The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 154

he still kept before the mind of t,he render. Ho lifts me to the golden doors; The scene is still in the pal1toe. The ladies Tho flashes come nnd go; plavfully carry on the bride's cue, and help All Heavon bursts her etRrry floors, her.to pour out her feelings. The bridegroom, And strews her lights below, they 1.--now, is near at hnnd, 1tnd is coming to And deepens on nnd up I tho gates delight himself in his bride; but the bride Roll bnck, nncl far within lms not yet drawn him bRCk completely to For mo the heavenly Bri,lcgroom wnits, her side. This is endent from the fact that To make me pure of sin. there is no distre11s in the l1tuguage of the The sabbaths of eternity, hride. i::he is uot compl1tining and crying One sabbath deep nnd wide, nut in agony under a sense of desertion; A light upon the shining sen- she is waiting for the return of her belo,;crl, Thc Bridegroom with his bride." and so she ralmlv singe of his love and his Vcrs. 4-7.-Thou a.rt beautiful, 0 my perfect truthfulness, even though absent love, as Tirzah, oomely as Jerusalem, terrible from her. He is wherP, his perfect beauty as au army with banners. Turn away thine and fragrance might well be. eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Yers. 2, 3.-llly beloved is gone down to Thy hair is as a flock of goats that lie along hi& ge.rden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the side of Gilee.d. Thy teeth are like a the ge.rdens, a.nd to gather lilies. I am my flock of ewes whioh are oome up from the bdoved's, e.nd my beloved is mine : he feed- washing, whereof every one hath twins, eth his flock among the lilies. In Eccles. and none is bereaved among them. Thy ii. 5. 6 Solomon says, "I ple.uted me vine- temples are like a pieoe of a pomegranate Yards; I made me gardens and parks, and behind thy veil. The king is not far off. 'r planted trees in them of all kind,i of fruit; The bride knows that he is near. She I mnde me pools of water, to water therefrom prepares herself for him with words of love. the forest where trees were reared." In He is coming among his "roBebud garden Hev. vii. 17 it is said," The Lamb which is of girls." His voice is heard as he ap- in the midst of the throne shall be their proach6il. And as he enters the chamber Shepherd, and shall guide them unto he bursts forth with lavish praises of his fountains of water of life: and God shall bride. Tirzah and Jeruso.lem, two of the wipe away every tear from their ey~s." _We most beautiful cities of the world, are taken can scarcely doubt that the meaning is~ as symbols of the surpassing beauty of the The bridegroom is not gone far; he 1s bride-doubtless also with o.n intended where he is congenially employed; where reference to the symbology of Scripture, his pure and lovely no.tu.re finds the.t which where the people of God are oompared is like itself-beauty nnd fragrance e.nd throughout to a city. Tirzah was dis- innocence. It is his resort, and it corre- covered by Robinson in 1852, on n height sponds with his perfection. Delitzsch thinks in the mountain range to tl1e north of " thoughtfulness and depth of feeling are Nabl1is, under the name Tulluzal,, high intended" (cf. Ps. xcii. 5). "His thoughts and beautiful, in a region of olive trees. a.re very deep." But it would seem more The name itself signifies sweetness, which fitting, in the lips of the bride, that she might be so employed even if there were should dwell on the aspects of her beloved no actual city so called. Jerusalem is said which corre.spond with her ?Wn. feeli~gs. to have been "the perfection of beauty" She is one of the lilies. The k1ng 1s coming (Ps. :xlviii. 2; 1. 2; Lam. ii. 15). Cities into his garden, and I am r~ady to receiv1:1 are generally spoken of as females, as also him. The shepherd among hlB flock. They nations. The Church ie the city of God. are all like lilies, pure and beautiful. 'I'he The new Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb. bride ha.s nothiDg but chaste thoughts of If the prophets did not take their language her husband, because she knows that he is from this Song of Solomon, then the phrase- Lera and she is bis. Surely such language olouy and symbology which we find here is n~t inaptly applied to spiritual uses. mu;t have been familiarly known and used T,mnvson's lovely poem. • St. Agnes' Eve,' among the people of Isr11el from the time Laa caught the spirit of Shu)amith. A few of Solomon. The beauty of the bride is of his lines will illustrate tLlB- overwhelming, it is subduing and all-con- " TLe shadows of the convent towers quering, like a warrior-host with flying Slant down the snowy sward, banners going forth to victory. Solomon Still creeping with the creeping hours confesses that he is vanquished. Th1:l, ?f That lead me to my Lord. course, is the hyperbole of love, but 1t 1s Make tLou my spirit pw-e and clear full of significance to the spiritual mind. ~ are the frosty skies, The Church of Christ in the presence and Or this first snowdrop of the year power of the Lord is irresisti~le.. It ie n~t That in my bosom lies. until he appears that the bnde 1s seen m her perfection. She hangs her head and on. v1. 1-13.] 'flIE SONG OF SOLOMON. l45