"They all hold swords," the "many swords of the Spirit, even the word of God," "being expert in war," alluding to the teachers of God's Word (Eph. iv. 11, 12). "Because of fear in the night." Believers have their times of darkness, doubts, anxieties, apprehensions, and fear in the night; but there is no CAUSE for fear, they are well attended and "kept by the power of God," the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them, they are "sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Christ Jesus, and called" (Jude 1). They have no business to be afraid.

"Who is this?" Nay, but rather see the couch overbannered and paved with love, and surrounded with the angels of God!

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King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem."-SONG iii. 9, 10.

THAT which was before called a bed or palanquin is here further called a chariot. A bed for rest and repose, a chariot for swift and safe and triumphant carriage through the wilderness.

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King Solomon made himself, and for himself, a chariot of the wood of Lebanon." "A greater than Solomon is here." No doubt it is Christ the Lord. Perhaps the most eminent of Old Testament types of our dear Lord, is Solomon the Son of David. The seventy-second Psalm seems to supply a sufficient proof of this.

His

very name, "Jedidiah (see 2 Samuel xii. 25), means The beloved of the Lord."

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He was a great king!

He reigned over a great kingdom!
His name had a great report.
He was the wisest of all kings.
He was a prince of peace!

But more than all, he was the type of Christ, in that he was the builder of the Temple of God.

See also 1 Kings iv. 30-34. And in all this Solomon was an eminent type of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Our attention is here called to a chariot King Solomon made of the wood of Lebanon (v. 9). We read it as referring to King Jesus. The Spirit of God is here using the fact to illustrate higher things.

Notice the climax of admiration :-v. 7, "King Solomon!" v. 8, "King Solomon's bed!" v. 9, "King Solomon's chariot!" v. 11, “King Solomon's crown!"

"King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon, cedar fragrant and durable. Its pillars of silver supported its canopy at its four corners. bottom or resting seat of gold. "Its covering or hangings

its

of purple or scarlet. Its midst paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem." Notice this! Not only for the bride, but also for the daughters of Jerusalem, babes of Christ not yet spiritually born!

"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring." Our Lord is not only thinking of those who had come but those who were coming.

In Prov. viii. 31, Christ is described as delighting himself with the sons of men before the mountains were settled.

The interpretation of the verses at the head of this chapter will be according to the meaning assigned to "the chariot," I think it means himself in both his human and divine nature and in all his fulness, by assuming our humanity he has become all that Manhood and Godhead can supply, for our translation out of the kingdom of darkness into his own kingdom of grace and glory, so that he might be our resting place in the wilderness, and triumphantly, carry us home. The chariot of the wood of Lebanon is his Humanity. The pillars of silver represent the strength and stability of his atonement, like "Jachin and Boaz," the pillars of the Temple of God. And the "bottom thereof of gold" representing that which is Divine! for our security is not only founded on his Humanity but his Deity. And the covering of it of purple like the covering of the tabernacle, referring to the passion, sorrow, and blood of Christ in his travail here for our sins, and also to his royal dignity, for the same word is applied to the robes of kings! We are carried home in his chariot of

salvation under the shadow of his blood, and apparelled, as kings.

"The midst thereof being paved with love." For the heart of Christ is all tenderness and grace for us unworthy sinners. Some think this chariot means the covenant of grace, but Christ himself in his whole person is the covenant of grace (see Is. xlii. 6), so it is the same thing. In the covenant of grace we rest and come home And if it be the covenant of grace, then the pillars are God's promises. "All, yea, and amen in Christ Jesus,"

solid and immovable pillars of silver.

The bottom of pure gold is Christ himself—the foundation on which we rest. There is no fear of his children falling through, the covenant is "ordered in all things and sure."

The purple covering of the chariot represents the blood of the everlasting covenant.

"The midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem." What an easy, triumphant, happy way to be carried home to glory! "A chariot of the wood of Lebanon," fragrant and durable, furnished by God himself, and paved with love. Sinners have nothing to do but to come in.

Mark the climax, "paved with love," the silver is much, the pillars are of silver, the gold is more, but love is the best of all, and in the inmost part the chariot is paved with love. We read "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant."

Love lines it all, and the believing child of God rests in his love, he is carried home in love, feasted on love,

lies down in love, and is "more than conqueror through him that loved him."

We may well say "it is good to be here." "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye (see Isa. lv. 1). But we must be inside to know the love; it will not do merely to look at it from the outside. We cannot see the bottom of gold, nor the pavement of love until we have come in.. Nor could we enter that chariot or lie down on that gold if it was not paved with love. Troubled soul, be not careful as to your way of coming in, only come in, and if you fall in the attempt, you will fall soft, for the chariot is paved with love.

Beloved fellow sinners, Christ has spared no pains to provide a redemption full, and free, and sufficient. The wood of the chariot is durable, the silver is the redemption price, the gold the divine foundation, and love the divine gift, and the chariot is large. The cross of Christ is compared to a chariot in Col. ii. 15, the allusion is to the triumphant chariot of the Roman general, returning home from victory, and leading captivity captive. The chariot is passing by, the gospel proclaims it. O!

come in.