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

3. The duty pressed upon the daughters is in two words, holding forth two duties, the one whereof is the mids or mean to the other, and the other the end of this. The first is, Behold, which points at the great scope and thing called for; And it imports, 1. A wonderful object, and indeed Christ is so, being considered in his most royal posture, as a crowned King upon his coronation-day; and in his most loving posture, as a beautiful Bridegroom on his marriage-day. 2. It imports a dullness in the daughters, needing upstirring to take up Christ in this lovely and glorious posture. 3. A difficulty rightly to take him up under this consideration, yet a necessity of it, and that it be done with attention. 4. It implies an intenseness or benfill of spirit in the act of beholding; so rare an object, calls for greatest intention of heart, and gravest consideration of mind in the beholder: It's not every look or glance of the eyes that will discern it; But, 1. There must be attentiveness and steadiness, an stayed looking, and as it were dwelling on the object with their eye. 2. The exercise of saith must go alongst with this their looking, reading his worth by faith exercised on him, as Isa. 45. 19. look unto me and be ye saved; Beholding of him, as the stung Israelites did the brazen serpent. 3. Also the exercise of love; an affectionate look is here necessary, ⟨p. 195⟩delighting in him, and being taken up with him, as one with that wherein they take pleasure, the eye of the seer here, cannot but affect and inflame the heart. 4. This looking is attended with wondering at this glorious object, as one beholding a wonder, and ravished with the admirableness of it: All these are comprehended under this expression, Behold him. The second word (which hath in it another piece of their duty) is, go forth, and this is a help to the other: And (beside what hath been hinted at in the former expression) it shows, it's not in every posture that they will take up Christ thus, but there is a necessity they must come out from under the natural condition they were into: We take it to be the same with that precept, Psa. 45. 10, 11. Forget thine own people and thy fathers house, so (and no otherwise) shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. Christ manifests not himself, as reconciled and pleased, till former lovers be given up with;