Charles Andrew Coates, Song of songs, from the ENT anthology of commentaries.

 \\The song of songs, which is Solomon’s\\ The Song of songs is a book
for the heart. It is a choice part of holy scripture, and has ever
appealed to the affections of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Its voice was probably never more needed than it is to-day, for
nearly all the influences of modern life continue to hinder the
development of such emotions as find expression in this book, and to
chill them even after they have been awakened. Our Lord’s words are
true of the present time: "because lawlessness shall prevail, the
love of the many shall grow cold." \\#Mt 24.12\\. May God be
graciously pleased to use it to stimulate holy affections in the
hearts of His saints.

This book does not bring before us the first movements of the work of
God in the soul. The first exercises of a creature who has sinned
against God are in the conscience. Conviction of sin and repentance
must have their place; the answer to Job’s question, "How can man be
just with God?" must be found. The forgiveness of sins and
justification in Christ are great necessities. But these primary
questions are not raised in this book; they are supposed to have been
raised and settled in a divine way. And the very way in which these
moral questions have been settled for those who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ has given us the knowledge of God as moving according to
His own nature, that is in love.

"God commends His love to us, in that we being still sinners, Christ
has died for us." There was an immense depth of need on our part, but
on God’s part a movement of love in that Christ, His beloved Son, has
died for us. In the light of this we make the wondrous discovery that
God is love, and, that being so, He can only be satisfied with love
on the part of His loved creature. God is known to us as set forth in
a blessed man, His beloved Son, who in love has gone into death for
us, and who is now, as risen and exalted, the King of glory. A Divine
Person is brought before us in this book as The King, as the true
Solomon who is, typically, the King of glory. But the Spirit of God,
who has brought out His glory in many and varied ways throughout the
Holy Scriptures, engages our hearts with Him in this incomparable
book as a Lover. He is seen here as manifesting His love to those who
appreciate it, and to whom it is more precious than all else. He is
God’s anointed, all divine and kingly rights are His, but He is
known here as a personal Lover, and as having come into Manhood to be
appreciated and responded to in ardent affection.

The inspired title of this book, The Song of Songs, indicates its
surpassing excellence, in contrast with the "vanity of vanities"
which could alone be experienced "under the sun." Solomon’s songs
were "a thousand and five"; he was conversant with every subject of
song, as he was with all trees and living creatures
(\\#1Kings 4.32-34\\), but this song has been selected as of greater
value than all the others. No subject could be greater or sweeter
than the love of Christ, and those responsive movements which it
awakens in the hearts of those that know it.

To have the personal enjoyment of the love of Christ transcends all
other joys. The principle of selection marks the whole of Scripture;
not everything that saints, or servants, or even the Son of God, said
or did, has been recorded, but all that was adequate to make known
the mind and heart of God. And this song has been selected by the
Spirit of God as of supreme worth because it delineates in a
figurative way the affections that are in the heart of Christ towards
His own, and the affections which have place in their hearts towards
Him.

The love of Christ is a precious reality. The Spirit would never
allow us to lose sight of His greatness and majesty—He is the King,
the supreme One, in this book—but He would impress our hearts with a
sweet and tender sense of His love. He was once here in humiliation
and suffering and death for us, and now He has gone on high as the
exalted and glorified One; He is "the Lord of glory" \\#James 2.1\\;
but He loves each one of us with a real and personal love. We can ask
with confidence, "who shall separate us from the love of Christ!
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
danger, or sword?… but in all these we more than conquer through Him
that has loved us" (\\#Rom 8.35-37\\). God would put the assurance of
that in our hearts by His Spirit. Then Paul could say "For the love
of the Christ constrains us, having judged this; that one died for
all, that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to
him who died for them and has been raised" (\\#2Cor 5.14,15\\), as
held in the embrace of the love of Christ we arrive at the judgment
that it is due to Him that we should live to Him, not only in
service, but in affection. This is not a matter of mere sentiment,
but of sober and considered judgment; it is a well weighed and
deliberate conviction. And we should approach the "Song of songs" in
the light of this. The theme of the "Song" is such a consciousness of
the love of Christ that the heart lives to Him. We shall find,
indeed, that there are deviations from that blessed state, which have
to of the heart, as presented in the first section of the book, is one
of full and glowing response to His known love, and of restfulness
and rapture in that love.

