this kind we find predicted in many passages of scripture, alluding to those occasions when, thro' the cheering influence of the Sun of righteousness, 'flowers appeared on the earth,' and the church rejoiced in the appearance. The earth in general was adorned with these flowers, but the church only beheld and viewed them with delight and comfort. The time of the singing of birds is come. Of birds' is an addition, not in the original, and not necessary for any mode of explication. The Hebrew verb ", zamar, primarily signifies to prune, cut or clip trees, or shrubs, &c. in conformity to which, the LXX. here render it τομης, and the Vulgate, 'putationis,' pruning. Hence it is used for singing, speaking in metre, in measure, or in pruned, regular dressed sentences, as prose with us is called sermo solutus,' loose unpruned discourse; so seems not so much to denote singing in our acceptation, (for which I think the Hebrew has another word, w, shir), as composing, ordering matter for singing, which we call poetry. With this view it is usually rendered psalm; and David is called' (DI O'Y3, noim zamruth, jocundus in psalmis) the sweet Psalmist,' not for his singing only, but principally for his composing something to be sung. The Latin verb cano,' has this double idea of singing and composing; so has the Greek anıdw, and. This leads to the idea here, not confining it to birds, in which sense I do not know if ever it is to be found, but in its custoNn 2 mary

I 2 Sam. xxiii. 1.

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2

mary application to psalms, hymns, compositions of sacred art. The time or season for this is approaching, is at hand, the time of the desart's 'blossoming as the rose',' (the flowers appearing on the earth), when the lame * shall leap as an hart, ' and the tongue of the dumb shall sing,' realised again and again in New Testament times, and expressly directed to by St Paul', 'speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs ;' and also by St James, Is any merry? (Supe, well-disposed), let him (λλ) sing, or make psalms.' And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The Targum upon the Canticles, which, we are told, was the work of a Rabbi Joseph, long after Onkelos, and far down in the christian times, understands this of the Holy Ghost; and the interpretation is not at all despicable; whether we take it as the genuine sentiment of the Targumist, or as borrowed from the history of the descent at our Saviour's baptism. But it may be applied to Christ himself, from a similar expression 3, ' O de'liver not the soul of thy turtle unto the multitude,' &c. Either of the two may be received, and will justify the explication I have given of the former parts, as pointing to the happy time of Christ's being ushered in with the voice of one crying in the ‘wilderness,' and that voice seconded by the influ

ence

1 Isaiah xxxv. i.

3 Ephes. v. 19.

5 Pṣalm 1xxiv. 19.,

2 Ver. 6.

4 Chap. v. 13..

ence of the Holy Ghost upon the voices of the apostles. Is heard in our land.-Literally, on our earth, on the earth, on the land belonging to us. The Beloved speaks to the object of his love, and speaks of a land that was peculiarly hers, chosen, selected, consecrated by Himself, imparted, communicated to Her, so what we would call CHRISTIAN land; different from, and somehow or other exalted above, earth, that is, earth in general, common earth. We have the same distinction with the same emphatic view, where the Psalmist says, 'Truth shall spring out of the earth',' the humanity, (the truth, completion, reality, of all the types and shadows), shall spring from the dust of the earth, by being born of a woman 3. • And our land (, our earth), our thus sanctified christian

2

land, shall yield its increase, literally, shall give a 'jubilee.' In this land, clothed with this particular, appropriated appellation, was the voice of this turtle heard, yous, nishmo, received, obeyed, hearkened to. In the other parts, out of this pale, heard indeed, as to the sound of it 4, but not listened to, not believed in, according to the old complaint of the prophet, Lord, who hath believed our report?" in anon 'nar 6, literally, as on the margin, the hearing of us,' that which they heard from us. That hearing they may hear, and not under

stand,'

'stand',' has been an early infatuation, and still is sadly verified in spiritual things. Yet there always has been, and still is a portion of that land, that hears, believes, understands the soft gentle inviting voice of this heavenly turtle, The voice of the ' turtle is heard in our land.’

VER. 13. The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell ; arise my love, my fair one, and come away.

It is observable how frequently these two trees are classed together in scripture. Every man un⚫ der his vine, and under his fig-tree,' is a current expression, sometimes historically, and sometimes prophetically applied3. Naturalists tell us, that for timber they are two of the most useless insipid trees that grow; and the truth of the remark has long been acknowledged. Yet these two trees, however weak and unprofitable otherwise, are remarkable for their sweet, delicious fruits. May not this teach us, (as most things in nature are spiritually instructive), that fair fruits, naha egya, good works, may be produced somehow or other from trees, and by instruments of very poor unpromising appearance? The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs-15, paggiah, her spungy lifeless things. And the tree itself, 78, tanah, (by derivation from 8, anah, to grieve,

1 St Mark iv. 12.

,

2 Inter alia, 1 Kings iv. 25. 3 Zech. iii. 10.

grieve, lament, fret) was early an emblem of grief and mortification. Adam and Eve girded their loins, the natural seat of shame, with a girding of fig-leaves', which are rough and prickly, thereby wearing what is equivalent to sackcloth, which penitents since have been in use to wear next their skins. Hence, it may very fitly be called the ⚫ tree of repentance and humiliation,' putting forth, as here, its flagging, faintish, spungy appearances at first, by degrees, and in progression, ripening them into strong, balmy, valuable fruits. The vines with the tender grape give a good smell.-The vine, p, gaphan, from, nagaph, to beat, or strike against, so the stricken, flapping, limber stick. In an emblematical sense it has a double aspect, and is applied sometimes to the church", sometimes to Christ 3, who said of himself, I am the true vine.' It is well known that the vine, from its weakness, cannot support itself without the elm. So neither can the church, without her elm Christ, nor the humanity in him, (the vine of our flesh, which he assumed to bear the wrath,) without the elm of the Divinity The Son of man, whom thou madest strong for thine own self.' In general it will be allowed, that the fruit of the vine' is sacramental. It has always been so.

4 6

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Noah's wine 5,