“If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be scorned.” — Song of Solomon 8:7.
That is a general truth, applying to all forms of real love; you cannot purchase love. If it is true love, it will not run on rails of gold. Many a marriage would [...]
Continue reading about Unpurchasable Love, Song of Solomon 8:7
“Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.”—Solomon’s Song 6:13.
The translation into the word “Shulamite” is unhappy: it is unmusical, and misses the meaning. The Hebrew word is a feminine of “Solomon.” “Solomon” may stand for [...]
Continue reading about Return, Return, O Shulamite; Return, Return!, Solomon’s Song 6:13
“Thou art beautiful, O my love as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.”—Song of Solomon 6:4.
There are various estimates of the Christian church. Some think everything of her; some think nothing of her; and probably neither opinion is worth the breath which utters it. Neither Ritualists, who idolise their church, nor [...]
Continue reading about The Church as She Should Be, Song of Solomon 6:4
“Yea, he is altogether lovely.”—Song of Solomon 5:16.
When the old Puritan minister had delivered his discourse, and dwelt upon firstly, and secondly, and thirdly, and perhaps upon twenty-fifthly, before he sat down he usually gave a comprehensive summary of all that he had spoken. Every one who carefully noted the summary would carry away the [...]
Continue reading about Altogether Lovely, Song of Solomon 5:16
“Yea, he is altogether lovely.”—Solomon’s Song 5:16.
No words can ever express the gratitude we owe to Him who loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins: the love of Jesus is unutterably precious and worthy of daily praise. No songs can ever fitly celebrate the triumphs of that salvation which he wrought [...]
Continue reading about The Best Beloved, Solomon’s Song 5:16
“What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?”—Song of Solomon 5:9.
This morning, we had the great privilege of preaching the doctrine of substitution, and of directing the minds of God’s people to the solid rook of [...]
Continue reading about The Incomparable Bridegroom and His Bride, Song of Solomon 5:9
“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.”—Song of Solomon 4:16.
What a difference there is between what the believer was by nature and what the grace of God has made him! Naturally, [...]
Continue reading about My Garden—His Garden, Song of Solomon 4:16
“How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.”—Song of [...]
Continue reading about Christ’s Estimate of His People, Song of Solomon 4:10-11
“Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon [...]
Continue reading about The Royal Pair in Their Glorious Chariot, Solomon’s Song 3:6-11
“Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.”—SONG OF SOLOMON 2:17.
The spouse sings, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away,” so that the beloved of the Lord may be in the dark. It may [...]
Continue reading about Darkness Before the Dawn, Song of Solomon 2:17
“My Beloved is mine, and I am His: He feeds among the lilies.
Until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away;
turn, my Beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart
upon the mountains of Bether.”
Solomon’s Song 2:16-17.
It may be that there are saints who are always at their best, and are happy enough never [...]
Continue reading about Over the Mountains, Solomon’s Song 2:16-17
“My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feeds among the lilies.”
-Song of Solomon 2:16
“My Beloved” — this is a sweet name which our love takes liberty to apply to the Lord Jesus. His inexpressible beauty has won our affection, and we cannot help loving him whatever may come of it: whether he be [...]
Continue reading about Loved and Loving, Song of Solomon 2:16
“My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.”—Song of Solomon 2:16.
Last Sabbath, in our morning’s sermon (“The Turning Point”), we began at the beginning and described the turning point in which the sinner sets his face towards his God, and for the first time gives practical evidence of spiritual life [...]
Continue reading about A Song Among the Lilies, Song of Solomon 2:16
“I sat down under His shadow with great delight,
and His fruit was sweet to my taste.”
Solomon’s Song 2:3.
Christ known, should be Christ used. The spouse knew her Beloved to be like a fruit-bearing tree, and at once she sat under His shadow, and fed upon His fruit. It is a pity that we can [...]
Continue reading about Under the Apple Tree, Solomon’s Song 2:3
“As the lily among thorns, so is my darling among the daughters.”
-Song of Solomon 2:2.
We shall not enter into any profitless discussion this morning. We take it for granted that the Song of Solomon is a sacred marriage song between Christ and his church, and that it is the Lord Jesus who is here speaking [...]
Continue reading about The Lily among Thorns, Song of Solomon 2:2
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” -Song of Solomon 2:1.
Here are sweet flowers blooming serenely in this wintry weather. In the garden of the soul you may gather fragrant flowerets at all seasons of the year; and although the soul’s garden, like every other, has its winter, yet, strange [...]
Continue reading about The Rose and the Lily, Song of Solomon 2:1
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”—Song of Solomon 2:1.
The time of flowers has come, and as they are in some faint degree emblems of our Lord, it is well, when God thus calls, that we should seek to learn what he desires to teach us by them. If nature [...]
Continue reading about The Best of the Best, Song of Solomon 2:1
“A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.”—Song of Solomon 1:13.
Certain divines have doubted the inspiration of Solomon’s Song; others have conceived it to be nothing more than a specimen of ancient love-songs, and some have been afraid to preach from it because of its highly [...]
Continue reading about A Bundle of Myrrh, Song of Solomon 1:13
“While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the
smell thereof.”–Song of Solomon 1:12.
This passage may be read in several ways. Literally, when Christ
tabled among men, when he did eat and drink [...]
Continue reading about Fragrant Graces, Song of Solomon 1:12
“Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you make your flock to rest at noon:
for why should I be as one that turns aside by the flocks of your companions?”
Song of Solomon 1:7.
We shall need to lift up our hearts to God and ask to be quickened in grace, or [...]
Continue reading about The Church’s Love to Her Loving Lord, Song of Solomon 1:7