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

All the beauties and perfections that are scattered amongst all creatures, are in an eminent and transcendent way gathered together, contracted and to be found in him at once, so that whatever can be desired, whether it be for this life, or that which is to come, whether for sanctification, justification, or consolation, it's eminently to be found in our Lord Jesus, in whom all fullness dwells, Col. 1. 19. and who alone is all and in all to his own, as being full of grace and truth, Joh. 1. 14. 4. We may take them exclusively, or privatively, as they deny any thing desirable to be in any beloved, but in Christ, he is all, and so consequently they must be nothing, he is altogether lovely, and so they must be altogether loathsome: Christ is never rightly conceived of, nor commended, but where other things come down, evanish and disappear, when compared with him; Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none on earth beside thee, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 73. 25. as having full satisfaction, and all that can be wished for in him. It's hard to observe what may be suitable to Christ's loveliness, when the Bride gives it over: But we may say, 1. The more that believers insist on Christ's loveliness, their hearts will warm the more with it, and it will be found to be the greater depth; for, now her expressions grow, till at last they be swallowed up. 2. Where there is true respect to Christ, no commendation of Christ that believers can invent (whatever it be) will be satisfying to them: For, there have been, 1. many excellent commendations given of Christ, as being like Gold, Myrrh, Spices, &c. Yea, 2. like such Gold, Lilies and Ivory, as are not in the world; and finally she hath left and given over comparisons, and betaken her self to the abstract, sweetness it self; yet all comes short, and she must quite the thing as unexpressible: It's the very height of souls love-rhetoric, to close with a kind of holy amazement and admiration, which ends in silence, because they cannot say enough, when they have said all they can say. O what a lovely Object then must Christ Jesus be! They never knew him rightly, who were satisfied with their own apprehensions of ⟨p. 330⟩him, or expressions concerning him. 3.