2 I ſleep d, but my heart wakethe: it is the voice of my beloved fthat knocketh g, ſaying,open co me b; my ſiſter, my love, my dove my undefiled ;s for my head
1s filled with dew &, and my locks with the drops of the
night £
4 Heb. I was aſleep, i. e, T was dull, and ſluggiſh, and inſenſible of his kind Expreifions;-and offers of Grace, e Yet in my very ſleep my thoughts were running upon my BeJoved, as is not unuſuzl in fuch caſes, whichar laſt awakened me, Thus ſhe implyes the con« fli&t which was between the Flefh and the Spirit, and the Spirits Victory in the Combare. f Between ſleeping and waking I fancied that I heard his voice. g By his Word,and Providence, and Spirits at the door of mine Heart, deſirous that I would receive him by Faith and Love: Compare Revel. 3. 20. h Inviting me to accept of bis gracious Offers, aud to Jethim inromy Soul. 7 This heap of kind compellations ſignifies Chriſts ſincere & fervent Affection to his People,nocwithſtanding her manifold imperfections and infirmities, The title of Dove ſignihes her Chaſtiry and conſtant Faithfulneſs to Her Husband, for which Doves are famons. How ſhe is undefiled ſee on: Ch. 4: 7. k Whilſt I wait without thy door. He alludes to the cuſtom of Lovers, which oft and willingly ſuffer ſuch incon= veniencies for their hopes and deſires of enjoying their Beloved and ſignifies his ſufferings for the Churches good. I The dew which falls in the end of the night,or towards the morning, whence it is called morning dew, Hoſ: 6: 4.
3 T have put off my coatm, how hal I put it on »2 ET have waſhed my feet o how ſhal I defile them ? |
m My day-cloths- as perſons uſe to do when they go to reſt. aTt 1s:1nconvenient and troubleſome to do it at this time. Thus ſhe tacitly reflets upon the Bridegroom for coming to her ſo unſeaſon- ably,and giving her ſuch diſturbance, and puts him off to another time, and excuſeth her non-admiſſion ofhim by her preſent indif- poſition, and the difficulty of the rhing required of her. o Whick the Eaſtern people commonly did when they went to Bed, partly to cool] their Feer, and partly ty cleanſe them from that duſt and {weat which they had contratted in the day-tuime by Labour and Travel, as being uſed to go barefoot.
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door
?, and my bowels were moved || for him 9. || Or, (3 þ He affayed to open thedoor. When his Word would not pre- ſomercad]
vail, his Spirit which is called the finger of God, Luke 114 20. com- #1,
pared with Mat, 12, 28. wrought inwardly upon my Conſcience, &
affeCted mine heart» 4 With compaſſion for him and his ſufferings,
and with aff:Qtion to him ; for both theſe ways is this phraſe oft u-
ſed, as jb 37. 8. Phil. 2+ x, 2, &Cc.
5 Iroſe up to open to my beloved r, and my hands, 4 C dropped with myrrhe s,and my fingers with + ſweet fng,orru® {melling myrrhe,upon the handles of the lock's. *,;ng abut
7 I repented of my former drowſineſs and neglet, and went yqah:1is: forth to receive him. 5, e. With Oil or Ointment made of Myrrhe, 1, which either 1. She had taken our of her own ſtock to prepare her ſelf for the entertainment of the Bridegroom : Or rather 2. Drop= ped from the Bridegrooms hand upon the doorin great abundance, when he pur it into the hole of the door, v. 4. and confequently upon
her hands and fingers when ſhe touched the door tro apen w hay
\
r,and runken
h love
|| Or, (43 Comeread] (n me,
C0
Chap. V- C 4 82
which ſhe ſignifies thatChriſt though he withdrew himſelf fromber, yet jefca ſweet favour behind him,iafuting into her,and ſtirring uj in her the Graces of the Spirit,ſuch as Repentance, which 1s bitter as Myrrhe, earneſt deſire afcer Chriſt, ©. ; Heb, with Myrrhe paſ- ſing or flowing upon the handles of the lock,which place the Bridegroom had touched when he attempted to open it-
6 Lopened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himſelf KW, and was gone x: my ſoul failed y when he ſpake z: I * ſoughthim a, but I could not
P . "ng find him ; I called him, but he gave meno anſwer b.
- u D:nied me his gracious and comfortable preſence, asa juſt pu- niſhmenr for my former negle& and folly. x Either ſhe repeats the ſame thing to fhew how deeply ſhe was affeHed with it; Or this 15 add+d ro 1mply that he had nor only ſtepped aſide, but was quite gone away. y Heb. wen? out of me, I fainted and was ready to die a- way through exceſſive paſſion, as this phraſe is uſed,Gen, 357 18. & 42, 28, and eiſewhere» 2 Or, for what he ſpoke,for thoſe endearing Expreſſions rclated,vi2, which then I did not heed,but this ſad occa- Gon brings them tomy remembrance;as ofr-times that word which is inefeQtual when it 1s preached, is afterwards brought to a mans Mind and produceth bleſſed effteCts. _ # By diligent enquiry and importunate Prayer. 6 That ſo he might both chaſtiſe her folly,and qiucken her defires,and prepare the way for a more hearty welcome and his longer abode with her. :
7 The watch-men that went about the city c, found me, they ſmote me, they wounded me «d; the keepers of the walls e took away my vail f from me.
c The Governours of the Church, as Chap. 3. 3.who, though by their place and office they be obliged to comfort and protett rhe faithful,do frequentlydiſcourage and oppreſs them,as they manifeſt- ly did both in the days of Iſa:ah,and Jeremiah, and the other holy Prophets, and in the time of Chriſt,and his Apoſtles, and in divers other Ages. d With bitter Calumnies and Perſecutions. e The ſame with the Watch=men, whoſe Office is to keep the Gates and W alls of theCity. f Which was an ornament of her Sex, Iſa 3-23» and a badge of her Modeſty, Gen. 24, 65. oran enſign of her Rela« tion and Subje&ion to Chriſt, Ger. 20. 16. 1 Cor, t1- 5, And fo the taking of this Vail away,ſignifies their contemptuous and injurious uſage of her, their endeavours to blaſt her Reputation, and to re- preſent and treat heras a common and impudent proſtitute, and as One that had no Relation to Chriſt. .
$ Icharge you, O daughters of Jerufalemg, if ye find my beloved Þ that ye tell him, chat I am fick of love hb. | |
g Of whom ſee on ch, 1.5,&2. 7. The Church having paſſed the Warck=men, and patiently born, and in a manner forgotten their injuries,proceeds in the purſuit of her beloved, & enquires of every particular Believer or Profeflor whom ſhe . meets concerning him.
' þ That Iam ready to faint for want of his preſence, and the tokens