the washing of water by the word, that he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having Spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it should be holy 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, in any other condition. He leaves not his fpofe, until he fays of her, thou art all fair my love, there is no fpot in thee, Cant. iv. 7. partly he takes away our fpots, and ftains by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. iii. 4. and wholly adorns us with his own righteoufnefs; and that because of the purity of his own eyes, which cannot behold iniquity; that he might prefent us to himfelf holy. 3. Difcerning. He fees us doves, quickly, clearly, throughly; to the bottom of that which he looks upon. Hence in another place it is faid that his eyes are as a flame of fire, Rev. i. 14. and why fo? That the churches might know, that he is he, which fearcheth the reins and heart, Rev. ii. 23. he hath difcerning eyes, nothing is hid from him; all things are open, and naked before him, with whom we have to do. It is faid of him whilst he was in this world, that Jefus knew all men, and needed not that any fhould 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 fnow of pretences that is on them, he fees the infide of all; and what men are there, that they are to him; he fees not as we fee, but ponders the hidden man of the heart, no humble, broken, contrite foul, fhall loofe one figh, or groan after him, and communion with him; no pant of love, or defire is hid from him, he fees in fecret; no glorious performance of the 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 alfo. Every thing of Chrift is beautiful, for he is altogether lovely, ver. 16. but most glorious in his fight, and wifdom; he is the wisdom of God's eternal wisdom itself; his understanding is infinite, what fpots and stains are in all our knowlege? when it is made perfect, yet it will still be finite, and limited; his is without fpot of dark nefs, without foil of limitednefs. Thus then is he beautiful and glorious, his head is of gold, his eyes are doves eyes, washed in milk and fitly fet. 3. The next thing infifted on, is his cheeks, ver. 15. His cheeks are as a bed of fpices; as fweet flowers, or towers of perfumes, or well grown flowers. There are three things evidently pointed at in thefe words. 1. A sweet favour as from fpices, and flowers and towers of perfume. 2. Beauty, and order, as fpices fet in rows or beds, as the words import. 3. Eminency in that word, as sweet or well grown, great flowers. These things are in the cheeks of Chrift: the Chaldee paraphraft, who applies this whole fong to God's dealings with the people of the Jews; makes thefe cheeks of the churches Husband to be the two tables of stone, with the various lines drawn in them, but that allufion is ftrained; as are most of the conjectures of that scholiaft. The cheeks of a man are the feat of comeliness, and man-like courage; the comeliness of Chrift, as hat! hath in part been declared, is from his fulness of grace in hinfelf for us. His manly courage refpects the administration of his rule, and government, from his fulnefs of authority, as was before declared. This comelinefs and courage; the fpoufe defcribing Chrift as a beautiful, defireable perfonage, to fhew that spiritually he is fo, calleth his cheeks; fo to make up his parts, and proportion. And to them doth the afcribe, 1. A fweet favour, order, and eminency, as God is faid to smell a fweet favour from the grace and obedience of his fervants, Gen. viii. 21. The Lord fmelled a fweet favour of rest from the facrifice of Noab; fo do the faints fmell a fweet favour from his grace laid 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 fmell of aromatical fpices, and flowers, please the natural fenfe, refresh the fpirits, and delight the perfon, fo do the graces of Chrift to his faints; they please their spiritual fense, they refresh their drooping fpirits, and give delight to their fouls. If he be nigh them they fmell his raiment as Ifaac the raiment of Jacob; they fay it is as the fmell of a field that the Lord hath blef fed,Gen. xxvii. 27. and their fouls are refreshed with it. 2. Order and beauty are as fpices fet in a garden bed, fo are the graces of Chrift. When fpices are fet in order, any one may know what is for his ufe, and take and gather it accordingly. Their anfwering also one to another makes them beautiful; fo are the graces of Chrift in the gofpel, they are diftinctly and in order fet forth that finners by faith may view them, and take from him according to their neceffity. They are ordered for the ufe of faints in the promises of the gofpel. There is light in him, and life in him, and power in him, and all confolation in him; a conftellation of graces, fhining with glory, and beauty. Believers take a view of them all; fee their glory and excellency, but fix efpecially on that, which in the condition wherein they are, is most useful to them. One takes light and joy; another life and power; by faith and prayer do they gather these things, in this bed of fpices. Not any that comes to him goes away unrefreshed. What may they not take, what may they not gather? what is it that the poor foul wants? behold it is here provided, fet out in order in the promises of the gofpel; which are as the beds wherein thefe fpices are fet for our ufe; and on the account hereof, is the covenant faid to be ordered in all things, 2 Sam. ii. 3, 4. 3. Eminency. His cheeks are a tower of perfumes, held up, made confpicuous, visible, eminent; fo it is with the graces of Chrift, when held out, and lifted up in the preaching of the gospel. They are a tower of perfumes; a fweet favour to God and man. The next claufe of that verfe is, His lips are like lilies, dropping fweet smelling myrrh. Two perfections in things natural are here alluded unto. The glory of colour in the lilies, and the sweetness of favour in the myrrh. The glory, and beauty of the lilies in thofe countries was fuch, as that our Saviour tells us, that Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of them, Mat. vi. 29. and the Saviour of myrrh, fuch as when the scripture would fet forth any thing to be an excellent favour, it compares it thereunto, Pfal. xlv. 8. and thereof was the sweet and holy ointment chiefly made, Exod. XXX. 26. mention is alfo made frequently of it in other other places to the fame purpose. It is faid of Chrift that grace was poured into his lips, Pfal. xlv. 2. whence men wondered, or were amazed, at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth, fo that by the lips of Chrift, and their dropping fweet fmelling myrrh, the word of Chrift, its favour, excellency, and usefulness, is intended. Herein is he excellent, and glorious indeed, furpaffing the excellencies, of thofe natural things which yet are most precious in their kind, even in the glory, beauty, and usefulness of his word. Hence they that preach his word, to the faving of the fouls of men, are faid to be a fweet favour to God, 2 Cor. ii. 15. and the favour of the knowlege of God, is faid to be manifested by them, ver. 14. I might infift on the several properties of myrrh, whereto the word of Chrift is here compared; its bitterness in tafte, its efficacy to preferve from putrefaction, its ufefulness in perfumes and unctions, and prefs the allegory in fetting out the excellencies of the word in allufions to them. But I only infift on generals; this is that which the Holy Ghoft here intends; the word of Christ is fweet, favoury, precious unto believers, and they fee him to be excellent, defireable, beautiful, in the precepts, promifes, exhortations, and the most bitter threats thereof. The spouse adds; his hands are as gold rings fet with beryl; the word beryl in the orginial is Tarshish, which the Septuagint have retained, not restraining it to any peculiar precious stone; the onyx fay fome, the Chryfolite fay others; any precious ftone fhining with a fea green colour, for the word fignifies the fea alfo; gold rings fet with precious, gliftering ftones are both valuable, and defireable for profit and ornament; so are the hands of Chrift, that is, all |