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

2. Her improving of this opportunity (coming, as it were, beyond her expectation) follows in the next words: she cries out in an abrupt manner, Saw ye him; she thinks they can help her, being acquaint with such cases, and therefore she will consult them; That is, she follows in, upon the little experience she had felt of their skill, to seek for help from them, and for that end to communicate her case to them, as it were after Sermon is done, or when some convenient time offers. Obs. 1. That believers, that are serious, will let no fit opportunity for meeting with Christ pass; they are accurate observers, and frugal managers of them all. 2. She observes and is glad when a word speaks home to her case, and finds her: And this is indeed the disposition of a sound and serious believer. 3. Ministers would be well acquaint themselves with soul-sickness, and expert in the various exercises and cases incident to the people of God, both in order to the finding out their disease, and the cause of it (who often can scarce make language of their own condition themselves) and also in order to the making suitable applications for the cure of it; for, this is to have the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season. 4. Believers often can say little of their cases, but in a broken and confused way; which says, Ministers had need to be the better acquaint with the spiritual cases and exercises of souls, that they may understand by half a word what they would say. 5. Believers would advert well to whom they communicate their case, this would not be done to all. 6. Ministers are suitable Physicians (though not the sole or only Physician) to whom believers would make known their soul-exercises and cases, and therefore, there should be much spiritual sympathy betwixt their people and them. 7. It's a great encouragement to a distressed soul, to impart it's case to a Minister, when in his public ⟨p. 162⟩doctrine he useth to speak pertinently unto it. 8. It's not unsuitable for exercised souls (beside the public hearing of their Minister) to have their particular queries to him in private. 9. How Christ shall be obtained, is a suitable subject for Ministers and people, in their converse together, to be mainly taken up with; and holy anxiety concerning this, is a frame fit for making addresses to Ministers;

2. Her improving of this opportunity (coming, as it were, beyond her expectation) follows in the next words: she cryes out in an abrupt manner, Saw ye him; she thinks they can help her, being acquaint with such cases, and therefore she will consult them; That is, she follows in, upon the little experience she had felt of their skill, to seek for help from them, and for that end to communicat her case to them, as it were after Sermon is done, or when some convenient time offers. Obs. 1. That believers, that are serious, will let no fit opportunity for meeting with Christ passe; they are accurat observers, and frugal managers of them all. 2. She observes and is glad when a word speaks home to her case, and finds her: And this is indeed the disposition of a sound and serious believer. 3. Ministers would be well acquaint themselves with soul-sicknesse, and expert in the various exercises and cases incident to the people of God, both in order to the finding out their disease, and the cause of it (who often can scarce make language of their own condition themselves) and also in order to the making suitable applications for the cure of it; for, this is to have the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season. 4. Believers often can say little of their cases, but in a broken and confused way; which sayes, Ministers had need to be the better acquaint with the spiritual cases and exercises of souls, that they may understand by half a word what they would say. 5. Believers would advert well to whom they communicat their case, this would not be done to all. 6. Ministers are suitable Physicians (though not the sole or only Physician) to whom believers would make known their soul-exercises and cases, and therefore, there should be much spiritual sympathy betwixt their people and them. 7. It's a great incouragement to a distressed soul, to impart it's case to a Minister, when in his publick