Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Verse 15
Verſe. 15. Behold, thou art fair, my love, behold thou art fair, thou haſt doves eyes.
Here, he mutually praiſes his bride, which ſhows the mutuall delight that each has in another, and which concertation of love makes the marriage-knot between eſpouſed parties to be ſolatious and ſure.
In which commendation we have, 1. How he ſtyles her, whereof we have ſpoken, v. 9. 2 Wherefore he commends her, both in generall, and from her eyes in particular, 3. How he prefixes unto his praiſing of her, an Ecce; and 4. Why he ingeminates his praiſing of her.
Firſt then, he commends her from her beauty in generall, whereof we have ſpoken, v. 8. Which conſiſts, 1. In forſaking her old corruption, Pſ. 45. 10. 11. 2. In her practice of new obedience, being juſtified in Chriſt; which is that beauty which the Pſalmiſt prayes for, may be upon all the Iſrael of God, Pſal. 90. 17.
But ſeeing, v. 8. he had already praiſed her from her beauty, why repeats he it here? I anſwer, as it is the whole deſire of the Church to be fair and beautifull in the eyes of her bleſſed Bridegroom, let others think of her as they pleaſe, (as v. 5.) ſo it is her greateſt joy and comfort to have the aſſurance thereof ſealed up to her ſoul, by the frequent witneſſing of the ſpirit, and voice of her beloved, ſaying to her ſoul that ſhe is ſo to Him, and that he is her ſalvation; and therefore he no… once, but often commends her from her beauty.
And ſeeing the whole church, and all the members thereof make up but one homogeneous body, look what he ſpeaketh to the whole, he ſpeaketh to every faithfull ſoul, in whom if there be Repentance, faith, love, zeale, humility, meekekneſs, &c. though there be remanent corruption and a mixture of divers infirmities, yet that ſoul is fair in Chriſt's eyes. Let us then find out theſe graces in our ſelves, and though they be not perfect, yet being in truth, we may be aſſured of acceptation, and rejoyce in his love.
Next as he praiſes her from her beauty in generall, ſo from the comlineſs of her eyes in particular, wherein we have to conſider, 1. What they are; and, 2. Why ſo compared, Job. 29. 15. Firſt then, ſome▪ underſtand by the eyes of the church her Paſtors, and Overſeers, ſo called, 1. Becauſe of inſpection, counſell and right direction, in which ſenſe it is ſpoken, Numb. 10. 31. and Matth. 6. 22. And therefore the Prophets of old were called Seers; and, 2. In reſpect of vigilant watching for fore-warning of any danger, or invaſion, a we ſee, Ezek. 33. and Heb. 13. 20. and who moſt ſpecially o… any ſhould have the properties of Doves eyes, as is to be after mentioned.
Others underſtand, not theſe former, who may be called the eyes over the Church, but the eyes in the Church and every faithfull member thereof; and this is, the eye of faith, which looks, like the ſtinged Iſraelites, on Chriſt crucified only for cure and comfort; and without which, the ſoul is as blind as a mole. And therefore are ſo called and compared, 1. Becauſe the eye of the body is the light of the body, and ſo is faith the light of the ſoul, 2. As the eye cannot …f it ſelf, without the Sunne or benefit of externall light; ſo n…er can the eye of the ſoul without illumination from the Sunne of righteouſneſs, and of his Holy word by which faith comes, 3. As the eye delights in light, and pleaſant objects; ſo doth the eye of the ſoul in the light and promiſes of Gods word, and in Chriſt crucified, which is the moſt beautifull object that the eye of faith can fix upon, and who, in the word, is ſet forth, and (as it were) painted before our eyes, Gal. 3. 1. 4. As by the eye we are guided in our walking, and made to eſchew ſtumbling, falling, or ſuch like dangers, ſo by faith and the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt in his Word, we are guided in our ſpirituall walking and made to eſchew ſtumbling and falling in ſinne and temptations, and ſuch ſpirituall dangers.
Next, her eyes are compared to Doves eyes, 1. Becauſe as a Dove's eyes are cleear and ſharp-ſighted; ſo is the eye of faith piercing within the vaile of Chriſts fleſh, while He was on earth and beholding his Deity, and piercing now into the Heavens, where he ſits at his fathers right Hand, and into ſuch divine myſteries and the truth thereof, whereunto the blind eye of nature, nor no other can or ever could yet reach.
