I have put off my coat
In order to lie down on her bed at night, and take her ease;
meaning her conversation garments, which she had not been careful
of to keep, but had betook herself to carnal ease and rest, and
was off her watch and guard, ( Nehemiah
4:23 ) ( Revelation
16:15 ) ; and being at ease, and free from trouble,
affliction, and persecution, was unwilling to arise and go with
her beloved, lest she should meet with the same trials and
sufferings as before, for the sake of him and his Gospel; which
may be greatly the sense of her next words; how shall I put
it on?
which suggests an apprehension of difficulty in doing it, it
being easier to drop the performance of duty than to take it up
again; and shows slothfulness and sluggishness, being loath and
not knowing how to bring herself to it; and an aversion of the
carnal and fleshly part unto it; yea, as if she thought it was
unreasonable in Christ to desire it of her, when it was but her
reasonable service; or as if she imagined it was dangerous, and
would be detrimental to her rest, and prejudicial to her health;
I have washed my feet;
as persons used to do when come off of a journey, and about to go
to bed F5, being weary; as she was of
spiritual exercises, and of the observance of ordinances and
duties, and so betook herself to carnal ease, and from which
being called argues, how shall I defile them?
by rising out of bed, and treading on the floor, and going to the
door to let her beloved in; as if hearkening to the voice of
Christ, obeying his commands, and taking every proper step to
enjoy communion with him, would be a defiling her; whereas it was
the reverse of these that did it: from the whole it appears, that
not only these excuses were idle and frivolous, but sinful; she
slighted the means Christ made use of to awaken her, by calling
and knocking; she sinned against light and knowledge, sleeping
on, when she knew it was the voice of her beloved; she acted a
disingenuous part in inviting Christ into his garden, and then
presently fell asleep; and then endeavoured to shift the blame
from herself, as if she was no ways culpable, but what was
desired was either difficult, or unreasonable, or unlawful; she
appears guilty of great ingratitude, and discovers the height of
folly in preferring her present ease to the company of Christ.