Vern. 1-5.-The cliarm of ti-u.e beauty, The bride is now in the palace which is to be her residence of state. The veil is removed from her countenance, and as her royal l0,·er and spouse gazes upon her form and features, he is filled with admiration, and breaks forth in a poetical commendation of her loveliness. The langut\ge is the warm language of love, and the figures employed are more Oriental thau those whioh would be used amongst ourselves, But all is natural to an Eastern imagination, which revels in eulogium ,that to our colder taste would seem extravagant, The beauty of the figure and the face may be taken as emblematical of that higher beauty which attracts and satisfies the spiritual discernment. The description has been taken as applicable to "the bride, the Lamb's wife," faultless and flawless in the view of him who has purchased his Church unto himself. I. THE SPIRITUAL BEAUTY WHICH CHRIST DISCERNS IN HIS CHURCH IS HIS OWN CREATION. There is no excellence in man apart from God. 'l'he highest excellence to be found in human character and history is the effect of the Divine interposition of grace. God in Christ has created anew, and in his own likeness, those whom he has visited with his favour. The beauty of regenerate character and consecrated life is the beauty which the Holy Spirit has imparted. It is Divine grace which bestows upon the human soul the virtues and graces which make that soul admirable and invest it with a spiritual charm. "Nought God in us but his owu gifts doth crown." IL THIS sPmITUAL BEAUTY IS AKIN TO CHRIST'S OWN. The influence is well known which the marriage state exercises in the gradual assimilation to one another in character and habits of those wedded for long years. The resemblance between the Divine Head and his spouse the Church is so striking that none can overlook it. They who accept Christ's doctrine, place themselves beneath his guardianship, cherish his love, cultivate his society, are hereby transformed into his likeness. Who has not seen in faithful and devoted friends of Jesus traits of their Lord's spiritual character, lineaments unmis- takably his? The sympathy, beneficence, the purity and tenderness, the patience and self-denial, which are "notes" of the true Church, are evidently Christ's; from the Divine Lord, and from no lower source, have all these virtues been derived. III. !IE.NcE THIS SPIRITUAL BEAUTY YIELDS BATISFAOTION AND DELIGHT TO THE SAVIOUR RIMBELF. If it seems at first an extravagance to suppose that the Lord of all can find joy and complacency in beholding his Church on earth, the explanation must be sought in the principles just stated. Humanity was originally created in the image of God and for the glory of God. The purpose of Eternal Wisdom .in creating this human race was that his own attributes might be visibly and manifestly embodied and displayed., according to the measure of the creature, in his own highest handiwork on earth. Nor has this purpose been defeated by sin. The image sin has marred, the grace of God in Christ has restored. And it may be that the work of redemption brings out the moral and spiritual beauty in which God himself delights, with a bloom and charm and perfection which would otherwise have been impossible, Christ sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. .APPLICATION. The Church of Christ may well be encourage4 and cheered by the assurance that the Divine Spouse appreciates those spiritual excellences which are due to the operation of his own Spirit. "Behold, thou art fair, my love," is the language of the Bridegroom as he looks upon his beloved. And our Saviour is not insensible to those signs of grace, those revelations of spiritual beauty, which he daily discerns in his own. Those who would please Christ may well be animated by the knowledge that he never looks.with indifference upon the proofs of sincere affection, upon tue evidences of spiritual assimilation to himself. Well may the Christian adopt the language of St. Augustine, "Take from me, Lord, all that injures me and displeases thee, and give me all that is requisite to please thee; give me words, affections, desires, and works which may draw upon me thine eyes, thy delight, and thy love l ''-T. Ver. 7,--" Without spot." Purity is an element of beauty, and to I' mind judging justly on. 1v. 1-16.) 'l'llt SONG OF SOLOMON. 117
is also an element of nttractiveneRs, In the maiden he had brought from her mountaiu- hume on the slopes of Lebanon, the royal bridegroom admired a purity like that of the snow that c!otbes the summit of Hermon. She was meet to be the spouse of the king, who (speaking not only of the absence of any blemish of form or feature, but of the qualities of the mind and heart) exclaimed, as he looked upon her fairness, "There is no spot in thco I " l. THE PURITY OF THE CHUROH IS IN OONTRAST WITH THE SINFULNESS OF THE NATURAL, UNREGENERATE STATE, II, THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH 19 EFFEOTED BY THE MEANS OF THE SA VIOUB's REDEMPTION, Ill. 'l'HE PUBl'l'Y OF THE CHURCH IS WROUGHT BY THE OLEANSING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, IV. THE PURITY OF THE CHUROH BENDERS HER THE ACCEPTABLE Al':D SUITABLE SPOUSE OF HER HEAVENLY LoRD, V. THE PURITY OF THE CHUROH IS A. WITNESS A.ND REBUKE TO THE MORAL DEFILEMENT OF A. SINFUL WORLD, VI. THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH ON EARTH IS AN EARNEST AND PREPARATION FOR THE STAINLESSNEBB OF THE ETEB:.TAL STATE 01!' FELICITY-THE NUPTIALS OF HEA.VEN,-T.