Man's but a shadow, and a Picture is That shadow's shadow yet don't judge amiss. Though here you onely on the shadow look What followes read. The Substance is i'th' book.

THE INTERCOURSES OF DIVINE LOVE BETWIXT Christ and his Church, OR The Particular Believing Soul.

Metaphorically expressed by Solomon in the first Chapter of the Canticles, or Song of Songs.

Opened and Applied in several Sermons, upon that whole Chapter.

In which the Excellencies of Christ, the yernings of his bowels towards Believers, under various circumstances, the work­ings of their hearts towards, and in, communion with him, with ma­ny other Gospel Propositions of great import to Souls, are handled.

By John Collinges, D. D.

Solomon divinitus inspiratus, Christi, & Ecclesiae laudes & aeterni Connubii cecinit Sacra­menta, simul (que) expressit sanctae desiderium animae, & Epithalamii carmen exultans in spi­ritu jucundo composuit Elogio, figurato tamen. Nimirum velabat & ipse instar Moysis faciem suam, non minus forsitan in hâc parte fulgentem, to quod illo adhuc in tempore, nemo, aut rarus erat, qui revelatà facie, gloriam illam speculari sufficeret. Bernardus 1 Serm. in Cantica.

London, Printed by T. Snowden, for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich, near the Market-place. 1683.

To the Lady Ann Knightley.

Madam,

AMongst the many Spiritual mercies by which within these fifty years last past, England hath been exalted to heaven (as our Saviour said of Capernaum) the plenty of good Books hath not been the least, so as there is hardly any point in Divinity, which hath not been judiciously handled, both dogmatically, polemically, and practically, and discourses upon it published in our own Tongue. The things hid in times of Popery, yea and for many years in the be­ginning of our Reformation, have been made known; the things co­vered have been revealed; what was at first spoken in darkness, hath been told in the light, preached upon the house tops, and so published, that all those who would might read, and understand. Certainly no Nation under Heaven (of which we have any record) was ever blessed with the Means of Grace to that degree; none ever had more judicious Interpretations of the Word of God, nor more serious and faithful Applications of it to the Consciences of men and women; so as if either the Doctrine or Duty of the Gospel be yet hid to any, it is much to be feared that it is to such only who shall perish. But of all good Books we have been exalted in none more than those which have bin wrote on practical Subjects, Books of all others to be most highly valued, as more immediately serving the great end of man, in shewing him the way of Salvation, directing his coming to Christ, and walking with him, of which we have had such plen­ty, as indeed there would be no more need of writing on such Subjects, if the Vanity of our Natures did not more incline us to a discourse upon the same Argument newly wrote, than to what hath been written as well some years since, by which means, the multiplying of good Books doth not a little contribute to the much reading of good Books, and that I am sure contributes much both to knowledge and practice (the two great ends that every Preacher ought to aim at;) so as I cannot be of their mind who would have no more written of this nature, because so much hath been alrea­dy wrote, any more than I can be of theirs, who think there is now no such need of Preaching, because formerly there hath been so much. So long as there are any Souls in the World, who know [Page] not Christ, and live not up to the Rules of his Gospel, there will be need both of the one and of the other; nay, were there none such, there would be need of it, to keep up the Grace of God bestowed upon men in its warm exercise. Nor me thinks should there be one Preacher of the Gospel who should not publish the glad tidings of it, and leave some Record to the Ages to come, of his faithfulness in that work. The Riches of Divine Grace can never be too much pub­lished, we can never enough declare his love, who for our sakes be­came poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. Such like thoughts as these, Madam, have brought these Discourses into a more publick light: They were composed many years since, soon after my entrance into the publick Ministry. I am willing they should be a Testimony to the world, what Doctrine I then Preach­ed, and see no cause yet to be ashamed of, and what scope or design I have alwaies propounded to my self: The Gospel of the Kingdom; Christ; The faithsul saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jes [...] came into the world to save sinners, 1. Tim. 1. 15. The Apostle Doctrine, Acts, 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other then in Christ, for there is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved, were the great things, I took my self concerned as a Preacher to publish to the world. Together with what our Saviour hath taught us, That he who believeth him i not condemned: But he that believeth not is condemned already—shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, Joh. 3. 18. 36, and that Faith without works is dead. These were the grea [...] things I had in my eye, to open, explain, and apply to people. My apprehension that I saw much of these things revealed in the Song of Solomon (though clouded under Metaphorical expressions) was that which led me to the study of that difficult portion of holy Writ; than which undoubtedly there is no portion of the Old Testament more Evangelical, according to the common Hypothesis agreed by the most valuable Divines in all Ages, viz. That it con­tains a Dialogue between Christ and his Church, or particular believing Souls in it. If any think I might have chosen plainer Texts from which to discourse these things, I freely yield it as to many of them. But shall this excellent Book, alwaies acknowledged a sacred portion of holy Writ, by the wisest man upon earth stiled the Song os Songs (that is, the most excellent Song) lie by us as the Vision of a Book that is sealed, or be bound up in our Bibles for nothing? Or can there be any work more worthy of a Divine, than to at­tempt [Page] the clearing of so incomparable a piece of Divine Revela­tion from that darkness which it pleased God to cloath it with in a time, when the most which he spake concerning Christ, was in Types [...] Prophecies, or Metaphors. Time, together with the Sermons of [...]hrist and his Apostles, have expounded the Types and Prophecies of Christ. Is it not a work worthy of us to explain the Metaphors, that we might have a Christ wholly unveiled? There's no great fear of any dangerous erring in the case, if he that explaineth taketh care, that his Explication agreeth with plainer Revelations. Madam, I think I may further say, that there is no portion of holy Writ so copiously as this, expressing the infinite love, and transcendent ex­cellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ. None that more copiously in­structs us, what he will be to us, or what we should be toward him, and consequently none more worthy of the pains of any who desires to Preach Christ. My Meditations upon the second Chap­ [...]r composed in my maturer years, were published some years [...]nce: Those upon this Chapter have (being done in my younger time) staid, till I could get some leisure to peruse them my self, and correct some things in the stile, especially (our juvenile fan­cies, seldom pleasing us in our maturer years.) You will, I hope, Madam, pardon my Dedication of them to your Ladyship: Your [...]lf knows how great Obligations you have laid upon me: I can­not answer them: These are all the Requitals we can make our Friends for their kindnesses. Silver and gold I have none, but what I have I humbly present your Ladyship with; nor shall I have been wholly unserviceable to your Ladyship in your highest concerns, if any thing in these Discourses shall help further to inflame your Soul with love to him who is the chiefest of ten thousand, and con­tribute to the sending of your Soul to Heaven in the admiration of your Beloved, where you shall see him as he is, whom these Dis­courses will but shew you as in a glass darkly. Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

April 3. 1683.
Your Ladiships most humble Servant, JOHN COLLINGES.
[...]
[...]
[...]

TO THE READER.

SOme few years since, I was prevailed with to publish some discourses upon the Second Chapter of this excellent Song. I had then by me these upon the first Chapter, but they being composed in my young­er years, I was desirous first to peruse them, before I suffered them to come forth into the World, since which time I have had so little rest that the perusal of them hath taken up much longer time than I then thought upon. The publishing of my discourses upon the Second Chapter first ob­liged me to take something out of these discourses, to make those as intel­ligible as I could, concerning the Penman, of the Book, and the Nature form, and stile of it, which I have here restored to their due place with some advantage (all those things falling in to the handling of the first verse) I am not, upon the persual of notes composed so many years since, my self much pleased with the largeness of my discourses upon the five or six first verses, occasioned from the variety of Propositions raised from them, but there are couched in those verses some very great points, and my consulting so many expositors as I did, together with my prone­ness to suspect my own judgment rather then those whom I had reason to prefer before my self, was the cause of that. Nor did I think it much material, if I saw a Proposition offered me by any valuable interpreter as feunded on one of those verses, which I saw was a Proposition of truth, and justifiable from other Scripture, whether it were certainly there founded or no, for he pretends to too much skill, that will be too po­sitive in giving the sense of a metaphor in this or that Text. It is enough for a modest Interpreter to give a probable sense of such expressions, and to prove it from a plainer Revelation. I hope thou wilt be so charitable to me, as to think that I troubled not a Popular auditory, with all that thou wilt find here in the opening of the several verses. I bless God I was never so idle as to make up discourses to people of what I knew they did not understand. What I found in my notes put in for my own Satisfacti­on I have let go, not knowing but my book might fall into the hands of some Scholar, who might be able to judge from what Satisfied me, upon what grounds I formed such Propositions of truth as I did from the several verses so preparing the matter of more Popular, and practical dis­course. I bless God I always looked upon the work of the ministry, as the [Page] most grave, and serious employment under Heaven, whether the Mini­ster speaks with reference to explication or application. In the first he acts as an Interpreter, making the words of the eternal God, more plain, and intelligible to the infirm capacityes of his people. How great is that work to be the Lords Interpreter? In the latter he acts as an Ambassa­dor, persuading, and offering terms of peace between God, and man, and using all his art in intreating men to be reconciled to God. Who is sufficient for these things? As to the former we have no more accommo­date means, then searching the Original texts, comparing the usage of words in one Text with the usage of them in others, consulting In­terpreters who have gone before us, then using our own judgments, as to what they have said, or our own thoughts shall further suggest to us; thou wilt discern that this is the method I have used, and if in any thing I have been mistaken, I have erred neither wilfully nor singly. When I had examined the several verses, my work was to raise Proposi­tions from them so interpreted, to open them, to justify them to be divine truths from other places of plainer Revelation. For my method, and stile, it is what I judged most accommodate to the end of my work. No man discourseth to any length upon a subject without a method, some use a Cryptick method, which is only for their own conduct, others a plainer method for the advantage of others, the former may do well enough in the Schools, where the end is only to raise some subitaneous affe­ctions; I never thought it proper for the Pulpit, where the Preachers end is or should be, to inform his People in the great things of God, and to affect their hearts, and in order to it he is bound to speak with the best advantage both for their memories and understandings, thou wilt find I have kept to the ordinary plain method of explication, confirmation, and application. No man having drank old wine desireth new, for he saith, the old is better. In the proof of Propositions I have rather studi­ed the evidence of holy writ, and Scriptural reason, then other more in­certain Topicks, knowing it the duty of Ministers to take care, that the faith of their people, may not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. One plain Text of holy Writ more confirms a Proposition of Divine truth to an understanding Christian, then an hundred rational arguments. For my stile it was the least of my study, my Opinion always was that what Augustine calls diligens negligentia, was the best dili­gence as to that; while I was yet a very young man I had learn'd out of him, that it was no Solecism in a Preacher to use ossum for os, for (saith he) an Iron key is better then one made of gold, if it will better open the door, for that is all the use of the key. I had learn'd out of [Page] Hierom, that a gaudry of phrases, and words in a Pulpit is but Signum insipientiae. The words of a Preacher; saith he, ought pungere, non palpare, to prick the heart, not to smooth and coax. The work of an Orator is too precarious for a Minister of the Gospel. Gregory ob­served that our Saviour hath not stiled us the sugar but the salt of the Earth, and Augustine observeth, that though Cyprian in one Epistle shewed much of a florid Orator, to shew he could do it, yet he never would do so any more, to shew he would not. The study of words, the right placing of them for their better chiming, &c. I always thought a pue­rile, and pedantick thing, fitter for a School boy, then a minister of the Gospel. Honest Souls when they come to hear the word do not come to see Reeds shaken with the wind of Ostentation and Vain-glory, nor yet to see men clothed with the soft rayment of fine expressions and phrases, (which for the most part like such clothes have least efficacy to warm a Soul, or to keep it in any Religious heat) they come to hear a Prophet, yea more then a Prophet, a man that shall reveal the mind and will of God to them. To me the most tunable tongues in Pulpits, always ring most awke. It is beneath the gravity of a Preacher to tickle a wanton Ear. The end of all words is but to convey to our minds the knowledg of things, and those are the best words that do that best, grandia granditer dicenda. I never thought my self further concern'd as to words, then to speak in­telligibly, and so as through no rudeness or indecency of phrase to make Persons nauseate my discourse who had a just Reverence for divine things. Words will always follow matter, but matter doth not always attend words. I bless God I early discerned and avoided this trifling, rather desiring to humble that stile which was at my tongues end, then to strain my tongue to a dialect which I either thought my People understood not, or was beneath the greatness of the subjects of my discourse. If any think the portion of Scripture undertaken in these discourses not fit for a Preacher, they should do well to consider, whether it be not a portion of holy writ, and such a portion as the eminentest Divines in all ages, and of all per­suasions have thought worthy their pains to inquire the sense of. Having thus far Apologized for the following discourses I leave them to thy can­dor and judgment, begging Gods blessing upon them to thy Souls advan­tage,

April 3. 1683.
JOHN COLLINGES.

The First Chapter of the Song of Solomon paraphra­sed, and turned into English Meeter, so as it may be Sung in the Ordinary Tunes, in which the Eng­lish Psalms are sung.

I.
THE Kisses of thy Mouth (Dear Lord)
V. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.
Let my Soul only have,
No Earthly thing I do desire,
No worlds fine things I crave.
Of thy mouth.
Let me thy Gospel Doctrines have,
By them O speak to me
So by thy Grace, that I in them
Thy special Love may see.
II.
A Kiss Lord! is but a small thing,
But a Love-token 'tis,
The Least of that is Sweet to me,
Lord grant me but a kiss.
One Kiss is sweet, but not enough:
Kisses pl.
Let me more kisses have;
My wants are more than one, therefore
More Kisses I do crave.
III.
Thou hast varieties of Grace
My Soul of wants as much:
[Page 2]
For thy loves are better then Wine.
As are my wants, my dearest Lord,
O Let thy Loves be such.
Drunkards are pleas'd with wine, but I
In it no tast can find.
O Let me only know, that thou
To my poor soul art kind.
IV.
The knowledge thou hast given my soul
How much thy Loves are worth,
Above created things is that
Alone which draws it forth
In breathings after Thee. Thy Name
Is Ointment poured out,
Which with its fragrant smell perfumes
The places it about.
V.
Therefore do the Virgins love thee.
Therefore the Virgins do thee love.
The undefiled mind
Can satisfaction no where else,
But in thee only find.
Every such Virgin will thee love
And thee alone desire.
Thy sweetest Ointments fuel are
To feed that sacred fire:
VI.
V. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee.
Lord I should come to thee: thou art
The term to which I move;
I should (O Lord!) run after thee
In the scent of thy love.
But I can neither run nor come
Unless thou first me draw.
Either my lusts do me seduce,
Or Satan doth me aw.
VII.
Draw me.
O put forth thine Almighty hand,
Let power, and love constrain
[Page 3] My feeble Soul to follow thee,
And with thee to remain.
Lay hand O Lord! upon my will,
Then I shall willing be:
Put strength into my legs and I
Shall then run after thee.
VIII.
Run.—
Lord move me first, then I shall move
And stand no longer still,
Yea I shall move with strength to do
What is thy sacred will:
I shall not only move, but run,
Make hast, and not delay,
To keep thy precepts, if that thou
Wilt help me in my way.
IX.
It shall be then my meat and drink
To do what thou requirest.
Thou Lord shall then of me receive
Whatever thou desirest.
I shall nor faint, nor weary be,
But persevering run,
Until the race be finished,
Which my soul hath begun.
X.
My Lord! not I alone, but mine
Shall also follow thee:
We will run.
I shall make known thy ways to all
That shall converse with me.
Sinners by my example shall
Be turned to thy Grace,
When they shall hear, how thou to me
Hast shewn thy pleasant face.
XI.
My Soul melts, I did speak but now
The King hath answered.
The King hath brought me into his Chambers: we will be glad, and ejoice in thee.—
[Page 4] And me into his Chambers brought,
Unto his Royal Bed.
How doth my heart, now leap for joy?
How is my countenance glad?
My soul can now despond no more,
It can no more be sad.
XII.
In thee, O Lord! I will be glad,
Thou art my only joy;
—We will remember thy loves more then Wine.
Thy Loves I will remember, when
New troubles me annoy.
The savour of the worlds sweet wines.
Is a poor transient thing.
But I shall ne're (I trust) forget
The Love of Christ my King.
XIII.
In him all things excelling dwell,
Upright things, or Up­rightnesses love thee.
They've chosen him their throne;
The Saints will him sincerely love,
And will love him alone:
The more upright the greater love
They to the Lord shall bring.
Who loves them with the greatest love,
And is the Lord, their King.
XIV.
V. 5. I am black but comely, O you Daughters of Hierusalem! as the Tents of Kedar; as the Cartains of Solomon.
You Daughters of Hierusalem.
The City of my God,
You who in the same Church with me
Have taken your abode,
Upbrard me not, that I am like
The Coverings upon
Black Kedars Tents. I'm also like.
Curtains of Solomon.
XV.
I black am from my self, but am
By Imputation white.
[Page 5] By th' first birth I am black and dark,
But; by a new birth Light.
I am black but comely.
I black am in your curious Eye.
And in my own much more;
But white in my Beloveds sight
Since he hath paid my score.
XVI.
V. 6. Look not upon me be­cause I am black.
Look not on me because I'm black.
With a too curious Eye.
Nor with disdain, nor let my black
Visage you satisfy:
Much less dis-colour you. Behold
(Sisters!) and pity me.
My Blackness is not my delight.
Ah! 'tis my misery.
XVII.
Because the Sun hath looked upon me: my Mothers Children were angry with me. They made me the Keeper of their Vineyards, but my own I have not kept.
The Sun hath scorch'd me with its heat.
It is by that I am tann'd.
My Mothers Children also have
Touch'd me with unkind hand.
Their Vineyard they would have me at­tend;
Mine own I did not keep.
The envious one hath collied me
While I thus lay asleep.
XVIII.
What Souls will not Afflictions tann,
If they be sharp and long?
Or who is not discolour'd by
Temptations, if too strong?
Worldly distractions spoil the look
Of a Religious mind,
But ah! through negligence I have
Been to my self unkind.
XIX.
V. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon.
But O thou whom my soul loves best,
Tell me where thou doest use.
[Page 6] At noon to feed thy flock. At noon
Do not my Soul refuse.
When as Afflictions scorch me most
Be thou at hand to me,
And teach my Soul at such a time
How it may come to thee.
XX.
At noon, [the time when Shepheards are most at leisure.]
O thou Shepheard of Israel,
Let me but know the hour,
When most of thee I may enjoy,
Tast most thy Grace and Power.
For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions.
By th' flocks of thy Companions,
I would not turn aside.
With thee alone I would converse;
Be thou (O Lord!) my guide.
XXI.
Thou fairest she! dost thou not know
Where me at noon to see?
The footsteps of the flock will teach
Thee the right way to me.
Feed by the Shepheards Tents, for there
I shall most surely abide;
The Shepheards that derive from me
Shall be to thee a guide.
XXII.
I have compar'd my love unto
The goodly company
Of Horses which King Pharaoh draw,
Made strong by Unity:
Of Horses which march on to meet
The armed men, and ne're
Do from the glittering Sword turn head,
But mock at Cowards fear.
XXIII.
V. 10. Thy Cheeks are comely, with rowes of Jewels, thy neck with Chains of Gold.
Thy Cheeks (my Love!) are comely made
With rowes of Jewels given
[Page 7] Thee, by my self: Thy lovely neck
Adorn'd with Chains from Heaven.
I will yet give thee further grace
V. 11. We will make thee bor­ders of Gold with studs of Silver.
Borders of Gold I'le make,
And spots of Silver thou shalt have
And for thine own them take.
XXIV.
O may my dearest Royal Lord
From's Table never stir.
How sweetly doth my spikenard smell
While's that he sitteth there.
Even his own Graces will not smell
When he is gone from me;
His Grace in me doth daily need
His Royal company.
XXV.
My well-beloved is to me
Myrrh, in a bundle tyed.
More precious, medicinal, and sweet
Than all the world beside.
Betwixt my Breasts he shall have place,
There he shall alwaies lye;
It is the place for posies. There
I will this bundle tye.
XXVI.
Engaddi's Vineyards have their plants
Of Camphire [Cypress.] All
Are names too short for me whereby
My Dearest Lord to call.
My sweet companion! thou art fair,
Thou lookest with Doves Eyes,
V. 15. Behold thou art fair my Love, behold thou art fair, thou hast Doves Eyes.
Eyes which both meek, and harmless are,
Not sparkling Cruelties.
XXVII.
Thou hast a satisfyed Soul,
A rich, contented mind,
[Page 8] A plain and clean, and lowly heart
Which is to others kind,
A tender heart, a mournful Eye,
Exceeding quick. These are
The things which make me say again,
Thou art exceeding fair.
XXVIII.
Nay (my Beloved!) thou art fair
My beauty is to thee
As nothing, worse than nothing, 'tis
But meer deformity.
Thou fair art, and pleasant too,
Thy conversation's sweet.
Thrice happy souls to walk with thee
Whom thou dost please t' admit.
XXIX.
Our Bed is green.
When thou within my bed dost lodge,
How soon it waxeth green?
When thou art gone, no fruitfulness
In it at all is seen.
Not a good work at such a time,
Can my poor soul produce.
Not an heart chang'd in Churches, when
Thou art not in the Pewes.
XXX.
The Beams and rafters of thy house
Of Cedar are, and Fir.
Sweet, beautiful, and strong they are,
Such as shall never stir.
Thy word, and Ordinances Lord,
Support thy Church for ever.
O let my Sins within thy house
Me sever from it never.

CHAP. II.

V. 1. I am the Rose of Sha­ron, the Lilly of the Vallies.
MY dearest Lord! I'm like the Rose
Which Sharons fields doth grace:
Like th' Lilly of the Vallies, which
Doth beautify its place:
A flower, and the noblest flower
Which in the Fields doth grow;
My structure, smell, and fruitfulness,
Thy Workmanship all show.
II.
But Lord! I dwell i'th' common field,
And in the Vallies there.
To winds, and weather I'm exposed:
I live in daily fear,
Lest Sharons herds would me devour,
Or tread me under-foot:
And leave me nought to speak me thine,
But only a true root.
III.
As Lillies are amongst the Thorns,
So I my Love do see.
The Daughters of the peevish world
Are grievous Thorns to thee.
Yet thou art lovely there, and thrivest,
The ugly Thorns commend
My fairest Love and do improve
Her while they do her rend.
IV.
My dearest Lord it is enough,
Amongst Thorns let me be;
If while I stand there thou wilt be
A shadow unto me.
Amongst the barren Trees in Woods
Let me converse, if I
Thee as an Apple Tree may have,
That there I do not die.
V.
Thy shade, thy pleasant fruit shall be
To me enough for food:
And for protection too, while I
Traverse th' untrodden wood.
I like an Hermite sit, and sing;
Thy Apples to my tast
Do much excel what other Trees
Afford the world for mast.
VI.
God manifested in the flesh;
His fruit, &c.
O how exceeding sweet?
When infinite, and finite did
In one Redeemer meet.
Thy suffering being tempted is,
When tempted, my relief.
Saran would rob me of my all,
Thou hast disarm'd the Thief.
VII.
Lord thy compleat obedience
His fruit, &c.
Unto thy Fathers will,
Is all relieves me, when I think
How often I do ill,
While I do good. But O thy death!
Who can describe that fruit?
Which all my soul necessities
Exceeds while it doth suit.
VIII.
Thy Resurrection, thine ascending
Unto thy Fathers Th rone▪
Thy sitting there, at his Right Hand
Thine intercession:
How sweet they are? And then to think
That thou again wilt come
To Judgment, not me to condemn,
But only fetch me home.
IX.
Thy fruit, &c.
Thine Ordinances Lord, in which
Thy loves thou dost display,
The Hony, and the Hony-Comb,
Are not so sweet as they.
The Spirits sacred fruit, those sweet
Influxes of thy Grace,
Are what alone me patient make
Of sublunary place.
X.
These things my house of mourning turn drop,
Into an house of Wine;
Wine not which from Earths Grapes doth
But from thee, the true Vine.
Thy Love O Lord thy Banner is
O're me, and makes men see;
Men who thee hate, I do'nt belong
Unto their company.
XI.
Thy Loves thy Banner, teaching me
Where to resort, when move;
When I fight for a Victory,
His banner, &c.
Then I display thy Love:
'Tis that unites me unto thee,
And every one that's thine,
Where e're those colours I but see,
I run to them as mine.
XII.
Protection I from them expect.
Mine Enemies are afraid,
As soon as they see over me
Thy Banners are displaid.
You Daughters of Hierusalem,
My heart is sick for love,
I cannot live without your help,
O to my poor soul move.
XIII.
My dearest Lord hath left with you,
Flaggons, and Apples too.
O reach me something left I dye;
Unto the Scriptures go,
Out of those Fats draw out some Wine,
And quickly bring it me:
Bring me his Apples, why should you.
Your Lords Spouse dying see?
XIV.
I shall not dye, but live, for he
V. 6. His left hand is under my head: and his right hand doth imbrace me.
Hath put under my head
His left hand, or his right hand shall
Imbrace me in my bed:
'Tis he alone my aking head
Can hold, and give relief:
They'r his imbraces only can,
Assuage my poor souls grief.
XV.
How ready is he me to help!
I did but cry, he heard:
His left hand hath secured me,
As to the thing I fear'd:
His right Hand soon shall follow it,
And wholly me release:
His right, and left hand both shall join
My love sick soul to ease.
XVI.
O Daughters of Hierusalem,
I charge you by the Roes,
And by the Hinds, the friendly Hinds,
Which so much love disclose
One to another▪ Do'nt provoke
My Love, till he withdraw;
By my example wisdom learn,
Sin not, but stand in awe.
XVII.
You live amongst the Roes and Hinds,
Learn not their wantonness.
You'l want the hand of my dear Lord,
When you are in distress.
Judgment for Sin will come as fast,
As if the Roes it brought.
Do not stir up your Lord at rest,
By one rebellious thought.
XVIII.
Hark! it is my Beloved's voice:
He comes, he comes to me,
Leaping upon the Mountains, him
Skipping upon th' Hills I see.
He's my Beloved, though not here,
I know his pleasant voice,
And though I see him not, his found
Makes my heart to rejoice.
XIX.
He comes; The Mountain of my Sins
I see lies in his way:
He leapeth o're that mountain, and
It causeth no delay.
He skippeth o're the little hills
Of Creatures opposition:
That he may come to my relief,
In my distrest condition.
XX.
I see him coming; O let me
The glorious sight behold,
With th' Eye of hope behold him, and
V. 9. My Beloved is like a young Roe, or a young Hart: Behold he stan­deth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing him­self through the L attess.
With th' Eye of Faith more bold.
He comes like a young Hart or Roe,
Nimbly, and pleasantly:
Behind the wall he standeth, when
In my distress I cry.
XXI.
In at the Windows see he looks,
And through the Lattess sees
Both my behaviour, and withal
My sad Calamities.
The Lattess (Lord!) doth give to me
But an imperfect sight:
O break it down, appear to me
In a more glorious light.
XXII.
I hear him say, Rise up my Love,
My fairest one arise,
And come away, for I have now
Put off my dark disguise:
V. 11. For loe the Winter is past, the Rain is over and gone.
The Winter, and the Rain are gone,
The pleasant Flowers appear
Upon the Earth, the singing Birds
Do greet the springing year.
XXIII.
The harmless Turtles pleasing voice
Is heard on every Tree.
The Fig-trees puts forth her green figs,
The Vines smell pleasantly.
Arise, my Love! Thou fairest one
Make hast, make no delay,
'Tis a fit season of the year:
Arise! and come away.
XXIV.
Black storms of perfecution
Have kept thee much at home:
The storms are over, nothing now
Hinders, but thou mayst come.
The Gospel Turtles which lay hid
In Corners, now come forth:
All have a Gospel liberty
To sing their Saviours worth.
XXV.
See how the Saints bud out in grace,
How gracious fruits abound
Upon this liberty, for all
To hear the joyful sound.
Arise you who yet sleep in Sin,
Make hast to come, and live:
O go not on presumptuously,
My Spirit yet to grieve.
XXVI.
The Summer will not always last,
Your day of Grace will end;
Come to me while I call, and am
Ready to be your Friend.
Discourag'd Souls arise, and thick
To my assemblies come;
The weather's good, doors ope you have
No plea to stay at home.
XXVII.
My Love! who to the rocks dark clefts
Of late didst trembling fly,
And under stairs secret place,
Chose for thy Covert lye.
Pursu'd by Vultures, now come forth,
Thy Countenance let me see,
For it is comely, and thy Voice
Is pleasant unto me.
XXVIII.
The Foxes which have spoil'd the Vines,
The Vines with tender Grape,
Come forth, and take them now for me;
Let not a young Cubb scape.
They shall no longer spoil my Vines,
Chase them into their Den:
I'le be revenged on thy lusts,
And on malitious men.
XXIX.
I know that my Beloved's mine;
I know that I am his:
This is my Triumph, this my Joy,
My chiefest happiness.
Had not he made himself first mine,
His I had never been:
He first remov'd my guilt, and then
Purged my Soul from sin.
XXX.
'Midst white, and fruitful Lillies he
Loves to converse and feed;
O let my Soul a Lilly be,
V. 17. Until the day break, and the shadows flie a­way, turn my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Be­ther.
No more a barren Weed.
Until the glorious morn shall break,
And shadows flee away,
O let my glorious Lord be mine,
And I ne're from him stray.
XXXI.
Turn (my Beloved!) to my Soul,
Be like a pleasant Roe:
Or like the nimble Harts, which do
On Bethers Mountains go.
In my distressed State O Lord,
Let me not be forgot,
Make hast, and turn, and let me feel
Thee, while I see thee not.

A Prefatory Discourse UPON THE SONG of SOLOMON.

Canticles 1. v. 1. The Song of Songs which is Solomons.

HAving undertaken this excellent portion of Holy Writ, for the Subject of these Exercises, it is reasonable I should (ac­cording to the usual, and commendable order of Interpre­ters,) discourse a little, concerning the Divine Authority of it; concerning the Subject matter of it; the Penman, the time, and occasion of the writing of it, and concerning the form, especially con­sidering, that as to some or all of these, there are some difficulties to be assoiled, more than concerning other portions of Scripture, and concerning some of them, some things more peculiar to this, than any other Book.

The first Verse of the Song (which I have now read to you) gives me a sufficient foundation for the most of my discourse of this na­ture, if in any part of it I swerve from my Text, I shall yet keep to my business, which is by these previous exercises, to prepare you for [Page 18] clearer understanding of the sacred contents of this Spiritual Song.

The Text affords us these three propositions.

1 Prop. That this Book was Solomon's.

2 Prop. That it is a Song.

3. Prop. That it is a Song of Songs.

1. The first will lead us to a discourse of the Penman, and that, to a modest Enquiry after the time, and occasion of his writing it, and (that well known) we shall easily determine the Author, and both from that advantage, and the auxiliary help of other Arguments conclude concerning its Divine Authority against all opposers.

2. The second leads me to the consideration of the form of the wri­ting, being Metrical and Dramatical. What else occurreth concer­ning that, shall be there added.

3. The third will lead me to the consideration of the Matter and Scope. I begin with the first of these.

1 Prop. The Book of Canticles was Solomon's.

This is so plainly asserted in the Hebrew Text, (where this is the first verse) that it cannot well be denied, without the denial of the other matter contained in it; the only ground of scruple is because of the particle ל prefixed in the Original, which is oft a note of the Dative or Accusative Case, as if it were rather dedicated to Solomon, then written by him: But to clear this, we need not Chri­stopolitanus his fancy, that it is to shew us, that Solomon here sang not of himself, but to the true Solomon Jesus Christ, nor yet Delrio's fancy, that it signifies as much as secundum, The Song of Songs accor­ding to Solomon, as we say that the Gospel according to Matthew, which was wrote by Matthew: for the instances in the Titles of Da­vids Psalms, are sufficient to evidence the Grammar good enough, in making ל a note of the Genitive Case sometimes.

Taking that therefore upon the Credit of the Hebrew Text. Let us more particularly enquire;

1. Who this Solomon was.

2. At what time he wrote this Sacred Book, and what (probably) gave him the occasion of it.

Solomon was the Son of David: the King of Israel.

Matth. 1. 6. The Son of David by Bathsheba, the Wife of Uriah, born in Hierusalem, 2 Sam. 5. 14. So named by his Father David, 2 Sam 12. 24. at his Birth, it is said, The Lord loved him. Upon which, v. 25. David sent by Nathan, and called his name Jedidiah. i. e. beloved of God. (Abulensis thinks it was not his proper name, nor [Page 19] was he afterward (that we read of) called by it.) Solomon signifies Peaceable, he was so named before he was born, by Nathan, 1 Chron. 22. 9. and that with respect to the peace, and quietness of Israel in his days. God there Covenanted with David for him, that he should be his Son, and that he would be a Father to him, and the Covenant recorded, Psal. 89. (made with David) had a special relation unto him. v. 25. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. He succeeded his Father in the Kingdom by his Fathers appointment, 1 Kings 1. 32. and reigned with such an affluence of Divine Blessings, as none might compare with him. He loved the Lord, 1 Kings 3. 3. and walked in the Statutes of his Father. God in Gibeon appeared to him, saying, Ask what shall I give thee, v. 9. He asks a wise and understanding heart, to judge his people, and to discern good and bad asunder; which saying, so pleased the Lord, that the Lord not only gran­ted what he asked, v. 10. 11, 12, 13. but also riches, and honour, so as there was none like unto him all his days. He builded the Temple, and the Lord again graciously appears to him upon his Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple, 1 Kings, ch. 9. The Queen of Sheba, came to admire his wisdom, for he exceeded all the Kings of the Earth, in Riches, and Honour, 1 Kings 10. 23. Now of this Solo­mon it is said, That he loved many strange Women, together with the Daughter of Pharaoh: Women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edo­mites, Sidonians, and Hitties, &c. and v. 6. They turned away his heart from God, when he was old, and v. 5. he went after Ashtaroth, and Milcom, and built high places, for Chemosh, and for Molech, v. 7. And here ariseth a Question, to which it is reasonable that I should speake something in this place, because this Song is judged to relate much to that action of Solomons life.

Qu. Whether Solomon sinned in marrying of Pharaoh's Daughter, or whether that first match of his was lawful?

1. Theodoret and Suidas conclude that he did sin, and prove it from 1 Kings 11. 1. where this Marriage of his, together with his later Marriages with the Daughters of the Canaa [...]etes, seem to be condemned; besides that the law of God seems to have been against all such Marriages, Deut. 7. 3. and Ezra. ch. 9. 1. reckons it up as the sin of the people that they had taken to wife the Daughters of the Egyptians, &c.

2. Bellarmine, Cajetan, Soto, Abulensis and others, think, That he did not sin in this Marriage, to prove which, they produce, 1 Kings 3. 1. where Solomons making affinity with Pharaoh, and taking of his [Page 20] Daughter is mentioned, and afterward v. 3. it is said. Solomon loved the Lord, I walked in the Statutes of David his Father. Certain it is (allow­ing no transpositions) after this, God made his signal appearances to him in Gibeon, and upon the dedication of the Temple. Besides, they urge the Friendship between David, and the King of Egypt, and the pro­bability of Davids contracting this Marriage for his Son before his death. They further say, that the Law, Deut. 7. 3. did not simply, and universally forbid Marriages, with the Daughters of Idolaters. Joseph Married Potiphar's Daughter, Gen. 41. 45. Moses Married Jethru's Daughter, Exo. 2. 1. Boaz Married Ruth a Moabitess. Ruth 2. and Sampson a Daughter of the Philistines, and David, the King of Geshurt's Daughter, 2 Sam. 3. 2. And there was a particular law directing the formality of such Marriages, when any were ta­ken captive. Deut. 21. 10, 11. Besides there are that observe a wonderful councel of God in it, both to reconcile these two contigu­ous Nations, in a politick alliance: and also in regard that Solomon was to be a Type of Christ, who was to reconcile Jews, and Gen­tiles unto God. Others think that the Law, Deut. 7. only respected the Canaanites Daughters, who by Gods command were to be blot­ted out, but that is of no value, for Deut. 21. 10, 11. they might marry Captives. They therefore think that he sinned not in his marriage of her, but 1. In his multiplying of Wives expresly con­trary to the Law. 2. In his excessive love to and fondness of her. 3. In his following her to Apostacy.

3. I think Pineda's opinion is truest: That it was not by any law gi­ven to the Jews simply forbidden, to marry the Daughter of an Idola­ter, provided, that she was first proselyted to the Jewish Religion: which was the term which you know the Sons of Jacob put upon Hamor in the case of Dinah, viz. That his People should be Circumci­sed. Thus some of the Jewish Rabbies interpret those precepts, Deut. 7. 3. and Exod. 23. 3. Thus the precept, Deut. 21. 10, 11. is easily reconcilable to that, Deut. 7. 3. Hence it is very pro­bably concluded that Pharaohs Daughter, upon her marriage, sub­jected herself to the Jewish Religion, and that of the Psalmist, Psal. 44. 10. favours this opinion.— Forget also thine own people, and thy Fathers House—so shall the King desire thy beauty. Hence we conclude, that Solomons marriage with Pharaohs Daughter, was law­ful: and contracted by him in his best state, in the beginning of his Reign: but it afterwards proved inexpedient: we read nothing of Solomons defection, nor the ill influence of this match till he was [Page 21] old, 1 Kings 11. 1. 4. She, and his other Wives, turned away his heart from God, that it was not perfect, as was the heart of his Fa­ther David. He grosly fell away, so foully, that some question whe­ther he ever had a truth of grace: others think his failure, a sufficient foundation for their slippery Doctrine of Total, and final Aposta­cy, and conclude him damned; it is something to our purpose to examine that Question also.

Qu. Whether Solomons Apostacy was total, and final?

Remonstr. Antisia. art. 5. The Arminians say he fell away Totally, but not finally.) Some a­mongst the Papists, have suspended their Judgment concerning his fi­nal Apostacy, witness the Arch-Bishop of Toledo, who had Heaven and Hell pictured in his Chappel, and Solomon half in the one, half in the other. Of this mind are Jansenius, Barradius, Torniellus, Pame­lius, Feuardentius, Hostiensis, &c. and amongst the Ancients, Tertul­lian and Cyprian; to whom also amongst the Protestants, Zanchy, and Peter Martyr seem to incline. Amongst the Ancients, Augustine, V. Pl. in lib. Pinedae de rebas sol. l. 8. cap. 1. & seq V. De-La Champii vindicias solum. Prosper, Basil, and Theodoret (to whom Pineda reckons Cyprian and Gregory) are thought to favour the more severe opinion of Solomons total; and final Apostacy. Abulensis, Tostatus, Vega, Pererius, and Bel­armine, conclude it. The Ancient Jewish Writers, and (amongst the Ancients of the Christian Church) Ireneus, Gregor. Neocaesar: Hi­lary, Hierom, Ambrose, Cyrill of Hierusalem, and others: amongst the Papists themselves, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Hugo Cardinalis, Co­mestor, Paulus Burgensis, Dionis. Carthus. Genebrard, Damianus, Pi­neda, Delrio, Serarius, and Lorinus. And with these the generality of Protestants, conclude he was no reprobate, nor did fall away finally, nor (say the Protestants) totally. Solomon saw a great evil under the Sun, Princes going on foot, while Servants rode on Horseback. De-La Champius observeth a greater Evil than this, in the impudent Jesu­ites, whose consciences will serve them to reprobate Solomon, and Canonize Traytors, and other open Servants of Lusts; and (as he no­teth) what Dr. Willet long since observed, is in this instance verified concerning Bellarmine, That it is ordinary with him, when he finds his own Doctors divided to take in with the worser part of them.

We conclude for Solomon, that he was a true Child of God, and that although he fell, yet his fall was neither total, nor yet final, but he was restored by repentance.

And for this assertion, we conceive we have sufficient Evidence from Scripture, besides the Authorities of men already cited, decla­ring their sentiments, from several convictions.

[Page 22] 1. Hierome, Cyrill, and Pineda urge that Text, Prov. 24. 30. where they conceive Solomon speaking in his own Person, and saying. I went by the field of the sloathful, and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding: and loe it was all grown over with Thorns, and Net­tles had covered the face thereof, and the Stone-wall thereof was bro­ken down, v. 32. This I saw, and considered it well, I looked upon it, and received Instruction. To which Pineda joins, Prov. 30. 1, 2. which (if with the Jewish Rabbines, we could conclude that un­known Agur to have been Solomon) would give some auxiliary strength to that in the 24th Chap. to advantage which, Pineda's observation of the (ancient) Septuagint, mixing the 24. and 29. and these words of the 30th Chap. together as if all were spake by the same man, and of himself, may be worthy of consideration.

2. Bachiarius, Serarius, and De-La Champius urge a 2d Argument, from 1 Kings 11. 43. and 2 Chron. 9. 31. where it is said, that when he died he was buried, with the Kings of Israel, which they think strengthened by their observation, that the Scripture mentions the the burial of Ammon, Joram, and Joash. (3 Wicked Princes) else­where. But we must have better Arguments than this, for we are told, that Abiam, 1 Kings 15 8. was buried in the City of David. so was Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. 8. and Rehoboam, 2 Chron. 12. 1. when on the other side, Manasses, (though reconciled to God before his death,) yet had not the honour of that burial. As the wisdom of divine providence, hath left the surface of the Earth, for a com­mon walk, both for the just and unjust: so nothing appears, but that the will of God, hath left the bosom of it in any part thereof, a common bed for them; nor do I find any sufficient evidence of any consecrated burial-places so early in the world, which had there been, and had we found Solomons Tomb there, it would have told us no more than the Churches opinion of him, and that usually to Princes, is very charitable, and questionless would have been so to him who was the greatest Prince which the Earth ever saw.

3. But certainly for that argument which De-La Champius, and Pi­neda, both bring from the Covenant, made with David concerning Solomon, mentioned 2 Sam. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 17. 13. and Psal. 89. v. 20, 21, 22, &c. to the 37th v. we may say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah. There is none to it: Let us a little view the Text: In the first you have the words of God spoken to Nathan, going to enquire Gods approbation of Davids design to build a Temple; the Lord denies David liberty, but takes his offer kindly, and bids the Prophet tell David;

[Page 23] That when his days should be fulfilled, and he should sleep with his Fathers, God would set up his seed after him, which should proceed out of his bowels, and establish his Kingdom, v. 13. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever. v. 14. I will be his Father, and he shall be my Child. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of Men, and with the stripes of the Children of Men: But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee. In the book of Chronicles, 1 Chron. 17. you have the same thing repeated, only there. v. 14. you have: I will settle him in my house. In the 89th Psal. you have a larger account of that covenant, so far as concerns David. v. 20. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. v. 29.—His seed also will I make to endure for ever, &c. If his Children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments: Then will I visit theer transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes: Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him. Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my Holiness, that I will not lie unto David.

In this Text you plainly discern a Covenant made with David, on the behalf of his Seed, and that Seed of his, that should sit upon his Throne (which was Solomon) as well as on the behalf of him­self. Concerning him God saith: 1. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom. 2. I will be his Father, and he shall be my Child. 3. If he sins, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the Children of men, Psal. 89. I will visit his transgression with a rod, and his iniquity with stripes. 4. My mercy shall not depart from him as from Saul. Psal. 89. Nevertheless my loving kindness, will I not ut­terly take from him. Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

1. God covenants that although Solomon should sin, yet he would not take his mercy from him. The very term of Mercy signifies more, than the continuance of the Crown to him; for (as Tychonius ob­serves) David would have understood little mercy, for his Son to have enjoyed a temporal Kingdom, and lost an eternal inheritance.

2. The punishment which God threatens to him in case of sinning was but a Rod. The Rod of Men: for if we should allow nothing to Pineda's Criticisme, upon the term used [Enosh] to signify men here, which properly signifies a weak old man, who cannot lay on strokes hard, but chastiseth his Child gently, so as the Rod of Men here mentioned, should be opposed to the grounded staff mentioned Isaiah 30. 32. which God makes to rest upon others, yet certainly [Page 24] the termof a Rod; with the adjunct of Men speaks a very gentle chastning, with which eternal punishment is no way consistent.

3. Add to this; That the Holy Ghost, (the most certain Interpreter of Scripture) 1 Cor. 6. 18. Applies the very promise here made to the Children of God, I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my Sons, and Daughters: I say who so considereth these things must certainly conclude that Gods obligation by this Covenant extended further, than the continuance of the temporal dominion in his line, which is also advantaged, by the consideration that Solomon in his life time was chastened with the Rods of Men, 1 Kings 11. God 1 Cor 11. 32. stirred up against him Hadad: Rezin and Jeroboam, He was doubt­less chastened of the Lord that he might not be condemned with the world.

Nor can any reasonably think to avoid the dint of the Argument, drawn from these Texts, by telling us, That a greater than Solomon is understood in them, even he of whom Solomon was but a Type.

For although it be true, that divers of the Ancients favoured that notion, (amongst whom was Augustine, Ambrose, Tertullian, and Theodoret) and that some passages in the aforementioned Texts seem to be by the Holy Ghost himself applied to Christ, amongst which that eminent part of this Covenant I will be to him a Father, &c. besides that others seem applicable to no other, as where he promi­seth to establish his Kingdom for ever: yet it is as true, that the pro­mise I will be to him a Father (as I shewed before) is also by the Holy Ghost applied to believers, 1 Cor. 6. 18. and those who under­stand the Hebrew Idiome, know that the term [...] doth often signify less, than Eternity strictly so called, and it is as certain that Hierome, and divers others of the Ancients apply these Texts literal­ly to Solomon. Possibly they compound the business better, who (considering Solomon as a Type of Christ) divide the Covenant made with David, betwixt Solomon and Christ, thinking that part concerneth Solomon, and part concerneth Christ. Sure it is, that Solomon built the material Temple not Christ, and Solomon alone, (not Christ) was in a capacity to forsake the Commandments of God; and for the promissory part, if we say it concerned Solomon in the letter, and Christ in the Mystery and Antitype: I think we shall not much err: nor will this interpretation at all weaken the strength of our argument.

4. I find a 4th Argument for this eminent Person, brought from 2 Sam. 12. 24, 25. compared with Neb. 13. 26. and 1 Kings 3. 3. from whence De-La Champius observeth 3 things.

[Page 25] 1. That it is said God loved him. 2 Sam. 12. 24.— And the Lord loved him. Neh. 13. 26. He was beloved of his God. 2. In token of this love God gave him his name Jedidiah, i. e. be­loved of God. 3. The Scripture saith, he loved the Lord. The consideration of the latter makes the plea vain, of those who (to avoid the dint of this Argument) would interpret Gods love of that general favour which he extends to every Creature, distingui­shed from that by which he elevates the Creature to a participation of the Divine Nature: for that love is not so efficacious, as to pro­duce a reciprocal love in the Creature to God again, we therefore love him because he loved us first, which being granted, unless we grant God as mutable as man, and deny what he hath said, that whom he loves, he loves to the End: We must allow that Solomon, not­withstanding his great miscarriages, was yet beloved of God, and died in a state of Grace.

Now to these Arguments, might further be added, as strong pre­sumptions in the case, yielding at least some auxiliary strength. That no Text speaketh so desperȧtely concerning Solomon; that the Scrip­ture, 1 Kings 11. 4. speaking of his falling, seems to hint it a sin of infirmity in his old age, and through the great temptation of his Wives: That he did only tolerate Idolatry, not make it the Religion of the Nation. That he after this (as is at least probably and generally concluded) wrote (in testimony of his repentance) the book of Ecclesiastes. That he was the Sacred Penman of Scripture. These things may much confirm our charitable opinion in the case, for al­though it be true, that I know no reason to the contrary, but that God, who made use of the Son of Perdition, to preach his everlasting Gospel, might also with consistency enough, to the wisdom of his Providence, make use of a Child of Perdition, to write, and ingross what his holy Spirit first dictated; nor (saith Augustine) hath God less consulted his own glory in it, for now all the good and glory of the truth revealed in those books will be given to God; Beside, it is said that Balaams Song is also recorded in Scripture, and a piece of holy writ: yet considering that no one book of holy writ was wrote by such a withered hand as that of a reprobates; and that the Scrip­ture fixeth no such mark upon this great Person, who was the Au­thor of three Books there, and that one of these Books, at least ap­pears (let Bellarmine say what he will) to be wrote after the days of his Vanity, and hath in it evident marks of his nauseating his lusts, and former vanities of pleasure, love, riches, &c. Nor have [Page 26] there been wanting some, who have thought so of the other two Books also, viz. the Proverbs, and the Canticles. And to these if we add that he was an eminent Type of our Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ: I say if we lay all these things together, we shall (I think) neither stand in need of the Rabbinical figments, (who tell us for­mal stories of Solomons repentance:) Nor yet of that auxiliary help, (in which Pineda much triumpheth) which Petrus de Castro affords; from that Sculpture in leaden Plates, (wrote in ancient Arabick Characters) and first discovered to James the Apostle, afterward, to the aforementioned Bishop of Granada, who sought for them V. Pinedam de rebus Solo­monis l. 8. cap 1. V. Eman. Thesauri Pa­triarch. and found them (saith Pineda) per altos Granatensis montis cunicu­los, & latebras; in which leaden Plates there should be ingraven in Arabick so much concerning Solomon, as in English sounds thus.— And he bewailed his sin with a great lamentation, and it was for­given him, and he died faithful and in peace. I say there will be no need of these Apocryphal helps, we have a more sure word of Pro­phecy: and stronger Scripture arguments: engaging us to conclude Solomon's repentance, and Salvation against some of the Ancients speaking doubtfully; and the more modern Papists, speaking both peremptorily and impudently in the case; and must conclude that Emanuel Thesaurus speaks like a profane Poet, when he tells us con­cerning Solomon;

Primu è Christi Proavis Stygem coluit,
Et Primus intravit.
Indubio Argumento; nam Idola posuit non sustulit,
Et Flenda leguntur non fletus.

