552 THE KISSES OF CHRIST's MOUTH. Bookiii. V. They oblige the Giver to fhew further Favors, and ACts of Love and Kindnefs, to the Party he beftows them on. V. The Spoufe defires, as cloth every gracious Soul, that Chrift would lay himfelf under fuch Obligations of Love and Friendfhip to her, that he may never forget her. The Death of Chrift is the greateft Expreffion of his Affection to his Elect. Let him feal "P his Love to us by the Kiffes of his Mouth, viz.. by his gra– cious Promifes, and we ilre fure enough. VI. They area Con6rmationof VI. TheSpoufe delires the greate£l Confirmathe endeared Love and Reality we tion of Chrift's Love and gracious Affection to profefs. her, to have clear Evidence of her Union with VII. They are the Privilege and Right (in a more peculiar Manner) of Covenant-relations, as Ht1fband and Wife, &c. VIII. In Reconci!:ation, after a feeming Breach between dear Re– lations, they are highly prized and longed for by the Party offending. IX. A Kifs is looked upon as a very high Honor, when received by an inferior Perfon from a great King or Prince, anci begets in others a longing after the like Manife£la– tion offovereign Grace and Favor. X . They are very fweet and comfortable to very dear Friends, after long A bience. XI. They are the firfl:Ceremony or Initiation of kind and comfort– able Entertainment; as in the Cafe of the profufe and extravagant Prodigal, Luke xv. 20. XII. To be admitted to kifs the Hand of a Prince, is a great Ha– nor, becaufe of his Royalty and Grandeur ; but to kifs his Mouth, is extraordinary, and only allowed to great Favorites. him, and eternal Life. VII. Manifeflations of Chrifl:'s Love do belong properly to the Church, and covenanted People of God. Hence the Spoufe prefumes to fpeak thus unto her Beloved, Let him kifs me with the Kiffes of his Mouth: I have the Liberty and Pri– vilege to reque£l it of him. VIII. Manifeflations of Chrifl:'s Love are greatly prized by gracious Perfons, after there hath been a feeming Strangenefs or Breach in their ApprehenGon between <hem, knowing they were wholly in the fault, and the only Caufe of the Breach. IX. The Love·tokens, or Expreffions ofChrift's bleffed Favor to the Sroufe, make the Daughters of Jerufalem to long after Chrifl:'s Favor as well as fhe: Whither is thy Beloved gone, 0 thou faireft among Women, that we may feel< him with thee? Cant. vi. 1. This was after fhe had declared, His 1Vfouth is mofl jweet, he is altogether lovely, Cant. v. t6. X. How fweet and exceeding comfortable are the Kiffes of Chri!t's Momh, or Evidences of his Love, aiter a long Time of fpiritual Defertion. XI. Manifefl:ations of Chrift's and the Father's Love are glorious Tokens or Ach of Acceptance of poor Sinners, who having been very vile and rebellious, return home at !aft to their Father's Hoofe, and embrace a precious Savior. XII. The Kiffes ofChrifl:'s Mouth, who is the only King and bleffed Potentate of Heaven and Earth, are an infinite Honor; can a poor Crea– ture be more eminently dignified? Let him kifs me with the Kif!es of his Mouth. . BY Mouth, Annotators generally underftand, is meant his holy Word, or.hts own lovely and gracious Doctrine; that is, let me have ExpreOions, or grve Evr– dence of thy Love to me from thy Word: Kifs me with the Kif!es of thy Mouth, by a Metonymy of the Caufe, viz.. Cum caufa organira, jive Jmnonis formandi inflrumentum, pro ipfo fermone ji-ve loque!ii. ponitur: That is, when the organical Caofe, or t~e Infl:ru– ment that forms Speech, is put for the Speech itfelf; as the Mouth is put for_:l'efl:t– mony, Deut. xvii. 6. and xv. 19. Matt. xviii. t6. which is expourded, John vut. '~· It is a!Jo written in your Law, tha: the 'l"eftimony of two Mm is true. The Mouth, IS alfo put for a Command or Apporntment, as Gen. xlv. 2 '. where the Mouth <.f PM– raoh (fo it is in the Hebrew) Ggnrfies the Command of Pharaoh: S? t"1e Mouthof toe Lord is put for his Command, Word, and Appomtment, Exod. xv11. 1. Numb. 111. 16, 39• xx. 24. and xxvii. 14. Deut. i. 26, 43· and XXXIV. 5· Where the Hebrew '9-?V juxta Os Domini, at the Mouth of the Lord, wrth us tranG•tedWord, is by the 'l"argum 2 atmbured
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=