"Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of GOD." "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath CHRIST with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? . . . Wherefore:-- Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a FATHER, And ye shall be to Me sons and daughters, saith the LORD ALMIGHTY. We have to take our choice: we cannot enjoy both the world and CHRIST. The bride had not learned this: she would fain enjoy both, with no thought of their incompatibility. She observes with joy the approach of the Bridegroom. The voice of my Beloved: Behold He cometh Leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart; Behold He standeth behind our wall, He looketh in at the windows, He glanceth through the lattice. The heart of the bride leaps on hearing the voice of her Beloved, as He comes in search of her. He has crossed the hills; He draws near to her; He stands behind the wall; He even looks in at the windows; with tender and touching words He woos her to come forth to Him. He utters no reproach, and His loving entreaties sink deep in her memory. My Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom, They give forth their fragrance. Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away. All nature is responsive to the return of the summer, wilt thou, My bride, be irresponsive to My love? Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away. Can such pleading be in vain? Alas, it can, it was! In yet more touching words the Bridegroom continues:-- O My dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the steep place, Let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice: For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Wonderful thought! that God should desire fellowship with us; and that He whose love once made Him the Man of Sorrows may now be made the Man of Joys by the loving devotion of human hearts.