now and go about the city in the streets and in the broad ways, I will feek him whom my foul loveth, I fought him but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me, to whom I faid, Saw you him whom my foul loveth? It is night now with the foul, a time of darknefs and trouble or affliction. When ever Chrift is abfent it is night with a believer. He is the Sun; if he go down upon them, if his beams be eclipfed, if in his light, they fee no light, it is all darknefs with them. Here, whither the coming of the night of any trouble on her, made her difcover Chrift's abfence, or the abfence of Chrift made it night with her, is not expreffed. I rather think the latter; because fetting that afide, all things feem to be well with her. The abfence of Chrift will indeed make it night, dark as darknefs itself in the midst of all other glowing confolations. But is the spouse contented with this difpenfation? She is upon her bed; that is, of ease; the bed indeed fometimes fignifies tribulation, Rev. ii. 22. but in this book every where reft and contentment, there is not the least intimation of any tribulation but what is in the want of Christ, but in the greatest peace and opportunity of ease and reft, a believer finds none in the abfence of Chrift; though he be on his bed, having nothing to difquiet him, he refts not, if Chrift his reft be not there. She fought him; seeking of Chrift by night, on the bed, that is alone in an immediate inqueft and in the dark, hath two parts; fearching of our own fouls for the cause of his abfence; and fearching the promises for his prefence.

1. The foul finding not Chrift prefent in his wonted manner, warming, cherishing reviving it with love, nigh to it, fupping with it, always filling

its thoughts with himself, dropping myrrh and fweet taftes of love into it, but on the contrary that other thoughts croud in, and perplex the heart, and Christ is not nigh when enquired after; it presently enquires into the caufe of all this, calls itself to an account, what it hath done, how it hath behaved its felf, that it is not with it, as at other times;that Chrift hath withdrawn himself and is not nigh to it, in the wonted manner. Here it accomplisheth a diligent fearch. It confiders the love, tendernefs, and kindnefs of the Lord Jefus; what delight he takes in abiding with his faints: fo that his departure is not without caufe and provocation. How, faith it, have I demeaned myself, that I have loft my Beloved? Where have I been wandring after other lovers? and when the mifcarrige is found out, it abounds in revenge and indignation.

2. Having, driven this to fome iffue, the foul applyeth itself to the promises of the covenant, wherein Chrift is moft graciously exhibited unto it; confiders one, ponders another, to find a taste of him. It confiders diligently if it can fee, the de- . lightful countenance and favour of Chrift in them or no; but now, if (as it often falls out,) the foul finds nothing but the carcafs, but' the bare letter in the promise: if it come to it as to the grave of Chrift, of which it may be faid, (not in itself, but in refpect of the feeking foul) he is rifen he is not here, this amazes the foul and it knows not what to do. As a man that hath a jewel of great price having no occafion to use it, lays it afide as he fupposes in a fafe place; in an agony and extremity of want going to feek for his jewel, he finds it not in the place he expected, and is filled with amazement, and knows not what to do; fo is it with this pearl

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of the gospel, after a man hath fold all that he hath for it, and enjoyed it for a season, then to have it miffing at a time of need, it must needs perplex him. So was it with the fpoufe here, I fought him, faith fhe, but I found him not; a thing which not feldom befalls us in our communion with Chrift.

But what doth fhe now do? doth fhe give over and fearch no more? nay but fays fhe ver. 2. I will arife: I will not fo give over, I must have Chrift or die, I will now arife, or let me arife, and go about this business.

1. She refolves to put herself upon another course, a more vigorous inqueft; I will arife and make use of other means befides those of private prayer, meditation, felf-searching, and inquiring into the promises, which fhe had infifted on before. It carries, Firft, Refolution and a zealous, violent cafting off that frame wherein fhe had loft her love. I will arife, I will not reft in this frame. undone if I do. So fometimes God calls his church to arise and shake itself out of the duft; abide not in that condition. Secondly, Diligence, I will now take another course, 1 will leave no way unattempted, no means untried whereby I may poffibly recover communion with my Beloved.

I am

This is the condition of a foul that finds not the wonted presence of Chrift in its private and more retired inquiries. Dull in prayer, wandring in meditations, rare in thoughts of him! I will not bear this frame, whatever way God hath appointed I will in his ftrength vigorously purfue until this frame be altered, and I find my Beloved.

2. Then, the way fhe puts herself upon, is to go about the city. Not to infift upon particulars, nor to ftrain the parts of the allegory too far, the

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city here intended is the city of God, the church; and the paffing through the broad and narrow ftreets, is the diligent enquiry, that the spouse makes in all the paths and ordinances given unto it. This then is the next thing the foul addreffes itfelf unto, in the want of Chrift; when it finds him not in any private endeavours, it makes vigorous application to the ordinances of public worship; in prayer, in preaching, in administration of the feals doth it look after Chrift. Indeed the great enquiry the fouls of believers make in every ordinance is after Christ. So much as they find of him, fo much sweetness, and refreshment have they and no more. Efpecially when under any defertion they rife up to this enquiry. They listen to every word, to every prayer to find if any thing of Christ, any light from him, any life, any love appears to them. Oh that Chrift would at length meet me in this, or that fermon, and recover my poor heart to fome fight of his love, to fome taste of kindness. The folicitousness of a believer in his inqueft after Chrift, when he finds not his prefence, either for grace or confolation as in former days, is indeed inexpreflible. Much of the frame of fuch a heart is couched in the redoubling of the expreffion, I fought him, I fought him; fetting out an unconceivable paflion, and fuitably induftrious defire. Thus being difappointed at home the spouse proceeds.

But yet fee the event of this alfo; fhe fought him but found him not. It doth fometimes fo fall out all will not do, they fhall feek him and not find him; they fhall not come nigh him: let them that enjoy any thing of the prefence of Chrift, take heed what they do; if they provoke him to depart, if · they loofe him, it may coft them many a bitter en

quiry before they find him again. When a foul prays and meditates, fearches the promises in private, when it with earnestness and diligence attends all ordinances in public, and all to get one glimpfe of the face of Jesus Christ, and all in vain, it is a fad condition.

What now follows in this eftate? ver. 3. The watchmen found me, &c. That these watchmen of the city of God are the watchmen and officers of the church, is confeffed; and it is of fad confideration that the Holy Ghoft doth fometimes in this book take notice of them on no good account, plainly chap. v. 7. they turn perfecutors. It was Luther's faying, nunquam periclitatur religio nifi inter reverendiffimos. Here they are of a more gentle temper and feeing the poor difconfolate foul, they feem to take notice of the condition.

It is the duty indeed of faithful watchmen to take notice of poor, troubled, deferted fouls: not to keep at a distance, but to be willing to affift. And a truly preffed foul on the account of Christ's abfence cannot cover its love, but must be enquiring after him; faw you him whom my foul loveth? This is my condition! I have had fweet enjoyment of my bleffed Jefus, he is now withdrawn from me; can you help me? can you guide me to my confolati on? what acquaintance have you with him? when faw you him? how did he manifeft himself to you, and wherein? All thefe labourings in his abfence fufficiently discover the fouls delight in the prefence of Christ. Go one step farther to the discovery that it made of him once again, and it will yet be more evident, ver. 4, 5. It was but a little while that I paffed from them, but I found him whom my foul loved, I held him, and would not let him go, un