Exposition of the Whole Bible

" I sleep." This is not the dead sleep of sin, in whom all UHConverted persoDS are; uor that judicial slumber, which God suffers to fall upon some; but such an one, which though displeasing to Christ and unbecoming the believer, yet is consistent with a principle of grace. The church here was not so fast asleep, but she could hear, know, and distinguish the voice of Christ; her sleep is much the same with that of the wise virgins, who all slumbered and slept, as well as the foolish, and yet had oil in their lamps, which they had not. And in taking notice of this part of the church's case, I will endeavour, 1st. To show wherein this sleepy frame, which sometimes attend believers, does consists, or wherein it shows itself. 2ndly. What are the springs and causes of it, or from whence it proceeds. 3rdly. The danger of such a frame.

1st. It will be proper to show wherein this sleepy fi'ame of spirit does consist, or wherein it shows itself. 1. It consists in a non-exercise of grace; though there is grace in the heart, yet it is but very little exercised by persons in this condition, it lies dormant; faith is weak and languid, hope abates in its former liveliness, and love in its warmth and fervency; it grows cold; there is such a thing, as a leaving, though not a losing our first love. 2. It appears in a sluggishuess and slothfulness to or in duty; for though persons have not wholly cast off the fear of God, and restrained prayer before him, as Eliphaz, Job xv. 4, wrongfully charged Job; yet there is a backwardness to it, and a laziness appears in the performance of it; there is a want of that fervency and spirit, which formerly discovered itself whilst they were serving the living God. 3. It manifests itself in a contentatiou in the external parts of religion. Internal religion is at a low ebb in their souls; they hear, and read, and pray, and attend on ordinances, contenting themselves with the bare performance of tliese things, without having their hearts engaged, their faith in exercise, and their affections raised; and so come short of answering the character of being worshippers of God in the Spirit; either under the influences of the eternal Spirit, or with their own spirits influenced thereby, which formerly was their great concern in religious worship. 4. It discovers itself in a carelessness, lukewarmness, and unconcerneduess for the cause of Christ: persons in such a condition may be observed sensibly to abate in their zeal, both for the doctrines of the gospel, and the discipline of God's house; they seek their own things, and not the things which are Jesus Christ's; they mind their own ceiled houses, and let the house of God lie waste; they come far short of imitating Christ, their glorious Head, of whom it is said. Psalm Ixis. 9, that the zeal of God's house ate him up: things may go how they will for ought they care, who have gotten into this frame of spirit. 5. It shows itself in an unconcernedness, as to omission of duty, and commission of sin; time was, when these persons could not omit a duty occasioned by the hurrying business of life, but it gave them great uneasiness; could not do those things which by some are not accounted sinful, but it burdened their consciences; but now they can neglect duties time after time, fall in with the customs and corruptions of the age, and be very little concerned about it. 6. In a willingness to continue so: they do not love to be jogged; grow peevish when any attempts are made, to awaken them; their language is that of the sluggard, Prov. vi. 10, " yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." This seems to be the case of the church, who being asleep, did not care to be disturbed; and therefore made those idle excuses she did, when called upon in the most tender and affectionate manner to arise.

2ndly. What are the true springs and causes of this sleepy frame, or from whence it does proceed. 1. From a " body of sin" they carry about with them; which fleshly, gross, and earthly part in them, induces heaviness, and inclines to sleep: the cold humours of sin benumb the soul, and bring upon it a spiritual lethargy; " like the poison of asps," it operates this way: the deceitful charms of sin sometimes lull them asleep. 2- Worldly cares have sometimes this effect upon God's people; an immoderate thirst aud pursuit after the things of this world, oftentimes makes persons grow indifferent about the things of another; it runs them into many temptations and snares; it frequently causes them to omit private and family duty, and " chokes the word" and ordinances, that they become unfruitful; being surfeited and overcharged with it, they fall into this drowsy and sleepy frame. 3. Xt arises sometimes from a cessation from spiritual exercises: idleness, or a want of exercise induces sleep; when believers grow weary of well-doing, and grow remiss in the duties of meditation, prayer, hearing and reading; grace, as to the exercise of it, declines, and their souls fall into a spiritual slumber. 4. It sometimes springs from, and is increased bj au absenting from the ministry, especially an awaking one, which might be useful to rouse them; aud from the company of lively Christians by conversing with whom, their souls, through the blessing of divine grace, might be kept awake; but instead of this, they neglect the ministry of the word, leave off the company of those warm and lively souls, and converse with cold and formal professors, which bring them into, and continues them in this sleepy frame. 5. So.Tietimes it follows upon an enjoyment of ease, peace, and liberty; therefore somei interpret these words of the state of the church in Constantine's time, when the church not only enjoyed freedom from persecution, but also abounded in riches and

1 Brij^htman and Cotton in loc.

prosperity, and upon it grew cjreless, secure, and sleepy; by reason of which many errors, both in doctrine luid discipline, crept into the church; and T aiii afraid, that the long enjoyment of peace and liberty which v\e have liad, has brought us into much the same frame of spirit.

oidly. The danger of being in such a state and condition. 1, When the church of Christ is in such a condition, it lies liable to be filled witli hypocrites, and pestered with licretics: to be tilled with hypo(rrites, because it has not then such a spirit of discerning; these may then more easily im|)ose themselves upon it: to be pestered with heresies and heretics, of which there have been lamentable instances, that " while men slept, the enemy sowed tares;" which roots of bitterness have sprung up with the wheat of sound doctrine, and have troubled some, and defiled others: and I wish I could say, that this is not the case of the churches of Christ now, nor these the dreadful consequences of her being in such an one. 2. Particular believers, who are gotten into this sleepy and drowsy frame, are exposed to every sin and every temptation; therefore said Christ to his disciples. Matt. xxvi. 41, " watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;' ' knowing, that when asleep, they might easily be led into it. What may not the " devouring lion" be suffered to do to persons in such a condition? Into what sins and snaies may he not be permitted to lead them, tiiough he shall never destroy them? 3. Tliey are liable to be de|)rived of Christ's presence, which was the case of the church here: she had had a glorious enjoyment of Christ's presence; he had been with her in his garden, and had made a noble entertainment for her and his friends, quickly after which she falls asleep; and after he had made some attempts to awake her, and had given some notices of his regard to her, withdraws himself from her, ver. 6. 4. Such may be robbed of what is valuable and dear nnto them; a man that is asleep, any thing that he has, money, jewels, &c., may be taken from him: so a believer-, thoush he cannot lose his grace, nor that trtasur-e which he has in heaven, yet he may lose his comfort and liveliness; and the truths of the Gospel may be more easily wruirgout of his hands. 5. Such a sleepy, lazy frame, tends to spiritual poverty; it brings leanness upon the soul: grace as to its exercise, is brought low thei-eby, and the soul into a declining condition. 6. Such persons are liable to be sur'prised with the midnight-cry; though it is true those who are real believers, shall never be found without oil in their lamps, but shall be always ready in Christ for his appearance: yet it will not be so startling and sur[)risiiig to the waking, as to the sleepy virgins. 7- Such a frame is botli displeasing Lo Christ and uucomfortable to themselves: a lukewarm frame Christ 80 resents, that he threatens to " spue such out

' Anrl so Tanchuma in Yalkut in loc.

of his mouth;" neither is it very comfortable to themselves; it is but broken sleep they have; they ai-c disturbed with many startlings and joggings of conscience; like persons who know it is their duty to arise and be about their business, and yet liave no power to do so, being overconje with sleep.

Secondly. She declares, that notwithstanding she slept, yet her heart was awake. II. Sol. Jarchi divides these words, and refers the former clause, " I sleep," to the bride; and this here, " my heart waketh," to the bridegroom; and so he says, it is expounded in an ancient book of theirs called Pesikta:' and then the sense is. Though I have been, and am, in a sleepy frame of spirit, yet he who is in my heart,' ray life, my soul, my all; he whom I love with all my heart, and who is the rock, the str'ength of my heart, and my portion for ever; he, I say, never slumbers nor sleeps, but watches over me night and day, even when I am asleep, that nothing hurts me. But in another ancient book of theirs, called Zohar,' I fiud both clauses referred to the church, and so they are to be understood; " my heart waketh," that is, my regenerate part, which is sometimes called in scripture, "the spirit," and the " inward man;" that is to say, so far as my carnal and unregenerate heart prevails, " I sleep;" and so far as I am r'enewed and sanctified, "my heart waketh:" she was not so fast asleep, but that, I. She had some thoughts of heart concerning Christ; he was not wholly out of her mind; though she was asleep, her thoughts were ruuning upon, and employed about her beloved; his image was so impressed upon her mind, that she thought him present; and every thing that stirred, supposed it was he, and that she heard fats voice; even as lovers iu their sleep, have their thoughts running upon the person, who is the object of their love. 2. Tirere were some stirrings of affections in her towards him; though she had got into this sleepy and lazy frame of soul, yet Christ was still the object of her love; and therefore she says, " it is the voice of my beloved;" she was not so fast asleep, but that she could not only know and distinguisli the voice of Christ, but she could also call him " her beloved." 3. There were no doubt some convictions of sin upon her conscience: we must not suppose her to be in such a dead sleep, as to bo " past feeling," or to have her "conscience seared with an hot iron;" she was sensible of her evil, in indulging such a frame; though being ovei'come with sleep she had no power to guard against it. 4. It is highly probable, that she was not without some desires after being in her duty, as being uneasy in her present case; it seems to be with her, as it was with the disciples when asleep, of whom Christ says, that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak;" they, with her here, had a will to duty, a will to vratch and pray with him; " but how to pei'- form they know not," being overpowered with this fleshly and earthly part.