V. Merceri prefat. in Cantica. Having thus far given you a Character of this great Person, who wrote this sacred Book, and by this digression served my design a little, in shewing you that there is no ground from his miscarriages to conclude against his being the Penman, either of this or the other pieces of Sacred Writ, to which the Hebrew Text entituleth him, and which the Ecclesiastical Juries in all ages, have found his. The next thing we have to enquire, is the time and occasion of his wri­ting it, concerning which, the Scriptures silence hath given Writers the greater liberty to abound in their several senses; I see no great V. Greg. Magni P [...]o­iog. in Can­tica. prejudice, either to Solomon himself, or to the Divine Authority of this Sacred Book, from the opinion of those, who think that Solomon wrote this Song in the beginning of his Reign, when he first Mar­ried [Page 27] Pharaohs Daughter (first proselyted to the Jewish Religion) at which time it is said, 1 Kings 3. 3. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the Statutes of David his Father, and that his Marriage with Pha­raohs Daughter gave him the occasion of this Heavenly Meditation (for which the greatest ground they have, is that passage, ch. 1. v. 9. I have compared thee to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chari­ots.) Nor yet from the opinion of those who think that he wrote it in the close of his life, after his return to fellowship, and communion with God. If therefore any shall contend that he wrote the Book V. Pinedam in prefat. in Eccles. Et Delrio in prolegom, in Cantica. of Proverbs first; this Book next, and Ecclesiastes last of all, groun­ding their conjecture upon 1 Kings 4. 32. where i [...] is said that he wrote 3000 Proverbs, and his Songs were 1005. Or if others think that he first wrote this Book of Canticles, (which being Poe­try, they think best suited his younger years) then the Book of Proverbs, and last of all that of Ecclesiastes, (the matter contained in the Book of Proverbs, seeming to be the mature issue of years, and the matter of Ecclesiastes, speaking a contempt of worldly Vani­ties, like that which is found with gray hairs, that have learned righteousness) I shall not contend with either. There are some who make an observation upon Solomon's calling himself in Ecclesiastes, King of Hierusalem; In the Book of Proverbs, King of Israel: In this Book only Solomon; whence they conclude that he wrote this Book in the first of his years, before he was come to the Kingdom. The Book of Proverbs next, before he came to dwell in Hierusalem, and that of Ecclesiastes last, in his more perfect state, but possibly their conjecture is better, who think that Solomons spiritual con­templation of Christ, (with which his heart seemeth in this Book to be ravished) was the cause why (forgetting his Titles of Honour) he calls himself by no other name, than that of Solomon, and as through all the Book he speaks to and of Christ under no other no­tion than that of a Beloved, and a friend, so he mentions not himself under any higher notion than Solomon, and a Love, a Spouse, &c. V. Bernardi Hom. 1. glorying more in being the Spouse, and Friend of Christ, than a great King in Hierusalem. Or finally, if any will assert that he wrote this Book last of all, which seems to be the opinion of Bernard, Delrio, Hierome, Bachiarius, Cyrill, &c. I am indifferent to close with either party, only abhorring the opinion which was anciently condemned in Theodorus Mopsuesta, by the Council of Constantinople (saith Delrio) and which Philastrius mentions amongst the Heresies, whose Author he knew not, viz. That it is but a Love-Song, made [Page 28] Sixtus Se­nensis in Biblioth. l. 8. haer. 9. by Solomon, having relation to Pharaohs Daughter, or the Shulamite, to which opinion also Castalio and Grotius seem to encline, and the Anabaptists in Germany are charged with it by Sixtus Senensis, which opinion indeed, is deservedly rejected, and justly to be abhorred of all sober Christians, and there needs no other witness in the case a­gainst it, than the great reverence of this Book which the Church of the Jews had, (to whom (saith the Apostle) were committed the Oracles of God, and who were sufficiently cautelous what they stam­ped, with that sacred stamp of Scripture Canon) who did not only constantly own this Book, as much as any other, (making it a Dia­logue between God and their Church, or betwixt their Church, and some of their Patriarchs) but also barred any from reading of it, un­til they arrived at their sacerdotal year; whether for fear of a vain interpretation of it, or in regard of the difficulty they justly con­ceived, as to the expounding the metaphors (with which as with so many Stars it is adorned) or fathoming the mysteries, which they conceived lay couched in it, I shall not in this place determine. Sure I am, as the Authors of the aforementioned gross and unhandsome conceptions, have nothing to give countenance to their wanton fan­cies, besides the comparison of the Love here mentioned, to a com­pany of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots, and the mention of the Shu­lamite, Caat. 6. 13. with another or two expressions of that Nature, upon which expressions the Vanity of their hearts only hath hin­dred them from putting a spiritual interpretation: so even some of these expressions, with divers others in this Sacred Song, make their impure conceptions highly improbable; for (if the Dialect of times be not strangely altered) it was certainly a strange commendation, for so learned and wise a man as Solomon, to give of a Woman whom he loved, to compare her to a company of Horses, her Head to Mount Carmel, and her Eyes to Fish Pools, her Nose to a Tower; her Teeth to a flock of Sheep, &c. all which with divers such (seem­ingly uncouth) expressions we have in this Song.

After all this we shall find it no difficult thing to determine the Divine Authority of this Book: The Apostle saith that Holy Men wrote the Scriptures as inspired by God, we have evinced, that the Penman of this Book was an Holy Man: both in the former and latter part of his life. That he wrote this Book, is universally agreed, and that he wrote it by a divine inspiration, can be as little questio­ned by him, who understands aright the Jewish reverence of it, and ranking it equally with other Books of the Canon. Besides that the [Page 29] Churches constant possession of it, requires some force of argument, before it can be rejected; and this hath not yet appeared.

Several witnesses indeed have come against it, but either they have not been agreed, or they have spake nothing Cogent in the cause.

1. Whereas some object the many amatorious expressions throughout the Song: It signifies little to those who have so far observed the Scriptures, as to take notice, that as the Apostle makes use of the Ordinance of Marriage, to represent the mystical Union between Christ and the Church, Eph. 5. 32. So Christ is expresly called a Bridegroom, his Church, and the believing Soul in particular, the Bride, Joh 3. 29. And that his preparing the Soul for, and uniting the Soul to himself, is called a Betrothing, Hos. 2. 14, 15. and the Church is called the Lambs Wife, Rev. 22. and a pure Virgin, 2 Cor. 11. Yea so far is this from being an argument against the Divine Authority of this sacred Book, that the uncouthness of the same expressions, is an argument, that it is no meer Woman here intended, for besides that (which Mercer noteth out of Aben-Ezra) that modesty would not have allowed Solomon to have left such expressions (had they been to have been carnally interpreted) upon publick record to posterity. Nor was it lawful to the Jews to make their Sisters their Spouses, (yet is it a phrase often used in this Song, My Sister, my Spouse) besides what I noted before of the strange comparisons used, if they were carnally to be interpreted.

2. Whereas it is objected by others that the name of God is not once mentioned throughout the Book. They might as well (upon this ac­count) quarrel at the Book of Ecclesiastes out of the Canon, or if not that, yet the Book of Esther, which are both subject to the same charge, if any will tell us, that though the name Jehovah be not found in Ecclesiastes, yet other names of God are [...], &c. Besides that neither those names are peculiar to God, nor yet to be found in the Book of Esther. We also say (with Mercer) That there is hardly a verse in this Song, wherein mention is not made of God, and Christ, according to that metaphorical way of expression, in which it pleased the Holy Ghost to dictate this Sacred Song to Solomon: nor V. Sexti Se­nensis l. 8. Biblioth. haer. 8. Delrio in Isag [...]g. p [...]aef­com. in Can­tica. Bernard. was their need of any further mentioning of God, in a discourse composed in this form, than under the notion of a Beloved, &c. in which notion he is frequently mentioned. And certainly, had this objection been of any value, the superstitious Reverence which the Jews had of the name Jehovah, would have engaged them first to have pickt this quarrel: which yet it did not. But Bernard gives [Page 30] another reason, (and with him I find Sixtus Senensis Delrio, and o­thers agreeing) which I confess pleaseth me, Amor loquitur qui Dominum nescit, &c. God is not indeed made known to us in this Song, under the names of [...], all which speak, Power, Lordship, Soveraignty, Sufficiency, &c. Gregor mag. in Prol. in Cantica. It is love here speaks: Quando vult timeri dominum; quando vult honorari patrem, quando amari sponsum se nominat Dominus. Solo­mons design in this Book, is to set out God in Christ, reconciled to his Church, and to the souls of his People, imbracing them in the arms of loving kindness. Those other names of God, Jehovah, Elohim, &c. spake the power, and greatness of God, which well suited the first dispensation of the Covenant of Grace, which was more hard, and rigorous, than the latter dispensation of it. So that Deus s [...]se nunc pasto­rem, nun [...] fratrem & amicum, nunc spon­sum, de in­dustr [...]à no­minat, non absque my­sterie, &c. Sixtus Se­nensis. l. 8. Delrio in Isag. praef. com. in Can­tica the not naming of God under those fore-mentioned notions through out this book, only speaks it a more evangelical portion of Scripture, than some other Books of Holy Writ are. Solomons de­sign in this Book was to set out God in Christ reconciled to the Soul, imbracing it in the sweetest arms of loving kindness, and tender mercies: The wisdom of the Holy Ghost therefore directeth Solo­mon to speak in a dialect, proper to the matter he writeth; nor is there any thing more usual in Scripture, than for Gods people (go­ing to him for mercies) to give him names expressive of that suffi­ciency which is in him, and of that suitableness in him, to the ne­cessitous state of his people, and readiness to help him. David pray­ing for Divine Protection, calleth God his Rock, his Shield, his Buckler, his strong Tower: and Christ hath taught Gods Children to say unto him Our Father!

Nor thirdly, Is their quarrel against this Sacred Book considera­ble, who have this to object against it, That no place of it is quoted in the New Testament, for besides that by the same allegation, they may blot out the Book of Judges, Ruth, 2 Sam. 2 Chron. Ecclesi­astes, and divers of the small Prophets, out of the Canon of Scrip­ture, I say besides this, there are some phrases in the New Testament, which (in the Judgment of Beza and others,) seem to be borrow­ed out of this Sacred Song, such as those, Joh. 6. 44 No man com­eth to the Son but he whom the Father draweth, compared with Can. 1. 4. Saint Paul tells his Corinthians, that his desire was to present them to Christ as a Chast Virgin, which corresponds with Chap. 5. v. 2. of this Song, where Christ calls his Spouse Undefiled.

From what hath been said appeareth, that although the Penman [Page 31] of this Book was Solomon, yet a greater than Solomon was the Au­thor of it, Solomon (an holy Man) spake in it, as he was inspired by God. I proceed to the 2d Proposition.

2. Prop. That this Book is a Song.

1. This argues it a piece of Hebrew Poetry: wrote (originally) in Meeter, upon which account it differs from most of the other Books of Holy Writ. But more particularly I shall open this in 4 or 5 par­ticulars: 1. It is I say a Song, one of those which the Apostle, Eph. 5. calls Spiritual Songs, it may be too hard a task for me to determine, why it pleased the Holy Penman of this Scripture to write it in this, rather than in any other form, I shall by and by shew you that it was a Song of Love, and (possibly) the holy Penmans design being to discourse the Souls Communion with Christ (here) under that Metaphor might be one cause, (Marriage-Songs being very ancient.) 2. To this I shall only add the observation, which some have made of that singular vertue, which the composing and singing of Songs, hath had to excite and inflame the affections. I remember our Divine Poet tells us, That he was most with God; while he was exercised in his Divine Poetry, Besides, the suitableness that a Song hath unto the natures of others, the same Author observes,

—That a verse may hit him who a Sermon flies,
And turn delight into a Sacrifice.

Whether Solomons consideration of these, or any of these things, might rather incline him to write in this, than in any other form; I shall not undertake to determine.

1. Secondly, It is a Song of Love. I noted to you before, the anci­ent custom of singing Songs at Marriages, in praises of the parties so joined together. These Songs were called [...] & [...] a The Argument of them usually, was the (supposed) mutual desires of the Bridegroom, and Bride; and they were also filled with the respective praises of each of them; with the praises of their Gar­ments, Beds. &c. Solomon guided by the holy Spirit of God (who often resembled the Spiritual and mystical Union between the Church and the believing Soul, and Christ so, of a Marriage) maketh choice of this kind of Song, in this Book; of this Nature is the 45th Psal. and that Song, Isaiah 51, 2, 3. (though the Argument of that differs.)

[...]. Thirdly, It is a Spiritual Song. The Loves which are here sang, are no Carnal Loves, but Spiritual, it is not as some profanely fancy, a discourse of Love betwixt Solomon and Pharaohs Daughter: or Solomon and the Shulamite, I have heretofore shewed you the vanity [Page 32] of that conceit, it is Sponsa mystica, a mystical Spouse that is here re­presented to us under that notion; I have said enough before to prove this.

4. Fourthly, It is Dramatical, or [...] a Song of parts com­posed after the form of a Dialogue, which was very usual in their Songs of Love; Here are in this Song 3 sorts of Persons, which have their parts. 1. One who is represented under the Notion of a Be­loved. 2. Another who is represented under the notion of a Spouse, a Love, a Sister, &c. 3. The third sort are the friends of the Bride-chamber, ordinarily in this Song represented under the notion of the Daughters of Hierusalem: who they are represented under these dis­guises is matter of our further enquiry.

1. Abating those (whose profane fancy we have already rejected) who think that Solomon is the beloved here mentioned (making the whole book but a wanton Love-Song) I think the generality of Interpre­ters are reasonably well agreed, that God himself, or more particu­larly the Lord Jesus Christ (the 2d Person in the Trinity conside­red as mediator,) is he who is in this Song set out to us under this no­tion of the Beloved.

2. It is almost as universally agreed, that, The Church of God in the general, and the particular Servants of God, Members of that Church, are those here represented to us, under the notion of the Spouse, but whether it were the Church of the Jews, considered distinctly, from the Gospel Church, or the Church of the Gentiles, distinct from the Jewish Church, or the Church, and People of God in all ages, con­cerning this there are several opinions, according to the particular fancies, and affections of Interpreters, or according to their different notions, and apprehensions, concerning the matter of this book, which some will have to be historical, and make it little more than a Nar­rative of what God had done for the Church of the Jews, of which mind is the Calder Paraphrast, and the most of the Jewish Doctors. Others will have it prophetical, amongst whom are Luther, Alsted, Brightman, Aquinas, and Mr. Cotton, &c. Others again Doctrinal, instructing us in that near Communion, and Fellowship betwixt Je­sus Christ and his Church, and every particular believing Soul, and setting out that nearness of relation, and affection, which is betwixt them, together with their mutual apprehensions each of other; yet it cannot be denied, but there are some particular passages in it, propheti­cal, and more specially relating to the Church long after Solomons time.

[Page 33] By the friends of the Bride-chamber called, the Watchmen, the Daughters of Hierusalem, &c. in this Song, are undoubtedly to be understood, the Ministers of the Church in respective ages, with the chorus fidelium, the whole company of Believers, &c.

5. The last thing which is observable, as to the form of this Song is the figurative dialect in which it is written; Besides the continued Allegory of two lovers, running quite through the Song, the Spiri­tual mysteries of it are expressed with a greater variety of Meta­phors, than are found together in any other part of holy writ; which make it more difficult to be understood, and which possibly might be one reason why the reading of it was restrained in the Jewish Church. This made that devout man long since cry out; Hic Bernard. in hom. 1. in Cantica. panis colestis, quis vero frangit? non equidem mihi istud temere arro­gandum, sic expectetis a me, ut non expectetis, nam & ego unus sum de expectantibus. Here is heavenly bread! but who can break it? I can­not rashly arrogate such a faculty to my self expect it from me, as not expecting, for I my self am expecting the revelation of it. And thus much shall serve for the second thing. The third follows.

3. Prop. It is the Song of Songs [...]—

1. The Song of Songs, (as some think) because it consists of se­veral Songs relating to one and the same Subject, compacted toge­gether in one, and the same book.

2. Or (as others) because it is the most excellent Song; The He­brews haveseveral ways, by which they express the superlative de­gree, one is by apposition of Substantives, (as here, the Song of Songs.) V. Merceri ad loc. putting the latter Substantive in the Genitive Case Plural. So that by the Song of Songs is meant the most excellent Song, now this is so cal­led. 1. (1) Either relating to the other Songs which Solomon made, for 1 Kings 4. 32. he made a Thousand and five; of all his Songs 2. this was the most excellent: Or else (2.) relating to the other Spiritual Songs in Scripture, you read of the Song of Moses; of the Song of Miriam, and Deborah, of the Songs of David, &c. but no Song like this: This is the Song of Songs; of all the other Songs Solomon made in Holy Writ, this is the most excellent, not in respect of the Antiquity of it (as some have fancied) for doubtless the Song of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, was far more ancient; nor yet because of the noble Author of it, who was the wisest man upon the Earth. But in respect of the Spiritual matter of it. Look (saith Bernard) upon all the other Authors of Songs in Scripture, and their respective Songs.— Sane omnes (ni fallar) cecinisse reperies pro percepto [Page 34] suo, vel suorum commodo.—hic verò divinitus inspiratus Chri­sti, & Ecclesiae laudes, & sacri amoris gratiam, & aeterni connubii ce­cinit Sacramenta. Other composers of Songs you will find sang them upon receit of some outward mercy conferred upon them, and theirs: But Solomon (here) inspired by God, sings the praises of the Church, and Christ, he sings concerning the Seals of sacred love, and the E­ternal Marriage. Those are the excellent Songs, which set cut the Excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ. This Book is wholly Evan­gelical, wholly Spiritual. But I have spoke enough also to this third Proposition. Give me leave to make some application of this dis­course.

Ʋse 1. In the first place, Let me speak to all of you, who shall hear my further discourses concerning any part of this Book, (as once God spake to Moses at the Burning Bush) Put off thy Shoes from off thy Feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. While I shall be opening those figurative expressions, by which it pleaseth the Ho­ly Ghost (by Solomon) to discourse these Spiritual Loves;—Pro­cul O procul este profani. Saint Paul (to Titus) saith, Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving; there is nothing pure but even their minds, and consciences are defiled. I am sure it may be said so of every line of holy writ, to the pure heart, every line there is pure: not so to the impure, the reason is because their own minds, and consciences are filthy, and impure. Here is no wantonness in these sacred lines, they contain indeed discourses of loves, but altogether Divine and Spiritual, (though under carnal disguises.) Oh let not your wanton hearts bring hither any unclean thoughts.

Ʋse 2. Secondly, Methinks much of what I have said, may engage your minds to attention to me, while I shall indeavour to unfold the Spiri­tual mysteries in this Book.

1. The Penman of this Book was Solomon. The name of a King, (amongst men) carries with it a great reverence, and authority, but Solomon was no ordinary King, the Lord gave him such a degree of wisdom, that none before or after him, were ever like unto him, 2 Chron. 1. 12. The Queen of Sheba thought it worth her travel to come from the utmost parts of the world, to be his auditor, and went away, admiring his wisdom; nay more, he was one whom the Lord loved, thence he had his name Jedidiah, 2 Sam. 12. 24, 25. we may therefore expect to hear the secrets of the Lord from his mouth, rather than from another man; When the disciples, Joh. 13. 23. [Page 35] were at loss for an interpretation of what Christ said, they beckned to the Disciple whom he loved, to inquire his meaning, and were presently satisfied: further yet, he was an eminent Type of Christ. It is Solomon that speaks, but he speaks as the Organ of Christ, [...], saith Greg. Nys­sen. Christ useth Solomon as his instrument, and by him speaks to us. But this brings me to a second Consideration as much engaging you to attention, and far more than the former.

2. A greater than Solomon is here. Solomon speaks in this Song in the Person of Christ, and Christ by him here speaketh unto you: Solo­mon's hand holds the Pen, but Christ guides his hand to every let­ter in this sacred Song.

3. Nor was this holy Song (as you have heard) composed in Solo­mons time of deviation from God, that indeed would have weakned the authority of it; but either in the former part of his life before he went astray from God: or in the latter part, when he was again returned unto him; be it which it will, we are by it strongly engaged to the study, and understanding of it, as it from a great experience informeth a gracious soul, to what degree of communion with God it may arrive, and what sweet intercourses (even in this life) be­twixt Christ and a believing Soul are attainable by that Soul that followeth after them, whether in its Virgin State, before it hath more notoriously estranged itself from God, or upon a true repen­tance after eminent backslidings.

4. The exceeding sweetness, and spirituality of the matter, highly com­mends it to every spiritual heart: There is no part of the Word of God, but is exceedingly sweet, and precious, the historical part of it is so, for if it be pleasant to read the Histories of Nations; and King­doms, &c. how much more sweet should it be to every gracious Soul, to read and understand the series of Divine Providences towards that People, whom (above all the Nations of the Earth) he set apart for himself, whom he miraculously conducted, and for them made his holy Arm so eminently bare in the sight of all the Nations of the world: The preceptive part of the Word of God (which we call the Law) is also exceeding precious to a gracious Soul (it was so to David, sweeter than the Hony, or Hony-comb, &c.) and St. Paul (as to his inward man) delighted in it. But of all the portions of holy writ, the Gospel part is most sweet. That which reveals, a God in Christ reconciling the world to himself, which tells you what Christ is in himself, considered as Mediator, God-man, &c. which discove­reth [Page 36] the Excellencies and desirableness of him who is Totus desideria; altogether desires. Those parts of Scripture which let us know what Christ is to his poor people, how tender of them, how jealous for them, how condescending, and kind to them, and how dear and precious they are to him: Of all the portions of holy writ Experi­ence speaks those most exceeding sweet to us, where Christ is set out in the pantings of his heart, and yernings of his bowels towards his poor Children. Such is this portion of holy writ: when we shall have taken off the Vail of Metaphors, with which this sacred portion of holy writ is covered, we shall find that there is scarce any portion of holy writ, wherein those sweet, and spiritual mysteries of the Souls union, and Communion with Jesus Christ, are more fully, and affectionately described.

5. The more special form of it as a Song, doth likewise commend it to our attention, there is a secret vertue in Poetry, engagine Peo­ples hearts, and affections to attention. If a wanton Love-Song, which discourseth the vertues, and beauty of Creatures, can lay such an hold upon our Ears, and Hearts; what should this Song do! which discourseth the Excellencies of him who is the fairest amongst the Sons of Men, the chiefest of ten thousand, altogether desires, and his particular indearments to the Souls of his Creatures, which have no comeliness but what he puts upon them; certainly the hea­ring of these discourses must ravish every spiritual heart. This is the Song of Songs.

6. Finally the Metaphors with which this excellent Song is clothed, must needs give it a great advantage with every ingenuous Soul, which naturally desires the understanding of what is hid from it, we may suppose God therefore to have thus phrased this Spiritual Song, that we might have greater desires kindled in us to understand the mind and will of God revealed in it. The harder the Shell is, the sweeter the Nut will be found, when once the Shell is crack'd.

Use 3. Lastly, What you have heard; may serve you as a Key for the unlocking this whole portion of Scripture, and guide you in the understanding of my future discourses. By the Beloved speaking in this Song, you are to understand the Lord Jesus Christ. By the Spouse (whom he sometimes calleth his love) you may understand the Church, and more particularly every truly believing Soul. By the Watchmen, the Ministers of the Church, whom God hath set to watch for Souls. By the Daughters of Hierusalem (sometimes men­tioned) either the Members of the Church, or the Neighbours of it. [Page 37] The two first have the greatest share in the Song, the others some­times speak, and are sometime spoken to, But this is enough to have spoken by way of preface, 'Tis time to leave the threshold, and to enter in to this pleasant House.

Only give me leave as an Epilogue to this discourse to subjoin the Judgment of Ludovicus de Ponte (though a Papist, yet a lear­ned Man) who hath copiously interpreted this Spiritual Song, and (allowing him the Popish Devotion for the Sacred Virgin, which makes them all think they see her in every Text) hath done much in it well. It is prefix'd to his Latine Commentary. To this pur­pose.

The Book of Solomon (which from the nobleness of the Ar­gument is called the Song of Songs) is, a spiritual conference betwixt that God, who is three and yet one, or betwixt Christ who is true God, and Man, and his Church, whether ancient or modern: and every gracious Soul which is a Member of that Church. In which discourse God hath a double part, and perso­nateth two several Persons: The person of a most wise Instructer or Master: delivering to his Disciple the sublime Doctrine of Faith and Holiness. 2. The Person of a most endeared lover, ex­tolling and courting his most beloved Spouse, with wonderful praises; and enriching her with great gifts and favours: The Church also represents a double Person. 1. The Person of a Disciple, or Spouse, towards God, or the Person of a Mistress, or companion towards other Souls which she calls the Daughters of Hierusalem.

The Argument of this Conference, as well became such Persons, is sublime, pleasant, profitable, and abundant­ly copious, for whatsoever the ancient Prophets sang, whatsoever the Evangelists afterwards related; or the A­postles Preached, whether relating to the mysteries of faith, or to holiness, and Gospel perfection, it is all in this Song compre­hended in the style of lovers; (the style being Spiritual not Car­nal.) But because the Metaphors and Similitudes, which fill this whole Book, are taken from Carnal Marriages. We must pill off the bark, that the letter might not kill. That being once taken off, the spiritual part lying within, will enlighten the Soul, and quicken, and inflame and perfect it. For according to our Savi­ours words, it is the Spirit that quickneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: and the words of this Song are Spirit, and life, to [Page 38] those who do sincerely consider them. For as the Ancient Priests Macch. 1. 20. of the Jews (as we read in the Book of Macchabees) when they looked for the sacred fire, which they had hidden, found nothing but thick water, which water (to the admiration of all) when the Sun shined out of the Cloud again, was turned into fire: so he who looks upon the Book of Canticles with carnal Eyes, will on­ly find the puddle-water of words, which the outside letter seem­eth to shew, which will fill his heart with darkness instead of light, with a carnal chilling instead of spiritual heat. But if the di­vine Sun inlightens, that which seemed puddle water, will become coelestial fire, wonderfully inlightning the understanding, and inflaming the will.—

But although the whole Book of Canticles containeth 8 Chap­ters, and by Interpreters be divided into three, five, or more parts, yet I believe the first, and second Chapters are a sum, or bre­viary of all those mysteries of Faith, which are contained in the six other Chapters; which is evidenced from this, that the close of the second and of the last Chap. are much the same, to shew us, that the narration of matter is finished in the second Chapter, and that from the third Chapter beginneth a new discourse of the same mysteries under new Metaphors, and Similitudes.

Discourses of Divine Love BETWEEN CHRIST and the CHURCH.
From the first Chap. of the Song of Solomon.

Sermon I.

Cant. 1. 2, 3. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth: for his loves are better then Wine. V. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments. Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth: therefore do the Virgins love thee.

I Have observed in my prefatory discourse, that some have fanci­ed that this Book is called The Song of Songs, because it contains several Songs in it: It is in our Bibles divided into 8 Chapters, and by Interpreters into several periods, according to their particular fancies. Ludovicus De Ponte conceives, as I shewed you, that the two first Chapters contain a Breviary of all the rest: and as an evi­dence of it, alledgeth the same close both of the second, and eighth [Page 40] Chapter: and from the third Chapter he thinks there begins a repe­tition of the same spiritual mysteries, under new Metaphors, whe­ther that notion (in the extent of it) be true or no: doubtless the two first Chapters contain much spiritual Doctrine, informing us in the near communion betwixt the Lord Jesus Christ, and the believing Soul. A learned Interpreter distributes this Chapter into two parts, the first he calls Prooemium, a Preface, the second Colloquium, a Con­ference betwixt the two great Interlocutors in this spiritual discourse.

In the former you have two things. 1. A Prayer. 2. An Apolo­gy. The first in v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7. The second (as a Parenthesis) v, 5, 6. The Prayer consisteth of three Petitions, each of which is urged by suitable arguments. The first petition is v. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Month. The second, v. 4. Draw me. The 3d is v. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth, &c. where thou fee­dest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon. The further distri­bution of the Chapter, and the several verses in it, I shall leave, un­til I come in order to them.

My Text containeth the first Petition, with an argument annexed. The petition in those words. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth. The argument in the latter words, for his love is better then Wine. For the just understanding of the words, we must consider, 1. Who it is that speaketh. 2. To whom the Speech is directed. 3. what the import of the Petition is.

1. As to the first our Translation puts it out of doubt, and it is as universally agreed amongst Interpreters, that the Person speaking is she who throughout the whole Song bears the Person of the Spouse, by which (having already rejected the notions of those who under­stand Pharaohs Daughter, or the Shulamite, as also of those who restrain it to the Jewish Church) must be understood; either the Church in the general, or the believing Soul in particular, who here speaketh.

2. Either to the Bridegroom [the Lord Jesus Christ] or to God, the Father of this Bridegroom, whose it is to bless us with all spiritual bles­sings, in and through him. Supposing the latter, the believing Soul directeth her request, as her beloved directeth (when he commands us to pray, saying, Our Father.) If the petition be understood, as di­rected to the Lord Jesus Christ: Let him kiss me, is as much as, Do thou kiss me. Vicem nominis supplet vis amoris, the force of her love supplyeth the omission of his name (saith Lud. de Ponte.) It is a very usual dialect of Scripture, to put the 3d Person for the 2d: [Page 41] so the Psalmist: God be merciful unto us, and bless [...]us. But

3. Qu. What doth the Spouse mean by Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth?

Some read it, He did kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth. Thus the ancient Chaldee Paraphrast. Blessed be the name of the Lord, who gave us his Law, written by the hand of Moses his Scribe, who wrote it in two Tables of Stone; and spake with us face to face, as a man who kisseth his Companions: through the greatness of his love where­with he loved us more than threescore, and ten Nations. But the stile of the Song is rather pathetical and optative, than historical and narrative: and it is rather referred to Christ as Mediator, than to God the Father, or the Lord Jesus Christ, considered (only) as God [...] over all blessed for ever; besides that the Hebrew word (being in the future tense) referrs rather to the time to come, than to the time past, and I see no need of inventing a figure.

Luke 7. 38. Job 31. 27. Prov. 24. 26. There is a threefold kiss, of which you read in Scripture. 1. The kiss of the feet. Thus the penitent Woman, Luk. 7. 38. kissed her Saviours feet. 2. The kiss of the hand, Job 31. 27. If my mouth hath kissed my hand. 3. The kiss of the lips. Prov. 24. 26. and so in many other Texts.

The Schoolmen tell us of a seven-fold kiss: a kiss of 1. Love 2. Union. 3. Reverence and Honour. 4. Adoration. 5. Reconcilia­tion and Peace. 6. Treachery, as Joab kissed Abner and Amasa, and Judas kissed Christ. 7. Wantonness.

According to the usages of several Nations, there were several sorts of kisses, distinguished by their objects, and ends, they were wont to kiss the head, lips, cheek, shoulders, hands, backs, feet, of their superiours, inferiours, and equals, and that for several testimo­nies, which yet (I think) are reducible to two heads:

1. Gen. 50. v. 1. For a testimony of honour, reverence, and subjection. Thus Pa­rents were kissed by their Children: Jacob came near and kissed Exod. 18. 7. Isaac, Gen. 50. 1. Joseph fell upon his Fathers face, and kissed him. Thus Exod. 18. 7. Moses went out to meet his Father in Law, and did obeysance and kissed him, and Orpah kissed her Mother in Law: Ruth 1. 14. Thus the Persians were wont (according to the differences of Per­sons in respect of quality) to give differing kisses. Equals kissed one anothers lips, the Person who was but a little inferiour, kissed his su­periours Cheek. The lower sort fell at their superiours feet, and kis­sed them: Thus Idolaters shewed their reverence to their Idols, and the true Worshipers of God were by this distinguished.— They [Page 42] 1 Kings 19. 28. Hosea 13. 2. had not kissed Baal, 1 Kings 19. 28. and the Idolaters in Israel, said. Let the men that sacrifice kiss the Calves, Hos. 13. 2. Thus also we are commanded to kiss the Son: least he be angry, Psal. 2. 12. which Jerome translates: Purely worship the Son. This is now a kiss where­with we ought to kiss Christ, but this is not the kiss of the Text.

2. Osculam amoris [...] Symboli [...]m. [...]illyr. Secondly, Kisses were used for a testimony of love, which some­times was hypocritical, and so the kissing deceitful, such were the kisses of Joab and Judas, ordinarily real; which might be conside­red 1. either as continued or interrupted. Kisses were 1. Used in token of continuing love; As appears by the several precepts of the Apostles Gen. 31. 55. 2. 2 Sam 14. 33. regulating the use of them, by a law of holiness and chastity, Rom. 16. 16. 1 Cor. 16. 20: &c. Or 2. In token of renewed love and re­conciliation. Thus Laban kissed Jacob upon their reconciliation, Esau kissed Jacob, and David kissed Absalom. Beza thus gives the propriety of this testimony in affection, Whereas our life lies in the breath which goeth out of our lips, and our Soul goes away, when our breath at last goes; the joining of the friends lips and mouths, signifies, Beza in 2. Hom. in Cant. that they are so dear each to other, that they could willingly unite Souls, (if it could be) and bestow their lives each upon other.

The kiss of the text, must needs be this. In testimonium amoris, for a testimony of love. But still here remains a question: whether she desires the kiss of Reconciliation. 2. Or that which is a pledge of continuing love.

1. Those who understand the first, confess a breach betwixt God, and his Creatures, which indeed there was made, in the beginning of the world, which breach is (as to the meritorious part) made up by the incarnation, death, and passion of Christ. Indeed there was an an­cient Covenant of Grace concerning it, Gen. 3. revealed immediately, 2 Cor. 5. 18. 19. Col. 1. 21. Eph. 2. 16. Dan. 9. 24. but I say it was done (quoad pretium) by the incarnation, and death of Christ according to those Texts, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19. Col. 1. 21. Eph. 2. 16. according to the prophecy, Dan. 9. 24. And (as to the particular application of that purchase) it is daily done by the Spirit of God, working faith in us, by which we are united to Christ. Now the question is whether the Spouse here beggeth;

1. Christs coming in the flesh, being incarnate and dying for us, for the fulfilling of the eternal Covenant of Reconciliation, (to which some encline.)

2. Or, the kiss of Justification; the actual reconciliation of the Soul unto Christ, and application of Christ to the Soul by f [...]rth.

3. Or, The further influences of [...] Love, as pledges of that, first [Page 43] Grace, and Seals of that Original love of his to the Souls of his Peo­ple.

1. Indeed, the Eternal Son of God kissed us (and he stooped much to kiss us) when he took upon him our nature, uniting finite, and infinite, corruptible and incorruptible, when he nothinged himself for us▪ and this was foreseen, and so might be desired ( Abraham saw the day, and rejoyced, Joh. 10. 48. and not only Origen, and Ber­nard Joh. 10. 48. of old, but many modern interpreters, think that the Spouse here, hath a great respect to this matchless testimony of Divine Love: which being granted, the Text is no other, than the breathings and pantings of the Church of God then living, or the Mat. 13. 17. 7. particular members of it, after the Incarnation of Christ, which doubtless was a great object of their desires. Kings and Prophets, and Righteous men desired to see the things, which the Disciples saw, 2. and did not see them, &c. Others understand the text of those testi­monies of Divine Love which followed the death of Christ, parti­cularly, The sending of the Spirit. It is true this is called The promise of the Father; and was so under the old Testament, Ezech. 36. &c. and it proceeds from Christ, as the great testimony of his love, nor indeed doth Christ otherwise testify his special love, than by the in­fluences of his Spirit: but I cannot tell why we should restrain it to the particular dispensation in the days of Pentecost. I think Pisca­tor 3. expresseth the sense well by suum erga me amorem patefaciat, let Piscat ad loc. him manifest to me his love: let me know that he loveth me: yet supposing it the Reconciled Believing Soul that speaks: it seems rather to be understood of further grace, than the first grace of regenera­tion, and reconciliation unto God, the desire seems to be a desire of free familiar communion with Christ. This seems to be the main of her request, the great sum of her desires, the uppermost of her Souls concernments. —Quid ta [...]u minimum & submissum quam Osculetur [...] me, Osculo or [...]s sui. Ludov. de Ponte. ad loc.

But observe yet further. She begs but a kiss, not let him imbrace me: but let him kiss me. She asketh modestly, if (saith the woman in the Gospel) I might but touch the Hem of his Garment. Thus the woman of Canaan also. Truth Lord: but the Dogs eat the crums. Thus the Spouse. If he would but kiss me: Oh! how precious is the least of Christ to a gracious Soul? It is better to be kissed by him, than to lie in the worlds arms, to be a Door-keeper in the House of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

3. But thirdly, The word is plural. One kiss will not serve the turn. she is not a stranger, but a Spouse. The plural number either im­ports, [...] [Page 44] 1. Various dispensations of Grace, Or 2dly, Repeated influen­ces of the same Grace. 1. It may be understood, as denoting various Beza ad lo [...]. Lud. de Pon­te ad lo [...]. dispensations of Grace: Beza saith the Lord kissed the Soul thrice: 1. In this life, when he is by faith united to it. 2. In the day of death, when the Soul is taken up into the enjoyment of God. 3. In the Resurrection, when Body and Soul shall be united, and together glorified. Another reckons up 7 kisses with which the Lord kisseth his Peoples Souls. The Grace of 1. Incarnation. 2. The descending of the Holy Ghost. 3. The preaching of the Gospel. 4. Reconciliation to God. 5. Sanctification. 6. Divine Consolations. 7. The kiss of Glory. And the same Author makes the Spouses petition comprehen­sive of all these; certain it is, there are various dispensations of Grace, there is quickning, strengthening, comforting Grace: and there may be frequent repetitions of these to the Soul, according to its particular wants, and Gods favour towards it, and you may indifferently under­stand the Text in either sense.

[...].Fourthly, The Spouse here doth not only desire kisses, but [...] the kisses of Christs mouth: concerning which ob­serve these 2 things.

1. The kiss of the mouth, was the highest kiss. This was the kiss of Love, the kiss of Reconciliation, Osculum pacis, the kiss of the Hand, Feet, &c. was a kiss of honour and reverence, and subjection: V. Lud. de Ponte, Origi­nem Bezam, Giffard, Ains­worth, Gl. Ord. &c. ad loc. the kiss of the mouth, was the kiss of love and friendship, of peace, and reconciliation.

2. I find most Interpreters hinting by this expression, something yet more special, viz. Communion with Christ in his word. The word indeed is the fruit of the lips, and cometh out of the mouth, and God may seem (in some propriety of speech) to kiss the Soul with the kisses of his mouth, when he speaks to it in his word: The Lord will speak peace to his people, (saith the Psalmist) and I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, (saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah) some expositors to further this notion have observed that the word [...] signifies sometimes to instruct, but I cannot find that usage of it in holy writ. Grace is poured forth upon Christs lips; she de­sires those kisses, some drive the notion higher; observing the diffe­rence between the Doctrine of the Law, and that of the Gospel: the first is terrible, the second sweet, and comfortable: holding forth no­thing but the love of God in Jesus Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins: hence the Gospel is called The word of reconciliation.

[Page 45] 5.Lastly. She saith Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. She desires not only to hear the Doctrine of the gospel, but that Christ should speak it to her. The Preacher speaks to the Ear, Christ to the heart: Quoties ergo in corde nostro, quod de divinis dogmatibus, Orig [...]n. ad lo [...]. sensibus (que) quaerimus, abs (que) monitoribers invenimus, toties oscula nobis, á Sponso esse data verbo Dei credimus (saith Origen) so often as we find God by his word Speaking to our hearts, so often doth our be­loved kiss us with the kisses of his mouth.

This is sufficient to have spoken for the Explication of the matter of the Text. There onely remains something more circumstantial to be observed.

1.The words are Vox Sponsae. The Voice of the Spouse. Accord­ing to the civil usage of our Country, (and I think most others) the Lover speaks first. Here the Spouse begins; It is so betwixt God and the soul; Christ speaks first. He is found of those that seek him not and of those that enquire not after him. He first loves us, and our Love to him proceedeth from his Love first manifested to us: But you must not understand her that speaks as one that is a stranger, and in a state of disunion, with her beloved: but as one that is already espoused; and made a Spiritual Bride: not desiring first grace: but further grace, which she needeth as well as the first grace, for he giv­eth both to will, and to do, he is both the author and the finisher of faith, and other grace.

2.Secondly, The words are Vox Volentis. The Language of a willing Soul, Willing that Christ should come near unto it, and take it up into fellowship, and communion with himself. God's peo­ple are a willing people. They are indeed made so by a divine po­wer. Psal. 101. 2. But Certum est nos velle cum volumus (saith Aug.) It is God who makes us of unwilling, Willing▪ When he hath had his first work upon our wills, and subdued that strong hold unto himself: Then we are willing. Nay more;

3.Thirdly, They are Vox cupientis. The voice of a panting Soul, not barely content that Christ should kiss it, but passionately desi­ring his kisses. They are as much as, Oh! that he would kiss me. Every gracious Soul passionately desireth fellowship, and Communion with Jesus Christ: Oh! (saith holy David) when wilt thou come to me? Neither is this all, the words are not onely to be considered as a good wish, or passionate desire, but as a fervent prayer.

4.Lastly therefore, they are Vox supplicantis. the Language of a praying soul, where observe,

[Page 46] 1. What she beggs: Not riches, not honour, not pleasures, not [...], but [...], not the good things of fortune: but the riches of grace: her Petition is like that of David, Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me, Psal. 4. 6. Let others take the ring; let her have but the kiss, and it is sufficient for her; but single influences of Grace will not serve her turn, every look of grace is sweet, and frequent influences of Grace are necessary for her.

2. Secondly, Observe How she begs: 1. Reverently. Let him kiss 1. me. Thus we ought to draw nigh to God, with Reverence, and Godly fear. Reverence becomes the great Majesty of Heaven and Earth, those that come without it towards God, understand not his great­ness. 2. 2. She begs humbly. But a kiss. The crumbs that fall from the Lords Table, the touch of the Hem of his Garment, any thing 3. of Jesus Christ, that may but argue distinguishing love. 3. She asketh boldly, not rudely but boldly. Thus we ought to come to the Throne of Grace with an holy boldness, the boldness of faith, the word is in the future tense, and may be translated. He shall kiss me, or he will kiss me. His Majesty requires reverence. His promise 4. gives boldness and confidence. 4. Lastly, she asketh fervently. There is a bluntness discernable in the form, [Let him kiss me,] which speaketh the Souls fervency. Besides the trina repetitio, repeating the same thing by three terms, denotes (as Lud. de Ponte observes) fla­grantissimum cordis affectum. The most flagrant, earnest desire of the Spouses heart.

I have thus far opened to you the Spouses first Petition, in which the believing Soul, with a Reverent, holy, humble boldness, yet with all possible fervency, begs of the Lord Jesus Christ, [her Spiritual Husband] some special distinguishing token of his love, more espe­cially a near fellowship with him, in his ordinances, and the sealing up of his love to her soul, in Gospel Doctrines.

2. Argu. This first petition she presseth with a double Argument. 1. The first drawn from the Excellency of his love. This she sets out, per mo­dum comparationis: comparing it with Wine, and preferring it before it. 2. Comparing the name of Christ with Ointment, and that not shut up in a box, but poured out. Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth, v. 3.

2. Argu. Her 2d Argument is drawn from her Love to her. Beloved; in the close of the third v. The Virgins love thee, and the cause of this love is expressed to be the savour of his good Ointments, Because of the savour, &c.

[Page 47] Let me open the terms by which these Arguments are expressed:

[...]

We translate it, because thy loves are better than Wine: what we translate Loves, the Septuagint translate [...], whom the Vulg. Lat. and the Arab. Interp. follow. [Thy Breasts] the Syriack tran­slate it Bowels, otherwise there is no difference in the Translations.

Delrio tells us that Alanus (an Ancient Interpreter) makes these words, not the continued speech of the Spouse, pressing her Petition by an Argument, but the reply of her beloved to her, assuring her of his love, and that he valued her Breasts, above all things: That which (probably) led him into this mistake, was his interpreting the word [...] as if it were [...] Breasts, and not understan­ding how in any propriety of Speech, the Spouse could commend the Breasts of her beloved, they being parts, from which usually, the woman, not the man is commended (in ordinary Speech) but as the whole stream of Interpreters runs another way: so this seemeth to be no constraining argument, to enforce us to acknowledge such a sudden and a subitam, & abruptam verborum commutationem, (as Delrio calls it) abrupt change of words, as this interpreta [...]io [...] must necessarily infer. For [...]. 1.

Though it be true that [...] signifies a breast, Ezek. 23. 3. v. 21. yet [...] signifies beloved: And loves in the Abstract, and so it is translated, Ezek. 16. 8. it was a time of love.

2. Suppose we should allow more authority to the Septuagint, than to our Hebrew Text (for which there is no reason) yet it is not im­proper to assert these the words, of the Spouse speaking to her be­loved: for although the God of Nature, intending the woman for the Nurse hath provided that sex with larger breasts: yet the man hath breasts also, and such (if you will believe the Philosopher) as may have milk in them.

3. Genebrarduss ad lo [...]. However, he who runs, may read the expression figurative. Amo­ris sedes est in corde, & in uberibus quae, cordi adhaerescunt. The heart is the seat of love, and the Breasts are nigh to the heart, and this evidenceth the difference of Interpreters, as to the translation of the word, as to this Text, to be but a word-bate for Ubera tua, and A­morestui, Thy Breasts, or thy loves, are much the same thing in sig­nification.

4. Neither lastly is this the only Text in Scripture, where the breasts of men are mentioned (if we should be constrained to that sense, Isaiah 60. 16. Thou shalt suck the Breast of Kings, so also God is [Page 48] said to bear his People from the Belly, and to carry them from the Womb. They are Metaphorical expressions, and it is granted on all hands, that if our Interpreters, (with whom concur most modern Interpreters) have not hit the literal signification of the word: yet they have not missed the sense, in translating it, Thy Loves.

By which Interpreters generally understand, either the private influences of Grace, with which God refresheth the particular Souls of his Saints, or: The publick ordinances and institutions of the Gos­pel, by which God expresseth his love to his Church in general, and every believing Soul in particular.

1. Some understand Divine institutions. Ordinances are indeed the Breasts at which Christ suckleth his Children, those means by and through which he conveyeth the streams of his love to them: and there is a great excellency in them. David prefers a day in Christ's Courts, before a 1000 elsewhere. Origen observes, that in some copies instead of quia ubera tua, &c. it was quia loquelae tuae, thy Speeches are better than Wine, which also excellently suits with the former ex­pression. [...]on a [...]t [...]m la­t [...]at quod in quibu [...]dam [...]x­ [...]inplaribus pro co quodlegim [...]s. Quia bona sunt ubera tua super vinun, inveni­mus Scripture, quia bo [...]e s [...]nt lo pu [...]le [...] su­per vinum Ori­gen: Hom. 1. super Cantica in v. 3. The kisses of his mouth. This sense in the general notion of it much pleaseth many Interpreters, though something divided in their more particular notions. Origen interprets it, Dogmata tua, thy Doctrines, and seems indifferently to understand it of the Doctrine of the Law, or of the Gospel. The Popish Interpreters reading it Breasts, ex­pound it concerning the two Testaments, so Genebrard, &c. Others inter­pret it more strictly concerning the sweet Doctrine of the Gospel, which Saint Peter, 1 Pet. 2. 2. compareth unto Milk, which as new born Babes, we ought to desire, and concerning the Apostles and Prophets, which were the first Instruments which God made use of to convey that Doctrine to us: The sweetness of the Gospel (saith Aquinas) is meant here, by which (as with Milk) those who are Babes in Christ are nourished. Mr. Brightman (making this the Speech of the Jewish Church) understands it of the Doctrine of the Law, which also suiteth with Davids high commendation of the Law of God, in his 19 Psal. and in the 119. more largely.

2. But (reading it [Loves:]) possibly they may better interpret it, who understand it concerning the Graces of Gods Holy Spirit. When we speak of the Grace of Christ, we either understand, that goodness which is essentially in him, as he is the fountain of all Grace; full of Grace and Truth (the fulness of the God-Head dwelling in him) or that good­ness which he communicateth to his People, in the free pardon of their sins, and acceptation of their Persons; Or 3 dly. Those fruits of his Spirit which abide and dwell in us, such as faith, love.

[Page 49] Gregor. ad loc. I find some Interpreters both ancient, and modern, interpreting the Text of the latter: So Gregorius Mag. That love to thee, and to my Brethren, which thou hast wrought in my heart; But Beza obser­veth. That it is not usual, to Saints to commend their own graces, and therefore doubtless it is to be understood of that Grace, which is and remains in Christ subjectively, of which we are the Objects; and to this sense agree the most sober, and spiritual Interpreters: ma­king the phrase to signify that sweet pleasure which the Soul takes from the feeling of Christs love. And possibly this is that Vis lactandi, that suckling vertue, which Delrio mentioneth, which Christs puts forth, refreshing the Souls of his Saints with his consolations.

The word is in the plural number: by which the Hebrews were wont not onely to express a multitude of things, but also the infinite vertues, and dimensions of any thing. You must not think (saith Beza) That in the One Essence of God there are more numerical loves No; in him all things are one, and he is one. But his grace is manifold, in respect of our feeling, and apprehension: and he deals out his love to us in different measures according to our different necessities or capacities.

The Chaldee Paraphrast with some of the Heb. Doctors, understand here the Concret, by the Abstract, and interpret God's loves, to be his beloved people of the Jewish Nation; whom he preferreth before Wine, viz. before any other Nations, threescore and ten Nations; to which purpose, by their Cabalistical Art they have found out the nu­merical letters for 70 in the word which we translate Wine. But I shall not insist upon so fond, and improbable a Notion.

Having therefore spoken. Enough for the Explication of the Subject, Thy loves; Let us indeavour to understand what is praedi­cated of this Subject.

[...]

They are better then Wine] good before wine, saith the Heb. Text, which is but the same thing in their dialect, who so use (ordinari­ly) to express the Comparative degree.

1. 1. Good (in the Philosophical notion of it) is whatsoever is the Object of our desire, the nature of it lying in a convenience and suta­bleness of the thing unto our natures which makes it desirable; which a thing may be either upon the account of pleasure or profit, or nobleness. Accordingly the Heb. word [...] is variously translated; merry, Esther 1. 10. Beautiful, Ruth 3. 7. Thy loves are more good, i. e. more sweet, pleasant, profitable than Wine.

[Page 50] 2. 2. Wine (in its primary signification) is the juice of the Grape, whose proper Effect it is to make the heart of man merry Psal. 104. 15. But this were too low a signification for it in this Text. We must therefore allow a figure. The Hebrews were wont under the no­tion of wine, to express all other delectable, and pleasant things. Hence Ahashuerus his feast is called A Banquet of Wine; though it cannot be imagined, that Wine was all the guests had for their inter­tainment. It is an usuall Synecdoche, to express all things that fall under a common genus, by some Eminent Species. Some of the an­cient R. Soi. Jerchi in Genebrard. Rabbies, understood by Wine here quamcun (que) Laetitiam; what­soever is pleasant and acceptable. And in that sence Mercer, and the best of modern Interpreters agree. For that other interpretation, Num. 15. 5. Hos. 9. 4. which some make of it, who understand by loves, Gospel Doctrine, and by [Wine] the Doctrine and dispensation of the Law though it seemeth to have some advantage, by the use of Wine, in the legal oblations, and it be a truth, That the Doctrine, and dispensation of the Gospel being more sweet and perfect, is better than that of the Heb. 9. 1. Law which brought nothing to perfection. Yet I cannot think it the sense of this Text.

Let us conclude then, that the words are the Language Either of the Church of God preferring the injoyment of God in the Doctrines, and dispensations of his word and Gospel: or the words of the believ­ing Soul preferring the influences of divine grace, before the sweetest of all creatures comforts. And this I take to be the most free and consi­stent sense, and interpretation of the words.

The particle [...] may be conceived here to have a double use.

1. Either To give a reason of her former desire, that her beloved Nu [...]s autem ne videatur insano quodam affectu rapi, sed plane prudenti con­silio &c. Beza in Cant. Hom. 1. should kiss her with the kisses of his mouth; Which she professeth to be like theirs, who desire wine: They desire that because it is good. She desires these because there is a far greater goodness in these heavenly influences, than there is in the best of created comforts▪ by which she shews that she was not carried out to these desires in­sano quodam affectu, sed prudente consilio (saith Beza by pru­dent advice, and deliberation; reason dictating to us, the choice and desire of the things, which are most excellent: Not by an heady and misguided passion.

