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

Vers. 7. Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee.

This verse contains the last piece of the commendation which Christ gives to his Bride, and it is the scope of all; whereby, having spoken of some particular parts, he now sums up all in a general, 1. Positively expressed, Thou art all fair, my love. Then, 2. Negatively, There is no spot in thee. The reason why, thus in a general, he closes up her commendation, is to show that his forbearing the enumeration of the rest of her parts, •s not because of any defect that was in her, or that his touching of some particulars was to commend these parts only, but to show this in general that all of her parts, as well not named as named were lovely. This universal commendation is not to be understood in a popish sense, as if she had had no sin; for, that will not agree with other express Scriptures, nor with this Song, where she records her own faults, as Chap. 1. 6. and 3. 1. and 5. 2, 3. And also this commendation agrees to all believers, who yet acknowledged by themselves not to be perfect. Neither is it to be taken in an Antinomian sense, as if their sins and failings were no• sins to them, and did not pollute them; for, 1. That is not consistent with the nature of sin. Nor, 2. With the Brides regrates and confessions in this Song; Nor, 3. With the present scope, which is to show the Brides beauty: And he doth thus highly commend her beauty, not because her sins were not sins in her, as they were in others, but because her graces were more lovely, which were not to be found in others: Hence the particular parts of the new creature, or inherent holiness, are insisted on for proof of this; Further, this commendation did agree to believers before Christ came in the flesh; And this love-assertion, thou art all fair, holds true of the Bride, in these four respects, 1. In respect of Justification and absolution she is clean, though needing washing in other respects, Joh. 13. Ye are clean by the word that I have […], yet they needed to have their •eet washen. Thus a believer is in a justified state, and legally clean and fair, so as there is