Section 546
I. The church's case here appears to be, absence of her beloved
Which is not only manifest from her seeking of him, though that clearly shews that he was absent from her, but also from the time in which she sought him, which was by night; for as Christ's presence makes the believers day, so his absence makes it night with them; as well as from the place where. the sought him, and that is, upon her bed; which shews that she was in a sleepy, slothful and secure frame of spirit, which is never attended with a lively sense and feeling of Christ's gracious presence. Now from this being the church's case, we may observe, 1. That the change of a believer's frame is often very sudden; not only their frames are changeable, but they are often changed: it was not long since that the church was in the banqueting-house with Christ, and there had her. fill of love, and was sweetly refreshed with his gracious presence: and though she fell into a relapse of dullness and sleepiness, yet he in love visits her again, and recovers her out of it; insomuch that she became so lively in the exercise of her faith, that she could claim her interest in him, and relation to him, and say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his;" and yet now she is at a loss for him, and knows not where he is; she is grown dull and sleepy, carnal and secure, and he withdraws himself from her; so that a believer can sometimes say, as the Psalmist did (Psalm 30:7), "Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong;" and perhaps immediately, nay, almost at the very same time complain, "thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." 2. That Christ absents himself from his own church and people; he hides his face from the house of Jacob," from his own flesh and blood, from his love, his bride and spouse; which he does both for her good; and for the advancement of his glory: though Christ's absence is very uncomfortable and disquieting to his people; they cannot tell how to bear it, especially when they are sensible of it; for sometimes they are not, but are attended with sleepiness, carelessness and security; he is gone from them, and they are not aware of it, and therefore are unconcerned about it, until such time as they are awakened by him; and then they are made sensible that he is withdrawn from them: not but that Christ is always present with his church in some sense, though they have not always the comfortable sense of it upon their souls. 3. That Christ's absence does not dissolve that covenant-interest and union which his people have in and with him; though there may be a distance as to communion, yet there is a nearness as to union; she was his, and he was hers, now as much as ever, though absent.; from her; neither did it destroy that love and affection which she had in her heart towards him; for still it is "him whom her soul loveth," though she could not see him nor hear of him.