ty, in support of the darling tenet of the Calvinistic school, but literally it means, because of, or on account of, or for the sake of the Eudoxia. Again, St Paul 6 says, For it pleased the Father, that in ' him should all fulness dwell'.' So we read it, with what I have no scruple to call, too bold an insertion, the Father,' which has a tendency towards the Arian scheme of inferiority. The apostle's

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words are, Ότι εν αυτω ευδόκησε παν το πλήρωμα κατοικησαι, 'the whole fulness was pleased to dwell in him,' as he explains himself more at large in the next chapter", "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' And in the great angelic hymn3, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, ɛuSoria ev av&gwπois, good will towards men ;' which, by the connexion of the words, and position of the copulative, may be (I had almost said, should be) rendered, The Eudoxia among men (like St John's conwoven) dwelt among us), is glory to God, ' and peace to earth.'

εν

Such and so grand is this word which the LXX. have justly found corresponding with the Tirzah, which the Beloved here applies to his fair one, Thou art beautiful, O my love, ws sudonia, as the ' good pleasure,' which, from what I have now said, will appear to the church the most beautiful resemblance

I Col. i. 19.

3 St Luke ii. 15.

2 Ver. 9.

4 Chap. i. 14.

semblance that she could wish for. And here I shall only offer one observation, for which indeed, on the literal plan of interpreting the Song, there is no ground, but which in the spiritual sense, and according to my explanation, will appear to be both natural and useful. The church, we see, on her recovery from her lethargic indifference towards her Beloved, had been expressing in high terms of praise her admiration of the various members which go to the composition of a body-of that body, which was prepared to be the offering of her ⚫ sanctification.' He who is always present with his church, and hears the most secret strains of her affectionate praise, takes up the tune on her own key, and ushers in his rapturous commendation with reminding her, that her connexion with the object of her admiration is the source of all the beauty she is possessed of-of that beauty which ⚫ the king has such pleasure in'. I hope there is no harm in drawing every possible inference, however far-fetched in some people's eyes, to magnify the riches of divine grace, and the wonderful condescension of the Beloved: And under that shelter let this observation pass.

Comely as Jerusalem. This is both lofty and plain. Very excellent things are spoken of thee, thou city of God".' The joy of the whole earth,

* Psalm xlv. 12. 7, ipe, the same word for beauty in both places. 2 Psalm lxxxvii. 3.

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' earth, the city of the great king'?' 'Jerusalem, ' a city at unity within itself? Jerusalem which is ' above is free, which is the mother of us all 3. 'Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem 4 These encomiums of the Psalmist, and the typical accommodation of the apostle, will both illustrate and justify this branch of description, which is particularly explained, and, as it were, referred to in the Apocalypt's vision of 'the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride a'dorned for her husband.' St John had read of a bride likened to a Jerusalem; he now sees a Jerusalem likened to a bride. There is heavenly direction acknowledged in the one case; why not in the other? The comparisons, however strange, are parallel, and seem to bespeak the same author. Terrible as an army with banners.-This phrase occurs again, and shall be afterwards considered.

Psalm xlviii. 2.

2 Psalm cxxii. throughout.

3 Galat. iv. 26.

4 Heb. xii. 22.

5 Rev. xxi. 2.

VER.

VER. 8. There are threescore queens, and fourscore

concubines, and virgins without number.

VER. 9.-My dove, my undefiled, is but one, she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice one of her that bare her; the daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Much curious enquiry has been employed to find out the time when Solomon could speak thus of himself, as we read that he once had a thousand such as are here described. All the abettors of the literal plan assign this number to him as his property; and a late writer, on this plan, gives us, in his paraphrase, this explanatory enlargement, In my palace, the spoils of war in my father's time, the purchase of my treasure, or fallen to me as my regal inheritance.' But there is nothing in the text that either requires or countenances such an explanation. It seems to be the favourite style with Solomon, to say, in the words of Agur', There are three things-yea four;' and the construction is the same as here. Shashim, eme, in the Song, Shalishe, eme, in the Proverbs. The prophet Amos, long after this, uses the same style, For three transgressions, and for four *.' Our old way of numeration by scores, which our translators generally adopt, keeps up the similarity.

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There

I Prov. xxx. 15. 18. 21. 29.

2 Ch. i. 3.6. 9. xi, 13. Chap. ii. 1. 4. 6.

There is something in what our Saviour says to his disciples', that will help to explain the indefinite nature of the phrase, and seems to have much the same view. Blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see; for I tell you that many 'prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see,' &c. Or, if this shall be thought too distant, we have a nearer analogy, where it is said, 'Kings' daughters among thine honourable women; upon thy right hand standeth 'the queen 3,'' the virgins that follow her-with 'joy and gladness shall enter into the king's palace' So were not there before,' as spoils of war,' but attendants on the queen; which can admit a spiritual interpretation, as consistently, more so indeed, as a natural one.

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My dove, my undefiled, is one. As the words stand-One is my dove, my undefiled. Undefiled is too weak, and in this position rather harsh. It is , tamti, from tam, or tamim, 'perfect,' Teλsia po, τελεια με LXX. perfecta mea, my perfect one;' which conveys a higher idea than the negative undefiled does. ye perfect 4,' &c. In application of all this to the church, there is little difficulty, and a great deal of congruity; and the whole seems to be summed up in that beautiful panegyric on a good wife, which, though pertinent enough in that sense,

• Be