CAP. 3. after tlíe Captivity. 1009 hand in the bordering mountaines,. as is generally hewed in the 1aft verle of the former Chapter.This calamity is declared in feeking her beloved, which is.firft begun indherbed, in this verse; Now her bed is the Temple,as before Chap. I. 16. Our bed ie ,greene. This fearch was made in the night,-namely when the true worfhipofGod was mach (Marred, and altogether over-whelmed with night-like darkneffe. The Church therefore complaineth it was filch a time, wherein true Religion was trodden down, fo that Chrift whom the faithful) thirfted for, was no where to be found in his true wor(hip. T.hefe.things then belong to that defolation which Antiochus Epi- phanes brought upon them, who robbed the Temple, forbad Sacri- fices,_ offered Swines fleih in the Temple, conftrained them to wor- .fhip ftrange gods, compelled them to leave cireumcifing their chil- dren, burned their holy Bookes, and left no manner of wickednefTe unattempted. This wofull fpeelacle Daniel did manifeftly declare almoft 300. yeeres before, Chap. 8.9, io, &c. and t r. 28, 29, &-c. And it is faid to bedone, i Maccab. i. from the z ;. verfe, to the end of the Chapter. The Temple was not cart down as by Nebu- chadnezza', but wofully deformedand (hut wp from the true wor- (hippers, whence the faith, Shefoxfsht him in the Bed, but foundhim not. The Bed remained empty and Chriwas gone. Vert. 2. T Will rife noW,andgoabout the Citie, in the fireets and. in the broadWares : I Willfeekk,him Whom myfoxlloveth, I fought him but I found him not. The fccond fearch which fheweth that Chrift was nóronfÿ ab- fent from the Temple, but likewife was not to be found in the holy city. Ifevery corner were fought never fo diligently , there could bee found no footftepof piety. The 'cruelty of . ntiochui wrought this effec4,who, after he`had'fácked the city, burnt it with fire, overthrew the houles and walls, carried away the women and children captives, guarded theupper city with murtherers, put the citizens to flight, and made the city an habitation of ftrangers &c. z. Maccab. 33..34. 35. and 40. No marvell if among the dregs; of fuch molt defperarely wicked men, her beloved could not be found. But what could be more elegantly fpoken to forefhew this defolation of the city? Verl 3. The Watchmen that goabout the cityfoundme., to Whom I faid : Sawye himWhom my foulleveth? She feeking the city in vaine, lighteth on the watchmen ofwhom fhe enquireth.of her beloved, faying, Haveyefeen himWhommyfoul leveth?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=