providence. We have the priceless ministry of angels. We have the pillar of cloud, and the pillar of fire. We have the stimulating influence of godly companions. We have the benefits of parental teaching and holy example. We have the inspirations that come from the biographies of heroic men. These are wells in the desert; "streams from Lebanon." All that is requisite to make this garden fertile, rich in umbrageous shade, rich in luscious fruits, rich in aromatic spices, has been lavishly supplied. No lack can be found in tbe thoughtfulness of the husbandman. 2. Equally the Church needs God in the way of spiritual gifts. "Awake, 0 north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." The Hebrew word for "wind" means also "breath," or "spirit;" h!lnce we have here a striking emblem of the work of the Divine Spirit. To hilD belongs the sole prerogative to impart life to the trees of the garden. We invoke his presence because he is the Lord and Giver of life. For the largest prosperity of the Church the good Spirit of God is needed in all his offices, in all his fulness of power. A blustering gale from the north scatters noxious blight, but the soft wind from the south will quicken the flow of vital sap, and will nurse the tender blossoms into ruddy fruit. So do we often need that the Spirit of God should come like a northern tornado, and scatter to the ground our false hopes and flimsy errors and earthly ambitions. And we need him also as the Comforter, who shall reveal to us the virtues of our Divine Healer, and shall melt us into sweet obedience by the warmth of Immanuel's love. As the fragrant odours of flowers lie bidden in their tiny cells until the fresh south wind coaxes them forth, so, too, the precious graces of l he Christian remain concealed and slumbering within until the Spirit of life and power brings them forth, and diffuses them through the Church. Then do the disciples of Christ become "living epistles, known nnd read of men." "Awake, 0 north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden." "Come e.s the wind, the dew, the roin: Come, me.ke this heart thy temple-home; Spirit of grace, come as thou wilt, Our souls adjure thee-only come I " D. Ver. 16-cb. v. 1.-Prayer and its quick response. "Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits." "I am come into my garden." It is a sign of spiritu~l health when we heartily desire God's best gifts; when our prayer is the prayer of faith; when we I\Sk ann h'lve, But it is I\ siin of higher attainment yet SONG 01" SOLOMON. 1 114 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [en. 1v. 1-16.