John Trapp on Song of Solomon 2:5

Verſ. 5. Stay mee with flaggons] Not with cups or bowls onely, but with flaggons, larger meaſures of that Wine that was ſet before her in Chriſts Wine-houſe. Comfort mee with Apples, ſuch as fall from Chriſts Apple-tree, ſpoken of in the former verſe, the precious mellifluous promiſes, which are ſweet like the Apples of the Garden of Eden, as the Chaldee here hath it. Boulſter mee up with theſe: for I am even ſinking and ſwooning with an exceſs of love, with an exuberancy of ſpiritual joy in God my Saviour, ſuch as I can hardly ſtand under. Stay mee therefore (ſaith ſhee to the Miniſters, Poly. hiſt. cap. 56. Smells are applied to the noſtrils of them that faint. thoſe pillars to ſupport the weak, Gal. 2.9. and to comfort the feeble minded, 1 Theſ. 5.14.) Stay mee, or ſuſtain mee with flaggons, comfort mee with Apples. (Solinus tells of ſome near the River Ganges, that live odore pomorum ſylveſtrium, by the ſmell of Forreſt Apples, which is ſomewhat ſtrange.)

For I am ſick of love] Surprized with a love-qualm, as an honeſt Virgin may bee, meeting her Love unawares, enjoying him in the fulneſs of joy, and fearing the loſs of his company for a long ſeaſon.Lomb. Se[illegible: 1 letter]t. lib. 3. distine. 34. Vide Auguſt. Epiſt. 121. ad Hoxor[illegible: 1 letter]. This is timor amicalis, which Lombard thus deſcribeth, ne offendamus quem diligimus, & ne ab eo ſeparemur, The fear of love is, leſt wee ſhould offend him whom our ſoul loveth, and ſo cauſe him to withdraw. Hic timor tranſit in charitatem, ſaith Gregory, This fear paſſeth into love, and overwhelms the ſpirit ſometimes. This was it that made Jacob, when hee ſaw nothing but viſions of love and mercy, cry out, How dreadful is this place! This made that mixture of paſſions in thoſe good women, that coming to look Chriſt,Goſr. in Vit. Bern. departed from the grave with fear and great joy. From this cauſe it was that Bernard, for a certain time after his converſion, remained as it were deprived of his ſenſes by the exceſſive conſolations hee had from God. Cyprian writes to his friend Donatus, that before his converſion, hee thought it impoſſible to finde ſuch raptures and raviſhments, as now hee did in a Chriſtian courſe.Epiſt. l. 1. Confeſſ. l. 6. c. 22. Hee begins his Epiſtle thus, Accipe quod ſentitur antequam diſcitur, &c. Auguſtine ſaith the like of himſelf: What unconceiveable and unutterable extaſies of joy then may wee well think there is in Heaven, where the Lord Chriſt perpetually, and without intermiſſion, manifeſteth the moſt glorious and viſible ſigns of his preſence, and ſeals of his love? Hee pours forth all plenteous demonſtrations of his goodneſs, to his Saints, and gives them eyes to ſee it, minds to conceive it: and then fills them with exceeding fulneſs of love to him again, ſo that they ſwim in pleaſure, and are even overwhelmed with joy: a joy too big to enter into them, they muſt enter into it, Mat. 25.21. Oh pray! pray with that great Apoſtle that had been in Heaven, and ſeen that which eye never ſaw. that the eyes of your underſtanding being enlightened, Verbis exprimi non poteſt, experimento opus eſt. Chryſ. you may know the love of Chriſt which paſſeth knowledge, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, Epheſ. 1.18. & 3.19. A glory fitter to bee beleeved, than poſſible to bee diſcourſed. An exceeding exceſſive eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Such a weight, as if the body were not upheld by the power of God, it were impoſſible but it ſhould faint under it. How ready are our ſpirits to expire here, when any extraordinary unexpected comfort befalls us? The Church is ſick of love. Jacobs heart fainted when hee heard of Joſephs life and honour in Egypt. The Queen of Sheba was aſtonied at Solomons wiſdome and magnificence, ſo that ſhee had no ſpirit more in her. Viſcount Liſley in Henry the Eighths time died for joy of an unexpected pardon. What then may wee think of thoſe in Heaven? and ſhould not wee haſten in our affections to that happy place? Oh do but think (ſaith one) though it far paſs the reach of any mortal thought) what an infinite inexplicable happineſs it will bee, to look for ever upon the glorious body of Chriſt, ſhining with incomprehenſible beauty, far above the brighteſt Cherub; and to conſider, that even every vein of that bleſſed body bled to bring thee to Heaven! Think of it, I ſay, and then exhale thy ſelf in continual ſallies, as it were, of moſt earneſt deſires to bee diſſolved, and to bee with Chriſt, which is far the better, Phil. 1.23. As in the mean while, let thy ſoul ſweetly converſe with him in all his holy Ordinances, but eſpecially at his Holy Table, where hee ſaith unto thee, as once to Thomas, Reach hither thy hand, and thruſt it into my ſide, and bee not faithleſs, but beleeving. Let thy ſoul alſo there reciprocate and ſay, My Lord and my God! Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and in Earth,Pſa. 73.25 none in compariſon of thee! Rabboni, Come quickly.