Now from this whole account which she gives of herself, as sleeping, and yet waking, we may observe the following things. 1. That a believer has two different principles in him; a principle of corruption, and a principle of grace; the one he brings into the world with him, Iheother is wrought by the Spirit of God; and these are represented as two different persous, both by the church here, who speaks of an /that sleeps, and an heart (hat wakes; and by the apostles, elsewhere, who speaks of a new man, and old man; of himself, as having no good things dwelling in him, and yet of an / that sinneth not; see Kom. vii. 18 — 20, Eph. iv. 22—24. 2. That these two different principles may exert themselves, at one and the same time, iu a believer; " the flesh lustcth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other: the law in the members wars against the law in the mind, and the law in the mind opposes the law in the members;" and at the same time she sleeps, her heart wakes. 3. That corruption may seem to have tbe ascendant, in a believer's heart for a time; it seems to have had it in the church here: sleep overpowered her, though her heart was awake: this law iu the members may carry captive for some time, and have such a power over the believer, as that he cannot do the good which he would. 4. Notwithstandiug trne grace caniiot be lost in a believer; it is an immortal seed which remains and abides; grace is always alive, though not always alike lively; it is " a well of living water springing up into everlasting life." 5. The difference between a carnal and a spiritual heart; the one is in a dead sleep, the other, though asleep, yet his heart wakes; the one has spirit as well as flesh, the other is nothing but flesh. And, considering these are the words of the church, they inform us, 1. That believers have a discerning of their state and condition; when iu the lowest, they know in some measure how it is with them, and can observe a difference in themselves, from themselves, and from vvhat they have formerly been, which an unconverted person is a stranger to; he is not capable of making such a remark as this upon himself, which the church here does; though it is true, the believer may be left sometimes to make a wrong judgment of himself. 2. That believers are ingenuous in acknowledging their sins, failings, and infirmities: which is an evidence of the truth of grace, and that there are more or less some stirrings of it, where this Spirit is. 3. That it is the duty of believers to take notice of their grace, as well as of their sin; and therefore the church takes notice of her " waking heart," as well as of her " sleeping I:" wc should be careful huw we deuv or loaien the work of the

Spirit of God u))ou our souls, but speak of it to the glory of him who is the Author of it; who can, does, and will keep our hearts awake, grace alive there: though we, with the church, may be sometimes suffered to fall asleep; thus much for her state and condition. Now follows, II. Christ's carriage and behaviour to her when in this state, as acknowledged by herself.

1st. He called unto her, and that so loud, that she, though asleep, could hear, and own it to be his voice, saying, " It is the voice of my beloved." By the voice of Christ, we must understand the gospel, as preached by his ministering servants; by whom he often calls to his drowsy and sleepy saints to awake, as Ije does here. In what sense the gospel is the voice of Christ, and how it may be and is distinguished by believers from the voice of stransers, have been shown on chap. ii. 8. I need only add here, that as it is a distinguishing character of believers to know Christ's voice; so they are capable of doing it, even when in a carnal and sleepy frame of soul: believers sometimes, under hearing the word, are very dull and heavy; there is but very little exercise of faith in them; yet they can then distinguish the gospel from what is not so; though they are little affected with it, and receive but very little advantage by it: nay, it may be further observej, that she could say, it was the voice of her beloved; for though her faith and love were very low, yet they were not lost; but then let it be carefully remarked, that though she was capable of making such observations on what she heard, yet she was not thoroughly awakened hereby, but sleeps on still; thus, noU withstanding Christ's passionate expostulation witn his disciples in the garden, saying, " What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" I say, notwithstanding this, they fall asleep again. Christ's word without his power, will neither quicken dead sinners, nor awake sleepy saints; neither of these will be affected by it, unless he puts in the finger of his powerful and efficacious grace, " by the hole of the door," as he does in ver. 4. Well, Christ calling her by his ministers, and not awaking her, he takes another method: and therefore,

2ndly. Knocks, and calls again, snying, Open to me, &c. There is, (1). A knocking at sinners hearts at first conversion. The heart of an unconverted sinner is bolted and barred against Christ, with the strong bolts and bars of sin and unbelief: elect sinners, whilst in a state of nature, are stout-hearted, and far from righteousness; they are unwilling to submit to Ciirist and his righteousness, nor to opp.n the doors of their hearts, and let the king of glory in: he stands and knocks there, by the preaching of the gospel; and, having the key of David in his hands, "he openeth and no man slintteth, and shutteth, and no man opeueth;" with this key of almighty and efficacious grace, he openeth their hearts, as he did Lydia's; and, with the hammer of his word, breaks thctn iu pieces, and causes all bolts and bars to fly before him; plucks down the strong holds which Satan had made; di«posse33es the strong man of his armour, wherein he trusted, to keep his palace in peace and safety; and reduces all in obedience to himself; where entering with his glorious train of graces, and having dethroned sin, sets up grace to reign in his stead; and takes possession of the heart as his palace, from whence sin and Satan will never be able to eject him. Now in this mighty work of grace, in thus conquering and subduing a sinner's heart, we are not to suppose that here is a force upon the will; for though before they were unwilling, as well as unable to open and let him in, yet are now made willing in the day of his po)ver, to submit unto him; they become voluntary subjects to him; and Christ meets with a kind reception and hearty welcome from them; so that they are as desirous of having him there, as he is of entering in, when this day of his power has passed upon them. But, (2). There is a knocking at churches, or at the hearts of particular believers; and of this we read in Rev. iii. 20, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock," &c., the church of Laodicea there appears to be in much the same case and condition as the church is here: the church here was asleep, though her heart was awake; and the church of Laodicea there was lukewarm, neither hot nor cold; which being highly displeasing to Christ, in order to bring her to a sense of her present condition, he comes and stands at the door, and knocks, as he dots here. Now we are not to suppose that Christ is ever turned out of doors; that the key is turned upon him; or that he has not always a dwelling in his churches, or in the hearts of particular believers; for he is Christ in us, and in all believers, the hope of glory; he is there, and will continue there, till he has brought them to that glory which they are hoping for; though sometimes they are so shut up in their frames, that they can neither come forth themselves, in the enlargement of their desires and affections, and in the exercise of grace, nor let in Christ unto them; there is but very little communion between Christ and them; and though there is no distance or separation with respect to union, yet there is with regard to communion; there stands as it were a door, a wall, a middle wall of partition, between Christ and their souls; and oftentimes, which is still worse, they are secure, careless and unconcerned about it; therefore Christ, in order to bring them to a sense of themselves, and their present condition; that they may see their need of, and that desires m»y hd stirred up in them, after communion with himself, comes and stauds at the door, and knocks: which knocking I take to be, not by the ministry of the word, as before: but in a providential way, in a way of chastisement, by taking in his hand the rod of affliction or scourge of persecution, and lashing his children with them; with such severe raps and blows of persecution did he knock at the door of the church, in the times of Constantius, Valens, and Julian, emperors of Rome, after she was fallen asleep, through the peace and prosperity which she enjoyed in the times of Constantine: the two former of which persecuted the orthodox ministers and others, in favour of the Arians; and the latter entirely apostatised from the Christian religion, and became a bitter enemy and cruel persecutor of it: and this is thought by some interpreters," to be particularly intended here: and in tliis sense we are to understand knocking, in that parallel text. Rev. iii. 20, as is manifest by comparing it with verse 19, " as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent; behold, I stand at the door and knock," &c. His knocking there, is no other than his rebukes and chastisements in a way of love, which were designed to bring her to a sense of herself, as appears from that exhortation, " be zealous therefore, and repent;" and that she might sec her need of, and have her desires enlarged after communion with him, as is manifest from these words; " if any man open to me, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me;" which also is his end and desfgn in knocking after this manner here; " it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying. Open to me." There is an emphasis upon the word me! open to me, who am thy Lord, thy Head, thy Husband, and thy Friend: and by opening to him, he means an enlarging of their affections and desires to him, which were now very cold and chill; and an exercise of their faith upon him, which was very weak; which they of themselves were no more capable to do, than a sinner is to open his heart to Christ at first conversion; this can only be done by him, who has the key of David, who openelh and no man shutteth, &c., and therefore we find this knocking was also ineffectual, until he exerted his mighty grace, as in ver. 4; his sayiug to her, " open to me," is designed to convince her of her present condition, and what need she stood in of his presence and assistance.

Srdly. Christ not only calls by the ministry of the word, and knocks in a providential way by his rebukes and chastisements; but he also gives her good works, kind and endearing titles and characters: he calls to her, " sayiug. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undeliled." The three first of these titles and characters have been already considered and explained: the first title, my sister, is expressive of the near relation the church stands in to Christ, being " flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone," and has been spoken to on chap. iv. 9; the second, " my love," shows the strong affection Christ had for her, she being the alone object of it, and has been opened on chap. i. 9; the third, " my dove," declares the church's harmlessness and simplicity, her cleanness, purity.

