the human body, as an arm of the sea, the mouth of a river, the foot of a mountain, &c. and this custom probably originated among the first fathers of mankind. But that Behemoth meant the Dead Sea, Leviathan a volcano, Jonah's whale a Jewish fishery, and the beloved in this book a hill with mines in it, are ideas which require something more than mere conjecture to support them. Beside, whoever heard of a gold mine in Judea? and if Solomon had such in his own estate, why send a three years voyage to procure it? Farther, did marble and gold grow in the same mountain? And did it also produce quarries of ivory, and sapphire, and beryl? Did the same mountain produce springs of water, beds of spices, and copses bushy and black as a raven? Surely the idea is too ridiculous to merit a serious confutation, and could not have been entertained even by Mr. Robinson, if he had attempted to pursue it farther, and examine the particular application of his hypothesis. For supposing a few passages might be thus illustrated, the far greater part would be thrown into impenetrable darkness.

I know not whether the protestant reader will bear with my adding to the above hypotheses, the mystical one of some modern catholics, who while they explain the bridegroom to be Jesus Christ, make the spouse to be the Virgin Mary'.

It is now time to state what I conceive a far

1

Explan. of Cant. in Verse. Paris, 1717.

more rational and consistent application of the imagery in this poem, and to consider the grounds and arguments on which it rests. In

the first place, then, I confess' (in the words of the very learned bishop LowTH') that by 'several reasons, by the general authority and 'consent of the Jewish and Christian churches, ' and still more, by the nature and analogy 'of the parabolic style, I feel irresistibly in'clined to that side of the question which con'siders this as an entire ALLEGORY.'- A mys'tic allegory of that sort which induces a more 'sublime sense on historical truths, and which, 'by the description of human events, shadows 6 out divine circumstances.' So Dr. BLAIR says, 'Considered with respect to its spiritual 'meaning it is undoubtedly a mystical allegory.On this occasion, says Mr. GREEN, we may say what the apostle says on another; 'No man can lay any other foundation than 'what is laid, even Jesus Christ "."

The ground of a mystic allegory lays in the analogy between natural and spiritual objects; and it is well known to have been the doctrine of. Plato's school, that all material objects had their archetype in the divine mind, which principle was adopted by Philo, the Alexandrian Jew, and from him descended to the Cabbalists, and became the fountain of all their allegorical interpretations. These Cabbalists, from the maxim that sensible things are but an imita

6

1 Lecture XXXI.

2 Lect. XLI. vol. III. Green's Poet. Parts of O. T. newly translated, p. 106.

tion of things above,' thence conceived that the matrimonial union had its counterpart, or original pattern, in the heavenly state; namely, in the loves of TIPHERET and MALCUTH, the invisible bridegroom and bride of the celestial world. By TIPHERET, which signifies ornament or beauty, if they understood themselves, they must have meant the King Messiah, whom they call the second Adam,' or the • Adam who is on high,' in distinction from our common father; and by MALCUTH, which signifies kingdom, the congregation of Israel or the kingdom of the Messiah; and these notions appear to have been very ancient, as they are adopted by the sacred writers, and particularly by St. Paul, who represents Jesus Christ, both as the second Adam, the Lord from heaven,' and as the husband or bridegroom of his church'.

6

But this notion may be traced to a sublimer origin than Plato, namely, to the Hebrew prophets, who abound with the same ideas. By them God is represented as the spouse of the church, and the church as the betrothed of God. Thus also the piety of the people, their impiety, their idolatry, and rejection stand in the same relation to the sacred covenant, as chastity, immodesty, adultery, and ' divorce, with respect to the marriage contract. And this notion is so familiar in Scripture, that the word adultery (or whoredom) is 'commonly used to denote idolatrous worship,

and so appropriated does it appear to this metaphorical purpose, that it very seldom occurs in its proper and literal sense '.'

Some of the passages thus certainly allegorical have a resemblance so striking to the Song of Solomon, that the comparison, has great weight with me, to prove that also to be allegorical: I shall produce a few instances for the satisfaction of the reader, and many more will be alluded, or referred, to in the subsequent commentary.

The most striking instance is that of the 45th psalm, which is commonly supposed to have been written on the same оссаsion. If so, it could not be written by David, because he appears to have died before this marriage; nor yet by Solomon, because the writer speaks of him (a type of King Messiah) as a third person, and tells us his poem was composed to be recited in his presence, at least as I understand the first verse, which runs thus:

'My heart enditeth a good matter;

+

'I will speak unto the king that which I have composed; My tongue [shall be as] the pen of a ready writer.

It is probable then, it might be written by the prophet Nathan, the author of the beautiful parable which reproved David's sin. However, there is so striking a resemblance between the opening of this psalm and that of

Lowth's Lect. XXXI.

M

2

2 Sam. xii. 1, &c,

an ancient runic poem', that I cannot help observing it. The bard it seems had been taken captive by the enemy, and composed an ode in praise of the conqueror, as the price of his ransom; whence the poem is called The Ransom of EGILL, the scald,' or bard, and begins thus: I bring in my bosom the gift of 'Odin [i. e. the god Woden] my mind is deep • laden with the songs of the gods.

'I offer my freight unto the king: I owe a poem for my ransom: my lays resound his praise.'

The following verses will also find their parallel in the same and other psalms.

The drawn bow twangs: it sends forth the ' arrow to meet the sword. The king hath gained a firm possession in the enemy's land. Praise dwells beside him.

I have published the praises of the king: I have poured forth from my breast the praises of Eric.' Begging the reader's pardon for this digression, I shall now recite some other verses in this psalm, referring to the parallel passages in the Song of Solomon. Of the king it is said: Thou art fairer than the children of men: Grace is poured into thy lips2.

The following words seems to allude to the chariot of state described by Solomon, and allegorically expressive of the gospel.

On thy word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness, ride prosperously.'

1

See five pieces of Runic Poetry, translated from the Islandic Langu age. Dodsley, 1763.

* See Sol. Song, ch. v. 10, 13.