Verse 15. The strength of his kingdom, the faithfulness and sta- hility of his promises, — the height and glory of his person in his do- minion,— the sweetness and excellency of communion with him, is set forth in these words: "His legs areas pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold ; his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars: his mouth is most sweet."
When the spouse hath gone thus far in the description of him, she concludes all in this general assertion : " He is wholly desu'able, — alto- gether to be desired or beloved." As if she should have said, — " I have thus reckoned up some of the perfections of the creatures (things of most value, price, usefulness, beauty, glory, here below), and com- pared some of the excellencies of my Beloved unto them. In this Avay of allegory I can caiTy things no higher; I find nothing better or more desirable to shadow out and to present his loveliness and desirableness : but, alas ! all this comes shoi-t of his perfections, beauty, and comeliness; ' he is all luliolly to be desired, to be beloved;'" —
Lovely in his person, — in the glorious all-suflficiency of his Deity,
^ As Opliir is taken for the gold of Opliir, in Job xxii. 24, so Tarshish, tlie name of a city, of which the locality is disputed, is used to denote a precious stone which was brought from it. It is translated " beryl" in the authorized version, though anir, in Exod. xxviii. 13, is also rendered by the same term. Some make *'"''?"!''"!'> the chrysolite or topaz of the moderns. The word has been thought to denote the lea, in Isa. xxiii. 10, but on slender ground. — Ed.
78 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
gracious purity and holiness of liis liuinanity, authority and majesty, love and power.
Lovely in his hirth and incarnation; when he was rich, for our sakes becoming poor, — taking part of i3esh and blood, because we par- took of the same; being made of a woman, that for us he might be made under the law, even for our sakes.
Lovely in the whole course of his life, and the more than angeh- cal holiness and obedience which, in the depth of poverty and per- secution, he exercised therein; — doing good, receiving evil; blessing, and being cursed, reviled, reproached, all his days.
Lovely in his death ; yea, therein most lovely to sinners; — never more glorious and desirable than when he came broken, dead, from the cross. Then had he carried all our sins into a land of forsfetful- ness; then had he made peace and reconciliation for us ; then had he jirocured life and immortality for us.
Lovely in his whole employment, in his great undertaking, — m his life, death, 7'esurrection, ascension; being a mediator between God and us, to recover the glory of God's justice, and to save our souls, — to bring us to an enjoyment of God, who were set at such an infinite distance from him by sin.
Lovely in the glory and majesty wherewith he is croivned. Now he is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ; where, though he be terrible to his enemies, yet he is full of mercy, love, and com- passion, towards his beloved ones.
Lovely in all those supplies of grace and consolations, in all the dispensations of his Holy Spirit, whereof his saints are made partakei's.
Lovely in all the tender care, 'poiver, and luisdom, Avhich he exer- cises in the protection, safe-guarding, and delivery of his church and people, in the midst of all the oppositions and persecutions whereunto they are exposed.
Lovely in all his ordinances, and the whole of that spiritually glorious worship which he hath appointed to his people, Avhereby they draw nigh and have communion with him and his Father.
Lovely and glorious in the vengeance he taketh, and will finally execute, upon the stubborn enemies of himself and his people.
Lovely in the jyardon he hath purchased and doth dispense, — in the reconciliation he hath established, — in the grace he communicates, — in the consolations he doth administer, — in the peace and joy he gives his saints, — in his assured preservation of them unto glory.
What shall I say? there is no end of his excellencies and desirable- ness;— "He is altogether lovely. This is our beloved, and this is our friend, 0 daugfhters of Jerusalem."
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. . 79
Digression II.
All solid wisdom laid up in Christ — True wisdom, wherein it consists — Knowledge of God, in Christ only to be obtained — What of God may be known by his works — Some properties of God not discovered but in Christ only ; love, mercy — Others not fully but in him ; as vindictive justice, patience, wisdom, all-sufficiency — No property of God savingly known but in Christ — What is required to a saving knowledge of the properties of God — No true knowledge of ourselves but in Christ — Knowledge of ourselves, wherein it consisteth — Knowledge of sin, how to be had in Christ ; also of righteousness and of judgment — The wisdom of walking with God hid in Christ — What is required thereunto — Other pretenders to the title of wisdom examined and rejected — Christ alone exalted.