经文： 我妹子，我新妇。（雅歌4：12）

细看这属天的所罗门，以强烈的爱情，用如此甜美的称谓向祂的新妇──教会说话。我的妹子，因自然的连结与我有亲密的关系，与我享受相同的恩典。我的新妇，是我最亲近也是最亲爱的，借着最温柔之爱的结合与我联合。祂是我的亲密伴侣，也是我自己的一部份。

肉身的妹子是我骨中之骨，肉中之肉。属天许配的新妇是在公义中嫁给了我。我的妹子，从出生之日，我已认识了她，在襁褓中，我已保护了她。我的新妇，是从众女子中拣选出来的。我以热烈的爱情拥抱她，她也永远属于我的。王的亲人并不以我们为耻，这是何等真实！祂显然喜悦这双重关系。

在这节经文中，“我”这个字重复了两次。似乎基督因拥有祂的教会而充满了极大的喜乐。“他喜悦住在世人之间”（箴言8：31）因为这些人都是祂亲自拣选的。“牧人”寻找羊，因为牠们属于祂。祂来为要“寻找拯救失丧的人”（路十九：10），因为失丧的人远在失丧以前就已属祂。

教会是主所独有的产业。别无他人可以宣称有份或企图分享她的爱情。耶稣呀，你的教会多么欢欣领受你的爱呀！让每一位信徒的灵魂得尝这安慰的井水。我的心啊，因着这关系，基督与我们紧紧相连。借着婚姻的结合，基督是你亲爱的，你于祂也是亲爱的。看哪，祂以自己的双手紧握你的双手，说道：“我的妹子，我的新妇。”祂双手握住你，永远不会也永不会让你离开祂。哦，亲爱的朋友，快快回应祂那圣洁的爱焰吧！

Scripture: “My sister, my spouse.”(Song of Solomon 4:12)

Observe the sweet titles with which the heavenly Solomon with intense affection addresses his bride the church. “My sister, one near to me by ties of nature, partaker of the same sympathies. My spouse, nearest and dearest, united to me by the tenderest bands of love; my sweet companion, part of my own self. My sister, by my Incarnation, which makes me bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh; my spouse, by heavenly betrothal, in which I have espoused thee unto myself in righteousness. My sister, whom I knew of old, and over whom I watched from her earliest infancy; my spouse, taken from among the daughters, embraced by arms of love, and affianced unto me for ever. See how true it is that our royal Kinsman is not ashamed of us, for he dwells with manifest delight upon this two-fold relationship. We have the word “my” twice in our version; as if Christ dwelt with rapture on his possession of his Church. “His delights were with the sons of men,” because those sons of men were his own chosen ones. He, the Shepherd, sought the sheep, because they were his sheep; he has gone about “to seek and to save that which was lost,” because that which was lost was his long before it was lost to itself or lost to him. The church is the exclusive portion of her Lord; none else may claim a partnership, or pretend to share her love. Jesus, thy church delights to have it so! Let every believing soul drink solace out of these wells. Soul! Christ is near to thee in ties of relationship; Christ is dear to thee in bonds of marriage union, and thou art dear to him; behold he grasps both of thy hands with both his own, saying, “My sister, my spouse.” Mark the two sacred holdfasts by which thy Lord gets such a double hold of thee that he neither can nor will ever let thee go. Be not, O beloved, slow to return the hallowed flame of his love.