Clavis cantici, or, An exposition of the Song of Solomon

2. The cause of her sufferings, as from men, is, They were angry with me (saith she;) She had not done them any personal ⟨p. 81⟩wrong (as David often asserts of himself, in the like case) though she was not free of sin against God; but it proceeded from a malicious, malignant disposition of the natural men of the World, who, as they hate Christ, so do they hate all that are his, Joh. 15. 18, 19. accounting them as the off-scourings of all men, and troublers of the World continually, upon no other ground, but because they are not such as themselves, and because God hath chosen them out of the World. This shows both the causelessness of their persecution, as also the degree of bitterness, that it did proceed from. From which, Obs. 1. There are no such bitter enemies unto a godly person, as a graceless malignant Professor: See Isa. 66. 5. 2. No sort of persecution doth so blacken, or obscure the beauty of an honest Believer so much, as the foul b•tter reproaches of malignant Professors. Yet, 3. Believers are often even under that cross. And 4. The best beloved Believer, even Christ's Bride, will not in the World eschew it; innocency will be no guard, but to the conscience within. And if the Bridegroom himself, while he was in the World, did not escape it, the Bride cannot think to go free.

2. The cause of her sufferings, as from men, is, They were angry with me (saith she;) She had not done them any personal ⟨p. 81⟩wrong (as David often asserts of himself, in the like case) though she was not free of sin against God; but it proceeded from a malicious, malignant disposition of the natural men of the World, who, as they hate Christ, so do they hate all that are his, Ioh. 15. 18, 19. accounting them as the off-scourings of all men, and troublers of the World continually, upon no other ground, but because they are not such as themselves, and because God hath chosen them out of the World. This shews both the causlessenesse of their persecution, as also the degree of bitternesse, that it did proceed from. From which, Obs. 1. There are no such bitter enemies unto a godly person, as a gracelesse malignant Professor: See