Bright man, Cotton, and Cocceius in loc.

and chastity, as has beeu shown on chap. ii. 14; and the fourth, " my uudefiled," or my perfect one," as it in the Hebrew text, is what we have not yet met with, and therefore will deserve a little more consifleration. And here it must be observed, that all the descendants of Adam, by ordinary generation, are polluted and defiled, both in their nature and actions; all the parts of their bodies, and powers, and faculties of their souls are so; their will and affectious, understaading, and judgment, mind, and conscience, are all defiled: and indeed how can it otherwise be, for " who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one:" nay, believers themselves are not free from pollution; but complain of the uncleanness of their hearts and lips: and frankly acknowledge that ihey are all as an unclean thing, and that all their righteousnesses are as filthy rags: it may then seem strange, that Christ should call his church, aud that in her present circumstances, his undefiled one: and so she is not in herself, but as considered in him; believers are full of spots in themselves, but having on his spotless righteousness, he looks upon them as all fair, and as having no spot in them; they are the undefiled in the way, eveu whilst in the way to glory; and on this side the heavenly inheritance, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in the heavens for them. Or else, this character may regard her chastity to Christ; who, though she was guilty of many failings and infirmities, yet she had kept his bed undefiled: had not committed spiritual adultery, which is idolatry, but kept close to his ways and ordinances, as those we read of in Rev. xiv. 4; who, because they did not join with the whore of Rome in her abominations, are said not to be " defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they which follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth." Now Christ calls his church by all those loving and endearing titles, 1. To show that she stood in the same relation to him she ever did, and was loved by him with the same love she ever was: though sleepy aud lazy, careless and negligent of her duty, and regardless of him, yet she is his sister, his love, his dove, his undefiled: notwithstanding all this, there was a change in the frame of her soul, aud in her carriage and behaviour towards him: but no alteration in her relation to him, nor in his love to her, which shows him indeed " Jesus, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." 2. That all these knocks, raps, and chastisements, were all in love; he meant it for her good, aud would have her take it so: we are too apt to think, when chastised and under God's afflicting hand, that it is in a way of wrath, and that he deals not with us as children; but when he knocks, and gives such endearing characters as these, it plainly shows that it is all in love. 3. To manifest how desirous he was of communion with her, and therefore takes all ways to obtain it; he calls and knocks, and calls again, and that in the most tender, moving language that can be. And this is not all; but,

4thly. He expostulates with her, and uses very pressing instances and powerful arguments to persuade her to open aud let him in; " for my head," says he, " is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night:" here, because of the great love and alfection which he has for his chuich, and the desire he has of enjoying communion with her; here he is represented as coming in the night-season to pay her a visit, and standing knocking at her door, and waiting so long there for an answer, until his head was filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night: which may be understood, either, 1. Of the doctrines and blessings of grace, which Christ came full fraught with; these being compared to dew in scripture, see Dent, xxxii. 2, Hos. xiv. 6; and theu the sense is, " Behold, my love, I stand at thy door knocking, and waiting to be admitted iu; I pray thee, rise and open to me, for I am come filled with the comfortable and refreshing doctrines of the Gospel, and with all the spiritual blessings of the everlasting covenant of grace, which I know are needful and proper for thee." So R. Sol. Jarchi, by dew, understands God's blcssiugs for those who turn by repentance, though by drops of the night, he thinks are meant punishments for those who forsake aud despise him. Or else, 2. These words may intend the sufi'erings of Christ, which I rather incline to. Thus Nebuchadnezzar's body beiug wet with the dew of heaven, is expressive of the forlorn aud miserable condition he was in, when being driven from men, he ate grass as oxen, and was exposed to all the inclemency of the heavens: so when Christ's head is here said to be filled with dew, aud his locks with the drop 5 of the night, it may mean his sufferings in his state o*' humiliation, who had no where to lay his head; whose constant practice it was some time before his death, in the day time, to teach in the temple, and in the night continued praying iu the mount of Olives; and that night in which he was taken, appears to be a very cold one, from Peter's warming himself: so that there seems to be au agreement between those outv^ard sufferings of his, and those represented in these words; though no doubt far greater than those intended here, which he underwent in his own person, on the account of his church; which may be compared to dew and drops of the night, 1. Because of the multitude of them, the dew and drops of the night being many j Christ's sufi'erings W£re many and various; there are the sufferings of his body and of his soul, and many of both sorts; what tongue can express, what heart can conceive what he underwent, when he bore our sins and his Father's wrath? and because of the multitude of them, they are compared, not only to dew and drops of the night, but to floods, Psalm Ixix. i, 2. (2.) As the dew and drops of the night are uncomfortable and prejudicial to healtii, especially in those hot countries; so Christ's sufferings were uncomfortable to the human nature, as is manifest from what he said to his Father in ihe garden, and when upon the cross; and they would have been intolerable to any but himself. (3.) As the dew and drops of the night, though prejudical to the health of persons, yet are very useful and fructifying to the earth; so the sufferings of Christ, though uncomfortable to the human nature, yet liave produced many blessings of grace, and are the means of bringing many sons to glory; see John xii. 2.4. Now the sum of the argument then is this; seeing I have suffered so much and so largely on this account, how canst thou be so cruel, so hard-hearted, so base and disingenuous, as not to arise and let me in? so lovers sometimes represent their case in such circumstances as hardly dealt with f and know not which to call most hard and cruel, the door, shut against them, or the lover within: and yet, notwithstanding such a moving and melting argument, what idle excuses does the church make to put Christ off, in the following words?

Verse 3. Ihavepid off my coat, how shall I put it on F I have xoashed my feet, how shall I defile them? The sleepy and lazy frame which the church had fallen into, together with Christ's carriage and behaviour towards her in that condition, has been considered in the preceding verse; and in this we have the effect which Christ's calls and knocks, his melting language, and moving expostulations had upon her; all the answer he obtains from her, aie only some idle excuses and frivolous shifts to put him off. Some interpreters'' indeed have attempted to vindicate the church from slothfulness and rudeness, and would have this ascribed to her modesty, which would not admit her to appear before so great a person in such a disagreeable dress; but if this had been the case, he would never have resented her behaviour to him, as he did by withdrawing from her; he would never have suffei'cd her to wander about the city in quest of him, as she did; nor would he have permitted the watcliman to abuse her, as they did, by smiting, wounding, and unveiling her; nor should she have gone so long, until she was sick of love, before she found him, had not all this been to chastise her for her former slothfulness and rudeness. Nor are we to consider these words as of one asking for information-sake, how she should do this and the other thing, as being willing to comply with the request made to her, if she knew but how; for she had no desire to do it; her chief desiga being to keep her bed, her ease and rest, if possible; therefore, though she is not so rude as to say, that she would not arise and let him in; yet her words and actions manifestly show that she had no design to do it, and therefore makes the excuses she does; which are to be looked upon as an absolute denial, aud were so interpreted by Christ; and may be parallel with that answer which the man gave to his friend, who came at midnight to borrow loaves of him, which, in Luke si. 7, you will find to be this, " Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee." Having given you this general view of the words, 1 will now consider the parts of them, or the particular excuses that she makes.

First. She says, " I have put off my coat," and from thence argues, " how sliall I put it on?" It will be proper to consider what is meant by her putting off her coat; and also what the argument she forms upon it, or the conclusion she draws from it intends. 1. The believer's coat is Christ and his righteousness: his clothing is the garments of salvation, and his covering the robe of righteousness; all which he has from Christ, who is Jehovah, our righteousness; whose righteousness is the saints wedding-garments; which being made of fine linen, clean, and white, and put upon them, they are clothed as with the sun; their own garments, whether of sin or rigliteousness, are filthy ones; in the room of whicli, is given to them change of raiment. Now this coat or garment of justifying righteousness, being wrought out by Christ, and brought to the soul by tiie Spirit of God, faith puts on, according to Rom. xxii. 14, " Put on the Lord Jesus Christ," that is, the righteousness of Christ; which faith puts on, as a man does his clothes; aud for this reason we are said to be justified by faith; not that faith, by virtue of its own, has an iuhuence in our justification, or is a part of it; for we are not otherwise justified by it, than as it apprehends, lays hold, and puts on Christ for righteousness. Now this coat or garment being once put on, the believer can never be disrobed of it; it is an everlasting righteousness; it will never wear out, nor can it be lost, nor will it ever be taken away from him; Adam lost the righteousness in which he was created, but the believer's can never be lost; for it is not the righteousness of a creature, but of God; those who once have on Christ's righteness, always have; for being once justified by it, they will always be so; nor must it be imagined, that ever a true believer will be left to despise and reject this righteousness; there is nothing dearer to him, and more valued by him than this

13; he often thinks of it in himself, and frequently. ing io arise and go along with him, lest she should speaks of it to others; he desires to be always meet with the same trials and sufferings as before, found in it, living and dying; but yet sometimes for the sake of him and his Gospel; so much does his faith may be remiss about it; may lie dormant and be very little exercised on this glorious object; sometimes a believer is gotten into such a carnal, secure, and lazy frame of spirit, as the church here was, that he contents himself with the bare performance of external duties, without having his soul affected with, or his faith concerned, about Christ, as the Lord bis righteousness; nay, sometimes when he is not in such a frame, he is too apt to dwell upon his own heart, his graces, his frames, his duties; there is a great deal of legality sometimes in believers, and their practice runs contrary to their light and judgment. Now so far as we rest in ourselves, in our duties, and performances, or dwell in our gra'ies and our frames; so far we may be said to have put off our coat, or to have laid aside and neglected the righteousness of Christ; though it is certain believers cannot be really disrobed of it; and perhaps this maybe the sense of these words.^ Or else, 2. They may iuteud her leaving her first love; as her faith in Christ's righteousness was very low, so her love to Christ, his people, ways, and ordinances, was very cold; there is such a thing as leaving, though not losing our first love, for which the church at Ephesus was blamed. Rev. ii. 4; now when saints are iu the exercise of this grace of love to Christ or his people, they may be said to put it on, as the apostle exhorts in Col. iii. 14, " And above all these things, put on charity, or love, which is the bond of perfectness," and when they grow remiss and cold in it, they may be said to put it off. 3. Tliese words may also represent her neglect of her duty; for she had not only, dropped in a great measure the exercise of grace, but likewise the performance of duty; she was grown slothful and inactive; slie had put off her clothes, as having done working, aud therefore takes to her bed, and composes herself to rest; thus, as a performance of duties may be called a putting of them on; see Col. iii. 12; so a neglect of them may be called a putting of them off; which Eliphaz, in Job xv. 4, calls a casting off fear before God; for he intends thereby a disregard to religious exercises, which he supposed Job chargeable with. 4. These words manifestly show that she was in a sleepy, drowsy frame: had put off her clothes, and was gone to bed; that she was now off her guard, and had dropped her spiritual watchfulness; thus, as puttins and keeping on of clothes is a sign of watch- the love of worldly ease prevail over God's own children, that they are sometimes loth to arise and follow Christ in his own ways.

