each PERSON diftinPflÿ. 249 in thick darknefs ; and curled or bulky, becaufeof their exalt interweavings from his infinite wifdom; his thoughts are many as the hairs of the head; Teeming to be perplexed, and intangled, but reallyfet in all comely order; as curled bufhyhair ; deep and unfearchable, and dreadful:tofhis enemies, and full of beauty and comelinefs to his 'beloved: Such are I fay, the thoughts of 'fhis heart, the counfels of his wifdom, inreference to the adini- niftrations of his kingdom, dark, perplexed, inyolved, to.a carnal eye; in themfIves, and to his faints, deep, manifold, ordered in all things, comely; defireable . In a natural fenfe, black and curled locks, denote comelinefs, and vigor of youth ; the Strength and powerof Chrift, in the execution of his counfels; in all his ways, appears glorious and lovely. . [2.) The next thing defcribed in him is his eyes, v. 12: His eyes are a,ë the eyes of doves, by the rivers of waters, wafhed with milk, and fitly fee: The xeafon of this allufion is obvious; doves are tender birds, not birds of prey; and of all others they have the inoft bright, fhining, and piercing eye ; their delight alfo in ftreams of water is known. Their being wafhed in milk, or clear white crhyftal water, adds to their beauty, and they arehere faid to be fitly fer, that is, in due proportion for beauty and luftre ; as a precious (tone in the foyl or fulnefs of a ring, as the word fignifies: Eyes, being for fight, difcerning, knowledge, and acquaintance with the things that are to be fees ; the knowledge, the underltanding, the difcerning fpirit of Chrift Jefus, are here intended. In the allufion ufed, four things are afcribed to them, I.) Tendernefs, 2.) Purity, 3.) Difcerning, and 4.) Glory. t.) The tendernefs, and compaffion of Chrift towards his church is here intended, he looks on it, with the eyes of pullers doves; with tendernefs Mid careful compaflion ; withoutanger, wrath, fury, or thoughts ofrevenge. So is the eye interpreted, Deut. xi. 12. The eyes of the Lord thy God are sip- oú that land, why fo I It is a land that the Lord thy God careth for, careth for it in mercy, fo are the eyes of Chrift on us, as the eyes of one that in tendernefs careth fortis; that lays out his wifdom, knowledge, and under- ftanding, in all tender love in our behalf. He is the hone, that foundation frone of the church,. whereon are feven eyes, Zech. iii. 9. wherein there is a perfeftion of wifdom, knowledge, care and kindnefs for its guidance. 2.) Purity; as wafhed doves eyes for purity ; this may be taken either fubjeftively, for the excellency, and immixed cleannefs and purity of his fight, and knowledge in himfelf; or objeftively, for his delighting to be- holdpurity in others: He is of purer eyes, than to behold iniquity, Heb. i. 15. he hath no pleafure in wickednefs, the foolifh (hall not flood in his fight, Pf. v. 4, 5. if the righteous foul of Lot was vexed with feeing the filthy deeds of wicked men, 2 Pet. ii. 8. who yet had eyes of fiefh, in which there was a mixture of impurity, how muchmore do the pure eyes of our dear Lord Jefus abominate all the filthinefs of finners? But herein lies the excellency of his love to us, that he takes care, to take away our. filth, and Stains, that he may delight in us ; and feeing we are fo defiled, that it could no otherwife be done, he will do it by his own blood, Ephef: v. 25, 26, 27. Evenas Chuff elfo loved the church, andgave himfelffor it, that he might fanflify and cleanfe it, with the wafhing of water b the word; that he might prefent it to himfelf aglorious church, not having Jpat 6r wrin- hie, or any filch thing:, but that it fbould be holy without Remith.; The end of this undertaking is, that the church might be thus glorioufly prefented unto himfelf; becaufe.he is of purer eyes then to behold it with joy and delight, in any other condition. He leaves not his fpoufe, untilhe fay of R r
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