The doubting believer, or, A treatiseThe doubting beleever, or, A treatise

See this in Cant. 5. 2. Open to me (saith Christ) my sister, my ⟨p. 288⟩love, my dove, my undefiled. Here was a gracious entreaty, and full of wooing compellations: What doth the Church now? Surely she stirs, she riseth, she runneth, she easily embraceth these calls of Christ; No, ver. 3. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? What is this? She was careless, negligent, full of excuses, so those phrases import, of putting off the coat: For as the keeping on of clothes was a sign of care and watchfulness, [Nehem. 4. 23.] so the putting them off was a sign of drowsiness, of a disposition prepared for sleep or rest: Nay (she had washed her feet) which was another sign of her sleepy and negligent disposition; It being the manner in those hot countries (where ordinarily they went bare-footed) to wash their feet after ⟨p. 289⟩their travel, & so prepare them selves-to rest. The meaning of all which, is this: She made many pretences and delays; all which did spring from an acquired sluggishness and remissness of spirit.

See this in Cant. 5. 2. Open to me (saith Christ) my sister, my ⟨p. 288⟩love, my dove, my undefiled. Here was a gracious entreaty, and full of wooing compellations: What doth the Church now? Surely she stirs, she riseth, she runneth, she easily embraceth these calls of Christ; No, ver. 3. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? What is this? She was carelesse, negligent, full of excuses, so those phrases import, of putting off the coat: For as the keeping on of cloathes was a sign of care and watchfulnesse, [Nehem. 4. 23.] so the putting them off was a signe of drowzinesse, of a disposition prepared for sleep or rest: Nay (she had washed her feet) which was another signe of her sleepy and negligent disposition; It being the manner in those hot countries (where ordinarily they went bare-footed) to wash their feet after