Therefore we read

soul is benefitted thereby. the exhortation-"drink abundantly my Beloved."1 Reader, does thy soul respond to this preference of the Church for Christ? Turn not away from this subject till thou hast faithfully brought thy conscience to the test of this Scripture-Do I esteem the love of Christ above every other? yea, the most choice and darling idols of the world's treasures and good things? Is thine heart as David's, when he exclaimed "Whom have I in Heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth I desire in comparison with Thee ?"2 Reader, hast thou thus been taught in the school of Christ?

Canst thou indeed set to thy seal that this is true concerning the excellencies of Jesus and his love, that they far exceed in thy esteem the choicest gifts and delicacies of earth-" the wealth of Ormus and of Ind," yea "barbaric pearl and gold," wherewith "the gorgeous East with richest hand" adorns her children and captivates their hearts?

Happy, blessed soul, which thus hath been enamoured of the love of Christ: which sees in Him a beauty and an excellence and a satisfying portion -a divine compassion and unfathomable gracesuch as cannot be compared to anything in Earth or Heaven! Oh! see to it Believer-that you lose not one single opportunity of exhibiting before the

church and the world that the love of Christ fills your soul-constrains your life-purifies your conscience-guides your conduct!

Let it be seen whose you are and whom you love.

Be not ashamed of the reproach of your Beloved Master.

The world will hate you and mock your ways. The very professing Church will be in the forerank to ridicule-to express doubt-and offer prudent suggestions lest your decided tone and manner of life and love for Christ should injure the cause or disgust an unbelieving world. Heed them

not.

Live separate from the pleasure-lovingChrist-slaying multitude.

Touch not-taste not-handle not their choicebut perishing delicacies. You love Christ. Let that love fill thy heart so that all ways and manners and pleasures of the world—will become distasteful. -Your soul will have no pleasure in them. The worlds' gaieties--amusements and even lawful recreations and enjoyments are really nothing to the soul thus filled with the love of Jesus. It offers nothing that can satisfy the desires or soothe the longings of an immortal soul.

Ah! this is true religion-when Christ occupies the same place in a man's heart, that He does in Creation. There He is "all in all." And so is He

"Thou O

in the ransomed soul of the Believer. God art the thing that I long for"—"My flesh and my heart faileth me:"-my health and my friends fail me my property and earthly hopes fail me: my own heart and conscience fail me and condemn me "but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for evermore."" Thy love is better than wine."

3.

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name
is as ointment poured forth, therefore do
the virgins love thee.

The Church (which is the Lamb's Bride) continues in these words her commendation of Him, whose tokens of love she had so passionately called for in the previous verse. There she praised His love and celebrated its excellencies above every other earthly gift or blessing.

Here she commends His name- "which is above every name of things in Heaven or things on earth."

-She had known" the power of Jesus' name" -as that name which alone brought salvation and peace to her sin-burdened soul. And the Church here speaks of the fragrance of Christ's name (comparing it to ointments poured forth) not only from her own

1. Psalm lxxiii. 26.

(speaking in her individual character) experience but also from the effects she had seen made upon the hearts of others—" Because of the savour of thy good ointments," ("for it pleased the Father that in Jesus all fulness should dwell,") "therefore do the Virgins love thee."

Let us notice (1) the figures here employed, “ the savour of thy good ointments," "ointment poured out," and shew (2) in what sense "the name of Christ may be said to be "like ointment poured forth."

1. In Holy writ, ointment is the type or emblem of the Holy Ghost. It represents the graces of the Spirit. Under the Levitical Priesthood, the holy anointing oil was made by God's direction: and with it Kings, Priests, and Prophets were anointed to their several offices Thus Saul, David, and Solomon were anointed to be KINGS:-Aaron and his sons to be PRIESTS: Elisha, in the room of Elijah, to be a PROPHET.-Just so was Christ Jesus anointed with the Spirit of God as KING, to sit on His Throne and rule in the hearts of his chosen people: as PRIEST to offer sacrifice and make atonement for the Transgressor: as PROPHET to bind up the broken-hearted and preach glad tidings to the meek.?—Yes, Jesus himself was "anointed with this oil of gladness above his fellows" as Mediator!

Just as the precious ointment which was poured out upon Aaron and "ran down upon his beard, yea went down to the skirts of his clothing" ―so the Holy Ghost descends from the head, even from Jesus the High Priest of the Church, upon all his members. From Him they receive "an anointing which teacheth all things."2

He tells us

Mark those words of St. John. where the true doctrine of the development of Christian truth is to be found. Not in the wisdom of man's teaching-BUT BY THE ANOINTING of the Holy Ghost! "Cease ye then from man whose breath is in his nostril !"3 "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to that, it is because there is no truth in them." Seek, seek for the anointing of the Holy Ghost, who is your only infallible teacher!

This "ointment poured out," reminds us of another use, which, under the Levitical law, was typical or emblematical. (30 Exodus, 25, 26, 27, 29.) Let him that readeth understand. Those vessels of the tabernacle, thus sanctified and separated, do most beautifully represent the Lord's chosen people. Vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory. In their natural state they are useless vessels-vessels of wrath fitted for destruction.-But