times, fhines forth with peculiar luftre in their loyalty and obedience to the King of Saints, in zeal for the honour of his name, and in love to his ways. The rays of grace appear with a majestic beauty, in their fpiritual conversation, heavenly affections, and divine meditation, Phil. iii. 20. For our converfation is in heaven, from whence we also look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift. Thus CHRIST's head being compared to the moft fine gold, denotes the perfection of his wifdom, duration of his kindom, glory of his perfon, and happiness of his fubjects.

By his locks being bushy, and black as a raven, we may underftand, his thoughts, counfels, and purposes; for as hair proceeds from the head, and the head is the feat of wifdom, fo the thoughts of CHRIST's love are boundlefs, infinite, eternal, incomprehenfible, and fpring from his wifdom in the wellconcerted plan of our falvation. His thoughts of love to his people may be compared to the hairs of his head, innumerable; he fays to his church, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end ; and this made the Pfalmift fay, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the fum of them!

By his locks being black, it may denote, the unfearchable depths of his love to us, whofe ways are faid to be in the dark, and his paths to be in the mighty waters: indeed, how dark do his thoughts of love, purposes of grace, defigns of mercy appear to us, who fee but through a glais darkly! It was this confideration which made the great Apoftle fay, how unfearchable are his ways, and his judgments paft finding out.

By their being bushy, or curled, it may denote that perfect order and beauty there is in the accomplishment of all his counfels and promifes, by his ftrength and power in the miniftration of the gospel. But as black hair and curled locks, denote vigour and comelinefs, fo it may point out the beauty and comeliness of CHRIST, as to his human nature, in executing all the purposes of GoD in our faivation, Zech. ix. 17. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty.

Friendly. What may I apprehend by CHRIST's eyes being as the eyes of a dove, fitly fet?

Truth. CHRIST's eyes compared to the eyes of the dove, may denote that tendernefs and compaffion he bears to his church, under all her mifery, afflictions, and wants, for it is faid, in all her afflictions he was afflicted. That as the dove, always looks upon her mate with the greatest affection and compaffion, without any revenge or bitterness; fo CHRIST

looks with delight upon his people, takes them into the bofom of his infinite complacency, and never looks upon them with revenge, for he faith, Ifa. xxvii. 4. Fury is not in me.

The eyes of a dove may denote CHRIST's purity, either in himself, perfectly pure, holy, harmless, and undefiled; or as he beholds his church in the purity, and perfection of his righte oufhefs, as a glorious church without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing.

It may denote his penetrating fight; doves fee clear, quick, and lively; CHRIST fees with his omnifcient eye all the hearts of his people, his eyes are as a flame of fire, which penetrate through all the fecret recefles of the mind; he knows our thoughts afar off, a hypocrite has no chance before him; for he fearches the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men; they appear to him what they really are; this makes their joy but for a moment. He views all the forrows of the Saints, fees what mountains of trouble lie upon their hearts, on account of the hidings of his face, or fome fore providential trial that they labour under. And as his omnifcient eye penetrates through all the veils of hypocrify, fo he difcerns the thoughts of his Saints fincerity, unfeignednefs of their affections to him, and that there is real love in their hearts to his name, oftentimes when they think there is none; for the truth of love doth not confift in the fervency of it, but complacency in the object; fo CHRIST fees clearly the truth of love, where the fervency is wanting. Many of the children of GoD, whose faith is weak, are afraid of having their hearts fearched before his all-penetrating eye, he fees through their clouds of corruption, and difcerns in their hearts, which they often cannot see themfelves, true love to his name; he looks through the afhes to the fire, and if there is but a park he difcerns it; and though their love be but as fmoking flax, yet it is fo precious to him, that he will not quench, but raise it to a flame. He difcerns the thoughts of the heart, and inward defires of the mind, which the Chriftian often filently expreffes in words, "O that "I could love him! O that I could find CHRIST precious to "me." Now CHRIST fees thefe thoughts, hears these fecret petitions, and looks upon them as the genuine effects of love, Jer. ii. 2. I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine efpoufals, &c. while other Saints, through grace, have a fatisfaction of their love to him, and can fay with Peter, Lord, thou that knoweft all things, knowest that I love thee.

Friendly. What may I understand by Chrift's eyes being by the rivers of water, washed in milk, and fully fet?

Truth. First, CHRIST's eyes being by the rivers of water; dénote thofe of his human nature, being by, and firmly fixed upon the rivers of water: GoD's everlasting love, grace, and confolation to his people, may fitly be called rivers, for their freeness, abundance, and overflowings; and as many rivers arife from one spring, or fountain, fo all the rivers of grace and glory arife originally from one eternal fountain, or fpringhead of everlasting love; which rivers flow in a covenant Channel, through rich redeeming love to his people. Now CHRIST's eyes of his human nature, are fixed on these rivers of love, grace, and confolation, viewing them with complacency flowing through his precious blood to the hearts of his people: His eyes are always by, beholding them, and delighting in them bestowed upon himself as the head of the church, and upon us as members of his body.

Secondly, By his eyes being wafhed with milk, we underfland,—1. That milk is a metaphor used to denote an abundance, Exod. iii. 17. flowing with milk,-2dly. That grace is compared to milk, not only for its abundance, but nourishing nature, 1 Pet. ii. 2.-3dly. Bathing is an act of pleasure; fo, tipon the whole, it denotes, the delight which CHRIST takes in the abundance of that grace he beftows upon us, and the growth and spiritual nourishment that we receive therefrom.

