Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. How fragrant your cologne, and how great your name! No wonder all the young girls love you! Take me with you; come, let's run! The king has brought me into his palace. How happy we will be!
   Seal me in your heart with permanent betrothal, for love is strong as death and jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. It flashes fire, the very flame of Jehovah. Many waters cannot quench the flame of love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man tried to buy it with everything he owned, he couldn't do it.
   Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship, or persecution, or hunger, or poverty, or danger, or death? No, in all these things we have complete victory through Him Who loved us!
   For I am certain that nothing can separate us from His love: neither death nor life; neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers; neither the present nor the future; neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.
   This hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, Who is God's gift to us.
   The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness, I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful . . ."
   I pray that you may have your roots and foundations in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long and high and deep is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know His love - although it can never be fully known - and so be completely filled with the perfect fullness of God.
   Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins.
   Greet each other with the kiss of Christian love.

Taken from Song of Sol. 1, 8, Rom. 8, 5, Jer. 31, Eph. 3, I Pet. 4, 5, The Living Bible,
Today's English Version and The New International Version. For free Lifescope book,
write to Box 1575, Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.