the veil","-" and is given to know the things which are freely given to us of God."-"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant"."-" For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God! besides thee, what he has prepared for him that waiteth for him." The virgins congratulate her on her being brought into the King's palace; for they, it seems, are inhabitants of this place. "We will exult and rejoice over thee: we will celebrate thy love, than wine more grateful: justly art thou beloved." When the redeemed of Christ is brought to the enjoyment of his special love, angels rejoice over him: the righteous hear, therefore, and are glad. 66 Glory to God in the highest," no doubt, resounds in heaven. With the praises of the Christian church we are well acquainted. The love of Christ to his people, and their returns of grateful affection to him-the narrative of the great deeds of his redemption-how sinners are righteously beloved-how mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other, are the continual subjects, the "copious matter" of those psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, which delight the faithful in the house of God. We have next described to us the effect pro n Ver. 30. • 1 Cor. ii. 12. P Ps. xxv. 14. 9 Isa. lxiv. 4. duced on the mind, by the manifestation of the divine love. It is humility and self-abasement amidst all the favourable opinions and felicitations of others. "I am black!"-" Yet most beautiful.”— "Oh daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar"-" as the curtains of the pavilion of Solomon." Humility will ever be found to be the characteristic mark of those whom God delighteth to honour, and every fresh manifestation of the divine presence will have a tendency to increase their conviction of their own deficiencies. It is not an unusual sight, indeed, to see a truly enlightened Christian so deeply affected with a sense of his own unworthiness, as to think himself not only unmeet for Christ, but not good enough for the society of his people. On his first introduction among them, he will perhaps feel some apprehension lest they should be ashamed of their new companion. "Look not on me," the bride continues, in the same strain of self-disparagement, " for I am very black because the sun has discoloured me." And, in accounting for her appearance, she mentions the misery of her former situation, a complete contrast, indeed, with the honours to which she is now advanced. "The sons of my mother despised me; they set me to look after the vineyards, a vineyard of my own I have not looked after." Thus, under the emblem of an injured and oppressed girl, who is taken from the toils of the field, and introduced, as the chosen partner of the prince, among the inhabitants of a palace, we are led to consider the circumstances, in which the love of Christ is accustomed, in its first manifestation, to find its objects. It finds them the wretched slaves of sin', serving divers lusts and pleasures, wearying themselves to no profit in the service of vanity; and having contracted a stain more black and indelible than the Ethiopian's skin, or the leopard's spots. It may be too-for God doth choose the poor of this world u labouring under the full weight of the original curse, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." And, to arrive at the summit of human wretchedness, groaning perhaps, besides, under the yoke of some merciless tyrant. In some sense or other, indeed, weary and heavy laden," will be descriptive of all the chosen of God. Each will acknowledge, in application to himself, the demand of the Apostle, "What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed?" Hence we find them sometimes designated as " poor in spirit,"-" mourners,"" persecuted," sorrowing, while the world rejoices". But how great the change of circumstance, when the love of Jesus is manifested to their souls! when being justified by faith, they have peace with 66 r Rom. vi. 17. "James, ii. 5. s Tit. iii. 3. w Gen. iii. 19. 17. t Jer. xiii. 23. God, and have access by faith into this grace, wherein they stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Then the prophetic song is fulfilled: "The Lord raises the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory." The most honourable employment, indeed, among men, even the administration of a kingdom, is mean, base, and abject, when compared to the occupation of the spiritual Christian-the espoused of Christ, admitted into his gracious presence. The contrast, however, appears the greater, when the hardships of a mean station in life, its servile employments, or the ill-treatment of earthly superiors, are opposed to the tender endearments of the heavenly bridegroom; when the tired labourer, or the abused slave, finds a secret retreat, or enters into the house of prayer, and holds communion in spirit with his gracious Redeemer. Poor and despised as he is among men, and mean as may be his appearance, what honours are conferred upon him in the presence of God! The messengers of grace, and all the ordinances of Christ's church, are made subservient to his happiness and exaltation! The espousals of his soul are celebrated!— "Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold "." a Ps. lxviii. 13. IDYL THE SECOND. Containing the seventh and eighth verses of the first THE reason why I suppose a new poem to commence in this place, is the entire change of imagery which we here perceive. Instead of a royal bride, conducted by a number of attendants into the palace, the spouse is now a shepherdess, tending her kids; and her husband, in the room of the King of Israel, a shepherd leading his flock to pasture. A short conversation between this affectionate pair, on a topic most suitable to their pastoral situation, forms the dialogue of this idyl. That Solomon and his royal partner should address each other in this language, is hard to imagine. It is true, "the employment of a shepherd was not dishonourable among the Hebrews, and had been the occupation of their revered ancestors." We must remember, however, that, at this period, the state of manners, in the metropolis and court of Solomon, had made rapid strides, from patriarchal simplicity, towards that refined voluptuousness which ever distinguished the Asiatic monarchies. BRIDE OR SHEPHERDESS. TELL me, O thou,' that art the love of my soul, |