Lo, I am with you always

 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

Song of Solomon 6:10

The dawn of a better day, celebrated in sacred song

F. W. Brown.

There is a beautiful upward gradation indicated, a progression towards a glorious climax; there is the dawn of a better day seen by the wise man's prophetic eye, and we will prayerfully consider the prophetic inquiry as foreshadowing the mission of Christ, and the nature of His glorious kingdom. "Who is she that looketh," etc. Apply these words:

I. TO THE HISTORY OF CHRIST. Christ looked "forth as the morning" in the first promise made to our first parents in Eden. The Mosaic dispensation may be considered as daybreak, dim and hazy, the prophetic age may be regarded as "fair as the moon," it was brighter than the former, and it shone, as the moon shines with light borrowed from the unseen Sun. When the fulness of time came, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, then the Sun of Righteousness arose with healing in His wings, and throughout the whole of our Lord's public ministry He marched forth "clear as the sun." Christ went forth "terrible as an army with banners." He vanquished Satan in the Temptation of the wilderness. He was a terror to evil-doers, and planted His standard in the centre of the kingdom of darkness. Especially was He "terrible as an army with banners" when He entered upon His Passion. And He shall be "terrible as an army with banners" when He shall come in His glory, and all His holy angels with Him, to gather all nations together, and separate the righteous from the wicked.

II. TO THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. The Jewish Church was only the dawn of Gospel times, it looked "forth as the morning" — it was "fair as the moon," but not clear as the sun. The day broke when the day of Pentecost came, and the Spirit rested upon the Apostles heads as tongues of flame. In that sunlight the Evangelists wrote their Gospels, and the Apostles their Epistles; and in the warmth and blessed life-giving influence of the rays of the Sun of Righteousness, the early preachers of the Cross went forth preaching Jesus and the Resurrection; they went forth "terrible as an army with banners," and the world was won by them, for by the end of the third century the Gospel had been preached, and converts had been won in every part of the then known world. The Church is still going on from victory unto victory.

III. TO THE HISTORY OF EVERY CHRISTIAN BELIEVER. The rise and progress of the soul in religion are gradual and progressive. Religious impression and conviction may be regarded as the looking "forth as the morning." In the dawn of religious life there is much cloud, and the shadows of the night move but slowly away. We cannot tell just when the night ends and the morning breaks — and daybreak differs in different climes, so is it in the history of the regenerate: many rejoicing in the light of the Sun of Righteousness can only say, "One thing I know, whereas I was in the dark, now I am in the light — the day has dawned, and the shadows have fled away." Light shines upon the soul "fair as the moon," and, at first, often as cold. But soon the light shines brighter and warmer, the soul is filled with life and joy and glory, for, "clear as the sun, Jesus sheds His love abroad there."

(F. W. Brown.)