Clavis cantici, or, An exposition of the Song of Solomon

2. In the next place, she lays down the motives that made ⟨p. 59⟩her so desire this; which are rather to set forth Christ's excellency, to strengthen her own faith, and warm her own love in pursuing after so concerning a suit, than from any fear she had of being mistaken by him, in being as it were, so bold and homely with him in her desires. 1. The reason is generally proposed, vers. 2. and enlarged and confirmed, vers. 3. The sum of it is, Thy love is exceeding excellent, and I have more need, and greater esteem of it, than of any thing in the world, therefore I seek after it, and hope to attain it.

2. In the next place, she lays down the motives that made ⟨p. 59⟩her so desire this; which are rather to set forth Christ's excellency, to strengthen her own faith, and warm her own love in pursuing after so concerning a suit, than from any fear she had of being mistaken by him, in being as it were, so bold and homely with him in her desires. 1. The reason is generally proposed, vers. 2. and inlarged and confirmed, vers. 3. The sum of it is, Thy love is exceeding excellent, and I have more need, and greater esteem of it, than of any thing in the world, therefore I seek after it, and hope to attain it.

There are four words here to be cleared, 1. Thy loves (so it is in the Original in the plural number) Christ's love is sometimes (as the love of God) taken essentially, as an attribute in him, which is himself, God is love, 1 Joh. 4. 8. Thus the Lord, in his love, is the same in all times. 2. For some effect of that love, when he doth manifest it to his people, by conferring good on them, and by the sensible intimations thereof to them: So it is, Joh. 14. 21, 23. We take it in the last sense here; for she was in Christ's love, but desired the manifestations of it; and it is by these that his love becomes sensible and refreshful to Believers. It's Loves in the plural number, although it be one infinite fountain in God, to show how many ways it vented, or how many effects that one love produced, or what esteem she had of it, and of the continuance and frequency of the manifestations thereof to her; this one love of his, was, as many loves.