John Trapp on Song of Solomon 1:7

Verſ. 7. Tell mee, O thou whom my ſoul loveth] The ſins of Gods Elect turn to their good (Venenum aliquando pro remedio fuit, ſaith Seneca, De Benef. l. 2. c. 18. Poiſon is by Art turned into a Medicine) make them cry more upon Chriſt, love him more with all their ſoul, deſire more earneſtly to bee joyned unto him, uſe all holy means of attaining thereunto; and that with ſuch affection, that when others are at their reſt, or repaſt, the Chriſtian can neither eat nor reſt, unleſs hee bee with Chriſt.

Where thou feedeſt] This Book of Canticles is a kind of Paſtoral, a ſong of a Beloved concerning a Beloved. The Church therefore gives, and Chriſt takes oft herein upon himſelf the tearm and carriage of a loving and skilful Shepheard, that feeds his flock daily and daintily, feedeth them among the Lillies, and beds of ſpices, makes them to lye down in green paſtures,Ezek. 24.13 John 10.1, 1 Pet. 5.2 Jer. 3.10, 13 Rev. 13.1 and leads them beſide the ſtill waters, Pſal. 23.2. (his Word and Sacraments) makes them alſo to lye down at noon, i. e. (as the chief Paſtor of his ſheep) hee wholly ordereth them in all their ſpiritual labours, toils, and afflictions; giving them ſafe repoſe in the hotteſt ſeaſons, Iſa. 49.10.

For why ſhould I bee as one that turneth aſide] q, d. This would bee no leſs to thy diſhonour, than my diſadvantage. If I miſcarry, thou wilt bee no ſmall loſer by it.Exod. 32 To urge God with the reſpect of his own glory lying now at ſtake, is a moſt effectual way of ſpeeding in prayer. If thou deſtroy this people, what will the Egyptians ſay? how will the very banks of blaſphemy bee broken down,Joſh. 7.9. and they ſpeak evil of thee with open mouth? If the Canaanites beat us, what ſhall become of thy great name? Interpone, quaeſo, tuas preces, apud Deum pro me, Scultet. Annal. & or a Chriſtum cujus eſt cauſa haec, ut mihi adſit: quam ſi obtinuerit, mihi obtenta erit: ſin vero cauſa exciderit, nec ego eam obtinere potero: atque ita ipſe ſolus ignominiam reportabit. Prethee pray for mee (ſaith Luther to a friend of his that feared how it would fare with him when hee was to appear at Ausborough before the Cardinal) pray for mee to Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe the cauſe is, that hee would ſtand by mee; for if hee carry the day, I ſhall do well enough. As, if I miſcarry, hee alone will undergo the blame and ſhame of it.

By the flock of thy companions] Why ſhould I have fellowſhip with thy pretended fellows,1 Theſ. 5.23. and ſo incur the ſuſpition of diſhoneſty. Chriſtians muſt abſtain from all appearance of evil, ſhun and bee ſhy of the very ſhews and ſhadows of ſin, Quicquid fuerit male coloratum, as Bernard hath it, whatſoever looks but ill-favouredly;2 Cor 8.20, 21 [non-Latin text not transcribed]. providing for things honeſt, not onely in the ſight of the Lord, but in the ſight of men: and avoiding this, that no man ſhould blame us, avoiding it, as ſhip-men ſhun a rock or ſhelf, with utmoſt care and circumſpection. Joſeph would not breathe in the ſame air with his Miſtreſs, nor John the Evangeliſt with the Heretick Cerinthus; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Euſeb. but ſprang out of the bath, aſſoon as hee came into it. St. Paul would not give place by ſubjection to thoſe falſe brethren, no not for an hour, leſt the truth thereby ſhould ſuffer detriment, Gal. 2.5. Conſtantine would not read the Arians Papers, but tear them before their eyes. And Placilla the Empreſs beſought her Husband Theodoſius ſenior, Sezom. li. 7. c. 7. not once to confer with Eunomius; leſt being perverted by his ſpeeches, hee might fall into hereſie. Memorable is the ſtory of the children of Samoſata, that would not touch their ball, but burnt it, becauſe it had touched the toe of an heretical Biſhop, as they were toſſing it, and playing with it.