The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 160

Then we must pray for grace to follow the banner of the cross with loyal heart and ~teadfast puri:'ose,_tha_t, our service may be acceptable to the Oaptain of our salvation, and pleasing m his sight, as a. bannered host m~rshalled and ordered, as each noblo w:mior well equipped and disciplined, is a sight th11,t gives pleasure and joyful prido to the commander. 8. The bridegroom repeats the praises of eh, iv. 1-6. But first lie says, "'l'um away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." He had prai~ed her eyes again and again; they were as doves' (eh. i. 15; iv. 1, 9). Now he ~:1ys, in the tenderness of a great love, "they have overcome me," We may compare the Lord's gracious wonder at the faith of the centurion (Luke vii. 9). He con- <l<'scended t.o "marvel at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people tho.t followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." The bridegroom goes on to prsh;e the various features of the bride's beauty. He had done so already in the love of their first espousals. Ilis affection continues unabated; he repeats the same praises in the same words. The heavenly Bridegroom loves his bride the Church with" an everlasting love" (Jer. xxxi. 3). The terms of affection which are bestowed in the Old Testament upon the ancient Jewish Church are repeated in the New Testament, and applied to the Christian Church, the Israel of God. Thus St. Peter (1 Pet. iL 9) calls Christians "a chosen generation;" the same title (in the Greek of the Septuagint the words are exactly the same) is given in the Prophet Isaiah (xliii. 20) to the Jewish people. St. Peter calls Christians "a royal priesthood;" in Exod. xix. 6 the Israelites are called "a kingdom of priests" (here again St. Peter has used the exact words of the Septuagint). St. Peter calls Christians "a holy nation;" the same thing is said of the Israelites in Exod. xix. 6. St. Peter describes Christians as "a peculiar people;" his wor<ls represent Deut. vii. 6, translated in our old version "a special people," in the new version, "a peculiar people." He applies to the Christian Church the words which the Prophet Hosea had used of the J ewe, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet. ii. 10; Hoe. ii. 23). The Lord Jesus loves his Church with a love that changes not. Almost at the beginning of the New 'l'estament stands the holy promise, "'l'hou shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people from their sins;" and al.most at the end we read the blessed words, "Whosoever will, Jet him take the water of life freely." Each faithful Christian mny trust his Saviour's love, for it is written, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; " and again, "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. i. 6). IL CoMPARIBON OF THE BRIDE WlTH OTHERS. 1. They are ma•n,y. David had had sixteen wives. Solomon had early followed that unhappy example; already he had, it seems, "three score queens, and four score concubines." He had transgressed the commandment of Deut. xvii. 17, where it is said of any future king," Neither shall he multiply wives nnto himself, that his heart turn not away." Solomon, alas I broke the commandment of God, and incurred the awful peril denounced against disobedience. "He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods" (1 Kings xi. 3, 4). Now he was young_ but even in his youth the evil desire was strong within him. His love for the pure country maic!en might have saved him; for a time, perhaps, it did check his sensual passions. But, alas! if it was so, the evil spirit that had been cast out soon returned, and brought with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and the last state was worse than the first (Matt. xii. 43--45). 2. She is one alone. "One is she, my dove, my undefiled ; one is she to her mother; the choice one is she to her that bare l,er." Such is the literal rendering of the touching words. The bride was an only daughter; she was the joy and darling of her mother. The good daughter makes a good wife. She was the bridegroom's dove, hill undefiled one, and she stood alone in his affections; no other came near to her. So good was she and so lovely in character as well as in person, that even those who might have been expected to regard her with envy praised her and called her blessed. 'l'he luxurious monarch seews to hav«:: a glimpse of the blessedness of purity; he seems almost to feel that "to love one maiden and to cleave to her" is the ideal of human love. A.Ins I "his i;oudness was e.s e. morning cloud, and ae the early dew it passed aw,1y" (Jl.,3, vi, 4). Oil, VI, 1-1:;,J THE SONG OF SOLOMO}r. 1:.;1