The third motive or reason (which depends on the former two) is, yet I should not be despised, or, they should not despise me: that is, although I found thee without, and were seen kissing thee, and by confident boldness delighting in thee; yet, if thou wert familiar with me as my brother, and according to the nearness of that relation would familiarly own me, neither men, devils, tentations, nor any thing else, would have access to despise, upbraid, or reproach me for it, I would be confident against all; as a Virgin that is showing her respect to her own born brother, needs fear no reproach from that. Obs. 1. Believer• are subject to be despised, even the beloved Bride of Jesus Christ is not freed from this trial, to be little esteemed of, even as the offscourings of all things, to be reproached and shamed by men (as she was, Chap. 5. 7.) to be baffled (to say so) as an hypocrite, by the devil and tentation, as Job was, Job, Chap. 1. and 2. 2. Believers are not senseless or stupid, when reproached or despised, they may be affected with it, and my endeavour rightly to have it prevented, or removed. 3. Often the more tenderly that believers let out their affection on Christ, or their zeal for him, they are the more subject to be despised; for, when she kisses ⟨p. 424⟩Christ, she looks upon despising then▪ as waiting on her, if he prevent it not. 4. Christ's familiar presence, or, his being as a brother owning his Bride, is the great thing that guards off, and prevents despising, and procures freedom from reproach, or at least is a Bull-wark to the soul against reproaches: It's no little advantage that familiarity with Christ brings alongst with it; for, by his owning of believers, either their carriage is made so convincing, that malicious mouths are stopped, as having nothing to say against them; or they are so sustained, under all these outward or inward despisings, that they trouble them not, and so they are to them as if they were not. 5. Christ's keeping up of himself, is the dispensation under which the believer is most obnoxious to be despised: The devil, tentations, and men, usually cast up to them then, Where is their God? Psal. 42. 9, 10. and that pierces them: So our Lord was dealt with on the Cross: Job calls this the Lords renewing of his witnesses against him, whereby (as it were) tentation is confirmed in what it asserted.
The third motive or reason (which depends on the former two) is, yet I should not be despised, or, they should not despise me: that is, although I found thee without, and were seen kissing thee, and by confident boldnesse delighting in thee; yet, if thou wert familiar with me as my brother, and according to the neernesse of that relation would familiarly owne me, neither men, devils, tentations, nor any thing else, would have accesse to despise, upbraid, or reproach me for it, I would be confident against all; as a Virgin that is shewing her respect to her own born brother, needs fear no reproach from that. Obs. 1. Believer• are subject to be despised, even the beloved Bride of Jesus Christ is not freed from this tryal, to be little esteemed of, even as the offscourings of all things, to be reproached and shamed by men (as she was, Chap. 5. 7.) to be baffled (to say so) as an hypocrite, by the devil and tentation, as Iob was, Iob, Chap. 1. and 2. 2. Believers are not senslesse or stupid, when reproached or despised, they may be affected with it, and my endeavour rightly to have it prevented, or removed. 3. Often the more tenderly that believers let out their affection on Christ, or their zeal for him, they are the more subject to be despised; for, when she kisses ⟨p. 424⟩Christ, she looks upon despising then▪ as waiting on her, if he prevent it not. 4. Christ's familiar presence, or, his being as a brother owning his Bride, is the great thing that guards off, and prevents despising, and procures freedom from reproach, or at least is a Bull-wark to the soul against reproaches: It's no little advantage that familiarity with Christ brings alongst with it; for, by his owning of believers, either their carriage is made so convincing, that malicious mouths are stopped, as having nothing to say against them; or they are so sustained, under all these outward or inward despisings, that they trouble them not, and so they are to them as if they were not. 5. Christ's keeping up of himself, is the dispensation under which the believer is most obnoxious to be despised: The devil, tentations, and men, usually cast up to them then, Where is their God? Psal. 42. 9, 10. and that pierces them: So our Lord was dealt with on the Crosse: Iob calls this the Lords renewing of his witnesses against him, whereby (as it were) tentation is confirmed in what it asserted.
