Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Cantic. 5. v 9. The Spouse is enquired of as to this very §. 9 thing, even concerning the Personal Excellencies of the Lord Christ her Beloved. What is thy beloved (say the Daughters of Jerusalem) more then another beloved O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved? and she returns this Answer v. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand. And so proceedeth to a particular description of him by his Excellencies, to the end of the chapter, and there concludeth that he is altogether lovely v. 16. whereof at large afterwards. Particularly he is here affirmed to be white and ruddy, a due mixture of which colours, composes the most beautiful complexion. He is White in the Glory of his Deity, and ruddy in the preciousness of his Humanity. His teeth are white with milk, and his eyes are red with wine: Gen. 49. 12. Whiteness (if I may so say) is the Complexion of Glory; In that appearance of the most high, the Ancient of days Dan. 7. v. 9. it is said, his Garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool. And of Christ in his Transfiguration, when he had on him a mighty Lustre of the Deity, His face did shine as the Sun, and his Raiment was white as the Light: Math. 17. v. 2. which in the phrase of another Evangelist, is, as white as snow, so as no fuller on earth could white them: Mark. 9. 3. It was a divine heavenly surpassing Glory that was upon him Revel. 1. 14. Hence the Angels and glorified Saints, ¹that always behold him, and are fully translated into the Image of the same Glory, are still said to be in white Robes. His whiteness is his Deity, and the Glory thereof. And on this account, the Chaldee Paraphrast ascribes this whole passage unto God. They say (saith he) to the house of Israel, who is the God whom thou wilt serve? &c. Then began the Congregation of Israel to declare the praises of the Ruler of the world: and said, I will serve that God who is clothed in a Garment white as snow, the splendour of the Glory of whose Countenance is as fire. He is also ruddy in the beauty of his humanity; Man was called Adam from the red earth whereof he was