2. Or else to make an argument which might be advantageous to her for the obtaining of her request; drawn from the Estimate of Christs love with which her Soul was possessed: Lord I esteem thy favour to me above all created comforts in the world: Therefore let not my Soul [Page 51] want it. And so it suteth with that of David Psal. 4. 6. Lord lift Psal. 4. 6. thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness into my heart, more than the time that their Corn, and Wine increased. And thus these latter words of the Text contain the Spouses first Ar­gument, by which she urgeth her petition mentioned in the former part of it. She proceedeth v. 3.

V. 3. V. 3. Because of the Savour of thy Ointments: Thy name is as oint­ment poured forth; therefore do the Virgins love thee.

The Sept. translate it thus [...]

The Vulg. Latine joyneth the former part of this verse to the for­mer thus; Thy breasts perfumed with the best ointments are better than Wine.

The difference is not much, nor is it an easy labour, to determine it, because the points and stops which make it, are of no great an­tiquity, (at least as some think) the Hebrew (translated for a word) seemeth to be thus: To the smell of thy good Ointments. Thy name is as Oil, or Ointment poured out. Therefore do the Virgins love. [...] This seemeth to be (in our dialect) an harsh sense, and the connexi­on is not clear. To help it therefore Piscator translateth it Quod at­tinet ad odorem, &c. As to what belongs to the savour of thy good Ointments, &c. The Tigurine Version make the middle words as a Parenthesis, and translate it thus: For the smell of thy good Ointments (for thy name is as an Ointment poured out.) Therefore do the Virgins love thee.

The only question is whether the Spouses design in these words be to give a reason why her beloved had such an excellent name. viz. because of the savour of his good Ointments. Or to give a reason why the Virgins loved him; or of both these together: I think of both. The words will bear it. But let us come to enquire the import of the words more particularly.

[ [...]] The thing spoken of is Ointments, these are said to be 1. Good, and 2. to have a Smell. The Hebrew word, from which the word [here translated Ointments] [...] co­meth, signifies to be fat, Deut. 32. 15. Jeshurun waxed fat. [...] Jer. 5. 4. This word properly signifieth fatness, and usually signi­fieth Oil or Ointment, because of the pinguid nature of those things; Pro. 21. so Prov. 21. 20. Hos. 2. 5. The word signifieth any kind of fatness, Hos. 2. whether caused by Nature or Art. But it is not here to be taken lite­rally; he needs no Oils, nor sweet Ointments, to make him sweet. [Page 52] But you must know that those Eastern Countries abounded with plen­ty of Spices, and other sweet ingredients, of which several com­pounds were made, Oils, and Ointments, which were exceedingly grateful to the outward senses; of which they made both a Religious and a Civil use. They made a Religious use of them; 1. In Sacrifices. 2. In Consecrations.

1. Oil was used in Sacrifices: Especially in such as were Euchari­stical. Hence you read of the Oil of gladness, (for it testified joy and gladness.) The first use of it in this kind, of which you read in Scrip­ture Gen. 28. 18. was Gen 28. 18. When God had preserved Jacob in the Night, in token of his thankfulness, he took the stone upon which he had slept, and set it up for a pillar, and powred Oil upon it, he did Gen. 35. 14. the like again Gen. 35. 14 whether it were done, as a note of the consecration of the place, to the service of God, or an Eucharistical Sacrifice, may possibly be questioned by some, but the latter see­meth to me most probable, considering the subsequent use of Oil (under the law) to this purpose, of which you may read in Le­viticus Ch. 2. v. 1. 3. 4. It was not lawful, in offerings which Num. 5. 15. were to bring iniquity to remembrance. Numb. 5. 15. No▪ testimony of Joy might there be shewn.

2. It was also used in Consecrations of persons; and that either to the Kingly, Priestly, or Prophetical Office. Samuel used Oil in the [...] Sam. 10. 2. Ch. 16. 11. [...]3. [...] Kings 10. 3. [...]xod. 30. 22. anointing both of Saul, & David to the Kingly Office. The same you read also in the anointing of Jehu, 2 King. 10. 3. Elisha the Prophet was anointed. So was the High Priest. You have a description of the Oil, and a particular Precept, and direction for the composition of it, Exod. 30. 22. This was called the holy anointing Oil, with which Aaron and his Sons were anointed. The Tabernacle (also) and the Ark, with all things belonging to them, were to be anointed with it, as you will find in that Chapter.

Besides this Sacred use of Oil there was also a civil, and ordinary Kings 17. [...]. [...]ech. 16. 13. [...]ra 3. 7. am. 14. 2. her 2. 12. [...]e 7. 46. use of it. Thus they used it either for bodily nourishment; the widow 1 Kings 17. 12. Told the Prophet that she had but a little Oil in the cruse. Or, 2. For delight and pleasure, as we now use our sweet pow­ders, our dry, and liquid perfumes. Joab chargeth the woman of Tekoah (being to personate a mourner) not to anoint her self with Oil. Esther and the other Maids, that were to be brought before Ahashuerus; were (for 6 months) to be perfumed with Oils. Christ complains of Simon that he had not anointed his head with Oil. Mary anointed Christ with Oil, or Ointment, Joh. 11. 2. and the Woman poured out a Box of Ointment, Spikenard upon his head.

[Page 53] Now from this civil and sacred use of Oil, and the effects, the terms of Oil, and Ointment, and Anointing are also used metaph [...]ri­cally in Scripture. Thus Oil and Ointments in Scripture signify the graces of Gods Spirit, and Anointing signifies that gracious Divine Act by which we are made partakers of those graces. To this sense the Psalmist speaketh, God hath anointed thee with the Oil of Glad­ness Psal. 45. 7. above thy fellows, Psal. 45. 7. which the Apostle applieth to Christ, Heb. 1. 9. and St. John expoundeth, saying, The Spirit was Heb. 1. 9. Joh. 3. Acts 10. 38. Psal. 1 [...]. not given unto him by measure, which is plainly expressed, Acts 10. 38. God hath anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power. And as the holy anointing Oil (under the old Law) wetted not Aarons- head alone, but ran down upon the Skirts of his Gar­ment, so this holy (metaphorical) Oil doth also. Hence as David said, Psal. 92. 10. Thou hast anointed me with fresh Oil; and the Psal. 92. 10. People of God then were called the Lords anointed: So (under the New Testament) the Children of God are said to have an unction, & it is said that this Anointing abideth in them. Thus that of St. John is made good, Of his fulness we have received grace for grace. By Christs Ointments, we understand then, the Grace that was poured out upon him, and which dwelleth in him: and in this sense I find the generality of sober Expositors agreed.

Now these Ointments are said to be [...] good, the significa­tion of which term, I opened to you before, and when I come to the propositions of Doctrine, I shall more particularly shew you the good­ness of them in every notion of good. But these Ointments, are also said to cast a Savour.— At the savour of thy good Ointments.

A smell or savour is Qualitas olfactu sensibilis, some quality of a thing which we discern by our external sense of smelling, being conveyed to us by the mediation of the Air: By the smell of Christs Is. 11. 2. Graces, we can understand nothing else, than the Spiritual sense of the love of Christ, which by the mediation, and breathing of the holy Spirit of God is discerned by the Soul. The word in the He­brew [...] signifies any perception of a thing, it is used, Is. 11. v. 3. where it is said of Christ, that the Spirit of the Lord (resting upon him) shall make him (as we translate it) of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: the Hebrew is he shall be smelled, in the [...] fear of the Lord. And Judg. 16. 9. we translate it, when it toucheth the fire, the Hebrew word is the same, when it smelleth the fire; that is, when the fire cometh to it: when it hath any sense of the fire. I conclude then; that as Christs Ointments are the graces with which [Page 54] he is filled: So the savour of these Ointments, is nothing else than the souls perception, and sense of that Christ, by the mediation of the holy Spirit of God, breathing his grace, and love upon the Souls of his People. And this is sufficient to have spoken for the explication of this first phrase. It follows, [...] Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth, Job speaking of God saith, what is his name? and what is his Sons name? Let us enquire a little concerning the name of Christ in this Text.

A name is an appellation given to some person, or thing, either to ex­press the nature, and being of it; or to distinguish it from another thing. God cannot properly be said to have a name, because no term can fully explicate to us his divine essence. But yet God is pleased in some little measure to make himself known to us: Now whatsoever God thus makes himself known unto us by, that is his name: More particularly: The second Person in the holy Trinity, conside­red as our Mediator, and in reference to the great work of mans redemption, had several names: One expressing the two natures which were united in that Divine Person, that was his name Emanu­el, which signifieth God with us. Another expressing the great work which he had to do, viz. To save his People from their sins, there­fore V. Greg. mag. ad loc. V. Genebr. ad loc. Lud. de Pon­te ad loc. Lyra ad loc. his name was called Jesus. A third expressing his designation & consecration to his Office; thus he was called Messiah and Christ, both signifying the same thing Anointed. Gregory understands it of the name Christ, and the name Messiah, so doth Lud. de Ponte. Gene­brard, Lyra, and others of the name Jesus.

But I know no reason why we should dispute so nicely for the particular name, when as Christ had several names, either expressive of his Divine, or Human nature, or of his personal capacity, as both Natures were united in him: or else expressing the vertues and graces of his Person: or else relating to one or another, or all his sacred Offi­ces; and indeed what is said in the Text, is true concerning every name of Christ as well as another: Each of his names is, As an Oint­ment poured forth. And besides I see a more comprehensive interpreta­tion of the term equally true with this: Thy name. Whatsoever thou art made known by unto us; thy word, ordinances, grace, gospel, it is all like Oil poured forth, [...] the word translated poured forth, [...] cometh from the Hebrew Radix [...] he hath emptied, or exhaust­ed. Christs name is compared to Oil, & to Oil emptied, & poured out.

2. Oyl in the Box is sweet, very sweet, it maketh the Box sweet, but it casts not forth its smell abroad: nor is the sweetness of it so ex­ceeding [Page 55] great and overcoming, as when it is poured forth. It is said of the Ointment, with which Mary anointed our Lord, that when she brake the Box, the savour of it filled the room. Joh. 12. 3.

2. Nor is it said, thy name is as an Ointment dropped out: but as an Ointment poured forth as Ointment [...] emptied, or exhausted, [...] (saith the Septuagint version.) Take the Lord Jesus Christ, as he is one with the Father, God over all blessed for ever; so he is the Fountain and Original of Grace, full of good Ointments: But now look upon him as our Mediator, in which notion, the names of Je­sus, Christ, Messias, Emanuel, &c. belong unto him, so he is as Oil poured forth. The grace of the hypostatical union is poured out upon him, he is God with us. The fulness of the God-Head, dwelleth in him [...], bodily. The Revelation of Christ to the world, as the Sa­viour of the Sons of Men, is as an Ointment poured forth, which smells sweet in the Nostrils of all the world, and filleth the whole Creation with a sweet savour. The more special revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the particular souls of the Saints, is as an Ointment poured forth. Christ apprehended, and applyed by faith unto the soul is exceeding sweet to it. To you that believe (saith the Apostle) he is precious.

It followeth, [...] Therefore do the Virgins love thee.

Amongst men, the term Virgin, signifies one who hath not lain with Man, neither as a Wife, nor as a Strumpet. By a metaphor the Servants of God in Scripture are called Virgins, because it is their duty, and will be their care to keep themselves unspotted from the world, from all filthiness, both of Flesh and Spirit (as the Apostle speaketh) the 144000 glorified Saints, mentioned, Rev. 14. 4. Rev. 14. 4. are called Virgins. The professors of the Gospel at large, are so cal­led in the parable, Mat. 25. of which, though as to the matter of Mat. 25. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. their own salvation, some were wise some soolish, yet all kept them­selves from the Paganish Spiritual Adultery with Devils, Stocks and Stones. Gods People of Israel anciently was called a Virgin, Jer. Jer. 31. 4. 13. 31. 4. 13. And Saint Paul professeth it his desire, to present the Saints at Corinth—as a chast Virgin unto Christ, to which purpose he was jealous over them with a godly jealousy, 2 Cor. 11. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 2.

The word here translated virgins cometh from the Heb. root [...] which signifies to be hid and covered, either Because the gra­vity of former times caused Parents to keep their Virgins, as it were hidden, in their Houses, until Marriage. Or else because the modesty [Page 56] of those more innocent times, allowed not Virgins to go without their Vails; as it were hidden from vulgar sight. Rebeccah, when she Gen. 24. 65. came near unto Isaac, took a Vail, and covered herself; which usage continued a long time after, especially in publick Assemblies. Tertul­lian hath a peculiar Book de velandis Virginibus, concerning the vail­ing of Virgins, where he bitterly inveigheth against those who had broken those bars of modesty, and calleth them capita nundinatitia, pu­dorem ostentatitiae Virginitatis, (what would he have said to the bare Necks, and open Breasts of this Age?) But I told you by Virgins here are meant the true Children of God, who are called hidden ones, Psal. 83. 3. Psal. 83. 3. such who (being cleansed) have neither spot nor wrin­kle, but are holy, and without blemish; thus of old, Origen, and Gregor. magnus, and more lately Beda with the generality of modern Exposi­tors, interpret it. Mercer by Virgins seems to understand the Gentiles, who had not heard of Christ, yet should be also induced to love him, upon the report of his Excellencies, revealed to them in the prea­ching of the Gospel, but the other Interpretation, is proper enough, and more generally received, to which I shall adhere. These Vir­gins love Christ [...]

The word translated love, is ordinarily used, and so interpreted it hath a great cognation with [...] voluit he hath willed, and [...] desideravit, he hath desired. Love is nothing else, but a willing of good to the object beloved, and desire is the eldest Daughter, and first fruit of love.

For the particles [...] therefore, they shew the cause of the be­lievers loving of the Lord Jesus Christ, because of the savour of his good Ointments. The excellencies of grace which are in him, of which it hath a spiritual sense.

This whole verse comprehends a second Argument, by which the Spouse inforceth her first petition, The first was drawn, from that high esteem which her soul had of the love, and grace of Christ. 2. This is drawn, from that particular affection which she had for him (com­mon to all spiritual Virgins) which she shews was not brutish, and irrational; no, it was because he was full of grace; which was more precious, than the most excellent Ointments, and she had received the savour of this grace; for his discovery of himself to the world as a Sa­viour, and more specially to her soul as her Saviour, was as an Oint­ment poured forth.

You may now take the substance of these two verses, and so of the Spouses first and great petition thus:

[Page 57] Oh! That it might please my dearly beloved Saviour, who is my Spiritual Bridegroom, to shew me some token of special love, and to multiply those tokens to me more specially, in and by the words of his Mouth, in Gospel Doctrines to speak unto my Soul, which doth really The sum of the 2 verses opened. prefer the tokens of his love, and influences of his grace, before the most choice of all creature comforts. My beloved is full of grace and love, which is sweet like good Ointment; every discovery of himself is as sweet as Ointment poured forth, therefore doth my Soul love him; and not my Soul only, but the Souls of all those, who are not deflowered by the world, and by lusts.

From the words thus opened, several propositions of truth may be observed.

1 Prop. The mercies which the believing Soul thirsts after, are spiritual di­stinguishing mercies.

2 Prop. The least of Christ [a kiss] is exceeding precious to a gracious Soul.

3 Prop. Though the least influences of grace be precious to believers: yet they will not be satisfied, without the fullest dispensations of grace, and most frequent repetitions of it.

4 Prop. Believers have special thirstings after the Word of God: The kisses of his Mouth.

5 Prop. The thirst of a true believer will not be satisfied without a Spiri­tual, inward communion with Christ in his Ordinances. The kisses of his Mouth.

6 Prop. A gracious Soul will be very bold and earnest with God for this spiritual communion with him.

7 Prop. The Lord Jesus Christ hath Loves: A variety of Grace.

8 Prop. The Loves of Christ are better [than Wine] than all created com­forts whatsoever.

9 Prop. The believing Souls knowledge of the Excellencies which are in Christ, is the ground of its earnest desire of fellowship, and communion with him.

10 Prop. It is an excellent Argument for a Soul to use with God for the ob­taining of favours from him, if it can truly say, that it preferreth his fa­vour before all created goods.

11 Prop. The Lord Jesus Christ hath good Ointments, which cast a savour.

12 Prop. The name of Christ is as an Ointment poured forth.

13 Prop. Virgin Souls love the Lord Jesus Christ, for those excelling graces which they discern in him.

2. Sermon II.

Canticles 1. v. 1. 2, 3.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth; for his loves are better then Wine: Because of the savour, &c.

I Have (in my former Exercises) opened the Text, and named those propositions of Doctrine which are couched in the words, or ra­tionally to be deduced from them. I come now to the particular handling of them, beginning with the first.

Prop. 1. The thirst of a believing Soul is after Spiritual distinguishing mercies.

1. Nature teacheth every one to say, who will shew us any good? Good is a thing that all the creation is enamoured upon. God is the foun­tain of all goodness; Every good and perfect gift, cometh from above, from him who is the father of lights. Who being not a debtor to the creature, must needs dispense it out freely. Hence that good­ness of God which is his goodness of Beneficence, not only dwelling in him as a piece of his divine perfection: But flowing from him, as a stream from the fountain of his liberality, is properly called Mercy, whether it be good to us in respect of its sutableness to our outward and bodily wants, or to our more inward, and Spiritual necessities. Hence the Mercies and savours of God, are either Bodily [respecting out outward Man] or Spiritual [respect­ing our inward man.] The former (such now, as life, health, peace and prosperity, riches, &c.) are such as God gives to his Enemies, as well as to his Friends; he maketh his Sun to rise upon the evil and Mat 5. 45. the good: And sendeth rain on the just and unjust, Math. 5. 45. Spiritual good things again, are either Gifts of common or of Special Grace. Gifts of common grace, such as knowledge, invention, memory utterance, &c. These are indeed Spiritual gifts, so called by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 1. ch. 14. 1. because given out by the Spirit of God; and tending to innoble the Spiritual part, and they are also called the best gifts. 1, Cor. 12. 31. They are so in their kind, better, than those which only concern the outward man; but St. Paul himself, mention­eth better than these in the very same Text; I shew you a more excel­lent way. Neither are these distinguishing favours, but given in common [Page 59] to wicked as well as to good men: But now there are Spiritual mer­cies [...] so called: Not only because they come from the Spirit of Grace, and innoble the Spiritual part of man, but because they are suted to the greatest necessities of our inward man. Such are the grace of Justification, Union to and reconciliation with God, pardon of Sin, and the Senses of that pardon, together with all the fruits of the Spirit of regeneration, and Sanctification. These are the distinguishing favours of God, which difference the Child of God from him that is not. Now I say these are those favours which the believing Soul thirsteth after, and longeth for, expressed here under the Meta­phor of kisses.

2. And properly expressed under that notion. Men and women use not to kiss such as they hate but such as they have an affection for. It is a civil usage amongst us so to salute strangers indeed, but frequency of kisses speaks a distinguishing love, and some intimacy of Affection and are not ordinary, unless amongst very intimate Friends, such as is the Husband and Wife, Brethren and Sisters &c. But yet a little fur­ther.

3. When Isay the thirstings of gracious Souls are after such distinguish­ing tokens of divine love. I understand it not Exclusively. The Children of God are made up of flesh and blood, as well as any others, and subject to the same necessities and infirmities; they have in them cravings, and lustings of the flesh. David prayeth hard for his life Psal. 39. ult. and Abraham for a Child, and Job for health. Jonas is fond of a gourd, and Agur beggeth food convenient for him, and although, Rachel may be too importunate for a Child, and Paul for the removal of the Thorn in his flesh, yet there is a lawful desire of the good things of this life allowed, yea, commanded us in that form of Prayer, which our Saviour prescribes. We are bid to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. But the Child of God first seeks the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, according to our Sa­viours prescript, Mat. 6. 33. I remember David hath such an ex­pression as this, Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy Temple. If a Child of God had but one thing to ask of God, this should be it, that it might behold the face of God; this is that which it would seek after, and look out for. Yea, this is that which their Souls desire eminenter. These are the things for which they will wrestle with God, and will not let him go until he shall bless them [Page 60] with them. Other things they will beg, but these are the things their Souls will spend their strength in, and lay the stress upon: did you hear the secret pleadings of the awakened Soul with God, you would easily discern the difference between the desires it hath to­wards outward things, and those which are in it towards Spiritual, and distinguishing mercies, and be easily able to say: Those are the things that this Soul would have, pardon of Sins, sense of Gods love, victory over its lusts, and corruptions; strength, and inlargement of heart in the service of God. These are the things which this Soul would have. It asks a Ring, but the kiss is that to which it hath most mind. And all this must be understood of the gracious Soul, when it is itself; not in its fits of passion and infirmity: then Elijah, and Job, and Jonah, and any of the Children of God may speak accor­ding to the flesh, the law of their members prevailing against the law of their mind, hath brought them into captivity to the law of Sin. These things being premised for the explication, the truth of the proposition will be abundantly evidenced from the example of the man according to Gods own heart (holy David) and that in several Psalms, Psal. 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me. There be many that say, who will shew us any good, but Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me. The light of the Sun will please others, but 'tis only the light of thy Countenance, that Psal. 63. v. 1. 2. will please me, Psal. 63. v. 1. 2. My Soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee: in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. To see thy power, and thy glory in the Sanctuary. The sight of the Sanctuary will please another, but nothing will please David, but the sight of Gods power, and glory in the Sanctuary. Other-where he prays, that the Lord would shew him his way, and unite his heart to fear his name. That God would come unto him, and shew himself unto him, &c. Nor is it hard to find out the reason of it, which lies;

1. In the sanctification of the renewed man, he hath a new heart given unto him. A new heart signifies a new understanding; a new will, and new affections. New, not as to the faculties themselves, but as to the motions and operations of them, in which the soul still fol­lows the dictates of reason, and proceedeth in the method of a ra­tional creature.

1. The Soul is renewed in its understanding; from whence pro­ceedeth a new notion and Judgment concerning things. The old Ser­pent cheated our first Parent, when he persuaded her that the fruit of the forbidden Tree was to be desired, because in the day she [Page 61] should eat thereof, her Eyes should be opened, and she should be as God, knowing good and evil; for from that day forward she was struck blind, and the Disease, (according to Divine ordination) proved hereditary: All we who are the Children of Adam, are born blind, neither able to take the true notion of good and evil, nor yet to make up a Judgment concerning either, discerning the things that differ: but naturally every one calleth Evil, good, and good, Evil. The Psalmist saith, that man stood not in honour, but became like the Beast that perisheth. In this much like the Beast indeed, that we are meerly led by the conduct of a sensitive appetite, not discerning those things which are truly and spiritually good: and the reason of this is our not understanding our selves, for the nature of all good lying in a conveniency, and sutableness of the object to us, a knowledge of our own state, and wants, must reasonably be supposed to a right judgment concerning good and Evil. But amongst other Evils ac­crewing to us by the fall, this was one, that we are by nature Blind as to our own State, and Strangers to our own Souls, not understan­ding that we are by Nature, Children of Wrath, poor, miserable, blind, and naked, but conceiting that we have need of nothing. Hence it is that the Soul is not able to judge of the goodness of Union and Communion with God, pardon of sin, reconciliation with God, &c. Nor indeed doth it come to understand it, until the Eyes of the un­derstanding be opened, by the application of Spiritual Eye-salve, laid on by the Finger of the holy Spirit of God. Till this time, the Soul seeth no beauty in Christ, nothing for which he should be desired. The goodness of Riches, and Pleasures, and Honours, it knows, but as for that transcendent goodness and Excellency which is in Christ, what it is, it doth not understand; Hence it naturally desires, life, health, riches, honours, success in worldly affairs, and such common gifts, as may serve it in the world, with credit, and applause, and reputa­tion. But for spiritual things, for distinguishing tokens of love, it is not able to take the heighth, and length, and depth, and breadth of the love of God in them, nor to discern their conveniency, and suta­bleness to its undone state and condition; hence (with the Cock in in the Fable) it prefers the Barly Corn before that Pearl of great price, for the purchase of which, the wise Merchant is willing to sell all that he hath. But now the regenerate soul hath its Eyes open, to discern the things that are excellent, and as it is taught by the Spirit of conviction, the truth of its natural and unregenerate Estate, so its Eyes are opened, to see that nothing but the special love of God [Page 62] in Christ is a good suitable to it, or worthy of its caring for: and hence, the soul is taught by it's own reason, to thirst after these mani­festations of Divine Goodness, as those which above all others, are proportioned to its wants, and highest necessities.

2. But 2dly. These desires are not the product of an enlightned understanding (only) but of a renewed will also. So wofully de­praved is our corrupt nature, that the inferiour powers of our Souls, have withdrawn themselves from the command of reason; and whereas it is the method of a reasonable Soul, to imbrace or refuse a thing with the will according to the judgment, which is by the un­derstanding given in concerning it: it often falls out otherwise by reason of our Souls disorder.

He that not only knoweth the will of God, but also approveth those things which are most excellent, yet hath no hearthimself to close with them, he is ready to teach another (like the hand of a Statue in a way which directeth a Traveller, but moveth not) he teacheth not himself; hence the renovation of the understanding (although the great wheel of the Soul) is not sufficient to make the Soul to will those things which are spiritually good. Mans Soul is like a Clock broken in pieces, every of whose Wheels must be mended be­fore it will again move truly. But the gracious man is renewed, as well in Spirit as in Body, and in Mind. The day of the Lords Pow­er is come upon him, and of unwilling, he is made willing. God hath given him to will, Phil. 2. 13. taking away that natural enmi­ty and stubborness, which was in his heart, and disposing, and enab­ling him to will those things, which are in themselves most desirable, and which are most pleasing unto God. Now there is nothing more pleasing unto our Heavenly Father, than to see his Children, more sond of their Fathers love, than of any thing else which is in his hand to bestow upon them: And this is the true reason of the gracious Souls thirst after spiritual things.

3. To which may be added (secondly) the Souls assurance, That o­ther things shall be added to it, Mat. 6. 33. If (saith the Apostle) he hath given us his Son, shall be not with him give us all things? All in­feriour good things are but appendices to these great spiritual bles­sings with which the Soul is blessed in Christ Jesus, the Woman that hath her Husbands heart, easily commandeth his purse. The Child of the bosom needs not trouble itself for a new Coat; It is a spiritual subrilty of a gracious heart, to be most desirous of spiri­tual things; other things will come alone, they are but appurtenan­ces [Page 63] to this great possession, and an easy faith will assure the Soul, that if Men who are evil, know how to give good things to their Children, who are once possessed of their Affections, God will not be wanting to his People, especially considering, that his liberality extends to the grass of the Field, and to the Birds of the Air, because they are his Creatures.

Use 1. Let this notion (in the first place,) shew you the vast difference betwixt the renewed soul, and that which is yet in its natural estate. Grace (considering our weak estate) is not so easily discernable in us, from our Actions, as from our Affections. The bent of the heart doth best discover the state of it, whether it be renewed or no. All Men and Women in the Christian world come under one of these three ranks. They are either, 1. Profane, and dissolute Persons. Or 2. Hypocrites, or seeming professors, who have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof. Or 3. Such as are Disciples indeed; the true Children of God. God is the fountain of all mercy, and goodness, and nature itself teacheth man something of this. Hence every ones Soul is looking out towards God for some good, or other. 1. The worldling, and profane Person says, who will shew us any good? But what is the good which he thirsts after? an increase of Corn, and Wine, and Oil: The objects for the lusts of the Flesh, the lust of the Eye, and the Pride of life, let the Swines belly be filled with these husks, and he is satisfied, let who will take Grace, and Heaven, and heavenly things; as he understands not his need of them, no [...] the excellency that is in them, so neither is his Soul carried out in any desires after them. 2. The Hypocrites design is of another nature, he would fain appear to be something (though indeed, all his glo­rying be but a vain shew, and a meer appearance) when indeed he is nothing. Now that which he desires is something proportioned to this end, he possibly covets the best gifts, like Simon Magus, who when he saw, That through the laying on of the Apostles hands, the Holy Ghost was given, said, Give me this power also, that on whom­soever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost, Acts 8. 18. The Hypocrite may desire a gift of Prayer, a gift of Prophecy, and such like common gifts of the Holy Ghost, which may serve his design in appearing Godly, and Religious, and this satisfieth him. 3. But the gracious Soul is satisfied with none of these. All his desire is after the gifts of special grace, the obtaining of union with, and reconciliation to God, the light of Gods countenance, &c. and nothing less than this will satisfy his thirst. It is reported of Luther [Page 64] (indeed he reports it of himself) that when he first Preached the Gospel in Germany, he was much courted by some great Persons, and presented with many gifts, which made the good man jealous, that God intended to put him off with these things, but (saith he) Protestatus sum, &c, I made a protestation to my God that I would not be so satisfied. The Sons of Keturah may be put off with por­tions, but Isaac must have the inheritance): The gracious Soul, is a true Artabazus; he thinks his Saviours kiss is better than a Cup of Gold: and indeed I know no better evidence of a gracious heart than this, to be found unsatisfied, without the special, and distingui­shing love of God, yet that you may not deceive your selves, I must tell you, that as it is possible, that one who is a stranger to God, may desire these distinguishing favours from God: So the desire of those good things which are but the issues of common providence, is of­ten found in gracious Souls, and that in too high a degree. But as the former proceedeth from some inconstant principle, and lasteth not long in the unregenerate Soul, nor is much in earnest, while it continues, but like Augustines desire to be rid of his lusts, while in the mean time (as he confesseth) he secretly desired, that God would not hear his prayer: so the latter desires in the Child of God, are secondary, and subordinate, or (if irregular and immoderate) no more than fits of passion, out of which grace soon recovers him.

Use 2. Secondly. Let me beseech you all to make these spiritual distingui­shing mercies of God the object of your desires. I hope there's none who hears me this day, but is sometimes breathing out the desires of his Soul unto God in Prayer. Oh! let this be the lauguage of your Prayers: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth: Let others beg of God Riches, and Honours, and the favours of Men: Let o­thers beg the golden Ring, but do you desire the kiss. Consider,

2. The Soul of the rational Creature stands obliged by the law of rea­son to desire the best things: Is there any thing to be compared with special grace? this is that more excellent way which the Apostle propounds to be coveted before the best gifts. You read in the book of Esther, ch. 5. v. 9. 11. concerning Haman, that he called for his Wife, and tells her of the great honour to which the King had ad­vanced him, and of his great Riches, but (saith he) all this avail­eth me nothing, while I see Mordecay suting in the Kings Gate. When the poor worlding sits down, and thinks how God hath blessed him with Riches, Honours, and whatsoever contentments the crea­ture can afford him, hath he not cause to say, All this availeth me [Page 65] nothing, whil'st I have no assurance of the love of God, whil'st (for ought I know or have reason to believe) the wrath of God may be flaming against me, and I one of those who shall after all these sweet enjoyments, spend an Eternity in that fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Riches profit not in the day of Wrath, no nor any thing else will profit in that day, but an interest in Christ. How much better is a dinner of Herbs with the love of God, than great Treasures with his hatred? A morsel of bread with an interest in Christ, than a stuffed Ox with the wrath of God?

Secondly, These influences alone will evidence distinguishing love. Indeed other gifts may possibly speak no love at all. The Israelites desired a King, God granted them their desires, and saith by his Prophet that he gave them a King in his Wrath. It may be truly said, concerning the gifts of God to many a poor Creature, he gives them Riches in his Wrath, Honours in Wrath, outward prosperi­ty in Wrath, outward good things dipt in divine vengeance, the wrath of God may smoke against them while the quails are betwixt their teeth. Poenalis nutritur impunitas. This is a secret of Divine Justice, which every one seeth not. It is the saying of a devout Author, that God often useth impios melle suo punire, to punish wicked men with their own Hony. But God never gives a kiss in Wrath, he cannot give osculum Iscarioticum, where he kisseth, he loveth. God throws the good things of this life amongst his Ene­mies, his Friends living in the same world, it may be get something of them, but they are no distinguishing mercies. But whomsoever he kisseth, that Soul is certainly beloved of him.

3. Thirdly, There are no petitions please God so well, as those which are put up for spiritual things. When Solomon begged of God a wise and understanding heart, it is said that the saying pleased the Lord well. Yea God shewed that it pleased him well, for he received in abun­dance what he asked not. Nor is this hard to be conceived by us, who have the same affections towards our own Children, had any one of us who are Fathers, 2 Children, and we should put it to their choice, what they would ask of us, and the one should ask that we would settle so much land upon him, the other should tell us, he desired not our lands, but should importunately beg that his Father would love him best, would not the latter please you best? should we not be ready to give that Child-more than it asked? You read of the two Daughters of Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth, Ruth 1. 14, 15. they both followed their Mother in law while she was full, but when she was [Page 66] empty, Orpah kisseth her Mother in law, and leaveth her, Naomi would have had Ruth have done so too; but v. 16. Ruth refuseth, and tells her: Whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge, thy People shall be my People, and thy God shall be my God, where thou diest, I will die, and there will I he buried. Which is as much as if she had told her, that she valued the company of her Mother above all other concerns. Did not this think you indear her to Naomi? and certainly nothing can more endear a soul to God, than for it to judge his favour better than life, and his loves more than Wine.

Now to engage your hearts to prefer the kisses of God before a­ny other good things, with which the hand of his providence can make you happy, there needs no more, than that you should be truly possessed with the notion of your own wants, and rightly under­stand the differences of good. He that knows how much more ex­cellent than the Body, the Soul of man is: will quickly understand that those things which are proportioned to its wants, are more de­sirable goods than those which are only suted to our more outward concerns. Study but the excellency of the love of God, and the vanity, and Earthliness of the Creature, the state of your souls by nature, and with respect to that guilt, which by multitudes of Sins you have contracted, from which nothing can excuse you but the blood of Christ, nor any thing evidence your absolution (to quiet your accusing, and condemning consciences, but the kisses of his Mouth, and you will need no more to evince to you, that these coelestial kisses, are of all good things the most excellent, the most desirable, which being well understood, the rational Soul directly moveth to a choice and desire of them above, and before all other things.

Sermon III.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

IT is the Spouse that speaketh; she saith not, Let him embrace me, nor (as elsewhere) He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts, but, Let him kiss me.—Quid tam minimum & submissum, quam oscu­letur me (is De—Ponte his note upon the Text.) A kiss is the least token of conjugal love and affection. Hence observe,

Prop. The least tokens of Christs special, distinguishing love are very de­sirable to believing Souls.

The free Love of God shining out through Christ upon souls pre­destinated unto glory, in the pardoning of their sins, the acceptation of their persons, the renewing of their natures, in strengthening, quick­ening, comforting influences of grace, is what we call the distinguishing Love of Christ, being not the effects of his Philanthropy, but his [...]; now the tokens of this are more or less, or may be so called;

1. According to the degree of their Emanation from Christ and the Spirit of Christ; Or,

2. According to our judgment and apprehension, or Estimation.

1. According to the degree of their Emanation. God, whose heart is at all times the same towards his people, yet is pleased gradually to discover it, and to manifest himself unto his people. As the Sun in the Firmament (whose Light in it self is alwaies the same, and which hath alwaies the same ability and aptitude to illuminate the Air, and to refresh the Earth with its Beams, yet) gives out its Light various­ly according to its position in the Firmament, or aspect upon the Hemisphere, its nearness to, or distance from the Object to be in­lightened, or refreshed, or as it is more or less hindered by the inter­position of Clouds or Vapours; so doth the Sun of Righteousness al­so diffuse his Beams variously. Or, as indeed a prudent Father, though at all times his heart be full of love to his Children, yet in the discoveries and manifestations of it, he governeth himself by his own prudence relating to the Child's good, and with respect to the Child's behaviour and demeanour towards him: So though whom God [Page 68] loveth, he loveth with a great love, and to the end; yet as to the discoveries and manifestations of it, he governs himself by his own Infinite Wisdom, and with a great respect, to his Peoples carriage and demeanour towards him. Hence it is, that though every Child of God, be beloved of God with the same special and distinguishing Love; yet every one lives not under the same manifestations and emanations of it: He sheweth to some more, to some less, to some scarcely any, according to the Wisdom of his Counsel, and the good pleasure of his own will. One soul shall have just light enough to discern that the day is broke in his soul, that the Sun is arisen with healing in his wings upon him; another shall hardly have so much light, as to discern that, but shall walk in the dark, and see no light. Another shall have the Sun of Righteousness more fully shining up­on him, and be able to say with Job, I know my Redeemer lives, and that I shall see him with these Eyes; and though Worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: Or with Paul, Rom. 8. 38. I know, and am persuaded, that neither life, nor death, nor any thing shall separate me from the Love of God in Jesus Christ. Yea the same soul shall sometimes see its Beloved standing as it were behind the wall, and looking in upon it through the Lattice; see him in a Glass darkly; another time it shall see him with a fuller sight, as in the house with it, face to face. One while it shall only see as by a Wicket of hope open, and possibly but imperfectly open neither; another while its vision shall be as it were of the Heavens opened, and Christ sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession for it.

2. The more or less of special and distinguishing grace is often mea­sured by the soul's apprehension, and particular fancy (which judg­ment possibly is not alwaies according to Truth, but yet such as we ordinarily make.) Thus we commonly judge the comfortable re­flections of Divine Love, to be the greatest tokens of it. The sweetest indeed they are, but possibly the strengthening Influences of Divine Grace, by which the soul is inabled to perform its spiritual duties, and to fight the good fight both against motions to sin from within, and temptations to sin from without, may be no less mani­festations of special and distinguishing grace. But take your measures how you will, the gracious soul valueth at an high rate the least manifestations of such grace as may evidence to it that it is beloved of God with a special and distinguishing love. I do not say the least of these will satisfie such a soul: That it will not, for the soul in which God hath caused by his Spirit a spiritual thirst after himself, is con­tinually [Page 69] crying out, Give, Give! The soul will not be satisfied, un­til in the Resurrection it awakes with God's likeness; but in the mean time, the least influences of this nature, will be to it very precious and desirable.

The truth of this Proposition will appear to you from the pe­titions of several of the Servants of God in holy Writ, more emi­nently those which we read of concerning David, Psal. 4. 6. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord (saith he) lift up the light of thy countenance upon me; and in the following words he declares, that it should be more to him than the worldlings Harvest or Vintage greater matter of gladness, than their increase of Corn, Wine, or Oil: And Psal. 84. 9. he asks no more than that the Lord would look upon the face of his Anointed. What can be less than Beholding, and giving the soul a good look? The liberty that the Birds of the Air, the Swallow and the Sparrow had, to make their, Nests about the Lord's Altars, one would think argued but a small favour; yet David prefers their condition before his. One would think the Office of a Door-keeper in the Lord's House, were but a small preferment; yet David valueth it above a Mansion in the Tents of wickedness. The several expressions which David maketh use of in the Psalms, to testifie his desires after God, such as Behold­ing, Looking upon him, Remembring him, &c. are all evident proofs of this. The Woman, Luk. 7. 38. counts it honour enough to sit at Christ's feet, to wash his feet with her tears, and then to wipe them with the hairs of her head. The Woman of Canaan is called a Dog, and contented with it, so she may but lick up the Crumbs under her Master's Table. You read of another Woman that cried out; If I may but touch the Hem of his Garment. The Prophet Ze­chariah foretold of a time when men should take hold of the Skirt of a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard God is with you. Any thing of Christ is precious to a soul that hath once tasted how good he is. Joseph of Arimathea must have his dead body; and the Disciples must run to the Sepulchre where he was laid. The People of God of old had a favour for the dust of Zion, and the stones thereof. But much more precious must the least emanations of that virtue be which is in him suited to the wants (the spiritual wants of poor souls. What can be less than a look, a smile, a word? yet we find these have been very precious to the People of God.

What can we think of less, than the hearing of a Prayer; yet David esteemeth this ar an high rate, Psal. 116. 1, 2. For this he [Page 70] professeth his love to God, and his resolution to call upon him so long as he lived. One would think that of all other Fellowship and Com­munion with Christ, a Fellowship with him in his Sufferings, were least desirable. St. Paul glorieth in this, and speaks of it as a thing desirable, Phil. 1. 10. ch. 3. 11. And we read of the Apostles prai­sing God, that they were thought worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same Spirit that was in all these Servants of God, is yet to be found in the souls of such as have any acquain­tance with, or relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. And indeed our reason will tell us, that it must be so, if we consider but these fol­lowing particulars, which will give you a reasonable account of the truth of this Proposition.

1. The least token of special, distinguishing Grace, is of an infinitely sweet and salvifick nature and evidence. There are common gifts of the Spirit of God, which indeed may be sweet, and very grateful to a spiritual nature (such are the gifts of Prayer and Prophecy, &c.) but yet are not of a saving nature, or evidence; a man may have them and perish for ever; but it is not so with such influences of the Spirit, as are tokens of special distinguishing love; spiritual gifts are to be coveted, because of a subserviency in them to spiritual and sa­ving ends; but they are not of a saving nature, and have nothing of a saving evidence in them; but in the least token of special di­stinguishing love, there is something of an evidence for Salvation; the least of it is of a saving nature: Faith, that is but as a grain of Mustard seed, is as much saving, as the strongest Faith is. The mea­sures of our comforts much depend upon degrees of grace, but our Salvation doth not. Christ bids Zacheus go home, for that day Salvation was come to his house. Salvation cometh to the soul that hour in which the least of special love shineth upon it; the least of that brings Salvation, and consequently is exceeding sweet, and must be so, if you consider this soul, as first seeking the Kingdom of God, allarumed with the spiritual sense of its misery by nature, its lost and undone condition in Adam. This is the one thing that such a soul seeks after, in comparison with which, all other things are as dross and dung to it. That it may discern it self beloved of God, one of those for whom Christ died, and whose sins are washed away with his blood, for this it hath wept, and prayed, and resolved to seek af­ter it, and resolved not to be silent.

2. There is no evidence of special Love, but is suited to some great spi­ritual want of the soul. Our souls are exposed to a great variety of [Page 71] wants. All the tokens of God's special Love, are suited to some or other of these wants. Our souls are impotent and weak, both to the performance of spiritual duty, and to resist our spiritual adversary; to this want now strengthening grace is suited. They are dull and heavy, and move heavily in spiritual duties; to this, quickening grace is suited. They are sad and troubled for fear of God's wrath; to this consolatory grace is suited. There is no influence of the special Love of God, but is suited to some special want or burden of our souls, and therefore the least of them must be exceedingly desirable, for so every thing is that suiteth our necessities, and so much the more as it suiteth some more special and eminent wants. If the Sun doth but arise upon the soul, it healeth, Mat. 4. 2. though it shineth not out in its fullest glory, if Christ spreadeth but a wing over it, there is healing in that wing. His very shadow gives delight to the soul, Cant. 2. 2. the least of his fruit is pleasant to its taste. If (saith the woman) I can but touch the Hem of his Garment, I shall be whole.

3. Such is the purity of the Saints Love, that though they may have an Eye to the Recompence of Reward, which his Love brings; yet they love him for himself, who appears to their souls as Totus desideria, al­together desirable. It is his Love which their souls thirst after; now the least special token of Love sheweth that he loves it, and his heart cleaveth to it. He that valueth the Love of his friend, re­gardeth not the quantum of the Token, but the nature of it; if it be of such a nature as he doth not ordinarily give to any common friend; that is it which he eyeth. If a soul can see any thing which speaketh its Lord joyned to it, cleaving unto it, this is it which makes it valuable. A discerning soul will take little joy in gifts of common providence, Riches, Honours, good Relations, com­mon gifts. It may and will desire these things while it is in the flesh, as they fill up some emptinesses in that our state, but it can by no means be satisfied with these things. As Haman said when he had been telling his Wife of his great preferments and honours; All this doth me no good, so long as I see Mordecay sitting in the King's Gate; my Enemy is honoured and advanced as well as I: So it saith; The Lord hath given me riches, honour, &c. but all this doth me no good, so long as I see the haters of God enjoy as much of these things as I do; let me have some special token of 4. God's Love. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

Fourthly, The Child of God knoweth, That the least token of [Page 72] Christs special love, is more worth than all the world. There is no proport on betwixt a corp [...]ral and a spiritual good; betwixt what is sutable to our flesh, and to our wants in this life, and what is sutable to our Souls, and necessary for us with respect to our eternal felicity. The Philosopher could say, Animus cujusque est quisque. The mind of a Man is the Man. The Christian knows that Anima cujusque est quisque. The Soul of a Man is the Man: What shall it profit a Man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul? The sensual Man values his life above those things that are only good, be­cause of their subserviency to that. The rational man valueth his mind above his flesh, and accordingly sets a price upon knowledge and moral Virtue, above those things that meerly gratify his sense: The spiritual Man valueth his Soul, his Soul considered not only as a rational Being, but as a Spirit, an immortal Spirit, capable of the fa­vour of God, and an union and fellowship with him; and ordain'd to an eternal existence, not only above his body, which he know­eth is made up of dust, moulded up into flesh, and blood, and bones. but above his mind. It really is of more value, and he is made ap­prehensive of it: hence he cannot but value the least that tendeth to make that happy above any thing else whatsoever. Besides, he knows himself created to an eternity, and believing that his reason teacheth him infinitely to prefer what is good for him, with reference to an happy existence to eternity above any thing that can only serve him for the short time he is to be clothed with flesh, and to live in this world: This Election of the loves of Christ before all things else, and the value he puts upon the least tokens, and manifestations of it, doth naturally and rationally follow his knowledge, convictions, and faith, and proceedeth upon the same reason, upon which any reaso­nable creature valueth a greater and more comprehensive good, a­bove what is of an inferiour vertue, and more insignificant.

Nor is this other than according to the workings of our Souls in 5. other cases towards Creatures which we have made the objects of our love. The good look, and smile of an Husband, a letter from him, a small token (be it never so small) how welcome, and acceptable is it to the Wife? The reason lies in her love to her Husbands Per­son. To you that believe (saith the Apostle) he is precious. It is im­possible, indeed rationally impossible that a Soul should believe, (take it in what sense you will) but it must love the Lord Jesus Christ, Take believing as it signifies no more than a firm, and steady assent to the proposition of the word revealing Christ to us as he is the [Page 73] eternal Son of God, the brightness of his Fathers glory, the express image of his Person, full of kindness to the Sons of Men, pitying them, taking a delight in them, willing to save them, and to commu­nicate of his fulness to them, and to this end coming from Heaven to Earth, clothing himself with out flesh, encompassing himself with creature infirmities, then dying upon the Cross, that he might pur­chase us unto himself, &c. I say it is not possible, that a Soul should firmly, and steadily assent and agree to these things, but he must love Christ. But if you take believing in the second sense, as it signifieth the Souls receiving of him as its Lord, and Saviour, its resting and relying upon him, and trusting him with all its Spiritual and Eternal Concerns, it is impossible but that the Soul should have a love for him above all created Objects, and having so, it can­not but naturally desire to be mutually beloved, and be passionately desirous of some evidences of it, and the least evidences of the re­ciprocations of love on his part, who is so exceeding dear in the Eyes of the Soul, must needs be exceedingly desirable to, and valuable by that Soul.

6. This is yet further advantaged from the consideration of the ex­ceeding low Opinion and Estimate which grace teacheth every soul upon whom it hath shined, to have, and make of it self. The proud man valueth nothing but great things from his friend; nay he scarcely thinks any thing great enough for him to put any value upon. The reason lies in the high opinion which he hath of his own worth and merit; but the humble man puts a value upon the least kindness; be­cause he hath a low and mean opinion of himself, so he looketh upon every thing as more than he could merit, or challenge. Naaman huffs when the Prophet sends to him to go and wash in the waters of Jordan, he expected the Prophet should have come out and stro­ked him, and he thought the Waters of Abana and Parphar, were as wholsome as those of Jordan were. The Centurion desireth but a good word from Christ, when Christ spake of coming to his House, Mat. 8. 8. Lord (saith he) I am not worthy thou shouldst come un­der my roof. The Woman of Canaan knowing her self to be a Dog, challengeth no more than Crums. Every gracious Soul is sensible that it deserveth nothing but Hell and Wrath, this makes the least tokens of Divine love highly valuable in its Eyes, who am I said Eliza­beth, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? who am I saith an humble Soul that the Lord should look upon me, that the Sun of righteousness should shine so much as with one healing beam upon [Page 74] my Soul? Hence it valueth the least tokens of special love. It valueth nothing less than that this proceedeth from its knowledge, and spiritual judgment of things that differ. It valueth the least of this. This proceedeth partly from its knowledge, partly from that humility, with which it is clothed, as with a Garment.

7. Lastly, This Soul knoweth that Christs Love will not terminate, and be bounded with little things. The least tokens of distinguishing Love, are but the Earnests of a greater bargain, they are but the first-fruits to a larger Harvest. Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God, Psal. 92. 13. God at first gives the soul but a good hope, a glimpse of his glory, but it shall go on from faith to faith, and strength to strength.

Use 1. Are the least tokens of Christs distinguishing Love so valuable, so desirable? what should then his fullest and largest tokens be, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, which Eye hath not seen, Ear hath not heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive? The Assurance of his Love: The Mani­festations of himself to his Saints in glory? If it be so sweet so desira­ble, to see him in a glass darkly, what will it be to see him face to face. If his kisses be so desirable, what will his imbraces be? If the Hem of his Garment be so full of vertue, and a touch of that so de­sirable what is his long white Robe which is the white linnen of his Saints? If a good word, a good look be so good, what will it be to be set as a seal upon his Heart, and upon his arm. Surely that love will be as strong as death, as the coales of that fire which send forth a vehe­ment flame. Let this notion of truth, and the experience which any of your souls have had of the truth of it, kindle in you further flames of desire after the further enjoyments of Christ in this life. Im­perfect tasts of desirable things use to do so in other things. Quo plus sunt potae plus sitiuntur aquae. Yet in all created goods there is ordinarily more in expectation, than fruition, but it is not so in Spiritual things. The Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians, That they might be able with all Saints to comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that they might be filled with all the fulness of God, Eph. 13. 18, 19. It is most certain that there are many holy, and gracious Souls, that want assurance, they may live, they may die without it, but that Soul hath nothing of grace, that doth not de­sire it, that doth not thirst and pant after it. 2. What will it be to be ever with the Lord! what an object of spiritual thirst and desire is a [Page 75] fulness of communion with our Lord in his Fathers House, when we shall know as we are known, see Face to Face. How should this fill all our hearts with desires to be dissolved, that we might be with Christ, which is best of all? The least of Christ is good, but that full fruition is best. Let this discourse leave some strong pan­tings in your hearts; 1. After the assurance of Gods love. 2. After the further manifestations of Christs strength to, and in your soul to inable you further to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. 3. After the beatifical visions of God in another life.

Use 2. Learn hence the great difference there is betwixt earthly, and spiritual objects of our desires and delights. The worlds Crums are lit­tle valuable, tho some are fond of its Loaves. The good things of the world derive much of their value from the quantity of them, that it throws into our laps. The minimum quod sic, the least por­tions of the pleasures, profits, or honours of it, have little of value in them, but the least of Christ is exceeding precious; the things of the world affect not the Soul, or or its necessities, they are not cer­tain pledges of greater measures, they will go but a little way, to fill the creatures emptinesses, but it is otherwise with Spiritual blessings in and through Christ.

