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

If it were asked, how the daughters could ask the Bride, where Christ was, or how she now can tell them, when she her self is seeking, and knoweth not (as she seemed to profess, chap. 5, 6, 7, 8.) where to find him? Ans. 1. Believers will often give more distinct advice to others, in their difficulties, than they can take to themselves in •heir own exercises; because light and reason guides them unbiasedly, in reference to others, and sense, inclination and affection sway too much in their own cases. 2. Believers may complain they know not how to find him, not so much from defect of light as of life, when either in their own practice, or in their success in duties, they are not answerable to what they aim at; exercised souls are ready to aggrege their own infirmities; and what is indeed in them, is to their own account as not in them, till the Lord shine upon it and quicken it, and so bring it out and make it appear.

If it were asked, how the daughters could ask the Bride, where Christ was, or how she now can tell them, when she her self is seeking, and knoweth not (as she seemed to professe, chap. 5, 6, 7, 8.) where to find him? Ans. 1. Believers will often give more distinct advice to others, in their difficulties, than they can take to themselves in •heir own exercises; because light and reason guids them unbyassedly, in reference to others, and sense, inclination and affection sway too much in their own cases. 2. Believers may complain they know not how to find him, not so much from defect of light as of life, when either in their own practice, or in their successe in duties, they are not answerable to what they aim at; exercised souls are ready to aggrege their own infirmities; and what is indeed in them, is to their own account as not in them, till the Lord shine upon it and quicken it, and so bring it out and make it appear.

In the first part of her answer, vers. 2. she speaks to these two, 1. Where Christ is. 2. What he is doing. The first gives them direction where to seek him; the second encourages them to fall about it, as a thing acceptable to him: The place where he is, is set forth by two expressions, 1. He is gone down to his garden, which implieth the similitude formerly expressed, of a man's retiring from his chamber, or closet to his garden: This garden signifies the Church, as, Chap. 4. 12. 15. and here, as opposed to gardens, in the words following, it holdeth forth the Catholic visible Church, as gardens signify particular societies, or congregations: The Church is like a garden that is within one precinct, yet divided into diverse quarters and inclosurs: This being the Church that hath the promise of Christ's presence, and where he is ever to be found, must be understood of no particular Church,