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

First, Vers. 9. He sets out her stateliness, strength and courage, by a similitude taken from horses, are (saith he) Horses stately and strong? For so in Job is the horse described, Chap. 39. 19, 20, &c. and is not a Company of them much more stately, especially a company of Egyptian horses, which were the best in the World? 2 Chron. 1. 17. Isa. 31. 1. And if any in Egypt were beyond others, certainly Pharaoh the King had such in his own Chariots. Now (saith he) if these be lovely, strong and stately, then thou art so; For, I have compared thee to such: This expression, I have compared thee, bears out the confirmation of the assertion; for, it's not men that thinks thee so, but I who knows where true worth is, and who can be surety for my own assertion, I have said thou art as strong as these, I have likened thee to them, and made thee like them. This holds forth these things, 1. That there is an excellent courage and boldness, wherewith the believer is furnished beyond others, he is bold as a Lyon, Prov. 28. 1. both in duties and sufferings. 2. That there is in believers an undauntedness of spirit, and an unconquerableness, that overcome they cannot be; better fight with all Pharaoh's Chariots, than with them, Zech. 12. Rev. 12. 3. The words hold out, that there is an infallible certainty in this truth; we have here Christ's verdict of it, he in his reckoning counts believers so, and he cannot be mistaken. 4. There is the cause, why the Bride is so strong and stately, he makes her so: And so these words, I have compared thee, may be taken efficiently, I have made thee comparable, or made thee to be like them; and there is an article in the Original, which may confirm this, and the words may be turned, like my company of horses, or of my horses; which shows that, as believers themselves •re Christ's, so also, ⟨p. 95⟩whatever stock of spiritual strength and courage they have, it is his, and from him: And that they are Christ's, and made use of by him, shows the use of their strength,