Use 3. Thirdly, You may from hence observe the difference betwixt the Hypocrites, and the Saints desires after Christ. An Hypocrite may pre­tend some desires after Christ, nay he may really desire something of his love, consider Christ as a Saviour, as one that brings the Soul to life, and immortality; so he must necessarily be the object of the desire of every man that hath any view of his own mortality, and that Eternal State to which man is ordained. Even Balaam saith, Oh that I might dye the death of the Righteous, that my latter end might he like his. But mark ye, these are the fullest manifestations of Divine Love, these are more than the kisses of his Mouth, but for those tokens of love, which are below these, for such manifestations of the love of Christ, as tend to the inabling of the Soul to serve and glorify God, by the subduing of Mans will to the will of God, the mortification of lusts, and corrupt affections, these are not at all valuable to a sensual man, not indeed to any but to the changed and renewed Soul. I do not know any one thing from which a Man may take better measure of himself, and a good Christian may better distinguish himself from one that walketh in a vain shew, and meerly glorifieth in appearance than this:

To a good Christian the least of Christs distinguis [...]i [...]g love is exceed­ing [Page 76] precious, and more precious than the greatest portions of the worlds goods. The workings of the Spirit of Christ within, and upon the Soul, subduing the will of Man to the will of God, mortifying our Members, and the deeds of the Body: Taking the affections off the Earth, and Earthly things, and fixing them on more sublime, and spiritual objects; the giving of the Soul a good hope through grace, these are things which we usually count some of the least to­kens of special, and distinguishing love. Really they are great things (nothing of Christ is little) but we judge ordinarily accor­ding to sense) we ordinarily esteem a sense or assurance, or full per­suasion of the love of God, a much greater thing than these. But now for a Soul to set an high price, and value upon these, to be more satisfied, more to triumph, and rejoice in the conquest of a lust, the victory over a temptation, than in the conquest of all our Enemies: More to desire that our hearts may be filled with love to God, desires after God, delight in God, than to have our Barns fil­led with Corn, or our Purses with Gold and Silver, this I take to be such a difference between a Christian indeed, and a Christian in a meer Name, Title, and outward Profession, as a Christian may rest in, when he is inquiring into his Soul for evidences of the truth of grace. Other manifestations of the love of God, may be desired for our selves, and with a respect only to our selves, and the quiet relief and peace of our own Spirits; a Christian can desire these only for the glory of God. Try your selves therefore Christians by this Touchstone: An Hypocrite may desire to know that his Sins are for­given, and that God would not impute Sin to his Soul, or that he would impute a righteousness without works; an Hypocrite may de­sire to live with God in glory, but these lesser tokens of love he valueth not.

Use 4. But alas! even the best of Gods People must I fear be here re­proved, not for their no valuing of these kisses of Christ (that is in­competent with a Child of God) but for their not enough valuing of them, and being too passionate and unsatisfied for want of the com­forting manifestations of Divine Love. I have before told you that these sensible manifestations of Divine Love are exceedingly desira­ble, and there is no Child of God, but is concerned, to wish, to pray, to labour for them. But we must take heed that we be not like our little Children, whom we shall sometimes see too much slighting, and undervaluing, and ready to throw away what good things they have, because they want some particular thing, which they have a [Page 77] mind to, which it may be, we that are their Parents do not see so proper for them, especially under their present circumstances. It was lawful for Rachel to wish for, to pray for Children, but she sinned in saying to her Husband, give me Children, or else I die. Hannah was much in the same error, 1 Sam. 1. 8. weeping, not eating, and vexing her self, because she had no Child, and in the mean time for­getting that God had given her an Husband, who was better to her than ten Sons. So it is lawful, nay the duty of a good Christian to pray, to endeavour for the sweetest and fullest manifestations of Gods love. But I have often thought, that though these be good things of a Spiritual nature, and so vastly differing from the good things of this life, yet in this they agree with them, that they must be asked with submission to the will of God, because they are not de necessariis ad salutem, things that are necessary to life, and eternal Sal­vation, but such which a Soul may want without any breach of Gods Covenant with the Soul. 2. But for a Soul not only too passio­nately to desire these things, which speaketh its not submitting to the will of God in his not dispensing them to it, but to over-look, deny, or undervalue all the tokens for good, which it hath received from God, meerly because it hath not these, and to conclude that it hath nothing of Christs love; this is certainly what doth no become a Christian. Certainly a Christian ought as much to value himself upon those emanations of grace, by which he is inabled to serve and honour God, as upon those by which his Soul is rendred more at ease, more refreshed and comforted. Every kiss of Christ, every measure of special distinguishing love is, and ought to be precious to a believing Soul.

Use 5. Let me in the last place bottom upon this discourse a double word of exhortation,

1. The first respecting the Men of the world; those I would per­suade to leave off their pursuit of their worldly and sensual satisfacti­ons. I would speak to them as one standing this day in wisdoms Porch, and crying after them in their hottest pursuits of the world, Come and turn your hearts hither, you that are simple ones, and void of understanding. I shall have a fairer opportunity to speak to these, when I come to consider the argument by which the Spouse backeth her Petition. But alas, we had need make these cries often, you can see the world, and the gay and fine things therein precious, and run after them with a swift pace, but you can see no excellency in the kisses of Christ, nothing for which they should be so desired, when [Page 78] alas the world is but like a brave glass, which whole is of some value, but if broken in pieces, the small pieces of it are worth nothing. Christ, his love is like a wedge of Gold, or like a most precious per­fume, the least particle, the least drop of which hath its value; there is no emanation of his special loves, but is suted to the Souls wants, and to some eminent necessity, under which the Soul laboureth. Hear Solomon speaking to you, Prov. 1. 22. How long you simple ones will you love simplicity?—And Fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Your reason tells you that a vessel of Silver, or Gold is much preferrible to one of Earth, or Glass, and as for other reasons, so for this (which you ordinarily say) break a vessel of Earth and Glass, the pieces are worth nothing, but if one of those more valuable mettals be broke, the least pieces have their value. Why should not the same reason instruct you, that Christs favour is to be prefer'd to all the world can afford you, a little of the world is not much valuable, a plenti­ful estate, the highest pitches of honour, a belly full of pleasure, that indeed may appear desirable; but the least tokens of Christs love, the least expressions of his favour are most valuable things. The kisses of the world are for the most part but Oscula Iscariotica, or Joabitica, like the kisses of Judas, who in order to the betraying of his Master first kissed him, or like the kiss of Joab to Amasa, who un­der pretence of kissing him, smote him under the fifth rib, and slew him. Christ's kisses are kisses of peace and reconciliation, of love, and favour.

2. Secondly. This notion calleth to all those that are true Chri­stians, and that for three things.

1. For a due value of the least tokens of Christs special, and distinguishing love, look narrowly to make up your judgment, whether what you take to be such, be such or no, and there you must take heed that you do not make conclusions from the gifts of common providence. No man can judge of the love or hatred of God to his Soul from any thing which befalls him in this life. No man can judge of any spe­cial love from Gods giving him a longer life, greater measures of health, a more plentiful estate, or any thing of this nature. God gives the worst of men their portion in such things as these. No nor [...]dly from common gifts, such as those of knowledge, utterance, &c. look therefore narrowly to make your judgment, and the surest Judgment is from such things, as more conform you to the nature, [Page 79] or will of God; but if you will find aliquid Christi, any thing which you can call Christs, or speaks his distinguishing love, take heed of undervaluing that.

Secondly, It calls to you for the use of all means for proficiency, and growth in Grace: Such as hearing the Word, Prayer, the use of all the Ordinances of God, for in reason if the least tokens of Christs special love be desirable, greater manifestations of it are much more desirable. Labour for more holiness, more heavenly-mindedness, more subjection of your will to the will of God. Hath the Lord blessed you with a faith of adherence, a power given you from a­bove to cast your Souls upon the Lord Jesus Christ? Labour for faith of evidence, be like the Travellers to Zion (of which David spea­keth) Psal. 84. that go from strength to strength, until they all ap­pear before the Lord in Zion. It may be a good question sometimes to satisfy a troubled doubting Soul, what is the Minimum quod sic, the lowest degree or measure of saving grace, but it is an ill hea­ring from a lazy wanton Soul.

Lastly, it calls loudly to us to thirst after Heaven, where the be­lieving Soul shall be the Lambs Wife, and follow him whithersoever he goes, and be blessed with the clearest vision, and the fullest im­braces of its beloved. Oh how pleasant will the mansions of glory be to those Souls, to whom the imperfect views that it hath had of Christ in this life have been so desirable, while we are present in the Body, even Paul himself owneth himself absent from the Lord. Now indeed we are the Sons of God, now we are in a capacity of his kis­ses, tokens of special love, sufficient to uphold and refresh our Souls, but there we shall be at the rivers of pleasures, where there is not on­ly pleasure, but fulness of pleasures, and that for evermore. O Blessed are they that shall be alwaies before the Throne of God, seeing their Redeemer with those Eyes, and taking their fills of his love.

Sermon IV.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

BY the beloveds Kisses mentioned in this Text, I have under­stood Christs special and distinguishing love, and the tokens of it, by which, either as God, blessed for ever, or as the Mediatour of the world, he may discover his kindness to the Children of Men, or the Members of his Church in common; from whence I have al­ready observed, that the heart of a Believer is after distinguishing love. Kisses being the least of those Evidences, I have shewed, That the least tokens of Christs special, and distinguishing love, are, and will be very sweet to Believers Souls.

But I observe the word is in the plural number. Kisses, and so may signify either. 1. Various dispensations of Grace. Or, 2. Vari­ous repetitions of the same Acts of Grace. Hence the next Proposition ariseth.

Prop. That altho the least dispensations of special and distinguishing love be exceeding sweet, and precious to Souls which have once tasted how good the Lord is, yet their hearts will be after fuller, and frequent dispensa­tions and repetitions of it. I take both these to be comprehended in the plurality of the term. [...]

Grace is a thing which is but one piece considered as it is in God, their's nothing plural in the one Divine Being; but as the Sea, which is in itself but one, yet as it washeth upon several coasts, receiveth se­veral names and denominations, as the English Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Baltick Sea: So as the Grace of God respecteth the several ne­cessities, and wants of us necessitous Creatures, it also obtaineth se­veral names, and admits of several distinctions, and is shewed by se­veral Acts. The Grace of God in the sense I am now speaking to, it signifyeth nothing but the free love of God looking upon the Sons of Men with respect to the several necessities of their Souls. Its varie­ty ariseth from us, and our necessities, it is not divided in the foun­tain [Page 81] only in the stream, and thus Grace admits of several distinctions, which I shall open to you in a few words, that you may rightly un­derstand the various notions of it.

1. The most famous distinction of it is into that which doth ren­der the Soul acceptable to God, and that which is love, and freely gi­ven, but doth not make the Soul acceptable in Gods sight, at least not first acceptable, or is not that for which God doth at first accept the Soul. The first is that which we call the Grace of Justification, which is the free love of God shining upon the Soul, imputing to it a righte­ousness without works, and not imputing transgression (as the Apostle expoundeth it, Rom. 4. 6. 8.) the second we call the grace of Re­generation and Sanctification, which is the love of God freely shewed to the Soul, by which its heart is renewed and changed, and filled with new habits, and dispositions, inclining and inabling it to what God requireth of it. This is Grace, it is from the power, and free love of God, though it be not that grace, for which God at first ac­cepteth the Soul (as the Papists say.)

2. This Grace of Regeneration and Sanctification, is also usually distinguished into Habitual and Actual. Habitual Grace is nothing else but the free love of God shining upon the Soul, inabling it to will, and to choose the things that are good, and pleasing to God, he giveth to will (saith the Apostle,) and we are made willing in the day of his power (saith the Psalmist) Actual or acting Grace, which is the love of God shewed to the Soul in inabling us to do the things that are good, for as it is he that giveth to will, so it is he who giveth to do, both of his own good pleasure; and our Lord told his Disciples. John 15. 3. Without me you can do nothing.

3. There is another distinction of Grace into Preventing and Subse­quent. Preventing Grace is that love of God which preventeth, and goeth before any good motions, or actions of ours, according to that of the Prophet, I was found of them that sought me not, and of those that did not inquire after me. This is usually called the first grace. Subsequent grace is that love of God which followeth this, and is variously manifested to the Souls of Gods People. In the first we are meerly passive, we only receive it: in the other we are active.

4. There are other notions of grace, but I shall instance only in one more. Special grace is the free love of God either concerning the being of a true Christian, or 2dly, Concerning its well being. That grace which concerneth the being of a true Christian, which quickneth the Soul which before was a Child of Wrath, dead in trespasses and [Page 82] sins, is either the Grace of Justification, and what concerneth that; this is first grace, and preventing grace. Or, 2. The grace of Regene­ration, by which a new heart is given unto us, and we are inclined, disposed, and inabled to the operations of a spiritual life. Or, Se­condly, What concerneth the better being of a Christian in the mana­ging of all the actions, and concerns of the spiritual life. This again is divided into quickning grace, strengthening Grace, and consolatory 1. Grace. 1. Quickning grace may either signify that love of God, by which our Spiritual powers, habits, and inclinations are drawn out into acts. 2. Or that whereby a Soul is made more active and lively, and free in the service of God, which removes those difficulties, that heaviness, and deadness, and dulness, which we often find upon our Souls as to spiritual things. For this you read David so often praying in Psal. 119.

2. Strengthening grace, which is the love of God shewed to the Soul in further inabling it both to its spiritual actions, and to the managing of the good fight against the World, the Flesh and the De­vil; the Apostle calleth it a being strengthened with might in the in­ward Man; of this Saint Paul speaketh, Phil. 3. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me.

3. Consolatory grace, which signifieth the love of God shining upon the Soul, that is sad, and heavy, refreshing it either from the view, and sense of the truth of its gracious habits, or from the sealings of some promise, giving the Soul an assurance, or full persuasion of the love of God. David crieth out, when wilt thou comfort me? Thus you see the variety of gracious dispensations, the love of God is one as it is in him as the fountain, but it divideth itself into several streams, as it shineth upon divers Souls, or the same Soul oft-times in differing circumstances, or with respect to divers wants which our Souls have.

Secondly, As there is variety in the dispensations of grace, so grace discovers itself in various acts. Divines say that the grace of Justifi­cation, so far as it respecteth the Souls State, varieth not. Nor is re­peated, but the acts of grace referring to our justified estate, they are repeated. God doth not pardon sin before it is committed, but repeateth his gracious act in pardoning, as the Soul repeateth its transgressions.

Now this is that which I say in this proposition, that the Spouse of Christ, the truly gracious Soul is not satisfied with any single dis­pensation of grace, nor with a single act, it desires not only the first grace, but further grace, not only the grace of Justification, but the [Page 83] grace of regeneration also, not only gracious habits, but that it may be excited, and quickned to spiritual actions, not only that it may do them, but that it may do them with some strength and vigour, with some life, and chearfulness, it desires renewed acts of pardon, re­newed influences of spiritual strength and life. Let us but a little see it in the great instance of David the man according to Gods own heart, we shall find him speaking to our purpose in several Psalms, Psal. 19. 13. Cleanse thou me from secret faults, there he beggeth for pardoning love, will this satisfy this holy man? will he think it enough if God pardoneth his Sin? see what followeth in that Psalm; Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me; he must have strengthening as well as pardoning grace, he desires to be freed from the commanding, as well as from the condemning power of Sins. Look into the 51 Psalm (a Psalm much spent in petitions for special grace) v. 7. He prays for pardon. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than the Snow, he speaks in an old Testament phrase, with reference to the Levitical rites. Christ speaketh to Peter, Joh. 13. much in the same dialect, Except I wash thee, thou canst have no part in me. But the meaning is pardon me, remove the guilt of my sin from me; but is this enough for this holy Man? Is this all that he asketh of God. No, v. 8. Make me to hear the voice of Joy and Gladness, that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. There he prayeth for Consolatory Grace: Well, will this yet satis­fie the thirst of this holy Man? No, he must also have a renewed Heart, a right Spirit. The Spirit of God resting upon him, dwelling & abiding in him: A right Heart as well as a righteous Heart, v. 10. Create in me a clean Heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. v. 11, 12. Take not thy holy Spirit from me. Uphold me with thy free Spirit. He must not only be set right in Gods way, but he must be kept right, and upheld in it. Look upon him in that 119 Psalm, Psal. 119. 28. Strengthen me according to thy Word. The Lord had given him the Pardon of his Sin, he had given him Wisdom, so as he tells us in that Psalm, he was become wiser than his Teachers. God had sanctified Affliction to him, so as by it he had learned to keep Gods Statutes. The Lord had given him an heart to love his Law, to make it his Meditation night and day, yet he cries, Strengthen me O Lord: And again, v. 25. Quicken me in thy way, Quicken me after thy Loving-kindness. v. 4. O Quicken me in thy Righteousness. Hath he enough yet? No; one thing he yet wants, v. 42. Mine Eyes [Page 84] fail for thy Word, when wilt thou comfort me? There is hardly any Dispensation of Grace which we do not find David in that Psalm pleading with God for. This one instance of David is enough to shew you the temper of every Soul, which hath but once tasted how good the Lord is. Nor indeed can it be otherwise:

1. If we consider the Beauty and excellency which appeareth to such a Soul in every Dispensation of Grace. The Spouse saith of Christ in another part of this Song, He is altogether lovely. There is no part of Christ which is not in itself lovely; he is the brightness of his Fathers Glory, the fulness of the God Head dwells in him bodily: As every Beam of the Sun, every Emanation of that Body of Light is lovely to him whose Eyes are open to discern it: So every Beam of the Sun of Righte­ousness, every Emanation of his Love must necessarily be lovely to the Soul that hath its senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evil. All Beauty is attractive; whatsoever appeareth to our Souls lovely and beautiful, appeareth also desirable. But this is not all, though Beauty and Comeliness be attractive, and allures our Souls into an earnest desire after it, yet profit is more.

2. Secondly, There is no Dispensation of Divine Grace, but suiteth some great want of the Soul. It is the same Reason that I gave you why the least of Christ is so pretious: Because the least of his Grace is suited to some great want of our Souls. What I there applied to the least of his Love, I here apply to the varieties of his gracious dispensations, and indeed reasonably; for there would be no variety in grace, if there were not a variety of defects and wants, and empti­nesses in our Souls; that which distinguisheth divine grace, is our various wants and necessities, and we can as naturally not desire a supply for our own discerned defects and wants, as we cannot desire various emanations of divine love, suited to the supply of them. Nature prompteth us to desire a supply for every craving of our Souls. The Soul is sensible that it daily sinneth, and cannot but de­sire pardoning grace, and say unto God every day, Forgive us our debts; it is sensible, that it wants purity and holiness, and therefore cannot but desire a right Spirit. Its wants are many, and it therefore desireth various dispensations of grace to supply them; they are daily renewing, therefore it desires repeated acts of grace to be renewed also.

3. A third reason lyeth in the Concatenation of grace. The Philoso­pher saith, Virtutes sunt Concatenatae, that all vertues are chained to­gether, and no man is truly virtuous, but hath in him the habits of [Page 85] all Virtue, they make Virtue to lie in the reduction of the whole Soul, to the rule, guidance, and conduct of reason. I am sure Gra­tiae sunt concatenatae, the Graces of Gods Spirit, are like Pearl string­ed together, and that upon a double account: 1. With respect to themselves. 2. With respect to our sense, and apprehension. Pardo­ning grace never goeth without renewing and regenerating grace. God never saith to any Soul. Thy Sins are forgiven, but he addeth, sin no more. The Grace of Consolation never goeth without the Grace of Sanctification. The Grace of Regeneration is alwaies attended with some degrees of that Grace which strengtheneth, and quickneth the Soul unto its Spiritual work and duty. 2. As to our sense of it. The Grace of God being as I have before said, nothing else but the Love of God freely shining upon us, with respect to our several cir­cumstances, and diversified wants; the Soul is prone from the want of a supply as to one thing to suspect its want of all. Hence it is that it suspecteth the want of the love of God in the whole, from its sense of the want of it in part. Indeed this oft-times is the error of a Soul that is truly gracious, from its not distinguishing betwixt those things that are necessary to Eternal life and Salvation, and those influences that are meerly accommodating, and tending to the better being of the spiritual life, the dispensations of which are not meerly directed from the divine love, but from the divine wisdom, and sometimes are with-held from the wisdom of God, by which he directeth his own motions to their ends. Hence as Gideon, when the Angel came to him, and said, The Lord is with thee, O thou migh­ty man of valour, replyed. If the Lord be with us, why am I thus? So the Soul thirsting after the love of God, if any go about to per­suade it, under its sadness, and dejections under the sense of its weak­ness as to spiritual duties, or dulness, and heaviness in the perfor­mance of them, that yet the love of God is toward it, it hath a truth of Grace, it cries out, If God loved me, why am I thus? I am weak, why am I not strengthened, or my Soul is dull, and dead, and heavy, why am I not quickned? Or I am sad, and dejected, if God loved me, why am I not comforted? The Soul of a believer is apt to conceive, that because Love is one in God, therefore it [...] be a sharer in his love, while it wants any one aspect of it, [...] might suite its spiritual wants.

4. Another reason may be, the possibility which the Soul, apprehends of obtaining all grace. Let a thing appear to us never so, beautiful, ne­ver so useful, yet if we lye under an apprehension of its impossibili­ty [Page 86] to obtain it, this moderateth its desires after if;nay extinguisheth them; for our Reason forbids our Wills to move after things which we apprehend not possible to be obtained: But such is the goodness of God towards us, that there is no dispensation of his love, but he hath somewhere or other promised and revealed to us as possible to be obtained by us. Now good apprehended possible to be obtain­ed by us, is the proper object of the desires of our Souls, we are told, that it hath pleased the father, that in Christ all fulness should dwell, And that the fulness of the God-Head dwelt in him bodily, 1 Col. 19. 2 Col. 12. and of his fulness (saith the Evangelist Joh. 1. 16.) We have all received grace for grace. To pass by other inter­pretations of that [...] some understand, Grace suited to all that Grace which is in Christ. There is no habit of Grace in Christ suited to our human nature and state, but believers may receive something from him in proportion to it. There is no love of God to Christ, which fitteth us, or may fit us in our proportions, but we may receive. Nay there is no love of God which floweth from the ful­ness of the Divine Nature, of which we are capable, but the believer may receive. For saith the Apostle, the Fulness of the God-Head dwelt in him [...] bodily. In him as our mediator, that he might commu­nicate to those that are the members of his body, and that I take to be the properest sense of those words, Of his fulness, that is, of the fulness of the God-Head, which dwelt in him as Mediator, and dwelt in him, so as that he could communicate it to those that believed in him. Hence he tells us, that all power was given unto him both in Hea­ven and Earth, and that the Son of Man had power upon Earth to forgive Sins, and that God had given unto him Eternal life, that he might give it to whomsoever he pleased, so as the Soul apprehends all grace, not only beautiful and lovely, but also as possible to be obtain­ed by it from Christ, and having such apprehensions of it conjoin­ed with its before-mentioned apprehensions of the beauty and ex­cellency of it, and the usefulness of it, with respect to the various; and renewing wants of the Soul, it must necessarily desire it.

Use 1. This notion may (as the other which I have handled) shew you [...] difference betwixt the desires of the Hypocrite, and those of the true Child of God after Grace. There may be some desires after Grace in Souls, in whom there is no true and real change of heart, but they are either terminated, 1. In the common gifts and graces of the Spi­rit. Or 2. in the Comfortable manifestations of it. 3. Or (at fur­thest) in some particular dispensations of it.

[Page 87] 1. The common gifts and graces of the Spirit of God, may be desired by those in whom the love of God doth not dwell. By common gifts, I mean knowledge, utterance, an ability to pray, to discourse of the things of God, &c. And the reason is, because these may serve a dou­ble end, which an Hypocrite may have. 1. His honour, and credit, and reputation in the world. Common gifts and graces may give Men and Women a great name in the Church of God, though they will give a Man no place in the Kingdom of God. They may (especial­ly as times may go) much serve a man both as to his lust of gain and covetousness, and also as to his lust of Ambition, and seeking af­ter the honour which is from men, and serve him to appear as some body in the world, and to make him pass for a great Professor, and help him to preferments also in the Church, and so serve his Belly. You have an eminent instance of this in Simon Magus, Acts 8. 9. of whom it is said, That he used Sorcery, and bewitched the People of Samaria, giving out himself to be some great one. v. 13. He beheld the signs, and miracles that were done; this Man, now (to augment his reputation, and probably that he might be in a capacity to get more mony than he had been able to get by his tricks of Hocus Po­cus, and diabolical Arts) seeing the Apostles conveying the Holy Ghost to their Disciples, by their laying on of hands, he did not only desire the graces of the Spirit thus far, but offered them mony, for that power, that upon whomsoever he laid his hands, they also might receive the Holy Ghost. There is no doubt but whatsoever may pro­move the lusts of an Hypocrites heart, may be the object of his desire. Now as a National knowledge of the things of God, or the common practical gifts and graces of the Spirit, may serve a man as to his profit and advantage, or as to his honour and reputation, so they mightily gratify the lusts of an Hypocrites heart, who doth all to be seen of Men, and whose utmost design is but to glory in appearance, and in the praise of Men. Besides this, they may also serve him very far in the quieting of his natural conscience. Natural light discove­ring to us that there is a God doth also shew us that there is some homage due to him, and hence ariseth a natural obligation upon men to be doing something in discharge of this homage, to which these common gifts are subservient. The like might be said of moral habits, (which are but common grace) men that are [...] touched with the love of God, or desire to please him, may yet see a beauty, and a profit too, in a moral, just and righteous conversation, and desire so much grace as may keep him from the scandal, and re­proach [Page 88] of the world, and from the ruining of himself, and Family or Relations.

2. Nay Secondly, his desires may extend to the consolatory manifesta­tions of the love of God, the pardon of his sins, and the sense of that pardon; what should hinder? In a time when a Prince is free of his pardons, it is not impossible that some of his Subjects may take out their pardons that it may be, have no great sense or apprehension that they stand in need of them. Hypocrites that live within the compass of the Church of God, are often hearing of sin, and the wrath of God due to sin, to Original sin, to Actual Sins, to Sins of Omission and Negligence as well as those of Commission, and Presump­tion; they also hear daily proclamations of Gods grace, and readiness to forgive, what should hinder but that they ex abundanti cautela, tho they be not touched with any great sense of sin, tho they have some good opinion of their own Righteousness may yet earnestly de­sire to know their iniquities are forgiven, and that the Righteousness of Christ might be imputed to them also, that they may know, that they also shall another day stand righteous before God.

3. Nor do I see any reason why they may not go one step further, and passionatly desire some strengthning and assisting grace, against some particular lusts. Some extravagant desires or lusts of the heart of man do not only expose him to the wrath of God in another world, but to the wrath of God manifested in this life. Such now as the lusts of the flesh, drunkenness &c. Experience tells us that the pur­suit of these ruines mens healths, estates, reputations; whatsoever is desirable to us in this life and concerning such extravagant motions of our affections and passions, as have these issues which are contrary to the natural desires of life and health, and prosperity in the world; I cannot tell any reason but that an hypocrite may sincerly, desire of God strength against them. But now in this stands the child of God distinguished from all hypocrites; In his desire after all grace, not this or that kiss but every kiss of Christs mouth, every manifestation of the love of God to a soul, particularly such manifestations of Gods love, as serve not at all to gratify any desires of the flesh whe­ther respecting gain and profit, or honour and reputation in the [...]rld, but such as serve to make the soul more holy, and spiritual, [...] like to God, more compliant with the will of God in all things; the hypocrite desires influences of grace, not that he might glorify God but meerly that he might serve a turn.

Use 2. Secondly, This discourse will let us see The great difference betwixt [Page 89] the desires that are found in the child of God after Grace; and those desires which may be found in him after the things of the world. The best of Gods people are compositions of soul and body, as they have a spiritual part which hath its desires and cravings, so they have the cravings of the flesh also; their outward necessities justify in them some desires of the things of this life, but now these desires are limit­ed, If God will be with me saith Jacob, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and rayment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, Gen. 28. 20, 21. Two things (saith Agur Prov. 30. 7.) have I required of thee, deny me not them before I die. Remove far from me vanity, and lyes, give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me. The child of God is so far from de­siring abundance of the world, that he often prayeth against it. He would not be full lest (as Agur expresseth himself v. 9.) he should deny God and say who is the Lord? he would not be wholly empty, lest being poor he should steal and take the name of God in vain. As to grace he is like the horseleaches daughters still crying, give, give. But for the world if he hath food convenient for him, he saith to all the world as Esau once to Jacob. I have enough my Bro­ther, I have enough, keep that thou hast unto thy self. No child of God covets all the world. His conversation is as to it without covetousness, if he hath but Bread to eat, and Rayment to put on, if he can but make a competent provision for his family, and have but something to give to them that want, he blesseth God he hath enough; but as to grace, he may be added as a fifth thing to those four which So­lomon Speaks of which never say they have enough. Nor indeed do I know two worser evidences against any soul, than never to think it hath enough of the world, and yet to be satisfyed with any mea­sures of grace. I must confess I have been often troubled to see those whom I should otherwise have judged excellent Christians so fond of the enjoyments of this world, and so unsatisfyed when the pro­vidence of God hath crossed them in those desires and expectations. I wish I could see equal pantings in the souls of some who yet would be thought great professors, after Christs kisses, as I often see in them after the kisses of the world. But alas that is impossible that nail would drive out the other, Sirs, that is a dreadful text which you have, 1. John 2. 15. Love not the world, neither the things of the world: If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. The world is a thing that may be touched with a Saints hands, [Page 90] and moderately used for his necessities, but it must not be loved, it must have no place in the Child of Gods Heart. What shall we say then to such Professors, as are much more fond of sensual satisfacti­ons to gratify their sensitive appetite, than they are of the Grace of God to mortify that appetite, to sublimate their affections, subjugate their passions, to learn them in all Estates to be content to submit their wills unto the will of God: How dwelleth the love of Christ in such Souls as are more fond of the worlds kisses than of his?

Use 3d. But I shall shut up this discourse with a word of Exhortation, per­suading you to speak after the Spouse in my Text, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth. Cease not till you have brought up your hearts to this frame, that they cannot be satisfied without some­thing of Christs fulness, without some tasts of all the riches of Grace; whatsoever I have given you as the reasons of this truth, may be u­sed by you as arguments in the case. There's no kiss of Christ, no Beam of Grace, but hath its lightsomness, and glory in it. No dis­pensation of Grace but is suited to some eminent want of the Soul, if you discern it not, the fault is in your Eyes, you do not under­stand the cases of your own Souls so well as you ought to do, it would be no Grace, no Love, if it were not proportioned to some want in us. It will be an hard thing for you to satisfy your Souls in the having any truth of Grace, if you find not your Souls thirsting after every manifestation of it. There is no influence of Grace, but is possible to be obtained. There is a fulness of the God-Head in Christ considered as your Mediator, and he is therefore full, that we might drink abundantly of his fulness, but to all these before enlar­ged upon, I shall add two.

1. It is an evidence of true Grace to be thirsty after all Grace. That Soul loveth not Christ truly that doth not desire that he should love it fully. True love is satisfied with nothing less than all of the Be­loved, and renders the Soul jealous presently, if it wants but one good look bestowed upon another.

2. Secondly, The more thou hast of Grace, the more thou wilt doubt­less have of Glory. I know some question whether there shall be any degrees of glory, for my own part I see little reason to question it; doubtless those that lie most in Christs Bosom here, shall sit nearest him upon his Throne hereafter. I shall shut up my discourse with four or five directions in this case.

1. First, Labour to understand the various emanations of special, and distinguishing Grace, how many ways the Sun of Righteousness may [Page 91] shine upon Souls with healing in his Wings. I am afraid many talk of Grace, special distinguishing Grace, who do not understand it as they ought to do. Study to understand Christs saving looks upon Souls, and to distinguish them from other looks, which have no such saving vertue, and evidence in them. Christs saving looks upon Souls, are either such as evidence pardon of Sin, or contribute to the change of the heart in first or further degrees of holiness: Or comforting us with the view of our own sincerity, take a right notion of Christs kisses.

2. Be sure in thy desires of further Grace thou forgettest not to be thank­ful for what thou hast, the least token of love for good to thy Soul is more worth than the world, ther's nothing little in Grace. I be­fore observed to you the passions of some Christians, who are ready to overlook all that God hath done for their Souls, if they want some particular dispensation of Grace, which their hearts are set upon.

3. Make use of what thou hast. To him that hath shall be given. It is a saying which our Saviour applyeth to the parable of the sower, Mat. 13. 12. Luk. 8. 18. and to the parable of the Talents, Mat. 25. 29. In the two first places the meaning may be: To him that hath in actual possession, so it may be conceived as a promise of further grace to those who have any thing of the truth of grace, but in the 25. Mat. 29. it is plainly to be understood of such as make use of, and improve what they have, for it is spoken with re­ference to those Servants that had ten Talents, and had gained other ten, and five talents, and had gained other five.

4. In thy desires of more Grace distinguish betwixt necessary and comfortable influences betwixt manifestations of the Spirit given thee to profit withal, and such as are given thee to make thy life more easy, and cheerful, the first thou mayest beg more absolutely, and be as earnest for them as thou wilt. The latter must be asked with more explicite submission to the will of God, they being such as are not only not necessary to thy glorifying of God, under all circumstan­ces, but not necessary to the eternal Salvation of thy Soul, & such for which the wisdom of God may see more reason under some circum­stances to with-hold from thee, and that in order to thy edification and improvement in holiness. As to such influences, though thou oughtest to desire them, and to pray for them, yet thou oughtest also to be content to wait for them. David did so: His Eyes failed, while he said; When wilt thou comfort me?

5. Wait upon God in all his own institutions. The Ordinances of God are usually called means of Grace, because they are usually made [Page 92] use of by God, as means in, and by which he communicateth his Grace in the several influences of it to our Souls. These Ordinan­ces are the Word, Sacrament, and Prayer. The first Grace is usually dispensed to us upon reading, or hearing the Word of God, and so is further Grace also. Therefore the Apostle Peter commands us to desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby. I had (saith David) perished in my affliction, if thy Word had not been my delight. The Law of the Lord (saith David) is perfect, converting the Soul, the Testimony of the Lor d is sure, making wise the simple, the Statutes of the Lord are right, rejoycing the heart, the Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the Eyes, Psal. 19. 6. 7. Christs love is a thing different from the Word, but it is shewen to the Soul in the use of the Word. Infinite instances might be given you of Christs kissing Souls, (manifesting his special love to Souls, is it which I mean by it) in the reading, and especially in the hearing of the Word; there it is, that is, in the use of that, that he usually speaks to the hearts of Men and Women, hence the Apostle tells us, that the holy Scriptures are able to make the Man of God wise to Salvation, and are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instructions in righteousness: Yea, and for patience and comfort too, Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scrip­tures might have hope. The Sacrament that is another mean, the Sa­cramental believing, eating of the Bread and Wine, is an eating of the flesh, and a drinking of the Blood of Christ, a feeding upon all Christs fulness as Mediator. Prayer is a mean of all Grace, whatsoe­ver God hath promised in a way of Grace, is all promised upon this condition, That he will for it be inquired of by his People.

5. Walk humbly and uprightly before God. The humble he will teach, (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 25.) and to the humble he will give more Grace, Ja. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. he dwelleth with those that are of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the Spirits of the humble, and the hearts of those that are contrite, and for the upright he hath told us, that he will with-hold from them no good thing. But this is enough to have also spoken to this Proposition. There is another term in the petition of the Text. which I shall take notice of, she prayeth not only that her beloved would kiss her, and that not with one but ma­ny kisses, but she adds of his Mouth. But of that hereafter.

Sermon V.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

I Told you in the close of my last diseourse that I should not yet leave this Text, because of the last words [— of his Mouth;] which we must either be allowed as a Pleonasme, and superfluous, or to contain in them yet some further spiritual Instruction. The Jews say there is not the least tittle of the Law, upon which great things do not depend; nor do I fancy the allowing of more Pleonasms in holy writ, than must necessarily be allowed. I shall therefore take notice of what Origen and Beza, and divers others have before me noted from the addition of these words; That the believing Soul thirsts after a com­munion with Christ in his Word. Mr. Ainsworth taking special notice of the term kisses, understands the Doctrine of the Gospel, which is the Word of Reconciliation, as kisses are amoris & reconciliationis symbola, the tokens of love, and reconciliation: I am sure the notion is in it­self true, whether the sense of this Text or no. The Law worketh Wrath, (faith the Apostle) the Doctrine of the Gospel alone speaks love, and peace, Christs Spouse here (say some interpreters) desires his manifestation in the Flesh, & the publication of the Doctrine of the Gospel, together with the comfortable application of those Doctrines to her conscience. I am sure there is a truth in that. Let me therefore a little make use of their notion. Take this for the Proposition:

Prop. It is of the nature of a believing Soul to thirst after a com­munion with Christ in his Word, his Gospel especially, and the teachings of his Spirit in and by that.

I here join two of those propositions together, which I distingui­shed upon the opening of the words. She desires the kisses of his Mouth. 2. That he should kiss her with the kisses of his Mouth. This Proposition will offer me an opportunity to discourse to you, the [Page 94] affection of the believing Soul, to the words of Christ, both in the more external, and more spiritual, and internal teachings and mini­strations of it.

The words of the Gospel are the words of Christ, the kisses of his mouth, whether they be applied, and set home to the particular con­science yea or no. The ministration of the Gospel is in itself ex­ceeding glorious: Therein (saith the Apostle,) is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. Rom. 1. 17. Therein in Gods way of Salvation revealed to lost sinners, and by it life and immortality are brought to light. Now this word of God is to be considered;

1. As written for our Instruction. For saith the Apostle, Rom. 15. 4. whatsoever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

2. As preached. So it is the Ordinance of God for our faith, and there­fore called The word of Faith, Sanctification, Consolation and Eternal Salvation, for indeed the supply of all the spiritual wants and neces­sities of our Souls. Hence there are three ways by which our Souls have a communion with God in his Word: Reading, Hearing, and Meditation.

1. Reading is one means by which we come to the knowledg of the will of God in his Word. The King of Israel was commanded to read in the Book of Gods Law all the days of his life, that he might learn to keep the Law of his God, and there is a blessing pronounced to him that readeth. Indeed he that readeth the word as it lyeth before us in our Bibles hath this advantage, that he is sure what is there plain to his understanding, is the undoubted, pure Word of God; and while a man readeth the Scriptures he is but repeating of Gods Word to his own soul, or hearing God immediately speaking to him.

2. Hearing the word preached is another means of communion with God in his Word. This is an Ordinance of God, and such a one, as he honoureth with being the great means of calling, and saving such as he hath ordained to life: So as in that ordinance a soul hath an opportunity to meet God, to draw nigh unto him, to hear him speak unto it. We must take heed that we do not think, that all which we hear out of pulpits is spoken by God; God no further speaketh by the Minister, than the Minister keepeth unto his Text, & speaketh accord­ing to the Scriptures, either by way of interpretation, or application. And therefore every good Christian, is to search the Scriptures whe­ther what their Preachers deliver be consonant to them. Those noble [Page 95] Bereans mentioned Acts. 17. did so when St. Paul was the Preacher, and are commended for it, The Scriptures are to be judged by no other rule, but Sermons are to be measured by the holy Scriptures. No man hath communion with God by hearing, further than so far as that is consonant to the will of God which he heareth. But admitting the Minister of Christ answereth his name and Office, and faithfully revealeth, and applieth the will of God, while we hear we have communion with God; God communicateth his holy will unto us, and we communicate with him by an obedient Ear who hath comand­ed us to hear that our souls may live.

5. A third way is by Meditation. This is an act of our inward man standing upon the things which we have read or heard, as necessary to the souls spiritual nourishment, as Digestion is to the nourishment of our bodies by what is their proper food; a duty much practised by David Psal. 119. 97, 99. And a good man is de­scribed by it. Psal. 1. 3. He meditateth in the law of the Lord night and day. By this, the soul doth not only fasten the word of God upon it self but it also dives deeper into the depths of it. I say this com­munion with God in his word is very desirable to the spouse of Christ. I added his gospel especially.

The Word of God in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is made up of several parts.

1. There is in it sacred history; no unuseful part of holy Writ, it being that which more than any other acquainteth us with Gods way of of providence with his people of old.

2, You have in it many Moral Instructions, and Precepts of Christi­anity and Godliness, an admirable part of Scripture, that which makes the holy Scriptures to be what no other book in the world is, a light to our feet, and lanthorn to our paths. Shewing us what we are to do, what to decline and avoid but yet these are not properly called Gospel doctrines.

3. You have in it many Prophesies, or predictions of what God in­tended to do in the world, most of which are fulfilled; some we yet live in the expectations of.

4. You have also in it many terrible threats, and curses, and many woes denounced against the violaters of the law of God; these are excellent portions of holy Writ, to keep your souls in awe and make us afraid of sinning against God, but these are not properly Gospel Doctrines but properly belong to the Law which declareth and worketh wrath.

5. You have also in those sacred books, many declarations of the [Page 96] good will, and love of God to poor lost Sinners declared in, and through Jesus Christ. You have an historical part of the Gospel, declaring what Christ hath done, and Suffered for us, a declarative and promissory part, proclaiming Salvation to poor lost creatures, and promising life and Salvation, and all grace to some poor undone sinners, promises for the conferring, and increase of grace. These and such like, I principally understand by Gospel Doctrines. The Doctrine of Gods free grace in the pardoning of sin, and the imputation of Christs Righteousness to the soul. Doctrines that reveal Christ and tend to bring the soul to Christ, or direct the soul in walking with him. Now I say tho the believing soul values every line of holy Writ, and hath a reverence for the whole Word of God, and desires a com­munion with God in reading, and hearing and meditating in every part of his revealed will, yet it hath a special thirst after those portions of it which contain these Revelations: Other parts are sweet but these are sweeter than the Hony and the Hony-comb. No portions of Scripture are like these to the believer. Every verse in the book of God is a Star but as Stars differ one from another in glory, so do the Revelations of the will of God in our apprehensionsa, s more suited to our necessities. For the proof of the proposition: There is so much reason for it, that were it not that it is fit your Faith (for the help of which the Ministry is ordained) should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God, I might for bear the use of any Scrip­ture texts in the case. The World was many hundred years old be­fore there was any written Word of God, (of which we have any record.) The first that we read of was the Book of the Law which the King of Israel was commanded to have alwayes before him and to read therein all the daies of his life. Saul was the first King of Israel; he was a wicked man and regarded not the divine Law. The next was David (the man according to Gods own heart.) See his Af­fection to the word Superlatively exprest Psal 19. 7, 8, 9, 10. 11. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul, the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple, the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart, the Commandment of the Lord is pure enli­ghtening the Eyes. The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether; more to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold, sweeter also than the hony and the Hony-comb. Psal. 119. 14, 15, 16. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches, I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways, I will delight my self in thy statutes, v. 97. Oh! how I love thy law, it is my [Page 97] meditation night and day. Read over that excellent Psalm at your leisure, you will find in it a strange variety of expressions setting out David's value of, and thirst after the Word of the Lord. I had (saith he in one passage) perished in my affliction, if thy Word had not been my delight. For the Word of God as delivered by Ministers, you shall all along the History of the Scripture observe, you read not of one good King of Judah and Israel, but they were very desircus in all cases of consulting with the Prophets of the Lord; and no doubt but the reading the Law, and the Exposition of it in the Sanctuary, was the reason why David, Psal. 42. Psal. 63. and Psal 84 so passio­nately bewailed his being banished from it. In short, look through all the New Testament, you shall find no company of Believers but by some Expressions or other declaring their Zeal for, and fondness of the Word of God. And the same Spirit continued in gracious Souls after the times that the Scripture makes mention of. I remem­ber Hierom tells us of a good woman, whom he saith he could never find without a Bible in her hand; aud Mr. Fox in his Martyrology tells us a story of Three Maids (in Lincolnshire, if I remember right) who sold their Estates in a time of Persecution to buy a few Leaves of the Bible. It were infinite to tell you the instances we have in Ecclesiastical History, of the great thirst after, and delight in the Word of God, which good people have expressed. What need we any further Instance than what the Experience of our own Age do [...]h afford? How naturally do Souls born again, as new born Babes, de­sire the sincere Milk of the Word of God? It is true some Hypo­crites (especially in times when Religion is in credit and reputation) may lay hold of the Skirts of a Jew, and say, We will go with you: I mean, may shew some fondness of hearing and reading the Word; but no Child of God, no regenerate man, but is indeed thirsty of it. So that as it was said of Paul, as soon as he was converted, Behold he prayeth; so it may be said of every man and woman, let them be­fore have been never so loose, and vain, and careless as to reading and hearing the Word; Behold he readeth, or Behold he heareth. Nor indeed is it possible it should be otherwise.

1. If we consider first That this is the Will of God concerning every Soul. The Soul is unchanged till it be in some degree willing and obed ent. So as what St. Paul spake more openly, he saith to God though more privately, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Now this is one of the first things that God calleth such a Soul to do. Hear, (saith God) and your Souls shall live. As God said to Paul, Go into [Page 98] the City, and it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do. So God saith unto the changed Soul, Go to Church, and hear my Word, and go and read in my Word, and there it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do. Augustin tells us a story, that being in a great Agony of Spirit, and not knowing what to do, he heard a voice as out of an inward Room, saying, Tolle & lege, Take up and read. The Soul in this doth but conform himself to an impression that is made by the Spirit upon his heart, and is coaevous to the hour of his New Birth; and this you shall see exemplified not in this or that particular Soul, but in every Soul born of God. The Infant is not more naturally disposed to suck the breasts of the Mother or Nurse, than such a Soul is disposed to read, and hear the Word of God from the impression of the holy Spirit of God upon it in the first hour of its Conver­sion.

4. Nor is any thing more reasonable than such an impression, if we consider God's Ordination of his Word as the pabulum animae, the food and nourishment of the new born Soul. 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes, desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. And for this very reason this thirst after, and delight in the Word of God, never goeth out of a sanctified heart; for the Word is the pro­per nourishment of the Soul in all states; it is not only Milk for Babes, but Meat for stronger ones. By these things men live, saith He­zekiah. The just shall live by Faith, saith the Prophet. The Word is the object of this Faith. You shall observe that the God of Nature hath planted in most sensitive creatures a knowledge of their proper food, and an appetite or desire to it. The God of Grace hath given the renewed Soul a knowledge of its proper food too, and created in it an appetite to it, so as no soul is born again without a know­ledge of the Word, as that by which it is to live, or an appetite to it. Nay, it is not only necessary to uphold the Spiritual Being of the the Soul, but to all the purposes of its well-being. Such a Soul find­eth the Word an inexhaustible Fountain, a large Store-house, a Shop that hath a Salve for every Sore, a Medicine for every Distemper: Hence indeed it is morally impossible that a regenerate Soul should not value the kisses of Christ's mouth: The Breath of Christ is com­forting to those that are sad; strengthening to those that are weak; quickening to those that are dull; an healing to all the Soul's Dis­eases: and there are infinite Records of the Cures done by it, both in Scripture, and in all Ecclesiastical Story, and in all Experience. A Christian converted, cannot meet with another, but he or she hath [Page 99] some story to tell them of, some Cure wrought in them by the Word of God. I had perished, saith one, in such an affliction, if the Word had not been my delight. I had perished, saith another, under such a temptation, if such a Promise had not supported me. O the infi­nite Cures which the Word of God Read and Preached hath done upon a numberless number of Souls! Look almost into any Church of God. There are many Souls that were dead in trespasses and sins, and by the Word were brought to life; many Souls that were dropping into the bottomless Pit, whom the Word laid hold upon, and saved from it. Here's a broken heart, that was bound up by some lines of holy Writ. There's a tempted Soul fetcht out of the depths of Satan by a Promise in the Word. There hangs a poor fearful doubting Soul resolved by it, and brought to a settled state. The Regenerate Soul meets with these Stories in all its new com­pany. And

3. Thirdly, It hath a reason to believe them, because it hath had it self a great Experience of the Virtue of it. The Word (saith such a Soul) it is that which hath saved my Soul from Hell. My Soul, my poor Soul, was in a full career to the Devil, the Word in such a Sermon, in such a Scripture met me, and turned my face Heaven­ward; others my companions in sin dropt into the Pit; my foot was upon the brink of perdition, it is God's mercy I was not ingulph­ed in Eternal Misery. God shewed me this mercy by his Word; Shall that Word be ever out of the tast of my Soul? Shall not I wait upon God in the Reading and Hearing of it as long as I live? Hath Christ conveyed his Breath, his Life into my Soul, by the kisses of his mouth, and shall he not by it convey all things that my im­mortal Soul stands in need of? Let others that never tasted the good Word of the Lord, to whose Souls the Lord never created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, undervalue and despise the Word of the Lord, let them undervalue Scriptures, and despise Prophecyings, and count vain idle Books better to read in than the Book of God; vain, idle dis­courses better than lively, Soul-saving Sermons. I have tasted better things, I know otherwise.