Thirdly, By CHRIST's eyes being fitly fet (or as it is in the original, fitly placed and fet as a precious ftone in the foil of a ring) denotes, the glory of his looks, grandeur of his countenance, majefty of the GOD, and yet withal the meekness of the man; alfo, his eyes of majesty and love, being fitly set in

our nature.

Friendly. What may I apprehend by CHRIST's cheeks being compared to a bed of fpices, as fweet flowers, his lips like lilies dropping fweet smelling myrrh?

Truth. It denotes that fweetnefs, beauty, and eminency there is in the man JESUS.

Firft, Sweetness; as a bed of spices have a sweet favour, and fragrancy in them, fo CHRIST's cheeks, viz. his face, in which all the grace and perfections of the Deity fhine, hath the favour and fragrancy of Heaven in it; one look of his fair face diffufes divine fweets of Heaven through the foul; one of CHRIST'S love-looks overcomes the mind with the sweet odours of glory; for this bed of spices denotes all the treasures of grace in his human nature, difplaying its sweetness and divine favour to the mind: a bed of fpices is full of fweetness

and delightful fragrancy; the human nature of CHRIST, efpecially the light of his countenance, is full of the fragrancy of Heaven, and all the delightful fweetnefs of glory. And his cheeks are called a bed of spices, to denote the abundance and multiplicity of fweetneffes, which is in every smile and favour CHRIST gives his people. Moreover, the fmell and fragrancy of fpices refresh and enliven the natural fenfes, fo the Imell and perfume of the grace of CHRIST, in all their plenitude, riches and fulness, revive the drooping fpirits of his Saints, and make them fay, because of the favour of thy good aintments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. For if his raiment fmell of myrrh and aloes, how much more his lovely cheeks, the dear countenance of the Meffiah, who is fairer than the fons of men, full of sweetness and divine fragrancy, Pfal. xlv. 2. Grace is poured into thy lips. In fhort, his cheeks, being as a bed of spices, may denote the fweet favour of his love, life, death and interceffion, both to GOD and man, Eph. v. 2. As Chrift all bath loved us, and given himself for us, an offering and facrifice to God for a sweet Smelling favour.

Secondly, His cheeks being compared to a bed of spices may denote, the comelinefs and beauty of his perfon. Spices orderly fet, or ranged in a bed, are beautiful, as well as fragrant. Now the bed is the gofpel, and the fpices are the various graces and bleffings of the HOLY GHOST; every bleffing of grace that is fragrant and fweet may be gathered from this bed of fpices; it is here that fome Saints gather the fpicy graces of light, life, love, and peace; while others gather power, ftrength and confolation. And all these graces fhine in CHRIST in their life, beauty, and glory; it fets off that perfection of beauty there is in his perfon, as the King, Bridegroom of his church, and chiefeft among ten thousand.

Thirdly, It is added, as fweet flowers; which denote his fuper-eminent sweetness in all the difplays of his love and favour; fmiling cheeks have a kind of a ravishing attraction with them, the sweets and fmiles of CHRIST's love attract the foul with delightful and ravishing charms of Heaven; for fuch is the glory of his perfon, beauty of his countenance, joy of his prefence, that with one love-look he wins the heart, and engages the affections with transports of joy, unspeakable and full of glory.

By his cheeks being compared to towers of perfume, it may denote the height and eminency of the fragrancy of divine

grace being fet up in the miniftration of the gospel made con picuous to men and Angels; fet forth in the administration of his ordinances, in all the fweetness, life, and favour of his perfon, blood, and obedience; hence called, the favour of life unto life. Thus CHRIST's cheeks, being compared to a bid of Spices and fweet flowers, may denote, the infinite beauty of his perfon, favour and fweetnefs of his love, and divine attraction of his grace.

Friendly. What may I apprehend, by his lips being like lilies, dropping fweet smelling myrrh?

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Truth. It till fets forth the incomparable glory of CHRIST; as a lily in those parts had a peculiar glory to itfeif, our LORD fays, Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of theje: CHRIST's lips were like lilies for beauty and glory in all that he fpoke; his words conveyed weight and glory in every fentence; for he spake as one having authority; and grace being poured into his lips, his lips therefore dropt with grace; and they wondered at the gracious words which proceeded cut of his lips. His lips, no doubt, are beautiful as to their frame and make, as he is fairer than the fons of men, fo were his words for beauty and glory.

By their dropping fweet smelling myrrh, it denoted, the fweetnefs of pardon, peace, and reconciliation, dropping in his word from his precious blood and atonement. As myrrh has an excellent fweet favour, therefore counted under the law among the sweet spices, Exod. xxx. 23. fo when the HOLY GHOST Would fet forth the peculiar excellency and favour of CHRIST it is by this comparison, Pfal. xlv. 8. His garments Smell of myrrh. And here the HOLY GHOST, to fet forth the fweetnefs and favour of falvation, does it by dropping fweet fmelling myrrh, as myrrh is of an healing nature to the body, fo is that of his bleeding love to the foul; as myrrh drops freely from the tree, fo do the bleffings of life and peace drop freely from the lips of CHRIST by his fpirit to the fouls of his people, in all their sweetness, preciousness, and favour: this makes the promises fo fweet, and the word of GOD fo favoury to the Saints. And CHRIST's lips, like lilies dropping fweet fmelling myrrh, is not to be confined to his firft manifestations of peace, but to all the renewed applications of his love, in hearing, reading, praying, and meditating, which are like myrrh, of a healing nature, and fweet favour.

Friendly. What may I apprehend by CHRIST's hands being compared to gold rings fet with beryl; and his belly to ivory overlaid with fapphires?