Now from hence she argues, and thus she concludes, that seeing she had put off her coat, how should she put it on? Which discovers, 1, That she was apprehensive of difficulty in doing it, " How shall I," &c., that is, how difficult will it be for me to do it? and indeed it is easier dropping the exercise of a grace, or the performance of a duty, than it is to take it up again after we have so done; and when grace is called to exert itself, or a duty is presented to be performed, carnal reason raises a thousand difficulties as insuperable, which faith only gets over. 2. This way of arguing shows her sluggishness, and her love of ease; a sluggard thinks there is danger if he arises and goes into the streets, saying, " There is a lion without^ 1 shall be slain in the streets;" and he is so wretchedly slothful, that having " hid his hand in his bosom, it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth;" so she, having put off her coat, was so exceeding slothful and sluggish, that she was loth, it grieved her, it went to her very heart, she did not know how to bring herself to it, to put it on again. 3. Nay there was not only a loathness, but an aversion to it; the carnal and fleshly part in the believer is entirely averse, either to the exercise of grace, or to the discharge of duty; it lusteth against tlie spirit; though tliere is a willingness ill the regenerate part thereunto, for he delights in the law of God, after the inward man: but the former seems to have the ascendant in the church here, which makes her say, " How shall I," &c., I am averse unto it. 4. It intimates as though she thought it unreasonable in him to desire it, seeing her clothes were off, aud she jvas now in bed; for him to desire her to arise and open, and let him in, was, what she thought, an unreasonable request, and therefore says, " How shall I put it on?" that is, How canst thou desire it of me? though this which Christ called her to, and indeed, had it been much more difficult than it was, but her reasonable service. 5. It supposes that she was apprehensive of dauger by doing it; that it would be incommodious aud detrimental to her, break her rest, disturb her ease, and be prejudicial to her health; there being danger of it, as she imagined, by rising out of her bed, aud putting on her clothes fulness; see Neh. iv. 23, Rev. xvi. 15'; so putting I to let him in. Now arguments taken from, and them off is an indication of the contrary; and she | formed upon such selfish principles, are much having done so, is not only exposed to danger, but to shame, disgrace, and scandal. 5. Being now free from troubles, afflictions, and persecutions, she puts off her coat, and betakes herself to a bed of ease; and though Christ calls, yet she is unwill- made use of by carnal reason, and are pleaded with a great deal of force and vehemency by it, against the observance of au ordinance or performance of a duty: it was npon this footing that those who were bidden to the wedding, excused themselves;

it was against their worldly profit and pleasure to comply with the invitation; one had bought a piece of ground, another, five yoke of nxen, and a third had married a wife, and therefore they could not come; and in so doing, declared that they valued their worldly interest before the blessings of grace in Clirist; as the church here in saying, " How shall I put it on?" shows, that she preferred her worldly ease to Christ's company, and that she sought more her " own things, than the things which are Jesus Christ's." 6. It may also signify that she knew not how to do it, because of that shame and confusion which attended her on the account of her sins aud transgressions against him; being conscious to herself of these things she blushed and was ashamed, not knowing how to show her face, and appear before him with any confidence, and therefore puts him off with these excuses; and so it oftentimes is with believers, who, when they have fallen into sin, neglect their duty through shame, and so add sin to sin, as the church did here; and this sense of the words the Targum gives after this manner: " The congregation of Israel answered and said before the prophets, Lo, now I have removed from me the yoke of his precepts, and have served the idols of the people; and how can I have the face to return unto him?" though it makes the latter part of the text to be, not the words of the church, but of the Lord; who makes answer to her, and lets her know, that as he had removed his divine presence from her, because of her sins, how should he return to her again? which other part of the words come now to be considered.

Secondly. She urges that she had washed her feet; and therefore how could she " defile them." Washing of feet was a custom much used in the eastei'n countries, where they wore not shoes, but sandals, and therefore contracted a great deal of soil, especially in travelling, after which it was usual to wash them; which not only removed the filth from them, but much comforted and refreshed them: instances of this we have in Abraham and Lot, who desired that water might be brought to wash the feet of the angels, whom they thought to be men, also in Abraham's servant, in Joseph's brethren, aud in Christ's washing the feet of his disciples a little before his death: washing of feet was also used before going to bed," which is what is here referred to. Now this is to be understood, not of the washing of regeneration.

not intend it here; for her outward conversatiou does not appear to be so clean and pure, and so becoming the gospel, and her profession of it, as it should be. But, 1. It may be observed, that she had plucked off her shoes or saudles, which are the gospel, and a conversation agreeable to it, according to Ephes. vi. ]5, " And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Now when the believer's feet are shod thus, that is, when he holds " the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience," then may it be said of hiiu, as in chap. vii. I, " How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, 0 princes' daughter 1" but now the church here had plucked off hers, in order to wash her feet; that is, she was grown very careless about the doctrines of the gospel, and very negligent in keeping up a conversation answerable to them. 2. This phrase shows that she was grown weary of spiritual exercises; so persons when they are weary of work or travelling, used to wash their feet, and go to rest. She was grown weary of well-doing, and was much like those in Mai. i. 13, who said, in regard to the performance of religious exercises, " Behold, what a weariness is it!" aud therefore washes her feet, lays aside au observance of ordinances and duties, and betakes herself to her carnal ease and rest; and being called from thence, she argues, " I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them;" which intimates as before, a loathuess, au aversion to it; and as though she thought it unreasonable in him to desire it, and criminal in her to comply with it. Where observe her wretched mistake, in imagining that hearkening to, and obeying Christ's command's would be a defiling her; and it also shows us what poor, little trifling excuses, persons in such a condition will make, to keep themselves in their carnal ease and peace, in a state of sloth - fulness and inactivity; nay, these excuses of hers were not only idle and frivolous, as the putting on of her coat, and defiling her feet, but likewise vile aud sinful, as will appear from the following considerations. (1.) She had slighted the means which Christ had made use of to awake her; she had made them null and void, and of no effect; he had called to her by the ministry of the word, and had knocked in a providential way, and yet to no purpose; she withstands both his knocks aud calls, which must needs be au aggravation of her sin. (2.) She sinned against light and knowledge; she knew that it was the voice of her beloved that called unto her, and acknowledges it to be so;

with which no doubt she was washed, being Christ's and yet she sleeps on, and makes these idle excuses spouse and bride, as well as washed in his blood; as she does, which must needs increase her guilt, for that is the work of the Spirit of God, in his | (3.) She had invited him to come but a little mighty operations of his grace upon her; but this before, as in chap. iv. IG, " Let my beloved come appears to be something of her owu doing, " I have washed my feet," &c., nor is it meant of the purity of her outward conversation; though feet and walking, when applied to the saints, do in a spiritual sense, intend this oftentimes, but it does into his garden;" accordingly he did come; and as soon as he was come, she falls asleep, and treats him after this base and disingenuous manner. (4.) She had purposely composed herself to sleep; it does not seem to have fallen upon her at aa unawares; but she as it were sought it, and for this reason put off her coat, and washed her feet, that she might be the more fit for rest, and take it more easily. (5.) Yet she endeavours to shift the blame from off herself, as if she was no ways in the fault, but that the thing was either difficult and unreasonable, or else unlawful to be done; and therefore she says, " How shall I," &c. (6.) She appears in all this to be guilty of the greatest ingratitude; she fell into this sleepy and lazy frame after this, and a noble entertainment and sumptuous feast that Christ had made for her; she continues herein, uotwithstanding the most affectionate characters he gives her, and the most powerful arguments he uses with her; she sleeps on, though he lets her know that his " head was filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night:" though he had suffered and undergone so much on her account, yet, 0 vile ingratitude 1 she is unwilling to be at the trouble of putting on a coat on his account, or to run the risk of defiling her feet for his sake. (7.) She also discovers the highest folly, in that she prefers her present ease to Christ's company. Well, but how does Christ take this? how can he bear to be affronted after this rate? does he not highly resent it? Yes: but this will farther ap|)ear in the consideration of the following verses.

Verse 4. My beloved -put in his hand hy the hole of the door, and my bowels loere moved for him.

The church proceeds here to give an account of some farther steps which Christ took in order to awake her, and cause her to arise and open to him; which, though they are instances of his grace unto her, yet manifestly show how much he resented her nnkiudness and ingratitude to him! and she also takes notice what iuduence this carriage of his towards her had upon her. In these words we have,

I. The method which Christ took in order to have entrance; he " put in his hand by the hole of the door."

II. The effect it had upon her; " her bowels were moved for him."

I. The method which Christ took to let himself in. Seeing she was so loath and so unwilling to arise and open to him, he attempts it himself; not by breaking open the door, but by putting in his hand by the hole thereof, in order to remove the bolt or bar which kept him from entering in. Some read the words, " My beloved put down his hand from the hole of the door, or lock -."^ that is, withdrew or removed his hand from thence: he put it in there for the aforesaid reason; but hearing such language from within, as in the preceding verse, " I have put off my coat," &c., he desisted from his attempt, and went his way; re- avTov airo Tiir oTrnr, Sept. dilectus meus demiseret solving to chastise her for her base usage of him, by a departure from her; which, when she understood, it threw her into that concern of mind, which appears in this verse; and also put her upon taking those methods to find him, which the following verses show she did. But I shall consider the words according to our version of them, " My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door;" and then, not to take any notice of the character which she gives him, " My beloved," which has been often considered and explained; I shall inquire, 1st. What is meant by the door? 2ndly. What by Ihe hole of the door? 8rdly. What the hand of Christ signifies? 4thly. What the putting of it in is expressive of?

