are sharp in their hearts; Psal. xlv. 5. he dips his vesture in their blood. Oh, how glorious is he in his authority over his enemies? In this world he terrifies, frightens, awes, convinces, bruises their hearts and consciences, fills them with fear, terror, disquietment, until they yield him feigned obedience; and sometimes with outward judgments, bruises, breaks, turns the wheel upon them; stains all his vesture with their blood; fills the earth with their carcases; and at last will gather them altogether, beast, false prophet, nations, &c. and cast them into that lake that burns with fire and brimstone.d

He is gloriously exalted above angels in this his authority, good and bad; Eph. i. 20-22. 'far above principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that to come ;' they are all under his feet; at his command, and absolute disposal. He is at the right hand of God, in the highest exaltation possible, and in full possession of a kingdom over the whole creation; having received a name 'above every name,' &c. Phil. ii. 9. Thus is he glorious in his throne, which is at the right hand of the Majesty on high; glorious in his commission which is all power in heaven and earth; glorious in his name, a name above every name, the Lord of lords, and King of kings; glorious in his sceptre, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of his kingdom; glorious in his attendants, his chariots are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels, among them he rideth on the heavens, and sendeth out the voice of his strength, attended with ten thousand times ten thousands of his holy ones; glorious in his subjects, all creatures in heaven and in earth, nothing is left that is not put in subjection to him; glorious in his way of rule, and the administration of his kingdom; full of sweetness, efficacy, power, serenity, holiness, righteousness, and grace, in and towards his elect; of terror, vengeance, and certain destruction towards the rebellious angels and men; glorious in the issue of his kingdom, when every knee shall bow before him, and all shall stand before his judgment seat. And what a little portion of his glory is it, that

Heb. i. 3. Eph. i. 22. Matt. xxviii. 18. Phil. ii. 7, 8. Rev. xix. Psal. xlv. Ixviii. Dan. vii. 10.

we have pointed to? This is the beloved of the church; its head, its husband; this is he with whom we have communion: but of the whole exaltation of Jesus Christ, I am elsewhere to treat at large.

Having insisted on these generals, for the farther carrying on the motives to communion with Christ, in the relation mentioned, taken from his excellencies and perfections, I shall reflect on the description given of him by the spouse in the Canticles, to this very end and purpose; Cant. v. 10 —16. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold; his locks are bushy and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh: his hands are as gold rings, set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires his legs are as pillars, set upon sockets of fine gold his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars his mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.'

The general description given of him, ver. 10. hath been before considered; the ensuing particulars are instances to make good the assertion, that he is the chiefest of ten thousand.'

[1.] The spouse begins with his head and face; ver. 11. -13. In his head, she speaks first in general, unto the substance of it, it is 'fine gold;' and then in particular, as to its ornaments, 'his locks are bushy and black as a raven.'

1st. His head is as the most fine gold :' or his head gold, solid gold; so some, made of pure gold; so others, кpvolov Képaλǹ say the LXX. retaining part of both the Hebrew words, massa auri.'

בתם פן

6

Two things are eminent in gold; splendour or glory, and duration. This is that which the spouse speaks of the head of Christ. His head is his government, authority, and kingdom. Hence it is said, 'a crown of pure gold was on his head;' Psal. xxi. 2. and his head is here said to be gold, because of the crown of gold that adorns it; as the monarchy in Daniel, that was most eminent for glory and duration, is termed a 'head of gold;' Dan. ii. 38. And these

two things are eminent in the kingdom and authority of Christ.

(1st.) It is a glorious kingdom; he is full of glory and majesty, and in his majesty he rides prosperously; Psal. xlv. 3, 4. 'His glory is great in the salvation of God, honour and majesty are laid upon him, he is made blessed for ever and ever;' Psal. xxi. 5, 6. I might insist on particulars, and shew that there is not any thing that may render a kingdom or government glorious, but it is in this of Christ in all its excellencies. It is a It is a heavenly, a spiritual, a universal, and unshaken kingdom, all which render it glorious: but of this somewhat before.

(2dly.) It is durable, yea, eternal; solid gold;' his throne is for ever and ever;' Psal. xlv. 6. of the increase of his government there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order and establish it with judgment, and justice from henceforth even for ever;' Isa. ix. 7. his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;' Dan. vii. 27. ‘a kingdom that shall never be destroyed;' chap. ii. 44. for he must reign until all his enemies be subdued. This that head of gold, the splendour and eternity of his government.

