Gregory of Elvira, on Song 1:4

“I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.”

“"The king introduced me to his chambers." This is the church speaking, who confesses Christ the Son of God to be King. But what is the chamber to which Christ the King introduced his queen, the church, if not the mystery of the heavenly kingdom? For who does not know that Christ introduced his church, that is, his own flesh, to that place from which he had descended without flesh, that is, the gates of heaven? We learn that the church is the flesh of Christ from the authority of the apostle, who said "the flesh of Christ, which is the church."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.