John Trapp on Song of Solomon 3:1

CHAP. III. Verſ. 1. By night on my Bed I ſought him whom my ſoul loveth.]

SHee had not a name good enough for him: ſhee therefore makes uſe of this powerful Periphraſis. Before hee had been her Beloved, but now the love of her ſoul, becauſe now hee had withdrawn himſelf. It was night with her now; ſhee walked in darkneſs, and had no light, as Iſa. 50.10. and, as before day break, the darkneſs is greateſt: ſo was it now with the woful Spouſe. Shee was indeed upon her bed of eaſe, but to her in this caſe it was a little-eaſe, a bed of unreſt, her ſoul was toſſed and troubled with ſolitary ſeeking, longing and looking after him whom her ſoul loved. By night therefore, or night after night, ſundry nights together (as ſome read it) Shee ſought and ſought, being conſtant, inſtant and indefa[illegible: 1 letter]igable in the ſcarch, ſhee ſought him early and earneſtly, with utmoſt attention and affection, with her whole heart and ſoul, Jer. 29.13. according to the meaſure of her love to him, which was modus ſine modo, as Bernard hath it. Now whatſoever a man loves, that hee deſires, and what hee deſires, that hee ſeeks after; eſpecially if hee apprehend ſome ſingular worth in it. In Chriſt are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge, Col. 2.3. Hee is better than Rubias, ſaith Solomon, and all the things that may bee deſired are not to bee compared unto him, Prov. 8.11. Hence the good ſoul ſeeks him, as eagerly as the Mammoniſt ſeeks ſilver, the Ambitioniſt honour, the affamiſhed man bread, the condemned priſoner a pardon, or as one that ſeeks for a loſt Jewel, hee over-looks all till hee hath found it; Chriſt I muſt have, ſaith ſhee, whatever it coſt mee: this gold cannot bee bought too dear. Shee longeth ſore, as David did, ſaying, Oh that one would give mee of the water of the Well of Bethlehem! 1 Chron. 11.17. Oh for a bleſſed arm-full of the Babe of Bethlehem! ſuch as Simeon once had; Give mee Chriſt, or elſe I die. None but Chriſt, none but Christ. All is but dung and droſs to Chriſt.Phil. 3. God offered Moſes an Angel to go along with them in the wilderneſs: Hee would have no Angel, nor ſtir a ſtep unleſs God himſelf would conduct them. Barak would not march without Deborah; &c.

I found him not] i. e. I had not ſo full a preſence, nor ſo faſt hold of him as I deſired, hee had got behinde the wall or the window, as in the former chapter, and (Joſeph-like) concealed his love out of increaſement of love; as alſo that hee may ſtir up ſtrong affections after him in the hearts of his people: for hee well enough knows how to commend his mercies to us, as Laban did his daughter Rachel to Jacob, by holding us off, by ſuſpending us for a ſeaſon. Even barren Leah, when unloved and unlookt on, becomes fruitful: and the drowſie Spouſe, when ſhee miſſeth her Beloved, becomes reſtleſs till ſhee have recovered him. In their affliction they will ſeek mee early, Hoſ. 5.15. Affliction excites devotion; and makes the Saints ſeek again with a redoubled diligence, as here. See Pſal. 78.34, 35. It fares with the beſt ſometimes, as it did with Saint Paul and his company in the ſhipwrack, Act. 27.20. when they ſaw neither Sun nor Stars for divers daies and nights together. In this diſmal and diſconſolate condition, if they can but caſt anchor and pray ſtill for day, Chriſt will appear (as here, verſe 3.) and all ſhall clear up, the day will dawn, and the day-ſtar appear in their hearts. Mourning laſteth but till morning, Pſal. 30. and the viſion is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it ſhall ſpeak and not lye, it will ſurely come, it will not tarry, Hab. 2.3. But what ſhall wee do in the mean while, may ſome ſay? how ſhall wee ſuſtain our ſpirits? ſith hope deferred makes the heart ſick? Though it tarry, wait for it, ſaith the Prophet, Have patience, and learn to live by Faith, The juſt ſhall live by his Faith, verſ. 4. Wee are uſually too haſty, and do antedate the promiſes: neither will any reaſon ſatisfie us, unleſs wee may have all Chriſts ſweetneſs at once, and at preſent. Excellent is that diſcourſe that Mr. Bradford the Martyr makes in a conſolatory letter to a good woman, that was troubled in conſcience. You are not content, ſaith hee, to kiſs Chriſts feet,Act. and Mon. 1490. with Magdalen, but you would bee kiſſed even with the kiſſes of his mouth. You would ſee his face with Moſes, forgetting how hee biddeth to ſeek his face, Pſal. 27. yea and that for ever, Pſal. 105. which ſignifieth no ſuch ſight as you deſire to ſee in this preſent life, which would ſee God now face to face: whereas hee cannot bee ſeen but covered under ſomething, yea ſometime in that which is clean contrary unto God, as to ſee his mercy in his anger, &c. How did Job ſee God, but as yee would ſay under Satans cloak? &c. You know that Moſes when hee went to the Mount to talk with God, hee entred into a dark cloud. And Elias had his face covered when God paſſed by. Both theſe dear friends of God heard God, but ſaw him not. But you would bee preferred before them. See now, my dear heart, how covetous you are. Ah bee thankful, bee thankful! But God bee thanked your covetouſneſs, is Moſes covetouſneſs. Well, with him you ſhall bee ſatisfied. But when? forſooth when hee ſhall appear, &c. God would have his people diſcontentedly contented with what meaſures of grace and feelings they have attained unto, and to know that Tota vita boni Chriſtiani ſanctum deſiderium eſt, Bern. the whole life of a good Chriſtian is an holy deſire after more: and that thoſe very pantings, inquietations and unſatisfiableneſſes cannot but ſpring from truth of grace, and ſome taſte of Chriſt.