CHAPTER ONE

Contents: The Bride and Bridegroom in joyful communion.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: Those who are full of Christ earnestly desire the manifestations of His love to their souls, with humble professions of love to Him and complacency in Him above all.

Key Word: Love, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   4.

Striking Facts: The spiritual and larger interpretation of this book is of Christ, the Son and His heavenly Bride, the Church (2 Cor. 11:1-4). The Church is beautiful to Christ as Christ is beautiful to the Church.

CHAPTER TWO

Contents: The Bridegroom speaks concerning himself and his Bride. The Bride speaks remembering her satisfaction in her beloved.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: Humble souls see the most beauty in the Bridegroom. To them He is the rose and He is the lily, and all excellency is in Him in the highest degree. Those are made like Him in whose hearts His love is shed abroad.

Key Word: Beloved, v. 8.

Strong Verses:   4, 16.

Striking Facts: Those whose hearts are filled with love to Christ and the hope of heaven, know best the meaning of this chapter the rejoicing in Him and the longing to see Him.

CHAPTER THREE

Contents: The Bride seeking the favor of the Bridegroom. She calls upon all to admire Him.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: Those who are truly of the Bride, will evince the sincerity of their love to Christ by continual and solicitous enquiries after Him and will not be satisfied until Christ Himself is apprehended by faith.

Key Word: My beloved, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   2.

Striking Facts: Under the figure of Solomon, his bed and his guards about it the Church here admires Christ, the true Bridegroom. Solomon is used as an illustrious type of Christ because of his wisdom and wealth and the fact that he built the temple.

CHAPTER FOUR

Contents: The Bridegroom commends the beauty of the Bride and delights in her affection.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church). Conclusion: Whatever others think of the Bride of Christ, she is amiable and beautiful in His eyes because of the comliness of grace which He has put upon her. All the beauty of saints is derived from Him.

Key Word: My love, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   7 (See Eph. 5:27).

Striking Facts: The representations here made of the beauty of the Church, do not represent external beauty but the beauty of holiness, the hidden man of the heart as seen by heaven through the blood of Christ.

CHAPTER FIVE

Contents: The distress of the Bride because of the temporary withdrawal of the groom, due to the Bride's neglect.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: The slights which careless souls put upon Christ are grievous to Him and He suspends the communication of His comfort to those who are remiss and drowsy in His service. The loss of the sense of His presence is a matter of great grief to the believer.

Key Word: Beloved withdrawn, v. 6.

Strong Verses:   10.

Striking Facts: v. 6. Rev. 3:20 describes the state of the Church in coldness toward Christ. He has knocked for entrance, but in their drowsiness and coldness, they have not responded. They find themselves at last deserted by Him.

CHAPTER SIX

Contents: The Bridegroom applauds the beauty of the Bride, preferring her before all others.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: Christ takes delight in His redeemed and in the workings of

His own grace in them, notwithstanding their weaknesses, and though Heoften has to hide His face temporarily, yet He gathers them back to His heart when they return to their duty, and He always prefers His own to the best of the unsaved of the world.

Key Word: My love, v. 4.

Strong Verses:   3.

Striking Facts: v. 3. Though Christ may have justly hid His face from His Bride for a time, yet His covenant continues firm, and true believers may always say, "I am His and He is mine."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Contents: Further description of the beauties of the Bride.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: The Bride of Christ bears the image of the King of Kings and in the beauty of holiness, is beyond anything nature can reach. In answer to the expressions of Christ's regard for His own, the believer should triumph in his relation to Him and rejoice in the hold He has of him.

Key Word: Beauty, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   10.

Striking Facts: v. 11. Those who love Christ will go forth from the amusements of the world, contriving to attend upon Him without distraction. If we keep our eyes upon Christ, we may have the realization of His presence with us wherever we go (I walk with the King, hallelujah!).

CHAPTER EIGHT

Contents: The affections between the Bridegroom and His Bride.

Characters: Solomon, Bride (Christ, Church).

Conclusion: Those who are espoused to the Lord Jesus, should desire constant intimacy and freedom with Him. Let us be ready to own our relation to Him and affection for Him, never fearing being despised by the world for it.

Key Word: Love, v. 7.

Strong Verses:   7.

Striking Facts: v. 14. "Even so come, Lord Jesus: come quickly." Only those who can in sincerity call Christ their beloved, can desire Him to hasten His second coming. Let believers long for it, pray for it and work for it.