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

2. The cure the Lord provides, is, the furnishing of his Church ⟨p. 145⟩with Discipline, and the giving of directions for managing of it in these words, Take us, &c. Wherein consider these four, 1. To whom it's directed. 2. What is required. 3. A motive insinuate in the expression, take us. 4. The extent of the direction, for the obviating of a question. It may be supposed to be directed to one of four. 1. Either to the Bride; or, 2. To Angels; or, 3. To Magistrates; or, 4. To Church-guides. Now it's to none of the first three, Therefore it must be to the last and fourth: First, It is not to the Bride: For, 1. The word take in the Original, is in the plural-number, and signifieth take ye: now the Lord useth not to speak to the Church, but as to one. 2. He says, take us, and so taking the Bride in with himself, as a party for whom this service is to be performed, the speech must be directed to some third. 2. It's not directed to Angels, these are not spoken to in all this Song; and this being a duty to be performed while the Church is militant, they come not in to gather the tares from the wheat, till the end of the world, nor to separate the bad fish from the good, till the net by fairly on the shore. 3. This direction cannot be given to the Magistrate; for, beside that he is not mentioned in this Song, nor as such, hath he any part in the ministry of the Gospel, or capable to be thus spoken unto (although the duty from the force of it's argument will also reach him in his station, because he should so far as he can prevent the spoiling of Christ's Vineyard in his place) Beside this, I say, this direction must take place in all times, whenever the Church hath such a trial to wrestle with, otherwise it were not suitable to Christ's scope, nor commensurable with her need: Now for many hundreds of years the Church wanted Magistrates, to put this direction in practice, yet wanted she not foxes, nor was she without a suitable capacity of guarding her self against them, by that power wherewith Christ hath furnished her. It remains therefore, 4. That it must be spoken to Christ's Ministers, and Officers in the Church, called rulers in the Scripture, and in this Song, watchmen and keepers of this Vineyard, as by office, contradistinguished from professors, Chap. 3. 3. and 5. 7. and 8. 11, 12. Such the Church never wanted, such are required to watch (Act. 20. 24.)

2. The cure the Lord provides, is, the furnishing of his Church