4. Once more, There appeareth to the renewed Soul, a beauty and excel­lency in the word of God surpassing all other writings of what▪ nature soever. You shall observe in the world two or three sorts of People. 1. Some there are, who indeed hardly deserve the name of rational Creatures, they delight in no fort of knowledge in nothing of any tendency to ennoble the mind of man, but only in sensual things; [Page 100] hence they almost hate a Book or any thing which may have any tendency to adorn and any way ennoble the mind of man. 2. O­thers have some delight in knowledge, but it is an airy knowledge of things that are superfluous, and signify nothing as to the use of mans life, a knowledge of things only which please the fancy, tickle the senses, furnish the tongue with discourse for all humors and com­panies. Romances and Play Books, any Books of idle discourse, and foolish stories please them, but for the knowledge of such things, as should ennoble their minds, they have no fancy for it nor any Books, or discourses that have any tendency to such an end; these are a sort of titular Christians that are not yet come up to the highest forms of Heathens. 3. There is a third sort of more noble Souls that love Knowledge, and despise vain and airy knowledge, that islueth in no good and worthy end as to mans life; but seek such a knowledge, as may make them wife to the rational ends of the life of man. You shall now never find these men much employing themselves with reading or hearing of Playes, or reading Romances, they abhor the feeding of their Souls with Coals, and Dirt, and cheating themselves with lies and falshoods, nor debauching their minds with sordid and silthy Books and discourses, they will be reading Books of H story and Philosophy, which may serve their Souls as to the most noble ends or life; and indeed such as are come thus far, are yet but come on to the highest forms of good Pagans. But the good Christian is got beyond these, he hath discerned that God is the greatest good, and the fruition and enjoyment of God is the fruition of the greatest good, and that the enjoyment of God, an acquaintance, fellowship, and communion with him, is more to be desired than all the world besides. Whatsoever Books or discourses therefore have either in their own nature, or by any ordination of God, a tendency to bring the Soul of Man to a knowledge of God, to an acquaintance or com­munion with God appear to him the best Books, the best discourses in the world, and this he doth by as rational an operation of his Soul, as a sober Man counteth a true History better than a Romance, or a Lecture of Moral or Natural Philosophy better than a Play, or an [...]dle sight. All floweth from his right notion of his chief end, for that being once truly fixed in the Soul of Man, he measureth other things by their tendency, or no tendency, as means in order to that end. It is because the sensual Man maketh the satisfaction of his senses the [...]nd of his life, that he thirsts after merry Meetings, Balls, and Dances, and Revellings and Chamberings, and Wantonness, and Books of fine [Page 101] words, and full of filthy, or at best witty discourses, as the best Book to spend his time in, and discourses to spend his time upon. It is be­cause the moral Man hath fixed upon the ennobling his mind with human knowledge, and habits of moral vertue, that he despiseth those things before-mentioned, as contrary to his design, and the main end of his life, and chuseth rather the moral writings of Seneca, Aristotle, Plato, &c. than any other idle Books to spend his thoughts upon. And it is because the true Christian hath fixed upon the glorifying of God, and the saving of his own Soul, as the great end of his life that he thirsteth after, and hath such a delight in the World of God, and the Interpretation and application of that (which is that which we call Preaching.) 2. Besides, the Philosopher observeth, that like delighteth in its like. Look what complexion the Soul is of, such things it desi­reth, thirsteth after, and delighteth in. Hence the dirty filthy Soul, where sense, and passion, and corrupt and debauched affections pre­dominate, covets filthy Books, and filthy discourses, which are but the issues of Souls of the same complexion with itself, the Soul that is something cleaner, and hath got its passions something more subju­gated unto its reason; delighteth in, and desireth Books and discour­ses of its own complexion, and which are the issues of Souls like un­to itself. The Spiritual Man being refined to a further degree and pirch, minding the glory of God, and Spiritual things, hath a thirst after the Word, and Sermons which are the true and faithful Inter­pretations, & applications of that word, as being more pure and Spiri­tual, and so more like to it in its renewed State, wherein we are transformed into the likeness of the word▪ Thy word is pure (saith David) therefore doth thy Servant love it, Psal. 119 140. It is as natural to the renewed Soul, to thirst after the pure Word of God, and Spiritual discourses from, and upon it, as it is to an impure, unrenew­ed Soul to thirst after filthy Books, obscene discourses, or for the Philosopher, or moral rational man to desire after, or to delight in Books; or discourses of its own complexion; especially also if we consider, that as sober moral discourses tend both to confirm and promove habits of morality, so the Book of God, and Spiritual dis­courses upon, and according to it tend to confirm and to pro­move Spiritual habits in the Soul.

5. Lastly. The Souls of believers must needs more especially desire, and delight in those which are more strictly called Gospel-Doctrines, and discourses relating to them, because those are they which are suited to the greatest and most pressing wants of the Soul; those are the Doct­rines [Page 102] wherein the Lord speaks peace and pardon, that contain the words of reconciliation. I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace (saith God by his Prophet Isaiah.) In the historical part of Scripture, God speaks instruction in wisdom to his People, and tells them the course of his Providence in the world in the government of it both with reference to his People, and to their Enemies. In the law and pre­ceptive part of Holy Writ, and the threatnings of Holy Scripture, he tells them their duty, what is his will they should do, and avoid, and what he will do unto them in case they be disobedient to his Commandments, and do not walk in his Statutes, and keep his judg­ments. In the prophetical part of it, so far as it is but an History of what God hath said and done, he confirms them in their apprehensi­ons and faith of Gods knowledge of future contingencies, and also concerning his faithfulness. But it is in the Doctrines of the Gospel alone, that he declareth his love to poor Souls in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, what Christ hath done and suffered for the redemp­tion and salvation of Man, what he is yet ready to do for all such, as truly repent and believe, and accept of the Mediator. It is in that alone that he offers healing to the Nations; now every gracious Soul being one who must be supposed to have felt something of the bur­then of Sin, and the wrath of God due to Man for Sin, it is no wonder if the special thirst of such a Soul be after the revelations of Christ in the Doctrines of the Gospel, as being most suited to the state of a Soul that is weary, and heavy laden, and seeking for rest, and being wearied in its own indeavours, and finding none. No wonder if such Sermons, such Preaching, be most sweet and accep­table unto it, if such portions of Scripture, such discourses from Scripture be most acceptable, and grateful to it's thoughts, and most sweet to its meditations, as being such which must deliver it from the trouble, and uneasiness, which the Law which worketh wrath hath given to it, finding itself a great transgressor of it. Thus I have doctrinally discoursed, the hunger of the Soul after the Word of God, and a communion with God in it by reading, hearing, or medi­tation, and the reasonableness of this appetite of the Soul to it. There is yet a more excellent, internal communion of the Souls communi­on with God in his Word, which infinitely excelleth this, and con­sequently is the more special object of the renewed Souls Spiritual hunger, and thirst, to which I shall speak. But I shall first make ap­plication of this discourse.

Use 1. This Notion may help us to take some measures of our [Page 103] Spiritual State, whether we be the Spouses of Christ yea or no, the Souls desires, or no desires after communion with God in his Word; its delight or no delight in that piece of communion with God, will go a great way to determine our Spiritual State, and how it shall fare with us in the day of Judgment. I am sure negatively it is a good note. He that hath no desire after, no delight in the Word of God hath nothing of God, or Christ in him. And this is evident from all Scripture experience, and reason also. Davids experience is instead of all, though many more examples might be produced out of Holy Writ. There was never any good King of Israel or Judah but call'd for the Law of the Lord, and much desired and delighted in the Lords Prophets. It is impossible that the Word should have done a­ny Soul good, and the savour of it not be left upon it, engaging it to prize and value it so long as it lives. I only except an extraordina­ry hour of temptation, in which I have known good Souls, afraid to read, and hear, but alas they are at that time not themselves, and act not from a free use of their reason. This reflects sadly,

1. Upon such as neglect reading the Word. Some indeed cannot read, I know not how to excuse these, in times and places where they have such plenty of means to learn. As I think those Parents will be inex­cusable before God another day, that take not care to have their Children, when young, learned to read: So I think those grown Personswhom their Parents have neglected, inexcusable, who have not used such means as the Age affords in great plenty, to learn to read, and can hardly believe that Soul to have any fear of God, or love to God in it, that doth not apply itself to this piece of knowledge. But alas: how many can read, that hardly take the Bible in their Hands from one end of the week to the other, Surely we may conclude the Bible never did their Souls good. They cannot but have heard, that the Lord commanded the King of his People to read in the Book of the Law all the daies of his life. And by Gods order was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath Day; and can any think him­self excused from reading the word? we cannot be alwaies hearing, nor doth so much knowledge come into our Souls by hearing as may by reading. Am I in none of your bosoms? Is there not amongst some of you a sad neglect of Reading the Scripture? Let me tell you it speaks you to have tasted very little, if at all, how good the Lord is.

21. Secondly, How sadly doth this reflect upon those who despise Prophecyings! It is a dreadful Text, 1. Joh. 4. 6. We are of God: He [Page 104] that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. It is true, no Minister of Christ can say, He is of God, in that strict sense as the Apostles did, whose Calling was not of men, nor by men, but immediately from God. It is also true, that every one who talks out of a Pulpit is not of God. Many run whom God ne­ver sends, and you shall easily know them by the message they bring. But every faithful Minister of Christ, that faithfully openeth, and conscienciously applieth the Word of God to Peoples understand­ings, hearts and consciences, is of God; that is, he is sent of God; he is the Ordinance of God; and he that knoweth God, that hath [...]y saving experimental knowledge of God, will hear such a one: If there be any that despiseth such Prophecying, he is not of God. Now this men may do from looseness and prophaneness, and this too many are guilty of, and by it proclaim to the world, that they were never born again of the uncorruptible Seed of the Word; that they ne­ver yet tasted the goodness of God in an Ordinance. There is ano­ther generation that despise Prophecyings, pretending to the imme­diate Teachings of the Spirit of God. I shall in my next Discou se (God willing) shew you, that no pious Soul can undervalue the Teachings of the Holy Spirit, nor think them needless, but he that looks for them, in opposition to the Teachings of the Word of God, or otherwise than by, and in the Teachings of the Word, is ignoranr, knowing nothing. The Spirit brings to our remembrance the things which we have heard of God. I never yet knew a pious Soul that du [...]st slight Reading, or powerful Preaching. I have indeed known Religious Souls neglect and despise some mens little jinglings of words in Pulpits, flaunts of Rhetorick, and playing with words, or disgorging their malice and passion, (and they deserve to be de­spised and abhorred of all;) but I never yet knew that pious Soul that did not hunger after the Preaching of Jesus Christ, in a plain, Scriptural, powerful manner. I would say to any that pretend to despise Sermons, pretending to the Teachings of the Spirit imme­diately, as Paul spoke to the Galatians, Gal. 3. 2. This would I learn of you; Received you the Spirit by the Works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? So say I, you pretend to some change of heart, to a Receiving of the Spirit: Received you the Spirit by an im­mediate afflatus or impression, or by the Hearing of the Word? Be­sides, how shall the impressions of the Spirit be known, tryed, or judged, but by the Word? for St. John hath taught us, 1 Joh 4. 1. That every Spirit is not to be believed. And the Apostle warns the [Page 105] Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 2. 2. not to be shaken in mind, troubled or de­ceived, by Spirit, nor by Word, nor by Letter.

I shall shut up this Discourse with a word of Exhortation: Which of us is there who hath not an ambition to be the Lamb's Wife, and to be thought the Spouse of Christ? Evidence then your selves to be such by your hunger after a communion with God in his Word, by your much Reading, much Hearing, by your meditating in the Law of the Lord night and day. For the written Word, you have no plea to the contrary, no excuse for the Word Preached; I wish Christians had more general incouragement. We have too much of of the word of man in Pulpits, too little of the Word of God; and as it is in Trade, the false and corrupt making of Wares, depre­tiates the Commodity, and brings it out of esteem with such as ab­hor to be cheated: So the abundance of false Preaching, by which I mean, not only Preaching of unsound Notions, but Preaching vain Philosophy, idle Speculations, turning Sermons into Harangues of Oratory: In short, whatsoever is not intelligible Scriptural Preach­ing, with a true design to shew men the way of Salvation, and to direct them into it, and in it: I call this false Preaching: We have so much of this, that it hath brought a discredit upon the Ordi­nance. I would have you, as our Saviour directs, Take heed what you hear, and how you hear, and that will oblige you to take heed whom you hear. But withal, Take heed that you hear; for God hath told you, that Faith cometh by hearing: He hath said, Hear, and your Souls shall live: And blessed be God he hath not left us without some that Preach Jesus Christ and him crucified, and desire to know no­thing else amongst people. I cannot tell you how long you shall have any of the daies of the Son of Man; work while it is day; when the night comes no man can work. We have had faithful, powerful Preaching a long time, (possibly Christ never had a Church on Earth, had such handling the Word of God so long a time) doth not the Candle begin to fail, and burn in the Socket? We have an Ezra's Temple, but is not Solomon's destroyed? 2. There's no such way to recover your Light, and keep it with you, as to cry after it, and to make use of it while you have it. God will not take away his Word from hungry Children. Where are our Rogers, Sheppard, Hooker, Fenner, Preston, Sibbs, Burroughs, and others? It's time to recover your Appetites, that you may recover your Bread. 3. Consider, you that love the Lord, will be the first that want it. Prodigals of their Souls, can feed upon any Husks, though [Page 106] they fill their Bellies with nothing but wind and crudities. That you may recover your Appetite to the Word, Purge your selves of your lusts. I shall conclude with that of James, Jam. 1. 21, 22. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and re­ceive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your Souls: But be you doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Sermon VI.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

IT is not, Let me hear the words of his mouth; though that be in­tended, the words of God's mouth, may be brought to us by men like unto our selves, as they were spoken to the Israelites of old by the Prophets; the Spouse begs not only the Words of her Lord, but that they might be spoken from himself: She beggeth his words, but so that they may be kisses, tokens of his love and favour to her Soul: She beggeth not only a more external Communion with God, by which God communicates his Will to our exteriour senses, but an inward Communion, that God by his Word and Gospel would speak unto her heart, that the Word might not be to her a meer sound, much less the savour of death unto death, but the savour of life unto life.

Prop. The great desire of a gracious Soul, is after an inward spiritual Communion with Christ, in his Word ȧnd Or­dinances.

This is a Point not so well generally understood by the croud of Professors; suffer me therefore to spend a few words in the Expli­cation of it.

All Communion importeth mutual and reciprocal Communication. [Page 107] It is an action wherein two Persons do communicate themselves each to other, Communion with God, implieth God's communica­tion of himself to his creature, and the creature's communication of it self unto God. To restrain my discourse to the present Subject I am about; There is a more external Communion we have with God, with reference to his Word, in the reading it, or hearing it read or Preacht, or meditating in it. God then communicates his Will to us, by the help of Letters, Words and Syllables, by which we un­derstand things, or by the voice of his Ministers, sent in his Name to open his mind and will unto us; and we communicate with God, giving him the homage of our Eyes and Ears, our common sense and imaginations; this I call a more external Communion: And there is a more spiritual internal Communion, which a Soul hath with God in it. I call it a Communion, because God in it doth communi­cate himself to the Soul, and the Soul communicateth it self to God. God speaketh by his Word to the heart, and the heart receiveth the Divine Impressions, and surrendreth up it self to the Will of God. In the other there is no more than a communication of the Divine Will (on God's part) nor any more than the homage of our exterior senses, our faculty of reading and hearing, the service of our Eyes and Ears, our common sense, and power of Imagination, and of our understanding receiving the notions of Truth. In this Communion with God in his Word, there is not only on God's part a communica­tion of God's Will, but also of God's Power, by which the Soul is 1. Irradiated as to the understanding, inabled to see things in another light more fully and clearly 2. Subdued as to the Will, so as the man is made willing and obedient to the heavenly Revelation, trans­formed into the likeness of the Word, so convinced of the truth of it, that it can no longer withstand it, whether it be a word of Instru­ction, which is the Object of our Faith; or a word of Reproof, for conviction of Sin, or a word of Consolation, for refreshing the Soul; the Soul can no longer deny, or dispute, or doubt of the Proposi­tion, no longer stand out against the Precept, no longer refuse to be comforted. The Word of the Lord comes here to the inward part of the Soul. 2. There is a further Communication on man's part of himself to God. In the former Communion he only lends God his Eye to read his Will, his Ear to hear it, his imaginative power to think upon it, his Passive Intellect or Power to receive Notions of Truth. Here he communicates his whole Soul to God, his Will and Affections, his whole Man. It is true, here God speaks [Page 108] first, we do only velle quum volumus, agere quum agimur (as Au­gustine expresseth it) that is, we only will when we are made wil­ling, and act when we are first moved and acted. There are some who are great Patrons for the Power of Man's Will as to things spiritual, that would elude those Texts about the Teachings of the Spirit, and the Teachings of the Anointing spoken of by St. John, by asserting, That there is such a constant concomitancy of the holy Spirit with the Preaching of the Gospel, that whosoever will may be willing, and obedient, and believe, and repent, and be obedient. I should hearken much to this Notion, if the Authors of it could give me a good account how it is then, that of two persons hearing the same Sermon, and sitting under the same ministration of the Spirit, one man only hears it, thinks upon it a little, and receiveth some no­tions of it, to fit his Tongue with discourse; another hath his heart changed by it, and transformed into the Image of God, and wholly changed as to his Will and Affections, and his whole Conversation. That it is so is demonstrably true, I would know whence it is, unless they will make man a God unto himself; that is, the first cause of truly good and spiritual motions. Now this internal Communion with God in his Word, which in Scripture is called the Teaching of the Spirit, and the Teaching of the Anointing, being such as few are ac­quainted with, is little known in the world, and therefore some count it Canting, and so unwarily blaspheme the Teacher, and can­not understand any thing else by it than Ministerial Teaching. Others again can understand no Teaching of the Spirit in and by Ordinances, but dream that Souls under the Teachings of the Spirit, must live above Duties and Ordinances, and so turn it into meer Enthusiasm, immediate impressions (which they pretend to) from the holy Spi­rit of God. It may be therefore worth our while to understand it a little.

You read of it prophesied of old, Isa. 54. 17. That the Children of the Church should be all taught of the Lord. You read in the New Testament of words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, 1 Cor. 2. 14. Yea it teacheth us not words only, but things, 1 John 2. 27. But the Anoint­ing which you have received in him, abideth in you, and you need not that any man should teach you; but as the same Anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lye. Yea it was Christ's own Pro­mise, Joh. 14. 26. But the Comforter, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever you have heard from me. So as that there is a Teaching of [Page 109] the Spirit, is out of all doubt. The only Questions are;

1. 1. Whether this be concomitant with Ministerial Teachings, and superadded to them; which we maintain against those who are for immediate Teachings in raptures, and by immediate impressions; or a thing separate from them, and to which Ministerial Teachings are rather hinderances than any furtherance; which is what we deny. For though we limit not the Holy One of Israel, but say, that as he did of Old, thus teach his Prophets and Apostles; so he may by more immediate Impressions and Revelations, teach his People still what they are to do, or to avoid. Yet we say, that the Book of Scripture being finished and sealed, no such Revelations are by any to be expected; and if any man think he hath any such Im­pressions, Revelations, or extraordinary Teachings, they must be proved by the Word, with which, if they do not agree, they pro­ceed not from the holy Spirit of God, neither have they any Light in them. Secondly,

2. Whether the Teachings of the Spirit be any thing more than Ministerial Teachings in the Preachings of the Gospel, which Teach­ings have such a constant presence of the Spirit of Grace with them, that if a man will, he may with those Aids and Assistances do what God requireth of him in order to his Eternal Salvation, and avoid what God would have him to avoid. We affirm they are, and that there is no such power in the Will of Man, in the use of those com­mon Aids and Assistances, and that there is a Teaching of the Spirit in the use of the Word, far beyond the power and virtue of the Word. The Object of this Teaching we make to be the Elect of God. Reprobates as well as chosen Vessels, may be taught by the Ministerial Teaching of the Word, and have that external Commu­nion with God in his Word, which I before mentioned; but the Elect of God, and such as shall be eternally saved only, know any thing of these Teachings; and to such are restricted throughout all Scripture, in such places as make any mention of them. The more immediate Object is the Understanding, Will and Affections. The Mi­nisterial Teaching reacheth the Eyes and Ears, and exteriour senses, and thence cometh into the thoughts, and into the understanding more confusedly and imperfectly; it reacheth not the more inward part of the Soul. The things of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 12. are revealed to those who have received the Spirit; V. 14. The Natu­ral man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I therefore call it an internal [Page 110] spiritual Communion with God in his Word. But yet for the fuller understanding of this, it is reasonable that I should shew you how the Spirit Teacheth the Elect Soul in and by the Ordinance, that you may see and understand what there is more in this Spiritual Teaching, in this internal Communion with God in his Word and Ordinances, than in the meer Teaching of the Letter, meer Ministerial Teaching separated from this.

I told you before these Teachings were not by immediate Enthu­siasms, Impressions, or Revelations of new things; for, I pray observe, there is a twofold Revelation; the one I may call A simple, imme­diate first Revelation. Thus God of old taught the Patriarchs and Moses, and the Prophets, and the Apostles. All Scripture was by in­spiration from God, and holy men spake as they were inspired by God. Thus God was pleased to teach the Guides of his Church, before the holy Scripture was written, at least fully written, and a Curse annexed (as a Seal to that Book) to them that should add any thing to it. This is a Teaching some would be at, but what need of it, if the Scriptures (as the Apostle tells us) are able to make the man of God wise to salvation, furnished to every good work?

Secondly, There is another kind of Revelation, which we may for distinction sake, call a compounded, mediate Revelation; it is the further Revelation of what God hath revealed in his Word; but we wanted a proper medium to see it in; we were blind and dark, and our Eyes stuck in the bark and surface of Scripture. Thus it is yet true, 1 Cor. 2. 10. That God revealeth to his People by his Spirit, the deep things of God, the things which Eye hath not seen, nor hath Ear heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But of this I shall speak more by and by.

That I may therefore give you (at least) my apprehension con­cerning the due notion of the Spirit's Teaching, so as it shall not be confounded with bare Ministerial Teachings, which I take to be a great debasing of the notion of it, on the one hand, nor be made opposite to Ministerial Teaching, and that made useless on the other hand: I shall shew you that in order to the Salvation of a Soul, there is a Teaching of the Spirit necessary added to, or over and above Ministerial Teachings. I shall open it in four or five particulars.

1 1. The Spirit teacheth by special Illumination. There is a common Illumination, which is the Effect of the Spirit also; but of the Spi­rit working in a way of common grace, by which men receive the common notions of Religious Truths. There are two diseases or [Page 111] faults in the Soul of a Christian, which hinder its learning spiritual things.

1. The first is, a listlesness, or indisposition to learn or hear any thing of that nature. You may see this in mens slighting of the Word of God, till God hath wrought some saving work in their hearts, they have no mind to read the holy Scriptures, nor yet to hear them faithfully opened and applied: And could you but enter into peoples hearts (which yet you may know by what was the temper of your own hearts before God wrought a change on them) you would see this yet further confirmed unto you; this God in conversion removes; but this is not that which I have here to do with.

2. There is besides this a natural blindness and deafness, that a poor creature cannot see nor hear. In Jer. 5. 21. you find these words, Hear now this O you foolish people, and void of understanding, who have Eyes, and see not, Ears, and hear not! Every natural man is one of these who have Eyes, and see not, Ears, and hear not. The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are foolishness to the natural Soul; what a notion of Regeneration had Nicodemus? Joh. 3. what notions of Justification, Union with Christ, the indwelling of the Spirit, Faith, &c. have some others discovered? Natural men have rational Souls, as well as others, and by the workings of them understand many Propositions in Religion, which shine in the light of Natural Rea­son; but there are Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, Doctrines that shine only in the light of Scripture; of these they understand little or nothing: Nay, for the more common notions of Religion con­cerning the Immortality of the Soul, the Nature of God, the Doctrines of Faith, Repentance, Good works; when once the heart is changed, the Soul seeth them in quite another light, and hath quite another notion of them than it had before, while it was only under the in­struction of Reason, and the Ministerial instruction of Men. Paul prayeth for the Ephesians, Ephes. 1. 17, 18. That the God of Glory would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him, the Eyes of their understanding being inlightened, &c. It is the Spirit that inlighteneth the understanding, and inableth it to a fuller, and further comprehension of, and insight into the Spiritual Mysteries of the Kingdom of God. When the Disciples came to our Saviour, Matth. 13. 10. and asked him, why he spake to the multitude in Parables, he tells them, v. 11. because it was given to his Disciples to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the multitude it was not given. From hence have proceeded the vain speculations [Page 112] and reasonings of one part of the world, that have pretended to more Learning and Knowledge than others; and the prophane scoffs and mockings of a more silly part of it, at the greatest Mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Some by Wisdom know not God, being under the meer conduct of reason, and tying up themselves to the meer informations of that natural Eye: Some knowing less, have blasphemed God, and the holy things of God, counting their own Ignorance a sufficient excuse for their Blasphemy. None knoweth the things of God aright, but he that is under the Teaching of the Spirit. Take the first Principle of all Religion, viz. That the holy Scriptures are the Word of God; no Soul knoweth this as he ought to know it, but he that is under a further Teaching than that of the Church, or of Reason; much less doth it know the momentous Pro­positions that are contained in those holy Writings. To all know­ledge there is required, 1. A sufficient Revelation. 2. A sufficiency in our faculty to receive and comprehend the Revelation. The holy Scri­ptures are a sufficient Revelation of all Truth. There are no My­steries of the Kingdom of God to be admitted, but what are there revealed. But we want a visive faculty, a sufficiency in our under­standings to apprehend, and to conceive them, till the Lord by the finger of his Spirit toucheth our Ears, and saith, Ephatha, be opened. When Peter made his confession of Christ, for which Christ blessed him, Christ addeth; Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to him.

2, Secondly, The Spirit teacheth by a special Application of the Word to the Conscience. The Word as written is no more directed to one man than to another; it equally concerneth all men. When we Preach we are like Benhadad's Archers, we draw Bows at adventures, and let the Lord's Arrows fly, who is it that directs them betwixt the joints of one harness more than another? that when we reprove sin, and denounce the Judgments of God against it, saith to this or that sinner, Thou art the man; or when we display the grace of the Gos­pel, and open the Promises of God, teacheth one Soul to apply them, while another refuseth the comfort of them: All special Applica­tion of the Word to the Soul, (which indeed is the true Teaching) is from the holy Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that was promised, Joh. 16. 8. to convince the world of Sin, Righteousness and Judg­ment. It is the Spirit which convinceth the Soul of Truth, of Wrath, of Love, indeed of any thing of Spiritual Revelation. It is the Spi­rit that makes the Word stick to the Soul: All the Ministers on Earth cannot make a threatning to stick to the heart of an hard and [Page 113] impenitent sinner, nor a Promise stick to a broken and contrite heart, until the Spirit comes and joyneth with the Ministration of the Word. We sometimes meditate of the Lord's terrours, and com­pose Discourses with the best Art we are able, and in the vanity of our hearts, are, it may be, sometimes saying within our selves, Surely this Sermon will alarum some sinners, open some blind Eyes. Ano­ther time we study the Grace of the Gospel, and with the best Art we can compose Discourses to affect Souls with the sense of the love of God in Jesus Christ, and are ready to think, surely this Discourse will affect some Souls, and bring them to love and admire Jesus Christ, to seek to him for pardon and forgiveness, to receive him as the Saviour of man, as their Saviour. We go about our work, and when we have done, we see cause to return unto the Lord that sent us, mourning, and saying, We have laboured in vain, and spent our strength for nothing, and in vain. The Spirit of the Lord moves not upon the face of our waters; there's not one Soul washed from its filthiness: The Angel comes not and troubles the waters; though our people lye from year to year at the Pool, yet possible not a Soul is cured of its infirmity. The Word is but a dead letter, it is the Spirit that quickeneth whom he pleaseth. The Word, the Mi­nister teacheth us by communicating notions, but the Spirit only teacheth by particular and effectual Application of notions to our Souls advantage.

3. Thirdly, The Spirit teacheth by evident Demonstration. There is a threefold Demonstration of things. 1. The Demonstration of Sense. Thus it is demonstrable, that the Fire burneth, that Snow is white; all know that spiritual things come under no such Demonstration. 2. The Demonstration of Reason; thus a proper effect is a demon­stration of the cause: Some Propositions in Religion are indeed ca­pable of this demonstration. The Creation demonstrateth a Crea­tor, &c. But alas! there are very few things in Religion that fall under the demonstration of Reason; most Propositions of that na­ture depend upon Revelation; and the [...]truth of them is to be judged from thence. That Christ is the eternal Son of God; That he took upon him our Nature; died for Sinners: In short, all the main Pro­positions of Religion, all Propositions immediately concerning our Salvation, all Articles of Faith, are things which fall not under the demonstration of Reason. 3. There is therefore Thirdly, a De­monstration of the Spirit. St. Paul tells us his Preaching was in the Demonstration of the Spirit, that is, attended with the Demonstration [Page 114] of the Spirit; and (let Scoffers say what they will) if this Demonstra­tion of the Spirit attendeth not all our Preaching, we do but beat the Air, and labour in vain. Logicians rightly tell us of two sorts of Arguments: The one they call Topicks; the other Demonstrations: The difference of them lies in the effects they have upon our minds: The former make a thing only probable to us, the other make it cer­tain. If a notion appears only probable to us, we have some doubts and fears, and suspicions about the truth of it. Nothing is demon­strated to us, but that of the truth of which we have no further doubts, against which we can make no Objections. Now nothing but the Spirit of God thus teacheth. The Gifts of Ministers are various; the discourses of some may be meer words, oratorial dis­courses; these of all others have least influence upon any but airy Souls; others more mind their work, and knowing that nothing but the Word of God layeth hold on the Conscience, endeavour to prove what they say by holy Writ; and some in this are more happy than others, as they are more skilled in the Scriptures, and the true sense of them; others are more rational in their discourses, men of great parts, good reason; though the second sort of these best discharge their Office, yet the effect of the best is to make a thing but pro­bable to the Soul. The Soul will find out some distinctions, excu­ses and evasions, until it comes under this Teaching of the Spirit; it is an easie thing to make it probable to the Soul, that it is in a road and high-way to Hell and eternal destruction; that sin is the vilest thing in the world; that there is no way of Salvation but by Jesus Christ: In short, any Gospel Proposition may easily be made pro­bable, either by reason working from connate natural Principles, or (at least to those Souls that own the Scriptures to be the Word of God) from Propositions of holy Writ; but still I say, till the holy Spirit of God comes to teach the Soul, the Soul will not be fully persuaded, indeed not at all persuaded, but have this, and the other thing to say against it. Nothing silenceth the Soul to the revelation of any Spiritual Truth, so as it disputeth it no more (unless it be perhaps in a fit, or under some great temptation) but this Demon­stration of the Spirit.

4. Fourthly, The Spirit teacheth by Recapitulation, or bringing to remembrance. I have my ground for this from that of our Saviour, Joh. 14. 6. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Fa­ther will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. This [Page 115] Teaching by way of bringing to remembrance, is an excellent way of Teaching. It is one reason why Christians profit no more by hear­ing, because they never meditate; they seldom or never call to re­membrance what they have heard. If a Schoolmaster should learn a Child his Grammar Rules once, and never make him bring them again to his remembrance, he would learn but little. An improve­ment in notional knowledge of spiritual things, doth depend upon often calling to remembrance what we have heard. But the Spirits bringing to remembrance is yet a more excellent thing, and there is the same disproportion betwixt our own bringing to remembrance, something we have read of the Word of God, or heard out of it, and the holy Spirit's bringing to remembrance; that there is betwixt Ministerial Instruction, and the Instruction of the Spirit of God at the first. As man's instruction and first teaching reacheth no further than that power of man's Soul, by which he receiveth the bare no­tion of a thing, and that imperfectly too; but the holy Spirit in­structeth the heart, and reins, and teacheth the secret and inward parts of the Soul: So man's bringing to remembrance things which we have heard from God, doth no more than revive the notion of them in our understandings, making the first prints of them more deep, plain, and legible: But the holy Spirit's bringing things to re­membrance, is a bringing them to the remembrance of the whole Soul, renewing those motions of the will and affections which it taught the Soul with reference to those Propositions, which by Mi­nisterial Teaching, or by reading the Word, were first, by the help of our Eyes, and Ears, brought into our Souls, and carried by the holy Spirit of God further into the understanding, the will and af­fections, by which the Soul is anew instructed, convinced, comfort­ed, strengthened, &c. to which our repetitions of, and discourses of what we have read and heard, serve but as means to so noble an end; and without the attaining of that indeed, is of very little significan­cy to our Souls real profit and advantage.

5. Lastly, The Spirit's Teaching, is by strengthening and quickening the Soul to practice. We call upon men not to be hearers of the Word, but doers of it also; but we cannot make them so, we cannot give them an inward Principle of Life, either strengthening, or quickening them to do what we call to them for; and this is the reason why we oft-times labour in vain, and spend our strength for nothing and in vain. Old Adam is too hard for young Melancthon. We see this in the experience of every School-Boy. The best Teaching is by [Page 116] practice. Let a Child learn his Rules never so well, he understands them not till he comes to reduce them to practice; therefore the best Teachers put Children upon practice as soon as they can. Solomon tells us, Pro 1. 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge. The end of all Know­ledge is practice. We therefore desire to know, that we might practice, & he that hath not been taught to practice in the things of God, hath indeed learned nothing. By this time I hope I have shewed you, that admitting the teaching of the Letter, and of the Ministers, there is none left for the teaching of the Spirit; and that there is a vast difference betwixt a meer external Communion with God in his Word, and an internal Communion with him in and by the Word; so as we have no reason either to despise Ordinances, or to rest in that external homage which we pay unto God in the observance of them, and sufficient reason why the Soul of an understanding Chri­stian should not be satisfied with the reading and hearing the words of Christ's mouth, without the kisses of his mouth. For the proof of the Proposition, I shall give you first the instance of holy David; take it as it lieth before you, Ps. 63. 1, 2. 3. O God (saith he) thou art my God, early will I seek thee, in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is; he means no waters of the Sanctuary. The title of that Psalm tells you, that Psalm was composed when David was in the wilderness of Judah, in the time of his persecution by Saul, when he had not the liberty of God's Publick Ordinances. In this condition he thirsteth, he longeth, for what? for thee, saith he. Further yet, v. 2. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary; Be­cause thy loving-kindness is better than life. You see David's de­sires are not terminated in a coming into the Sanctuary, but a seeing the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary, in an understanding the loving-kindness of God revealed in his Sanctuary. And (in the ex­pression of the same passion) Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my Soul after thee O God: My Soul thirst­eth for God, the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? It is manifest by the last words, that the thing which David thirsted after, was a communion with God in the Ordinances of his Worship; but yet not after a meer external communion with him. My Soul panteth after thee O God, for God, the living God. So in Psal. 119. v. 18. Open my Eyes O Lord, that I might discern the wonders of the Law; not my Ears only to hear thy Law; or my Eyes, that I may read the Doctrine of the Law, but that I may discern the won­ders of thy Law. Paul did not think it enough that the Ephesians [Page 117] and Colossians had the Word of God amongst them, and Preach'd to them by Apostles, and men immediately deriving from them; but for the former he prayes, that the Eyes of their understanding might be opened; and for the latter, That the Word of God might dwell in them richly; but what need have we of any Scripture in the case? I appeal to the experience of every good Christian, what Soul is there that knoweth any thing of God, or of the nature and end of Ordinances, that can be satisfied with meer reading of a Chapter, of hearing of a Sermon, without finding his heart at all affected with what he reads or hears, any operation of it at all upon his heart and conscience. Formalists indeed, who think that God is pleased with noises and empty sounds, and with meer bodily labour, which pro­fiteth nothing, may be satisfied with going to Church, and hearing a discourse from a Pulpit, and that too of small or no tendency to do good to a Soul; but it is impossible that a conscientious Chri­stian, that looks upon Ordinances as opportunities, under a Divine appointment, wherein God hath promised to meet the Souls of people and bless them, wherein God hath appointed to come, and to speak unto peoples Souls, should be satisfied with the meer external action or homage, but he must thirst after that blessing which God hath promised to his people, when he meets them in places, or duties, where­in he hath recorded his Name to dwell. But I shall shew you further, how highly reasonable this is upon this Hypothesis, That there is such an inward communion of God with his People in his Institutions.

One reason may be, because a meer outward Communion with God is not distinguishing mercy; and this is known to every Soul who knoweth any thing of God. Pariter adeunt, pariter audiunt, (said Augustine) Hypocrites as well Saints go to Church, hear Sermons, read Chapters. This is a favour God gives to all within the pale of his Church, which is a field hath Tares in it as well as Wheat; a Drag-net, whose swallow hath in it good Fish, as well as bad. Every Hypocrite may yield God the homage of his Eye and Ear, and some thoughts. I shewed you before, that it is of the nature of a Child of God to thirst after distinguishing mercies: This is that which such Souls long after, to have some tokens of good from God, which may speak God's loving-kindness to them. They are awakened to a sense of their lost condition by nature, and to a fense of Eternity; and they know nothing but the Adoption of Sons; nothing but an Union with Christ can do their Souls any good with reference to their greatest wants. Besides, such Souls as they thirst after what [Page 118] is best suited to their Souls greatest wants; so they have learned to value the Love and Favour of God above all earthly things: They know that all within the pale of the Church, are not in the favour of God; many are called, and few are chosen. Strait is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth to eternal life, and few there be that find it. Many shall seek to enter, and shall not enter.

2. Secondly, A meer external Communion with God, is upon the point no Communion with him. It is indeed improperly called a Commu­nion with him. God (saith our Saviour) is a Spirit, and from thence a Christian concludeth, that those who worship him, must worship him in Spirit and Truth. I told you before, That in all Commu­nion, there must be a mutual communication. In our Communion with God, God communicateth something of himself to the Soul, and the Soul must communicate it self in some degrees unto God. Now in our meer external Communion with God, in the hearing of his Word, or reading of it, what doth God communicate to us? no­thing but the revelation of his Will to our exteriour senses, or com­mon sense and understanding, and the last but in an imperfect degree. What doth man communicate of himself to God? he lends him his Eye, to gather up the Letters of a Book to present them to his un­derstanding; he lends him his Ear, to hear sounds, which may car­ry some notions of God to the understanding; he lends him a little bodily presence and labour, to do for a little time what he hath com­manded him to do; but all this while the man communicateth not his heart and soul, his will and affections to God; nor doth God com­municate any thing of his power and goodness unto the Soul. So that if we consider God as a Spirit, and who requireth of us the ho­mage of the Soul and inward man, it is upon the point no fellow­ship and communion with God at all.

3. Thirdly, A meer external fellowship and communion with God in his Word (if it may be so called) wants those two adjuncts, which most allure and inflame the Soul with desires; they are plea­sure, and profit: There is no true pleasure in it, no true profit and advantage to a Soul arising from it. I noted to you before, that one reason of the Soul's thirst after communion with God in his Word, is the pleasure and sweetness which every pious Soul findeth in it. David saith, the Word was sweeter to his tast than the Honey and the Honey-comb; and he saith, That one day in the Lord's Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. But let us a little wistly consider wherein the sweetness of the Word lieth; what maketh the Bible to [Page 109] be sweeter than another Book? or a Sermon to be a more pleasant discourse than any other? The sweetness cannot lie in the gratify­ing of our exteriour senfes, or of our fancy; much reading is a wea­riness to the flesh; so is much hearing, much study: The sweetness of the Word of God, and discourses out of it, lies in the fittedness of the revelations there, and of such discourses, to the distresses, and spi­ritual necessities of the Soul, and the insight the Word gives us into the great things of God, the great Mysteries of the Kingdom of God: Now no pleasure, no delight, no sweetness of this nature ari­seth to, or in any Soul, from a meer external communion with God in it. Hence it is that carnal unregenerate men had rather spend four or five hours at a Play, or a Musick-meeting, or Ball, than one at a Sermon; they find no sweetness, no pleasure at all in the Word. The Preacher indeed may be as one that hath the voice of a pleasant lovely Song, and have some witty sentences; this may please them; or if they be persons that are prophane, and hate all Religion and Godliness, he may use his wit in some jeers and squibs at Religion, and this may tickle their lusts a little; but a discourse out of Scrip­ture tending to the true ends of Preaching, informing the Judgment in the Doctrines of Faith, or persuading the practice of Godliness, are the most unpleasant sounds in the world to such mens Ears. There is no Soul breathing, that takes, or can take any pleasure from, or find any sweetness in reading, or hearing, that experienceth no inward communion with God in the action, or at least that desires none. 2. A second great Attractive and mover of our desires, is profit and ad­vantage; and in this case it must be the profit and advantage of our Souls; for they are actions from which no worldly profit and gain doth arise ordinarily. Now all the profit that can be so much as imagined to arise from the world, as meerly read in our Bibles, or heard opened from the Ministers of the Gospel, or meditated upon, can be nothing but some superficial notional knowledge in the things of God. Knowledge indeed is an excellent thing, and as pleasant to an ingenuous Soul as Light is to the Eye, and such a Soul counts it amongst his gains, and this may, and doth draw out not only true, and good, and pious Souls, to read, and hear Sermons, and study the Scriptures, but it may, and doth entice and allure others. But the pious Soul feeth a profit beyond this he hath read, 1 Tim. 3. 15. That the holy Scriptures are able to make a man wise to salvation, through Faith which is in Jesus Christ. V. 17. To make the man of God perfect, throughly furnished to every good work. He hath heard [Page 120] that good words from thence have made Souls better, when sorrow hath made the heart to stoop; this is the profit, this the advantage which he promiseth unto himself from the Word of God; this makes him thirst after a real, inward, spiritual communion with God in his Word; he knows nothing less than this can answer the ends which his Soul aimeth at. That it is not being in the Sanctuary, but his see­ing the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary, which must effect this. Hence it is, that though a more External communion with God in his word be sweet and desirable to him, yet he cannot take up with it, but he thirsteth after the Teachings of his Spirit, in and by the Word. But I see I must leave much of this discourse to other opportunities.

Sermon VII.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

4. THere is yet another Reason to be assigned, and added to what you have already heard, why an understanding pious Soul cannot be satisfied with a bare external Communion with God in his Word. That is the danger which it apprehends from such a per­formance, when the Soul resteth in it, and takes up with it, Heb. 4. 12. The Apostle telleth us, The word of God is quick and powerful. Whatsoever means are used in order to an end, if it be of a quick and operative Nature, if it reacheth not the end, it certainly doth harm. Pbysick that is quick and operative, if it conduceth not to the healing of the Body, usually impairs it, and doth it harm. The hear­ing and reading of the word are means in order to the Salvation of our Souls, by the working of Faith in us, changing our hearts, and transforming us into its own likeness, if they profit not in order to that end they certainly prejudice the Soul. Isa. 55. 10. As the rain cometh down from Heaven, and the Snow, and returneth not thither but watereth the Earth—So shall my word be that goeth out of my [Page 121] Mouth. The Apostle lets us know, that Ministers in preaching the Gospel, are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are savea, and in them that perish. V. 16. To the one they are the savour of death unto death, and to the other, the savour of life unto life. We read in the Gospel of two effects of the Word Preached by Christ and the Apostles; some believed, others were hardened. This must necessa­rily make a pious thinking Soul, that considereth reading and hear­ing the Word, as they indeed are, not as ends, but as means in order to a more noble end, that it cannot but long after this spiritual in­ward communion with God in these Institutions. There's nothing more to be dreaded than an hardened heart; and without this in­ward Teaching of the Spirit of God in and by the Word, the Soul certainly hardeneth, and groweth worse by and under it. I shall now come to make some Application of this discourse.

Use 1. From it you may learn, That there is a more internal communion with God in his Word, than the most of common hearers are aware of. God's speaking to our Eyes and Ears, our common sense and under­standing is one thing, his speaking to our hearts, to our will and affe­ctions is another thing. It is one thing for a man or woman to give God his bodily presence, his Eyes, and his Ears in an Ordinance; another thing for the Soul to give up his will in it to comply with the will of God in what he shall reveal unto it. I am afraid this is a notion is little either understood, or attended to. Men and wo­men think they have done their work, and fulfilled their duty, if they have but read a little in their Bibles, and come to Church to hear a Sermon, never regarding what inward communion they have had with God either in the one or the other; and look at no fur­ther Communication of God unto them, than to let them know his will; nor at any further communicating themselves unto God, than in lending him the presence of their outward man, and the more out-parts and powers of their Souls. This apprehension of men makes them stand amazed at God's Peoples being so fond of Ser­mons, and running after them. Indeed, were this all that good men and women expected, they might possibly not be so exceedingly thirsty after them, though even a notional knowledge of the will of God, is no contemptible thing; but they have further expectati­ons upon Ordinances than this amounteth to. They said, Isa. 2. 3. Come you, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his waies, and we will walk in his paths. They know that God promised of old, That wheresoever he [Page 221] recorded his name to dwell, there he would meet his people and bless them. And that the same Promise extendeth to the New Testa­ment, and that there the Lord hath promised, where two or three are gathered together in his Name, he will be in the midst amongst them; which Promise being not of his Essential presence, (for so he is never absent from us) but concerning the presence of his grace, it is a promise of blessing, so as they are not satisfied without some token of God's favour and blessing.

2. Br. From this discourse also may be concluded, in what communion with God through the Spirit lieth. Some would have it to lie in meer Enthusiastical raptures, impressions and revelations, and that the way to enjoy it, is to cast off all Forms, all Duties and Ordinances; these are the things they make to be the things that are above, mentioned in Col. 3. 1. Certainly there is a form of sound Doctrine, which the Apostle Paul commendeth the Romans for yielding obedience to, Rom. 6. 17. A form of sound words, which he commandeth Timothy to hold fast, 2 Tim. 1. 13. These are not that form of Godliness in men that deny the power of it, which the Apostle speaks of in that Epistle. There are Duties and Ordinances, to be above which, is to be above the Rule which God hath given us. Our Souls commu­nion with God through the Spirit, is not out of Ordinances, but in and by them. The Teaching of the Letter is not opposed, but subordinated to the Teaching of the Spirit. There is room enough for the Teaching of the holy Spirit, after the Minister hath done what he can to teach us; nor is it to be blasphemed by ill tongued men, because themselves do not understand what it means; they only speak evil of the things they know not. The Power of God upon the heart fastening the words we read and hear, upon our hearts and consciences, as a Nail in a sure place, is a thing only known unto the Souls that have had experience of it.

3. Br. But the great thing I desire you might be instructed in from this discourse, is, The difference betwixt a prophane person, and hypocrites, and the true Children of God, which may be discerned from their affections to the Word of God. The prophane person wholly despiseth and slighteth the Word of God, both the written Word, and the Word Preached; it serveth him for nothing but a subject to exercise his prophane wit upon. The Hypocrite dri­ving another design glorying in shew and appearance; he must have some pretended respect at least to the Word of God; but he rests meerly in reading or in hearing, and regardeth not either how far [Page 123] God in the Word communicates himself to him, nor yet how far he communicates his Soul unto God in the Ordinance. Let an Hypocrite go with a multitude, and hear a Sermon, he hath enough if he can but say, I have been at the Ordinance, whether his Soul hath been at all instructed or affected; whether any Word of God hath come nigh to his heart, laid any hold upon his conscience yea or no; he hath no true thirst after any communion with God in the Ordi­nance; if he hath been but seen in the Lord's Courts, or at most be furnished with matter of discourse to talk of amongst Christians, so as they may take him to be a Disciple, his ends are satisfied. But it is otherwise with a Child of God; he is troubled when he cometh from an Ordinance, if he doth not find he hath had some commu­nion with God in the Ordinance. That God hath either more sealed, and further confirmed some Truth to his Soul, or convinced him of some sin, or comforted him with some Promise; some way or other spoken unto his heart. Methinks the difference betwixt an Hypocrite and a Child of God in this case may be resembled, by the going of a Child with another companion (who is no Child) to a Father's house, where they find themselves splendidly entertained; but the Child seeth not his Father's face; the Child's companion is pleased, and comes home talking, and boasting of his entertainment; but the Child's heart is sad; the end of the Child's Journey was to see his Father's face, and to have his Father's blessing; without this the good chear doth him no good. The formal Hypocrite comes home from Ordinances, pleasing himself that he hath been at Church, that he hath heard a quaint learned discourse, and his tongue may run great descants upon such things as these. The Child of God is sa­tisfied with none of these things; he went to his Father's house, that he might see his Father's face; if he can find no evidence of that, his Soul is discontented and unsatisfied; he cries, I have laboured in vain, I have lost another day of grace, and opportunity of salva­tion; I have been seeking the Lord in vain, and waiting upon him for nothing. And this is the very reason why a pious Soul cannot hear every body, nor take up with all Sermons or discourses; he doth not go to Church to hear the voice of a man, but the Word of God, and goeth with an expectation to meet with a blessing from God; and therefore he will hear where the Word of God is so opened, so applied, as he can expect God's blessing upon it. He cannot expect that God's blessing should go along with any to whom he hath said, Psal. 50. 16, 17. What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that [Page 124] thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest in­struction, and castest my words behind thee? He will not therefore sit under the Ministry of one that is openly prophane and wicked, and of a scandalous life: Nor one that teacheth other Doctrine, than what is according to sound Doctrine and godliness, and the form of sound words delivered in the Word of God; or him that giveth heed to Fables, and endless Genealogies, which minister Questions rather than godly Edifying which is in Faith, 1 Tim. 1. 4. When he goes [...]o an Ordinance, he goeth not to hear the words of men puffed up, but the words of God, and expecteth that God should meet him, and bless him; and therefore governs himself accordingly in hear­ing, so as he may probably meet with a blessing from God, which he cannot expect from one who so dischargeth his work, as he pro­claimeth to all, that God never sent him, though he runs.

In the next place, this will give us another advantage to try our state with reference to God's favour; An earnest desire after an inward spiritual communion with God in any Ordinance or Duty, and the dis­satisfaction of a Soul without it, will very much argue a man or wo­man to be a Christian indeed; whereas a bare going to an Ordinance, a bare fancy or desire to hear, or a meer hearing, will speak a man no more than a nominal titular Christian, and be an evidence, that the Soul resteth in a meer bodily labour and exercise, which profiteth nothing. This is a great point; the being in the Sanctuary, will satisfie an Hypocrite; nothing but the seeing the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary, will satisfie David the man according to God's own heart. But it is hard for us to keep a medium in any thing al­most. As in the heart of a Formalist, there is nothing of this de­sire, nothing of this dissatisfaction; so many times in the heart of a good Christian, there may be too much of this dissatisfaction, and a discontent and dissatisfaction founded in some mistake; let me there­fore a little enlarge upon this so useful a Subject.

1. 1. A satisfaction with a bare reading or hearing the Word, speaks nothing above formality, nothing above what an Hypocrite may ar­rive at. It is said, that Herod heard John Baptist gladly, yet he was not got up to the Hypocrite's Form. There was a people in Ezekiel's time, of whom God complained, Ezek 33. v. 30, 31, 32. that talked against the Prophet, by the walls, and in the doors of their houses, yet spake every one to his Brother, saying, Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And came as the people came, and sate before the Prophet as the Lord's people, and [Page 125] heard his words, but would not do them; with their mouths the [...] shewed much love, but their hearts went after their covetousness. And v. 32. the Prophet was to them as a very lovely Song, of one that had a pleasant voice, and could play well on an Instrument; they heard his words, but they did not do them. And in the time of the Propher Isaiah, there was a generation that sought the Lord daily, and delight­ed to know the Lord's waies, as a Nation that forsook not the Ordi­nances of God—and took delight in approaching to God, Isa. 58. 2. yet the Lord sent his Prophet, to cry aloud against them, not to spare to lift up his voice like a Trumpet, to shew them their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins: And doubtless there is such a generation still, as a generation of prophane persons, that despise the Word and Ordinances of God, and blaspheme God, and his Word; so another generation, that must read, and must go and hear, and may take some delight in it: They may delight in the stile, and phrase, and wit of the Preacher, or in the Learning that is mixed up with the discourse; or in the Notion of the Sermon, and desire to hear, espe­cially (some kind of Preachers) upon these accounts; or to furnish their minds with some notional knowledge of the things of God, that may serve them as to their credit and reputation in the world; or furnish their tongues with discourse in religious company; all this will speak nothing to prove a man a Christian indeed; one whose heart is changed and transformed into the likeness of the Word. All this may be without any desire after the kisses of Christ's mouth, but a desire after the feeling the power of the Word upon our hearts, and a dissatisfaction of spirit, until a man findeth something of this upon his Soul, this will speak a man or woman not to rest in a form of godliness without the power of it; yet even this dissatisfaction may be too much, and this happeneth, when it proceedeth from some mistake and misapprehension of Religious Souls. This princi­pally happeneth in two cases.