1st. It will be proper to inquire what is meant by the door. There are several things in scripture which bear this name, in a figurative and metaphorical sense; as Christ, the church, an occasion or opportunity of preaching the gospel, John X. 9, Cant. viii. 9, 1 Cor. xvi. 9, &c., none of which can be intended here. A Jewish writer"^ thinks, that the firmament is here meant, and that God put forth his hand from thence; perhaps either in a threatening way, or by mflicting some chastisement on the people of Israel, for their slothfulness and neglect of building the second temple: but by the door here, I apprehend we are to understand, either the door of faith, of which we read in A.cts xiv. 27, " And when they were come," that is, " Paul and Barnabas, to Antioch, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles;" which must be understood, either of the preaching of the doctrine of faith among them, or of the implantation of faith in them, and perhaps both are intended: all by nature, whether elect or non-elect, are shut and locked up fast in the prison of unbelief; and when God comes to convert a sinner, he opens the door of faith, and sets them at liberty; though sometimes tills door of faith, even afterwards, is so closely shut up, as that there is only a little crevice, a small hole, through which a little love breaks forth from the soul to Christ, and a little ligiit breaks in from Christ unto the soul; which seems to be tlie case of the church here, and is what Heman the Ezrahite complains of, in Psalm Ixxxviii. 8, when he says, " I am shut up, and I cannot come forth." Or else, by the door, may be meant the door of her heart, which was in a great measure shut against Christ, through weakness, and the prevailiugs of corruptions in her: thus Lydia's heart is compared to a door, which was opened by the hand of powerful and efEcacious grace; by the means of which, Christ, with his large train of grace, were let in, of whom it is said, Psalm xxiv. 7 — 10, " Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;" which are not to manum suam a foramine, Junius. Ezra in Ice.

be understood of the doors and gates of the temple, though perhaps there may be an allusion to them, but of souls which are of an everlasting make; and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory; ecen the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who is glorious in his person, in his offices, and in his saints; and who demands an entrance into, takes possession of, and dwells by faith in the hearts of his people. The door then is either the door of faith, or the door of her heart; or if we put them both together, and say, it is faith in her heart here meant, I cannot see that it will be amiss. But,

2ndly. What is meant by the hole of the door, is our next enquiry. The word door is not in the Hebrew text; therefore some interpret it the hole of the window or casement, others of the lock; but it seems rather to be of the door: this hole was either in the door, or hard by it, so R. Solomon Jarchi tliinks; or else was between the two leaves or foldings of the door, according to R. Aben Ezra; but however, it is the mystical and spiritual sense which we are chiefly concerned about. And having interpreted the door, of her heart, or of faith in her heart; and there being but a small hole in this door, through which Christ put his hand, it lets us know that her heart was much uarrowed and straitened; her faith was very low in its exercise on Christ, which sometimes is an open door to receive him; but now was but as a hole, through which but little light was let in from Christ, and but little love returned to him; her affections were chill and cold, which used to be enlarged with fervency unto him; her obedience to him was but very small, not attended with that cheerfulness and spirit of liberty, as heretofore; which seems to be the case of David, when he says, Psalm cxix. 33, " I will run the ways of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart;" his heart was then narrowed, and he was shut up in his own soul; there were not that cheerfulness and liberty, that warmth and zeal, that liveliness and sprigiitliuess, which he had sometimes experienced, in his obedience to the divine commands; and this no doubt was the church's case here: but there being a hole open, though perhaps but a small one, yet it shows, that her heart was not entirely closed and shut up; it cannot be said of her, that there were in her no faith in Christ, ho love to him, no fear of him; for grace ouce implanted, can never be lost; though it is not always in exercise, in motion, yet it is always in being: and herein lies the difference between a regenerate and an unregenerate man; the one has his heart entirely closed and shut up against Christ; there is not a crevice, a cranny open to Christ; but the other, though his heart may be much closed and shut lip, yet there is always an entrance, though sometimes but a small cue, for him: but you will aay.

Why then docs Christ say, in verse 2, " Open to me, my sister, my love?" &c., I answer. Because he found the entrance into her heart was not so wide, so open and so free, as it had heretofore been; and thoupih he knew she was no more able to widen and enlarge her heart, and to open it to him, than she was at first conversion; yet to bring her under a conviction of her present state, he thus calls to her: no, this work is his alone; he alone can enlarge the heart, and make it wide enough for himself to enter in at; he has a key that can open this door, when he pleases, even the key of David, with which he openeth, and no man shntteth, and sbutteth, and no man openeth. But I proceed,

Srdly. To show what is meant by the hand of Christ, which he puts in by the hole of this door: and this 1 take to be his mighty, powerful, and efTicacious grace; and so the word is used in Acts xi. 21, "And the hand of the liord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord." The reason why the ministry of the apostles was so much owned for the conversion of souls, was, because it was attended with the mighty and efficacious grace of Christ; it was the want of this Isaiah complained of, when he said, Isa. liii. 1, " Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" If the ministry of any is made useful for the good of souls, it is because this arm is revealed, and this hand is put forth; and the ministers of Christ are vvilling to ascribe it to that, aud not to themselves; and can freely join with the apostle Paul, in saying, " Not I, but the grace of God which was with me;" and without this hand, all the means of grace are ineffectual; but this caa turn the key aud open the door of any heart, though never so closely shut, and strongly barred aud bolted against Christ: now the same mighty aud efficacious grace is equally exerted aud put forth in the awaking of a drowsy saint, reclaiming a backsliding professor, and quickening him to his duty, as in the conversion of a sinner, dead in trespasses aud sins. Which brings me to consider,

4thly. What is meant by Christ's putting in his hand of mighty and efficacious grace, by the hole of the door. Now this intends the exertion aud application of grace to the hearts of believers, which influence and quicken, support and maintain, grace in them; this is an internal work, aud differs from all the other methods which Christ took with her, and appears to be more powerful than any of them; he had called in the external ministry of the word, and knocked in a providential way, by inflicting some chastisement upon her; he had given her good words, expostulated with her, and used persuasive arguments, and yet to no purpose: but now he puts in his hand of mighty grace, and the work is done; which hand moves secretly aud invisibly, and yet powerfully and irresistibly; for " none can stay his hand, or say unto him. What doest thou?" though it uses no force or compulsion, but works sweetly and kindly upon the heart; for how unwilliut; and loth soever the church was before to arise and open to Christ, now she is entirely willing to do it; and that not through force uor fear, but out of a real affection for him, and love to him. Christ now, in putting in his hand, and thus powerfully and sweetlv working upon her heart, shows, 1. The exceeding greatness of his love and grace unto her: that though she had treated hini in so rude a manner, and discovered so much disingenuity and ingratitude to him, which made him take up a resolution to depart from her; yet he would not leave her without giving some evidence of his love to her, without puttiny; in his hand, and leaving some myrrh upon the lock, and sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles thereof. 2. Jlis faithfulness to her. Christ never wholly and entirely leaves his people; he has promised that he will not, and he is faithful to this promise; Christ may so withdraw himself from thetn, as that they may not have sensible communion with him: but their union to him remains firm, and indissoluble; they may think that he has totally and finally left them when he has not, nor never will: he departs here from the church, but it was not a total departure; for he put in his baud by the hole of the door, aud left something there, which stirred up her affections to him, aud put her upon a diligent search and inquiry after him. 3. His power: ^Vhat is it tiiat the hand of Christ cannot do? what the external calls of the ministry, knocks, and raps of ptrsecution, what good words and moving arguments could not do, that is done in a moment by Christ's putting iu his hand; she lay still before, aud put him off with idle excuses, but now she arises and opeus to hiui. V\ liich leads me to consider.

II. The effect of this, or what iuQuence this had upon her heart; her bowels, she says, were moved for him: which is expressive, either,

¥irst. Of that sorrow aud grief which then possessed her heart. The word is used in Jer. iv. 19, Lam. i. 20, to express grief and sorrow; and indeed, it is no wouder that it should be so with her, when she began to be capable of revolving things in her mind, and comparing her carriage aud his together; observing the baseness aud disiugeuuity there were iu the one, and the exceeding greatness of love and tenderness iu the other. The words have a double reading in the Hebrew text: some copies read, " my bowels were moved, 'ba, in me, or forme;" and this reading the Jewish commentators follow, particularly R. Solomon Jarchi, and so do Junius aud Tremellius, the Tigurine version, and that of Pagniue's: other copies read, " my bowels were moved, vbs, for him;" which, by Mercer, is esteemed the best and most correct reading, and is followed by our aud other translators. If we read the woriis in the first way, they will afford us these two observations: 1. That her grief and sorrow was inward, and so real and sincere; her bowels moved within her; and such a sorrow as this is what is required, regarded, and approved of by God; " Thoa de&ircst truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom," says David, Psalm li. 6; for it is not a shedding of te;irs, nor rending of garments, but a heart broken under a sense of sin, and melted down with the discoveries of boundless love, that is an acceptable sacrifice with God through Christ. 2. That her own sin and unkiiidness to Christ was the cause of all this; my bowels were moved for me, or concerning myself; for what I had done, and had been guilty of, I have none to blame but myself; I am the sole author of all this trouble to myself; my own sin and wickedness has brought all this upon me. O! it pains me, it cuts me to the very heart, to think that I should use the best of husbands so unkindly, and treat him after so base a rate as I have done I

But then if we follow the second reading, it will lead us to make the remarks following: 1. That sin, as committed against Christ, was the chief and priucipal cause of her trouble and sorrow; " my bowels were moved for him," because I had sinned against him; had it been another, it would not have grieved me so much: but against thee, thee only have I sinned; which shows her repentance to be right, aud her sorrow to be true and genuine. 2. That the sufferings of Christ, occasioued by her sins and transgressions, influenced her sorrow; my bowels were moved for him; it grieves me, I am pained at the very heart, to think that my beloved's head should be wet with dew, aud his locks with the drops of the night, f hrouu;h me; that he should suffer so much upon my account, and for my sake; now when repentance springs from -faith's viewing a crucified and suffering Christ, it appears to be evangelical; see Zech. xii. 10. 3. That her frustrating the means which Christ made use of, added to her grief. Did my beloved call and knock, and call again; and did I know that it was the voice of my beloved? Did he give me good words, expostulate and argue with me in the most moving and tender manner? and yet, vile and ungrateful wretch that I am, did I lie still, and not move to open and let him in? could he get nothing from me but mere shifts and evasions? O! how does the consideration of all this overwhelm me with grief and sorrow? 4. That the loss of his company was also an ingredient herein; for, as Christ's company and presence fill the believer with the greatest joy, so his absence and departure from him give hiui the greatest uneasiness: " Thou didst hide thy face," says David, Psalm XXX. 7, and I was troubled; so here, her bowels moved, her soul was grieved, not only for what she had done unto him; but also for the loss of him. Or else, these words, " my bowels were moved for him," are expressive.

