%O6/,lriful Oit% SO NG. C;flap, 1V.. A"imitations . THow art faire] As the Church before Cet forth `l the glory ofChrift,by the fimilitudes of the guard about Sohmons bed , bis Charter and his Crowne : fo here Ch rift fetteth forth the graces of his Church,noc by her ornaments only (as be- fore in chap.!. t o.) but by the parts and features of her body.And firll he commendeth in general! her spiritual beauty(which (he had from him,E- zek.lo.14.) through herperte& conftitution,faith and l Iineffe; fee the notes on Song t. 15. eieslhe mentioneth (even particulars,the eies,baire, teetb, lips, temples, necke and brefs : that as leven is often the number of perfe &ion,(Chrifts himfelfe being likened to a Lambe with feven bornes, and fe- en eyes, which are the feven fpirits of God, Rev.5.6.), flyby thefe, the manifold graces bestowed on the Church, might be fignified; that in every thing the is ;Writhed by bins, and commeth behinde in nogifi as 1 Cor.1.5,7. as dores] the word as, is after supplied, in Song 5. la. and it meaneth, ar doves eyes,that is,faire,full,clea re claafte; to fee by faith, him who is invifiblc, Hebr. 11. 27. and having the eyes of her underffanding inlightned, to .know what is the hope of his calling,Eph.s.12. fo that (he lifteth not up her eyes unto idols,Ezek.18.6. but to the Holy One of Ifrael, Efa.1 y.7, and her eyes observe his waies,Prov.23.26. See the notes on Songs. 15. and 7.4. where her eyes are like ponies. within thy locks] or from within (or through) if,' lochs; which are named in the origi- nall of binding or reflraining; because a womans Iockes are modellly, and feemly tied up and cove- red: fo that it was a figne of lorrow, misery and captivity,to have fisch locks uncovered ,Efa.47.2. But the Spoufe of Chi ils freed by hint from Sa- tans bondage, is decently dreffed and covered in figue of her fubje&ion (as Cor.s 1.) and of her chatte affeEtion to him. So after in v.3.& Song 6. . haire] this is the ornament and covering of the head,proceeding from moiftufe & Lengthof nature : likened here to the haire of a flocke of goats, fed its palture, as on mount Gilead; whole haire is long, ranke and finooth : figuring the thoughts,purpofes ,devices,&c.which are ordered and compofed aright, according unto God (as iboegbts on the bed,and vifsons of the bead are men- tioned in Dan.4.5. & 7.15. Job 4.13.) or,ifwe ap= ply this unto perlons, by babe may be meant the multitude of beleevers, (as by the haire, the peo- ple of Ifrael wasfigni fied,Ezek.5.1,2,12.) and by the eyes, the Guides of the Church,as in Nuns. 1o. 31. thou maifl be ta no inHead of eyes. And thus the Chaldee Paraphralt here, by the yes., underftan- cleth the Princes and ¡Vifinen of Ifr at! ; and by the haire,the other people of the land.Other Hebrews ex- pound the Bees to meave the Prophets, called Seers, (1 Sans. 9.9.) and the haire, the Nazarites, which were to let their haire grow,Num,6.5. that ap- pease] or that appeare fmaoth,thatglifler; as the haire of fat cattell is fmooth and finning. The Hebrew word G.40-1s. not ufed but in this place,and a gaine (in like fenfe) in Song 6.4. The Greeke here tranflateth it, are rezealed (or ppeare;) but there, do come -np. Gilead] a mountaine which bare good palture for eaten; as appeareth by Num.3 z.1. Jer.2 z.b. and 50.19. V erle a of(Cheepe) even Chortle] of (of fheepe) 2 made even, or equal', of the lame lìze. The word fheepe(or Eires)is after expreffed in Song 6.6.and is to he underitood here. This is the firft praife' of the teeth of the Ch u rch,that they are cut of e- quail height ; not one longer than another, wch would both be unseemly, and an hinderance to the well eating &chewing of her Mir ituall food. from the wafhing]thc Icccond praiti of her teeth, that they are white and cleans, as wa(hed (heepe: which feemech to refpe &(behies comelynes)the purity of the fpirituall meat wherewith (he is fed ; as it is a part of ludahs ble3ing, that his teeth (hould be white with milks, Gen. 49. 1 2. Beare twins] as fruitfull Ewes bring forth twins of e- quall bigneffa,fothe teeth are lit in double ranks, one alafwerable to another : which is the third property for which they arepraifed, bereaved ofibeyong]or,robbedoftbeyang,by ini/carrying,or a- ny other accident. Barren is that which beareth not, Efa.54.1. but the word here used, fìgnifieth either miscarrying in the birth, or loife of that which iibrought torth,by robbery, death,or the like : fo this denoteth the ftcdfailnefle of every tooth in his place, after it is broughtforth, a- gairiff the inconveniences fore - mentioned. There teeth of the Church, which chiefly ferne to este with, may here mean her courage and strength agatnft her enemies, as is prophefied of Ifrael, he (hall care rip the Nations his enemies,Num,24.8. or ra- ther, her judging, discerning, esteeming and ap- plying of the word of God and leaks of his Co- venant, the comfort and nourishing of herfoule; fo chewing the cudde, and feeding by faith upon the promifes of God ; which are often made un- der the fimilitude of eating and drinking; as in Pfal.a2,26.Prov.9.5.Eft.65.13. Joh.6.41,50,51. Sonic referring this to perfons,underftand by the teak theMinihers of the Word, that breake, and as itwere,chew thebread of life unto and for the people. So the Chaldce expoundeth these teeth, to be the Priefts and Levites, that did offer and este the sacrifices in Ifrael. Verse 3. a :breed] or, a lace, a line, (a ribband) of fcarkt: that is, thin initsbltance, red of colour, as scarlet double-died: which two things are the grace of the lips. Here by the lips of the Church are commended,her do&rites, reproofs,prayers, praises, &c For the lips are the initruments w her - with words are meted, whether in prayer, as Zeph.3.9. Pfal. z 1.2. or praife and thanks,as Pfal. 66.3. Heb.13.15. or vowes, as Pfal 66. 13,14, or. do&riite,Ma1.2.6,7. Pfal.s 19.13. or pleading, as Job 13.h. or comfort, as Job 16.5, or any other fpeech. All clack the attereth not with fwelling words of vanity, or taught by humane wildome, but by the Spirit of God, (who bath poured grace into her lips) and by faith in the blond of Chríll, wherein her do &rines ,prayers, comforts are i1 3 11111 TAWRIM41M'lV//0/'
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