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

Her second ground is of the same nature, I have washed my feet: washing the feet, fitted and prepared for rest; mens feet in these countries, being, by walking bare-footed, someway stiffened, beaten and bruised, which by washing were eased and refreshed, as we may see, Gen. 18. 19. in Abraham and Lots carriage to the Angels, supposing them to be men: So here, it is, I have fitted and composed my self for rest, as being wearied with the painfulness of holy duties, and now she cannot endure to stir her self toward these, as if that would again defile her: In […] reasoning, there are these faults, 1. That she doth at all offer to debate a clear duty, this makes way for the snare. 2. That she interprets the study of holiness, and communion with Christ to be a trouble, and carnal security to be an ease: There will be strange misrepresentations sometimes, both of our faults and failings, and of Christ's worth and excellency, which have much influence on our deadness and sinful distempers. 3. She makes one sinful action the cause of her continuance in another: There is often a connection amongst •ins, and one draws on another; the premisses that the flesh lays down as principles, will still bear conclusions like themselves: It's unsound and unsafe reasoning from these. 4. That which should stir and persuade her to rise, to wit, that she was not right, she makes a motive of it to strengthen her self in her lazy inclination to lye still; Carnal sense draws conclusions most unreasonable in every thing, and tends still to foster it self, whereas faith and tenderness would reason the quite contrary. 5. She puts too honest a name upon her security, and calleth it the washing of her feet, which was indeed the polluting of them: ⟨p. 265⟩Fairding and plastering over our own evils, is a great fostering of security, yet too common; as to call unbelief humility, presumption faith, security peace, &c. We give to sin the name of virtue, and then without a challenge maintain it; which is a degree of putting darkness for light, and bitter for sweet, and a sort of calling evil good, which brings under the hazard of the pronounced woe, Isa. 5. 20. 6. She fails here, that she expects more ease in lying still, than in opening to Christ, whereas it is but the flesh that is troubled at Christ's presence; but, solid satisfaction is only to be had in his company: