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

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, ⟨p. 343⟩of which that cannot be asserted, that Christ shall be always there: it must therefore be the Catholic Church, distinguished from particular Churches, or gardens. 2. He is gone to the beds of spices: As gardens have distinct plots of flowers, and beds of spices, and some particular parts are allotted for these, where especially they grow; so in the Church, Christ hath his plants, whereof some are sanctified with grace (therefore compared to spices) and these in some parts of the visible Church, are more abounding than in other parts (as spices in beds together that may be elsewhere but in particular stalks, and not so frequent) and as men love and frequent that plot of their garden most; so doth Christ most manifest himself in his Ordinances ordinarily, where he hath his spices and lilies in greatest abundance: And thus this last part qualifies the former, he is in his Church, but especially where his spices are most abounding; and therefore would you have him? seek him in his Church and amongst his people, and especially in such societies of his people, where true and lively believers are most to be found. Here observe (beside what was observed on chap. 4. 12.) Christ's Church, though it have many subdivisions, yet is it one Church, one whole Catholic Church, whereof particular Churches are parts, 1 Cor. 12. 28. 2. It is in that Church and no where else, that Christ's presence is to be found, and where believers, the spices and lilies are planted. 3.

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 incourages 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 implyeth the similiude formerly expressed, of a man's retiering 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 Catholick visible Church, as gardens signifie 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,