The first step then of her care is, I held him and would not let him go, as a wife having found her husband, whom she much longed-for, hangs on him lest he depart again, so doth she; which is an expression both of her fear, love, care and faith. This holding of Christ, and not letting him go, imports, 1. A holy kind of violence, more than ordinary, wherewith the Bride strives and wrestles to retain him. 2. That Christ (as it were) waits for the believers consent in this wrestling, as he saith to Jacob, Gen. 32. 26. I pray let me go: which upon the matter seems to say, I will not go, if thou wilt hold me, and have me ⟨p. 167⟩stay. 3. It imports an importunate adhering to him, and not consenting upon any terms to quit him. And lastly, it imports the singular and inexpressible satisfaction she had in him; her very life lay in the keeping him still with her, and therefore she holds him, and cannot think of parting with him. Now this presence of Christ (being spiritual) cannot be understood in a carnal way, nor can they be carnal grips that retain him; and his power being omnipotent, it cannot be the force of a frail creature that prevails, but it is here as in Hos. 12. 2, 3. In Jacob's prevailing, he wept and made supplication, that is, an humble, ardent suing to him by prayer, with a lively exercise of faith on his promises (whereby he allows his people to be pressing) engageth him to stay; He is tied by his own love that is in his heart, and his faithfulness in his promises, that he will not withdraw, and deny them that, for which they make supplication to him, more than if he were by their strength prevailed over, and overcome; as a little weeping child will hold it's mother or nurse, not because it is stronger then she, but because the mothers bowels so constrains her, as she cannot almost, though she would leave that child; So Christ's bowels earning over a believer, are that which here holds him, that he cannot go; He cannot go because he will not. Here we have ground to observe the importunateness of sincere love, which is such, as with a holy wilfulness it holds to Christ and will not quit him, as Jacob said, I will not let thee go. 2. We may observe here the power of lively •aith (to which nothing is impossible) love and faith will stick to Christ against his own seeming entreaties, till they gain their point, and will prevail, Gen. 32. 28. 3.
The first step then of her care is, I held him and would not let him go, as a wife having found her husband, whom she much longed-for, hangs on him lest he depart again, so doth she; which is an expression both of her fear, love, care and faith. This holding of Christ, and not letting him go, imports, 1. A holy kind of violence, more than ordinary, wherewith the Bride strives and wrestles to retain him. 2. That Christ (as it were) waits for the believers consent in this wrestling, as he saith to Iacob, Gen. 32. 26. I pray let me go: which upon the matter seems to say, I will not go, if thou wilt hold me, and have me ⟨p. 167⟩stay. 3. It imports an importunat adhering to him, and not consenting upon any terms to quit him. And lastly, it imports the singular and inexpressible satisfaction she had in him; her very life lay in the keeping him still with her, and therefore she holds him, and cannot think of parting with him. Now this presence of Christ (being spiritual) cannot be understood in a carnal way, nor can they be carnal grips that retain him; and his power being omnipotent, it cannot be the force of a frail creature that prevails, but it is here as in Hos. 12. 2, 3. In Iacob's prevailing, he wept and made supplication, that is, an humble, ardent sueing to him by prayer, with a lively exercise of faith on his promises (whereby he allows his people to be pressing) ingageth him to stay; He is tyed by his own love that is in his heart, and his faithfulnesse in his promises, that he will not withdraw, and deny them that, for which they make supplication to him, more than if he were by their strength prevailed over, and overcome; as a little weeping child will hold it's mother or nurse, not because it is stronger then she, but because the mothers bowels so constrains her, as she cannot almost, though she would leave that child; So Christ's bowels earning over a believer, are that which here holds him, that he cannot go; He cannot go because he will not. Here we have ground to observe the importunatnesse of sincere love, which is such, as with a holy wilfulnesse it holds to Christ and will not quit him, as Iacob said, I will not let thee go. 2. We may observe here the power of lively •aith (to which nothing is impossible) love and faith will stick to Christ against his own seeming intreaties, till they gain their point, and will prevail, Gen. 32. 28. 3.
