lency of his love to us, that he takes care to take away our filth and stains, that he may delight in us; and seeing wc are so defiled, that it could no otherwise be done, he will do it by his own blood, Eph. V. 25-27, " Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish." The end of this undertaking is, that the church might be thus gloriously presented unto himself, because he is of purer eyes than to behold it with joy and delight m any other condition. He leaves not his spouse until he says of her, "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee," Cant. iv. 7. Partly, he takes away our spots and stains, by the " renewing of the Holy Ghost ;"^ and wholly adorns us with his own righteousness: and that because of the purity of his own eyes, which " cannot behold iniquity," — that he might present us to himself holy.
3. Discerning. He sees as doves, quickly, clearly, thoroughly, — to the bottom of that which he looks upon. Hence, in another place it is said that his " eyes are as a flame of fire," Rev. i. 14. And why so? That the churches might know that he is he which " searcheth the reins and hearts," Rev. ii. 23. He hath discerning eyes, nothing is hid from him; all things are open and naked before him with whom we have to do. It is said of him, whilst he was in this world, that " Jesus knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man ; for he knew what was in man," John ii. 24, 25. His piercing eyes look through all the thick coverings of hypocrites, and the snow [show] of pretences that is on them. He sees the inside of all ; and what men are there, that they are to him. He sees not as we see, but ponders the hidden 'man of the heart. No humble, broken, contrite soul, shall lose one sigh or groan after him, and commimion with him ; no pant of love or desire is hid from him, — he sees in secret; no glorious per- fonnance of the most glorious hypocrite will avail with him, — his eyes look through all, and the filth of their hearts lies naked before him.
4. Beauty and glory are here intended also. Every thing of Christ is beautiful, for he is "altogether lovely," verse 16, but most glorious [is he] in his sight and wisdom: he is the wisdom of God's eternal wisdom itself; his understanding is infinite. What spots and stains are in all our knowledge ! When it is made perfect, yet it will still be finite and limited. His is without spot of darkness, with- out foil of limitedness.
Thus, then, is he beautiful and glorious: — his " head is of gold, his eyes are doves' eyes, washed in milk, and fitly set."
' Tit. iii. 5.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 75
The next thing insisted on is his cheeks. Verse 13, " His cheeks are as a bed of spices; as SAveet flowers," or "towers of perfumes" [marginal reading], or well-grown flowers. There are three things evi- dently pointed at in these words : — 1. A sweet savour, as from spices, and flowers, and towers of perfume; 2. Beauty and order, as spices set in rows or beds, as the words import; 3. Eminency in that word, as siueet or well-grown, great flowers.
These things are in the cheeks of Christ. The Chaldee paraphrast, who applies this whole song to God's dealings with the people of the Jews, makes these cheeks of the church's husband to be the two tables of stone, with the various lines drawn in them ; but that allusion is strained, as are most of the conjectures of that scholiast.
The cheeks of a man are the seat of comeliness and manlike courage. The comeliness of Christ, as hath in part been declared, is from his fulness of grace in himself for us. His manly courage re- spects the administration of his rule and government, from his fulness of authority ; as was before declared. This comeliness and courage the spouse, describing Christ as a beautiful, desirable personage, to show that spiritually he is so, calleth his cheeks ; so to make up his parts, and proportion. And to them doth she ascribe, —
1. A sweet savour, order, and eminency. A sweet savour; as God is said to smell a sweet savour from the grace and obedience of his servants (Gen. viii. 21, the Lord smelled a savour of rest from the sacrifice of Noah), so do the saints smell a sweet savour from his grace laid up in Christ, Cant. i. 3. It is that which they rest in, which they delight in, which they are refreshed with. As the smell of aromatical spices and flowers pleases the natural sense, refreshes the spirits, and delights the person ; so do the graces of Christ to his saints. They please their spiritual sense, they refresh then- drooping spirits, and give delight to their souls. If he be nigh them, tliey smell his raiment, as Isaac the raiment of Jacob. They say, " It is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed," Gen. xxvii. 27; and their souls are refreshed with it.