2552 Of COMMUNION with The fpoufe adds; His hands are as gold rings fet with beryl; the word beryl in the original is Tarfnifh, which thefeptuagint have retained, nòt re- ftraining it to any peculiar precious Prone; the onyx, fay fome, the Chry- fotite, fay others; any precious Prone Ihining with a fea green colour, for the word frgnifies the fee alfo ; gold rings fet with precious, gliftering ftones are both valuable, and defrrbablefor profit and ornament ; fo are the hands of Chrift, that is, all, his works; the effesls, by the caufe, all his works are glorious, they are all fruits of wifdom, love, and bounty; and his belly is as bright ivory, overlaid with faphires, the fmoothnefs and brightnefs, of ivory, the precioufnefs, and heavenly colour of the faphires, are here called in, to give fome luftre to the excellency ofChrift ; to thefe is ltis belly or rather his bowels, which takes in the heart alío, compared. It is the inward bowels, and not theoutward bulk that is fignified. Now to thew, that by bowels in the fcripture afcribed either to God or man, af- fetiions are intended, is needlefs. The tender love, unfpeakable affefti- ons and kindnefsofChrifr to his church and people is thus fee out. What a beautiful fight is it to the eye, to fee pure polifhed ivory fet up and down with heaps of precious faphires; howmuch more glorious are the tender affeftions, inerties, and companion of the Lord Jefus unto believers ? Ierfe 15. The ftrength of his kingdom, the faithfulnefs and liability of his promifes, the height, and glory of his perfon, in his dominion, the ,fweetnefs and excellencyofcommunion with him is fet forth in thefe words: His legs are pillars of marble, fet upon fockets offine gold, his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars, his mouth is moll ¡weer. When the fpoufeBath gone thus far in the defcription of him, the con- cludes all in this general affertion; he is wholly defirable, altogether to be de- fired, or beloved. As if the thould have faid; Ihave thus reckonedup fome of the perfeftions of the creatures, things ofmolt value, price, ufefulnefs, beauty, glory, here below, andcompared fume of the excellenciesofmy be- loved unto them; in this way of allegory I ran carry things no higher, I find nothing better, or more defirable to Phadov out and to prefent his' lovelinefs, and defirablenefs; but alas ! all this wines fhort of his perfefti- ons, beauty and comelinefs, he is wholly tobe defired, to be beloved. Lovely, in his perfon, in the glorious all-fufflciency of lids deity, graci- ous purity, and holinefs of his humanity, authority and majefty, love and power. Lovely, in his birth, and incarnation ; when he was rich, for our fakes becoming poor, taking part of flefh and blood hecaufe we partook of the fame ; being made of a woman, that for us he might be made under the law, even for our fakes. Lovely, in the whole courfe of his life, and the more than angelical ho- linefs, and obedience which in the depthofpoverty and perfeftion he exer- cifed therein; doing good, receiving evil, Melling, and being turfed, re- viled ; reproached all his days. Lovely, in his death; yea therein moli lovely to franers; never more glorious and defirable, than when he came broken, dead, from the cross; then had he carried all our fins into a land of forgetfulnefs ; then had he made peace and reconciliation for us ; then had he procured lifeand im- mortality for us. Lovely, in his wholeemployment, to his great undertaking, in his life, death, refurreftion, afcenfion, being a mediator between God and us, to recover the glory of God's juftice, and to fave our fouls; to bring us to an enjoyment of God, who were fet at filch an infinite diftance from him by fin. Lovely,
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