Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:1

I am come, &c.] Christ so readily answers and grants the Churches Prayer, Psal. CXLV. 19. and XX. 4. and XXXII. 5. and XXXIV. 15. Esay LXV. 24. Dan. IX. 20,—23. She seeks not him in vaine, Esay XLV. 19.

eate O friends] The holy Angels; or Saints on earth rather, Esay XLI. 8. John XV. 14. James II. 23.

abundantly] Ephes. V. 16.

Song of Solomon 5:2

I sleep, but, &c.] The Churches infirmity. As, Matth. XXV. 5. and XXVI. 41. she lets fall the watch of the Lord; and so sinnes away her inward peace, as David did, Psal. LI.

It is the voice, &c.] She soone hears the first call and knock; as being half awake; awake in the hidden man of the heart.

Knocketh] Apoc. III. 20. Micah. VI. 9.

my locks with the drops] Thus Christ stands bare-headed, as with cap in hand, and that in foul weather too, suing, wooing, and begging admittance; and yet must go look another lodging.

Song of Solomon 5:3

I have put off my coate] Luke XI. 7. A silly excuse; and yet worse then so, in seeking to mend one fault by making another. Thus the flesh is both weak and wayward: But it is to be served, as Paul doth, 1 Cor. IX. 27. And as he adviseth others, Rom. VI. 12.

how] Why, easily enough: It had beene no such great matter. Sinne and shifting came into the world together. Look to that, Heb. XII. 25. and chap. II. 3. Lest refusing this Call, they hear that Command, Matth. XXV. 41.

Song of Solomon 5:4

by the hole] Christ herewith is offended and gone, ver. 6. Seemes minded, as Mark XIV. 41. and Ezek. III. 27. Yet even then he leaves a sweet remembrance behinde him.

my bowels] She had no rest in her spirit; her bowels earned towards him; her heart asked and quaked for the unkindnesse she had offered him: she sorrowed according to God, or as God would have it, 2 Cor. VII. 9.

Song of Solomon 5:5

I rose up] She better bethinks her self, she starts and stirs, and she leaves her bed of carnal security, would mend her former fore-thought negligence.

dropped with myrrhe,] Testimonies and tokens of his sweetnesse left behinde him, where his hand had beene; with a secret instinct to attract her, as the Loadstone doth the Needle: that did whet, edge, steele her affections towards him; and wrought her to that resolution, Hos. II. 7.

Song of Solomon 5:6

I opened] Better late then never.

was gone] She had presumed too much of his patience, and abused it, Micah III. 4. she hoped here, but missed of it.

my soul failed] Psal. XXX. 7. she suffers now; she may thank her self for it.

I sought him] She goes not to bed againe; but seeks him, with all her might: seeks, and calls, and gives not over. This is the guise of the godly, Esay XXVI. 9.

I could not finde him] She was so justly dealt withal, Esay LIX. 1, 2. And this is the Churches soarest affliction, whereof they bitterly complaine, Lam. III. 8, 44. Job XXX. 20. Hab. I. 2. A spiritual desertion is a kinde of Hell it self to a godly soul. This sense of Losse they count heavier then the sense of Paine. And indeed the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewaile the Losse of Heaven.

Song of Solomon 5:7

The Watchmen] Now she will seek him through thick and thin, by night it self, without delay, among the Watchmen, and midst of dangers. Nothing shall stay her, she is at no rest without him. See chap. III. 3.

they smote me] Even these Watchmen, Ezek. XXXIII. 2, 6, 7. smote her with the tongue of just reproof and rebuke, out of Gods Word, for her former fault, and sloathful neglect of duty.

Song of Solomon 5:8

I charge you] See chap. II. 7. and chap. III. 5. But here her charge varies. Tell him, and what shall ye tell him? as the Hebrew hath it. Like that phrase in Hos. IX. 14

Sick of love] Chap. II. 5.

Song of Solomon 5:9

What is thy beloved, &c.] And they double the demand: And that by reason of her so extraordinary charging them, if not swearing and adjuring of them. Some singular thing then was in the man, and in the matter. They question likely, not as utterly ignorant of Christ; but that they might hear the Church what she had to say to him; and by her discourse they might better their knowledge, 1 Pet. I. 12.

Song of Solomon 5:10

My beloved, &c.] The Churches large character of Christ to them, she describes him, and his particular praises in his several parts, in sundry Similies, but no hyperbolies; for Christ admits of no hyperbolie; he is altogether matchlesse and incomparable. She describes his colour, head, locks, eyes; cheeks, lips, hands, belly, legges, countenance, mouth; and that he is altogether lovely. Her Love wants no Rhetorick to display his parts; she thinks she can never speak enough of him.