Charles Andrew Coates, Outline of the Song of songs, pages 1-4

"His be the Victor's name", by Samuel Whitelock Gandy. Does anyone know any other biographical details about him?

1973 Little Flock Hymn Book with 1993 appendix	Author details  & scripture annotations. (02.02.2012).
Hymn number, followed by the LFHB editions in which the hymn was included.
24,  1840, 1856, 1881, 1903, 1932, 1951, 1962, 1973, 2001. (One of a handful of 'bedrock' hymns, i.e. those included in every edition from 1840).	Gandy, Samuel Whitelock (Whitlock), died 24.12.1851, Anglican priest, S.M.
1
His be the Victor's name,	Rev 5.5  the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed
Who fought the fight alone;	Isa 59.16  he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation
Triumphant saints no honour claim,	Isa 63.3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me
His conquest was their own.	1Cor 15.57  thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
2
Through weakness and defeat	2Cor 13.4  though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God
He won the meed and crown;	Re 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Trod all our foes beneath His feet,	Col 2.15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
In being trodden down.	Ge 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
3
He Satan's power laid low;	Heb 2.14  that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
Made sin, sin's reign o'erthew;	2Cor 5.21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so,	Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory. And the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken.
And death	Acts 2.24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death
by dying slew.	Hos 13.4  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction
4
Bless, bless the conqueror slain,	Re 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,
Slain in His victory;	Heb 9:15  that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Who lived, who died who lives again	Rev 1.18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore
In glorious majesty.	Rev 1.13 ,16   one like unto the Son of man... and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

A hymn by George Vicesimus Wigram, annotated with a scripture text for each line. A condensed biography of this remarkable man is included.

	GEORGE VICESIMUS WIGRAM was the twentieth child of Sir Robert Wigram - hence his middle name - he was born in 1805. Two of his brothers distinguished themselves in their respective careers; one, James, became Vice-Chancellor in the Old Court of Chancery, and the other, Joseph Cotton, Bishop of Rochester. George V. Wigram was converted whilst a subaltern officer in the army, and in 1826 entered at Queen´s College, Oxford, with the view of taking orders. As an undergraduate he came into contact with Mr. Jarratt of the same college, and with Messrs. James L. Harris and Benjamin Wills Newton, both of Exeter College, who were all destined to take part in the ecclesiastical movement with which Wigram´s name is also prominently connected. This connection was strengthened from about the year 1830, when these friends, all Devonians, were associated in the formation of a company of Christians at Plymouth, who separated from the organised churches, and were gathered to the Name alone of Jesus, in view of bearing a testimony to the unity of the church, and to its direction by the Holy Spirit alone, whilst awaiting the second coming of the Lord. Wigram was active in the initiation of a like testimony in London, where by the year 1838 a considerable number of gatherings were formed on the model of that at Plymouth, and he began to feel that some kind of organisation was needed whereby these neighbouring companies should act in concert; hence his letter to J. N. Darby, which will be found on page 60 of W. B. Neatby´s "History". The formation of a London Saturday-evening administrative ´central meeting´ dates from that year. Several years before this, Wigram´s interest had been engaged in the preparation of Concordances which should aid especially Bible students with no, or but little, knowledge of the original languages. The plan of these was determined on after conference with Mr. De Burgh, who found the workers, whilst there can be no doubt Wigram himself provided the money, although he humbly speaks of this only as "passing through my hands." The first to appear, in 1839, was the Englishman´s Greek and English Concordance to the New Testament, and it was followed in 1843 by the Englishman´s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance to the Old Testament. These volumes have largely aided intelligent, if not scholarly, acquaintance with the background of the Bible in both its parts, so that their issue by Wigram was a signal service of his rendered to the Church of God which after the lapse of years still makes itself felt. Compilers of later works on similar lines have more or less been indebted to his scheme - cf., in particular, Scrivener´s Reference Paragraph Bible. In the years 1845-1850 Wigram was prominently concerned in the upheaval, with its melancholy result, which, originating at Plymouth. A magazine known as the ´Christian Witness´ had for several years served as chief organ of the movement in its beginning. This had now lapsed, and a new periodical, entitled, The ´Present Testimony´, took its place under the editorship of Wigram. Amongst the papers it contained are his own on the Psalms, in which the Divine Names are distinguished in the text. In 1856 he produced a new hymn book, "Hymns for the Poor of the Flock," which for some twenty-five years remained the staple of praise in the meetings with which he was associated. Ten years after the first appearance of the hymn book edited by him he stood by J. N. Darby once again at a critical juncture, when the question of the doctrine maintained by the latter on the sufferings of Christ some further dissension occurred, though the teaching was vindicated. During the rest of his life he paid visits to the West Indies, New Zealand, etc., where his ministry seems to have been much appreciated. He passed away in 1879. "He was one accounted familiar with the sanctuary, who cared little to counsel others in their difficulties, referring them to the same resource. It is only upon the excellencies of such a man that one cares to dwell. Let all else, for those immediately concerned, sink into oblivion." E.E.W. (Abbreviated from ´Chief men among the brethren´ published by Pickering and Inglis.)
Hymn 22, included in the following editions of LFHB, 1856, 1881, 1903, 1932, 1951, 1962, 1973, 2001.	Wigram, George Vicesimus, 1805-1879, d. London. Editor of 1856 LFHB, 11.10.11.10. Dactylic  [11.11.11.11.]
1
How bright, there above, is the mercy of God!	Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
And void of all guilt, and clear of all sin,	Heb 9.14  how much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who by the eternal Spirit offered himself spotless to God, purify your conscience from dead works to worship the living God?
Are my conscience and heart, through my Saviour's blood:	Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Not a cloud above-not a spot within.	Jude 1.24  But to him that is able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you with exultation blameless before his glory,
2
Christ died! then I'm clean: not a spot within.	1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
God's mercy and love! not a cloud above.	Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
'Tis the Spirit through faith, thus triumphs o'er sin:	Joh 3:8 The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Not a cloud above-not a spot within.	Ro 8:33,34  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? [It is] God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

ENT, a verse by verse anthology of bible commentary, mainly from brethren sources. The whole work is available free of charge as part of the OnLine Bible. Download freely from OnLine Bible North America. ENT is listed under commentary downloads.

"The whole earth was of one language". Genesis 11.1  We now have important

historical evidence as to exactly what was meant by the sentence,

“The entire land had one language and a common speech.” This may not

refer to primal humanity before the division of languages. In fact in

the previous chapter the Torah has already stated, “From these the

maritime peoples spread out into their lands in their clans within

their nations, each with its own language” Gen 10:5. The reference 

seems to be to the imperial practice of the neoAssyrians, of imposing their

own language on the peoples they conquered. One inscription of the

time records that Ashurbanipal II “made the totality of all peoples

speak one speech.” A cylinder inscription of Sargon II says,

“Populations of the four quarters of the world with strange tongues

and incompatible speech… whom I had taken as booty at the command

of Ashur my lord by the might of my sceptre, I caused to accept a

single voice.” The neo-Assyrians asserted their supremacy by

insisting that their language was the only one to be used by the

nations and populations they had defeated. On this reading, Babel is

a critique of imperialism.

from Jonathan Sacks, Covenant and Conversation

I hope that someone will suggest much better scriptures to go with each hymn line. The hymn lines can be split to accommodate further scripture texts

