John Trapp on Song of Solomon 3:4

Verſ. 4. It was but a little that I paſſed from them] It is probable, that lighting upon theſe watch-men, ſhee promiſed her ſelf much counſel and comfort from them; but was diſappointed. It pleaſeth God many times to croſs our likelieſt projects, that himſelf alone may bee l[illegible: 1 letter]aned upon. The poor ſoul in diſtreſs is apt to knock at the creatures door for comfort, to ſhark abroad, and to look this way and that way, as David did, for help. Yea many uſe the means as Mediatours, and ſo fall ſhort of Chriſt. It is a good Note that one makes upon this Text, that ſhee was a little paſt the watchmen; Mr. Dud'y Fenner. which ſhews, ſaith hee, that the Lord delaies comfort, to draw his Church thorow all his means, from the loweſt to the higheſt, where ſhee findeth in ſhort ſpace comfort; but many times not till ſhee is paſt: that they might not attribute it to the excellency of the means, but unto God.

Ideo minatur, ut non punia[illegible: 1 letter]. Chryſ. But I found him whom my ſoul loveth] Chriſt, as hee therefore threatneth that hee may not bee put to puniſh, ſo hee therefore hides himſelf (otherwhiles) that hee may come in again to his people with more comfort: And his uſual time to come in to them, is, when they have well-nigh done looking after him (as hee dealt by thoſe two that were travelling to Emmaus, Luk. 24.13.) when they have hanged up their hopes, and their harps together, and are ready to caſt away their confidence, and to leave looking any longer, Luk. 18.8. When the ſon of man comes (viz. with an anſwer to his peoples prayers, which they have now even given up for loſt labour) ſhall hee finde Faith upon the earth? i. e. will anybody ever think, that having ſtayed ſo long, hee would yet come at laſt? Chriſt loves to comfort thoſe that are forſaken of their hopes, and to give a bleſſing to thoſe times and means, whereof wee deſpair. The pains cannot bee caſt away which wee reſolve to loſe for Chriſt.

I held him, and would not let him go] Shee held him with both hands earneſtly: for Faith hath two hands, one receiving Chriſt from God, the other giving the beleever to God. With both ſhee holds Chriſt (the King is held in her galleries by the bonds of love, by the cords of kindneſs, Cant. 7.5. hee is even held priſoner in her company) but eſpecially with the former. Shee holds him, as Jacob did, Gen. 32.26. though with much conflict: the Devil ſtrikes hard at her hand, and would make her looſe her hold. Hence Faith is fain to tugg and wreſtle, even till it ſweat again. And therefore Paul calls it, [non-Latin text not transcribed], the difficult work of Faith, 1 Theſ. 1.3. becauſe the beleever hath ſuch ado to hold his own. If hee cannot hold with his hands, hee will make uſe of his teeth (as it is ſtoried of Cynegirus that Noble Athenian, and of our Sir Thomas Challoner, A[illegible: 1 letter]lian. Camden. in the wars of Charls the fifth) any ſhift hee will make rather than part with Chriſt, whom his ſoul loveth: having faſtened on the tree of life, rather than drown, hee is reſolved to pull it up by the very roots. Let God fight againſt him with his own hand, and offer, as it were, to kill him, yet hee will hang on ſtill: hee will truſt in an angry God, in a killing God, as Job: and as Jacob, hee will wreſtle, and not let go, though alone, and in the night, and upon one leg. Loe this is the Generation of them that ſeek him, of them that ſeek thy face: this is Jacob, Pſal. 24.6. theſe bee Iſraelites indeed, John 1.47.

Until I had brought him into my Mothers houſe] That is, into my conſcience, ſay ſome, (where Faith dwelleth, and Chriſt by faith, Rom. 10.10. Gal. 4.19.) into the Synagogues of the Jews ſay others, or into the Congregations of the Gentiles. They do beſt that underſtand it of the Catholick Church, the ſupernal Jeruſalem, that mother of us all, figured by Sarah, Gal 4.24, 26. where Chriſt hath moſt delightful dwelling, a comfortable commoration, and as it were, conjugal cohabitation with his Spouſe, chamber-fellowſhip, Judg. 15.1.