Song of Solomon 3:5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I charge you, &c.— Here ends the second eclogue. This day's eclogue contains the hope and calling of the church; Christ's care of her; the profession of her love, her faith and hope, together with her sight, and victory in temptation. The leaping upon the mountains, like a roe or young hart, expresses the readiness wherewith Christ comes to do the will of God, joyfully surmounting all difficulties and discouragements; gradually revealing himself, chap. Song of Solomon 2:8-9 and thus addressing himself to the church; "Awake, thou who art most dear unto me, and leave these dark representations of me; for now the time is past wherein ignorance, error, and wickedness overflowed the world as floods do the earth in the winter season. Those cloudy and uncomfortable days are over, wherein thou couldst see and enjoy but little of me, Song of Solomon 2:10-11. All tokens of a new world appear, and invite thee to come and partake of those joys which the nearer approaches of the Son of righteousness produce; who makes all manner of blessings spring up in such abundance, that it causes the heavenly host to sing for joy; and therefore cannot but fill all believers with thankful hymns to him; Song of Solomon 2:12 and for this especially, that their dead hopes are revived, and they receive the earnest and beginnings of that future bills, the expectation of which is our greatest comfort in this life, and the consummation of it our highest happiness in the next; and therefore I say again, Awake, &c." The church expresses her satisfaction in this invitation, and her strong desire for further and nearer communications with her lovely and beloved heavenly Bridegroom; and gives a caution to her companions, the ministers and preachers of the word, to use their earliest diligence to discover and confute the sophistry of deceivers, who craftily insinuate their false doctrines into weak and unwary souls, and thereby too often reduce those who are newly converted, or but infirm in the faith. The church then declares the mutual love between her and her Saviour; professing that she will have nothing to do with those seducing spirits, but adhere to him alone whose dwelling is not among the subtle and crafty, but with simple and candid souls, Song of Solomon 2:16.—"Only let him be pleased to vouchsafe his gracious presence with me, and to enlighten me more and more, till I have a full knowledge of his will, and the light thereof scatter all the shadows of the law. Let my beloved also make haste to succour and relieve me in all difficulties and distresses, and shew the same readiness for my preservation and increase in the divine life, which he did for my first salvation, Song of Solomon 3:7. For in the night of doubt and persecution I sought him; I sought him in holy books and among holy men, chap. Song of Solomon 3:1-2. But he was distant from me, and I could gain no intelligence of him. At length some of the ministers and instructors of his people gave such satisfaction to my inquiries, Song of Solomon 3:3 that my soul was soon blessed with his divine presence and the full communication of his love: in which I rejoiced, and in which I will rest with delight, Song of Solomon 3:4-5."