An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song,: commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.

VERS. 3, 4.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowells were moved for him.

I rose to open to my beloved, &c.

IN these and the 3. following Verses, we have the is∣sue of the Spouses negligence, that Christ absented and withdrew himselfe. There are three things set downe of what befell the Spouse.

1. Christs withdrawing of himselfe, he leaveth her for a time to her selfe, and to her owne wayes; but it is said, My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore. Christ did not wholly leave his Spouse though he did withdraw: and therefore,

2. We have Christs gracious dealing with her, not wholly withdrawing himselfe, but puts his finger into the hole of the doore, and thereby leaves some sweetnesse behind him before his departure, So that her hands dropped downe Myrrhe, &c.

3. The successe of Christs departure, and with∣drawing of himselfe, Her bowells were moved in her, which were hard before, whereupon she opens to her be∣loved, as now being willing to receive him, but he is not at her call ready to be found, he was gone and past, not indeed, but according to her sence and feeling, and that onely for a time. After this, like one that falleth into a swoone, she is void of inward comfort, and sence of Christs presence, where she saith, My soule failed when he spake, that is, when I remembred the words which he did speake.

And lastly, she cannot find her beloved, she then

enquires of the Watch-men of the City, but she recei∣veth no comfort from them, but they are like Jobs friends, of whom it is said, Cold comforters are you all, Job 16. 2. for they wound her conscience, and dis∣gracefully use her, where it is said, They tooke away her Veile from her. So in her present apprehension, she passeth all meanes of recovery, yet in the following verses, she doth recover her selfe againe, because Christ left her not wholly, but leaves some of his sweetnesse behind him before he departed from her.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore.

The Spouse is no sooner fallen into this spirituall languor and drousinesse, making excuses for her sloath and security, but Christ comes to rouse her up, and that first by withdrawing himselfe after a sort from her, but yet he will first leave that behind him, that shall both raise her up to seek after him, and sup∣port her in her afflictions. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore, &c.

My beloved put in) or, (as it is in the Hebrew) sent his hand, or, put it forth: the putting forth of the hand usually signifies the effecting of some work; as in Gen. 3. 22. & 12. 10. Hereby is noted, that Christ had some enterprize on the Spouse, he was not willing she should be at ease in her fleshly and carnall condition.

His hand, that is, his spirit, by which he moved up∣on her, by which he went to awake her. For as the finger of God (in Luke 11. 20.) meaneth the Spirit of God, so doth his Hand. Hence it is said, that when the Spirit of the Lord went out with the ministry of the Disciples, The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord, Acts 11. 19.

So in that it is said, Christ put in his hand it's meant, he did inwardly move upon her heart, by the sweet and secret opperation of his glorious Spirit.

In at the hole) or, downe by the hole, towit, of the doore, as it's added in our Translation. The similitude is taken from hence, when a doore is locked, yet there is a key-hole at which one may put in his hand, or look in, and so here, when the hearts of the faithfull be after a sort locked up, and Christ standeth at the doore of the heart, and calleth, and knocketh, yet they doe not open unto him, but make excuses, he findeth some little entrance or hole, as through the doore, to put in his hand of spirit, to touch the inward parts of the heart; that so he might leave some print of his fingers before he did depart.

Hence Observe,

That Christ never leaves his Spouse so, but that he leaves some prints of his spirit and grace behind him, upon her soul. Hence it is, the soule doth so linger after him, when he hath withdrawne himselfe, and never rests untill it finds him againe. There is never a finall desertion, as we see here. Christ puts his hand in at the doore, he leaves some inward workings of his gracious spirit, to quicken the soule to seek after him, and also to sup∣port it in its affliction. Christ stands at the doore, and leaves Myrrhe behind him, something in the heart that causeth a restlesse longing after Christ, as appears by that which followeth this touch of his Spirit.

And my bowells were moved for him.

Some read the words thus, My heart was affectioned toward him. Master Ainsworth thus, My bowells made a troubled noise, or sounded within me. Whereby is

meant, that all the inward affections and powers of the mind, are moved with griefe and sorrow. Now she is grieved and displeased with her selfe, now she lamenteth her owne folly, that she was so undutifull towards her beloved, now her heart is againe wrapt with love of him, now she will entertaine him. Here∣by is signified then all her disquietnesse and sorrow of heart for her beloved, whom she had so neglected, and put from her, when he desired to come in. Thus the Prophet declares his sorrow, by saying, My bowells, my bowells, I am pained at my very heart, my heart maketh a noyse, I cannot hold my peace, Jer. 4. 19. And so God himselfe, in pity of Ephraims calamity, faith, My bowels sounded (or were troubled) for him, I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord, Jer. 31. 20. So here, the Spouse, by the sounding of her bowells, sheweth the griefe and sorrow of her heart, her mourning and lan∣guishing after her beloved.

Hence Observe,

First, That the power of Christs Spirit makes a great change in those into whom it comes. Behold here the power of the Spirit, what an alteration it makes in men, how far it changeth them from that which they were before: downe goeth the power of the flesh where it commeth. An example of it you may see in the Apostles of Christ: how weake and how fearfull were they at Christs sufferings, but after the holy Ghost came downe upon them in the day of Pente∣cost, of a company of weake and trembling Lambs, they became so many mighty Lyons, they feared not the whole world. So it is with all Saints, they be heavy, and lumpish and dull, when the flesh hath the stroke, and beareth the sway, every small impediment

is a hinderance, and ministreth some excuse to keep them back, and the excuses seem also to be reasonable, but when the touch of the holy Spirit commeth, that Christ put in his hand at the hole of the doore, then there is a quicknesse, a life and moving, then nothing can let, but they will seeke Christ. It is a wonderfull change and alteration that the Lord makes in man, when he putteth downe the flesh, and raigneth him∣selfe by the power of his Spirit. We remaine dull, slow, fearfull, weake and negligent, because we rest in our owne power so much, and in the power of the spi∣rit so little.

Object. But some will say, Doth not Christ dwell al∣wayes in the hearts of his people? How then is it said that Christ knocketh to have them open unto him, and let him in, and they make excuses to put him off? Or how is it then that he toucheth them with his spirit now, which they had before?

Answ. We must note, that there be degrees of the measure of the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles had the spirit before Christs ascension, but not in that measure as afterward: so also Christ dwelleth in all the Saints, even in those that have the least sparke of true light, but he knoketh to have them open the doors of their hearts wider, and to receive him after a more full manner. And thus we have the Psalmist, saying, Lift up your heads yee gates, and be ye lift up yee everlasting dooes, and the King of glory shall come in, Psal. 24. we must set our hearts wide open, that Christ may come in, and reigne over us, and wholly sway us by the Scepter of his Spirit.

Secondly Observe,

That Christ never so deserts his Spouse, but leaves some∣thing

behind him which makes her sensible of his absence, and restlesse in her desires after him. Hence the Spouse is troubled in spirit, sorrow and calamity presently fell upon her, when she faith, My bowells were moved for him. That is, my heart was affectioned towards him, all my inward affections and powers of my mind were moved with griefe and sorrow, I was restlesse in my spirit after him, nothing in the world would con∣tent me but the injoyment of my beloved, and com∣munion with him, whom once I enjoyed with unspea∣kable delight. These, and such like affections was the Spouse moved withall. The Spouse is not only affected inwardly in her mind, but she is also stirred up to seeke after her beloved, as appears in the follow∣ing verse.

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Misit, emi sit, demisis, im misit.