each PERSON dincily. 25 fpirits, and delight the perfon, fo do the graces of Chrift to his faints; they pleafe their fpirirual fenfe, they refrefh their drooping fpirits, and give de- light to their fouls. If he be nigh them they fmell his raiment, as Ifaac the raiment of Jacob ; they fay it is as the finellof a field that the Lord bath bleffèd, 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 anfwerigg alfo one to ano- ther makes them beautiful, fo are the graces of Chrift in the gofpel, they are diftin&ly and in order fet forth that (inners by faith may view them, and take from him according to their neceffity. They are ordered for the ufe of faints in the promifes of the gofpel. There is light in him, and life in him, and power in him, and all confolation in him ; a conflellation of graces, lhining with glory, and beauty. Believers take a view of them all; fee their glory and excellency, but fix efpecially on that, which in the con- dition wherein they are, is molt ufeful to them. One takes light and joy; another life andpower; by faith and prayer do they gather thefe things, in this bed of fpices. Not any that comes to him goes away unrefrefhed. 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 promifes 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 Sato. ii. 3, 4. 3.) Eminency. His cheeks are a tower of perfumes, held up, made confpi- cuous, viable, eminent; fo it is with the gracg&of Chrift, when held out, and lifted up in the preaching of the gofpel "`They are a tower of per- fumes ; a fweet favour to God and man. The next claufe of that verfe is, His lips are like lillies, dropping fweet finelling myrrhe. Two perfe&ions in things natural are here alluded unto. The glory ofcolour in the lillies, and the fweetnefs of favour in the myrrhe. The glory, and beauty of the lillies in thofe Countries was fuel,, as that our Saviour tells us, that Solomon in all his glory, ovas not arrayed like one of them, Matt. vi. 29. and thefavour of myrrhe, fuch as when the fcrip- ture would fet forth any thing to be an excellent favour, it compares it thereunto, Pfal. xlv. 8. and thereof was the fweet and Holy ointment chiefly made, Exod. xxx. 26. mention is alfo made frequently of it in other places to the famepurpofe. It is faid of Chrift that grace was poured into his lips, Pfal. xlv. 2. whence men wondrecj, or were amazed, vro2ç Tóyorç a is Zde,00-; at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth, fo that by the lips of Chrift, and their dropping fweet finel &ng myrrhe, the word of Chrift, its favour, excellency, and ufefulnefs, is intended. Herein is he excellent, and glorious indeed, furpaffing the excellencies, of thofe natural things which yet are molt precious in their kind, even in the glory, beauty, and, ufefulnefs of his word. Hence they that preach his word, to the faving of the fouls of men, are faid to be a (meet favour to God, z Cor. ii. 15. and the favour of the knowledge ofGod, is faid to bemanifefted by them, verfe 14. I taight infìft on the feveral properties ofmyrrhe, whereto the word of Chrift is here compared ; its bitternefs in tafte, its efficacy to preferve from putrefa&ion, its ufefulnefs in perfumes and un&ions, and prefs the allego- ry in fetting out the excellencies of the word in allufions to them. But 3 only intft on generals; this is that which the holy ghoft here intends; the word of Chrift is fweet, favoury, precious unto believers, and they fee him to be excellent, defireable, beautiful, in the precepts, promifes, ex- hortations, and the moll bitter threats thereof. The
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