1. The Soul's judging it self from its sensible experiences, not from its direct motions toward God and its desires. The motions of our Souls towards God, must be warily distinguished from the sensible returns of God upon our Soul. The first will speak the Soul beloved: The latter speaks it highly favoured, [...] much graced by God. A pious Soul is not to judge it self so much from God's returns to it in this particular, as from God's workings in it, kindling in it those holy desires which move it after what it may be it doth not yet seem meet to the wisdom of God, that it should attain. I have not [Page 126] told you that the Spouse of Christ doth at all times find, that Christ hath kissed it with the kisses of his mouth; but that such a Soul's de­sires will be steady and constant after such a thing, and will not be satisfied with a meer bodily labour, and external performance of a duty.

2. The 2d mistake may be, from the Soul's not considering the variety of those kisses by which our blessed Lord may kiss the Souls of Be­lievers in and by the Word, but keeping its Eye upon some particular influence of grace which it passionately desireth; and not finding that God satisfieth it as to that, it concludeth, it hath had no influence from God at all: As now, supposing a Soul sad and troubled, it is exceedingly desirous of comfort and satisfaction, and saith, Lord, when wilt thou comfort me? In expectation of meeting God in this way, it goeth out to hear the Word, and not meeting with that peace and comfort which it wanted, it is ready to conclude, that it hath met with nothing, and hath had no near, inward, spiritual com­munion with God. As to this, the Soul must rectifie its mistake; the profit of the Word is not limited to one thing; it is (saith the Apostle) profitable for reproof, and correction, and instruction in righte­ousness.

There is a kiss of instruction in righteousness. It may be thou canst not find that God by the Word which thou hast heard, hath spo­ken, or sealed peace to thy Soul, but thou art still full of troubles, and fears, doubts and dejections; well, but if thou findest that God hath more sealed and confirmed some Truth to thee, that he hath made thee to see further into the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, to see some Truths of concernment to thy Soul in a clearer and ful­ler light; do not say that thou hast not met with God in the Ordi­nance. The opening of the Eyes, especially to discern the Mysteries of the Gospel, is one of the kisses of Christ's mouth. If thy love be not (so far as thou canst see) further influenced; yet if thy Faith be promoved, this is a great thing. It may be thou camest to hear, hoping for strength against the temptation; God possibly hath met thee, and hath given thee a further light to discern the temptation, the methods, and depth of Satan's subtilties in it; this is a kiss.

There is an instruction in Duty (as well as Doctrine) which de­serveth this name. Thou comest to the Word, hoping God will speak peace to thee, and take the thorn out of thy flesh that buffeteth thee. It seems not good to God to do this; but thou goest home from hearing, more submitting to the Will of God, more resolved [Page 127] to wait upon God, more convinced that it is thy duty to lie at the foot of God, and to wait his will and good pleasure. This also is a kiss of his mouth.

There is a kiss of Reproof and Correction. When God by his Word reproves and corrects a Soul; when he reproves the Soul, and the Soul is reproved (as is said of Abraham, when the Pagan King reproved him) this is a kiss of his mouth: Reproof and correction are things, for which God hath told us, that his Word is profitable for, and a Soul ought to look upon it self as having had a commu­nion with God in his Word, when a wise reproof hath met with an obedient Ear. In short, if a Soul after hearing, though it hath not the desired mercy, yet findeth it self more prepared to want it, more quieted in the present want of it, more patient under the afflicting hand of God, that the grace of God is more sufficient for it than it was; this is an excellent kiss of Christ's mouth, a certain token that God in the Word communicated himself to the Soul (though it may be) it hath not been just in that way and method, and particu­lar dispensation that the Soul expected.

I shall finish my Discourse upon this Proposition with a Word of Exhortation.

3 Use. If this be the frame of one that is the Spouse of Christ, let us labour to find our hearts in this frame. I remember the words of Absolom; What (saith he) do I at Hierusalem, if I may not see the King's face? Hierusalem is called the City of Solemnities, thither the Tribes went up, the Tribes to the Testimony of Israel. Hierusalem was as pleasant a place as any was at that time in the world, and Absolom being the King's Son, had undoubtedly accommodations, as good as the Ci­ty could afford: But Absolom had displeased his Father, and was sensible he was under his frown; and it was not for the pleasantness of the City, that he desired a liberty to return, but that he might see the reconciled face of his Father; and therefore he saith, What should I do at Hierusalem, if I may not see the King's face? Without that, Hierusalem was to him but as another place; nay in this worse than another place, because it was a place where others enjoyed that which he wanted. Every Courtier, every ordi­nary Servant of David's Family, saw his face; Absolom might not: I do only allude to it. In or near Hierusalem was Mount Zion, cal­led the Mountain of the House of the Lord, because the Temple stood nigh to it. It was prophesied, Isa. 2. 2. That in the last d [...]ies the Mountain of the Lord's House should be established in the top of the [Page 128] Mountains, and should be exalted above the Hills, and all Nations should flow unto it. And many people should go, and say, Come you, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob, and he shall teach us of his waies, and we will walk in his paths. 'Tis not the going up to the Mountain that pleaseth a gracious Soul, unless it finds it self, when there, taught something of God's waies, and inabled to walk in the Lord's paths. I shall prets this Ex­hortation by some Arguments, and offer you something of Advice in this case.

First, For Arguments, what I gave you for Reasons may serve. Thus you shall shew your selves to be Christians indeed. The Wise must see the face of an Husband, though a little Child may be pleased with the Picture. Take an Ordinance, of it self it hath something of the impression of God upon it: God is there as a man in a Picture; but this can never satisfie a truly thirsty Soul after God; he thirsts after God himself; My Soul (saith David) thirsteth for thee. David must see the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary. An Hypocrite may have a fancy to go to Ordinances, to hear Sermons, &c. that's common to persons that shall perish with such as shall be saved: There may be many ends which Hypocrites may have, which that may serve well enough: But herein as to this point stands a good Christian distinguished from all Hypocrites and Formalists in the world as to this particular.

Secondly, Till your hearts be brought to this, Duties will be nothing else but a continual task and a burden to your souls. There will be no great pleasure arising to any Soul from a bare reading or hearing the Word of the Lord. The Formalists among the Jews, that lookt at nothing but the bodily labour, quickly came to prophane the Table of the Lord, and to account the meat there contemptible, and to say, Behold what a weariness is it! Mal. 1. 13. Amos tell us, chap. 8. 5. that they said, When will the New Moon be gone, that we may sell Corn, and the Sabbath that we may set forth VVheat. No­thing will deliver the Soul from the burden of religious duties, I mean, the looking upon them as such, but some Sweetness discerned in them, or some Profit, which it discerneth arising from them, neither of which will be discerned by any Soul, which tasteth nothing of God in them, nor hath any Communion with him by, and through them; but these things I before touched upon, as also the danger of a meer bodily labour in this religious Duty; I shall therefore rather spend the Remainder of my time in directing you what to do, that [Page 129] you may not only hear the words of Christs Mouth, but be kissed with the Kisses of his Mouth.

1. Go out to hear the word of God as the word of God. The Apostle blesseth God on the behalf of his Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 2. 13. That when they received the word of God,—they received it not as the word of men, but (as it was in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe. I am afraid this is one thing which is much wanting in many Preachers, & more hearers; the former do not go out to preach the word, as the word of God: The other do not go out to hear it under that notion, as the word of God. It is a Phrase hath a great deal in it, and is comprehensive of all that previous preparati­on which is our duty with reference to an Institution of God, and that to so great an End as the Salvation of the Soul is. If I remember right, Plutarch doth somwhere complain of the Heathen, that they went to the Temples of the Gods [...], not as men do to a place, to which they set out upon design and due deliberation, considering whither they are going, and what their business was there; but as men who step in by the by into a place: Whereas he saith they should come [...], prepared out of their Houses: What wonder is it if God should not meet them in his Ordinance, who come not out of any fixed design to meet him. Your Friend hardly thanks you for making his House your Inn, step­ping out of your Road to see him, when your main design is at ano­thers Journeys end: But he thanks you that that is the main design of your Journey.

1. That man goeth to hear the word of God as the word of God, that aright fixeth his end before he goeth to hear. Our Saviour seem­eth to reflect upon the want of this in those that went to hear John the Baptist. Matth. 11. 7. VVhat went ye out into the wilderness to see? A Reed shaken with the wi [...]d: But what went ye out for to see? A man cloathed in soft Raiment: Behold they that wear soft Raiment are in Kings houses. But what went ye out for to see? A Prophet: yea, I say unto you, and more than a Prophet. I would have every Man and Woman before he or she goes out to hear the word of God, say to himself, My Soul, whom am I going to hear? A man that shall speak to me smooth things, and deliver himself in words that are proper to express what he saith: But whom am I going to hear? One that hath a pleasant Voice, like one that singeth to, or playeth well upon an Instrument, such a one I may hear in the Schools of Rhetorick and Oratory: But whom do I go out for to hear? One [Page 130] that can discourse rationally upon an Argument; I may hear such a one in the Schools of Aristotle and Plato: Whom then do I go to Church for to hear? A Prophet: One that discourseth of the things of God; yea, and more than a Prophet: I am going to hear God and Christ himself speaking to me him, of whom God hath said, This is my well beloved Son, hear ye him. For though it be a man that speaketh, yet it is a man sent of God, cloathed with the Authority of Jesus Christ, and speaking to me his Words, and in his Name; nor am I to regard any thing I hear, but what agreeth with what he hath spoken, or his holy Prophets and Apostles, who were im­mediately inspired by him. The setting right of a Persons first end, design, and intention, gives a mighty conduct to his Actions. And (as I before said) it is very unreasonable to expect Gods presence, and Blessing with, and upon us, where the Heart is not set right with reference to its Intention and Design. It is true as to the first Grace, God is found of those that seek him not, and of those who do not enquire after him. No Soul would ever be converted, and brought home to God, if God did not meet it in his Word, before it had thus rightly fixed its design and intention in coming to hear the word of God, but what God may do and sometimes doth out of his abounding and preventing Grace, is one thing, what a Soul may expect from God upon the account of any promise is another thing, the Archer may possibly hit the mark, though he hath never by his Eye levelled his Arrow at it, but he cannot promise himself that good hap. No Soul that setteth not his heart aright to seek God in any Ordinance, particularly this of hearing his word, who doth not before he go, set his Face towards Jerusalem, set this as a mark in his Eye, as the thing which he proposeth to himself.

2. Secondly, It doth not only comprehend the end of Intention and Design, but also the manner, and certainly none can pretend to hear the word as the word of God, but he must go to it without any levity, and with all manner of Seriousness, and composure of Spirit. No Reverence, and Submission of Spirit can be imagined too much for the great Majesty of Heaven. We ought not to go to hear the word as if we were going to hear an Oration, much less as if we were going to a Play.

3. Thirdly, We cannot be thought to hear it as the word of God, without some previous lookings up to God for a Blessing upon it. We go for the Teachings of the Spirit. Our Saviour tells us, Luk. 11. 14. He gives his holy Spirit to them that ask him. Christ first begg'd [Page 131] the Spirit for us, John 14. 16. I will pray the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter. That comforting Spirit is the Teaching Spirit, v. 26. The Comforter which the Father shall send in my Name shall teach you all things. As Christ at first prayed to the Father to send the Com­forter, the Spirit that should teach us all things: So he expecteth that we should pray for him for our selves. The holy Spirit is given to those that ask him; this is a piece of our Houshold Preparation.

2. Attend particularly to those Impulses which at some times thou mayest have to hear. A Christian shall sometimes find some particular impulses upon him to hear. I would not be hear. I would not be here mistaken, I know there is a dangerous Opinion imbibed, and promoved by some Enthusiasts, that Christians should never go to perform a Duty, whether praying or hearing, but upon some particular Impulse or Motion. I call this a dangerous Principle, because it is the first step to casting off all Du­ties and Ordinances. But yet let no Christian neglect such special Im­pulses. Impulses to Actions that are contrary to our Duty in the re­vealed Will of God, ought to be rejected, contemned, and abhor­red; they must come from the boilings of corruption in our own hearts, or from the evil Spirit. Impulses to Actions which are not expresly commanded, nor yet forbidden, must be considered, and we ought to obey or not obey them, as Circumstances, pro hic & nunc, at this or that time, may determine it lawful or not law­ful, expedient or not expedient, with Reference to the General rules which God in his word hath given us to guide all our Actions by. Impulses to the Performance of our Duty under due Circumstances ought never to be neglected. It may be well presumed, that God hath something to say to the Soul in particular at such a time, when he gives it a special item and monition to go to hear.

Thirdly, be sure thou goest to hear with an humble Heart, and with as much of a poor, broken, and contrite Spirit as thou canst. There is a Promise, Psal. 25. 9. The humble he will teach, and ano­ther Isa. 57. v. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, and whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones. And Isa. 66. v. 2. To the man will I look even to him that is of a poor, and contrite Spirit, and that trembleth at my word. God sendeth the proud Soul empty away; take heed of going to hear with a proud Heart, self-opinionated as to Knowledge, or self-conceited. God teach­eth the humble, dwelleth with the humble, looketh upon the hum­ble. [Page 132] The Rain that dasheth off, and runneth down the Mountains, resteth in the Valleys; the Instructions, Reproofs, Convictions of the word which fall upon Men of proud and high Conceits and Opi­nions of themselves, rest, and are drunk in by low, and hum­ble Souls. The broken and contrite Heart is like the plowed ground, which is in itself more apt to receive, and drink in the word, than that ground where the surface is not at all broken, but there is be­sides particular Promises made to Broken Hearts. The word you know is compared to Seed in the Parable of the Sower, Matth. 13. and in several other Texts, the Husbandman useth not to sow his Seed in the whole, but in the broken ground.

Fourthly, Be sure you go to hear with unprejudised Hearts, willing and desirous to learn. Prejudice naturally barreth the Ear to Instructi­on: Ahab's prejudice against Micajah stopt his Ears against the word of the Lord to him, and proved his fatal Ruine and Destruction. I should never advise Christians to sit under the Ministry of any per­son they are prejudised against, it much contributeth to a pre­judice against the word of the Lord spoken by them; if therefore in that case I could not remove my Prejudice, I would chuse another Preacher; but I further added, that you should go with Hearts willing and desirous to know the Will of God: It is the chapt, thirsty ground that most drinks in the Rain, and is made most fruitful by it; it is the Soul that hungers, and thirsteth after the word that profiteth by it, and hath a communion with God in it; though the Word be Gods, and he breatheth upon the Soul according to his own good pleasure, yet he breatheth upon, he teacheth no Souls but those Souls that are willing, and desirous to learn and to be instructed. It is true, it is he who first maketh them willing, who first enclineth their Ears to hear; but he first prepareth the Heart, and then causeth his Ear to hear, as to Prayer; so in hearing, he first circumciseth the Ear of a man, and enclineth him to hear his Statutes, and then he teacheth them: He dealeth not with us as with Stocks, and Stones, but as with rational Creatures in a rational way.

5. Attend unto the word which thou goest to hear. No teaching, no good is to be expected from any teaching, where the person only lends an Ear, but suffers his Mind extravagantly to wander here and there. The Schoolmaster hath no Patience for such a Scholar, I am sure God hath no Blessing for such a Soul as in hearing doth not hear, nor encline his Ear to Understanding. The Scholar gets little by his Master or Tutors reading upon an Author, if the Scholar at­tendeth [Page 133] not to the Text of the Author. The Spirits teaching is but a Commentary upon the word, it bringeth to remembrance the things which we have heard from God. The Soul that attends not to the word which he reads, or heareth, can expect nothing of the Spirits teaching; the word is not like to dwell in that Soul, that will not suffer it to come so much as over the Threshold into it, I mean into its memory or notion.

6. Take heed of Vexing the Spirit in its Teachings. It was laid to the charge of the Israelites, Isa. 53. 10. that they vexed his holy Spirit. They vexed the Spirit by an afterwork, rebelling against his word, not being obedient to what they were taught. But men may in hearing vex the Spirit in its Teaching, either by Non-Attendency, suf­fering their hearts to be wandring elsewhere, when God in his word is teaching the Soul; this vexeth any Father, or Master in teach­ing a Child; but of this I spake before. And not only so, but by not giv­ing a special regard to its special Instructions: Scarce any of us but in hearing shall find some notions of truth, some particular passages that God sets more particularly home, and do in a special manner affect the Soul. The not observing them, or quick forgetting of them is a special vexing of the holy Spirit in its Teachings of our Souls.

Work together with the Spirit, in calling to remembrance: what you have heard. Talk of the Law of the Lord when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, when thou sittest by the walls of thy House, when thou goest out, and when thou comest in. The Jews had Phylacteries. Rolls of the Law fastened to their Garments, to keep the Law in their mind perpetually. Our Saviour blamed them for their broad Phylacteries and narrow Practice; but he blamed not the means to keep the Law of God in their minds, only they used them to a wrong and false [...]n [...], & used them not to the end for which they made them.

8. Follow the word with Prayer. Do not only pray for the Spirit before thou hearest, but pray for the abidings of [...] it after thou hast heard, to bring to thy remembrance what thou hast heard from God.

9. Labour to practise what thou hearest. The Master or Tutor is weary of teaching the Scholar, to whom he hath read Lecture after Lecture, but yet he will do nothing; but on the contrary, how chearfully doth an ingenuous Master teach that Scholar, that to his utmost p [...]tteth in practice what he hath read to him, and then cometh to his Tat [...]r begging to be further taught and instructed. The Spirit of God will give over that Soul, that pretends to be ever learning, and yet never comes to any practical Knowledge of the [Page 134] Truth. He that is not a meer hearer, but a doer of the Word al­so, 2. is the man that shall be blessed indeed.

[...]. Sermon VIII.

Canticles 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for his Loves are better than Wine.

I Have done now with the matter of the Spouses (that is the Churches, or the particular believing Souls) prayer in this her first Petition; I have nothing (as to the petition it self) to consider but the form of it. As to the matter we have found, that the thing she would have, is Some Special, distinguishing favour. Some token of God for good to her which might speak him to love her with the Love of a bridegroom to a bride, a Husband to his Wife.

I have shewed you, that she asketh modestly but a kiss, thereby letting us know how precious the least of Christs Special, distinguish­ing love is to the truly believing Soul. Not that the least dispen­sations, and measures of grace, will satisfy the Spiritual hunger and thirst of a pious Soul; it is one thing for a pious Soul to prize, and value the least, another thing to be satisfied, and fully contented with it, she therefore mentions Kisses in the Plural Number, as well to sig­nifie the variety of gracious Influences, as their frequent Ema­nations. I have further taken notice of her particular desire af­ter a communion with God in his word, especially Gospel Do­ctrines, and that not only a more external Communion with, God in reading, hearing and thinking upon it: But the more reall internal Spiritual communion with God in his word which the Soul hath by the teachings of the Spirit, She desires not one­ly to hear the words of his mouth, but to be kissed with the kis­ses of his mouth. I have now nothing to do but to consider the form of her words, and see if from thence we can gain any further Spiri­tual Instruction.

[Page 135] The words are first Vox volentis, the Language of a Soul, that was willing to receive these impressions; if she were not willing, she would not have made them the matter of her request.

Secondly, They are Vox cupientis, not onely the Language of one that was willing but of one inflamed with a desire after the ob­ject willed and proposed. They do not express a bare velleity with an indifferency as to the thing. They sound a great deal more then. He may, if he will, kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

Lastly, They are Vox petentis, the language of one upon her knees, begging it of God, as the great thing which she sought after. And as I observed to you in the opening of the words, she begs re­verently, modestly, humbly, boldly, fervently: The form of her Peti­tion speaketh a well ordered Prayer, a Prayer according to the Rules which God hath given us for putting up our Supplications. Hence results the Proposition.

Prop. That believing Souls are not only very willing, but exceed­ingly desirous of a near, spiritual communion with Christ, and to obtain it will use rightly ordered Prayer.

In the Proposition here are three things predicated of such a Soul as is the Spouse to this glorious Bridegroom.

1. Its willingness that the Lord should have a near and spiritual communion with it.

2. It is not only willing but desirous of it.

3. That in order to it, it will make use of rightly ordered Prayer.

I have already told you in my former Discourses, That Communion (strictly taken) signifies some actions wherein two or more mu­tually impart, or communicate themselves each to other. Now of this you know amongst men there are various degrees. We have some communion with strangers, more with our neighbours, friends and acquaintance; most of all with our nearest Relations; the Father with his Child, the Husband with the Wife; of all other the com­munion betwixt the Husband and Wife, is the nearest. The Hus­band communicates his heart, his love and affection, more to his Wife, than to any other person: So doth the Wife reciprocally to her Husband; so that of all other, the Conjugal Communion is the nearest; such is that mentioned in the Text. God communicates himself to all his creatures in some degree or other; he feedeth the young Ravens when they cry; he maketh his Sun to shine upon the just [Page 136] and upon the unjust: And they in some degree communicate them­selves to him as their Creator: The young Ravens cry; the wicked man houls upon his Bed; the vilest man in distress cryes, Lord help me. This is like the Communion now that we may have with Strangers, yea Enemies. God doth further communicate himself to those within the pale of his Church. To the Church belongs the Oracles of God; God further reveals his mind and will to such as are within the bosom of it: They also do communicate themselves unto God more than the others, that is, they pay him a further homage; they give him a more steady, constant, bodily service; they read, hear, pray, &c. This is like our communion with neighbours and or­dinary friends. But now God doth further communicate himself un­to some persons: He communicates his grace and power to their wills and affections; they are thereby made partakers of the Divine Na­ture, transformed into the Image of God, and they reciprocally ha­ving received this Divine grace, give up their hearts unto God; this is that which I mean by near, conjugal communion, being like the communion which the Husband and Wife have each with other, of all other the fullest and nearest. I say,

1. First, The believing Soul is willing that God should have such a com­munion with it. It is passively willing, not unwilling: Indeed every regenerate Soul is further willing than this comes to; but that I shall shew you by and by under another Head. This alone will distin­guish such a Soul, from the Soul of an Hypocrite. Take an unrege­nerate man, he is not willing to this; he may be willing that God should impart himself to him in outward blessings, which may gra­tifie his sense, and serve him as to his renewing necessities in the world; or that God should impart to him some spiritual gifts; these may serve him as to his profit, or as to his honour, credit and reputation in the world; & he may be willing to communicate and impart something of himself to God (as I have before shewed you) but that God should unite their hearts to fear his Name, (which was the prayer of David) that God should cleanse them from their corruptions, incline their hearts to his Testimonies; this they are not willing to. They are like some woman, that will say of such a person as makes love to her, she likes the man well enough to sit and talk with her; but for an Husband she cannot abide him. Thus the best unregenerate man dealeth with God. Some there are, prophane persons, that cannot endure the Name of God or Christ; hate his Word, and all acts of communion with God, or any thing that relateth to him; but now [Page 137] the formal Hypocrite, he can be content to go and sit and hear a Sermon, and read a Chapter, wherein he hears God speaking to him; yea and to pray sometimes, by which duty he talks with God; but he abhorreth that God should come near to his Soul, to captivate his understanding, to subdue his will, to direct his affections to truly spiritual Objects, he withdraweth his heart and affections from God. I think Augustine somewhere confesseth, that in his unregenerate state, he often prayed to God that he would give him strength a­gainst a particular corruption, when in the mean time he in his heart wished that God would not hear his prayer. The unregene­rate man is not willing that God should have any near communion with him: He is not willing that the Law of God should be wrote upon his heart, nor that the Lord should rule over his inward man.

Secondly, The Regenerate Soul is not only willing, but desirous: The willingness that is in him, is not a bare, lazy velleity, and a passive willingness, but an active willingness; he being made wil­ling, his will commands his affections to move towards that which his will hath chosen; and indeed there is no true willing of any thing without this; for good being the proper Object of the ratio­nal appetite, no sooner hath the understanding discerned it, but the will chuseth it, and naturally moveth by desires towards it.

Thirdly, I observed to you, that the words are in the form of a Prayer. What the Will hath chosen as good and suitable to a man's necessities, and upon that account hath by desires moved towards, it commandeth the assistance of the outward man in the use of any pro­per mean to obtain. Prayer being an Ordinance and appointment of God, as a means in order to the obtaining any good thing which he hath promised; it is but a reasonable motion of a reasonable Soul. I put in the term rightly ordered, because, as I shall shew you fur­ther anon, there is a sufficient ground for it, in this form of words by which the Spouse's Petition is expressed; and it is not every Prayer that is acceptable to God, but such alone as he hath directed, God hath not only directed our duty as to the matter, but also as to the manner of the performance. But this is enough to have spoken, to give you the sense of the Proposition. I shall shew you now the ground or reason of it, whence in this thing there is such a different temper and complexion betwixt the regenerate and the unregenerate Soul. The foundation of this lies in the change of the heart, which is wrought in the Child of God, which supposed these motions of his [Page 138] Soul, will appear to be no more than the regular motions of reason­able Souls so complexionated. The Scripture every where describeth the Child of God as a New Creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. Ephes. 4. 23. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Col. 3. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him. The Child of God is transformed by the re­newing of his mind. Rom. 12. 2. Regenerated and born again. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; born again of Water, and of the Spirit, as our Saviour ex­poundeth it, v. 5. Now this change, this renevation respecteth not the substantial power and faculties of the Soul. The same powers and faculties, the same understanding, will and affections; I mean the same powers which we call so remain, but they are changed as to their quality and aspect unto Objects. The same wheels of the Soul remain, but they are set right, and move more regularly to­wards what are indeed their true and proper Objects. The natural man's understanding is blind, and dark, and weak, and impotent; he calleth good, evil, and evil, good, bitter things sweet, and sweet things bitter; his pallate is vitiated, so as he neither doth, nor can discern things truly and spiritually good. Until his nature be cultivated by moral Discipline, and some ingenious Education, he is like the Beast that perisheth, and judgeth of good and evil meerly by sense. When it is cultivated he judgeth of it by reason, and determines good and evil according to rational Principles, and in that riseth no higher, than to the perfection of an Heathen Philosopher, who knew nothing of any such thing as Union and Communion with God, and either believed nothing of the Immortality of the Soul, and so took not himself concerned to care for that, or at least had a faint belief, and an imperfect notion of it. But the renewed man hath his understanding opened, to discern more excellent things. He easily seeth, That God is the chiefest Good, and thence concludes as ratio­nally, that the happiness of man must needs consist in the enjoy­ment of God, in Union and Communion with him; as the Heathens determined, that the happiness of a man must necessarily lye in the f [...]uition of, and an union with the summum bonum, the greatest good: This being determined by the understanding, by that new light and power of discerning, given it by God: The will, of whose nature [Page 139] it is to follow the Dictates of the Understanding, ordinarily chuseth and embraceth it, by as natural and rational a working as that wretch­ed Soul that knoweth no be tter things than good Meat, and Drink, and Cloaths, and Estates, chooseth them, and embraceth them be­fore other things: Or the more cultivated Soul chooseth Learning, and Knowledge, and moral Habits. Only in rega rd there is a par­ticular Debauchery and Corruption of the Will of man, there is a particular work of God upon the Will, changing and altering that, or else in Spiritual things it would not follow the Dictate of the Un­derstanding, and this may be seen in things benea th this Order. We indeed usually say, the Will is a blind faculty, and follows the dictate of the Understanding; but since the Fall, man is so much mancipated and enslaved to his sensual Appetite, that we see in daily experience it doth not. The drunkard, the unclean persons are daily proofs of it, who know well enough that the prosecution of their Lusts in those things doth not only destroy their contrary moral Habits, but ruine their Lives, Health, Reputation, yet cannot forbear the pursuit of them. But the Will being thus renewed to chuse the best, spiri­tual good, the affections move in a natural Order after it, and the outward man is commanded to all actions pursuant to it. So that I say, this Renovation of the whole Man according to the Image of God is the true cause of the Souls willingness, and earnest desire after these nearest degrees of Communion with God: The understanding being thus fully enlightened, to discern that God is the chiefest good, and that mans greatest happiness must lie in an Union with him, and enjoyment of him.

2. To which I know nothing can be added, but those measures of ex­perience which every renewed Soul hath how good the Lord is. The experi­ence of any good adds much to our Souls value of it, as it confirmeth to us our notion and apprehension of it. Many things appear better to us in contemplation, than in fruition: But there can be nothing in na­ture conceived, more effectual to inflame our affections after any Ob­ject, than when besides the goodness our Understandings have dis­cerned in it, upon which our Wills have made their Election of it, a superadded experience confirmeth our noton of the goodness of it. There is no justified Soul but hath in some measure tasted how good the Lord is, and how good a Fellowship, and Communion with God is, so as it doth but move rationally, in willing and desiring the nearest and most intimate degrees of it.

I added further: That this Soul as a mean to obtain it, will use [Page 140] rightly ordered Prayer. The Reason and ground of this evidently appears, if we consider;

1. That Prayer is the means to obtain it. No man can be so much as presumed truly to will, and to desire any thing which he useth no means to obtain, or as to which he doth not use the proper means to obtain it, if he knows it, the good is here is not sensible, or ratio­nal, to be acquired by natural or moral means, but is truly and high­ly spiritual; the Communication of the Divine Influences to the Soul, and most inward part of man; the means must be somthing of Divine Institution, somthing which God hath appointed as a mean in order to so great and blessed an end. Prayer is one mean of this Nature. He gives his holy Spirit to them that ask him, saith our Saviour. This is a Divine Means, under a Divine Ordination, and Institution, with reference to such an end. This the Believer knoweth, and it is a means within his Power. God hath sent forth the Spirit of Adoption into his Heart, teaching him to cry Abba Fa­ther. The Spirit helpeth his Infirmities with strong cries, and groans which cannot be uttered.

2. He also knoweth, that it is not all Prayer will be effective of this, but Prayer according to the Will of God, effectual fervent Prayer. A man may ask amiss, and not receive. Though therefore an Hypo­crite that takes up with a form of Godliness, and aims at no right end in his acts of Homage, but drives a by Design for himself in all his duties, and seeketh himself more than God, may content himself with such performances as answer the low mark which he levells his Arrows at: Yet the pious Soul that hath a true aim, and design in his Actions, must mind such a performance of them as shall bear a proportion to the true end he aimeth at; but this is enough to have spoken for the Explication and Confirmation of this Proposition; what this rightly ordered Prayer is, (God willing) I shall further open to you in the Application of this Discourse.

Use 1. From hence in the first place we may take some measures of our State with reference unto God. None of these things can truly be said of a wicked man, or formal Hypocrite.

1. It cannot be said that he is truly willing to have such a Com­munion with God and Christ, as I have been opening and describing to you. They would not have God rule over them; they would have a Christ to save them from the Wrath to come; but they would not have Christ to dwell in their Hearts, to subdue their Lusts, no Hypocrite can truly say this. They have no desires after such a [Page 141] Communion with Christ. Their desires are all terminated in them­selves. They say to the Almighty depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. If at any time they pray for any thing of this nature, it is coldly, and lazily, and formally, secretly wishing they might have no Answer to their Prayers. Indeed a true willing­ness, an hearty desire, and fervent Prayer after this spiritual, in­ward, near Communion with God, may I think be trusted to, as a mark of one who is a Christian indeed. It must argue a mighty change in the Heart of man, and such a one as no moral Principles, no change upon the meer cultivation of Nature, can be imagined to effect. Here is clearly a good pursued, which no natural man dis­cerneth, no natural Understanding judgeth, the Eyes of the Under­standing must first be opened. Here must be an alteration of the Will of man, the natural bent and inclination of it must be changed. This change cannot be from our selves, nor from any Creature, but from him alone who giveth to will, and to do.

2d Br. Secondly, You may hence observe, that it is not a meer willing a near Communion with Christ that will evidence a truth of Grace. It must be a willingness declared by Intense desires, and attended with Sutable endeavours. It is easy for men to say they are willing Christ should Reign over them, and do his will in and upon their Souls when they are really unwilling. Yea, there may be a real faint velleity, but attended with a carelesness as to the obtaining what we pretend to will. All Grace, habitual Grace is exprest under the no­tion of willing, God is said to give, To will and to do: To make his people a willing people in the day of his power. There are pro­mises made, to those who are Willing, and obedient. And If a man will, let him come and drink of the water of life freely, and Paul Saith no more than To will is present with me. But these Scriptures must not be understood of a meerly pretended, and professed willingness, nor a faint willingness, issued in a few Short breathed wishes, but of a true and real willingness discovering it self in the intense motions of the Affections, and the intense pursuit of the thing, willed, by the whole man. Such a willingness Speaketh a change in the heart and where it is present with the Soul is accepted.

Use 2. But let us upon this occasion enter into our hearts, and try our Spiritual State upon this issue, viz. Whether we be truly willing and desirous to have this near, inward, conjugal Communion with this glorious Bridegroom. To prove this, the Apostle hath expressed the Union between Christ and the Soul, made by faith in the Justifica­tion [Page 142] of a Soul, by the moral Union which in Marriage is betwixt the Husband and Wife, Eph. 5. from v. 25. to the End. We shall also find that state excellently shadowing out the Communion which should be, and is betwixt every Soul and Christ; I mean every be­lieving Soul.

1. The Husband and Wife are made one flesh. Not essentially, but morally this was a piece of the Law of Marriage upon its first Insti­tution Gen. 2. 24. Sutably to this the Apostle Speaks. 1 Cor. 6. 26. He that is joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit. Believers are by Peter said to be made partakers of the Divine Nature. Where there is this true Communion between Christ and the Soul, there is in his measure the same mind in him tha [...] was in Jesus Christ. He in the general willeth the same things that Christ willeth. The Glory of God, the Sanctification and eternal Salvation of his own Soul, and the Souls of others, he can as to the main say, Fiat voluntas mea; mea quia tua. Let my will be done, mine because thine. If he doth in any thing err, and not will what Christ willeth, it is through igno­rance, passion or infirmity, when he seeth his error, his will altereth; hence in our prayers, in things as to which we are not sure that it is the will of God we should have them, every true Christian, though he may ask for them, prayeth after his Lord's copy, nevertheless not my will but thy will be done. Canst thou say this? That the same Spirit is in thee that was in Christ, that in the general, in the main thou willest nothing but what Christ willeth, that thou art one Spirit with Christ?

Secondly all Conjugal Communion requires forsaking of Father and mother, Gen. 2. 24. A forsaking them to that degree, as to dwell with the Husband, so as to adhere to the Husband, or Wife in case of an opposition, this is also the Law of this Spiritual Marriage Psal. 45. 10. Hearken O Daughter and consider, and encline thine Ear. Forget also thine own people, and thy Fathers House, The Wife that will maintain duly her Conjugal Communion must: 1. Not dwell in her Fathers house if he may not be with her there. 2. She must for­sake the Precepts, Counsels and Advice of her dearest relations, where it is contrary to the will of her Husband. She must 3. Forsake them in what they are Enemies and opposite to her Husband. What are our own people? What is our Fathers House? But the world and men of it, the Counsels and Imaginations, and inclinations of our own hearts? A true Christian that is by Faith united to Christ is not obliged in order to his or her Communion with him, wholly to [Page 143] forsake the world, and cast off Earthly Friends converse or relations, he is onely bound Not to dwell in the world not to make that his whole business, but to have his heart in heaven, to use the world as if he used it not. Not to hearken to the Precepts, Counsels, and Advices of the world contrary to the will of Christ. Not to take the worlds part in opposition to the Law of Christ; thus much the Wives Con­jugal Communion with her Husband, and the Souls Spiritual Conjugal Communion with Christ calls to it for, the preference of Christs will, both to its own natural Will, and to all the Wills of men.

Thirdly. Look as in Marriages, the Communion following that moral Union requires a cleaving of the Married Persons each to other, Gen. 2. 24. So the Communion that followeth this Mystical U­nion requireth this of every Christian, to cleave unto Christ, to his Truths, his Interests and Concerns in the World, his Friends, his Will, all that is his. This cleaving I understand not as restrained to the inward motions of the Affections, as it is said, Sechem's heart clave to Dinah: But I extend it further to all overt Acts, by which this inward Affection may be discovered, in the same sense as we say to our Friends. I will stick to you, or I will stand by you. Christ per­forms his part he sticks, he cleaves to the Believers, in all its Spiritual Combates, and Dangers with, or from, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil: Thus must we cleave to him.

Fourthly, 'Tis a piece of Conjugal Communion. That the Wife does nothing but she will first acquaint her Husband with it, ask his Coun­sel, take his Direction. The Husband also imparts much of his Coun­sel to his Wife: 'Tis a piece of our Communion, true Communion with Christ, to do nothing without taking Counsel of him in his Word, without asking his Directions in Prayer, in every difficulty where we have not a clear direction in the Word of God, to fly to him by Prayer and Supplications.

Are your Souls willing to entertain such a Communion with Christ as this is? Are you desirous of it? Do you pray for it? This speak [...] ­eth well for the Union betwixt Christ and your Souls, nothing less than this will.

Use 3. This Discourse may be further useful to some Souls, that it may be cannot satisfie themselves in that Communion which they have with the Lord Jesus; they would willingly that Christ should im­part more of his Loving-kindness, and of his Power to their Souls, and they are troubled, that they can no more freely, no more fully [Page 144] give up themselves to him; their Hearts are not united enough to love and fear God, and indeed the best Souls are seldom satisfied in the Reception of Grace, or in the Actings of it. Now such Souls as are overmuch troubled in this case, troubled to that degree as for want of degrees to suspect all the truth of Grace in their Souls. This may be some satisfaction to hear, that it speaks a Soul to be the Spouse of Christ to be truly willing, sincerely desirous, much in Prayer for those degrees of nearest Communion with Christ which it stands in need of. In Earthly Marriages three things are required, 1. Consent of Parties. 2. Consent of Parents. 3. Publication of it to the World. The first alone is essential to the Union. The second to make it a perfectly lawful Act. The third only to avoid Scandal and to keep up Civil Order in the World. In the Spiritual Marriage the Consent of Parties makes the Union. Christs Consent to be united to thy Soul, is evidenced in his Word declared by us, who are his Proxies to espouse you to this Husband. If thy Soul also truly consents, if thou truly desirest this Union, and that Communion which fol­loweth and ought to follow it, the Match is made, thou art joined to the Lord, though it may be there be not a Publication of it to thy own Soul, much less to the World.

Use 4. I shall conclude with a Word of Exhortation, To labour for this evidence of Grace. That you may be truly willing to, truly desi­rous of such a Communion with Christ, as I have been describing. You that are yet strangers to it, labour for the beginnings of it. You that find any thing of it, labour to uphold it, and labour for the Perfection of it. To the first, by way of Counsel, I would only speak a few things.

1. Labour to be convinced of your sad condition, till Grace hath brought you into this better State. Christ told the Woman of Sama­ria she had had many Husbands, and he whom she then enjoy­ed was not her Husband. Unregenerate Men have many Paramours; for there is no Soul but cleaveth to somthing, one mans Heart clea­veth to his Pleasures, another to his Profits, but all these are not the reasonable Souls Husbands, the Soul cannot feed upon these things. Let a Woman be married to a Man, and run away from him she may have another Paramour, but he is not her Husband. It is Mans Case; he was in Creation united to God, he is run away from God, and followeth many Lovers, but none of these are the Souls Husbands. O therefore return to your first Husband, what can you imagine God should do for any of your Souls, more than any [Page 145] one of you would do for a Wife, that had run away from you, and clave to another man.

2. Look as the Woman that wanteth her Husband, hath none that so naturally careth for her, none that will be a covering to her Head, or a Light to her Eyes, so neither hath the Soul in its state of disunion with God, any that will care for it, as to its Spiritual and Eternal Concerns. I might add the infinite advantages of this Uni­on and Communion; I remember the Argument used by Hamor and Sechem, to persuade their People into a Willingness to be cir­cumcised, that Sechem might be married into Jacob's Family. Shall not (say they) their Cattle, and Substance, and all that they have be ours, only consent to them? Shall not the Grace, and Glory, and Kingdom of Christ be yours, only consent to him, and be willing to a Communion with him? But it is the Lord that must persuade Ja­phet to come, and to dwell in the Tents of Shem. No man comes to the Son but he whom the Father draweth; and while there is a spiri­tual Union, it is unreasonable to think there should be any Willing­ness in a Soul to any near Communion with Christ. We may use Arguments with Souls estranged from God, to reconcile them to him, and it is our Duty so to do; till God concurreth with the work of his Spirit they will be of no force.

Let me therefore turn to such with whom this mystical Union is made. Nor shall I need use words with any such, to persuade them to a consent or willingness to, or desire of this near Communion with Christ which I have been discoursing; there is no such Soul but must be willing, must be desirous of it: But there is none of them which hath attained, there's no such Soul but hath attained somthing, nor any that hath attained to Perfection, none but may receive from Christ more than it hath received, none but desireth his Heart might be more in subjection to Christ than it is. The way further to at­tain is Prayer, rightly ordered Prayer. It is the Spouse that speak­eth in the Text, she had attained, she was already united to her Spiritual Bridegroom; but yet she finds her Soul in a continuing need of his Influences, and further Tokens for good to be shewed unto her, for these she useth Prayer as an apposite means. Only we may ask and not receive, because we ask amiss. Let us look over the form of the Spouses Petition, and see what we may learn from thence to guide our Souls in our Applications to God.

First, The word in the Hebrew [...] in the future Tense, which is often used for the [...] Mood in the Hebrew, and may indiffe­rently [Page 146] be translated, Let him kiss me, or He shall, or will kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth. Her Prayer was the Prayer of Faith. This is a prime requisite in all our Prayers to God. Math. 21. 22. And all things whatsoever you shall ask in Prayer believing, you shall receive. Jam. 5. 15. The Prayer of Faith saveth the sick. He (saith the Apostle) that cometh unto God must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of those that seek him. Nor is that Ge­neral Faith enough for that Soul that goeth to God, for any par­ticular Mercy, there must be a more particular Faith, both as to Gods Power, and Love, with reference to that good thing, that God is able to do that thing for him: yea and willing also so far as in his infinite Wisdom he shall see it good. When the blind men had come to Christ begging Mercy, Matth. 9. 27, 28. (saith he) Believe you that I'am able to do this? They said, Yea Lord, then he touched their Eyes. Nay the Prayer of Faith signifi­eth more, a trusting and relying on God for the doing of the thing we ask. It is very much to observe how much the holy Scripture layeth upon this with Reference to the hearing and answering our Prayers. Jam. 1 5. If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask of God: But (v. 6.) let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering: According to your Faith (saith Christ) so be it to you. The Unregenerate man cannot ask in Faith, he wants the Habit, his Soul is shut up in Unbelief, and Gods Peo­ple may be too guilty of not asking in Faith, giving too much way to temptations, and hearkening too much to the jealousies and suspici­ons of their own Souls.

Secondly, The Spouses Phrase speaks an holy boldness. He shall kiss me with the Kisses of his Mou [...]h, Indeed this differs but gradually from the other it must be a boldness of Faith, and in this Sense we are to come boldly to the Throne of Grace. Eph. 3. 12. We have boldness and access with confidence, through the Faith of him. Hence Heb. 4. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in a time of need.

Thirdly The abrup [...]ness of the Phrase speaketh Passion, and Ferven­ey. The fervent Prayer of the Righteous availeth much. Jam 5. 16. [...], The working Prayer When the whole Soul is in Prayer set on work, the Understanding discerning the good the Soul prayeth for, discerning God able to give it, and willing also, dis­cerning the Promise by which God hath made himself a Debter to the Creature for it. The Will in willing it, the Affections in intense desires of it. Men may pray, and their Souls be hardly set at work [Page 147] at all, only they so far as it influenceth the Eye to see Words in a Book, or the Understanding to invent Words which the Tongue may utter. This Prayer signifies little, it is the fervent working Prayer that availeth much, when the whole Soul is at work, wrest­ling with God as Jacob did, that it may receive the Blessing.

Fourthly, The form of the Word speaks Reverence: Let him kiss me. O that it might please the Lord to kiss me, (so much the Phrase sounds in our Dialect.) In all our Service of God, he requi­reth Reverence and a godly Fear. He that dareth not to come to God, but doubteth whether he may presume to ask of him, know­eth not the Lords goodness, he that dares to come without Reverence knoweth not the Lords Majesty, and Greatness. As boldness and Confidence without doubting, becomes us with respect to his Good­ness, Love, and Faithfulness, so Fear and Reverence becomes us with reference to the Greatness and Majesty of the Divine Being.

Lastly her Speech speaketh Modesty: She asketh but a Kiss. Mo­desty is not opposite to an holy Boldness in Prayer. She perempto­rily asks somthing which might speak his special peculiar Love: Yet there is a modesty imported in her words, in that she asketh no more than the Kisses of his Mouth. In three things we should shew a Mo­desty in Prayer, if it be rightly ordered.

1. In the asking the good things of this Life, with a due Submission to the Will and Wisdom of God. It speaketh too much boldness with God, to be too importunate for things that are not absolute­ly and infallibly good for us under all circumstances. It is enough for us that God hath promised to withhold from us no good thing. We prefer our own to the Divine Wisdom, in such importuni­ties.

2. In the asking of Spiritual Mercys Modesty ought to be shewed also, in submitting our selves to the VVill of God, as to Dispensations, or Degrees of gracious Manifestations, not absolutely necessary; they may be asked, but they ought to be asked with limitations; if God seeth they be good for us, if he that knoweth our Hearts, seeth that we will use them for his Glory, &c.

3. In not prescribing time to God, as to the granting of those things, which are not in the present time necessary. We ought to believe God wiser than our selves, and to limit our Requests by the Terms of his Promise, to beg the things which God hath promised, upon the Terms which he hath promised.

[Page 148] I have now finished my Discourses as to the Spouses first Petition, Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth: I shall in my next ex­ercise proceed to the Argument by which she backeth this her first Petition, For thy Loves are better than VVine.

Sermon IX.

Canticles 1. 2.
For thy Loves are better than Wine.

I Have done with the Spouses first Petition, Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth: Wherein (as I have shewed) she mani­fested her Desire after near, and special Communion with her be­loved, and some distinguishing token of his favour; I come now to the Argument, by which she backeth this Petition, that is expressed in the words I have now read to you. The Argument is drawn, from the value she had for his Love. The reason of her before men­tioned Desire, was the excellency she apprehended, in the favour of her Lord, which she expresseth in a way of comparison; She saith, It is better than Wine. And she makes this her Estimate of the Love of Christ, an Argument for Gods manifestation of it to her Soul. I shewed yon the Sense of the words before, I have nothing now to do, but to discourse the Propositions arising from the words so opened, the first of which was.

Prop. That Christ hath Loves. There are Loves in Christ. He is not onely lovely, and so the object of our Love, the chiefest of Ten thousand; but he is Loving, and we are the Obiects of his Love. Of old, He rejoiced in the habitable parts of the Earth, and his De­lights were with the Sons of Men, Prov. 8. 31. The Apostle tel­leth us, 1 Jo. 4. 16. That God is Love. It must be understood of God in Christ: For take Man as he is stated upon the Fall, and our God is towards him a consuming Fire. We are in that state as Stubble, dry Stubble, he is a consuming Fire; But the Apostle tells us [Page 149] 2. Cor. 5. 19. That God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself. God in Christ is Love toward poor Creatures. There are Loves in him. Let me a little open the Term. I desire you to take notice of Two things. 1. That it is Spoken in the Abstract; 2. In the plural number, not Love but Loves.

First, Love in the strict, and proper Notion of it, signifieth the Persons or the Creatures Propension and Inclination to some Object, and its Complacency in it. And in this Abstract, and purer Notion of it, it agreeth to the Divine Being, and Christ is the Subject of Love, There is in the eternal Son of God, strong Propensions and Inclinati­ons to do good to the Sons of men. To love, the Philosopher saith, is Velle bonum; to will good to another: There is in Christ a Propension a strong Inclination to will good to the Sons of Men; He hath a Complacency in some of the Sons of Men. Love is a Term that signifies Affections, and all our Affections are but the mo­tions of our Wills towards their Objects. We say, there are no Af­fections in God: That is true; But there is something in the Divine Being, which is proportionable to what in us we call Affecti­ions. In us Affections are extravagant Motions, mutable Passions; there are no such things in God: In us somthing out of our selves draws out our Love. There is no such Passions and Affections in God: But if we consider Love in its pure Nature, as it is the kind motion of the VVill to an Object, so Christ is Love, and he hath Loves; that is, there is in him, pure and admirable Propensions and Incli­nations of his Will to do good to the Children of Men, especially to some particular Souls amongst the Sons of Men. These indeed are not kindled in the Divine Being, from any thing in us, or out of itself, as Flames of Love in the Creature usually are: Yet even in Creatures Love oftentimes is an inaccountable thing, but in God it is always so; he sheweth Mercy because he will shew Mercy, and lo­veth freely. That's the first thing.

But Secondly, The word is plural, not Love but Loves. God is one, and his Love is one, Christs Love is one in himself, but as the River, that went out of Eden to water the Garden of Paradise Gen. 2. 10. was one in its Original, and Source, but from thence it was parted, and became into four Heads. So that O [...]eness of the Divine Propension and Inclination to do good to poor Creatures, being out of the Divine Being it divides itself into many Heads, and as the Sea which is one in itself, yet as it passeth by several Lands and washeth upon various Shoa [...]s. receives several Names, and so admits of a plu­ral [Page 150] number; so the Love of Christ, which in him is but one Good-will to poor Creatures; yet as it sheweth itself, in Serving the ne­cessities of various Souls, or the various necessities of the same Soul, so it becomes Loves, and admits of plurality, there is in Christ par­doning Love, and an healing Love, a strengthening Love. and a com­forting Love; therefore the Spouse saith Thy Loves. There is but One Love in Christ, but it becomes many when it washeth upon va­rious Shoars, and toucheth our diverse wants.

Thirdly, The plural Number speaketh the Dimensions of that Love which is in Christ, or rather the want of D [...]rensions in it. The plural number hath no bounds, the singular is bounded by Unity, but the plural hath no bounds, if you be to express Millions of Millions of Millions, 'tis all still but the plural number. Loves reach­eth infiniteness. When the Spouse saith, Thy Loves, it is as much as thine infinite, unmeasurable Love, Christ hath not only a good Will, a kind Inclination, and Propension to the Sons of Men, but an infinite, unmeasurable, unfathomable Propension and Inclination to do good to the Souls of his Saints. The Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians. Eph. 3. 17, 18. That Christ might dwell in their Hearts by Faith, that they being rooted and grounded in Love, might be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the bredth, and length, and, depth, and beighth, and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge, heighth, and depth, and length, and bredth, are the boundaries of our knowledge but the Love of Christ passeth know­ledge.

Fourthly, Love signifies some Specialties of Affection. A good man hath Love for many Women, but Love's only for the Wife of his Bosom. Loves signifie both a common, and a singular and special Love. Christ hath a Philanthropy, or common Love for all the Sons of Men, but he hath an [...], a special Love and Kindness for some. Joseph caused all his Brethren, to have a Mess set them, but for Benjamin, a double Mess. God gave Esau the Mountains of Edom. There was Love, but Jacob had the Blessing, Esau had his Love, Jacob had his Loves. That the Gospel is preached to every Creature, is from Christs Love, but that any by the Gospel are made New crea­tures this is from his Loves. It is kindness to them that they have the Gospel, but a far greater kindness, a kindness of another nature to the Soul that it is inabled to receive the Gospel, and is turned into the likness of it.

