Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.
Ver. 4. Draw me.] Those very virgins, though they love Christ, and are affected with his incomparable sweetness, to the slighting of earthly vanities, and all tasteless fooleries of this present life, yet are they sensible of sundry obstacles and back-biasses, which cause them to call for help from heaven, "Draw me," &c., scil., by the effectual working of thy mighty Spirit, and by "the cords of kindness," Hos 11:4 that irresistible grace of thine, whereby thou dost fortiter, but yet suaviter, powerfully, but yet sweetly work upon the wills of them that belong to thee; and by a merciful violence pull them out of Satan's paws, yea, bring them from the jaws of hell to the joys of heaven. Jer 31:3
We will run after thee.] We will not only follow thee, as the straw follows the jet, or as iron the loadstone, as the seaman's needle doth the north pole, or as the hop in its growing follows the course of the sun from east to west, winding about the pole, and will rather break than do otherwise; but we will "fulfil after thee," a as Caleb did; Num 14:24 we will "run after thee," as David did; yea, we will so "run," Psa 119:32 that we may obtain, "finish our course, and receive our crown," 2Ti 4:7-8 whereof we shall not fail, if we run regularly, run forthright, Pro 4:25 run after Christ, as the Church here promiseth to do, and not step before him, as Peter presumed to do, and therefore heard, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Mat 16:23 Christ is our "forerunner, gone before us into heaven." Heb 6:10 We must "come after him," Luk 9:23 press his footsteps, 1Pe 2:21 follow him close, Mat 16:24 Eph 5:1 and, having him ever in our eye, "run with patience the race that is set before us." Heb 12:1-2 Rubs and remoras delays we shall be sure to meet with, but that must not make us stop or step back. Christ ran with a courage, though he ran with the cross upon his shoulders all the way. "Gird up your loins," 1Pe 1:13 and do likewise. Run to get the race, said blessed Bradford to his fellow sufferers, you are even almost at your journey's end. If there be any way to heaven on horseback, it is by the cross. Look to the joy that is set before you, as Christ did; "steal a look from glory," as Moses did, απεβλεπε, Heb 11:26 "lest ye be wearied and faint," or "loosened," εκλυομενοι, Heb 12:3 as the nerves are in a swoon or palsy. "Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees." Heb 12:12 Lift up your feet, as Jacob did, Genesis 29:1 , marg. after the vision at Bethel, and take long strides to Christ. Think thou hearest him say, as Cicero did once to his friend, Quamobrem, si me amas tantum, quantum profecto amas, si dormis, expergiscere; si stas, ingredere; si ingrederis, curre; si curris, advola. Credibile non est quantum ego in amore et fide tua ponam, b i.e., Wherefore if thou lovest me, as I am sure thou dost, if thou be asleep, wake thyself; if thou standest stilI, set forward; if thou art upon thy way, run to me; if thou art a-running, fly to me: little dost thou think how much I set by thy love and faithfulness. Therefore haste, haste, haste. "The joy of the Lord shall be thy strength," Neh 8:10 so that thou shalt "walk and not be weary, run and not faint." Isa 40:31
The king hath brought me into his chambers.] Into the bridechamber of heaven, and hath "made me sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," mine head and husband, Eph 2:6 yea, into the inward part of the bedchamber, as the word here used signifieth, Son 3:4 there to have familiarity with him, that I may be filled with his graces, Joh 1:16 and bring forth fruit to God. Rom 7:4
We will be glad and rejoice in thee.] Be glad inwardly, and rejoice outwardly; not in thy love tokens so much as in thyself. Vix diligitur Iesus propter Iesum. They that rejoice in anything but Christ, "rejoice in a thing of nought" (Amos 6:13, with Son 1:4-6). The beginning of epistles and letters anciently was Gaudete in Domino, rejoice in the Lord.
We will remember thy love.] Or, Rehearse it. Men cannot but think and speak much of what they love and like. If David's "heart be inditing a good matter," a song of love, his "tongue" will soon be the "pen of a ready writer." Psa 45:1-2 And as people, when drunk with wine, wherein is excess, are apt to sing and shout; so those that are filled with the Spirit cannot but utter those magnalia Dei, the wonderful works of God, Act 2:11 yea, express their spiritual jollity in "psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs." Eph 5:18-19
The upright love thee.] Heb., Uprightness; the abstract for the concrete, as pride for proud, Jer 50:31 rebellion for rebellious. Eze 2:7 This seemeth to be added to exclude hypocrites, those hangers on. They seem to love God, none more, but it is from the teeth outward only; and Christ may well say to them, as she did to Samson, "How canst thou say thou lovest me, when thy heart is not with me?" Jdg 16:15 Their hearts are upon their covetousness, then when with their mouths they make love, Eze 33:31 as the eagle hath his eye upon the prey when he soareth highest toward heaven. They follow Christ more for the loaves than for love, Joh 6:26 they "serve not God, but serve themselves" Rom 16:18 upon him; they serve him for gain, as children will not say their prayers unless we promise them their breakfasts. Sincerity is an utter enemy to sinisterity.
a "John fulfilled his course." Act 13:25
b Cicero, Epist. Fami'.