in basket-work of silver'. So Solomon himself compares the maxims of wisdom to an orna'ment of grace,' (or graceful ornament) for the head, and chains about the neck! which images perfectly correspond with those before us. When the church is compared to a horse, a mare, or a company of horses', we may remark, 1. That we are often sent in the Scriptures, to learn wisdom and virtue from the brute creation. Go to the ant, thou sluggard!' is the pointed reproof of SOLOMON. ISAIAH reproves Israel in comparing them to the ox and to the ass: The ox knoweth his owner, 2. The virtues, or admirable qualities of the borse are activity, strength, and courage. From 1 Prov. xxv. 11. This differs materially from our version the Hebrew is a word spoken upon its wheels, which is, I suppose, an allusion to the pottery, and means that a good parable (the Hebrew expression for poetry and metaphor) is artificially framed and moulded like the potter's vessel on the wheel. On the word citrons, see note on chap. ii. 3. of this book: and the word by our translators rendered pictures, is admitted to mean net or basketwork. 2 Prov. i. 9. 3 The word (DD) is commonly considered as a collective noun, like horse, or cavalry in English: but several of the antient versions and critics take it for a noun feminine singular, with the pronominal affix, and therefore render it my mare,' i. e. some admired and favourite mare; but the difference seems not important. the former this creature is supposed, in Hebrew to receive its name'; and the latter are finely celebrated in the book of JOB: Hast thou given to the horse strength? There is no doubt but activity, vigour, fortitude, and courage, are moral and Christian virtues; but I forbear enlarging, that I may not run into the common error. We have observed that the comparison is here made chiefly with respect to the corpulency of the horse when well-fed; and it is remarkable that this circumstance is chiefly alluded to when the animal is metaphorically introduced in scripture. So JEREMIAH compares Israel towell fed horses, because they were fed to the full' with the blessings of divine providence, and the means of grace, which David calls the fatness of God's house: analo. gous to which is the state of the Christian church in times of outward prosperity, when the means of grace abound, and the profession of christianity is unawed and uninterrupted by oppression or persecution. 'Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked.' But the most striking text to our purpose is in the prophet ZECHARIAH, where the LORD 1 Sus [o] probably from Shesh [ww] to be active, sprightly, &c. for which reason the Persians, and some other nations, used to sacrifice horses to the sun. See Parkhurst in DD. 2 Job xxxix. 19, &c. s Jer, v. 7, 8. A a of Hosts expressly calls the house of Judah his GOODLY HORSE in the day of battle;' where is, I conceive, a double allusion (as in Solomon) both to the horse and its ornaments, -the horse well-fed, mettled, bold, courageous, and richly caparisoned, as the horse' of a commander in chief in the day of battle'.' 6 When the ornaments, whether of the women or horses, are here mentioned, we may recollect the apostolic exhortation, particularly to the fair sex; 'Whose adorning' (says St. PETER)' let it ' not be that outward adorning, of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of [rich] apparel: but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even ⚫ the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great price. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves.' In similar language the apostle PAUL exhorts that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered (or plaited) hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness,) with GOOD WORKS.' But more particularly I would observe, 1. That the graces of the Spirit (which are the same Zach. x. 3. There is a peculiarity in the original of this text. Judah [mm] signifies praise, glory, &c. and in allusion to this root, Judah is called a glorious, or a gorgeous horse, by a word () nearly related to that root, ירה and הדה See Park, in ( 187 ) 187) as the moral virtues arising from evangelical principles, and wrought by the Holy Ghost-the graces of the Spirit) are recommended to us as jewels, pearls, and ornaments of gold or precious stones, as in the scriptures already cited. Sometimes the precepts of divine truth and wisdom are thus represented. So SOLOMON, speaking of wisdom-that' wisdom which is from above' says, She is more precious than rubies, And all the things which thou canst desire [are] not to 'be compared unto her1.' Speaking of her precepts, he says, They shall be life unto thy soul, And grace unto thy neck': They shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, 'And chains about thy neck3. 2. That these graces, or virtues, are con nected like the links of a chain. Say, that the Christian virtues are pearls, or precious stones, then grace is that golden thread' on which they are strung; this may also be referred to the blessings of the gospel, which all depend upon the grace of God. Thus the apostle enumerates the former- Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue 'knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and 'to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and 1 Prov. iii. 15. Prov. i. 9. 2 Prov. iii. 22. 'to brotherly kindness charity'.' The like remarks may be applied to the rich and various blessings of the covenant of grace and redemption: thus the apostle links them: Whom he did fore'know he also did predestinate; whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom ' he called, them he also justified; and whom he 'justified, them he also glorified'.' Lastly, we may apply this to the praises or encomiums bestowed upon the church; and it may lead us to observe that, however the irreligious world may despise or deride the character of the true believer, those best acquainted with it will commend and admire. So we have often seen that candid minds, and those open to conviction, have admired and commended the vir tues and graces, which they were little disposed to imitate. 'See how these Christians love,' was the language of admiring heathens.-The virgins that attend the church praise her. Ver. 12-14. Spouse. While the king is in his circle [of friends] A bundle of myrrh, is my beloved unto me, This paragraph presents us with a different set of images. The king is supposed to be in the circle of his friends at the marriage feast; 1 Pet. i. 5. 2 Rom. viii. 29, 30. |