John Trapp on Song of Solomon 7:11

Verſ. 11. Come my Beloved, let us go forth into the field] Being now fully aſſured of Chriſts love, ſhee falls a praying; ſhee makes five requeſts unto him in a breath as it were. 1 That hee would come. 2 Go forth with her into the field. 3 Lodge with her in the villages. 4 Get up early to the vineyards. 5 See if the vine flouriſh, pomegranates bud, &c. And further promiſeth, that there ſhee will give him her loves. Aſſurance of Chriſts love is the ſweet-meats of the feaſt of a good conſcience, ſaid Father Latimer. Now it were to bee wiſhed, that every good ſoul whiles it is banqueting with the Lord Chriſt by full aſſurance (as once Eſther did with Ahaſuerus) would ſeaſonably bethink it ſelf what ſpecial requeſts it hath to make unto him, what Hamans to hang up, what ſturdy luſts to ſubdue, what holy boons to beg, &c. How ſure might they be to have what they would, even to the whole of his Kingdome! Suitours at Court obſerve their molliſſima fandi Tempora, their fitteſt opportunities of ſpeaking, and they ſpeed accordingly. A Courtier gets more many times by one ſuit, than a trades-man can do with twenty years pains-taking: So a faithful prayer, made in a fit ſeaſon, in a time when God may bee found, (as David hath it) is very ſucceſsful.Pſal. 32.6. Beggery here is the beſt trade, as one ſaid; Common beggery is indeed the eaſieſt and pooreſt trade: but prayer is the hardeſt and richeſt. The firſt thing that ſhe here begs of him, is, that hee would come, and that quickly: and this wee all daily pray, Thy Kingdome come, both that of grace, and the other of glory. The Jews alſo, in their expectation of a Meſſiah, pray almoſt in every prayer they make, Thy Kingdome come, and that Bimherah Bejamenu, quickly, even in our days; that wee may behold the King in his beauty. Let our hearts deſire and prayer to God be for thoſe poor ſeduced ſouls, that they may be ſaved: And the rather, becauſe they have a zeal of God and his Kingdom, but not according to knowledge, Rom. 10.1, 2. As alſo, becauſe their Progenitours prayed hard for us: and ſo ſome take it to bee the ſenſe of the Spouſes ſecond requeſt here. Let us go forth into the field, that is, into the world, (for the field in the parable is the world, Mat. 13.38.) let us propagate the Goſpel all abroad, and ſend forth ſuch as may teach all nations, Mat. 28.19. and reveal the myſtery that hath been kept ſecret ſince the world began, that obedience may bee every where yielded to the faith. Rom. 16.25, 26.

Let us lodge in the villages] That is, in the particular Churches: for, Tom. 3. p. 81. viliſſimus pagus, eſt palatium eburneum, in quo eſt Paſtor & credentes aliqui, ſaith Luther: the pooreſt village is to Chriſt and his Spouſe an ivory palace, if there bee but in it a godly Miniſter, and ſome few beleevers. Melanchthon going once upon ſome great ſervice for the Church of Chriſt, and having many fears of the good ſucceſs of his buſineſs, was much cheared up and confirmed by a company of poor women and children,Selneccer: paedag. Chriſt. whom he found praying together for the labouring Church, and caſting it by faith into Chriſts everlaſting arms.