5. Loves may signify the Effects, and indications of Love, and indeed [Page 151] Terms of Affection applyed unto God, do very ordinarily in Scrip­ture signify this, Et affectum, & effectum; Both the Motion of the Di­vine Will within itself, and the effect of it, upon the Creature. So it is true, that Christ hath Loves, his Good-Will to poor Creatures doth not exhaust itself in one or another Emanation, in one or ano­ther Stream, but in various Emanations, in a multitude of Streams, and thus you see there are two things in the Proposition as­serted.

1st. That in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is an infinite, unmeasurable Good-Will to the Childr of Men, [...] such of them as are by Faith united to him.

2dly. That this Good-will of Christ toward them, declareth itself in a great variety of Indications and Effects, Suted to their various neces­sities; It is not a Love that evaporates in Air, as the Love of some impotent persons, whose Love towards us terminates within their own Souls.

These are the two Points I have to prove, and they, are of ex­ceeding easy demonstration, to those who believe the History of the Gospel, or the Matter, and Propositions of the whole Word of God.

Solomon tells us of Christ under the notion of Wisdom (the A­postle calls Christ The VVisdom of God, 1. Cor. 1. 24.) that before ever the Earth was, when there were no Depths nor Fountains a­bounding with VVater, when God prepared the Heavens, and set a compass upon the face of the Deep, when he established the Clouds, Prov. 8. 24. 25. 31. He was Rejoycing in the habitable part of his Earth, and his Delights were with the Sons of Men. The A­postle tells those of the Ephesians who were Saints and faithful, That they were chosen in Christ before the Foundation of the VVorld, that they should be holy, and without blame before him, in Love, predestinated un­to the Adoption of Children, by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his VVill. To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace, wherein [...] hath made us accepted through the Beloved, in whom we have, Redemption through his Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the Riches of his Grace. &c. There is no portion of the Word of God, that part of it especially which we call the Gospel, but affordeth us an abundant proof of this; What meant his being made Surety of a better Covenant for us (as the Apostle to the Hebrews tell us?) His being given for a Covenant for the people, Isa. 42. 6. a Light to the Gentiles, to open the Eyes of the blind to bring out the [Page 152] Prisoners from the Prison, and them that sit in Darkness out of the Pri­son-house? His being the Lamb slain from the beginning of the VVorld, Rev. 13 8. His Speaking by the Mouths of the Prophets (as the Apostle tells us) His growing up as a tender Plant, and as a Root out of a dry ground, having no form, nor comliness, nor beauty to be desired, his being despised, & rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs, his bearing our griefs, and carrying our Sorrows, being Smitten of God, and afflicted, his being wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, when the chastisement of our peace lay upon him? His suffer­ing strips that we might [...]e healed, &c. What signified his incar­nation, his death and [...] his resurrection, and ascension, his tak­ing care for his Gospel to be preach'd to every creature, &c. his be­ing grieved for the hardness of peoples hearts, and troubled for their unbelief, his frequent preaching while he was upon the Earth, his weeping over Hierusalem, his invitations of people to come unto him that they might have life, his complaints that they would not come unto him, &c. I say what do all these things signify from him who needeth not his creature, being over all God blessed for ever, but that he hath loves, an infinite good will to the Children of men? No man is at cost, taketh pains in any business, suffereth hard things to go through it, but either out of kindness to himself or to another. Our Lord did not do, and suffer these things for himself, he had no need of them, if it were for us it speaks his loves.

2. But this is no more than what every one who owneth Christ, and the Gospel will easily grant, That Christ is Love and hath a Love for the Sons of men, yea and that there is an infiniteness, and unmeasurableness in the Love of Christ. But that he hath Loves in the Other sense: Some Specialties of Love, some particular propensi­ons to some Souls more than others; this is what the proud world cannot so easily digest. Yet is this as plain in the Revelation of holy Writ as the other. It speaks of an Election or choice of some to Holiness and Happiness before the foundation of the world; the choice of Some must suppose the passing by or not electing others, ex­perience shews us that not onely the good things of common pro vidence, but even the external means of Grace are granted to some not to others.

3. Neither doth this grate so much. The most perverse opiners in this point must grant the publication of the Gospel, an effect of the Love of Christ, and that there is a very inequal distribution of it by [Page 153] the wise Providence of God, but as to them to whom the Gospel is alike preached, they know not how to allow Loves in Christ; have they then forgot what the Apostle saith, Rom. 9. 6. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel; Neither because they are the seed of A­braham are they all Children: But in Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, They who are the Children of the flesh these are not the Chil­dren of God, but the Children of the Promise counted for the seed. And a­gain. Rom. 2. 28. 29. He is not a Jew which is one outward­ly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circnmcision is that in the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Doth not experience teach us that even where the Gospel is preachd some repent of their sins, some are hardened, some believe, others are lockt up in unbelief, some are holy and blameless, others are leud, and profane. But they will say. This is not from any Loves in Christ, he his alike to all, but from the differing motions and inclinations of the will of man. I yet ask, Whence is it? Seing human Souls are Equal and have the same powers, and faculties, how comes it that one man loveth God, and the ways of God, another hates and abhor­reth every thing almost that hath the image and Superscription of God upon it? Is a man a God to himself and the first cause of any motions that are truly and spiritually good? Is it not God that giveth to will, and to do, of his own good pleasure? Hath a man any thing which is good which he hath not received? If one hath received such a power, such an inclination, such a disposition from God, there is Special Love; then Christ hath Loves besides a common Philanthropy, a good will to the generality of mankind, shewed in other things which will not bring Souls to Eternal Salva­tion, he hath a special Love and kindness to some Souls, which he manifesteth in such dispensations to it, as shall certainly bring the Soul to Eternal Life and Salvation; and these are those of which the text Speaks.

But I have Spoken enough in evidence of so plain a Proposition as this is. I come to the application.

Use 1. 1st. How should this Revelation of Christ reconcile the world unto him. Christ hath Loves for us, why should there be found in our hearts, or ways, any hatred to, or opposition against him? Yet is not the World full of this? What is an opposition to the publication of his Gospel, an hatred to his Ministers, to his People, to his Laws, and holy Institutions, but an hatred to him? [Page 154] Christ hath so judged of it, he told some of the first Minister s of his Gospel, Math. 10. 14, 15. That in the day of Judgment it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha than for those that did not receive them, and hear his words. Wicked men, and Ene­mies to the Gospel are in Scripture called unreasonable men, 2. Thessal. 3. 2. Absurd men. The absurdness, and unreasonable­ness of men that are Enemies to Christ and the Gospel (for of such the Apostle speaketh there, praying to be delivered from those that are un­reasonable upon many accounts, but eminently in this, that they hate, & do all the despight & mischief they can, to him who is full of Loves to them. We shall sometimes find in men and women a strange a­version from such as truly Love them, they cannot get up their hearts, to love a man, or woman, that Loves them, but it is very brutish, very unreasonable for any of us to hate, and malign, and to seek to destroy one that Loves us. Such brutes are all those that are Ene­mies to Christ and his Gospel. Christ hath Loves for us, these Loves are declared in his Gospel, that declareth God in Christ recon­ciling the world to himself not imputing their sins; the publication of the Gospel, is a great act of this Love, the faithful Ministers of the Gospel, are the Messengers to publish this Love; what an unreason­able thing it is now for men to make them the But of their malice? I remember when the Jews cryed out concerning Christ, Crucify him, Crucify him, and Pilate asked them, why? What evil hath he done? They like a company of unreasonable bruits could give him no answer, but still they cryed out the more, Crucify him, Crucify him. Doth not the same brutish cry hold up even at this day in some wretches mouths. They can give no reasonable account why they should oppose the publication of the Love of Christ to poor lost Sinners, yet they do it with a rage reaching up to Heaven. This is now to be unreasonable men. why should you persecute him who lov­eth you. Yet verily as St. Paul said of himself The more he loved the Galathians the less he was beloved of them, So it feareth with Christ, and all that hath relation to him the more faithful the Mini­ster of Christ is in preaching the Gospel, the more diligent, and zealous he is to gain Souls to Christ, the most hated he is, and the reason is because it thus fared with Christ. Joh. 15. 18. If the world hateth you, you know it hated me before it hated you. But Oh let this reconcile your hearts unto Christ. That he hath Loves. No ingenuous man but will repay Love for Love. He who repayeth hatred for Love, is of the Devil eminently, he doth [Page 155] Evil without a provocation, because he Loves to do Evil.

Use 2. Secondly, What an Invitation doth this Notion afford to the most miserable, forlorn Souls, to Kiss the Son, to receive, and close with the Lord Jesus Christ. Whilest our Lord was, upon the Earth, he told the people, That when he was lifted up he should draw all men after him. Alas! that this word [All] in that Text must be englished by Many. Christ is lifted up upon the Cross, and therein he hath shewed us, that he hath Loves, Infinite Loves: For Greater Love than this hath no man shewn, than that a man lay down his Life for his Friends. Yet this is greater Love, while we were Enemies he dyed for us; Yet how few are drawn after him? How few can be persuaded to accept him as their Lord and Saviour? What is the reason one man is drawn after his sensual Appetites, after his Lusts, and those draw quite from Christ? Men cannot be his Disciples, ex­cept they deny themselves, mortify their Members. Others are drawn after the World, and are not at leasure to come to Christ; and besides, the friendship of the World is enmity with God! Others have some thoughts of coming to Christ, but they are afraid Christ should not receive them. I shall have occasion to Speak to the 2 d sort when I come to the next Proposition, to shew you that Christs Loves are better then Wine: Indeed both to the first and Second I might Speak as Saul once to his Courtyers will the Son of Jesse give you Vine-Yards, &c. Can the World, can your Lusts, give you Peace of Conscience and joy in the holy Ghost? Will they bring you to the favour of God, and to eternal Life? But they are onely the 3 d Sort whom I would here Speak to. Is there a Soul here that is almost persuaded to be a Christian? A Christian, not in Name, but in Deed, and is afraid Christ should not be wil­ling to receive it? Hear what God saith 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from amongst them, and be you separate (saith the Lord) and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. Observe what I have bin discoursing, Christ hath Loves, an Inclination and Propen­sion to do good to the Sons of Men; He hath declared it in a va­riety of gracious Acts from before the Foundation of the World. It encouraged the Servants of Benhadad to go to Ahab, to beg their Masters Life, that they had heard that the Kings of Israel were merciful Kings. Let this be an incouragement to you to come to Christ, to hear that Christ is a merciful High Priest, who casteth a­way none that cometh unto him. Certainly it would incourage the greatest malefactor to go to a Prince to beg his pardon, and to th [...]o [...] [Page 156] himself into the arms of his grace and mercy, if he could but be per­suaded, that the Prince were full of Love, and had a particular pro­pension and inclination of kindness to the family from which he de­rived. This you have heard particularly made good to you con­cerning Christ. You that have been the greatest trangressors, the oldest Sinners, yet return and come, I remember, when Isaac told Esau, that Jacob had come before him, and got the blessing, he replyed, Father thou hast many blessings, bless me also. It may be you may be thinking so in your hearts, such, and such persons, they have ob­tained the blessing, they had not been so vile, so prosane as I have been. O but yet remember, the Lord Jesus Christ hath many blessings, not Love, but Loves, come unto him, and he shall bless thee also. When thy thoughts are overwhelm'd in the thoughts of thy sins, sink them again into the thoughts of Christs Loves, thou wilt find that is as great a depth as the other is; Yea thou will find the same diffe­rence as betwixt the Shore, and the main Sea▪ Near the Shore the Ma­riner may find it several fathom water enough to drown a man: But off at Sea, he finds himself out of the soundings, all the lines he hath will find no bottom So a Soul in the thoughts of his sins may find himself beyond his depth, he is drowned in the thoughts of them. Ah but yet there is a Sounding, his Sins are not Infinite; so there is a sounding, but if he lancheth his thoughts into the depths of Gods grace, and Christs Loves, there is no soundings, let therefore no Soul be discouraged from coming unto Christ.

Use 4. Fourthly. Hath Christ Loves? How sutable a Saviour hath God provided for poor sinful creatures. The Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 7. 26. having said of Christ. v. 25. That he is able to the uttermost to Save them that come unto God by him addeth For such an high Priest became us, &c. Give me leave upon this argument to make use of the same words. Christ hath Loves, such a Saviour became the Sons of men, and that upon a three fold account.

1. As love stands opposed to hatred, and wrath, and Enmity. Con­sidering man as Gods Creature, he was not hated of God, God h [...] ­teth not the work of his own hand; but considering him as a lapsed creature as degenerated into the Plant of a strange Vine, after that God had created him a generous, noble plant, so he became the ob­ject of Gods wrath, hatred, and Enmity. We were Children of wrath by nature saith the Apostle, E ph. 2. 3. God is angry with the wicked every day, How Sutable, to us now is it, to have a Savi­our? That is Love, and who hath Loves, considering the aversion [Page 157] in the holy Divine Beeing, from Mankind as rebellious Seed, a Seed of Evil▪doers? Who could have suited us to have become a Savi­our unto us, but one who had akind propension, and inclination to us, inclining him to the great work of mans Redemption, and Recon­ciliation to God, especially also considering, that there could be no re­mission of sins without blood, no reconciliation without the reconci­lers Death, he had need have loves that should dye for his Friend, and he much more who should dye for Enemies that were by his death to be made friends.

2. As Loves signifies multitude, and infinitness of Love. We have all a multitude of sins, and there is a kind of infiniteness in sin; indeed our Acts of Sin are not infinite, we cannot number them, we cannot measure them, but they are to be numbred, that is our com­fort; so that the ballance is on Gods side, he hath infinite Mercies. But there is an infiniteness of a will to sin in every Sinners heart, if a Sin­ner were let alone he hath such a depth of vileness in his heart, that if he were to live infinitely he would sin without limits, without bounds, infinitely; there is an infiniteness in the guilt of Sin, we had need of a Saviour that should have Loves, an infinite of Love, a mul­titude of Mercies for our multitude of Sins, numberless pardons for numberless Sinnings; we Sinned yesterday, we sin this day, and we shall sin to morrow If Christ had not Loves, we could have no hopes.

3. Thirdly such a Saviour became us. As Loves signifyes a Vari­ety of gracious inclinations. We have a variety of wants, Our wants are not all of one nature, we have need of Love to pardon us and to bring us into a state of favour, Love to preserve us, and uphold us when we are in such a state of favour, One or another gracious a­spect, and inclination of Christ, would not have been enough for our Souls, which are not onely miserable, and stand in need of mercy, but poor, and stand in need of the riches of divine grace, and naked, and stand in need of the long White robe of Christs righteousness, and blind, and stand in need of his Eye Salve. We are all Emptiness, and stand in need of his fulness that we might receive of his fulness, Grace for Grace. Less than infinite Loves, and variety of gracious inclinations, a readiness to serve our Souls in a variety of distresses with a sutable Supply of grace, grace suited to every necessity of our Souls could not have fitted our Souls which have not only wants and infirmities, but are incompassed about with wants, and infirmities.

Use 5. Fifthly, Let this report of Christ to your Souls ingage you to indeavour to be made the Objects of these Loves. I have observed to [Page 158] you before, that this text doth not speak of the Love of Christ, with respect to his Father but with respect to us, to the Sons of men; they are the objects of the Loves of Christ here mentioned. How should we all study and indeavour that we may be the Beloved, the ob­jects of these Loves, not of his Love onely, but of his Loves. Arminians keep a great deal of stir with a Philanthropy in Christ, a common Love, which he hath for all the Sons, and daughters of men. Nor is the question betwixt them, and other Divines so much about the thing, as the extent of it. Sober Divines will (many of them) grant in Christ a common Love to all mankind and speak of some things which they take to be the effects, and products of it; but admit it, yet it is certain he hath also an [...], a good pleasure of his will, or Special kindness to some Souls. So he hath Loves; that is, the be­nignity, and kindness of his inclinations is more to Some than to o­thers. Let none of us satisfy our selves to be the Object of Christs Love, unless we be the object of his Loves. I shall press this onely with One Argument. It is this; Nothing but the Loves of Christ can serve our Souls as to their true Spiritual and eternal Con­cernment. There is a great stir made in the world, about a common Love which Christ should have for all the Sons, and daughters of men, and there are many that would make the Death of Christ to be the Effect of this Common Love. And so conclude that he intenti­onally dyed for all and Every man. Others are not of that mind, but yet will allow, all men and women in the world to receive some good from Christ and that not onely considered as God over all blessed for ever, and one with his Father, and so in him we live, move and have our Being; But as Mediator. It is from him they say, that the world yet stands, that the Gospel is preached to the worst of men. I see little in this worth the contending for. I would gladly know what real advantage accrueth to any Soul from being the common object of Divine Love? Admitting that all shal! not be saved for whom Christ dyed (which they must hold who hold that Christ dyed for all and every man, unless they hold universal Salvation) I would fain know what relief any Soul can have from this notion of Christs dying for all which some so much contend for? Supposing that all men shall not be saved, but those onely, whom Christ hath loved with a Special Love? Nothing can possibly revive a Soul troubled as to its Spiritual, and eternal concerns, but some evidence of that. It is said of the young man who came to Christ so hopefully, Mar. 10. 21. kneeling to him, & saying, Master what good thing may I do that I [Page 159] may obtain everlasting Life; that he loved him. With that general Love which he hath for all his Creatures especially such as have any seeds of goodness in them; yet the Text saith he went away Sorrow­ful. Let us labour for the Special Love of Christ: Such tokens of his Love as may distinguish betwixt us and those who shall perish.

Use 6. But (to shut up this Discourse.) This notion calleth upon all of us who would be like Christ to have Loves also. There are two Loves, which are much our duty upon this view of our great Lord and Master, 1. Love to him. 2 Love to our Neighbours, especially those in whom any thing of Christs appears.

1. It calls to us for Loves to Christ. This in point of gratitude; If (Saith our Saviour) you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the Publicanes the same? Our Love to Christ is but a Love to him who hath Loves for us, and indeed this speaketh to all men for Love to him, but more especially, O Love ye the Lord, all you his Saints. It is the opinion of great Divines, that all the world is beholden to Christ as Mediator, that from his Media­tion there issueth some good to the worst of men. But he hath e­minently extended his Love to his Saints, he hath loved them with a singular Love. If there should be Love wanting in their hearts to Christ they should be of all men, and women in the world most inex­cusable, what could he have done for any of the Sons of Men which he hath not done for them? What greater thing could they have asked of him, then he hath prevented them in asking? O Love you the Lord all you they that believe. Do you ask me how you should shew your Love to him? The first motions of Love are in the heart; Love there is seen in delighting in him, breathing after him. It next shews itself by the lips Speaking well of him to others, defending his interest, and concern in the world. If we come to more external acts; That of David, Ps. 16. 2. 3. is true here, O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, to the excellent on whom is all my delight. Our Love to Christ must be seen in our actings in our stations for the honour, glory, and concern of Christ in the world. In our kindness to the poor flock of Christ. Christ calls a want of Love to them a want of Love to himself 25. Math. But that brings me to the Second with a short discourse upon which I shall shut up this discourse.

2. It calls you for Love to men especially to those in whom you see any thing of Christ. The argument for this ariseth from our [Page 160] duty to study a Conformity to Christ, he had a kindness for all, when he was born, good will towards men was proclaimed by the mul­titude of the Heavenly host Luke. 2. 14. There also lyeth an obligation upon usfrom the law of Christ and from this great Ex­ample, to be kindly affectionate toward all, There lyeth also a Pre­cept upon us to do good to all. And again saith the Apostle. Owe nothing to any, but this; That you love one another. Indeed there is not the same degree of affection, nor the same acts of Love due to all (as to that we must be ruled by the Word of God,) but Love is a debt upon us which is due to all men. Therefore wrath, hatred, an­ger, strife, malice, are [...] where reckoned up by the Apostle as the fruits not of the Spirit but of the flesh. In a kind Child of God there should be a general love and kindness to all mankind, though to be expressed in a Scriptural order as to the degrees, and acts of it. So it was in Christ.

2. But secondly it calls to you for a more Special distinguishing Love to all those in whom you see any thing of Christ. Do good to all (saith the Apostle) but especially to the houshold of Faith. The Soul of every Member of Christ should cleave to these, with whom he is united, not onely by a common nature (being the same flesh and blood with him) but by a common faith, by the ligament of Members of the same body, whereof Christ is the head. Give me leave to press this the more upon this argument because I find the Apostle St. John pressing it upon the same Topick, 1. John. 4. 11. If God so loved us we ought also to Love one ano­ther. v. 12.— If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us, v. 16. He tells us that God is love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelling in God. Every good Christian may see much more in the meanest, poorest true Christian to ingage him to Love him or her, than Christ could ever see in the highest Saint to oblige or move Christ to love him or her. When thou wallowedst in thy blood, when thou hadst nothing of the lineament of a Saint in thy Soul not so much as a line of any Spiritual Goodness, he pas­sed by thee, and it was with him a time of Love as to thy Soul; there is not a child of God in the world, but there is somthing of holiness, and righteousness, something of the image and Superscription of Christ to be seen in his Soul, something of the Di­vine nature resplendent in his Soul. It may be there is more in some, less in others, but there is in all some. When thou hast a temptation upon thee to aversate thy brother, or to turn away thy heart, or head, [Page 161] or hand from him. O remember Christ hath loves and and he that dwel­leth in Love dwelleth in him. And that it is he whose heart is full of of Loves for thee who hath commanded thee to Love thy Brother. But I have spoken e nough to this first Proposition.

Sermon X.

Canticles 1. 2.
For thy Loves are better than Wine.

IN my last discourse I shewed you that Christ hath Loves, kind affe­ctions, and inclinations to the Children of men and more especi­ally to the Souls of his Saints, which he is ready to declare and ex­press, yea hath already expressed in acts of kindness, and these not of one but various kinds, suted to the respective necessities of his peo­ple, a salve for every Sore, a Supply for every want. I come now to shew you the quality of his Loves, which in my Text is set down positively, and comparatively. In our translation according to our Idioms or propriety of Speech the positive is to be understood in the comparative particle. A thing cannot be called better than another, unless it hath some positive absolute goodness in it self, but in the Hebrew it is more plainly expressed. That saith, Are good before Wine. (It is their way of expressing comparatives.) It makes no difference in the sense. Good before Wine. And better than wine, are phrases of the same sense. In the Explication of the Text I told you that though Wine strictly signifies the juice of the Grape, yet by a Synechdoche here it signifyeth all created goods what­soever can be sweet or profitable or advantageous to us. The Proposi­tion is plainly this.

Prop. The Loves of Christ are good befo e [or better than] all created comforts, and enjoyments whatever. I have already shewed you what the Loves of Christ signify, viz. His good will, his kind affe­ctions and inclinations to the Souls of men. Of these here the Spou­ses [Page 162] predicates. 1. A goodness. 2. A transcendent and excelling goodness. My work must be to demonstrate both. 1. That they are good. 2. That they are good before wine, before all Sublunary goods, all created comforts of what nature soever. 1. That they are good.

The true nature of all good lyes in the conveniency and Sutable­ness of things which we so call to some wants, and necessities that we have and lye under. Hence the Philosopher describes Good to be the Ob­ject▪ of our desires, what all men desire, for we desire no­thing, but in order to the supply of some want or other that we are sensible, and apprehensive of. A man may indeed desire what is not good, but he must apprehend some goodness in the thing which he desireth. So that to demonstrate the loves of Christ to be good, there needs no more than to prove them convenient, and admirably Suited to some thing which we want to Supply us in that want. That I may restrain my discourse to the Loves of Christ as mediator, I shall only premise, what I hope you all believe: That we have Souls as well as Bodies, the Soul is an essential part of man, and as much excelling and better than the Body, as the body is better than rayment This admitted, whatsoever suiteth the Soules wants must necessarily be good and eminently good. The Souls wants are many, but its principal wants are reducible to five heads. 1. Pardon, Righteousness, Peace, Puri­ty, Hopes, or assurance of Eternal life and Glory.

1. It wanteth pardon of Sin. This is a want which the Soul brought into the world with it, it was by nature dead in trespasses and Sins, conceived in Sin, brought forth in iniquity, a Child of wrath by nature Eph. 2, 3. This want hath grown upon the Soul from the day of its birth. Its Child-hood and youth were alto­gether vanity; who knows the Errours of his life? The righteous falls seven times a day, who can tell how often he offendeth? It is true, not one of many is sensible of this want, but that only in­creaseth their misery. It is certain this is a great want of a Soul, Christ else had never directed us to pray, Forgive us our debts. There is a debt of ten thousand Talents, upon every Soul, that hath not tasted of Christs pardoning grace. That it is not arrested for it proceeds only from Gods patience, who sometimes beareth long with ves­sels of wrath fitted for destruction. The Love of Christ is Suited to this want. It is he that forgiveth Sins and washeth the Soul from the guilt of sin with his blood. He dyed for our sins (saith the Apostle.) [Page 163] He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities saith the Prophet Isaiah. Ch. 53. 5. We have Redemption, and forgiveness of Sins through his blood. This Love of his, is so suited to this want of the Soul, that it can be supplyed no other way. God forgiveth sin and none but he: who but the creditor can discharge the debtor; but it is for Christs sake that God forgiveth us, Eph. 4. 32. Without blood there is no remission; this was tipyfyed (as the A­postle teacheth us) by the Beasts of old slain for Sacrifices of Ex­piation, and Atonement, and without his Blood we could have had no Remission; for it is very vain (as the same Apostle instructs us) for any to think that the blood of Bulls and Lambs and Goats could de away Sin.

2. Secondly, The Soul wants Righteousness. A righteousness where­in it should stand before God as if it had never sinned against him. For the righteous Lord (saith the Psalmist) loveth righteousness, and the Apostle tells us Rom. 3. 15. That God declareth his righteousness for the remission of Sins. Such is the nature, or at least such is the will, of God, that he remits no sins, but upon a first declaration of his righte­ousness. Neither doth God accept any Soul but the righteous Soul: we have no righteousness, our works will not make this Web. God therefore imputeth Righteousness without works. Rom. 4. 6. In the Gospel God hath revealed his righteousness from faithto Faith. Rom. 1. 17. This is the righteousness of Christ. Rom. 8. 3. For what the law could not do because it was weak through our flesh, that God himself hath done, sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemning sin in the flesh, That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Hence Christ is by the Prophet called the Lord our Righteousness, and the Apostle saith he was made of God for us wis­dom, righteousness; And hence the Apostle Prayeth. Philip. 3. 8, 9. That he might win Christ, which he expounds. v. 9. And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. It is called the Righteousness of God because it is that which God accepteth us for; the righteousness of Christ, because it is his perfect Satisfaction to, and obedience to the law; and the righte­ousness of faith because it is by faith, by us received, and applyed, and made ours. But in Christ and from Christ the Soul must find, and have that righteousness in which alone it can stand before God.

3. A third great want of the Soul is Peace. Peace with God. [Page 164] Peace with itself. Rom. 8. 7. The Carnalmind is Enmity to God. Take a man in his natural state, he is an Enemy to God, and God is an Enemy to him. He hath no peace with God, and if he hath any quiet in his own mind, it is but a Truce not a Peace, the pro­duct of Gods silence, not the product of his favour. Now in Christ and in him alone the Soul hath peace. In the world (saith our Saviour to his disciples) you shall have trouble, but in me you shall have pcace. My peace, saith he, I give unto you, I leave with you; It is he that hath reconciled the whole num­ber of the elect to God by his death, and it is he who doth by his Spirit, and the word of reconciliation committed to his Ministers act­ually reconcile Souls unto himself. He is therefore called our Peace, we have Peace with God through him, Rom. 5. 1. And therefore the Apostle in all his Salutations prefixed to his Epistles prayeth, Mercy and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Je­sus Christ.

4. A fourth great want of the Soul is Purity. No unclean thing shall enter into the new Jerusalem, Take the Soul of a Christian Naturally, it is an impure, filthy Soul; what can be clean that is born of a Wo­man? Or how can that which is clean come from that which is unclean? The connate proneness of our hearts to whatsoever is evil, and the natural aversion of our hearts to any thing that is good is a sufficient proof of this. The promise of the clean heart, and of the new heart in Ezek. 36. (as you know) are both from God. and Heb. 9. 14. the Apostle tells, us That the blood of Christ purgeth our Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God: Hence the Apostle. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Telleth us, that Christ is made unto us Wisdom, Sanctificati­on, and Redemption.

5. The 5th great Want of the Soul which I mentioned was, Hopes or Assurance, of an happy Existence to all eternity: This Want now accrueth from the Soul's Immortality. The Consideration that God hath created us under an Ordination to an Eternal Existence and State. Admitting this (which indeed is the main thing that distinguisheth a reasonab'e Soul from the Soul of a brute Creature) it is impossible that the Soul should be under any degree of Happiness, that hath not some Hopes or Assurance of Glory, That its Soul shall go to God when it leaveth the Body. And that the Body shall rise again in a joyful Re­surrection, in which it shall be again united to the Soul, that both may live with God for ever. Now this is a Good which floweth unto the Soul, from the Loves of Christ: This needs no further [Page 165] proof than: 1. That no Soul is born to this glorious, and incor­ruptible Inheritance, for we are by nature Children of Wrath, and eternal life is the Gift of God, (as the Apostle tells us) Rom. 6. The Gift of God is eternal Life, and it is a gift which cometh from God to us by the Hands of Christ. John 17. 2. As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him: And John 10. 28. Speaking of his sheep (saith he) I give unto them eternal Life, and they shall never perish. Now as their having a certain right to, and their fu­ture possession of eternal Life, is necessary for them in another Life, when this transitory Life shall be determined; so the hopes, or full assu­rance of it is necessary for them, to make them in any measures happy while they live here. And this is in, and from, Christ also and therefore he is called our Hope, 1 Tim. 1. 1. And the the Apostle, Col. 1. 27. saith, Christ in us is the Hopes of Glory: That is, all the Hopes we have of Glory are from Christ. This is abundantly enough to e­vince that positive goodness that is in the Loves of Christ, their high and sutable conveniencies to the necessities and wants of our Souls. I shall in the next place shew you the transcendent Goodness and ex­cellency that is in them, that they are, as the Text saith, Better then Wine, or as it is expressed in the Hebrew Idiome, good before Wine. Wine, as I have before shewed you, literally Signifies the Juice of the Grape. Figuratively whatsoever is good, sweet and excel­lent in the World. Now take it in one or both Senses, The Demonstration is very easy. I shall make it in 3 particulars.

1. First all the Goodness that is in Wine, (taken either litterally for the Juice of the Grape, or Figuratively for all created comforts) lies in a Sutableness of them, (and that but for a time neither) to the more external wants of a Creature. Three things must be yielded con­cerning all created Goods. 1. None of them reach the wants of the Soul, which is the best and noblest part of man. What do Pleasures, Riches, Honours, whatsoever this world affordeth, signify as to the Souls wants? It wants Pardon of sins; Will any of these procure or purchase it? It wants a Righteousness wherein to stand before God; Will these procure it? It wants Peace of Conscience, Will those give it? It wants Pu­rity, Will they cleanse it? It naturally wants a Right and title to Glory, and the Hopes or Assurance of it; Can any of these help the Soul to it? They indeed sute the more external wants of Man. The wanton Sense wants grateful Objects, They will Supply it; The body wants Food, and Rayment, they will Supply it; But [Page 166] for the more inward Spiritual Wants of the Soul, they have no Suta­bleness to them, no conveniency. But (as I have shewed you) the Loves of Christ have, nay, they are not onely suted to the Souls greatest wants but to the Bodies also, at least so far as the Soul hath influence on the Body, upon the Happiness of which it undoubted­ly hath; for a good Conscience is a continual feast: The Content­ment which Grace filleth the Soul with, the Mortification, and Sub­duing of the Passions, and stubborn Will of Man, have a great Re­flection upon the Health and chearfulness of the Body. So that here is a double Argument to prove the Loves of Christ better than Wine. 1. From their Sutableness to the necessities and wants of the Soul, which are the wants of the noblest part of man. 2. From their sutableness to the wants both of Soul and body, by reason of the Reflection which the Souls good hath upon the outward Man, even in this Life, to say nothing of the joyful Resurrection of the Body, and the Happiness both of Body, and Soul, reunited in the Enjoyment of God for ever. 2. All created Comforts last but for a Season, and that a little Season. They only sute the wants of our Bodies in this Life. Riches profit not in the day of Wrath: Honours lie down with our Bodies in the dust, Pleasures cease, when our senses which they gratified are gone: Nay very often the Sutableness or gratefulness of these created Goods extinguisheth before the determination of our natural Lives. When Barzillai was Fourescore years old his Eye took no pleasure in seeing, nor his Ear in hearing. There are daies in this Life, Eccles. 12. 7. in which a man shall say he hath no pleasure in them? What do Riches, Honours, Friends, Pleasures, signify in a day of Sickness? 3. No created good suteth all our wants, one suteth one want, another fills up another Emptiness, none suteth all: But the Love of Christ as it suteth our Soul wants, So it is Suted to all times, and is certain, and a Supply to all wants of Souls. This is my first Argument to prove his Loves better then Wine.

2. Secondly there is no need or want, which Wine, or created goods supplieth but the Love of Christ will supply, and much more eminently, and abundantly: Let me open this in a few particulars.

1. Wine in regard of the Subtile, Spirituous nature of it, hath a great vertue to exhilarate the Spirits and to raise up the Affection of Joy. Hence you read of those who shout by reason of Wine. Psal. 78. 65. And the Psalmist saith, VVine makes glad the heart of Man. Psal. 104. 15. and Ecc. 10. 19. Wine maketh merry. But do not the Loves of Christ do this much more? Eph. 5. 19. And be you not [Page 167] drunk with Wine, wherein is Excess, but be you filled with the Spirit, speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, making Melody in your heart to the Lord. David, Psal. 4. cries out, Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me, for thou thereby shalt make my heart more glad then theirs, when their Corn, and Wine, and Oil in­creaseth. Those who are critical in words in the Latine Tongue di­stinguish between Voluptas and Gaudium. Pleasure they make to be nothing but the Sensual Appetites Satisfaction, 'tis common to Beasts as well as Man. Gaudium or Joy they make to be the procede of the satisfaction of the rational Appetite; the first is meerly sensual, and beastly, the latter alone becometh a Man who is a reasonable Creature. I am sure that Mirth which is in the Soul of man, that Exhilaration of his Spirits, which ariseth from the sense and appre­hension of the Love of Christ unto the soul, is a Satisfaction to the Ra­tional, Spiritual Appetite; so the nature of it must be more Spiritual, more Suted to the reasonable creature, then any Wine, or indeed any created comforts can be.

2. Wine is of excellent use to allay our thirst, and in Physick and Chirugery under deliquiums, &c. This is a great execellency that is in it. Prov. 31. 6. Give wine to those of heavy hearts. In Chi­rurgery it is of use to wash and cleanse wounds, &c. Hence you read in the Gospel, of the good Samaritane that he put Wine and Oil into the wounds of the man that was fallen amongst thieves. But in this respect are not the loves of Christ good before Wine? Wine onely satisfieth the cravings of nature, the drought of the body for want of moisture. If a Soul hungers and thirsteth after righteous­ness, Wine will not allay that thirst, the Loves of Christ will; and sure­ly the thirstings of a Soul are far greater wants than the want of li­quor for the body. Wine may be of some use in Deliquiums and failures of the Vital, and Animal Spirits. But if the Soul fainteth for Gods Salvation, Wine is of no use, the Loves of Christ are. Wine may wash and purify the wounds of the body and keep them from putrefaction, but the Loves of Christ alone can puri­fy the wounds of a Soul and resist putrefaction there. He was annointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hear­ted, to appoint to them that mourn in Sion, Beauty for Ashes, and the Oil of gladness for the Spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61. 1, 2, 3.

3. Wine will make a man forget his affliction. Prov. 31. 6, 7. Give wine to him who is of a heavy heart, let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more; but now wine doth this by [Page 168] bringing a man unto a kind of stupefaction or temporary deliration, and the Affliction, must be meerly external, and not in extremity. Wine makes a Man forget his affliction onely by putting him besides himself. The Loves of Christ have a proportionable effect upon the Soul, but of a far more high and excellent nature. Let a Soul be bowed down to Hell and not know what to do, Let but the Loves of Christ shine upon it in the sealing of any promise, it forgets all its poverty, and misery. The Soul will rejoyce in Sufferings, glory in tri­bulation, &c. the Martyr cries out that the fire is but as a Bed of Ro­ses. So that you see there is never a good quality in Wine but some­thing proportionable to it, (only infinitely excelling) is to be found in Christs loves.

My last demonstration of the truth of this Proposition is this. Wine though it hath many excellent qualities, yet hath it also some ill qualities; The Loves of Christ are not such. There is an excess in Wine saith the Apostle, Eph. 5. 18, 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess. It is a mocker (saith Solomon) it will intoxicate, breed many diseases, many a one perisheth by drinking too much Wine. But no Soul ever perished from the excess of Christs love to it, no Soul ever contracted any distemper from it, he you filled with the Spirit, saith the Apostle in the same Text, where he tells us there is an excess in Wine.

Much of what I have said concerning the excellency of the love of Christ above Wine, taken in a literal sense, is as true concerning it, in its figurative sense, as it may be supposed and interpreted to sig­nify and created comforts, they only are suited to our External wants only, they are but temporary and uncertain, they also have some ill qualities attending them. I shall therefore add no more Doctrinally.

Use 1. By way of application. We may in the first place observe in o what a degree of debauchery the generality of the Sons and Daughters are fallen. Nothing more becomes a Man or Woman considered as a reasonable Creature, than to discern aright betwixt things that differ, and to judge aright concerning them, and accordingly to make our Election, and to guide our practice. But supposing what you have heard to be truth, where is the man of many, that right­ly discerneth, rightly judgeth, or aright guideth himself in practice? where is the man that judgeth the loves of Christ better than Wine.

How many are there that judge Wine better then the loves of Christ. Wine, not in the figurative sense, as it signifies all outward, created comforts, but in the literal sense, as it signifieth nothing but the juice [Page 169] of the Grape, fermented and a little refined from its dregs, doth not every one thus judge, that useth Wine immoderately? that sits bibbing at a Tavern until the Wine inflameth him, Christ by his Apostle Paul hath said, Eph. 5. 18, 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess. How many are there, that tarry long at the Wine, that go to seek mixt Wine, that look upon wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright, till at last it biteth like a Serpent, and stingeth like an Adder, till it causeth woe, and sorrow, and con­tentions, and wounds, and redness of the Eyes (as Solomon Speaketh, Prov. 23, 29, 30, 31.) and yet have no sense of the Loves of Christ, no thoughts of it, make no enquiries after it, take no course for the obtaining it. Do not those poor wretches Love wine better than the Love of Christ, that will not abate life a cup of wine to gain it? Those that for an intemperate cup of wine, will be disobedient to the rule which Christ hath given them. My Soul in this con­templation, even akes to think what will become of drunkards, by whom I mean not those only who reel in the streets and are intoxi­cated with Wine, but those who take a greater pleasure in drinking than in praying or hearing the word of God or obeying his will.

2. But if we extend the notion of wine further, to signify all sensual Satisfactions, all created comforts, Lord how many are there in the world that in this betray their folly, and discover the corruption, and debauchery of humane nature. How few are there in the world that do not prefer some creature or other before the loves of Christ; indeed as the Poet-saith— Trahit sua quemque voluptas; E­very one is not alike taken with every sensual object, the Apostle tells us we have [...], every one hath his proper lust and corrup­tion by which he is drawn, away, the lusts of the flesh, are one mans proper lust, the lust of the Eye is anothers proper lust, the pride of life is anothers. Separate from mankind, drunkards, lascivious persons, vain persons, persons that are covetous, and too greedy of the worlds riches, ambitious men, whose God is honour and applause, credit and repu­tation in the World, how few will you leave? But I hear some say this is an hard censure upon mankind, men indeed are flesh, and blood, man hath natural Senses and naturally seeks the gratification, and Satisfaction of them, but we hope we do not prefer the satisfaction of them before the Loves of Christ shewed in the pardon of sin, peace of conscience, purity of heart, the hopes of glory. This were a very sad thing, and it is a very hard judgment to pass upon any Soul; we must [Page 170] plead not guilty to this Indictment. Say you so? my next question is how will ye be tryed? will you be tryed by the ordinary rules of tryals of your preference in other cases: answer me then, or call your souls to answer themselves in some few questions: What do you most delight to hear of? what do you please your selves most in? what do you imploy your selves most in the pursuit of? what do you most postpone, and put behind in the motions of your lives? which do you most neglect for the other? &c.

1. What do you most delight to hear of? The loves of Christ are not the objects of any sense but the Ear, but they may be heard of. Ser­mons should be principally such discourses; discourses of Christs love; we preach Christ Crucified, canst thou be patient to hear discourses of the loves of Women, discourses of worldly businesses of vanity, ma­ny hours, and canst thou not with the like patience and delight sit out a Sermon of one hour? art thou never saying, when will this vain, idle, discourse be done, this discourse that tends nothing to the good of my Soul, and yet often saying when will this Sermon be done? Judge then whether thy Soul judgeth the loves of Christ bet­ter than Wine? There are those that can rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, and continue till night, till Wine inflame them, and canst not thou rise up early to hear of the love of Christ, and sit an hour or two, till the report of his love inflameth thy Soul. Hadst thou rather hear a wanton idle story, than a Gospel sto­ry? how dost thou then prefer the loves of Christ before Wine; thou manifestly givest the preference to a sensual satisfaction.

2. What do you most please your thoughts in the contemplation & me­ditation of? My meditation of him (saith David) shall be sweet. Our thoughts must feed themselves with some objects; we are so in­compassed with the straits and necessities of this life, with the vari­ous diversions, and temptations, that I think it unreasonable to put the tryal there. Whether have the loves of Christ, or worldly objects most of your thoughts, none would acquit themselves upon such an in­quiry. But which are your Souls most pleasant Bread, which are your sweetest meditations? this will try a Soul; undoubtedly such objects as a Soul most preferreth, it will be most pleased in the contemplation of. But is this the case of the most of men? can they say, that though they have more thoughts upon the World, and sensible objects in it, yet the meditations upon the World, and the other are rather thoughts of necessity, than of delight and pleasure?

Thirdly, What do you most imploy your selves in the pursuit of? Is [Page 171] it sensible satisfactions, or Christs love, I do not here mean by [most] a frequency of action, or length of time, but a warmth, and fervency, and intension of affection, and a Christians circumstances, and stati­on in the world may be such as will inforce him to spend more of his time, and more of his action about worldly than about spiritual things, but which doth the Soul press most hard after? which pursuit hath most of the strength and vigour of the inward man? That doubtless hath the preference in the mans judgment: it is an ill sign to see a man work hard, and pray coldly, lazily, perfunctorily, when men spend their strength for that which is not bread, when a man so toileth in his pleasures, when he presseth so hard after the World, that his whole heart may be discerned and read in those pursuits, and but half his heart can be discerned in his pursuits after the loves of Christ, he comes late to an Ordinance of God, he sleeps, when he is there, he doth the work of his God negligently. My Soul (saith David pres­seth hard after thee; it is an excellent sign, when tho the motions of the Soul be after the World, yet the pressings hard of the Soul are after Christ, and his loves.

4. In the motions of your lives, what do you most postpone and put be­hind? that which is most postponed, is least preferred, Let my Tongue (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 137. 6.) cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Hierusalem before my chief Joy. We have an English saying, That meat and drink may be had, but work may stay: it intimates our preference of meat and drink before labour, the end of which is chief­ly to procure meat and drink. Do you say I must pray, I and my House must seek the Lord, I must hear that my Soul live, my labour in my calling, that may stay? It is a very ill sign, that the Soul pre­fers earthly things before heavenly things, when he postpones the means to obtain things heavenly, to the means for obtaining things that are earthly, when every trifling business, will turn him off from prayer, reading, hearing the Word. It is true, there is a time for all things. But when the Worlds time is admitted to jostle out Gods time, and Gods time is not reserved to him, and the worlds time ne­ver yields to Gods time, it is a very ill sign that Christs loves have not the preference in the Soul.

Lastly. Which do you most neglect for the other? Our Saviour tel­leth us, Mat. 6. 24. No man can serve two Masters, for either he will love the one, and hate the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other, the neglect of one thing to give place, or room to another, sufficiently argueth the preference of that for which we [Page 172] make room, before that, by the neglect of which we make room for it. Do you neglect the world and the things of the world, to give room for the loves of Christ, and the means to obtain them, or do you neglect the loves of Christ, and the means he hath appointed for the gaining of them for the world, and the means you are to use for the gaining of it? But I have I fear said enough not only to con­vince you that the most men and women in the world are guilty of a false judgment, either judging Wine in the literal sense, or at least in the figurative sense, better than Christs love, but also to convince Gods own People that they do not sufficiently live up to, and practice what they profess to Believe. I might add another thing.

6. Whosoever purchaseth Wine or a satisfaction from any creature by a disobedience to the commands of Christ, doth most certainly judge, that Wine, that creature, better then Christs loves. The demonstration of this depends upon this, That no man or woman can truly say they love Christ, or groundedly expect that Christ should love them, that doth not keep his Commandments, or that wilfully, ordinarily, and presumptuously breaketh them, tho there none lives who doth not, sin against God.

Use 2. I shall shut up this discourse with a word of exhortation, which must be to a preference of the loves of Christ before Wine. I shall press this exhortation upon you by some arguments.

My first argument shall be drawn from the reasonableness of this; That a reasonable Soul should judge of things not according to any ap­pearances from false representations, but as they are. I have spoken e­nough to persuade any person, that believeth that he is not a meer lump of flesh, but hath a reasonable Soul, and that he is not a crea­ture of this life meerly, but ordained to an Eternal Existence, and that the Soul of every man by nature, and his state is such as the holy Scriptures speak it to be, that the loves of Christ are more suited to his necessities, & his true, & real wants, than it is possible that any created comforts should be; now admitting this, what more doth become area­sonable creature than to judge them so▪ All other judgment is but fal­lacy, and deceit, and of all deceit, and fallacy, there's nothing so un­worthy of a man as to cheat and deceive himself. Thus every Soul doth that judgeth any thing better than the Loves of Christ. Further yet there is nothing more unworthy of a man then to outlaw him­self, and suffer his passion to domineer over his reason; the course of mans Soul according to reason is for his will to follow the dictate of his understanding, for him to pursue the things, which he judgeth [Page 173] most excellent; and though in other things indeed man doth not so' he seeth that which is better and doth that which he confesseth and judgeth worst, yet all this is passion, and so far as a man walketh or acteth thus, he acteth not reasonably, but this is but the first argu­ment, and considereth them meerly as men.

2. The second shall concern you as Creatures. What an indignity do you put upon the Creator to prefer the Creature before him: Wine is but a Creature, Riches, Honours, the World and all that is therein it is all but a Creature. Christ is God over all blessed for ever. It is a mighty degradation of God in our hearts to prefer any thing to his loves. How can any man think that God should look upon that Soul that dethroneth him, and preferreth some of his creatures, yea of the meanest of his Creatures in his affections before him, how righteously shall God leave that Soul to the creature as its portion, that chuseth it, and chuseth it in preference to his loves.

Thirdly, Consider what an ill requital this is of Christs love to you? This argument now concerneth you as you are Christians, and be­lieve that Christ in the fulness of time left his Fathers Throne, and took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the nature of Man. Christ in his love, his redeeming love to you hath manifested a dou­ble preference. 1. A preference of your good to his own glory and manifestative favour from God his Father. Christ indeed in his estate of humiliation, was the beloved Son of his Father, his Father in that time proclaimed him his only begotten Son in whom he was well pleased. But he had not those manifestations of that love as before he was incarnate. He was made a curse for us that the blessing of A­braham might come down upon us, he cryed out upon the Cross, my God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? 2. A preference of you to Angels. He took not upon him the nature of Angels, but your na­ture, now how ill do you requite this love of your Saviour in prefer­ring a creature to it; how can we believe the Gospel, and all that it telleth us of the dying loves of Christ, and do this? Oh therefore let not this be the condemnation of any poor Soul that heareth me this day, let none of us incur the guilt of this Idolatry. God aggravateth the Peoples sin of Idolatry from this, that they said to a stack and to a stone thou art our Father; the more base and low and unworthy the object is that is preferred before another, the greater is the pro­vocation of the preference. Let us then so live, so walk as by our con­versation to evidence to the world, that the Loves of Christ to our Souls are better than all the Wine which the world can afford us. Let [Page 174] us not break a divine Precept to embrace any thing which this World can afford us, in this we shall be so far from acting like to Christians, or Creatures, that we shall not act like men possessed of reasonable Souls. Let us in our hearts more thirst, in the Spirit after Christs Love, than the worlds imbraces, let us delight more in any reports of the love of Christ, any discourses concerning it, than in any world­ly objects. Let us be more diligent in use of means to gain Christs love, than to gain the whole world. Let us be more satisfied in the enjoyment of any thing of it, than if we enjoyed all the World can afford us. I remember Solomon saith, The blessing of God maketh rich; and addeth no sorrow therewith. The Loves of Christ make the Soul happy, and mixeth no sorrow with that happiness. Wine is a sweet liquor, but it will intoxicate, in time it will grow flat, and acid, and there is no created good, but will at one time or other grow flat, & sharp, if the Soul be not drunk with it. There is a satiety in pleasure, riches, honour, there is a time when there will be no pleasure in them, when we shall be able to see no goodness at all in them. Let us neglect them upon the prospect of the vanity of them, and the vexation of Spirit that is in them before we come to experience their vanity and rotten­ness. I have shewed you a far more excellent object.— Christs loves are better than Wine.

Sermon XI.

Cnt. 1. 2.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth: For thy loves are better than Wine.

FOr thy loves are better then Wine.] I have handled these 2 Pro­positions, which the matter of these words affords us. I have now only further to consider, the relation they stand in to the Petition, considered as an argument used by the Spouse to inforce it. I have al­ready shewed you, they are brought in by the Spouse. 1. Partly to [Page 175] shew us the reason why the Spouse so earnestly desired these tokens of Christs distinguishing love, viz. because she had found them good, yea good before Wine, (as is the Hebrew Idiom) 2. Partly as an argu­ment she inforceth her Petition drawn from the value she set upon the love of Christ. Each of these will afford us a distinct Proposition.

Prop. 1. That the ground of Believers earnest desire after the tokens of Christs distinguishing love, and nearest communion with him, is their knowledge, and experience, of the goodness, and transcendent excellency of it.

Prop. 2. That it is a good argument, for Christians to use in pleading with God for the choicest dispensations of his grace if they can truly tell him, that his Grace is very precious to them. These 2 propositions remain yet to be handled, I begin with the first of them.

1 Prop. The ground of Believers earnest desires after the tokens of Christs distinguishing love, is their knowledge, and experience, of the goodness and transcendent excellency that is in it.

