infinite love which dwells in the heart of him, whose nature and name is love.

"O my dove!" says the Saviour, "that art in the clefts of the rock; in the secret places of the stairs; I call thee a dove, for I have washed thee whiter than snow; though thou hast lain among the pots; I have given thee wings of gold, and adorned thee with the meek graces of my Spirit: thou art hid in the clefts of the rock, even in the wounds of thy compassionate Saviour, so that no tempestuous wrath, no threatening evil, shall ever come nigh thee; thou art hid in the secret places of the stairs; I am that glorious, stupendous ladder, which reacheth from earth to heaven, uniting God and man in my own person: I have hid thee in the hollow of my hand, and will keep thee as the apple of my eye: let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely; look unto me, by the faith of the operation of my Spirit; call upon me in the time of thy trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me: I delight to hear thy voice, though feebly lisping out the desires of thy soul, or endeavoring to anticipate that which shall be thine eternal employ. ment, even praise and thanksgiving to him who hath loved thee. "Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes ;" watch over thine own heart, O my beloved! take heed of those foes, those subtle enemies, who are continually endeavoring to turn thee aside from the narrow way, the way which leadeth unto life; to stop thee in thy race Zion-wards, to quench the tender

flame of my love which I have kindled in thy soul; to nip the sweet graces of my Spirit, which I have planted in thy heart, which shall bud, and blossom, and bring forth fruit to my glory: beware of these foxes....these treacherous dealers; take heed of their wiles, lest thou fall into their snares: I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee; yea, I will keep thee by the right hand of my righteousness: all those thine enemies, who will not have me to reign over them, I will bring them out, and slay them, for mine own name's sake."

This is thy promise, O my king, and my God! help me to believe, and rely upon it; keep me under the shadow of thy wings, keep me as the apple of thine eye; I am a worm, and in me there is no might; but in the Lord Jehovah, I have righteousness and strength; yea, thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever; my beloved is mine, and I am his, he feedeth among the lilies; he is mine in the bonds of an everlasting covenant; my husband, my prophet, my priest, and my king: his name is called upon me, all that he hath is mine; his righteousness, his wisdom, his power and grace, kingdom and glory, the blessings of the upper and nether springs; he is all my own, and I am his; his by creation, his by his own eternal choice: he hath bought me with a price, and I am not my own, but the property of him, who hath redeemed me with so vast a sum, that Gabriel himself must fail in computing it, throughout the countless ages of eternity, and with astonishment own it is indeed infinite !....I am

his

his by another tie; I have surrendered myself into his hand, I have committed my all to my beloved, knowing he will keep it against that day....Being bought with a price, I lay myself at his feet, desiring all that I am, and have, to be devoted to that Saviour and friend of my soul, who hath loved me with an everlasting love; who will love me to the end, and be my God, and my guide and salvation, for ever. The Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He says to his saints, "I am thine inheritance and portion forever." He feedeth among the lilies; his throne is in the heaven of heavens; there he walketh among the white robed saints, who are perfectly delivered from the foul stains of sin and corruption; that leprosy shall no more break out in them; the polluted house is broken down; they have weathered the storm, and arrived safe at the haven of eternal rest, and left every care and every sorrow behind forever they are continually in the presence of him, who is their all in all; enjoying the uninterrupted light of his blessed countenance, without a cloud between: they are eternally tuning their harps to his praise; casting their crowns at his feet; filled with all that extatic blessedness, which beatified spirits are capable of, in those happy realms of light and love, and ascribing salvation to God and the lamb for ever!

But this condescending Jesus....this beloved of my soul, not only displays the bright beams of his glory to those who have already taken possession of their heavenly inheritance; but he also walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, his church, which

is yet passing through the wilderness: he feedeth among the lilies; he watches over, and keeps her from the jaws of her enemies; he refreshes her, and comforts her drooping spirits when she is weary and faint, because of the way; he sometimes visits her 'with a sweet foretaste of those inexpressible, inconceivable blessings he has prepared for her future, her everlasting consolation; and every moment his eye is upon her for good. "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether".... until the day break; that eternal glorious day, which shall never set in night! that day, when King Jesus shall appear in his glory; not as he appeared at Bethlehem, a meek and lowly babe; not as he appeared in Gethsemane, or on the mount of crucifixion, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief! but as the eternal Jehovah, the everlasting God, in all his essential majesty and native splendor! a jealous God, taking vengeance on all that obey not his gospel, and love not his name. But rejoice, O my soul! he will appear as thy Saviour, thy sacrifice, and friend; he will shine forth in all his mediatorial glory, as the Lord our righteousness!....Then shall the heavens and the earth flee away; I shall meet my beloved, my espoused, in the air, and be forever with the Lord: until this day break, and the shadows of time flee away, turn, my beloved, and lift up the light of thy countenance on me: listen to the ceaseless moanings of thy plaintive turtle-dove; come over the rocks and rising grounds of all my unworthiness, and all my enemies; and be thou like a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

My beloved spake, and said unto me, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away: rise up from the death of sin, to the life of faith and righteousness; for I have loved thee; I have made thee fair in the comeliness that I have put upon thee. Come away! come away from sin and Satan. Come away ! come away from the world and its delusive vanities; let thine affections soar up to thy Saviour, who hath given himself for thee: for lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; all the storm was poured out on thy surety's head; his locks were wet with the dews of the night, that thou mightest be blessed with the smiles of the sun of righteousness. The winter is past, the vernal season appears; the flowers spring; the fruits ripen, and the voice of the turtle, charms the listening ear: arise my love! arise my redeemed fair one, and come away!"

"By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him; but I found him not ;" the sun of righteousness, who was wont to shine upon my soul, and gild my happy hours with the blessings of peace, withdrew his divine and comfortable influence ....that precious Jesus, in whose favor is life; whose presence filled my soul with heavenly day; in order to teach me that divine lesson, resignation to his will, as he did Abraham of old; he turned away the sweet shinings of his face from his beloved, and suffered me to walk in the shadows of the night, without the directing light, without the reviving warmth of his blessed Spirit; he drew a veil, a cloud of thick darkness over his creation in my heart, and having lost the