"  pis  left  Pnnb  s!jouIl»  be  mxdtx  mg   Pea!&,  anb  Ijis
rigljt  panb  sboalb  embiate  me."

Beautiful  picture  of  the  soul  peacefully  rest-
ing in  the  arms  and  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus  !
It  seems  to  be  the  utterance  of  the  Bride,
revelling^  as  it  were,  in  the  sweet  consciousness
of  her  nearness,  her  closeness  to  Christ,  ren-
dered more  sweet  by  the  contrast  of  those  who
were  "  afar  off."

Thrice  blessed  repose !  "  His  left  hand
should  be  under  my  head,  and  his  right  hand
should,  embrace  me."  The  words  seem  to
imply  more  than  the  mere  actual  ]iresent  ex-
perience of  it,  for  there  is  also  the  resting  in
the  calm  assurance  that  so  it  '''■should  6e."     It


2*70  THE    SONG    OF    SOLOMON

was  a  privilege  slie  claimed  as  her  owu.  She
had  experienced  it  before,  and  she  would  do  so
yet  again.  She  would  feel  his  hand  embrac-
ing her,  and  keeping  her  within  his  own
sacred  enclosure.
It  was  in  the  mother's  house  now,  as  it  had
been  in  the  banqueting  house  before,  that  she
had  been  brought  to  this  holy  exercise  of
"leaning  on  her  beloved,"  chap.  ii.  4.  But
she  was  then  brought  there,  as  it  were,  alone  ;
all  her  care  and  concern  was  about  herself:
now,  she  is  seen  there  in  company,  as  it  were,
with  others  whom  she  has  led  thither  to  share
her  wine.
Then,  too,  in  the  warmth  of  "first  love,"
the  manifestations  of  Christ  were  overwhelm-
ing to  her  soul — "  I  am  sick  of  love,"  she  ex-
claimed ;  "  stay  me  with  flagons,"  chap.  ii.  5.