Secondly. Of the moving and stirring of her affections to him, ia which sense the word is used in Isa. Ixiii. 15, Philem. 12, for though her affections had been chill, and her love to Christ cold, jet they were not lost; Christ's putting in his hand, stirred up the coals of love, which " many waters cannot quench:" so that they began to kindle and appear in flames; for not only the grace was in her heart, but in exercise, in motion there, " my bowels moved," &c., so that she could say, after all her sleepiness, slothfulness, negligence in duty, and base carriage towards Christ, as Peter, after his backslidiugs, " Lord, thou Icuowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee;" this love of hers was real, hearty, and sincere; it was not the moving of her lips or tongue, but of her bowels within her; she loved " not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and truth:" and this her actions testify, which are recorded in the following verses.

Verse 5. I rose up to open to my beloved, andmij hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. In these words the church gives an account of a second and third effect of Christ's " putting in his hand by the hole of the door." T. She " rose to open to him." II. Having done so, she laid hold on the " handles of the lock," in order to draw it back; and before she proceeds to take notice of any other steps she took, with the success thereof, she stops to give an account of a sweet piece of experience she met with, when she put her hands " upon the handles of the lock. My bauds, says she, dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh."

I. She says, that she " rose to open to her beloved." This is opposed to her former slothfulness and sleepiness: before she lay still and slept on, notwithstanding Christ's calls and knocks, his melting words and moving language; but now being touched by his hand of mighty and powerful grace, she shakes off her sluggishness, and arises to open to him, which is more than a mere resolution to do it; such an one as she made in chap. iii. 2, and the prodigal in Luke XV. 13. Now these resolutions were made in the strength of grace; and being assisted by divine grace to perform them, were quickly put in execution; though otherwise, resolutions made in our own strength, are seldom or never made good: but this was more than a mere resolution, it was an actual performance of it; not but that she resolved no doubt in her mind, to do it before she did it; but the dispatch was so quick, and there being so little time between the making and the execution of it, she had neither leisuie nor room to regard it; "I rose to open to my beloved:" which act of hers shows, 1. That her design and intention to open to Christ, was real and hearty: had she lain upon her bed, and made ever such fair promises, that she would arise and open to him, and yet have kept her bed and slept on: there would have been but very little proof that she really and heartily designed it; but her risiu"; in order to it, is a full indication of it; even as Abra— ham's rising up early, saddling his asses, taking his own and only son Isaac with him, and going to the place which the Lord directed him to; his putting the wood in order, binding his son, and laying him upon it; his taking the knife, and stretching out his hand to slay his son, manifestly showed that he really intended to obey the divine command, though so disagreeable to flesh and blood. 2. That her concern at her base and unbecoming carriage to him was sincere and unfeigned; the effects show that her sorrow was of a godly sort; seeing it wrought in her carefulness to obey his will, zeal for bis honour and glory, fear and reverence of his person, a vehement desire after the enjoyment of his presence and company, and an indignation at her own sin and folly; see 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11; her repentance appears to be true and genuine, because it brought forth " fruits meet for it." 3. That she did not stay to confer with flesh and blood, but immediately arose, as soon as touched by the hand of mighty grace: had she done so, she would have argued thus with herself, " yet a little sleep, a Ittle slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep," and then I will arise and open to him; no, for though she put him off before with idle excuses, having consulted her own carnal ease; yet now, being, under the influence of powerful grace, she cannot defer it any longer, but without delay, rises to open to him. 4. That when a soul, in such a case as hers, is made sensible of it, it cannot rest easy upon a bed of carnal security: it may, with David, for a time be senseless, stupid, and unconcerned; and with Jonah, lie fast asleep in the sides of the ship, careless, thoughtless, and unconcerned; yet when awaked from hence, anguish and distress seize it; and it cannot be easy without some returning visits of love, some views of Christ's person, and some enjoyment of his presence; and therefore will arise and go out in quest of him: and now no difficulties discourage such a soul as none did the church; when she was upon her bed of ease, every little thing was difficult to her; her language was that of the sluggard's, " There is a lion in the way, a lion is in the streets;" it was then a trouble to her to put on her coat, and an intolerable hardship to defile her feet; but now neither the one nor the other hinder her; but she rises, opens, and ventures herself alone in the streets, runs among the watchmen of the city, and keepers of the walls, and from thence to the daughters of Jerusalem, to inquire of her beloved. 5. It also supposes that she thought Christ still at the door; though no sooner had he put in his hand, but he was goue, being willing to let her know, though he loved her, yet he reseated her carriage to him: aud here we may observe that God's children may be mistaken sometimes about the presence of Christ; sometimes he is present with them, and they know it not, as Jacob said. Gen. xxviii. 16, " Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not:" and at other times when they are got into such careless, secure, aud unconcerned frames of soul, like Samson, the Lord is departed from them, and they wist not, that is, know not, that the Lord is departed from them. 6. This shows the power of migiity and efficacious grace, and that she was under the influence of it; though perhaps the Spirit was willing before, yet the flesh was weak: though she might have a will to open to Christ, yet how to perform it.she knew not: though indeed her will seemed to be very indifferent about it; there appeared a loathness in her, and a kind of unwillingness to it; but now she is made both able and " willing in the day of his power," to arise and open to him.

II. Having risen to open to Christ, she puts her hand " upon the handles of the lock," to draw it back, and let him in; which in order, is the third effect of Christ's " putting in his hand by the hole of the door." Now though this is not iu so many words expressed in the text, yet it is manifestly implied; for if her " hands drop- ])ed with myrrh, and her fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh npon the handles of the lock;" it then supposes, that her hands and fingers must first lay hold upon the lock-handles, which was also absolutely necessary to do, iu order to open the door. It will be proper here to consider, 1st. What we are to understand by the lock, and the handles of it. 2udly. What by her hands and lingers, which laid hold on these handles to draw back the lock, and in what sense they might do it.

1st. It is needful to enquire what may be meant by the lock, and the handles of it: aud as by the door, I suppose is meant the heart of a believer, so by the lock, which fastens and keeps this door shut, may be meaut unbelief; by which as all by nature are locked aud shut up in the state they are; so believers sometimes by it are so straitened, confined, and shut up in their souls, that they cannot come forth in the free exercise of faith, in which they are at other times found: and the handles of this lock may be lukewarmuess and indifference of soul with regard to duty, a sluggishness and loathness to come to it, which oftentimes brings the soul at last to a neglect of it; for, first, persons grow indifferent about the performance of duties, or attendance on ordinances; do not care whether they perform them, or attend on them, or no; then they begin to be " slothful in business, not serving the Lord," with that fervency of Spirit \\hich they have heretofore done; and at last wholly neglect them; which brings them into a carnal, secure and unconcerned frame of spirit; and all this strengthens unbelief, and keeps the door the closer shut against Christ; which seems to have been the case of the church here, aud of that of Laodicea, in Rev. iii., when Clirist stood at her door and knocked.

2ndly. By her hands and fingers may be meant her faith in its exercise and operation, attended with the fruits thereof. Faith is usually represented in scripture as the hand of the soul by which it receives Christ, as the Father's free gift; embraces him as the only Saviour: lays hold upon, and retains him, as he stands in all the endearing characters aud relations which he appears iu to his own people. Now this faith is not idle aud inactive, but " works by love " to Christ and his people, to his ways ind ordinances; it has its fruits, and is attended with the performance of good works, and will put the person that is possessed of it, on the discharge of his duty; it put the church here upon attempting to draw back the lock of unbelief; faith laid its hands aud fingers upon the handles of it, and used all its might, power, and diligence to do it: but it may be asked. How could the church be able, with all her faith, industry, and diligence, to draw back this lock? I answer, Faith cannot do this of itself; unbelief is a " sin which easily besets us," but it is not so easily got rid of; it is a weight, that the hand of faith of itself, cannot lift and lay aside; the believer must say even in the exercise of faith, with the poor man iu the Gospel, Mark ix. 24, " Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief;" this lock grows too hard for faith to draw it back of itself; but yet faith's looking to, and dealing with Christ's person, blood, and righteousness, much weakens unbelief. When an unbelieving Thomas was indulged with a sight of Christ's pierced hands and feet, and was enabled to thrust his hand into his side; his unbelief immediately vanished and disappeared, and he could say, " My Lord, and my God:" it is certain, that the stronger faith gr^ws, lukewarmness, indolence, and carnal security decay; and the soul is quickened, stirred up, and put upon the performance of duty: and what is it that a soul is not enabled to do in the exercise of faith? difficulties which are insuperable to carnal sense and reason, are got over by faith; read over the eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, aud you will see what heroic acts have been performed by faith, though the strength in which these things have been performed, did not arise from the grace itself, but from Christ, the object of it, whose " strength is made in faith's weakness;" for without him we can do nothing, but his " grace is sufficient to enable us to do all things."