2. The eye of the Dove is chaſt, and chaſtity is much commended in virgins; even ſo, that which our Saviour ſo much commends in his Church by this compariſon, who is a pure virgin to Him, is her ſpirituall chaſtity oppoſit to ſpirituall whordome, ſo much complained on and condemned in ſcripture, and whereby, without doting on any other, ſhe keeps her faith, confidence, and affection whole and entire towards him alone, from whom alone ſhe looks for life and ſalvation.
3. The doves eyes are meek, and not cruell, fiery, or furious; repreſenting thereby that diſpoſition of a Chriſtian ſoul which is recommended unto the ſame by him who ſaid, Learn of me for I am humble and meek.
4. The doves eyes are humble, contrary to ſuch lofty eyes as are ſpoken of, Pro. 30. 13. And ſo is the diſpoſition of a Chriſtian ſoul endowed with true faith, though never ſo fruitfull in godlineſs and good works.
5. The doves eyes delights in cleanneſs, and therfore reſorts to white places, and to clear waters; even ſo doth the ſoul that has true faith in it, loathing all uncleanneſs of ſin and worldly luſts, and knowing that no uncleane thing ſhall enter into that heavenly Jeruſalem.
Thirdly we ſee here, that unto this commendation of her beauty and comlineſs he prefixes, an Ecce, or behold, which word is uſed in Scripture, 1. As an Ecce of admiration, (as, Behold a virgin ſhall conceive and bear a child.) 2. As an Ecce, of demonſtration, as, Behold the Lamb of God, &c. 3. As an Ecce, of conſideration, as, Lam. 1. 12. Behold and ſee if ever there was ſorrow like to my ſorrow, &c. Alſo when he would ſtirre up the mind to remark and obſerve, ſome rare, excellent and wonderfull matter, and which is alſo ſure and evident; even ſo hereby the Lord would have it obſerved, 1. That the beauty of his Church is a rare beauty, as we ſee the ſame deſcribed, Pſ. 45. and Rev. 12. 2. An excellent beauty alſo, being ſpirituall, and not ſubject to fading, 3. A wonderfull beauty likewiſe (conſidering her former deformity) put upon her by her bridgroom, who has made her ſo as, Ezek. 16. 14. And 4. Which is ſo ſure and permanent that death it ſelf ſhall not deface it, but rather be the meane of perfecting the ſame in glory.
Laſt of all, he redoubles this commendation of her beauty, ſaying; Thou art fair, thou art fair.
1. Showing thereby the excellency of her beauty, as when we ſay good, good; or excellent and very good by a uſuall Hebraiſm, the doubling of the word expreſſing the ſuperlative degree.
2. To ſhow the aſſurance that He would give her for her comfort, and againſt all doubting in the contrary, that ſhe was fair and beautifull in His eyes, think of her ſelf in humility, or let others think of her, as they liſt.
3. That ſhe is wholly beautifull, both in ſoul and body, or in the whole man; or that her beauty is twofold, inward in ſoul, and outward in converſation, as the kings daughter, Pſ. 45. 13. is ſaid not only to be glorious within, but alſo in her rayment without. Alſo, ſhe hath another double beauty; the one of juſtification, the other of ſanctification: both which the Lord joyns, therfore let no man ſeparate them.
Obſervations.
1. Seeing our Saviour declares that his Church and her true members are fair by the beauty of Holineſs ſpoken of, Pſ. 110. Then let not thoſe who would be ſo accounted, live like filthy dogs and ſwine, or delight in any impurity, whereby their beauty may be marred.
2. He ſayes, My love thou art fair, to ſhow unto us wherefrom our beauty proceeds, not of our ſelves that we are ſo, or from any mer… us that we are ſo in his eyes, but from his free and undeſerved Love, as he ſhowes, Ezek. 16. 8. And the way to have the aſſurance of this love ſealed up to our conſciences for our joy and peace, is to ſtudy holineſs by which we only come to happineſs.
3. Seeing he ſpecially looks unto, and delights in faith, which is to the ſoul like the eyes of the dove, Let us ſeek after it earneſtly and for the increaſe thereof; both in the Chriſtian and conſcionable uſe of the means, and by ſervency of prayer, &c.