THE BEAUTY OF THE WORD IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON BY M. WRIGHT And he hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God: many shall Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; LONDON JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET 1872. 101. f. 365. THIS LITTLE WORK IS COMMENDED TO THE PRAYERFUL STUDY OF "ALL WHO LOVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN SINCERITY," BEING THE MEMBERS OF HIS MYSTICAL BODY WHO IS THE HEAD AND FILLETH ALL IN ALL. "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church" (EPH. v. 30-32). "He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit" (1 COR. vi. 17). PREFACE. ANY attempt to explain even the simplest portion of the Word of God must of necessity be feeble and imperfect. The words which from childhood have been familiar to us have a depth of meaning which the intellect of man, unassisted by God's Spirit, would strive in vain to fathom. And if it be so with other portions of Scripture, what can be said of the sublime Song of Solomon? How superficial must be our examination of it,-how weak our efforts to catch the meaning, or search into the deep things of God, hidden in each verse! If a study of this poem did nothing more than convince us of our own foolishness, it were well to look into it: but when God gave us His Word, He did it not for this purpose only, or we would be so disheartened and perplexed that we might lay aside the work as weariness, and deem its study useless toil. With a heart looking to God for wisdom to unravel their mysteries, we may reverently search into the |