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Junius and Tremellius are not far wrong, when, looking to the etymology of the word, they render it "lovely flowers." By "gates" is probably meant the entrance to the kiosk or summer-house; and "pleasant fruits" means, as in chap. iv. 16, every delicacy the garden could afford. The meaning of the passage then is, that the spouse had already laid up in the summerhouse every variety of fragrant flowers and luscious fruits, so that they could be had without the trouble of going to gather them, and would be to him an evidence of her forethought prompted by love.

Love ever hoards up for the object of affection the very best of every thing that exertion can enable it to procure, without waiting to be asked. It seeks to anticipate every want, and takes delight in bestowing unexpected gratification. This feeling enters into the very essence of love, and is to it what vital warmth is to the body. Without it the affection cannot exist. Hence, love to Christ ever prompts us to hoard up spontaneously our choicest gifts for him. Whatever we possess, we wish him to have the first and the best of it. We feel hurt at the idea of his taking any secondary share. This was the principle sought to be inculcated on the Jews, when required to offer the first fruits. This made Gregory Nazianzen say, "If I have any possessions, health, credit, learning, this is all the contentment I have of them, that I have somewhat I may despise for Christ, who is altogether lovely and alone to be desired." This made a nobler than he exclaim, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

CHAPTER VIII.

VER. 1, 2.-Oh that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

WE would translate these verses, 'Oh that thou wert as a brother to me, nourished in the bosom of my mother; should I find thee abroad, then would I kiss thee, nor would it be imputed to me as an impropriety. I would lead thee, I would bring thee to the house of my mother; thou shalt teach me how to gratify thy wishes; I will make thee drink of the spiced wine, of my fresh juice of the pomegranate.' These verses carry out the desire expressed in the last verse of chap. vii. Having spoken of manifestations of love she was able to make, in giving him her most delicious fruits and her choicest flowers, she is here carried away by the ardour of affection, and wishes it were possible to do towards him as she would desire. Were her relation to him different from what it was, she might give him demonstrations of love that would not be viewed by the world as improprieties. Hence she is led to wish he sustained to her the relation of a brother, for then, however ardent and multiplied her attentions, they could never be regarded as improper. On the words "my mother's house," see notes, chap. iv. 4. In that retirement she would learn from him what might be most agrceable,

and with the alacrity of love manifest her affection by every possible attention.

The wines produced in the vineyards of Lebanon had a fragrant odour: "The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon." Hos. xiv. 7. The orientals frequently put spices into their wines to increase their flavour. Savary, in his Letters on Greece, states that various kinds of naturally-perfumed wines are produced in Crete and some of the neighbouring islands. Spiced wines were not peculiar to the Jews. The celebrated Persian poet, Hafiz, speaks of wine, "richly bitter, richly sweet." The Romans lined their vessels with odorous gums, to give the wine a warm, bitter flavour; and it is said that the Poles and Spaniards adopt a similar method, in order to impart to their wines a favourite relish. The juice of the pomegranate is often employed in the East, to give a pleasant sub-acid flavour to a variety of beverages; and where the laws of the Koran are not allowed to interpose, or their prohibitions are disregarded, a delicious wine is frequently manufactured from this juice alone. The spouse, therefore, means to say she would offer him the richest and most refreshing drink, her greatest delicacies.

The import of this verse is a desire that every thing hindering the full and perfect interchange of affection between Jesus and our soul, might be removed, and it were possible to enjoy his love to us and express our love to him, as we shall be able to do in heaven. Much as we may now long for stronger displays of his love, and to give stronger evidence of our love to him,

we acquiesce in the present state of things, because we feel there would be an impropriety, no less than impossibility, in those overpowering exhibitions of love that belong to heaven. But this does not preclude us from feeling that, were it seen best by him, we would rejoice even now in those raptures which belong to heaven, where we shall be able to speak of his love in the strongest language, and give expression to it in the most exalted praise, without danger of exposing ourselves to the contempt of the world. There, shall our fellowship and communion with him be far more intimate and endearing than was possible on earth. The language of these verses expresses the real feeling of the pious heart. How often do even nominal Christians charge on brethren as an impropriety, or as a species of excess, exercises which are perfectly free from fanaticism, and spring from overflowing influences of the Holy Spirit on the heart. In the present world, we are not able to feel as we would wish to feel towards our Lord; we cannot speak of him as we would wish to speak of him; we cannot do as we would wish to do towards him. We are prevented by our position among those who are unable to understand these things; by the remaining corruptions of the heart; by the peculiar duties now resting on us; and by the relation Jesus must necessarily bear to us in the present world. Well may the wearied heart, with so many obstructions between us and the object of our love, desire that they may be removed, and that our relations to him may be made such as to give us the power to gratify perfectly our affection.

VER. 3, 4.-His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

These verses seem

See notes on chap. ii. 6, 7. here mentioned, as though the happy state expressed by them was viewed by the soul as a blessed and satisfying foretaste of what may be expected hereafter, and as much as is best or possible for us in this world.

VER. 5.-(Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?) I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

According to our reading of this passage, the daughters of Jerusalem say, 'Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the beloved?' Answering this question, the beloved says to the spouse, as though for the purpose of reassuring her, by calling to mind that she was truly his rightful wife, 'Under the citron-tree I gained thine affection; there thy mother pledged thee; there she that bare thee betrothed thee.' This is one of the verses which cannot be explained but on the supposition that this poem is an allegory. We do not know that it throws any light on this passage to remark, that among many nations the Cydonian apple was sacred to love; or to notice the golden apple which Paris adjudged to Venus, who is sometimes represented in her statues with an apple in her hand. Theocritus has the following:

“First I beheld thy beauties, blooming maid,

When o'er the hills, in every charm arrayed,

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