thine own culture, have to reject the sour and unwelcome produce of my negligence and sin? Pardon, Lord, thy ungrateful servant, and take my soul wholly under thy management; lest, deprived of its safeguard and its cultivation, like ancient Israel, it should lie "waste," unfruitful, unblessed, and desolate.

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Did ever Jordan's banks, or Judea's wilderness, echo to so delightful a sound as when, at my Saviour's baptism, mingled with the gentle murmur of the descending Holy Dove, there came a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"?* That voice was not sent more to comfort and animate the incarnate Son of God, in the arduous work on which he was entering, than to cheer and encourage his people to live "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." In this view, every term of love employed by the Father towards the Son, is fraught with joyful considerations to the believer. "Accepted in the Beloved!" How rich, full, and unchangeable, then, must my acceptance be! I thereby become a partaker of a divine nature, ‡ am invested 2 Pet. i. 4.

with a divine righteousness, and share in the divine love. I am beloved in the Beloved.

David was an eminent type of Christ, both in his history and his name, which signifies "Beloved." The prophetic Scriptures announced the Son of David, under his illustrious forefather's name. people; and it will be still dearer to them, when, on their conversion to Christ, Hosea's words shall be fulfilled- "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and DAVID their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days."* Ezekiel spake of Messiah by the same royal title.†

This name is dear to the Jewish

"The Beloved" of his Father is the beloved of his saints, — the beloved of his church, and of every individual member of it. This is beautifully exhibited in the Song of Songs, which is an inspired, poetical description of the mutual love of Christ and his church, borrowed from the chaste intercourse of wedded life. An infidel world, whether Jewish or Gentile, "seeing no beauty in him to desire him,"‡ may scornfully ask the church- "What is thy Beloved more

than another beloved?" * Her reply is this"As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. My beloved

Saviour excels others as much as the rich and fruitful tree excels those which are barren and unfruitful. My Beloved is the chiefest among ten thousand; 'Yea, he is altogether lovely.' This is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."§ Friendship leans upon its fondest object, and looks there for comfort, support, and sympathy, amidst the inevitable griefs of life. "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?" || Who, but the church? Who, but the soul, resting in full confidence upon the love, strength, and sympathy of the Lord Jesus Christ?

If the Redeemer stands thus related to me, I may find a never-failing treasury of joy in this title that he bears. He is, then, the Beloved of my soul; and I may exclaim again and again, in all the ecstasy of self-appropriating affection, My Beloved is mine, and I am his." ¶ His love to me is the source of mine to him; and my love to him is an evidence and seal of his to

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me.

me.

That he is mine, by my deliberate, and renewed, and fixed choice, assures me that I am his, and his unalienably and forever. All he is and all he has is mine also; for the heavenly Bridegroom makes over himself and his all to his church. And dare I, can I, would I, withhold any thing from him? Forbid it, O my Saviour, and bring me to make as unreserved a surrender of myself to thee, as thou hast made of thyself to

“For I am my Beloved's, and his desire is towards me."* It was the " desire

to save me, and to glorify himself by my love to him, above all other objects, that refreshed his soul in death.f Yet a little while, and his gracious benevolence shall be fully gratified in my compiete salvation; and when, admitted into his presence, I shall lose sight of all besides in the vision of his glory, then will he never have to complain of my lukewarmness, $ nor I have to lament the sensible withdrawment of his favor, through unbelief and sin. I may well, therefore, earnestly long for the arrival of his appointed time, when he shall come to take me home to himself, and vent the desires of my heart in the language of the church, both under the Old and New Testament dispensations. While I continue here, may I thus express the sincere and ardent

Ι desires of my heart for the influences of the Holy Spirit : “Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south ; blow upon my garden," — the garden of my soul, —“that the spices thereof may flow out. Let

my

Beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.” * And in the anticipation of eternity, may this be my daily prayer “ Make haste, my Beloved ” + Saviour. Thou sayest to thy church, “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” My soul replies, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” I

Beloved Saviour! can there be
A worm on earth that loves not thee?
O! could the meanest reptile see,
'T would surely try to rival me.

The very rocks that bound the shore,
Nor feel nor hear the seas that roar,
Could they but know thee, would adore,
And strive than me to love thee more.

O! break this stony heart, and raise
This reptile soul to speak thy praise :