lips, are accounted the most beautiful; see ch. iv. 3.
where/bre rather red or purple lilies are respected,
snell as Pliny {s}, and other writers t, speak of; such as
grew in Syria {u}, a neighbouring country; and also in
Egypt" grew lilies like to roses. Some {x} think the
allusion is to crowns, made of red or purple lilies, wore
at nuptial festivals, on which were poured oil of
myrrh, and so dropped from them; but the phrase,
dropping sweet-smelling myrrh, is not in construction
with lilies, but with lips: signifying, that the lips or
words of Christ were like to lilies; not so m,tch or
not only for their thinness and colour, as ibr the sweet
smell of them, very odorous, grateful, and acceptable;
as are the doctrines of peace, pardon, righteousness,
life, and salvation, to sensible souls, delivered in the mi-
nistry of the word: the manner of which delivery of
them is expressed hy dropping"gradually, by little and
little, as Christ's church and people can bear them;
seasonably, and at proper times, as their wants require
constantly, as while Christ was here or, earth, so now
he is in heaven, by his ministers, in all ages, to the
end of the world; and yet sweetly and gently refresh-
ing, and making fruitful; see Dent. xxxii.
over, the kisses of Christ's lips, or the mamfestati'0ns
of his love, may be taken into the sense of this clause;
which together with the -rateful matter and 2-race-
llis church; see ch. i. _o. and such a sentimeht is ex-
pressed, in much the same language, by others {y}.
Ver. 14. His hands are as go/d rings, set with the
beryl, &c.] Beryl is with great propriety mentioned,
because it was usual to wear it on the fingers {z}. This
was one of the precious stones iu the breast-plate of the
high-priest, a type of Christ, Exod. xxviii. 20. one of
tile pearl foundations of the New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi.
20. the appearance of the wheels in Ezekicl's vision
was like it, Ezek. i. l6. the body of the glorious per-
son, seen by Daniel, is said to be as that, Dan. x. 6.
so that it is no wonder the hands of Christ should be
compared to gold rings set with it. The wortl tarshish,
here rendered by beryl, is sometimes used for the sea;
and naturalists}a} tell us, that the best beryl is that
which most resembles the colour of the sea; so all the
three Targums, on Exod. xxviii. o.0, call it \^amy Mwrk\^,
from its sea-colour; and some versions have it here,
the sea-coloured beryl {b}. Some think the chrvsolite is
meant, so called from Tarsllish, a city in the Indian
sea, from whence it was brought, 1 Kings x. 22.
which is a precious stone, of a golden colour. Others
take it to be the hyacinth, or .]acinth, which is of a
violet or purple colour. Cocceius is of opinion that
the sardonyx in intended, a composition of the sardius
and onyx stones; and is of a white and ruddy colour,
and much resembles the nail of a man's hand; which
it was usual to set in rings wore on the hand; and a
hand adorned with a ring set with a sardonyx, Martial
calls sardonychata manus {c}. Now Cbrist's hands,
which are the instruments of action, may be compared
to gold rings, set with one or other ot' these stones;
because of' the variety of his works in nature, provi-
dence, and grace; and because of' the prcciousness and
value of them; arid because of their perfection and
completeness; the circular ibt'm being rccko6'ed the
most perfect: and never do the hands of' Christ appettr
as thus described, and look more beautiful and lovely,

than whcn he is belleld as grasping, holding, and re-
taining his people in ills burials, out of which they
never be plucked; and who are as so manv gold rings,
jewels, pearls, and precious stories, in his esteem;
and as holding the bright stars, the ministers ot' the
word, in tilere, who sparkle in their gifts and graces,
like so many gems there: and particularly this mav be
expressive of the munificence and liberality of Christ.
ill tile distribution of his gifts and graces to his people,
so freely and generously, so largely and plenteously,
and so wisely and thitht'ullv, as be does; and a bean-
tifui sight it is, to the eye of faith, to beltold hinl with
Iris hands full of grace, and a heart ready to distribute
it. His belly is as bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires:
which most of the ancient interpreters understand of'
the human nature ot' Christ, described by one part of
it, because of its frailty and weakness in itself; and is
compared to bright ivory, partly because of its firnl-
hess and constancy in suffering, and partly because of
its purity, holiness, and innocence; and is said to be
overlaid with sapphires, because of its exaltation and
glory at tile right hand of God. The words may be
rendered, his bowels are as bright ivory, &c. a; as in vet.
4. and may express the love, grace, mercy, pity,
compassion of Christ to the sons of' men; compared to
ivory, or the elepllant's teeth, ibr the excellency of it,
Christ's love being better than life itself; and for the
purity and sincerity of it, there being no hypocrisy in
it; and for the firmness, constancy, and duration of it,
it being from everlasting to everlasting, without any
change or variation; and to an overlay or enamel of
sapphires, for the riches, worth. and value of it, it
being preferable to all precious stones, or that can be
desired. Some intet'preters are of opinion, that not
any part of the body, the belly or bowels, are here
meant, but rattler sotne covering of the same; for
seems not so agreeable with the rules of decencv, nor
consistent with the spouse's modesty, to describe her
beloved by those parts to the daughters of Jerusalem;
nor with the scope of the narration, which is to
give distinguishing marks and characters, by which
they might know him from another. Aben Ezra
thinks the girdle is meant; which either may be his
royal girdle, the girdle of righteousuess and thittlful-
ness; or his priestly girdle, said to be of gold; see
Isa. xi. 5. Rev. i. 13. or his prophetic girdle, the girdle
of truth. 'Fhe allusion may be to the embroidered


{s} Nat. Hist. l. 21. c. 5.
{t} Theophrast. apud Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 15. c. 8. p. 681. Mai-
mon. in Misn. Sheviith, c. 7. s. 6. & Alshech in loc. Midrash Esther,
s. 4. fol. 91. 1.
{u} Dioscorides, l. 1. c. 163. Apud Fortunat. Scacch. ut supra, l. 1.
c. 27. p. 134.
{w} Herodot. Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 92.
{x} Scacch. ibid. l. 1. c. 28. p. 138, 139.
{y} Olent tua basia myrrham, Martial. Epigr. l. 2. Ep. 10.
{z} Et solitum digito beryllum adederat ignis, Propert. l. 4. Eleg. 7.
v. 9.
{x} Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 5. Solin. Polyhistor. c. 65. Ruaeus de
Gemmis, I. 2. c. 8. De Boot Hist. Gemm. l. 2. c. 70.  \~bhrullou glaukhn\~
\^liyon\^, Dionys. Perieg. v. 1012.
{b} \^vyvrtb\^ beryllo thalassio, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
{c} Epigr. l. 2. Ep. 25.
{d} \^wyem\^ viscera ejus, Marckius, Michaelis.