With sweet smelling myrrh-A knowledge of all the precious things of Present Truth.

Upon the handles-The lines of prophetical evidence.

Of the lock-The time features of the Lord's Plan. 5:6. I opened to my Beloved-After the Harvest work was finished.

But my Beloved-True to His word.

Had withdrawn Himself "And they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage."

And was gone-And the door was shut.

My soul failed when He spake—I lacked the love, faith and hope to obey promptly.

I sought Him-"Many shall strive to enter in but shall not be able when once the Master of the House hath risen up and shut to the door."

But found Him not-"I am He that shutteth and no man openeth."

I called Him-"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in."

But He gave me no answer-No hope of being His Bride and Joint-heir.

5:7. The watchmen-Watchmen in nominal Zion, the clergy of the nominal church.

That went about the city-Christendom.

Found me-Observed my course in accepting Present Truth and withdrawing from their systems.

They smote me-"With arrows, even bitter words."
They wounded me-Wounded my reputation.

The keepers-Civil authorities.

Of the walls-The Governments, the bulwarks of Christendom.

Took away my veil from me-Were instigated to destroy me, to cause me to pass into death.

5:8. charge you-The Foolish Virgin class continues. O daughters of Jerusalem-O all who profess to love Him. If ye find my Beloved-If you yourself expect to be of the Bride class.

That ye tell Him-In my behalf.

That I am sick of love-Hungering for His companionship, longing to see His face, despite the fact that I did not open to Him promptly.

5:9. What is thy Beloved-The Lord's professed people, now in nominal Zion, speak.

More than another beloved-Why is Christ any more to you than He is to me?

O thou fairest among women-The Lord's professed people in nominal Zion begin to awake to the fact that the last of the spiritually-minded ones are leaving them.

What is thy Beloved-To you.

More than another beloved-To another.

That thou dost so charge us-We would like to understand the reasons why you are so deeply concerned, and why you persist in saying, "The Harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."

5:10. My Beloved is white-"Holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners." The Foolish Virgin class responds to the Lord's professed people in nominal Zion. And ruddy-A reference to His pierced side. ""He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood."

The chiefest-The standard-bearer or chieftain. Among ten thousand-Among ten thousand warriors. 5:11.

His head-"God gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is His Body, that in all things He might have the preeminence."

Is as the most fine gold-"Who only hath immortality.” His locks are bushy-His consecration is perfect and complete.

And black as a raven-And He remained steadfast in it unto death.

5:12. His eyes-Wisdom.

Are as the eyes of doves-Pure, peaceable, gentle.
By the rivers of waters-By the channels of truth.
Washed with milk-Primary elements of the Truth.
And fitly set-All in perfect harmony.

5:13. His cheeks-His countenance towards me. Are as a bed of spices-The personification of every virtue and every grace.

As sweet flowers-Towers of perfumes (margin), flowers trained upon trellises; shedding a beauty and fragrance compelling the attention of all.

His lips like lilies His speech modest, beautiful and sweet. "Never man spake like this Man.”

Dropping sweet smelling myrrh-Distilling Heavenly wisdom. "My speech shall distil as the dew.”

5:14. His hands-As in rolling or unrolling a seroll or parchment.

Are as gold rings-Conform to the shape of the roll. "Thou art worthy to take the roll and to open the seals thereof."

Set with the beryl-Love of the Father. See page 325. His belly-The word signifies the whole body, from shoulders to thighs.

Is as bright ivory-A beautiful vision.
Overlaid with sapphires-Faithfulness.

See page 324.

"And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under His

feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone."

5:15. His legs-The members that have been carrying on the work of the Bedy.

Are as pillars of marble-"Him that overcometh will 1 make a pillar in the Temple of My God."

Set upon sockets-Feet,the feet members.

Of fine gold-"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him!"

His countenance-Smile of favor.

Is as Lebanon-Pure, invigorating, refreshing.
Excellent as the cedars-Everlasting life.

5:16. His mouth-His Word. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Is most sweet-"All bare Him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth."

Yea, He is altogether lovely-It is impossible to describe all His excellencies; He is the sum of all that is to be desired.

This is my Beloved-This is the One I love supremely. And this is my Friend-"I've found a Friend, O such a Friend!"

O daughters of Jerusalem-O you who are nominally His. 6:1. Whither is thy Beloved gone-After the door is shut, those who have been nominally Christ's begin to give heed to the message of the Foolish Virgins.