Now before she proceeds to tell how she succeeded in this attempt: she gives au account of a piece of sweet experience she met with, whilst she was trying to draw back the lock; " my hands," sajs she, ".dropped with myrrh, ami my fingers with sweet-smelliug myrrh, upon the bandies of the lock." By myrrh, is meant grace, in its aboundings and overflowings: but it may be inquired, From whence this myrrh came, and by whom it was brought? If we understand it of the Church's myrrh or grace, as brought here by herself, as some think;"* who may be represented as taking up a pot of myrrh, intending with it to anoint and refresh his head, which was wet with dew, which she either unawares or else designedly broke; or else, being in a panic fcai", her hand shook, and the myrrh ran over her hands and fingers; or rather, not having time to perfume her garments with it, as usual, see Psalm xlv. 8, she dipped her fingers in a pot of myrrh, to ingratiate and render herself acceptable to her beloved; supposing that he might be full of resentment on the account of her carriage and behaviour towards him: and then taking it in this sense, it will teach us these things following •, 1. That her grace was now in exercise, it was flowing, this oil of myrrh before was as it were congealed; but now it is become liquid; it is upon the flow, and flows in such abundance, that it ran off her hands and fingers upou the handks of the lock. 2. Her hands and fingers dropping with it, show that these actions and good works of hers, intended by her hands and fingers, being performed in faith, were odorous and grateful to Christ: so the prayers of the saints are called odours, in Rev. v. 8; and some mean and small services of the Philippians, are called an odour of a sweet smell, Phil. iv. 18. 3. That when grace is in exercise, duty is both easy and pleasant; Christ commands then arc not grievous, but his " ways are ways of pleasantness, and his paths, paths of peace:" before, nothing more unpleasant tham to arise and open to him; but now, nothing more easy and delightful; her " hands drop with myrrh," &c. But I rather think, that the myrrh or grace of Christ is here meant, which was brought and left here by him; when he " put in his hand by the hole of the door," he then put in this myrrh he had gathered, ver. 1; and left it in the lock-hole; which she found in such abundance when she came to open, that her hands and fingers dropped with it: the allusion seems tobe to lovers shut out, who used to cover the tlireshhold of the doors with flowers, and auoiut the door-posts with sweet smelling ointment.* Taking tlie words in this sense, we may observe that grace is called so, 1. For the preeiousness of it; myn-h is a precious spice, and one of the principal spices; and this in the text is the best of myrrh, there was a sort of myrrli called odoraria, sweet-smelling:' the word translated " sweetsmelling myrrh," signifies " passing or current myrrh;"« it being vendible or saleable, not in thej^east damaged, but what will pass; and so is in the same sense current, as money iu said to be, Gen. xxiii. 16; or else, it is called " passing myrrh," because it diffuses its odour on every side: so R. Solomoa Jarchi thinks: or, rather because it is that myrrh which bleeds or weeps, or drops from the tree of itself, which is always esteemed the best myrrh: and this sets foith the exceeding preeiousness of Christ's grace, which is more valuable than all things else. 2. It sets forth the abundance of it; if there was such an abundance of it brought by Christ, and left in the lock-hole, so that it ran in such plenty over her hands and fingers, as to drop from thence. What an abundance? what an overflow of it must there be in himself, who is " full of grace and truth?" if there is a superabounding of grace in those in whom sin has abounded. What an overflowing fulness of it must there be in him, in whom is no sin, and who is the Fountain from whence all grace flows, and is communicated to his people? (3.) It is expressive of the odorousness of it: there is such a sweet savour in the grace of Christ, as it is in himself, that the love of the virgins is drawn forth to him by it; and it emits so fragrant an odour, as it is in believers, that Christ himself is delighted with it; see Cant. i. 3, and iv. 10.

Moreover, seeing it appears that this myrrh was brought unto and left in the lock-hole by Christ; it may be asked, for what purpose it was brought and left there? which was, 1. To draw and allure her heart unto him: the same grace that draws a soul to Christ at first conversion, draws it to him when it has declined and backslidden from him; Christ uses the same methods, and puts forth the same grace at one time as at the other; he draws " with the cords of love, and bands of a man." 2. To supple and soften her hard heart, and make this rusty lock go easy; this oil of myrrh being left there, removed the hardness of her heart, the stiffness of her will, and the rustincss of her affections; this melted her hard heart, made her stubborn will pliable, set her affections on the flow, her faith in exercise, and made the lock of unbelief draw back more easy. 3. To e.\ercise and stir up her grace; it is Christ's grace, manifested and applied unto us that excites ours; it is his love " shed abroad in our hearts by his Spirit," that raises ours: for " we love him, because he first loved us." Now all these ends were answered hereby; it was this grace, this myrrh, left in the handles of the lock, that fetched her ofl' her bed, softened the iiardness of her heart and affections to him, that removed the bars and bolts that kept him out, and drew forth her grace into exercise.

Again the church's hands and fingers being said to drop with myrrh, which Christ had put into the lock-hole, shows, 1. That all the grace, all the myrrh, that a believer has, comes from Christ; it is from " his fulness we receive ^race for grace," that is, all sorts of grace. 2. That a believer has most reason to expect a larger measure of grace from Christ, when he is in the way of his duty; whilst the church was sluggish and slothful, negli- ' gent of her duty, and taking her ease upon her j bed of security, there is no mention of the flow- ' ings of this myrrh into her or upon her; j but now she is up, and in the way of her duty,! her " hands drop with myrrh, and her fingers with sweet- smeUing myrrh:" not that our duties are | deserving of any thiug at Christ's hands, much less such large measures and overflowings of grace as i these; yet Christ has been graciously pleased, for an encouragement, to grant tlie promise of his presence, and the communications of his grace to j us, when found in the way of our duty, though not for the performance of it. How the church succeeded in this attempt of hers, in opening the door, may be seen in the following words.

Verse 6. / opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but 1 could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

I. A fourth and last effect of Christ's " putting in his hand by the hole of the door;" she opened to him.

II. The wretched disappointment she had met with; he " had withdrawn himself, and was gone."

III. "What effect this disappointment had upon her; her soul " failed when he spake."

IV. Her endeavours to find her lost spouse. I. Here is a fourth and last effect of Christ's

" putting in his hand by the hole of the door," which is the exertion of his mighty and efficacious grace, " I opened to my beloved." This was what her beloved desired of her, and called for, in ver. 2; and which was his principal end in exerting the power of his grace. Now this opening to him, is to be understood of the exercise of her faith, by which her heart was enlarged and dilated to receive Christ; faith is the eye, the ear, the mouth, and the hand of the soul; faith's eye being opened, sees the beauties and glories of Christ's person, and spies wondrous things in his gospel; its ear being open to discipline, listens to what Christ says in his promises and commands, and takes in the comfort of the one, and carefully observes the other; its mouth being opened, speaks of the promises of Christ, the glory of his person, office, and undertakings; and its hand being opened, receives and embraces him, opens the door, and lets him in. From this act of the church, in opening to her beloved, may be observed, 1. That Christ had not only wrought in her a will, but had also given her a power to open to him; once she seemed to have but little inclination; her will did not seem so very free.

being overpowered with sleep and sloth; and if her spirit was willing, yet it appears manifest that the flesh was weak; if she had a will to open, how to do it she knew not; but now, as by her risicg off her bed, coming to the door, and putting her hands and fingers upon the handles of the lock, in order to draw it back, she showed that Christ had wrought in her to will; so by her actual opening to him, she made it appear that he had also wrought iu iier " to do of his good pleasure." 2. That she being assisted in this act by the mighty grace of Christ, is said to do that which is sometimes ascribed to God himself; thus in Acts xvi. 14, the Lord is said to open the heart of Lydia -. it is true, there is a great difference between the opening of a sinner's heart at conversion, which is entirely shut against Christ; and the opening of a believer's, which is in part only shut and closed through unbelief, negligence, and carnal security: in the one, there were no principles of grace, previous to the opening of it; hut iu the other there are, though they lie dormant, and are not in exercise; but yet a believer, without the grace aud power of Christ, can no more open his heart to him, when in such a case, than he could at first conversion: this work is attended with difSculties insuperable without the strength of Clirist; therefore, whilst on her bed, she thought it impossible for her to du it, and unreasonable in him to desire it; till he put in his hand, and left such an abundance of the sweet-smeUing myrrh of his grace, by which being assisted, she is said to do it. 3. That the heart of a believer is only patent and open to the Lord Jesus Christ, " I opened to my beloved;" though it is sometimes, in a great measure, closed and shut unto him; yet, when it is opened, it is only opened to him; he is the only object of a believer's faith and love: the church here did not open to strangers, only to her beloved,! being " espoused as a chaste virgin" to him; therefore, in chap. iv. 12, she is said to be " a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." 4. Her opening to Christ, supposes that she thought Christ still at the door; so she did when she got off her bed to open to him; and so she did when she put her hands upon the handles of the lock; and perhaps was more confirmed in her thoughts, that he was still there, when she found such an abundance of his sweet-smelling myrrh in the lock, and upon the handles of it; but she was very much mistaken, as she afterwards found. For,

II. Her " beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone;" a very great disappointment indeed! she expected, that as soon as ever the door was open, she should have seen him, and that he would have received her in his arras, and embraced her in his bosom; but instead of that, he was gone, and she could neither have any sight, nor hear any tidings of him. Here it may be inquired, 1st. What is meant by Christ's withdrawing himself from his church and people?

Sndly. Why he did now withdraw himself from the ckurcli? And, 3rdly. Why she makes usu of two wonls to express his departure from her, aad what they im[)ort?

1st. It may be enquired what is meant by Christ's withdrawing himself from his church and people? And, 1. It is not to be understood of hiru as the omnipresent God, who is every where, and fills heaven and earth with his presence; for as there is no fleeing from it, so there is no withdrawing of it, as David eays, Psalm cxxxix. 7, " Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I ily from thy presence?" there is no place exempted from it, nor can be; he does not move from place to place, nor from person to person; nor is he sometimes with a person, aud sometimes not; for if so, he would not be the omnipresent God. Nor, 2. Is it to be understood of the dissolution of a believer's covenant-interest in Christ, and union to him; a believer may losesight of Christ for a time, but he can never lose his interest in him; the relation between them can uever cease; the marriage-knot can never be untied, nor the nnion-bonds be ever broken; for Christ has said, Ilosea ii. 19, " I will betroth thee unto me for ever: " the union between Christ and believers is in some measure like to that between the Father and the Son; and I will venture to say, that the one may as soon be dissolved as the otiier; see John xvii. 23, 23. Nor,3.Is it to be understood of a withdrawing of his love and affection from them; for though they may sometimes think he has, yet he never does, uor never will withdraw it; his love to them is as unchangeable as himself; it is the " same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; " for " having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end;" he has given his word, that though he, ' ■ for a small moment forsakes them, yet with everlasting kindness will he have mercy oa them; " and as if this was not enough, he joios his oath to it, and svvears, tliat he" would not be wroth with them, uor rebuke them; " and declares, that his kindness and his covenant are as immoveable as, nay, more than monntams and hills; which, one would tliink, is enough to banish all doubts and fears from believers, and till them with as firm a persuasion as the apostle Paul was possessed of, when he says, " I am persuaded that neither life uor death, "&c.," shall be able to separate us, from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " Bnt, 4. It is to be understood of the withdrawing of the sensible manifestations of his presence and love; and this is what the church has experienced in all ages; for he is a God that " hideth his face from the house of Jacob; " and what particular believers have met with, as is manifest from David, Heman, and others. And this was what the church wanted, even some sensible enjoyments of Christ's presence and grace; she had his strengthening and supporting presence, which enabled her to rise and open; but she wanted his comforting aud soul-rejoicing presence, and sensible communion with him; Christ's love is always the same, but the sense of it in believers is variable; the one is sometimes withdrawing, the other never.

