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

Having thus expressed his affection to his Bride, he breaks forth in a positive commendation of her (which may be looked upon as the ground of the comparative commendation in the former verse) and he describes and commends her at once, these two ways, 1. Touching, as it were, at some particulars (which are indeed generals) wherein her loveliness appears in actual fruits, vers. 11. 2. In seven comparisons he holds forth her fruitfulness from the 12. to the 16. vers. wherein he not only commends her by the fruits which she brings forth, but from her fitness or aptitude to bring forth these fruits, so that she cannot but be fruitful; As if one commending an Orchard from the fruit, Apples, Pomegranates, &c. or whatever other fruits are in Orchards, should then fall upon the commendation of the Orchard it self in it's situation, fences, waters, or kinds of the plants, &c. So is it here. And this last commendation, is to be looked upon as the cause of the former.

Having thus expressed his affection to his Bride, he breaks forth in a positive commendation of her (which may be looked upon as the ground of the comparative commendation in the former verse) and he describes and commends her at once, these two wayes, 1. Touching, as it were, at some particulars (which are indeed generals) wherein her lovelinesse appears in actual fruits, vers. 11. 2. In seven comparisons he holds forth her fruitfulnesse from the 12. to the 16. vers. wherein he not only commends her by the fruits which she brings forth, but from her fitnesse or aptitude to bring forth these fruits, so that she cannot but be fruitfull; As if one commending an Orchard from the fruit, Apples, Pomegranates, &c. or whatever other fruits are in Orchards, should then fall upon the commendation of the Orchard it self in it's situation, fences, waters, or kinds of the plants, &c. So is it here. And this last commendation, is to be looked upon as the cause of the former.

In this 11• vers. there are three particulars commended: under which we conceive much of the series of a believers walk is understood. The 1. Is her lips: which are commended from this, that they drop as the honey comb: By lips, as vers. 3. and frequently in the Song (and so in the Proverbs, a man of lips is taken for a man of talk) is understood her speech, words or discourse, especially to others. These her words, (or her speech) are compared for the matter, to honey or the honey comb, that is