cessary mixtures; and shall now lay before you the result of my endeavours, to be entertained by you with the regard which the importance of the subject deserves, whatever opinion you shall see cause to form of my particular manner of handling it.

AN

AN

ESSAY

TOWARDS

A LITERAL, OR TRUE RADICAL EXPOSITION

OF THE

SONG OF SONGS,

WHICH IS

SOLOMON'S.

CHAP. I. VER. 1.

THIS very title, as we call it, which has always stood at the head of the Song, demands our notice. The Song of Songs, D, Heb. The Singer of Singers, which is Solomon's,

w literally, as in the Septuagint, ‘o 51 tw Zaλwμwv, which is for Solomon. We have this inscription at the head of two of the Psalms, the 72d and the 127th. The 72d has simply, sav say the LXX. ipsi Selomah, says Arius Montanus, and our Bible has it, a psalm for Solomon.' The marginal note

indeed

6

indeed has it of: But that it was not of Solomon's composing, is plain from the conclusion, The prayers of David,' &c. The 127th is thus entituled, A Psalm of degrees for (marg. of) Solomon; LXX. Eaλwμar in the genitive, of Solomon; which difference in the translations of the Seventy, may indicate that these translators thought that this song and the 72d psalm had the same view, and tended to the same object. Now, it is plain that the psalm will not apply throughout to the earthly Solomon; and why should the song which has the same address be forced into such an application? If I should lay hold of its inscription as parallel to the 72d psalm, to suppose Solomon himself not to be the writer of this Song, or, to go farther, that David had written it, I should have something, as the reader will see, like warrant for it; and could thereby cut down the marriage-story, which has been taken up with not near so much reason. But my plan does not depend on such uncertainties; for, whoever was the writer, it was designed for

Solomon, such a Solomon as all the parts of it could quadrate with. The word is formed from

Shalm, PEACE, and with the addition of the possessive affix, her peace. We render it commonly peaceable, which is too low and confined an idea, and does not take in the whole extent of the name His name shall be Shalmah, for I will give peace to Israel in his days'. This describes both

him

་ 1 Chron. xxii. 9.

him who has it, and for whom he holds it. Accordingly the real Solomon, the, The Prince of Peace', claims this appellation to himself, in that gracious promise, Peace I leave with you, my peace,' agnyní ty μny, (the peace which is mine), 'I give unto you';' and' in the fulfilment of that promise, on his first appearance to his people after his resurrection, he said, Peace be unto you. In concert with which, we find an apostle directing the application of this title, and teaching the church to whom to give it― He is our peace, as it were Shalmanu, our Solomon. So says the song here, a song of (Singers) the church to Him who is her peace.' Let him kiss me, &c. nexion, and points out the Him. that our English translators, contrary to their practice in the titles of the psalms, make this the first verse, and so not the title, but beginning of the piece. This accounts for, and removes the seeming abruptness, with which we are told this poem, in conformity with the eastern poetry, begins; and puts a description into the church's mouth of the intention of her address, in what follows.

This makes a con

It is observable,

VER. 2.-Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : For thy love is better than wine.

We have seen who this He is, and we can be

1

at no loss what is to be understood by this fervent and familiar wish. Kissing among the ancients was always a solemn action, and betokened respect, reconciliation, or peace, to such a degree, that when Judas kissed his Master, by way of sign to the band, who were come to apprehend him, our Jesus, our greater than Solomon,' condemned the unnatural prostitution of such a sign to so contrary a purpose, with that pertinent, but severe reproof, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss'? The practice of the early christian church may be considered as no bad comment; and what if I should suppose it to have been founded upon this introductory address before us? The scriptures not only speak of, but even recommend kissing, among the faithful: Salute ye one another with an holy kiss. This had been an old adjunct, in what we call salutation; and generally followed the kindly question, Is all 'well?' which is always expressed by the word Is there peace? From which perhaps comes the Latin, salus,' health, and its derivative verb, saluto,' to wish, enquire about health, to salute; and the kiss on such occasions is, in polite language, called a salute. This old custom St Paul wished to have kept up among christians; and accordingly we find, in the histories of these primitive times, the practice observed even in their sacred

,peace ,שלוס

1 St Luke xxii. 48.

2

I Cor. xvi. 20.

2 Cor. xiii. 12. I Thess. v. 26.