SONG. Chap.1. over with thorns , nettles hid covered the face tbereoJ, &c. Prov.24 30, 3 t .And by outward violence & perfecution, the Church may beflattered abroad, Alts 8. rand when Judah was caps ived.the folemne feaffs and fabbaths were forgotten in Zinn, &c. Lane. a.6, &c,And oftentimes for the finnes of his peo- ple God fendeth perfecution and aftlitions upon them, Efay 5.2,5,6.Lam.1.t4,t8,2z.TheChal- dee Paraphraft expoundeth this verle thus: The Congregation of Ifrael fayd before the peoples., Defile me not becaufe I am blacker then you,, becaufe I have done work like yours , and have worfhipped the Swine andMoone; for pie Prophets they bavebeone the, mule that the fierce wrath of the Lordhatb come down upon one; and they learned me to ferve your idols , and to wall in your fatntes: but the Lord of the world , who is my God, bin have I not ferved, nor walked in his flamees, neither have I kept his precepts and bit Law. 7 Verfe 7.7 ea mt]or,Shew,dtclare unto me.A third requeft which the Church maketh unto Chrilt, for initruttion in the adminiftration of his Kind dome here on earth; that as hee load formerly made her partaker of his heavenly calling, fo he would dire& her further unto the place where, andmanner how he feedeth his flock, in his pub - like Aft-embly the Church, (whereunto the Lord addeth daily fuch as (hall be laved, Alts 2.47.) that there flee maybe under his government,enjoy bis ordinances,increafe in knowledge, f..ith, and all other graces;nlay be flrengthned againft tenta- tions, and af0i &ions. Somen are commanded, Seek the Lord,and hie flrength ; feeke his face continnally, PG I o 5.4.And,Vnto theplace which the LordyourGod fhalI chufe out of ail your gribes, to put bit name there ;e- ven unto his habitation frail ye fèeke,and thither thou (bale come, 6r c. Deut.i 245. That place is not alwayes eafie to be difcerned; for many w ill falfly fay, Lot here id Cbrift, VT loe be it there, Marker 3.31.22. and tòmetimesChrill, for mens fins, withdraw - eth himfe]f,Song.5.6.God hideth his face, Deut. 32.20. and faith, 'will not feed you, Zach.i1.9. Sometime the Wonsan is forced to flye into the rrilderneffè, where the is nourifhed of God many dayes, Rev.' 2.14. and fometime the (late of the Church is fisch, as that it doth not for the pre - lent injoy the Parlors that fhould feed and guide the fame,A&s 14.2 1,22,23. Tit. t.5. my fulc Jo- verb] this fignifieth unfeigned and fervant love, with a longing defire to injoy the fellowfhip of her beloved:therefore the ufeth this pbrafe again, When in the abfence of aria, the earneftly leek - eth for him inChap.3.verfe-rrX,3,4.Like it,is the affe&ing or longing of the foule,inGen.34.8.the knitting of thefoule,i Sam.18.r. the delighting of the fonle,Efay 4a.r.and fimdry the like. where thoufeedeft ] or, how thoufèedeft ; bow those ma- ' kefl to refl. feed!' i .1 Hebr. wilt feed, that is, art wont to feed , or ulually and continually feedeff, to weet, thy flock; which word (as being eafie to be underflood) is often omitted;as in Gen, 37, i6. and 29.7. Feeding implyeth all the duties ofa Pallor or Heirder, as to lead in and out, to give pafture and water í to govern with the rod and itaffe, &c. P1a1.23. Wherefore Kings are laid to fiedas Palors,Pfa.78.7o,70,72.So Chrift,as King andgreat Pafi or ofibe fheepe,Heb. t 3.2 o.doth by his Miniftery, with his Spirit , Word, Scales, Cen- litres,&c.feed his people; for whom he laid down his life : he calleth them by name, leadeth them out, goeth before them, faveththem from wolves that would dévoure,giveththem eternall life,and tijey (hall never perifh: Joh.s o. Of him it is pro- pbclìed, Flee fhall feed bit f ock like a fhepheard; bee frail the Limbo with his arme , and cart' them in his bofomt, bee fballgenty lead those that are with young, Efay 40.11. Therefore thee defireth to bee under his guidance , and in his fold, that he fee- ding her the may not lacke : or defireth to know- the manner how Chrilt feedeth, that the likewilè may fo feed her kids : as verf.8. m.ikeft so refl]or, male to lye downe , and fo givers re4 to thy flocke. Both thefe workes ofgraceGod promifethto Isis people, with other the like, Paying, I will both fiarcb my fbeepe, and feke them out ; I will feed them in a good pafture ; I will f ed my flake, and I will mule them to lye down, faith the Lord God; I will feeke that winch was loft , and bring again that which roes driven a- way , and will bindup that which mat broken, and will ffr,ngthen that which was tick: but Iwill dellroy the fat and the frog, andwill feed them with judgement, Ezek.34.11,140 5,16. at tmone] in the heat of the day ; fignifying the beat of perfecution, tri- bulation , tentat ion ; and whattbever may cattle the difquiet and griefe of his flocke. In the midis whereofChrift giveth fafe repofe unto his cheep: which have peace in him, though in the world they have afi&ion, for hee hath overcome the world, John 16.33. T hey fbaa not hunger nor tbirft, neither fball the beat nor Soonne finite them : for he that bath mercyon them , fball lead them , even by the finings of water fhall he guide them, Efay 49. 10. that turnetb afide] or, at one that inwrappeth, or that cove- rob her felfe, or, that is covered, or zeyled : this lat- ter fence the Greeke verfion giveth, according to the ufuall fignification of the Hebrew word.And this covering either is a ftgne offorrow and thane; as mourners sled to cover their faces,Ezek.24.17. or,of lightneffe and dilhonefty , as Thamar was thought to be an harlot becaufe fise had covered her face, Gen.38.14,IS.So here the Spoufe defireth to knowwhereChrift feedeth, left the fhould wan- der about and feeke him with borrow ; and be by others reputed an harlot;for the would e (chew all appearance of evill.Or,by laying, as one that tur- neoh afide, the intimateth her peril' , left through want of him whom free loveth, thee fall into the hands of others, which boatitobeCh rifts com- panions,and fo in her fait h & manners be corrup- ted : as were the Churches of Gslat ia,Gahi 6,7. For when men have not their abiding in the Lords inheritance,thcyare in danger to be drawn unto the fervice of other gods; as David acknow- ledgeth in s Sam.26.19. Pocket ,fthyeampanions] or, herds of thy felhwes; for. Gneder, is both a flecke and an herd , Joel 1.18. It tee meth here ro meane the congregations of falls' C h rills, and fai fe Pro - phcts,which come in Isis name, faying lam Ch4, asid doe deceive many, Matth.24.5,24. 2 Pet.2. 1,2.
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