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

Having opened, now the Beloved is gone, like as a husband, being offended at his wives disrespect to him, should withdraw, when she at length with much ado were brought to rise; So our Lord Jesus takes that way of rebuking kindly the former unkindliness of believers, by after-desertions and withdrawings. The word is doubled, but my Beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone, or, he was gone, he was gone; which doth not only import in his carriage a sad withdrawing, and on hers an observation of it; but also a sorrowful regrate and weightednesse, as having met with a sad disappointment (as the following words clear) as if she had said, at last I opened, but alas he was gone and away! What this withdrawing of Christ is, we may know by considering what his being present is, which is not to be understood of the omni-presence of his God-head, there being no coming nor going that can be attributed to that infinite Essence, which is every-where at all times present; but it is in respect of the out-letting of his especial love, and that in the peculiar way of manifesting it to his people, and not in regard of his love it self, or of their interest in him; for, here her interest stands in him, and faith in him is exercised, and the lifelessness that she was under is removed, so that now she is acting faith, and there is a presence o•grace making her active and lively, even under this withdrawing: The thing then which is wanting, is a sensible manifestation of Christ's love to her, which now upon her yielding to open, she expected to have been ⟨p. 279⟩filled with, as a wife opening to her husband should expect his embracements, and yet in place thereof, find that he were gone: This withdrawing is no real alteration on Christ's side, nor are we to look upon it as if now she had less than before she believed and bestirred her self; for, her union with him, and the influence of his grace on her remained: But, 1. She missed that comfortable and sweet sense of love that she expected from him; that was kept up. 2. She was then more sensible that he was provoked, and found that her peace was not so well grounded, which formerly she pleased her self with, as she conceived. 3. Upon this also followed some kindly exercise, whereby Christ might make his dissatisfaction known, as a husband doth his, by his withdrawing;

Having opened, now the Beloved is gone, like as a husband, being offended at his wifes disrespect to him, should withdraw, when she at length with much adoe were brought to rise; So our Lord Jesus takes that way of rebuking kindly the former unkindlinesse of believers, by after-desertions and withdrawings. The word is doubled, but my Beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone, or, he was gone, he was gone; which doth not only import in his carriage a sad withdrawing, and on hers an observation of it; but also a sorrowful regrate and weightednesse, as having met with a sad disappointment (as the following words clear) as if she had said, at last I opened, but alace he was gone and away! What this withdrawing of Christ is, we may know by considering what his being present is, which is not to be understood of the omni-presence of his God-head, there being no coming nor going that can be attributed to that infinit Essence, which is every-where at all times present; but it is in respect of the out-letting of his especial love, and that in the peculiar way of manifesting it to his people, and not in regard of his love it self, or of their interest in him; for, here her interest stands in him, and faith in him is exercised, and the lifelesnesse that she was under is removed, so that now she is acting faith, and there is a presence ograce making her active and lively, even under this withdrawing: The thing then which is wanting, is a sensible manifestation of Christ's love to her, which now upon her yielding to open, she expected to have been