1973 LFHB	Author details
Hymn 21, included in these editions, 1903, 1932, 1951, 1973, 2001.	Darby, J. N. 18.11.1800-29.4.1882, b. Westminster. Trinity College, Dublin, 1825 C of Ireland deacon, then priest c1825- c1831, editor of 1881 LFHB, d. Sundridge House, Bournemouth, Dorset, 6.4.6.4.
1	Scriptures for each hymn line:
O Lord, 'tis sweet the thought	Ps 118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
That Thou art mine;	Joh 20:28 Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God.
But brighter still the joy	Ps 116:16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
That I am Thine!	John 17.6 thine they were and thou gavest them unto me
2
Thine own, O Lord, the fruit,	Isa 53:11 He shall see of the fruit of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
The cherished fruit	James 5.7 the precious fruit of the earth
Of Thine all-perfect love!	Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
No passing root	Heb 12:15 lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
3
Of evil e'er will dim	Re 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Thy cloudless rays;	2Sam 23.4 he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds
But a full heart pour forth	Ps 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Thine endless praise!	Ps 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
4
O joy supreme and full,	Ps 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Where sunless day	Rev 22.5 there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light:
Sheds forth, with light divine,	Isa 60.19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day... but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light,
Its cloudless ray!	Isa 30:26 And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the wound of their stroke.

A snippet from ENT

 A certain Arab died and left seventeen camels, which he bequeathed to his three sons in the following proportions: to the eldest a half; to the second a third; to the youngest a ninth. The three sons were disputing violently about the proper division of the camels when a stranger rode up to them from the desert and asked them the cause of their anger. When they had explained it to him he said: ‘But this is very simple. I shall give you my camel; so now you have eighteen instead of seventeen, and the sum is easily done. The eldest will take nine, the second six and the youngest two.’ When the three sons had each taken the camels allotted to him, they found that one was left over. ‘And therefore,’ said the stranger, ‘I can now take my own camel back again, and yet leave you with no further cause for dispute.’

The bequest made sense only if the sons assumed the presence of a camel which didn’t even need to exist.

I find that the world makes sense only if we assume the existence of a loving God.

Philip Toynbee, Part of a Journey, Collins, London 1981, p184f

"For ever with Thee, Lord". A hymn by J N Darby, originally published as a poem.

This hymn is part of ‘The soul’s desire’  1881, published in ‘Spiritual Songs’, Kingston Bible Trust, reprinted 1985, page 71.	Suggested scripture references are inserted opposite each line of the hymn, suggestions more apposite texts would be greatly welcomed. Red Beret
Hymn number 19, included in 1932, 1951, 1962, 1973 & 2001 editions of the LFHB Metre  6.5.11.6.5.11.	Darby, J. N. 18.11.1800-29.4.1882, b. Westminster. Trinity College, Dublin, 1825 C of Ireland deacon, then priest c1825-c1831, editor of 1881 LFHB, d. Sundridge House, Bournemouth, Dorset.
1
For ever with Thee, Lord,	1 Thess 4.17  so shall we ever be with the Lord.
And like Thee to be,	1John 3.2  we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is
For ever with Thee, at Thy coming again;	Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
We'll live in Thy grace, Lord,	Rom 14.8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
We'll gaze on Thy face,	Rev 22.3,4  his servants shall serve him:  And they shall see his face
When finished our race, at Thy coming again.	2Tim 4.7  I have finished the race
2
The traits of that face, Lord,	Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Once marred through Thy grace,	Isa 52.14  his visage was so marred more than any man
With joy we shall trace at Thy coming again;	John 16.22  I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice
With Thee evermore, Lord,	John 17.24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am
Our hearts will adore,	Ps 111:1  Hallelujah! I will celebrate Jehovah with [my] whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the assembly.
Our sorrow be o'er at Thy coming again.	John 16.22  ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you
3
We'll sit on Thy throne, Lord,	Rev 3.21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne
Confessed as Thine own,	Mt 10.32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven
Of all to be known at Thy coming again.	2Thess 1.10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe
But glory on high, Lord,	Col 1.27  Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Is not like being nigh,	Re 3:12 He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out;
When all is gone by, at Thy coming again.	2Ti 4:6  For I am already being poured out, and the time of my release is come.