John Trapp on Song of Solomon 1:10

Verſ. 10. Thy cheeks are comely] i. e. Thy whole face (by a Synecdoche) though the cheeks are inſtanced, as being the ſeat of ſhame facedneſs, modeſty,Omnium hominum pulcherrimus. Aenil. Prob. Aeliat. 12. cap. 1. and beauty; ſuch as was found in Eſther (whoſe ſon Artaxerxes Longimanus was held the faireſt man alive) Aſpaſia Mileſia the wife of Cyrus, who was ſtiled [non-Latin text not transcribed], Fair and wiſe; and the Lady Jane Gray, whoſe excellent beauty was adorned with all variety of virtues, as a clear sky with ſtars (ſaith the Hiſtorian) as a Princely Diadem with Jewels. Sir John Heywood. Hence ſhee became moſt dear to King Edward the ſixth, who appointed her his ſucceſſour. But nothing ſo dear to him, nor ſo happy in her ſucceſſion, as the Church is to Chriſt; who lively deſcribes her inward beauty, which hee looks upon as a rich pearl in a rude ſhell, or as thoſe tents of Kedar aforementioned, verſ. 4. which though courſe and homely for the outward hiew, yet, for the precious gemms, jewels, and ſweet odours that were couched in them, were very deſirable.

With rows of Jewels] A metaphor from fair women richly adorned. Holy women may bee coſtly attired, Gratior eſt Pulchro, &c. though Seneca thinks that hee was in an errour that ſaid ſo, ſith virtue needs no garniſh, but is magnum ſui decus, & corpus conſecrat, its own greateſt glory, and conſecrates the body wherein i[illegible: 1 letter] dwelleth. St. Peter alſo preſcribes Ladies an excellent dreſs, 1 Pet. 3.3, 4. Tertullian comes after with his Vestite vos ſerico pietatis, &c. Cloathe your ſelves with the ſilk of Piety, with the ſattin of Sanctity, with the purple of Purity. Taliter pigmentatae Chriſtum habebitis amatorem, Being thus arrayed and adorned, you ſhall have Chriſt to bee your Suter.

Thy neck with chains] ſcil. Of pearl or precious ſtones, that is, of heavenly graces drawn all upon that one threed of humility, which is the ribband or ſtring that tyes together all thoſe precious pearls. Humility is [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſaith Baſil, the treaſureſſe of the rest of the virtues. It is [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſaith Chryſostome, the bond of all good things, the bond of perfection, as St. Paul ſaith of Charity. Hence St. Peters word [non-Latin text not transcribed], (1 Pet. 5.5. Bee yee cloathed with humlity) comes of [non-Latin text not transcribed], for a knot: and it ſignifies not onely alligare, to knit the graces together, and to preſerve them from being made a prey to pride, but alſo innodare (ſay ſome) to tye knots as delicate and cutious women uſe to do of ribbands to adorn their necks, or other parts: as if humility was the knot of every virtue, and the ornament of every grace. On the contrary, Pride is ſaid to compaſs evil men about as a chain, Pſal. 73.6. which, oh how ugly and unſeemly is it on the neck of beauty, back of honour, head of learning.