further commendation of her, 10 —— 15. - She frayeth for the effeFual *TDEho!d a; chou art fair b6, my love, behold, thou g*. E, art fair c, - thou haſt doves eyes d- within thy +ch.6:5,6. locks ez thy hair fs as a * flock of goats g, | that ap-|| = - ;peareth from 4 mount Gilead z. eat 0], i"-4 Thefs and the following words are evidently ſpoken by the {Bridegroom to;*and concerning his Spouſe. b Notin thy ſelf, but by my beauty, being cloathed with my Righteouſneſs,and adorned with all the Graces of my Spirir,which I acknowledge to be in thee. ic He repeats it both to confirm the truth of his Affertion, znd to
operation of his holy Spirit on her to make her fruitful, 16. *Ch.1-i5;
|[ſhew the lincerity and fervency of his Affe&tion to her. d Thou art
'barmleſs, chaſte,.&'c. as appears by thine Eyes, which commonly diſcover the temper of the mind or Perſon. See more of this Phrale
g In which the Royal Bridegroom and Bride might ride together | Ch.1-15. And whereas the beauty of the Spouſe is here deſcribed in in ſtate,as the manner was in the nuprial ſolemnicies offuchPerſons;;] her ſeveral parts, we need not labour much about the Application
By this Chariot he ſeems ro underſtand the Word of Chriſt diſpenſed by his Miniſters in the Churca, whereby borh Chriſt isexalred and? rides triumphantly in the World, conquering his Enemies,zad ſub- duing the World ro the Obedience of the Goſpe). and all-Believers | are carried with ſafety and comforc through ths pretenteyil World into thoſe bleſſed Manfions of heavenly Glory» 4 4. e. Of Cedars,
pf each particular to fome diftinctMember or Grace of the Church, this being the chief deſign of this deſcription ofaBride which is bean- tiful in all-points,to ſhew that complearneſs and abſolute perfection which the Church hath in part received,and ſhal more fully recelve from Chriſt in the future Life- Yet becauſe the Church 1s 2 Body,
conliſting ofdivers Mcmbers,andenriched with varisty of Gifts : oy
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1-15, \ 12,
16:5,6- "2 thet of, &c«
AC RT ” gg
* Cki6. 7.
Chap IV-
WY OR, Graces, T know no reaſon, but the ſeveral parts of this deſcription | may have a more ſpecial reg:rd to one or other of them. And 10 her Eyes may here netecither 1. Her Teachers,who are zn/tead of Eyes t0 her, as the Phraſe is, Numb: 10: 31, whencethey are called Szers & Guides, &c, Or 2.Th* diſpoſition of her Mind or Heart, which 1s compared to the Eye, Mar. 6: 22,23.and is ofr diſcerned in the Eye. e Which being decently compoled make the Eyes appear more ami- able; withal this intimates the modeſty of her Looks; her Eyes are not wanton, and wandring, or lofty, but fober, and humble, and confined within their proper bounds, looking dire&ly upon her Hul- band, not looking aſquint upon other Lovers, nor minding other Gods or Chriſts. If the Eyes ſignifie Teachers, rhe Looks may note
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I. Such as are fit and reſerved for thz uſe of mighty Men.Or 2.Such as had been uſed either by themſelves, or by their Enemies, from whom they took them by force,& were lung up there as Trophies or Monuments of Victory. Which is added ro ſhew that the Church 15 not only beautiful and glorious,burt aiſo ſtrong and viorious o* ver all her Enemies, and to intimate the great power & exploits of Faith,of which read Heb: u1.and which is compared to aſbe/d,Eph:6. 16, A thouſand is here put indefinitely for a great number.
5 K Thy cwo breaſts x are like two young roes that * Ch.7.9
are twins, which feed among the lilies y. | x Another part in which beauty conſiſts, Ezek: 16: 7. By which
the People afſembled together to hear their Teachers,to whom they are a great Ornament when they thrive by his Teaching, f The Hair of thine Head, which is a great Ornament to the Female Sex, 1 Cor. 11, 15, This Hairmay ſignifie either 1,The inward Thoughts
and Meditations : Or rather 2. The outward Converſation, and |
viſible fruits of Holineſs, which do greatly adorn the Profeſſors and profeſſion of Religion, as Hair doth the Head, as is implied 1 7/m- 2: 9,10. 1Pet. 3: 3,4, 5: £ Which are comely & orderly in going,Prov: 39:29,31.and afford a goodly proſpe&@. Or rather, the hair (which word is here to be underſtood,:s appears both from the compariion it ſelf,and from divers places where Goats are put for Goats=hair,as it is in the Hebrew Text, Exod: 25: 4. & 26; 7. & 35; 26. Jof a flock of Gonts, which in theſe parts was of extraordinary lengrh, and thickneſs, and ſofrneſs, -and comelineſs, and much more like to the Hairof a Man or Woman than the Hair of our Goats is, as is evis dent both from Scripture, as Gen: 27; 16: 1 Sam: 19: 13. and from the Teſtimony of other ancient Writers, as Apule:ts, Martial, &c. h That feeding there, or coming dowa thence, or going up this ther, ſhzw themſelves evidently to thoſe who ſtand below it,or near them, Or, as it is rendced in our margentz,and by others, that eat, or gaze of, or upou. i Which he mentions as a very fruitful place, and fit for the breeding of all ſorts of cattel,as is manifeſt fromNum.
. 32. I, Jer: 504 19, Mich. 74 14. and eſpecially of Goars,part!y bes
cauſe it was an hilly and woody Country,and partly becauſe it a» bounded with rofinous,and oily,and gummy Trees,as appears from Gen. 37: 25. Jer 8. 22. & 46- 11+ wherewith the Goa's are much delighted.as Droſcorides obſerves. And ſome affirm that the Hair of theſeGoats was commonly ofa yellow colour,as may ſeem probable from 1 Sam: 19, 13,16. compared with 1 Sam. 16.12, and from Cant, 7. 5: whichalſo was in ancient times eſteemed a beauty in Men or Women, as the Learned know.
2 Thy teeth arelike a flock & of ſheep ] that are even ſhorn mz, which came up from the waſhing : where- of every one bear twins », and none is barren among them o. ;