歌一2　愿他用口与我亲嘴！因你的爱情比酒更美。

　　约三29　娶新妇的，就是新郎；新郎的朋友站着听祂，因着新郎的声音就欢喜快乐；所以我这喜乐满足了。

　　关于召会是基督的配偶，我们已经看见基督与召会乃是极大的奥秘，召会是新妇，基督是新郎，基督与祂的配偶要在祂回来时成婚，基督的配偶要终极完成于新耶路撒冷，并且基督和祂的配偶要在永世里成为一对夫妇。我们也看见，召会作基督的配偶，可由夏娃来预表：夏娃是亚当的配偶，是亚当的一部分，出于亚当，归给亚当，与亚当是一，有亚当的生命和性情，有亚当的形像和样式，成为亚当的配偶，作他的补满（新约总论第七册，二八二页）。

　　S.S. 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.

　　John 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This joy of mine therefore is made full.

　　Concerning the church as the counterpart of Christ, we have seen that Christ and the church are a great mystery, that the church is the bride and that Christ is the Bridegroom, that Christ and His counterpart will be married at His coming back, that the counterpart of Christ will be consummated in the New Jerusalem, and that Christ and His counterpart will be a couple in eternity. We have also seen that, as the counterpart of Christ, the church is typified by Eve as the counterpart of Adam, being a part of Adam, having come out of Adam, having returned to Adam, being one with Adam, possessing the life and nature of Adam, having the image and form of Adam, and becoming Adam's counterpart as his complement. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2291)

　　利百加预表召会的重点和夏娃的预表完全不同。夏娃预表的重点，说出召会的产生与性质；利百加预表的重点，乃是召会从世界里被拣选出来。在这预表里，包含父的拣选，圣灵的呼召和引领。

　　旧约圣经中能预表基督的，还有一位，就是波阿斯。波阿斯娶了一个非常特别的女子为妻，她在圣经中有极为特殊的地位。这妻子就是路得，她预表召会蒙救赎的一面。整卷路得记，可说就是一个救赎的故事。利百加说出召会是蒙召的召会，西坡拉说出召会是旷野中的召会，路得说出召会是蒙救赎的召会（召会的意义，九五、一一三页）。

　　全本圣经是一部神圣的罗曼史。这意思是说，圣经是一本非常罗曼蒂克的书。雅歌更是如此。……我年轻时也希奇，为什么这样一卷论到男女之间罗曼史的书竟然也在圣经里。这卷书是我们与基督之间爱的关系的一幅图画。根据雅歌，我们与主的关系该是非常罗曼蒂克的。我们与主耶稣之间若没有罗曼史，我们就是宗教的基督徒，不是罗曼蒂克的基督徒。你若盼望知道我所说的罗曼史是什么意思，我要鼓励你阅读并祷读雅歌。祷读这卷罗曼史的书，会使你与主之间是罗曼蒂克的；你会因着爱主而忘形。圣经是一部神圣的罗曼史，而我们与主的关系应当越过越罗曼蒂克（出埃及记生命读经，七五○至七五一页）。

　　〔雅歌〕这卷诗意的书乃是一位君王和一个乡村女子之间爱的故事，这首诗（作为预表）乃是一幅奇妙生动的图画（作为应验），描绘新郎基督和爱祂的新妇，在祂神圣属性与爱祂者之人性美德的调和中，相互享受的新婚之爱（雅歌生命读经，八六页）。

　　当主耶稣来时，祂是来作娶新妇的新郎。许多基督徒都熟悉施浸者约翰的宣告：“看哪，神的羔羊。”（约一29）然而，少有人知道约翰也说到主耶稣是新郎。在约翰三章二十九节他说，“娶新妇的，就是新郎。”这话包含在论重生的这章里（3~6）。重生的目标乃是为着新郎产生并预备新妇。既然基督是将要娶新妇的那位，祂就是新郎。基督是神成为肉体，不仅来作我们的救赎主和拯救主；祂也来作我们的新郎。……在马太九章十五节，主耶稣说到祂自己是新郎（出埃及记生命读经，七四八至七四九页）。

　　参读：召会的意义，第七至八篇。

　　Rebekah as a type of the church has an altogether different focus than Eve. As a type of the church, Eve depicts the producing of the church and the nature of the church. As a type of the church, Rebekah depicts the church being chosen out of the world. This type includes the choosing of the Father and the calling and leading of the Holy Spirit.

　　In the Old Testament Boaz is yet another type of Christ. Boaz married a special woman who occupies a particular place in the Bible. Her name was Ruth. She typifies the aspect of the church being redeemed. The entire book of Ruth can be considered a story of redemption. Rebekah portrays the church as the called one, Zipporah portrays the church in the wilderness, and Ruth portrays the church in redemption. (Three Aspects of the Church, Book 1: The Meaning of the Church, pp. 84, 100)

　　The entire Bible is a divine romance. This means that the Bible is a very romantic book. This is true in particular of Song of Songs....When I was young, I also wondered why such a book is in the Bible, a book concerned with a romance between a man and a woman. This book is a portrait of the love relationship between us and Christ. According to Song of Songs, our relationship with the Lord should be very romantic. If there is no romance between us and the Lord Jesus, then we are religious Christians, not romantic Christians. If you wish to know what I mean by romance, I would encourage you to read and pray-read Song of Songs. Pray-reading this book of romance will cause you to become romantic with the Lord. You will be beside yourself with love for Him. The Bible is a divine romance, and our relationship with the Lord should become more and more romantic. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 648-649)

　　The poem, as a type, in this poetic book as the story of the love between a king and a country girl is a marvelous and vivid portrait, as the fulfillment, of the bridal love between Christ as the Bridegroom and His lovers as His bride in their mutual enjoyment in the mingling of His divine attributes with the human virtues of His lovers. (Life-study of Song of Songs, pp. 68-69)

　　When the Lord Jesus came, He came as the Bridegroom for the bride. Many Christians are familiar with John the Baptist's declaration: "Behold, the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). However, not so many realize that John also referred to the Lord Jesus as the Bridegroom. In John 3:29 he says, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom." This word is included in a chapter on regeneration (John 3:3-6). The goal of regeneration is to produce and prepare the bride for the Bridegroom. Since Christ is the One who will have the bride, He is the Bridegroom. As God incarnate, Christ came not only to be our Redeemer and Savior; He also came to be our Bridegroom.

　　In Matthew 9:15 the Lord Jesus referred to Himself as the Bridegroom. (Life-study of Exodus, p. 647)

　　Further Reading: Three Aspects of the Church, Book 1: The Meaning of the Church, chs. 7-8