And if you take the head in a natural sense, either the glory of his Deity is here attended to; or the fulness and excellency of his wisdom which the head is the seat of. The allegory is not to be straitened, whilst we keep to the analogy of faith.

2dly. For the ornaments of his head, his locks, they are said to bushy or curled, black as a raven. His curled locks are black: 'as a raven,' is added by way of illustration of the blackness, not with any allusion to the nature of the raven. Take the head spoken of in a political sense; his locks of hair, said to be curled, as seeming to be entangled, but really falling in perfect order and beauty, as bushy locks, are his thoughts, and counsels, and ways, in the administration of his kingdom. They are black or dark, be cause of their depth, and unsearchableness; as God is said to dwell in thick darkness; and curled or bushy, because of their exact interweavings from his infinite wisdom; his thoughts are many as the hairs of the head, seeming to be perplexed and entangled, but really set in all comely order, as curled bushy hair; deep and unsearchable, and dreadful

to his enemies, and full of beauty and comeliness to his beloved. Such are, I say, the thoughts of his heart, the counsels of his wisdom, in reference to the administrations of his kingdom; dark, perplexed, involved, to a carnal eye; in themselves, and to his saints, deep, manifold, ordered in all things, comely, desirable.

In a natural sense, black and curled locks, denote comeliness, and vigour of youth; the strength and power of Christ, in the execution of his counsels, in all his ways, appears glorious and lovely.

[2.] The next thing described in him is his eyes; ver. 12. 'his eyes are as the eyes of doves, by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.' The reason of this allusion is obvious; doves are tender birds, not birds of prey; and of all others they have the most bright, shining, and piercing eye; their delight also in streams of water is known. Their being washed in milk, or clear white crystal water, adds to their beauty; and they are here said to be 'fitly set,' that is, in due proportion for beauty and lustre ; as a precious stone in the foil or fulness of a ring; as the word signifies.

Eyes being for sight, discerning, knowledge, and acquaintance with the things that are to be seen; the knowledge, the understanding, the discerning Spirit of Christ Jesus, are here intended. In the allusion used, four things are ascribed to them: 1st. Tenderness, 2dly. Purity, 3dly. Discerning, and 4thly. Glory.

1st. The tenderness and compassion of Christ towards his church is here intended. He looks on it with the eyes of galless doves; with tenderness and careful compassion; without anger, fury, or thoughts of revenge. So is the eye interpreted, Deut. xi. 12. 'the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon that land.' Why so? It is a 'land that the Lord thy God careth for ;' careth for it in mercy; so are the eyes of Christ on us, as the eyes of one that in tenderness careth for us; that lays out his wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, in all tender love in our behalf. He is the stone, that foundation stone of the church whereon are seven eyes;' Zech. iii. 9. wherein is a perfection of wisdom, knowledge, care and kindness for its guidance.

2dly. Purity; as washed doves eyes for purity. This may be taken either subjectively, for the excellency and

immixed cleanness and purity of his sight, and knowledge in himself; or objectively, for his delighting to behold purity in others. He is of purer eyes, than to behold iniquity;' Hab. i. 15. he hath no pleasure in wickedness, the foolish shall not stand in his sight;' Psal. v. 4, 5. If the righteous soul of Lot was vexed with seeing the filthy deeds of wicked men, 2 Pet. ii. 8. who yet had eyes of flesh, in which there was a mixture of impurity; how much more do the pure eyes of our dear Lord Jesus abominate all the filthiness of sinners? 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 seeing we are so defiled, that it could no otherwise be done, he will do it by his own blood; Eph. v. 25-27, Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.' The end of this undertaking is, that the church might be thus gloriously presented unto himself; because he is of purer eyes than to behold it with joy and delight, in any other condition. He leaves not his spouse, until he says of her, thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee;' Cant. iv. 7. partly he takes away our spots and stains by the renewing of the Holy Ghost," and wholly adorns us with his own righteousness, and that because of the purity of his own eyes, which cannot 'behold iniquity, that he might present us to himself holy.'

3dly. Discerning; he sees as doves, quickly, clearly, thoroughly; to the bottom of that which he looks upon. Hence in another place it is said, that his 'eyes are as a flame of fire;' Rev. i. 14. and why so? that the churches might know, that he is he, which searcheth the reins and heart;' Rev. ii. 23. He hath discerning eyes, nothing is hid from him ; all things are open and naked before him, with whom we have to do. It is said of him whilst he was in this world, that 'Jesus knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man;' John ii. 24, 25. his piercing eyes look through all the thick coverings of hypocrites, and the snow [show] of pretences that is on them. He

f Tit. iii. 4.