John Trapp on Song of Solomon 5:2

Verſ. 2. I ſleep, but my heart waketh] It was no ſound ſleep that ſhe took: Shee did not ſhort aloud in the Cradle of ſecurity (as thoſe do whom the Devil hath caſt into a deep Lethargy) but napped and nodded a little, and that by candle-light too, as thoſe wiſe Virgins did, Matth. 25.5. Shee ſlept with open eyes as the Lion doth: ſhee ſlept but half-ſleep: the Spirit was willing to wake, but the fleſh was weak and overwayed it, as it fared with thoſe ſleepy Diſciples, Matth. 26.41. Fain would this fleſh make ſtrange of that which the Spirit doth embrace. O Lord, how loth is this loitering ſluggard to paſs forth into Gods path, ſaid Mr. Sanders in a letter to his wife,Act. & Mon. fol. 1359. a little afore his death, with much more, to like purpoſe? As in the ſtate of Nature, men cared not for grace, but thought themſelves well enough, and wiſe enough without: ſo in the ſtate of Grace, they are not ſo carefull as they ſhould. Heaven muſt bee brought to them, they will ſcarce go ſeek it, 1 Pet. 1.13. And as the ſeven tribes are juſtly taxed by Joſhua for their negligence and ſloth in not ſeeking ſpeedily to poſſeſs the Land God had offered them, Joſh. 18.2. So may the moſt of Gods people be juſtly rebuked for grievous ſecurity about the heavenly Canaan. They content themſelves with a bare title, or hang in ſuſpenſe, and ſtrive not to full aſſurance: they follow Chriſt, but it is (as the people followed Saul) trembling: they are ſtill troubled with this doubt, or that fear, and all becauſe they are loth to be at the pains of working out their ſalvation, Phil. 2.12. Something is left undone, and their conſcience tells them ſo. Either they are lazy, and let fall the watch of the Lord, neglecting duty, or elſe they loſe themſelves in a wilderneſs of duties, by reſting in them, and by making the means their Mediatours, or by pleaſing themſelves (with the Church here) in unlawful liberties, after that they have pleaſed the Lord in lawful duties. The fleſh muſt bee gratified, and ſuch a luſt fulfilled. A little more ſleep, a little more ſlumber in Jezabels bed, (as Mr. Bradford was wont to phraſe it) Solomon muſt have his wine,Act. & Mon. and yet think to retain his wiſdome, Eccleſ. 2.3. Samſon muſt fetch a nap on Dalilahs knees, till God, by his Philiſtims, ſend our ſummons for ſleepers, wake them in a fright, cure ſecurity by ſorrow, as Phyſicians uſe to cure a Lethargy by caſting the Patient into a Burning Feaver. Cold diſeaſes muſt have hot and ſharp remedies: The Church here found it ſo. And did not David, when hee had ſinned away his inward peace, and wiped off, as it were,Pſal. 51. all his comfortables?

It is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh] Shee was not ſo faſt aſleep, but that the hidden man of the heart (as St. Peter calls him, 1 Ep. 3.4.) was awake, and his ears arrect and attent, ſo that ſhee ſoon heard the firſt call, or knock of Chriſt; whoſe care was to arrouſe her, that though ſhee ſlept a while through infirmity of the fleſh, yet ſhee might not ſleep the ſleep of death, Pſal. 13.3. dye in her ſins, as thoſe Jews did, John 8.21. In the ſweating ſickneſs (that reigned for many years together in this Kingdome) thoſe that were ſuffered to ſleep (as all in that caſe were apt to do) they died within a few hours. The beſt office therefore that any one could do them, was, To keep them waking, though againſt their wills. Sembably our Saviour, ſolicitous of his Churches welfare, and knowing her preſent danger, comes calling and clapping at the door other heart, and ſweetly wooes admiſſion and entertainment: but miſſeth of it. Hee knocketh and bounceth by the hammer of his Word, and by the hand of his Spirit, (ſee Revel. 3.20. with 2 Pet. 1.13.) and if the Word work not on his people, they ſhall hear the rod, and who hath appointed it, Mic. 6.9. that they may by ſome means bee brought to ſummon the ſobriety of their ſenſes before their own judgements; and ſeeing their danger, to go forth and ſhake themſelves, as Sampſon did, Judg. 16.

Open to mee, my Siſter, my Love, &c.] What irreſiſtible Rhetorick is here? what paſſionate and moſt pithy perſwaſions! Ipſa Suada, credo, ſi loqui poſſet, non potuiſſet [non-Latin text not transcribed], ubi quot verba tot tela, quae ſponſae animum percellant, fodicent, lancinent, ſhee was not ſo dead aſleep, but that ſhee could hear at firſt, and tell every tittle that he ſaid. And this ſhe doth here very finely, and to the full; that ſhee may aggravate againſt her ſelf the foulneſs of her fact in refuſing ſo ſweet an offer, in turning her back upon ſo bleſſed and ſo bleeding an embracement: the tearms and titles hee here giveth her, are expounded before. Ʋndefiled or perfect hee calleth her, for her Dove-like ſimplicity, purity, and integrity.

For mine head is filled with dew] i. e. I have ſuffered much for thy ſake, and waited thy leiſure a long while: and muſt I now go look my lodging? Doeſt thou thus requite (repulſe) thy Lord, O thou fooliſh woman and unwiſe? Is this thy kindneſs to thy friend?Jer. 13.27. Wo unto thee, O Jeruſalem: wilt thou not bee made clean? when ſhall it once bee? It is the ingratitude that makes the Saints ſinnes ſo hainous; which otherwiſe would bee far leſs than other mens; ſith his temptations are ſtronger, and his reſiſtance is greater. Oh when Gods grace ſhall come ſuing to us, nay kneeling to us; when Chriſt ſhall come with Hat in hand, and ſtand bare-headed, as here, and that in foul weather too, begging acceptance, and beſeeching us to be reconciled, and we will not, what an inexcuſible fault is this!