7 + *I charge you 4,O ye daughters :of Jeruſalem r, + Hebi by the roes,and by the binds 5 of the field :, thatye ſtir acjwe wi not up, nor awake « wy love x, till he pleaſe y, *Ch. 3.5
q This verſe is ſpoken either 1. By the Bridegroom, who having & 8: 4;
repoſed the ſick Church in his Arms, chargeth them nor to diſturb
her, zl ſhe pleaſe, as the laſtclauſe in this caſe muſt be rendred. Or
rather 2. By the Bride, as may be gathered, 1.. From the connexion
becauſe both the foregoing and following wordsare hers. 2. Becauſe
it was more decent for the Bride than for the Bridegroom to give
this charge to the Bride-maids,the daughters of Jeruſalem ; and therefore
in all places in this Book,where they are mentioned,the perſon ſpeak-
ing to them is the Bride, and not the Bridegroom, and particular
ly Ch: 3: 5: & 8: 4: where this verſe is repeated, and is confeſſedly
and evidently ſpoken by the Spouſe, r My Bride-maids, Friends,
and Members, over whom I have Authority. 5 Either 1. By the kindneſs you bave to thoſe pretty and amiable Creatures, as you
would nor injure nor diſturb them, nor drive them away,bur pleaſe
your ſelves with the ſight of them, as Shepherds and Country-Dama.
{els commonly do. Or 2. By the Example of thoſe Creatures,which
are pleaſant, and loving in their carriage towards one another. x
Which have their uſual abode in the fields. » That you do not
diſturb nor cffend him by your miſcarriages,but permit him and me
fo enjoy a quiet repoſe. Do nothing to grieve him, or moleſt me.
x My dearly beloved,called Love Emphartically, to expreſs her great
paſſion for him. So Love is uſed, Cant: 7: 6: and in other Authors.
) 7.e. Never, as this word, wntil,in ſuch like Phraſes, is commonly
uſed, as G:7: 28; 15: 2 Sam: 6: 23: 1/a: 22314. For neither can ſin
ever pleaſe him, nor can the Church bear it, that Chriſt ſhould ever
be 4 Es that her ſweer Fellowſhip with him ſhould be intere
rupred. 8 The voice of my beloved z! behold, he cometh #
leaping upon the mountains,skipping upon the hills 5.
z Methinks I hear bis voice. The Spouſe being now refreſhed
and revived with Chriſts preſence, awakes our of fleep, and breaks
forth into this joy tv) Exclamation. Chriſts voice is nothing elſe but
the word of Grace revealed outwardly in the Goſpe),or the Evange-
Iical paſſages of the old Teſtament, and inwardly to the heart of the
Spouſe by the Spirit of God. &« Either 1: He is coming, or will
ſhortly come into the World; which Solomon and the reft of the O1d- Teſtament Prophers,and Saints,did earneſtly deſire and confidently *xpe&. Or 2. He is coming to me for my ſupport and comforr. 6 He faith, leaping and :kipping, to note that Chriſt came readily, and (wifrly, with great defire and pleaſure ; and he adds, upon the Moun- tains 8nd Hills,cirher with reipe& to Mownt Zien or Jeruſalem, in and from which Chriſt firſt diſcovered himſelf; or to fignifie Chriſts fix- ed reſolution to come in ſpight of all diſcouragements and difficul- ries which ſtood in his way zor te ſhew that his coming was mani- feſt and viſible to the Eye of her Faith. Or, in his Phraſe he may have a reſpe& to the Roes and Herts here following. 9 * My beloved 7s like a roe, ora|| young hart c: bes * Yer 1, hold he ftandeth behind our wall 4, he looketh forth « [|Or, few.
at the window f, + ſhewing himſelf chrough the lat- THeb. fog-
teſc, rtſhing, c Either 1, In Jovelineſs. Or rather 2. In ſwiftneſs, by compar-'
ing this Verſe with the former. The ſwiftneſs of roes is neted
2 Sam: 2: 18.1 Chr: 1:: 8.He is coming to me with allſpeed and will
aot tarry a moment beyond the appointed and proper ſeaſon. 4 And
vhilſt he doth for wiſe and juſt reaſons forbear to come;he is not far
from us. "Though he be net yet come into the door of our Houſe,
yet he ſtands behind the wall of our Houſe, and is always at hand,
ro give me that ſuccour and comfort which I door may need and
deſire. Both this and the following Phraſes ſeem to note the ob-
ſcure and imperfe& manner and degree of Chriſts manifefting hime
ſelf ro his People, either 1. Under the Law, in compariton of his
diſcoveries in the GoſpeLOr 2. In this Life,in compariſon of what he
will do inthe future Life. eFrom his high and keavenly Palace to-
wards me, to watch over meand refreſh me with the proſpeC of his
favour. f This Phraſe and that, rhrough the latteſs, intimate that .
the Church doth indeed ſee Chriſt, but, as through # glaſs, darkly, |
aSit is ſaid even of Goſpel-Revelations, 1 Cor: 13: 12: and was much
more true of legal Adminiſtrations. Ce 27 OEM
Io My beloved ſpake g, and faid unto me, -Rife
up 4 my love, my fair one, and comeaway z *'
g Invited and called me outwardly by his Word,and inwardly by *: *
his Spirit þ Shake off ſloth and ſecurity, and diſentangle thy ſelf
more fully from all the ſnaresof this World,and of thy own Luſts,'
that thou maiſt be more ready to come to me, and more fit for my
embraces. i Unto me,and with me3 follow me fully, ſerve me more.
perfely, labourfor a nearer Union, and more ſatisfying communt-
on with me. : 1x For lo, the winter & is paſt,
gone. ; en: k Which made the ways in ſome ſort unpaſſible, and ſo might ſeem to hinder or affright thee from coming to me, This winter, and the following rais, may be underſtood cither r. Of worldly Tris :
bulations, which he intimates to be paſt and gone,to wit,ſo far that they ſhall not deſtroy nor hurt the Church, but on the contrary 09
the rain is over, and.
Pomgranates,or the like,the ſmell whereof was grateful and uſeful to | 2. Of ſpiritual Troubles ariſing in the perſons ready to faigr. B) theſe Meraphors underſtand the applica- | Sinners,from a deepſenſe of the guilt of Sin,the J tion of the Promiſcs,$ the comfortable and quickning influcnges gf ; qi Geo, the Scatenge and Curls of the Laws all
her much good, both by — her Members; and increa[- * |
ing her Graces, and prometing her Eternal Happineſs. Ur rather FE IY - Fi Minds FP. Confciendzs of : aftice = overs . ich made fehent " .- afraic”
d)
"E
4. Lul 32,
"Ch.
*Frek.3s. 20. *Ch.8. 13.
*Ezek.13 4.
Luke 137 JU,
\C.6.2, Fc 7-10,
} Heb. breathe, C.4.6.
Clap. It.
6 £ 3 afraid ro come unto Cod,and deſirous,if poſſible, to run away from him. Bur, ich Chriſt, IT have removed this great impediment, Gog is ready to be reconciled, and therefore caſt offall diſcourage= ments and cxcuſes, and come unto me.
12 The flowers appear on the earth /, the ſinging of birds m is come,and the voice of the turtle # is heard in our land o. ES | |