2ndly. It may seem a little strange, and almost unaccountable, that Christ at this instant should withdraw himself fron) his church; seeing he had so importunately desired her to arise and open to him; had used all methods to win upon her, and by his grace had euabled her to do it; and yet now it is done, he withdraws himself and is gone: and therefore it is proper to inquire why he should do so; which -was perhaps, 1. To chastise her for her former carriage to him: had he, as soon as she had opened the door, shown himself to her, and received her with all tokens of love and joy; she would not have thought the offence so great; nor that he was so much provoked by it, and did so highly resent it as he did; therefore to bring her to a sense of it, and to correct her for it, by suticriug the loss of his comjjany, he withdraws himself. 2. To try the truth and strength of her grace: her grace was nort- in exercise, as appears by her rising and opening; and now, the more to exercise it, and prove the strength of it, he withdraws himself; thus all our afflictions, temptations, and desertions, are for the trial of our faith, and other graces; which being tried, appear " much more precious than of gold that perisheth." 3. To iuflame her love, and shar[)en her desires the more after him;which effect his withdrawingfromher,in chap, iii. 1—3, had upon her; and so it had here: many such instances we have in Job, David, and others; who being without the presence of God, have the more earnestly wished for, vehemently thirsted, panted, and breathed after a re-enjoyment of it; see Job xxiii. 2, Psalm xliii. 1, 2, and Ixiii. 1: aud it is usually so, that the want of a blessing, not only brings us under a conviction of the worth of it, and so draws out our affections to it, bnt also enlarges and increases our desires after it. 4. To endear his presence the more, when she came to enjoy it: when a soul has been destitute:jf Christ's preseuce for a time, and come to enjoy it again, O how sweet, ravishing, and delightful is it to him! and how much it is valued by him; the disciples were without Christ's bodily presence but a few days: and when he appeared to them, we are told, John xx. 20, that " then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord;" and what expressions of joy, aud intimations of esteem for Christ's presence, does the church give, iu chap. iii. 4, when she had found her lost spouse? 5. To keep her humble: had she immediately enjoyed his preseuce upon her rising and opening to him, she might have thought that she had, by those actions of hers, deserved such a favour at his hands; therefore, to hide pride from her, and to let her know the notiiingncss of all her doings, and that they fell abundantly short of meriting such a blessing, he withdraws himself: our enjoyiiient»of Christ's presence, and the commuuications of his love and grace to us, as much depend on his free and sovereign will, as tlie first display of his grace to us; he gives these favours at pleasure, and that to whom, when, and where he pleases. 6. To show her the odious nature of sin, which was the cause of this; and that she might, through grace, be more upon her guard against it, and be more cautious of provoking him to it again: it was sin that was the cause of the angels being turned out of heaven, the place of the divine abode; and of Adam's being driven out of Eden, from the presence of the Lord God; and though sin cannot dissolve the u.iion that is between Christ and a believer, nor destroy his covenantinterest in him; yet it is often the cause of God's hiding his face, and Christ's withdrawing his presence from him;" Your iniquities have separated between you and vour God, and your sins have hidden his face from yon," says the prophet Isaiah, chap. lix. 2, to the people of Israel; and it was the church's unbecoming carringe to Christ, which was the cause of his withdraiviug from her Dovv; and therefore to bring her to a sense of it, and to see the odious nature thereof, he withdraws himself; that when she enjoyed it again, she raight be more careful not to provoke hini again, by such steps as these: and such an effect it had npoa her, in chap. iii. 4, 5, where she not only held him fast herself, and would not led him go; but also charges the daughters of Jerusalem to give him no molestation or disturbance.

3rdly. The clmrch makes use of two words here to express Christ's departure from her, " My beloved had withdrawn himself, and was goue;" which signify and import, 1. That this was done suddeuly and secretly, unseen, at an unawares to her, and unexpected by her; so the word translated, " had withdrawn himself,"'' signifies a doing it secretly; he " turned himself about, and was gone" in a moment; he withdrew himself privately froiE the door, and passed by the window, and was gone; so that she could not set eyes upon him, nor hear any tidings of him. 2. That he was gone at a very great distance in her apprehensions: so believers think sometimes, when Christ has withdrawn himself from them, that he is gone a great way off, is not within call, and will never return more: see Psalm x. 1, and this is thought by some,'' to be the import of the first word; and the other, being added to it, heightens the sense. 3. Tiiat he was really gone: it was not a mere imagination of hers, but it vva« certainly so; whieh she found to her great grief and sorrow. 4. The doubling of the words, or her ceium in loc. R. David Kimchi in lib. Shorash. rad. pDn and to this purpose Montanus and Pagnine translate it; the one renders it, circuierat.the other, Terteret se. '' Vid. R. Aben Ezra and Brightman using those two words without a copulative, he " had withdrawn himself, was gone," which she seems to speak iu the utmost haste and confusion, represent the strength of her passion, the greatness of her sorrow, what a wretched disappointment she met with; and as if she was wringing her hands, and crying out, " He is gone, he is goue, he is gone." Which brings us to

III. What effect this disappointment had upon her; "my soul," says she, "failed when he spoke," or went out;' I was as one dead, I immediately fell into a swoon, and was as one whose life and soul departed. Some™ think that the church in these words excuses herself from the blame of not rising and opening to him sooner; as if she should say, I am not so much to be blamed, nor has my beloved so much reason to be provoked at, nor so highly to nssent my not rising and opening sooner; for as soon as ever I heard his voice, saying, " Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove," &c., it overcame my heart, ray soul failed at these words of his; I immediately fell into a swoon, and lay as one lifeless and helpless, and was not able to rise and open to him; but as soon as ever I came to my senses, and was recovered a little oat of this fit, I arose and opened to hira; but it does not; appear from the context, that she did fall into such a fit at his calling to her, or was rendered noti compos mentis: for she was capable all the while of observing all his words and ways; how he carried himself to her, and proceeded with her; what steps he took, and methods he used, till he had brought her to arise and open. Therefore the words seem rather to be expressive of that cDufusion of mind she was thrown into, when she found he was gone; even as it is said of the queen of Sheba, that " there was no more spirit in her;" occasioned through wonder and surprise iu beholding Solomon's wisdom, and the order and management of his house and servants, that she knew not what to think or what to say: so the church' here being surprised at Christ's absence, her soul fails her, no spirit is left in her; she knew not what to think, say, or do: or else they are expressive of the exceeding grief and sorrow tliat she was overwhelmed with; " my soul failed when he spoke," or " at his word;° that is, at the remembrance of it:" 0! now I call to mind how lovingly, kindly, and teuderly he spoke to me, when he said, " Open to me, my sister, my love," &c., yet, vile, ungrateful wretch, as I am, I took no notice of it; I put him off with idle excuses, I kept my bed and indulged myself in sloth and ease; but now it cuts me to the heart, it grieves me, I cannot bear up under it; when I remember his love, and my unkindness, I siuk, I faint, I die; I cannot live without his presence; his absence is death unto me; my soul fails at his words of love and grace which he spoke to me, and at his word of commaud which he enjoined me; to which, being disobedient, I have now lost his company, which is intolerable to me. She seems to be much in the same case that tho Psalmist was, when he said. Psalm cxliii. 7, " Hear me speedily, 0 Lord, my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit."

IV. Being somewhat recovered out of her fainting fit, she rallied together all the spirit and strength she had, and out she goes in search of her lost spouse; the methods she took, and how she succeeded therein, are as follow:

1st. She sought him, namely, in the public ordinances, " in the streets and broad ways of the city," as she had done before, in chap. iii. 2, and that with the same success; " she sought him, but found him not." The rature of seeking a lost Christ, and how to be performed, as also why the church succeeded no better, have been there shown; which will equally serve to explain and illustrate this.

2ndly. She called him, to wit, by name, as she went along the streets and broad ways; that is, she prayed unto him, that he would manifest himself to her in his own ordinances; and no doubt but the method she took was right, and may serve to instruct us, that we should not only before we attended upon an ordinance, pray for the presence of Christ in it; but also, when we are attending, our souls should be breathing after, and secretly begging for it. But how did she succeed herein? she " called him, but he gave her no answer;" resolving still to chastise her for her former ingratitude; to try her faith, and exercise her patience; to inflame her love to him, and increase her desires after communion with him. But, 1. This seems contrary to those kind promises; " Ask, and it shall be given; seek, and ye shall find, &c., call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee," &c.; but she asked, and it was not given to her what she asked for; she sought, but found not; she called, but no answer is returned: to which it may be replied, that God does, and certainly will make good his own promises, and fulfil the petitions of bis people; yet he does not always answer immediately, nor just in that way which they are desirous of: the church had his upholding presence, though not sensible communion with him; she was so far answered, as to be " strengthened with strength in her soul," to continue in her search and inquiries after him; though she had not those manifestations of his grace and love, which she was desirous of. 2. It is a very great affliction to a believer, when he labours under such apprehensions, that his prayers are not heard and answered: the church mentions this among