The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-02
SERMON
DELIVERED AT THE OPENING OF THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY REV. JOHN N.
WADDEL, D. D., MODERATOR OF
THE LAST ASSEMBLY.
THE TRUE GLORY OF THE CHURCH


tair the moon, clear the sun, and terrible as
army with banners?'-SoSG OF SOLOMON, VI; 10
This beautiful and simple book of inspired
poetry has been the subject of greater mis-
representation than any other, perhaps, Of
the books of the Bible.
We learn from modern writer that more
than one hundred and twenty-five common
taries have been written upon it. These
are found to be of almost infinite variety in
the views presented by their various writer's,
from the opinion of the Jewish Church-as
gathered from the Chaldee Paraphrase--
through all the phases of conception which
have been embodied in the commentaries Of
Origen, Epiphanins, PhilO, TheOdOret, Cas-
siodorus, and most of the Fathers of the
Christian Church, who hold, with Angus
tine, that g the Song of Songs is spirit
ual delight of holy minds, in the nuptial
union of that King and Queen of the Heav,
emily Kingdom, which is Christ and the
Church.
While this opinion has been opposed by
later writer's, and many wild and visionary
theories as to its meaning have been elabo-
rately composed and published, some of
them regarding it as literal representation
of human passion, and not entitled to rank
as a spiritual song; others, pursuing its al
legorical character into most extravaganza
and frivolous interpretations, making every
minute detail of the poem to represent some
mystic truth; others, again, considering it
partly literal and partly spiritual, thus ele-
waiting the devotional emotions of the Chris
tan in some portions of their comments,
and degrading the Word of God in others !;
it may be safely assumed that the great
body of the Christian Church has settled
down upon the following, as the true position,
to which this book is entitled;
l. 1t is a well authenticated part of the
sacred canon. To this we have testimony
drawn from many sources. There is, for
example, the fact that it has always been a
canonical book in the Jewish Church; the
further fact that Christ and His Apostles
sanctioned that canon of Scripture, of which
this book formed part; that Josephus
numbers thirty-nine canonical books, which
number cannot be made out without this
book; that Eusebius, who investigated the
subject of the Jewish canon, found this book
among the number of their sacred books !;
that the testimony of the fathers of the fifth
century tends to the same point; so that
there is an unbroken chain of testimony all
through the whole Church as to its being
rightly reckoned part of the Scriptures
given by inspiration
?. Equally well settled is the opinion of
the Church, as to the allegorical interpreta-
ton of this Song, for such reasons as the fol-
lowing: The spirit of oriental poetry from the
earliest to the present age, is. Just such as
we find illustrated in the Song Other parts
of the Sacred Scriptures, for example, the
forty-6fth and the seyenty-second Psalms,
both of which bear internal evidence of
close connection with this Song, have al
ways received only an allegorical interpre-
tation from the most ancient commentators,
both Jewish and Christian.
The spirit of this allegOry is applied in
Scripture TO Christ and His Church as it IS
found to be the leading and invariable com
parison on the subject of the love, and the
relations of the Redeemer and the redeemed.
jeremiah compares the daughter of Zion
to "a comedy and delicate woman" and
the book of Revelation closes a long list of
passages of kindred import, by styling the
Church, "the bride, the Lambs wife" We
may not for moment, admit that it would
ever have been allowed place in the Sa-
cred Canon, under any other, than an al
legOrical Interpretation.
3. The third element in the status of this
poem is that under this form of allegory are
held forth "the mysteries of the love of
Christ and His Church" In the progress
of the Song we fad the affectionate ardor of
this love manifesting itself in all those modes
of expression which beft the relation be,
tween the parties. Sometimes it appears in
terms of endearment, and again in the Ian
guage of admiration. Sometimes the beau
ties and excellencies of Emmanuel, the Be
loved, are celebrated in strains of exalted
eulogy; and again the Prince of Peace,
Himself, INDUCES in glowing expressions of
admiring praise of the splendOr and glory
of the bride-the Church.
1t is to one Of this class of passages il
this Song of Songs, that your attention is
invited, presenting as it does in the beautiful
and attractive imagery of Oriental poetry,
the theme selected as most appropriate for
a most solemn and imposing occasion, such
as this which has called together this veneer
able court of Jesus Christ. That theme is
the question; "What constitutes the true
glory of the Church of Christi
How such a theme may originate from
the words selected as the text will appear, if
we consider that the Church, being recog
nized as the chosen repository of all the
Scriptural light which enIightens the world,
"the day-spring from on high, is Justly re-
presented here as Choking forth as the
morning" Her doctrine and order, drawn
from the pure fountain of the Divine word,
entities her to the description, g fair as the
moor" Her scriptural succession of
standing ministry, imbued with the life and
spirit of Jesus Himself, at once vindicates
the appositeness Of her claim to be "clear as
the sun" and her equipping herself with
the whole armor of God, and her marching
on with an aggressive missionary spirit to
the rescue of the world from the powers of
darkness, constitute full and satisfactory
evidence, that she is "terrible" to all her
enemies, "as any army with banners" 1t
viii be, then, the purpose of this discourse
to answer the question by pointing out, sue
cessively, the various competent elements
which make up the glory of the Church.
Since it cannot be denied that there are
in the world many institutions of mans de-
yising, exhibited under imposing and i'm
nressiYe titles and ORGANIZATIONS. each claim