John Trapp on Song of Solomon 5:3

Verſ. 3. I have put off my Coat] Thus the fleſh ſhews itſelf, not onely weak, but wayward, treacherous, and tyrannical; rebell it doth in the beſt, and reign it would, if it might bee ſuffered. This bramble would fain bee playing Rex, and doth ſo other-whiles, till hee be well buffeted (as St. Paul ſerved it, 1 Cor. 9.27.) and brought it into ſubjection. But what a ſilly excuſe maketh the Church here for her ſelf? Trouble mee not, for I am in bed, as hee ſaid to his friend, Luk. 11.7. My cloathes are off, my feet are waſhed, and I am compoſed to a ſettled reſt. But are you ſo? (might Chriſt have regeſted.) And is that the part and poſture of a vigilant Chriſtian? Might it not better have beſeemed you to have had your loyns girt up, your lamp in your hand, and your ſelf to have waited for your Lords return, that when hee came and knocked, you might have opened unto him immediately, Luk. 12.35, 36? Or, being got to bed, muſt you needs mend one fault with another? Is it ſuch a pains to ſtart up again and let in ſuch a gueſt, as comes not to take any thing from you, but to enrich you much more than once the Ark did Obed-Edom? And in this ſenſe ſome take thoſe words in the former verſe, for mine head is filled with dew, &c. as if Chriſt came unto her, full of the dew of bleſſings to enrich her. Sure it is, that Chriſt is no beggerly or niggardly gueſt. His reward is with him: hee brings better commodities than Abrahams ſervants did to Laban, or the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, even pureſt gold, whiteſt rayment, ſoveraign eye-ſalve, any thing, every thing, that heart can wiſh, or need require, Revel. 3.17, 19. How unworthily therefore deal they, and how ill do they provide for themſelves, that either deny or delay to entertain him, when either by the motions of his Spirit, by the words of his mouth, or by the works of his hands, he knocks at the doors of their hearts, and would come in to them? How do they make void or reject the counſel of God againſt themſelves, with thoſe unhappy Lawyers, Luk. 7.30. being ingrati gratiae Dei, as Ambroſe ſpeaketh, and judging themſelves unworthy of ever-laſting life, with thoſe perverſe Jews, Acts 13.46? Who can ſay it is otherwiſe than righteous, that Chriſt ſhould regeſt one day upon ſuch ungrateful Gadarens, Depart from mee yee wicked? that ſuch as ſay to him, as Felix did once to Paul, Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient ſeaſon I will call for thee (Acts 24.26.) ſhould hear from him, Get you to the Gods whom yee have choſen, for I will not help you, &c. and that thoſe that would not obey this ſweet precept, Open to mee, &c. Come down Zachaeus, Luke 19.5. for to day I muſt abide at thy houſe, &c. ſhould have no other left to obey, but that dreadful, Go yee curſed, &c. The Church here did but luſt a while and linger, when ſhee ſhould have been up and about, and ſhee ſoon rued it deerly, bewailed it bitterly. Now what was it that ſhe did? Did ſhee rate Chriſt for comming at ſuch unſeaſonable hours? did ſhee anſwer him curriſhly, or drive him from her door? No ſurely, but onely pleads excuſe, and pretends inconvenience: Shee had put off her cloathes, waſht her feet, &c. A great chare ſhee had done: and it would have undone her, doubtleſs, to have dreſſed her again, and ſet her fair feet on the foul ground. There is none ſo wiſe as the ſluggard, Prov. 26.16. Hee hath got together a great many excuſes, which hee thinks will go for wiſdome: becauſe by them hee thinks to ſleep in a whole skin. Sinne and ſhifting came into the world together. But what ſaith the Apoſtle? Surely his counſel is moſt excellent, and worthy of all acceptation, Heb. 12.25. See that yee refuſe not him that ſpeaketh, ſc: by his Blood, Word, Sacraments, motions of his Spirit, Mercies, &c. Look to it, (as the Greek hath it) that yee refuſe not, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Gr: that yee ſhift him not off by frivolous pretences, and idle excuſes, as thoſe recuſant gueſts did, Mat. 22.5. as Moſes would have done, Exod. 3.11, 14. & 4.1, 10. and Jeremiah, c. 1.6. So again Heb. 2.3. How ſhall wee eſcape if wee neglect ſo great ſalvation? Hee ſaith not, if wee reject, renounce, perſecute, but if wee neglect, let ſlip, undervalue, &c. If when God ſends forth his mercy, and his truth, Pſal. 57.3. and looks that wee ſhould ſend a Lamb to that Lamb of God the Ruler of the land, Iſa. 16.1. wee ſend meſſages after him, ſaying, Wee will not have this man to rule over us, Luk. 19.14. Wee break his cords, thoſe cords of love, Hoſ. 11.4. and kick againſt his bowels; and inſtead of ſerving him, make him to ſerve with our ſins, and even weary him with our iniquities, Iſa. 43.24. How ſhall wee eſcape? What hill ſhall hide us? What will yee do in the end thereof?