Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments : but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments."

ESTHER i. 5, 9.

"The king made a feast unto all the people...in the court of the garden of the king's palace.... Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus (i. e. a separate feast, in the harem)."

ESTHER ii. 9, 18.

"And he...gave (Esther) seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house....Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king."

PSALM xlv. 8, 13-15.

"All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces,* whereby they have made thee glad.

"The king's daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework; the virgins her companions, that follow her, shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace." Ezek. xvi. 10-13.

ECCLES. xii. 4.

"... All the daughters of music shall be brought low." (2 Sam. xix. 35, Ps. lxviii. 25.)

CANTICLES iii. 6, 11.

"Who is this that cometh...perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchants?...

"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.”

vii. 1.

"How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter."

66

ISAIAH lxi. 10.

...As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (xlix." 18. Cant. 1-10, 11.)

JEREMIAH ii. 32.

"Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire ?"

vii. 34.

"Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride." (REV. xviii. 23.)

HOSEA iii. 2, 3.

"So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half-homer of barley and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee."

MATT. i. 18-20.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise : when, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared into him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,

fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

MATT. ix. 15.

"Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

xxii. 2, &c.

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? and he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants...Take him away, and cast him into outer darkness..."

xxv. 1-12.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them ; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."

LUKE Xii. 35-37.

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. xiv. 8, 10.

"When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room...; but when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room.'

JOHN ii. 1, 2.

"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

iii. 29.

"The friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice."

REV. xix. 7-9.

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him ; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

REV. xxi. 2.

"And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

JEWISH MARRIAGES.

"The ceremonies attending a Jewish marriage illustrate many important parts of Scripture-especially those referring to the union between Christ and the Church. In

;

ancient times the ceremony of betrothing was the solemn engagement by which two persons were united for life and this, in the Talmud, is directed to take place at least twelve months before the parties live together. Thus, Mary, the mother of our Lord, was a virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,' yet would have been treated as an adulteress had she formed a con

nexion with any other man. In process of time, this law became less strictly observed.

"The night before the celebration of the marriage is called thewatch-night,' and is kept as such by the family of the bride, and the maidens who attend her on the occasion. If the bridegroom's residence be at a distance from that of the bride, he usually arrives some time in the course of this night, or very early in the morning. The bridemaids watch anxiously for his arrival, and as soon as they are apprised of his approach by the joyful shout set up by some of the members of