The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-04-04

EplStle TO the hebrews as MeSSlanlc
psalm, and you have the key to the Song
of Loves This inspired psalm celebrates
the nuptials of the Messiah King with his
Bride, the Church, in a language and
spirit very similar to the spirit and lam
guage of Canticles The same idea runs
through the Old Testament. Read Isa.
liv 5; xii 5; Jerem. iii (: l Eek. xvi ::
and xiii; and the New Testament rep
resents the relation between Christ and
the Church in the same manner. Christ
is the Bridegroom the Church is pre-
sented "as cbaste virgin to Chris" ::
Matt. TX: IS; John iii %; 2 Cor. xi !;
II; Ephes. v: 2; Rev. xix: Z; xxi: 2,
And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of heaven, prepared as bride adorned
for her husband"
To the impure there may be impure
associations in the love that blends two
human souls into one. There is nothing
imperfect or impure in the intentions of
Nature; and it was simply because of the
closeness of the relation involved in
welded love, that inspiration selected
the marriage tie as the fttest illustration
of the intimate union between Christ and
his Elect There is no more precious
doctrine in the Bible. There is pro-
found method in what at the first glance
strikes us as somewhat unpleasing. 1t is
one of those latent testimonies to the
truth of the Bible.
We all remember the panegyric which
the New Testament q Cor. xiii) passes
on Love. To the same purport we find
the Old Testament, at the close of this
poem, uttering its testimony on this sub
ject:
"For love is strong as DEATH jealousy
is cruel as the grave: the Goals thereof
are Goals of fire, which hath most vehe-
ment fame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it; if man
would give all the substance of his house
it would utterly be condemned"
If one would weigh the literary merit
of this idyll, let him read it alongside of
one of Virgils eclogues, and note how far
the Hebrew surpassed the Mantuan. 1t
is like the real gem by the side of its
counterfeit.
az am the rose of Sharon, and the lily
of the valleys" says the beautiful bride.
"He brought e to his banqueting-house,
and his banner over was love-"
"Rise up, my love" says the King,
" my fair one, and come away.
For, 10, the winter is past, the rain
is over and gone;
"The flowers appear on the earth the
time of the singing of birds is come, and
the voice of the turtle is heard in our
land"
That is beautiful expression, when
the virgins invite her to execute sacred
dance" How beautiful are thy steps in
the sandals, o princes daughter !" trans
lated in our version, "How beautiful are
thy feet with shoes, o princes daughter p
vii l.
1t is from this song that we get the
expression terrible as an army with
banners, '-"who is she that looketh
forth as the morning, fair as the moon,
clear as the sun, and terrible as an army
with banners?" "Awe-inspiring as the
hammered host" is the translation given
in the Bible Commentary.
If one wants to walk into garden of
flowers on May morning let him read
this outburst of unprecedented song
from the great poet-student who preceded
Aristotle in the study Of nature. For
exquisite delicacy of touch, the true sense
of beauty, and passionate feeling, it COM
pares with Romeo and Juliet for purity
and freshness, in its conception Of nature,
with the Odyssey Of Homer.