294 THE FLORIST. 



Bibles, either in the singular or plural, because of the difficulty of 

 rendering its meaning. Without pretending to be wiser than the 

 venerable translators of our Bible, we may see, besides the many re- 

 ferences to Christ in these Psalms, an expression of triumphant joy 

 at the close of Ps. lx., and of the full anticipation of the same at the 

 close of Ps. lxix. and lxxx. ; whilst Ps. xlv., entitled Concerning the 

 Lilies, may perhaps be explained by the next Scripture reference to 

 the Lily, which occurs Cant. ii. 1, 2. 



4. Here we see the Divine Light first calling Himself the Lily, 

 and then bestowing that name on His beloved church or people. 

 This is exceedingly expressive ; for the latter are nothing but what 

 the former makes them, and out of His fulness they all receive, and 

 grace for grace. He who said, " I am the Light of the world," ad- 

 dressed His disciples, saying, " Ye are the light of the world." And 

 again He said, " Ye are clean, through the w T ord which / have 

 spoken unto you." True believers are elsewhere spoken of as 

 " children of light/' and as " clothed in fine linen, white and clean; 

 the fine linen being the righteousness of the saints." Speaking of 

 the Lily — the untoiling, the unspinning Lily, so emblematic of the 

 believer, who finds his rest and peace and joy in the finished work of 

 his Lord, and ceases from his own works — Christ said, " Even Solo- 

 mon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these!" After 

 considering the Lily, we may truly assent to this ; and to be arrayed 

 like one of these — to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, 

 and conformed to the image of Christ here — and to be raised from 

 dishonour and weakness and corruption by and by, may well be our 

 most fervent desire. I look, then, at the Lily with no common feel- 

 ings of delight. I see in it one of God's chosen emblems for His 

 Christ, and for believers in Christ ; in looking at it, I long to be holy 

 as He is holy ; I prize the righteousness which is His free gift ; I 

 rejoice that His great salvation is not of works but of grace ; and I 

 long to bear the image of the heavenly. 



The remaining reference (Cant. vi. 2, 3,) forms an admirable con- 

 clusion to our subject. I believe that the words, " He is gone down 

 into his garden to gather Lilies," and M He feedeth among the Lilies," 

 are intended to express the Lord's goodness, either in taking His 

 people home to Himself, or in granting them the joy of His pre- 

 sence here in the wilderness. And, as a little poem on this subject 

 says — 



" Christ's Lilies now by tempests torn 

 Amid a howling waste, 

 Will soon be gather 'd from the thorns, 

 And in His bosom placed." 



