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

More particularly in this commendation the Bride gives him, ye will find these four things. 1. There is the stile she gives him, my beloved. 2. There is the commendation given, and it's the same with the commendation which in the former verse he gave her. 3. The note of attention prefixed, Behold. Lastly, ⟨p. 108⟩an addition to the commendation Christ gave her, while she turns it over upon him, and which is as a qualification of Christ's beauty; because one expression will not do it, she makes use of two, thou art fair (saith she) yea pleasant: He had said she was •air, nay (saith she) thou art fair, &c. she turns it over to him, because the same things that are commendable i• her, are infinitely and much more commendable in him; that which is in the believer, being the extract of the principal which is in him, Christ being the principal, and the graces that are in the believer but the transumpt or copy: All these things are in Christ like the light in the Sun, and in the believer but like the light in the Moon, communicate to it by the Sun; and they are in Christ as in their own element and ocean, and in the believer but like some little stream communicate from that infinite fountain; and it's upon this ground, that the same commendation given by Christ to her, is tu•ned over by her to him: And it's even as much as if she had said to him, My beloved, what is my fairness? It's thou who art fair, I am not worthy to be reckoned fair, the commendation belongs to thee, thou art worthy of it: And this is the nature of love in believers, to blush (in a manner) when Christ commends them, and to cast all such commendations back again upon him, that they may rest upon Christ, as the party who deserves them best.

More particularly in this commendation the Bride gives him, ye will find these four things. 1. There is the stile she gives him, my beloved. 2. There is the commendation given, and it's the same with the commendation which in the former verse he gave her. 3. The note of attention prefixed, Behold. Lastly, ⟨p. 108⟩an addition to the commendation Christ gave her, while she turns it over upon him, and which is as a qualification of Christ's beauty; because one expression will not do it, she makes use of two, thou art fair (saith she) yea pleasant: He had said she was air, nay (saith she) thou art fair, &c. she turnes it over to him, because the same things that are commendable i her, are infinitly and much more commendable in him; that which is in the believer, being the extract of the principal which is in him, Christ being the principal, and the graces that are in the believer but the transumpt or copie: All these things are in Christ like the light in the Sun, and in the believer but like the light in the Moon, communicat to it by the Sun; and they are in Christ as in their own element and ocean, and in the believer but like some litle stream communicat from that infinit fountain; and it's upon this ground, that the same commendation given by Christ to her, is tuned over by her to him: And it's even as much as if she had said to him, My beloved, what is my airnesse? It's thou who art fair, I am not worthy to be reckoned fair, the commendation belongs to thee, thou art worthy of it: And this is the nature of love in believers, to blush (in a manner) when Christ commends them, and to cast all such commendations back again upon him, that they may rest upon Christ, as the party who deserves them best.