John Trapp on Song of Solomon 1:4

Verſ. 4. Draw mee] Thoſe very Virgins, though they love Chriſt, and are affected with his incomparable ſweetneſs; to the ſlighting of earthly vanities, and all taſtleſs fooleries of this preſent life, yet are they ſenſible of ſundry obſtacles and backbyaſſes, which cauſe them to call for help from Heaven, Draw mee, &c. ſcil. by the effectual working of thy mighty Spirit, and by the cords of kindneſs, Hoſ. 11.4. that irreſiſtible grace of thine, whereby thou doſt fortiter, but yet ſuaviter, powerfully, but yet ſweetly work upon the wills of them that belong to thee; and by a merciful violence pull them out of Satans paws, yea bring them from the jaws of Hell, to the joyes of Heaven, Jer. 31.3.

Wee will run after thee] Wee will not onely follow thee, as the ſtraw follows the jet, or as Iron the load-ſtone; as the Sea-mans needle doth the North-pole,Numb. 14.24 John fulfilled his race. Act. 13.25 Pſal. 119.32 2 Tim. 4.7 or as the Hop in its growing follows the courſe of the Sun from Eaſt to Weſt, winding about the pole, and will rather break than do otherwiſe; But wee will fulfil after thee, as Caleb did, wee will run after thee, as David did, yea wee will ſo run, that wee may obtain, finiſh our courſe, and receive our Crown, whereof wee ſhall not fail, if wee run regularly, run forthright, Prov. 4.25. run after Chriſt, as the Church here promiſeth to do, and not ſtep before him, as Peter preſumed to do, and therefore heard,Mat. 16.13 Get thee behinde mee Satan. Chriſt is ou[illegible: 1 letter] fore-runner, gone before us into Heaven, Heb. 6.10. Wee muſt come after him, Luk. 9.23. preſs his footſteps, 1 Pet. 2.21. follow him cloſe, Mat. 16.24. Epheſ. 5.1. and, having him ever in our eye, run with patience the race that is ſet before us, Heb. 12.1, 2. Rubs and Remoraes wee ſhall bee ſure to meet with, but that muſt not make us ſtop or ſtep back.Pet. 1. Chriſt ran with a courage, though hee ran with the croſs upon his ſhoulders all the way. Gird up your loins, and do likewiſe. Run to get the race, ſaid bleſſed Bradford to his fellow-ſufferers, You are even almoſt at your journies end. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Heb. 11.26 [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Heb. 12.3 If there bee any way to Heaven on horſe-back, it is by the croſs. Look to the joy that is ſet before you, as Chriſt did, ſteal a look from glory, as Moſes did, leſt yee bee wearied and faint, or Looſened, as the Nerves are in a ſwoon or palſie. Lift up the hands that hang down to the feeble knees, Heb. 12.12. Lift up your feet,Gen. 29.1. as Jacob did, after the viſion at Bethel, and take long ſtrides to Chriſt. Think thou heareſt him ſay, as Tully did once to his friend, Quam-obrem, ſi me amas tantum, Cicer. Epiſt. famil. quantum profecto amas, ſi dormis, expergiſcere; ſi ſtas, ingredere; ſi ingrederis, curre; ſi curris, advola. Credibile non eſt quantum ego in amore & fide tua ponam, i. e. Wherefore if thou loveſt mee, as I am ſure thou doſt, if thou bee aſleep, wake thy ſelf; if thou ſtandeſt ſtill, ſet forward; if thou art upon thy way, run to mee, if thou art a running, flye to mee. Little doſt thou think how much I ſet by thy love and faithfulneſs. Therefore haſte, haſte, Neh 8.10 haſte. The joy of the Lord ſhall bee thy ſtrength, ſo that thou ſhalt walk and not bee weary, run and not faint, Iſa. 40.31.

The King hath brought mee into his chambers] Into the Bride-Chamber of Heaven, and hath made mee ſit together in heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus mine Head and Husband, Epheſ. 2.6. yea into the inward part of the Bed-chamber (as the word here uſed ſignifieth, Cant. 3.4.) there to have familiarity with him, that I may be filled with his graces, John 1.16. and bring forth fruit to God, Rom. 7.4.

Wee will bee glad and rejoyce in thee] Bee glad inwardly, and rejoyce outwardly; not in thy love-tokens ſo much, as in thy ſelf. Vix diligitur Jeſus propter Jeſum. They that rejoyce in any thing but Chriſt, rejoyce in a thing of nought, Amos 6.13. with verſ. 4, 5, 6. The beginning of Epiſtles and Letters antiently was Gaudete in Domino, Rejoyce in the Lord.

Wee will remember thy love] Or rehearſe it. Men cannot but think and ſpeak much of what they love and like. If Davids heart bee enditing a good matter (a ſong of loves) his tongue will ſoon bee the pen of a ready writer, Pſal. 45.1, 2. And as people, when drunk with Wine, wherein is exceſs, are apt to ſing and hollow: ſo thoſe that are filled with the Spirit, cannot but utter thoſe magnalia Dei, the wonderful works of God, Act. 2.11. yea expreſs their ſpiritual jollity in Pſalms, and hymns, and ſpiritual Songs, Epheſ. 5.18, 19.

The upright love thee] Heb. Uprightneſs, the abſtract, for the concrete, as Pride for proud, Jer. 50.31. rebellion for rebellious, Ezek. 2.7. This ſeemeth to bee added for to exclude hypocrites, thoſe Hang-byes. They ſeem to love God (none more) but it is from the teeth outward onely: and Chriſt may well ſay to them,Judg. 16. as ſhee did to Sampſon, how canſt thou ſay thou loveſt mee, when thy heart is not with mee? their hearts are upon their covetouſneſs, then when with their mouths they make love, Ezek. 33.31. as the Eagle hath his eye upon the prey, when hee ſoareth higheſt toward Heaven. They follow Chriſt more for the loaves,Rom. 16.18 than for love, Joh. 6.26. they ſerve not God, but ſerve themſelves upon him; they ſerve him for gain, as children will not ſay their prayers, unleſs wee promiſe them their breakfaſts. Sincerity is an utter enemy to Siniſterity.