Song of Solomon 3:4 [It was] but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
Ver. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them.] It is probable that, lighting upon these watchmen, she promised herself much counsel and comfort from them, but was disappointed. It pleaseth God many times to cross our likeliest projects, that himself alone may be leaned upon. The poor soul in distress is apt to knock at the creature's door for comfort, to shark abroad, and to look this way and that way, as David did, for help. Yea, many use the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ. It is a good note that one a makes upon this text, that she was a little past the watchman; which shows, saith he, that the Lord delays comfort, to draw his Church, through all his means, from the lowest to the highest, where she findeth in short time comfort; but many times not till she is past, that they might not attribute it to the excellence of the means, but unto God.
But I found him whom my soul loveth.] Christ, as he therefore threateneth that he may not be put to punish, b so he therefore hides himself, otherwhise, that he may come in again to his people with more comfort: and his usual time to come in to them is, when they have well-nigh done looking after him, as he dealt by those two that were travelling to Emmaus, Luk 24:13 when they have hanged up their hopes and their harps together, and are ready to cast away their confidence, and to leave looking any longer. "When the Son of man comes" - viz., with an answer to his people's prayers, which they have now even given up for lost labour - "shall he find faith upon the earth?" Luk 18:8 i.e., Will anybody ever think that, having stayed so long, he would yet come at last? Christ loves to comfort those that are forsaken of their hopes, and to give a blessing to those times and means whereof we despair. The pains cannot be cast away which we resolve to lose for Christ.
I held him, and would not let him go.] She held him with both hands earnestly; for faith hath two hands, one receiving Christ from God, the other giving the believer to God. With both she holds Christ - "the king is held in her galleries" by the bonds of love, by the cords of kindness, Son 7:5 he is even held prisoner in her company - but especially with the former. She holds him as Jacob did, Gen 32:26 though with much conflict. The devil strikes hard at her hand, and would make her loose her hold. Hence faith is fain to tug and wrestle, even till it sweat again. And therefore Paul calls it το εργον, the difficult "work of faith," 1Th 1:3 because the believer hath such ado to hold his own. If he cannot hold with his hands, he will make use of his teeth - as it is reported c of Cynegirus, that noble Athenian, and of our Sir Thomas Challoner, d in the wars of Charles V - any shift he will make rather than part with Christ, whom his soul loveth: having fastened on the tree of life, rather than drown, he is resolved to pull it up by the very roots. Let God fight against him with his own hand, and offer, as it were, to kill him, yet he will hang on still; he will trust, in an angry God, in a killing God, as Job; and as Jacob, he will wrestle, and not let go, though alone, and in the night, and upon one leg. "Lo! this is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek thy face": this is Jacob; Psa 24:6 these be "Israelites indeed." Joh 1:47
Until I had brought him into my mother's house.] That is, Into my conscience, say some - where faith dwelleth, and Christ by faith. Rom 10:10 Gal 4:19 Into the synagogues of the Jews, say others, or into the congregations of the Gentiles. They do best that understand it of the Catholic Church, the supernal Jerusalem, that "Mother of us all," figured by Sarah, Galatians 4:24 ; Gal 4:26 where Christ hath most delightful dwelling, a comfortable commoration, and, as it were, conjugal cohabitation with his spouse, chamber fellowship. Jdg 15:1
a Mr Dudley Fenner.
b Ideo minatur, ut non puniat. - Chrys.
c Aelian,
d Camden.