John Trapp on Song of Solomon 3:2

Verſ. 2. I will riſe now and go about the City, &c.] The holy City Jeruſalem, whither the Tribes went up, the Tribes of the Lord unto the Teſtimony of Iſrael, Pſal. 122.4. There was the likelieſt place to finde Chriſt; there his Parents found him once after three daies ſearch (Luk. 2.46.) ſitting in the Temple: there hee dwelt amongſt men, there hee gave gifts unto men, and there-hence hee went forth abroad the whole world conquering, and to conquer, Rev. 6.2. Here therefore the Spouſe ſeeks him amongſt the people of God, and in his Word and Ordinances. Shee knew well that hee fed his flock among thoſe Lillies, uſed to go down into that his garden of ſpices, Cant. 6.1, 2. to take a turn amidſt thoſe golden Candleſticks, Rev. 1.13. to take a view of his Wedding gueſts, Mat. 22.11. yea to eat and drink in their preſence, and to teach in their ſtreets, Luk. 13.26. Abroad ſhee gets therefore, and that preſently.

I will riſe now] Saith ſhee, leſt I loſe mine opportunity: for if ſo, I may ſeek it with tears, and go without it with ſorrow. Men may purpoſe, promiſe, and expect a time of healing, and curing, when they ſhall bee deceived, and finde a time of trouble, Jer. 14.17. Many, I ſay unto you, ſhall ſeek to enter, and ſhall not bee able, Luk. 13.24. yea they ſhall go with their flocks; and with their herds, to ſeek the Lord; but they ſhall not finde him, hee hath withdrawn himſelf from them, Hoſ. 5.6. They came too late belike; they ſought not the Lord while hee was to bee found (vel ſero, vel certe non ſerio quaerebant) they called not upon him while hee was near, they ſtayed till hee was out of call, Prov. 1.28. till hee was reſolved to return either no anſwer at all, or ſuch a ſad anſwer as the Jews had from him, becauſe they ſtood out their day of grace, Yee ſhall ſeek mee, and ſhall not finde mee: and where I am, thither yee cannot come, John 7.34. And again, I go my way, and yee ſhall ſeek mee, and ſhall dye in your ſins, John 8.21. Oh dreadful ſentence! The Church her ſelf here, though never ſo dear to Chriſt, ſeems to ſome to bee guilty of ſloth and ſlackneſs in ſeeking after Chriſt, and doing it in her bed (as loth at firſt to diſeaſe her ſelf) or in holding him while ſhee had him, if whilſt ſhee was ſleeping, hee ſlipt away from her ſide. The wiſe Virgins alſo were napping and nodding, Mat. 25. and holy Auſtin confeſſeth, that hee could not anſwer that clear text, whereby hee was called out of his ſinful courſe,Confeſſ. lib. 8. cap. 5. Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from the dead, &c. but onely by that wiſh of the ſluggard, Modo & ecce modo, Sinite paululum, &c. A little more ſleeps, a little more ſlumbers, &c. little and yet ſleeps in the plural. Thus Modo & Modo non habent modum, & Sinite paululum ibit in longum, as that Father hath it. Somewhat it was ſurely that makes the Church reſolve, as here, I will riſe now, or Let mee riſe now; I will ſtir up the gift of God that is in mee, I will ſtir up my ſelf to take better hold of Chriſt. Here is a tacit taxing her ſelf for ſome former ſlackneſs, after her former enjoyments, and familiar entercourſe with Chriſt. Wee are too ready, after wee have run well, to lye down and take cold, which may cauſe a conſumption: to pleaſe our ſelves in unlawful liberties, when wee have pleaſed the Lord in lawful duties. Hezekiah, after his notable ſervice both of prayer and thankſgiving, fondly over-ſhoots himſelf to the Babyloniſh Embaſſadors. Jonah after his Embaſſage faithfully diſcharged to the Ninivites, breaks forth into anger againſt the Lord. Peter being commended by Chriſt for the profeſſion of his Faith,Mat. 16. fell preſently ſo far wide, that hee heard, Get thee behinde mee Satan.

I ſought him, but I found him not] For trial and exerciſe of her faith and conſtancy. Then ſhall yee know, if yee follow on to know the Lord, Hoſ. 6.3. So then ſhall wee finde, if wee follow on to ſeek Chriſt, fetching him out of his hiding-place, as the woman of Canaan did. For hee would have hid himſelf, ſaith the Text, but hee could not, For a certain woman, &c. Mark. 7.24, 25. And as ſhee ſet him out, ſo ſhee followed him cloſe; refuſing to bee either ſaid nay, or ſit down with ſilence or ſad anſwers. The like did Jacob, Gen. 32. hee wreſtled with might and ſlight, hee would have a bleſſing whether God would or no, as wee may ſay with reverence. Let men go, ſaith God, No, thou ſhalt not, ſaith Jacob. Let mee alone that I may deſtroy this people, No, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Propter improbitatem. by no means, ſaith Moſes. In ſeeking of Chriſt, faith is not onely importunate, but even impudent, Luk. 15.8. and threatens Heaven, as Nazianzen ſaid of his ſiſter Gorgonia. If hee have loſt his mercy, ſhee will finde it for him, Iſa. 63.15. If hee look ſtrange and ſtern, ſhee will both know him, and claim him amidſt all his auſterities. Verſ. 16. Art not thou our Father? Pſal. 63.8. If hee bee gone never ſo far, ſhee will follow hard after him, ſo Davids phraſe is, even as hard as her old leggs will carry (as Father Latimer ſaid) with Return for thy ſervants ſake. Wee are thine, &c. verſ. 17, 19. O Lord (faith the Church in Habakkuk) Art not thou from everlaſting, my God, and mine Holy One? It was a bold queſtion; but God aſſents to it in a gracious anſwer, ere hee went further. Wee ſhall not dye, ſay they abruptly, Hab. 1.12. Nay after two daies (for ſo long, it may bee, hee will hold us off, to try how wee will hold out ſeeking) hee will revive us, in the third day hee will raiſe us up, and wee ſhall live in his ſight, Hoſ. 6.2. Or if wee ſhould dye in this waiting condition, and in a ſpiritual deſertion, yet wee could not miſſe of Heaven, becauſe hee hath ſaid, Bleſſed are all they that wait for him, Iſa. 30.18.