John Trapp on Song of Solomon 5:11

Verſ. 11. His head is as the moſt fine gold] Here ſhee begins her particular praiſe of his ſeveral parts: and here ſhee may ſeem to ſpeak with the tongues of men and of Angels; performing (as Lovers uſe to do) that for him, that hee had done for her before, chap. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, &c. though all ſhe could ſay falleth far ſhort of him; and well ſhee might ſay after all, as Nazianzen ſometime ſaid of Baſil, There wants but his own tongue to commend him with. Loquimur de Deo non quantum debemus, ſed quantum poſſumus. In ſpeaking of Chriſts excellencies men may ſpeak what they can, they cannot poſſibly ſpeak ſo much as they ought, they cannot hyperbolize. If any ſhall think the Church doth here, hee muſt needs bee of thoſe that either know him not, or are not able to judge aright of his worth,Tull. de Orator. as once Cicero ſaid of Craſſus and Antonius the Oratours. Nuſquam Origines non ardet, ſed nuſquam eſt ardentior, &c. ſaith Eraſmus. Origen is never but earneſt,Eraſ. in praef. ad Orig. opera. howbeit hee is never more earneſt, than when hee diſcourſeth of Chriſt: in other things hee may ſeem to excell others, but in this hee excelleth himſelf. The ſame wee may well ſay of the Church in this place, in ſetting forth the ſurpaſſing purity and perfection of her Spouſe: Quem manibus propriis finxit cordata Minerva. And firſt ſhee makes his head to bee of the fineſt and firmeſt gold, Feſs-gold, ſo the Arabick, from the Hebrew, calleth it: and the land of Feſs ſeemeth to bee named of ſuch gold there. Davids Michtam or Golden Pſalm comes from one of the words here uſed. For in the Original thus it is,Or he is the gold of gold, as Athens was the Greece of Greece. His head is moſt gliſtering gold, yea, moſt ſolid gold. That is, his deity which dwells in him, is moſt pure and glorious, (for the head of Chriſt is God, 1 Cor. 11.3.) and that fulneſs of grace which is communicated to his humane nature, is wondrouſly beautiful: and ſo ſets it forth, as black curled locks do a freſh countenance.

Spectandus nigris oculis, nigro que capillo eſt.