Section 484
I. The same thing is here asserted by the church concerning Christ
Which he had asserted concerning her, and that much in the same manner. For,
1st, The title which he gave her is, "my love," and that which she here gives him is, "my beloved." They seem, not only in these two verses, but indeed throughout the whole Song, to be, as it were, attiring to outdo each other in their mutual expressions of love; but this title has been already explained on verse 13.
2dly, She asserts of this beloved of hers in the very same words, that he is fair; she returns it to him, to whom she judged it more properly belonged; whose beauty is natural and essential, hers not so; his original and underived, but hers derived from him; his infinite, inconceivable, inexpressible, and transcending all others, but hers of an inferior nature. Now her returning the same commendation back to Christ, shews that she not only looked on her beauty as far inferior to Christ's, and not to be mentioned with it; as also that it was derived from him; and that if she wasin any sense comely, it was through that comeliness which he had put upon her; but likewise it shews her modesty and humility, as well as the nature of true faith, which gives all the glory of what the soul is, or has, to Christ and his grace; its usual and common language is, "not I, but the grace of God which was with me, and it is by the grace of God I am what I am." Now Christ may be said to be fair,
1st, As he is man; and so he is, both in body and soul, that body which was prepared him by the Father, and which was in an unspeakable and surprising manner conceived in the Virgin's womb by the power of the Holy Ghost, as it was free from sin, so was no doubt free from all the blemishes and defects of nature; and in this sense, as well as in some other, may he be said to be "fairer than the children of Adam;" and more especially he was so at his transfiguration, when "his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light;" though what with sorrows and sufferings, with tears, dust, sweat, and blood, "his visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men;" yet now being raised from the dead, and exalted at his Father's right hand, is beautiful and glorious; for that same human nature, which here below was the ridicule of men, is now the wonder of angels; that head which "was crowned with thorns, is now "crowned with glory and honor;" and that face which was spit upon, will be the delightful object of the saints" everlasting vision, after the resurrection morn; when with their bodily eyes they shall gaze on the glory of Christ's human nature, who they "shall see for themselves, and not another:" in short, Christ's glorious human body will then be the pattern and exemplar, to which our bodies shall then be fashioned and made like. Moreover, as he is fair in his human body, so likewise in his soul; the powers and faculties of which act in an agreeable order, nothing being misplaced, nor any disorder in the whole frame or contexture of it, being free from all sin, and full of every grace: holiness here appears in its beauty, and knowledge and wisdom in their perfection; all which were manifest and evident throughout the whole of his life. In short, the whole human nature had an immeasurable unction of the Holy Spirit, on the account of which he is said to be fairer than others; he was "anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows;" grace was poured plentifully into his lips, from whence it freely dropped like "sweet smelling myrrh."
2dly, He may be said to be fair, as God-man and Mediator, which I suppose is chiefly designed here; for as such, this branch of the Lord is exceeding beautiful and glorious in the eyes of believers. For, 1. The glory of all the divine perfections is resplendent in him; as such, he is "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person;" all God's creatures, works, and actions, shew forth the glory of his perfections in some measure; but they are no where so clearly discerned, nor so gloriously displayed, as they are in the person and office of Christ as Mediator; for "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" is given us in the face, or person of Jesus Christ; and a glorious, delightful, and ravishing sight it is to a believer. 2. There is a mediatorial glory which he is possessed of, which makes him look exceeding fair and beautiful; this is what was given him before the world began, when he first entered into covenant with his Father, became our surety, and was set up as the Mediator of God's elect; which, when he had finished his work, he desired might be given to him, that is, might be more clearly manifested, and a greater display of it given to the world, and is what shall feed the eyes of his saints with wonder and pleasure to all eternity. This is what Christ desires that they may be with him for, namely, "to behold his glory," for then indeed shall they "see him as he is:" now, in the glass of the gospel, saints behold a great deal of the glory of Christ Jesus, which gives them much pleasure and delight; but this is but little in comparison of What they shall be everlastingly indulged with. 3. Christ appears with much fairness and beauty to believers, as he is possessed of all grace; this was the glorious and soul-ravishing sight which the evangelist John, together with others, had of him, which he takes notice of, saying (John 1:14), "we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;" and what makes it still more delightful is, that all this grace is treasured up in him for them, that they from "his fullness may receive, and grace for grace:" there is every thing in him that souls want, and every thing they want they may have from him, for "he is of God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption," which consideration must needs render him fair, beautiful, and delightful in the believer's eye. 4. Christ is fair in believers eyes, in all he is unto them, or has done and suffered for them; their souls are delighted in the views of him, as their prophet to teach and instruct them, whose "lips are like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh" of gospel doctrines, counsels, and promises; as their priest, who by his active and passive obedience, has made full satisfaction to the righteous law, an atonement for their sins by his blood, and is now interceding for them in heaven, and therefore, his "hands are as gold rings set with the beryl; and his legs as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold;" and as their king, to rule, govern, protect and defend them, whose head "is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." Moreover, he is exceeding fair and beautiful in their eyes, considered in all the relations he bears to them; as he is their indulgent Father, their tender husband, loving brother, and faithful friend; and so he is to them, in all that he has done and suffered for them: it is an exceeding delightful sight to view him undertaking their cause, espousing their persons, assuming their name, bleeding and dying in their room and stead, arising again as a victorious conqueror sitting at God's right hand, where he ever lives to make intercession for transgressors.
3dly, The same word behold, is prefixed by the church to this commendation, as was to the other by Christ, as wondering at that beauty she saw in him, and that one so fair should take any notice of her; and being affected with his glory herself, she stirs up others to a contemplation of it; for all have reason, upon a view thereof, to say, "how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty," (Zechariah 9:17).