þ The inſtruments of local motion, & the ſupporters of the bo« dy, i White, and ſtraighr,and well ſhaped, and ſcrong. Which may note the firmneſs and ſtability of Chritts Kingdom in ſpight of all oppoſition, &k Which add borh beauty and ſtrength to them. Theſe may note his Feet compared to Gold,either for rheir great price and worth,or for their ſingular brightneſs, for which they are com- pared to fine-braſs, Rev. 1. 15. or, as others for his golden ſhoes wherewith they were covered or adorned,as the Spouſe is commen= ded from her ſhoes,Cax#t 7, 1. 1 Heb. his aſpeFor appearance, his fort or Perſonas this Hebrew word is elſewhere uſed. m In reſpe& of its Cedars, asthe next words explain it, to witzta}l, and upright, and ſtately, and withal pleaſant to the
Eye.
16 f His mouth js Þ moſt " Hel 2, yea,he is altoge- + Heb.khis ther T lovely e. This ;s my beloved,and this is my friend, 2/ste., O daughters of Jeruſalem p. jp _— :
» Which was ſaid before in other words,v. 14; and is here ruſty "Heb i repeated, becauſe it was a principal part of Chriſts beauty, &the chief | ron inftrument of the SpouſesComfort and Happineſs, which wholly de- Io. pends upon his ſweet and excellent Srenchn holy Precepts, and gracious Offers and Proiniſes contained in the Goſpel. o Not to run out into more particulars, in one word there is no part of him which is not exquiſitely beautiful. p And therefore you have no
cauſe to wonder or to blame me if Iam tranſported with Love to ſo excellent a perſonage.
CHA PÞP., VI.
An Enquiry after Chriſt, 1. The Churches Anſwer, 21 The Church confeſe Jeth her Faith in Chriſt, 3. Chrift ſheweth the Graces of his Church, 4.and the Beaury of ſeveral parts, 5 iO. He acquaints her where he had been, and what he had been a doing, 11. and js 000A his affeftion to her, 12. With an invitation of her to return to him again, 13,
OY is thy beloved gone a * O thou faireſt
among women ? whither is my beloved tur- * c-i.8. ned aſide ? that we may ſeek him with thee c, "1
a Theſe are the words of the daughters of Feruſalem.laſt mention« ed,whom this full and pathetical deſcription of theBridegroomsEx- cellency had inflamed with Love to him. 6 To wit,from thee, as thy words imply,v.6.8.where doſt thou vſe to look for him and to fiad him when thou haſt loſt him ? c O theu who art well ac uain= ted with all the places both of his uſual abode,and of his x Pu inform us who are ignorant of them,d We ask not with any evil Fs ſign, but only becauſe we delire anintereſt in him. 2 My beloved is gone down into his garden 4, to
che beds of ſpices e, to feed f in the gardens, and to gather lilies g. |
« The Spouſe had kitherto been at a loſs for har beloved, but has» ving diligently ſought ham,& enflamed both ber own & othersAffes &ions with Love to him by her juſt commendations,now at laſt ſhe meets with a gracious Anfwer fromGod,direing her where to find. him,which alſo comes very ſeaſongbly, nor only tor ker own relief & comfort,bur alſo for the benefit of others, who enquiredafterhim The garden ſeems to fignifte the Church Cathohck, and che gardens as it follows here,as alſo che beds,may note the particular Aſſemblies of the faithful,in whichChriſr affordeth his Preſence,& his bleſſing. e In which theGifrs andGraces of Gods Spirir,which are fitly com- pared to Spices,or aromatical Flowers,do appear and grow. if To refreſh 8& delight humſelf,or to gather the flowers and fruits of it;as men uſe to do in their gardens. 5 Which may note either, 1. Par- ticular Believers, whom Chrift gathereth to himſelf in his Church who are compared to Lilies, Cant. 2. 2. Or 2. The Prayers and Praiſes tendered to him by his People in the publick Congregations, and 3ll chew gracious diſpoſitions and ations,
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nap. VI. C HINTL
> *I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine: he
f:edeth among the lilies. f : 4 Thou art beautiful,O my love þ,as Tirzah z,come-
ly as Jeruſalem &, terrible ! as an army with banners.
þ Theſe are the words of Chriſt, who had now again manifeſted himſelf ro his Church, whereby he declares, that though he had for a ſeaſon hid hisFace from her, yer ſtill he retained a ſincere&fervent aff<Qion to her,and that notwichſtanding her manifold infirmitiesſke was yet beautiful in his Eyes. i; A very pleaſant City, as 1ts very name ſignifies, and therefore made the Royal Seat of the Kings © Iſfracl;of which ſee 1 Kings 14. 17. & 15. 21,33.8 16.6,8c. k Which was beautiful both for irs-licyation, P/al. 48. 2. and for its goodly buildings, eſpecially the Temple. See Lam. 2. 15. / Either 1.To ſtrangers, whom by her grave and Majeſtick looks and carriage ſhe affrights from rude or bold attempts, whereas fome Women invite others to familiarity with them by their loofe and wanton carriage. Or 2. To her Enemies, whom God will certainly deſtroy.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me m,for || they have
overcome me:thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear
from Gilead ». | m For I can ſcarce bear the Luſtre of them. It is a poetical and a- matorious Expreſſion,ſignifying how beautiful the Church was in Chriſts Eyes,and how paſſionately he loved her. » This clauſe and the whole following verſe are repeated from Ch.4.1, 2. And this re- petition is not vain nor abſurd,but very agreeable to the nature of a Paſtoral and Song of Love,as being an effe& and teſtimony of vehee ment Affe&ion,and beſides it confirms what was ſaid before & ſhew- eth that theChurches miſcarriage &Chriſt's deſertion of her upon it had not made him change his Opinion of her,or AffeRion to her.
6 Thy teeth areas a flock of ſheep which go up from the waſhing, whereof every one beareth twins,and there 55 not one barren among them. :
5 As a piece” of a pomegranate are thy temples with-
in thy locks s: o This is alſo repeated from Ch.1.3. $8 There are threeſcore queens,and fourſcore con-
cubines p;*and virgins q without number.