O thou fairest among women-O most spiritually-minded amongst us.

Whither is thy Beloved turned aside-We realize that He has entirely withdrawn Himself from us.

That we may seek Him with thee-Show us in the Word how He is now to be found. "All that a man hath will he give for his life."

6:2. My Beloved-The Foolish Virgin class, now thoroughly aroused to the facts, explain to the Lord's professed children in nominal Zion.

Is gone down-His Second Advent is accomplished. Into His garden-He has taken His Bride to Himself. To the beds of spices-To accept from her heart-garden the fragrant and sweet ingredients of the Holy Spirit.

To feed in the gardens-To receive to Himself the pre cious fruits love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.

And to gather lilies-To take the humble sweet ones home; to gather the wheat class into the Heavenly garner. 6:3. I am my Beloved's-The Great Company can not forget that they are precious in the Lord's sight.

And my Beloved is mine-"Fade, Fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine."

He feedeth among the lilies-"The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way."

6:4. Thou art beautiful-At heart. The Lord again addresses His Bride.

O My love "Love one another as I have loved you." As Tirzah-A delight.

Comely as Jerusalem-"The City of the Great King." Terrible-In the conquest of evil.

As an army with banners-To an opposing host.

6:5. Turn away thine eyes from Me-Observe the Lord's modesty and humility.

For they have overcome Me-How the Lord delights to express His appreciation of the virtues of His Bride, despite the fact that they are all but feeble reflections of His own!

Thy hair-Righteousness. Woman's hair was given her for a covering, and it is her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and it is her glory.

Is as a flock of goats-Thick, luxuriant.

That appear from Mt. Gilead-The flocks of goats on Mt. Gilead are of unusual size to this day.

6:6. Thy teeth-Masticators, grinders, assimilators of spiritual food.

Are as a flock-In glistening array.

Which go up from the washing-Cleansing by salivation. Whereof every one bear twins-They come forth in pairs.

And there is not one barren-None is without its mate. Among them-The teeth are perfect in form and number, illustrating the Bride's ability to feed upon the strong meat which "belongeth to them that are of full age."

6:7. As a piece of pomegranate-The pomegranate curlously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illus trates the New Mind, which, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, brings to perfection the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.

Are thy temples-Thy mind, the mind of the New Crea ture.

Within thy locks-Behind thy veil; concealed by the veil of the flesh.

6:8. There are threescore queens-Nominal church or ganizations openly joined to earthly heads.

And fourscore concubines-Even more are secretly vio lating their pledges of spiritual virginity. Altogether the census shows about 150 sects. See page 160, where all the principal sects are enumerated.

And virgins without number-Foolish Virgins, really pure at heart.

6:9. My dove, My undefiled-The Virgin Bride of Christ. Is but one "That they may be one, as We are."

The only one-To share the glory, honor and immortal. ity of Christ.

Of her mother-The Oath-bound Covenant.

She is the choice one-The specially favored one.

Of her that bore her-The antitypical Sarah.

The daughters-Professed children of God.

Saw her-Discerned her, at the time of the manifestation of the Sons of God.

And blessed her-Called her blessed.

Yea the queens-Those openly affiliated with worldly churches in union with worldly governments.

And the concubines-Those secretly thus affiliated. And they praised her-Acknowledged, in the end, that her course was right and her exaltation merited.

6:10. Who is she-The Bride.

That looketh forth-Beams resplendent.

As the morning-The Millennial Morning.
Fair-Pure, just, holy, good.

As the moon-"The law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit."

Clear Glorious, light-giving.

As the Sun-"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father." "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And terrible-In the conquest of evil.

As an army with banners-To an opposing host.

6:11. I went down-Following the exaltation of the Bride. Christ speaks.

Into the garden of nuts-The heart-gardens of the Foolish Virgin class. A garden of nuts does not as quickly yield its treasures as a garden of spices, to which the Bride's heart garden is likened.

To see the fruits of the valley-Of the class that had not risen with the Bride to the Pisgah heights of faith and hope and love.

And to see whether-As a result of their experiences in the Time of Trouble.

The vine flourished-Their characters had been properly affected.

And the pomegranates budded-To see whether there is promise of the fruits of the Spirit coming to perfection. 6:12. Or ever I was aware-I knew not how it was. My soul-Filled with love and pity for them. Made me like the chariots-Swiftly speeding to them to bless and help them in their hour of extremity.

Of Amminadib-Of My willing people, the Bride.