I say their knowledge, of the goodness, and transcendent goodness of those tokens of Divine Love. By knowledge I here mean no more then their believing apprehension. God hath in his word revealed the excellency of them, this revelation they have read, and heard, and God hath wrought in their hearts a firm and steady assent to the Di­vine Revelation: This indeed is Gods first work in the Soul, the mo­tion of the will, and affections follow it. I added [and experience.] Experience is a sensible evidence. Knowledge is gained by reading, and hearing, experience by seeing and enjoying; knowledge conduceth something to move the Will and Affections, experience more. The reason is, because good things in the fruition, and enjoyment of them, do not alwaies answer our first apprehensions of them, and expecta­tions from them, but nothing can be imagined more potent to incline the whole Soul to any thing than knowledge in conjunction with ex­perience justifying our apprehension. As we have heard (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 48. 8.) so have we seen in the City of our God; when a Soul hath not only heard of the Loves of Christ, but its Eyes hath seen them, the Soul hath tasted how good the Lord is, this mightily engageth the Affections. Especially if we further consider, that where­as in all sensible objects called good, the fruition, or enjoyment rarely answers the report of them, or the apprehension of them which the Soul first entertained and apprehended: it is quite contrary here, the enjoyment infinitely transcends the notion and apprehension, so that as the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon; It was a true report that I heard in my own land of thy Acts, and of thy wisdom, howbeit I be­lieved [Page 176] I eved not their words, until I came, and mine Eyes had seen it, and behold the half was not told me, thy wisdom, and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard, 1 Kings 10. 6. 7. So saith the Soul, that being justifi­ed by faith hath arrived to a peace with God; Lord it was a true re­port that I read in thy word, and heard from thy Ministers, while I was yet in my natural state, and condition of thy loves, and the infi­nite sweetness that is in them, how beit I believed not the words, until my Soul came to tast something of it, and behold the half of that quiet, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, the half of that serenity of conscience, and satisfaction, which the Soul hath from a peace with God, was not told me, thy loves far exceed the fame which I heard.

I shall lay the proof of this Doctrine upon these 2 Propositions, which have a natural rational evidence to every reasonable Soul.

1. The Soul of man naturally, and necessarily knowing an object to be good, and wanting it in whole or in part to any considerable degree, doth desire it, and without such knowledge it desires it not. It is a rule in Philosophy, we will nothing, but what to us appeareth good, It is our misery in our lapsed state, that many things to us appear so, which are not so, but they must so appear or we cannot will them. Three things must concur to make any thing the object of a reason­able Souls desires. 1. An apprehended goodness in it. That is, an ap­prehended Sutableness in it, to our state, or circumstances, if there be never so much goodness in a thing if we have no knowledge of it, no apprehension of such goodness in it, our will moveth not by desire toward it. Hence it is, that the Clown desires no learning, and the man of learning and knowledge desireth no excess of gold or Silver. Though there be a goodness in learning and knowledge. Yet the Clown apprehends it not, so doth not desire it, and though there be some degrees of goodness in a great estate, yet the Philosopher and man of contemplation apprehends it no further than as it serveth for a Via­ticum, a Travelling Penny to pay for food & rayment whiles he pas­seth through the world. And indeed this is the true reason why the sensual profane man saith to the Almighty, depart from me, and to Christ, what do I care for thee? for being under no conviction of his lost, and miserable estate, and possibly hardly believing that he hath an immortal Soul, or shall have any existence beyond this Life, he seeth nothing in Christ, or the loves of Christ, that any way suteth the necessities, and wants of his Soul, and, Ignot i nulla cupido, what good a man doth not know he never longeth for. 2. A Second thing, con­curring to make the Object of desire is an apprehended possibility of at­taining [Page 177] to or enjoying what he apprehends so sutable; for the reason of man will not suffer his Soul to move towards what he apprehends impossible to be attained. Hence as no Schollar ever heartily desired all kinds & degrees of learning & knowledge: so no worldling ever desired all the Gold and Silver in it. Hence it is also impossible that a Soul under an habituated despair should heartily desire the Love, and fa­vour of God, which it apprehends not possible for it to obtain. 3. The object of it must be somthing which the Soul wanteth, either in whole, or in part, either as to the thing it self, or as to some degrees of it, or at least what it apprehendeth itself to want? Still apprehensi­on is necessary, for De non Entibus, & non apparentibus, eadem est ratio. It is the same thing as to this motion of the Soul not to have a good, and not to apprehend that it hath it. for our Souls move according to their apprehensions; and this is the reason, none desires being (though they may desire the continu­ance of it;) the healthy man desireth not health (though he may bless God for it and desireth the continuance of it.) The Ignorant bold presumptuous Sinner desireth not the Love of God, the pardon of Sins; he thinks he is sure of all. Hence now it is that the be­liever desires the Loves of Christ, it apprehendeth them good, possible, and what its Soul doth stand indaily, and further need of, which ap­prehension is the reason why our Souls desire any thing, be it of what nature soever; we can desire nothing but what we must apprehend good, sutable to us in some of our circumstances, possible to be at­tained, and such as either wholly, or in some degree at least, we need.

2. According to the degree of our knowledge or apprehension of the goodness of any object so are our desires after it. This will justify itself upon experience in all other things, we do not desire them according to the degree of goodness in them, for then every man must desire the favour of God, Union and Communion with him, but according to the degree of our knowledge, or apprehension of such a good, as such. Now there are various degrees of knowledge.

1. The first and meanest is the meer act of our Understanding. which by the help of our Eyes, and Ears gaineth the knowledge of things, And thus the vilest of men may know that the Loves of Christ are good, yea good before wine, that is, they may have so read in the Bible, so heard from Ministers of the Gospel. And even this knowledge may produce in a bad man a desire after these things, pro­portioned to his apprehension. Hence such a man may faintly will, and lazily desire these things.

[Page 178] 2. A Second degree of Knowledge is Opinion. This riseth a little higher, the man who thus knows that the Loves of Christ are good, doth not onely know it from reading, or hearing, but from probable Arguments. Nor is it difficult for a wicked man thus also to know that the Loves of Christ are good. Assoon as he can be made to be­lieve that there is a God, and that he is the Fountain of Good, and that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God, and Equal with the Fa­ther, both in Essence and all Divine Perfections, his Reason will per­suade him that there must be a Goodness, yea, a transcendent Good­ness in Christs Loves. But while Flesh and Blood only revealeth this thing unto him, his Knowledge is incertain and faint, and he is sub­ject to thoughts that he may be mistaken, and therefore though he may sometimes desire Christs Love, yet it is but by fits, and with incertainties, according to the Nature of the Knowledge and Appre­hension he hath of the truth of the things.

3. A Third degree of Knowledge is Persuasion, arising from De­monstration. Now there is 1. A Demonstration of Sense; thus we know the Sun shines, the Fire burneth, &c. 2. A Demonstration of Rea­son; when we can conclude a thing from infallible Principles of na­tural Reason. 3. A Demonstration of Faith, which is the Demon­stration of the Spirit. When men know things from the holy Spi­rits fully persuading them of the truth of this, or that, from a Divine Revelation. This is the Demonstration of faith.

4. There is yet a further and higher degree of Knowledg, that ariseth from Experience, being a sensible Evidence of the truth of what the Soul had before received a little of, from the sight of the Eye and hearing of the Ear, and more from the persuasion of the Spirit, and some Argumentations within itself. I say now that according to the degree of the Souls knowledge and apprehension, so are the work­ings of the Affections: This of desire in particular. Hence the desires of Believers to the Loves of Christ, must necessarily be the strongest: For the degree of the Knowledge and Apprehension the Believer hath of the goodness of them, is higher than it is possible any other Souls should have. Other Souls may have read Books dis­coursing the Loves of Christ, or heard Discourses of that tendency, or judge so from Arguments of Scripture, which may make such a thing probable to them: But none but these have any persuasion wrought in their Souls by the Spirit of God, of the Excellency of them, none else have had any real Tasts and Experience of them Knowledge and Experience of the Goodness of any Objects being those things which move the Soul to desire them, and the degree of [Page 179] the Souls apprehension of such Goodness and Excellency in Objects, the ground of the Souls Intention in such desires; it must necessarily follow that a good Christians Knowledge and Experience of that Goodness which is in Christs Loves, must be the grounds of their de­sires after them. There needeth no Scripture to prove this, it is evi­dent to our Reason. Yet take the Instance of David, Psal. 4. 6. Da­vid desires of God to lift up the light of his Countenance upon him. Ob­serve now v. 7. what made him prefer the light of Gods Countenance to the Worldlings Corn, and Wine, and Oil, Thou hast put gladness in­to my Heart. Accordingly he tells us Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee. Hence you shall observe that David concludeth many of his Psalms of Praise with Prayer. But, will some say, If they have had experience of the Loves of Christ, why should they yet desire them? None desires what they have. This is true, if our Enjoyments were perfect, but there is an heighth, and depth, and length, and breadth of the Love of God in Jesus Christ, an heighth which the Soul hath not taken, a depth which the Soul hath not fathomed, a length and breadth which the Soul hath not measured from end to end. It is true, we desire nothing but what we want, either in whole or in part, therefore in Heaven will be no de­sire, That which is perfect will be come, and all that which is in part only, will be done away: But we shall never be filled with the Loves of Christ till our Mortality be swallowed up in Life. I come now to the Application.

Use 1. We may learn from hence. That God must shew some act of Love to us, before we can shew any Love to him. Desires after the Loves of Christ, though sincere, are the least, and first, and lowest moti­ons of our Souls toward God. These (you have heard) must arise from a Knowledge and Experience of the goodness of those Loves. Now this Knowledge, this Experience, must be the Gift of God to, and the work of God in, and upon the Soul, yea, and that not in a way of common Grace and Illumination, but in a way of special Grace; for though a common Illumination may produce some faint desires, yet it will produce no sincere and effectual desires, because the Knowledge, begot by them, will be flitting and incertain, and attended with Doubts, Fears, and Incertainties. So as till the Lord by his Spirit hath wrought in the Soul a persuasion of Faith, commanding the Soul without dispute to give credit to what he hath revealed in his Word, there will be no sincere desires in the Soul after these things. The Schoolmen tell us there are three ways by which we gain the [Page 180] Knowledge of a thing. By Signs, Conjectures, and Effects, (as some Causes are known.) 2. By the enquiry of our Reason into the nature of it. 3. By Divine Revelation. The Excellency of the Loves of Christ is a spiritual thing, and to be judged upon Spiritual accounts, and in a Spiritual manner. The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. So as the natural Reason of a Man will serve him very little to the gaining of this Knowledge, by the Effects, having never experienced it he cannot know it; so as there is no other way to know it but by Divine Revelation, God (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 2. 10.) hath revealed them to us by his Spi­rit. And v. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God. So as that I say God must shew some special token of his Love to our Souls for good, before we can shew any Love to him, or make so much as one step toward him.

Use 2. Observe from hence, That a Believers Soul moves rationally and accountably enough in all its desires after the Loves of Christ. The Souls of Believers are not so unintelligible as some prophane Persons would make them in their Passions for, and Motions towards Christs Loves. The Knowledge a Soul hath, or the Experience which it hath had of the Goodness and Excellency of any Object, moves the reasonable Soul to the desires of it. Admitting the Believer to see things in another Light than a natural Man hath, or can see in, to have other Notions of Good and Evil, and to take the measures of them from their subserviency to the Spiritual and eternal good of the Soul; the Passions and Desires of his Soul after Christs Love, are as natural Motions of the reasonable Souls, as the Worldlings De­sires after Riches, or the sensual Mans Passions for such things as gra­tifie the sensitive Appetite. The Reason why every Soul moveth not after these Spiritual Things, is because every Soul seeth not the Good and Excellency in them. Multitudes hardly know (that is, believe) they have immortal Souls that shall outlive their Bodies in a state of Happiness or Misery; or if they know or believe that, yet they do not believe that there is no other name under Heaven by which they can be saved, but only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: Nor ever had any experience of the Love of God to Souls. Their deriding of Re­ligious Passions, and the Breathings of pious Souls after the Manife­stations of Divine Love, flows from their ignorance of them, and their unreasonable Rudeness, in speaking evil of the things which they know not. The original difference betwixt a person truly pi­ous, [Page 181] and panting after the Love of Christ and others, lies here: These Creatures know that they have Souls, Souls ordained to an eternal existence, either in Hėll, or Heaven, in eternal Happiness, or in eternal Misery. They believe what God hath said, that there is no other Name under Heaven by which Men and Women can be saved, but only the name of Jesus Christ, neither is there Salvation in any other. That he that believeth on him is not condemned, and he that believeth not is damned already, the Wrath of God abideth on him, and he shall never see Life; they do not only read these things in their Bibles, and hear them from their Preachers, but the Holy Spirit of God hath firmly persuaded them, that they do as fix­edly believe them, as they do any thing of sensible or rational De­monstration; they have more waky thoughts, with reference to Death; Mortality and Eternity, are things more in their Eyes than in the Eyes of others: Again, they have tasted and experienced more of the Love of Christ. Allow the Souls of others to be in the same Circumstances, they would have alike Motions; but because they are ignorant, knowing nothing of Spiritual Things, or at least nothing as they ought to know it, thence it is that their Souls move not; this is now but the natural working of reasonable Souls in other cases, nor is there any such unaccountable, or unintelligible thing in it.

Use 3. And indeed this gives us the true Reason why every unregene­rate Soul is so cold in its motions toward Christ, and also may inform us how far it is possible such a Soul may go in motions of this nature. The Reason why such a Soul moves no more, is want of Evidence, which such a Soul hath of the Goodness of his Loves. Simple Good­ness, and Excellency in an Object, is not attractive of the Soul, but Goodness apprehended by, evidenced, and appearing to us. All the ap­prehension that it is possible, a natural man should have of the Loves of Christ, must be from Reading, Hearing, or its own Reasoning and concluding from what it hath so heard, or read; for it wants both the demonstrative persuasion of the Holy Spirit, and also any experimental Tasts or sensible Evidence. All Knowledge which hath no better Foundation, will arise no higher than to beget in the Soul an Opinion, and leaves the Soul at some Incertainties, and unfixed, and hence its Motions towards an Object of which it hath no better Evidence, are also incertain and faint, and fluctuating. Knowledge being the Foundation of Desire, Reason will tell us that the Desire must bear proportion with the Knowledge. The unregenerate man, [Page 182] having no Knowledge of Spiritual things, that is productive of more than an Opinion, the desire must be incertain and faint, according to the nature of the Opinion that causeth it.

Use 4. By this also Christians may be able to take some Measures, and make up some Judgments of themselves, whether the desires they find in their Souls after Christ, and his Loves, be such as are peculi­ar to the Souls of Believers, yea or no. We usually say that Desires after Grace are Evidences of it, and there is a truth in it, but all de­sires are not so; for as I have said, there may be desires after Christ and his Loves, in an unregenerate Man, commensurate to that know­ledge which he hath of the Goodness of them; but this will speak nothing of good to the Soul, only such Desires, as flow from a Chri­stians Knowledge of Faith, and from Experience. He that hath only a knowledge of Christ and his Loves, from Reading the word, or from the Report of Ministers, may so far desire Christs Loves, as may serve him for his own ends, nay though he hath no great Faith as to that eternal State of Happiness to which Christ brings the Soul, but hath only received Notions of such ablessed State, to which he gives no great credit, yet for his own Security, because his notions may be true, though he hath no great fixed persuasion of them, he may yet desire the Loves of Christ so far as to bring him to an everlasting Hap­piness. As a Merchant that hath heard a Report of the rare Com­modities, and cheapness of them, in a Country, which Report he doth not so far believe, as he will adventure an Hundred Pounds to try the Issue, yet may desire the Commodities at such Rates as he hears of; so may an unregenerate man that hath fate under the Preaching of the Gospel, and heard abundantly of the Excellency of Christ, and the rare effects of his Love, though he will not do any thing toward the obtaining them, yet may wish that Christ lo­ved him, that he might be made partaker of such Love, though all this while in Heart he believeth little or nothing. That you may not therefore deceive your selves in this point, take a few notes of such desires as are indeed Evidences of Grace.

1. They are not meer velleities, lazy wishings, and wouldings as we say, but alwaies attended with the use of means which we judge or find proper to obtain our desires. And indeed this alone without anything further said, will try this issue; a desire arising from the know­ledge and experience a Soul hath of the goodness of an Object is al­waies attended with the use of what means are within our reach for the obtaining of it. Hence a Souls pretended desire of the pardon of [Page 183] sin through the blood of Christ, and of living with Christ in glory, not conjoined with fervent prayers, with an endeavour to reform our lives, and to sin no more, is of no good significancy at all. It is only an indication, that the man or woman would be happy, and secure as to eternity (if there be such a thing which he hath heard;) but now when these desires are attended, with sad reflections upon ourselves for sin, serious indeavours against sin, and hearty and fervent prayers to God for pardon, these things speak the truth, and sincerity of our desires.

2. Desires upon knowledge and experience of the goodness of a thing are alwaies most intense, and strongest. If you observe it, the desires of our Souls are augmented from a double cause 1. The certainty of our knowledge of that goodness which is in the thing desired. 2. The quickness of our apprehension of the want of it: The more full, and certain knowledge that we have of the goodness and excellency of an Object the more we desire it. For I told you before it is not the simple goodness, and excellency of a thing that draweth out our Souls after it, but our apprehension of such a goodness, hence in rea­son it must follow that the desire must be strongest in that Soul, where the apprehension is most full and certain. And all goodness being mea­sured by us by the suitableness of the thing to our wants, the quicker and fuller apprehensions the Soul hath of its wants of Christ love, the stronger must the souls motions for, and towards it be. Now the believing Soul, having the most certain knowledge of the goodness of the Loves of Christ, and having also the fullest, and quickest appre­hension of its wants of them, of necessity its pantings after them must be most intense, and strong; As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks (as David speaketh, Psal. 42. 1.) Hence it is that when the Prayers of Hypocrites are but complementings of God, a few words of course, the prayers of the Saints are wrestlings with God (as Jacobs prayer is stiled) strong cries, and groans which cannot be uttered (as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8.) where any Soul findeth such desires as these, it hath reason to rejoice, and be comforted concerning the truth of its grace, tho it findeth its actions imperfect, and Gods ma­nifestations of himself to it in consolatory influences not so full. In this sense it is true, that desires of grace, are indications of it, provi­ded they be such desires, as flow from a knowledge, or any experience of Divine Love, I mean a knowledge of Faith, a certain firm persua­sion wrought in the heart of that goodness and excellency that is in Christ, and his loves, not a meer knowledge from report, and the [Page 184] credit of others, but such desires can never admit of a regardless carelessness, whether the Soul obtaineth what it desireth or no, but will be attended, with an inquiry after, and a due use of all means for the obtaining the thing desired. And besides, they will alwaies be strong desires according to the nature of the good desired, and the appre­hended degree of the Souls want of it; and hence again: The Soul that hath these true desires, will find them attended with trouble and unquietness till it hath in some measure at least obtained the thing which it desireth, for as the wise man saith of Hope (so it is true of desire) deferred it maketh the heart sick. The Soul filled with desires is like the Woman in Travel, pained till it obtaineth the thing desired. As when the desire is accomplished, it is sweet to the Soul, Prov. 13. 19. So while it is accomplished, there must be some bitterness, and uneasi­ness in the Soul. But now desires after Christ and his loves, atten­ded with no trouble, no uneasiness for want of the accomplish­ment and obtaining of them, faint and cold, and languid desires without the use of means within, our power to ob­tain the thing desired are of no significancy as to a truth of grace. Solomon hath two sayings in his Proverbs that may be apply­ed here. Prov. 13. 4. The Soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath no­thing, but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat. And Prov. 21. 25. The desire of the slothful killeth him, for he refuseth to labour. Two things are said of the slothful sluggard. 1. That he desireth and hath nothing, he never obtaineth his desire. 2. That his desires kill him, they do him hurt, no good; what is the reason? Because he refuseth to labour: But the Soul of the diligent is made fat. Solomon speaketh as to the things of this Life, The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing. It is as true as to Spiritual things, the Grace of God, the Loves of Christ. The Souls of Sluggards, that will sometimes say, O that I had my part in Christ, O that my Iniquities might be pardo­ned, O that I might live with God in Glory, &c. but never will do any thing toward these things, not so much as deny themselves in a Lust, nor keep under their Body, and bring it into Subjection in any thing; these Souls have nothing. The truth is they have no­thing of any true desire proceeding from any sound knowledge, or any true experience, but they shall have nothing. Their Desires kill them, if they trust to these desires of Grace, as Indications of a truth of Grace, they kill them, they cheat their own Souls to an eternal ruine, and destruction. But the diligent Soul is made fat. That Soul, that from a sound and firm persuasion of the goodness, and excellency of the [Page 185] loves of Christ, desires to tast, and further to tast of them, and is diligent in the use of means to have its desires accomplished, that Soul shall be made fat. That Souls desires shall be accomplished, tho it may see it falls short of its duty in the use of means, and tho it may be God is not pleased to give the Soul the sensible manifesta­tions of its love, so that its desire is deferred, and while it is so differ­red, the heart is pained, and it meets with some trouble and uneasi­ness, through the not accomplishing of its desires to its sense, yet, it shall be made fat. The hope of the righteous (saith Solomon) shall be gladness, so the desire of such a Soul; the diligent Soul, shall be satisfaction. This is according to the words of our Saviour, Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger, and thirst after righteous­ness for they shall be filled. Thus much I have thought fit to add in this place in answer to that question, which we sometimes meet with, Whether the desire of grace be grace? A true resolution of it is of mighty use sometimes to Souls under melancholick distempers, or in an hour of temptation to relieve them, where they both want sensible manifestations, and a just view of the sincerity of their own actions.

Use 5. I shall shut up this discourse with a word of exhortation. 1. To all to look to their desires, their pretended desires after Christ, and his loves. That of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 16. 22. is a dreadful Curse. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema, Maranatha, accursed till the Lord come. Love is the complacency of the Soul in an object, the first fruit of its desire. None hath a true complacency in an object, but he desireth an union with it in such a degree as he is capable of. Hence every one that liveth under the preaching of the Gospel, and hath heard of Christ will pretend to desire him. But one desires him from a knowledge by hearsay of the goodness of his loves, another desires him from a knowledge of faith, a setled persuasion of it wrought in his heart by the Spirit of God, and some tasts and experience of it; you have heard that the desires of the Soul which arise from a knowledge of report and hearsay, are weak and faint, and cold and lazy, and will speak no­thing of good for the Soul that hath them, you have heard the o­ther desires are strong, and intense, vehement and fervent, active and diligent. Nothing more relieveth a Soul sometimes, than to find in itself; that though it wanteth a strength to perform, yet to will is pre­sent with it, tho it cannot yet rejoice, and delight in the apprehension of his loves, yet for these are its desires. Nothing more killeth and destroyeth a Soul, than to trust to desires of grace, as indications [Page 186] of it, which indeed are not so. O therefore look to your desires after Christ. See that they proceed from knowledge and experience. For experience indeed it dependeth upon Divine influence, and breathing upon the Soul, and the holy Spirit of God like the wind breatheth where it pleaseth. But see that your knowledge of the goodness of these loves be a knowledge of faith, not a meer knowledge from report and hearsay, as we may know many things of which we believe no­thing; that is, we know such things are written, reported, talkt of, rake heed this be not all the knowledge your Souls have of the loves of Christ. I have shewed you that the Knowledge of Faith, is a knowledge of persuasion of the excellency of the loves of Christ in themselves (for I am not now discoursing of the persuasion that you have a particular interest in them) a firm, setled, constant persuasion of the Soul, that the love of Christ is the most desirable good in Heaven or Earth, better then Wine yea better than life itself. This is the work of the Spirit of God in the Soul. A man can by no study persuade himself of this, we can, by no art, no words, no ar­guments of ours persuade Souls of this. All that you can do, or which we can advise you to do in this case, in the use of such means, to the use of which God hath promised his blessing, or in the use of which God ordinarily concurreth with his blessing. These means are reducible to a few heads. 1. His Word. 2. His Sacrament. 3. Prayer. 4. A reformed holy life and Conversation.

1. The Word is the great means; he hath given you it in writing, that you may exercise your selves in it by reading, he hath appointed the Ordinance of Preaching, that you may receive it by your ears; neither reading nor hearing will beget in your Souls such a knowledge of Christs love as will be productive of this knowledge which I call the knowledge of faith, but they are both means, means within our own power, and with the use of which God useth to concur, and in the neglect of which, no [...]e can expect that the holy Spirit of God should work such a knowledge of the excellency of Christ and his loves, as will be pro­ductive of these desires after them. The Word of God is there­fore called the Word of faith, not only because it containeth the sub­stance of what we are to believe, but because it is that with the use of which God ordinarily concurreth in giving the Soul a power to be­lieve, therefore the Apostle tells us, That faith cometh by hearing. If you would know Christ, and his loves, read, hear the Word of God, and that in a conscientious manner, but I have had occasion to speak of this under a former proposition.

[Page 187] 2. The holy Sacrament is another means, at least for a further knowledge of Christ and his loves, I am not of their minds who think that the Lords Supper is a means for conveighing the first knowledge of faith, concerning Christ and his Loves, to the Soul; if it had, Christ doubtless would have given it in commission to his Apostles, not only to go and preach to, and Baptize all Nations, but also to Ad­minister the Supper to them, which he did not if any will say, both Sacraments are intended, I shall not contend, but the Apostles pract­ice expoundeth our Saviours precept, who baptized none till they be­lieved, and made a profession of their true faith in Christ, the Sacra­ment is not a means for ignorant persons and unbelievers, to come to the first knowledge of Faith, but an excellent means in order to the getting a further knowledge of Faith, that is a confirmation of their Faith in the love of Christ.

3. A third means is Prayer. He gives his holy Spirit in all the manifestations of it to those that ask him.

4. The last I mentioned, was a reformed holy life and Conver­sation. None know the loves of Christ more fully and effectually then those Souls, who walk with him most closely. You know the promise of Christs manifestation of himself, is to those that love him, and keep his commandments, but of these things I have before inlarged in my discourses upon some former propositions.

Sermon XII.

Canticles 1. 2.
For thy Loves are better than Wine.

I Am now come to the last proposition I observed from these words, which I told you might be either considered, As a Reason why she desired the tokens of Christs distinguishing loves, (a reason drawn from her knowledge and experience of the goodness, the transcendent goodness of them. In this notion I have already spoken to the propo­sition arising from them, Or, 2. As an argument of her petition by which she pleadeth with God, for the thing which she desired. An ar­gument [Page 188] drawn from the value she set upon his love. From whence results this proposition.

Prop. 10. That our value, and estimate of the love of Christ above all other things is an excellent argument for a Soul to use with God for the obtaining of it.

An argument is a mean brought either to prove a proposition, or to move the Affections. The Logicians bring arguments to prove the just connexion of Subjects, and Predicates in propositions. The Ora­tor useth them to move mens wills and affections, the business of the Soul with God in any prayer, is the business of an Orator; the Ar­guments he hath to use, are such as may move God to bestow the good things upon him which he desireth. If you observe all the prayers of the Servants of God upon Sacred Record, you shall find them much to consist of Requests, or Petitions, and arguments back­ing, or inforcing those requests. These arguments you will observe drawn from several heads. Sometimes from the Nature of God. Some­times from their relation unto him. Sometimes from the promises made in the case. Sometimes from the greatness of their misery. Sometimes from Gods Power and the freeness of his Grace. Psal. 25. 7. According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. Some­times from their faith, alliance to, and dependance upon God, Psal. 25. 2. O my God I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed. So from various o­ther heads, I say amongst others: A Souls just prizing and valuing of the loves of Christ, is an excellent argument for a Soul to use to in­force a petition for them.

2. The goodness or badness, the strength or weakness of an ar­gument derives wholly from its subserviency to its end, its cogency, or no cogency. The End here aimed at is by prayer to obtain the loves of Christ, so as the goodness of the arguments to be used in this case depends upon the force they have with God to move him to grant the requests of our lips.

3. Persuasive arguments have their force either upon a natural ac­count, and that is mostly from the infirmity of our Natures, which renders them subject to be affected with fine words, passionate ex­pressions; we must not imagine that God can be moved with any such thing, and therefore fine phrases in prayer are very insignificant things: Or else upon a moral and rational account. As now amongst men, if one can come to another, requesting a favour from him, and say, Sir, you promised it me, there is a force in this argument, upon a moral and rational account, such an argument is this, in this case. [Page 189] If a Soul can go to God pleading for the manifestations of his love unto it, and truly tell him, that it valueth his love and favour a­bove all created comforts, tho the bare naming of this, and deliver­ing it in fine, significant words will do nothing with God in order to the obtaining of it, nay though this affection and temper of our Souls, can merit no influence of grace from God, yet considering the persections of the Divine Nature, and the obligations which God hath laid upon himself. It will have a great moral vertue, and efficacy, and be of great force with him for the obtaining the influ­ences of Divine Grace, and the communications of his love.

Hence I shall desire you in the first place, to observe what frequent use the People of God have made of it in their applications to the Throne of Grace. David especially, Psal. 42. 1, 2, 3. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my Soul after thee O God; my Soul thirsteth for God, the Living God, when shall I come and appear before thee, O God? His Request there lies in the last words, That he might come and appear before God, the Argument he useth is from the value he had for such a mercy, so as the Hart did not more pant after the water-brooks. The same Argument he useth, and much in the same case, Psal. 84. 1, 2. The great Petition of that Psalm was for a liberty again to enjoy God in his Ordinances; what is the Ar­gument he useth to enforce this Petition? How amiable are thy Ta­bernacles, O Lord of Hosts? V. 1. My Soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the Living God. So he goes on in a variety of Phrases, all expressing but his great value and estimate of such a mercy, to that degree that he preferreth the condition of a poor Sparrow, or Swallow to his own in the want of it. You have him using the same Argument again, Psal 63. 1, 2, 3. O God thou art my God, early will I seek thee; my Soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty Land, where no water is. To see thy Power, and thy Glory, as I have seen Thee in the Sanctuary. Because thy loving kindness is bet­ter than life. The Petition is much the same, and the Argument the same. I might instance in many other places of the Psalms, but this is sufficient: And certainly this were enough, if no more could be said to justifie this Proposition. That Argument which the man ac­cording to God's own heart used, and so often used, is certainly a good Argument, and of due force and efficacy; but this was an Ar­gument he often made use of. But I shall further shew you the va­lue of this Argument from Reason.

[Page 190] First, This Argument speaketh Christ in the Soul. What the Apostle saith in another case, No man calleth Jesus Christ Lord but from the Spirit, may be applied in this. No man can truly say that he prizeth the Loves of Christ above Wine, above all created com­forts whatsoever, but from the Spirit; none but the true Christian, the truly spiritual man, sets any considerable value upon Christ's Loves. To you that believe (saith the Apostle) he is precious. Now what Joseph said to his Brethren of Benjamin: Bring your Brother Benjamin, or see my face no more. God hath said to every one of us, Bring Christ with you, or see not my face. We are all transgressors from the womb, and God heareth not sinners for their own sakes, but for Christ's sake; therefore we are commanded to ask in Christ's Name. God indeed as our Father by Creation may hear us crying for temporal good things in the day of our wants; so he heareth the young Ravens when they cry for food to him. But we are blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Christ, and upon the account of Christ; he giveth the first grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession pleading for the Application of the purchased Redemption. He giveth further grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession for us, and the Spirit's Intercession for us: For we know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh Intercession for the Saints accord­ing to the Will of God, Rom. 8. 26, 27. Now a due estimate and va­lue of the Love of Christ in a Soul, is an Indication of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the Soul; hence it must needs be an Argument of force with God; for he that searcheth the heart, knoweth the mind of the Spirit, making Intercession for the Saints, according to the will of God.

Secondly, The force of this Argument lies here, in that it layeth hold upon many Promises. The Promises are but as so many Bonds in which God hath made himself a Debtor to his Creatures. All Pro­mises oblige the truth and faithfulness of those persons that make them: God being the true and faithful One, cannot lye; He is faithful that hath promised (saith the Apostle;) so that if it be a suffi­cient Argument to use with a man to obtain any thing we would have, to tell him, He hath promised it, it holdeth towards God more strongly, as his truth and faithfulness is much more certain and in­fallible than any Creature is. Besides that, it is a further advantage when Promises are made upon a due and just consideration; for [Page 191] these is not only the truth, but the justice also of the person promising is concerned to the fulfilling of them. Hence in Scripture you shall ordinarily find the Servants of God pleading the Word, the Cove­nant of God, spoken to, and made with them, Psal. 119. 49. Re­member thy Word unto thy Servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope; and in many other Texts of Scripture. I say, when a Soul can go to God, and say in truth, that he valueth his love and fa­vour above Wine, above Life, above all created comforts, this Argu­ment layeth hold upon several Promises of God. I will a little en­large upon this: [...]. It layeth hold upon a Promise of filling and sa­tisfaction, Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled. It is a mighty large and comprehensive Promise. To fill a Soul with the influences of Divine Love, is a very great thing. It is not easie to fill the cove­tous man with Wealth; but he may be sooner fill'd with Riches, than the Soul of a good man with the Love and Grace of God. But here is a Promise of being filled: Open thy mouth wide (saith God) and I will fill it. To whom is this Promise made? To him that hungers and thirsteth after Righteousness. Righteousness is Grace, whether you take it for the Righteousness of Justification, the Righteousness of Christ, in which every Soul must stand righteous before God: Or the Righteousness of Sanctification, habits and acts of Holiness wrought in us, and done by us, they are both from Grace, from the free Love of God shining upon our Souls. He that hungers and thirsts after it, is he that intensely desires it. Hunger and thirst are natural pas­sions arising in us from our want of due aliment; nature inforcing in us a sense of that want, (and of all other) they are the most ve­hement. Thence our English Proverb, Hunger will break through stone walls; and experience tells us, to what hard things these pas­sions have brought people, not only to eat Carrion, but to kill and eat their own Children; yea the flesh of their own Arms; so as hungring and thirsting after Righteousness, importeth vehement desires after Grace, which desires testifie the Soul's estimate of it, and value for it; and to those who thus hunger and thirst the Promise is made, that they shall be filled.

Again, such a Soul hath a right to those Promises of all Grace pro­pounded in the most large and comprehensive terms, and general phrases; as where God promiseth a new heart, the water of life, his coming unto Souls, dwelling in them, abiding with them. The Soul that can go to God; and truly say,, that he prizeth the Loves of Christ [Page 192] above all things, layeth hold of all these Promises of which the holy Scriptures are full, Isa. 55. 1, 2. Ho every one that thirsteth, come you to the waters, and buy, without money, and without price, buy wine and milk. So Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come, and whoso­ever will, let him drink of the water of life freely. Joh. 14. 23. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. So v. 21. He that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest my self to him. These now, and such like, are general Promises comprehensive of all the Love of Christ to the Soul, in the various manifestations of it, according to the Soul's di­versified necessities, with respect to its several circumstances. Now observe to whom these Promises are made, to those that love Christ, and in evidence of that love, hunger and thirst after him, to them the Promises are made, 1. That the Father will love that man or wo­man. 2. That both Christ, and his Father, will come unto him. 3. That they will manifest themselves unto them; that they will dwell, and make their abode with them. That they shall have Wine and Milk without money and price. Now I appeal to any ordinary capacity, what evidence of Love any Soul can give greater, than the valuing of his Loves above all other things. So that, where this can be said in truth to God, God is challenged upon a multitude of Pro­mises, even so many as are made, to the Love of God, and Christ, and to the Soul's hungrings and thirstings after him. Nay, there is yet another sort of Promises, which such a Soul challengeth, viz. all those Promises of a further supply and increase of Grace to those that have the Seed of Grace: As Matth. 13. 12. To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have in more abundance. I might add many more of like nature; but there is hardly any of you but know how to furnish your selves with them. Now where the Soul can challenge God upon a Promise, and lay claim to the mercy which it asketh, from an obligation which God by his Word hath laid up­on himself, to give it: This is a great Argument, for it toucheth God upon the account of his Truth and Faithfulness.

3. Further yet this argument toucheth God as he is a tender Fa­ther. God (you know) to let us know his heart to his poor Crea­tures, amongst other names of relation hath taken to him that of a Father, to let us know there is in his gracious nature something analogous or proportionable to the heart and bowels of Earthly Pa­rents to their Children, and accordingly our Saviour argues, that if [Page 193] any of our Children ask of us bread, we will not give them a Stone, nor a Scorpion instead of Fish, and thence concludeth, that if we be­ing evil know how to give good things to our Children, much more will our Heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him. You, ma­ny of you know the heart of a Father. To which of you would it not be a great argument, to draw you out to any acts by which you could manifest your loves to a Child, for your Child to come, and beg your love to it, telling you, that it valueth your love above all things in the world, that it had rather have your love, your heart to­wards it, than have all the estate you can give it? Shall there not be something in the heart of God proportionated to this affection in your hearts? Is it possible that a Child of God, should come to God, and in sincerity say to him; Father! I beg some tokens of thy spe­cial distinguishing love to my Soul, thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee, and that my Soul doth value thy loves a­bove all that the world affords, and Gods heart should not yearn, and his bowels melt towards such a Soul? God must say of the voice of such a Soul, as Isaac sometimes said, It is the voice of my Son Ja­cob. None but a Child can speak such a language.

4. Finally. No arguments can be of more force to use with God, than such wherein the Interest of his own glory is concerned. The Glo­ry of God being his own great end, which he pursueth in all his actions, he useth a great argument to God, that saith unto him, Fa­ther glorify thy self. So gracious is God, that he gives us leave to fetch arguments from our selves, our own wants, and the misery we are in, which arguments affect God, as he is a God full of pity and tender compassion. But those arguments which we can fetch from the Inte­rest of his own glory, seem to have a greater force, as complying with what is the Lords great and chiefest end. He that sets an high value and estimate upon the love of Christ, giveth God a great deal of Glory, preferring him to all things in the world, for God cannot be more glorified by the Creature, than to be in heart esteemed above, and preferred to the whole Creation. So as that Soul that goeth to God with this argument, doth in effect say; Father! my Soul hath glorified thee upon the Earth, and doth give thee the glory of being the most excellent object, and more desirable than all the world be­sides. Now therefore glorify thy self in manifesting of thy love to me, that I may further exalt thee in thy rich and free Grace. I now come to the application.

Use 1. By way of Instruction, first, we may observe, That the meanest [Page 194] Child of God is furnished with a better argument to encourage his hopes in his addresses to the throne of Grace, than the greatest and proudest Sinner in the world hath. There are arguments, which Sinners may use, from the infiniteness, and freeness of the divine bounty and good­ness, from their relation to God, as his Creatures, from the greatness of their misery, &c. and they may obtain something from God upon these pleas, from that infinite goodness, and compassion that is in the Divine Nature; but no unregenerate man can use this argument which hath in it a much greater force. On the other side, there is no the meanest child of God, not the meanest believer that is in the world but hath this argument to use with God. Other arguments may be of avail with God for the obtaining some good things of this life, this is of force for the obtaining those of highest conse­quence relating to the internal, and eternal happiness of the Soul.

Use 2. Secondly, This offers us a great incouragement to examine our selves upon this point, Whether we have a due estimate of the loves of Christ, Whether we can truly say to our blessed Lord, That his loves are better than Wine, and that we value them not only above all sensual satisfactions, which the profane scandalous Sinner doeth not, but above all sensible satisfactions, which no unregenerate carnal man doth. I remember when our Saviour examined Peter about his love to him, he propounded to him this question, Joh. 21. 15. Simon Peter lovest thou me more than these? I do know that many Interpre­ters by [these] in that Text understand his other Disciples standing by. There was a time when Peter preferred himself (as to his love towards his Master) to all the other Disciples: Tho (saith he) all should deny thee, yet I would not deny thee. Peter since that time was humbled, our Saviour had a mind that his humility should be manifested, and therefore (say some) he propoundeth that question to him: but I remember Bernard in one of his Sermons upon the Canticles puts another sense upon the words, Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these? and so it may be referred either to the compa­ny with whom he was, or to the diversion of fishing, they were em­ployed in, or to the great draught of fish, which they had taken. I do but allude to the text, who so truly loveth the Lord Jesus Christ, if all the persons, and things in the world were before him, must be a­ble to say, I love Christ more than these. Admit his friends and nea­rest relations to be in his Eye, all the pleasant and delectable things in the world, all the Crowns and Scepters, and honours in the world, all the Gold, and Silver, and Houses, and Lands in the world in his [Page 195] Eye: He must be able to say, I love the Lord Jesus Christ more than these; yea if his own life be set before him, not to be enjoyed with­out the loss of Christs love, he must be able to say that he loves Christ more than that, Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mo­ther more than me, is not worthy of me, and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me, Lu. 14. 26. If any man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife, and Chil­dren, and Brethren, and Sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple. But I have formerly given you some directions how to try your selves, whether the loves of Christ in the apprehension of your Souls are good before Wine, and shall therefore add no more on this argument.

Use 3. In the third place; This notion may be of great use to relieve Christians doubting whether they have any one good Argument to use with God in their applications to him. 2. Whether any of their Prayers have at any time pierced the Heavens, and been accepted of God. A good Christian is often doubting, whether he may go to God or no; whether he hath one good Argument to use, which may be of avail with God. We have many words to say, many Argu­ments to use; and when it is a clear day with the Soul, it can easily discern it, and fill its mouth with words of several natures; but in a dark day, under the prevailings of Melancholy, or boisterous Tempta­tions, it can find many Arguments to deter it from Addresses to God, its own vileness and unworthiness considered with God's purity and holiness, the multitude of its sins, its former Prayers (as it fancieth) lying by not answered, but it cannot find one Argument to incou­rage it. But every Christian hath at all times many Arguments, if he could discern them. David made his vileness and unworthiness an Argument, Psal. 25. Pardon mine iniquity (saith he) for it is great. That's an Argument all have, and at all times. Ah! but (saith the Soul) this is no other than the vilest person hath: He may plead the freeness of Divine Grace. The Soul that goeth to God for Free Grace, can never want an Argument, but still this is common, and no more encouraging a Believer, than another man. We may plead our own misery, and sad state; misery is the object of Grace and Mercy; but still this is common. The vilest sinner may go and plead with God for mercy, because his state is miserable. A true Christian would have an Argument of a more special nature, and such a one as in the use of, he could go boldly and with confidence to the Throne of Grace. Admitting this Proposition, every good [Page 196] Christian hath such an Argument; such an Argument as no unrege­nerate man hath, such an Argument as he may go to God with, with boldness and confidence: God was never yet wanting to the truly hungring and thirsty Soul after his Love; such an Argument as if pleaded with God, and being in truth, alwaies prevailed with God.

Use 4. I shall shut up this Discourse with some few words of Exhortation.

1. To all: To labour to bring up their hearts to this, to prize the favour of God above all other things whatsoever. How you shall know whether your hearts be brought up to it or no, I have before shew­ed you; but suffer me here to give you some Directions in the case, and to press it with some Arguments. Until we do find that our Souls do set such an estimate upon the Loves of Christ, we can ne­ver use it as an Argument with God. This is therefore the first thing which we have to do, to be restless till we find that we can say it in truth, that we value Christ's Loves above all earthly things. Nor will this ever be effectually done, till the holy Spirit of God comes upon our hearts with its impressions and demonstrations; all that we can do will bear no more than the notion of means in order to that blessed end. Of that nature much may be directed.

First, Let thy Soul and its immortal state, with its condition re­ferring to that state, be much in thy thoughts. It is one great reason why men neglect and are careless as to the Loves of Christ, because they do not remember they have immortal Souls, nor consider any future state, or their own circumstances relating to it. Men know that they have bodies, and experience hunger, and thirst, and cold, and so are very busie in taking care what they shall eat, and drink, and put on, but they do not know, at least they do not attend to their knowledge of it, and have no certain knowledge and persuasion that they have immortal Souls, that can no more die with the body, than eat, drink, or sleep with it, so as they take no further care than for their outward man. Neither do they attend to the consideration of the condition of their Souls with respect to an eternal existence, but run away with presumptuous fancies that God will not suffer them to perish for ever; determining concerning their Souls accord­ing to their fancies, and the dictates of their own vitiated reason, not according to the revelations of the Divine Will; would men think more of their Souls, and consider the immortality of them, would they determine concerning them, according to Divine Revelation, it were impossible they should so far, as generally they do, neglect the [Page 197] care of them. They would quickly see that all the good things of the world could not affect the Soul with any good, and therefore must needs be invaluable things compared with those things that will secure the Souls happiness both here and for ever. If men believed they had immortal Souls, their reason would teach them quickly to conclude that they are better than the body, which is but earth, and which must return to dust and consequently whatsoever is good for the Soul, must be infinitely more good than what only serveth the necessities of our earthly part, and that neither but for a little time. But the truth is, as the Fool hath said in his heart there is no God: So he hath also said in his Heart, I have no Soul, no such immortal substance as Preachers talk of, there is no such thing as Heaven, or Hell; most unregenerate men are in their Hearts Atheists. The natu­ral reason of all men teacheth them to look after their concerns and interests, and to prefer greater, before lesser interests, and to value what makes for their greatest interests, above what is only subservi­ent to an interest of lesser value. Mens preference of created com­forts before the loves of Christ proceedeth meerly from their igno­rance, that they have Souls to look after, or at least unbelief of it, if they notionally know it, their not understanding the nature, and spiri­tual concerns of their Souls, or at least their erronious fancies and conceptions, of an universal Salvation of all, or all at least that are baptized; the first thing to be done rationally to possess Men and Women of the excellency of Christs loves, above Wine, above all sensual things, or any sensible things, is to possess men of this know­ledge, and to keep their Eyes waking to the consideration of it, and to engage them to take their measures of these things from the reve­lation of the will of God, in his word, not from their own wild fancies, and ratiocinations.

Secondly, Possess your Souls of the impossibility of their receiving of any good, any thing suited to their necessities, but only from Christ. There is no other name given under Heaven, there is no Salvation in any other. The power over all Souls is committed unto Christ. The Father forgives Sins, but it is for Christ's sake; as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (saith the Apostle) we have Redemption, forgive­ness of Sin through his blood. In him we have righteousness, peace, through him we have access, an entrance into the hol [...]est of all; the Father hath given unto him Eternal life, that he should give it to whom­soever he pleaseth. There is no good thing suited to a Souls wants, but it deriveth from Christ. Good things suited to the more exter­nal [Page 198] wants of our Body, derive from God as the great preserver of man, and flow from that common providence of his which dayly worketh in the upholding and preservation of created Beings; but good things for our Souls derive from Christ as Mediator, and as they are purchased by his blood, so they are dispensed out by his Spirit. This now can appear to a Soul from no other light but that of Re­velation, study therefore the holy Scriptures, meditate therein night and day, they testify all this concerning Christ. A full persuasion of these two things, 1. That we have immortal Souls, ordained to an eter­nity, either of happiness or misery. 2. That nothing but the love of Christ can furnish them with those good things which are proper, and ne­cessary for them, with respect to their Eternal Happiness, are enough to convince Men and Women that the loves of Christ are as much bet­ter than Wine, and to be preferred to it, as the Soul is better than the Body, and the things suited to its wants, better than those things which are only suited to the wants of the outward man. But still I say, and every days experience, maketh it good, Non persuaseris etiamsi persuaseris, you shall not persuade Men and Women, tho you say enough to persuade them, though you shut up their mouths, and they having nothing to say, such a power hath lust in the heart of man, into such a debauchery is the nature of man degenerated. Admitting men to believe, that they have immortal Souls, and that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, there is nothing in nature hath a fuller evidence than this truth, that the loves of Christ are pre­ferrible to all things in the world, and a man cannot act like a reasona­ble creature in preferring any thing unto them; yet who believes it? who lives up to this demonstration? It is God must persuade the Soul of this, and till the Soul hath this written and ingraven upon it by the finger of his Spirit, it will never so Judge. Lastly therefore,

Pray mightily that God would open your Ears, to see this, and persuade your Souls of the truth of it, for till he doth it, in vain are mens persuasions. To move you to it, consider,

1. This will bear some proportion to the love of Christ to mankind. Christ loved us more than these, more than all the Kingdoms, and plea­sures and profits, and honours of the world, yea more than his own life, yea he preferred us to the Angels, the fallen Angels, for he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the nature of man.

2. This will speak the Soul to be a wise and understanding Soul. Certain it is (as I have already shewed you) that the loves of Christ are good before Wine. The wisdom of a Soul lyeth much in a right [Page 199] discerning betwixt good and evil, and betwixt that which is good, and that which is more good or better. The excellency of a Soul lyeth in its conformity to God, he is an Atheist who owneth not God to be the first Being, and to be of all Beings, the most excellent, and perfect Being. So as necessarily, that Soul that comes nearest in conformity to God, must be the most excellent Soul, now that Soul which acteth most up to the principles of improved and pure reason, and to the rule of that holy Writ, which we all confess to be the revealed Will of God, and liveth most up to the Divine Pat­tern, doing what God doth, that must needs be the most wise, excel­lent, understanding Soul. Now will not a little reason serve to con­vince us that Christ is the most excelling Object, and therefore to be preferred to all sublunary enjoyments? Doth not the Scripture re­present him to us as altogether desires, as the chiefest of ten thousand, as the well beloved of the Father in whom he is well pleased, as he whom we ought to love with all our heart, all our Soul, all our Strength? Doth not the Father, the Heavenly Father love him above all other objects? To which of the Angels said he at any time. Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee; and again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son,—He was brought up with the Father, and daily his delight, rejoycing alwaies before him.

3. This will speak an heavenly sublimated Soul, purged from the dregs of sensuality and from an earthly mind, a Soul risen with Christ, and seeking the things which are above, Col. 3. 1. The preference of Wine, any sensual satisfactions, or any sensible enjoyments to the loves of Christ, speaks a dirty Soul, that feedeth upon carrion, and can be filled with wind.

Lastly, You have heard what an argument this will supply a Soul with in all its addresses and applications to God for any grace or favour, no argument can be more moving, more prevailing with God, none that layeth hold upon more promises, or that toucheth God more as a tender Father. O therefore labour for this frame of Spirit, and give your Souls no rest until you find that they indeed do prefer the love of Christ before all other things in Heaven and Earth.

Exh. 2. Br. Secondly, This notion calleth to all you who profess Godliness, and to any thing of the Spirit of Adoption, which teacheth to cry Abba Father, to take heed of a Carnal mind, an heart cleaving to any created comforts in excessive degrees, so as for the enjoyment of them, or any of them to run the hazard of the loves of Christ; you will by it prejudice your souls in a great argument, which you might use [Page 200] at the Throne of Grace. There are amongst others, three distem­pers of heart, which those that would do much with God in Prayer must take heed of.

1. A revengeful, not forgiving frame of Spirit. It is a dreadful Text, Mat. 6. 15. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you. Our Saviour hath taught us to pray, Forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors.

2. A doubting and unbelieving frame of Spirit. He that cometh unto God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him, he that lifts up his hands unto God, must lift up pure hands, and that without doubting?

3. Thirdly, A Carnal heart, cleaving to the world, & preferring the things of the world, to the loves of Christ, & the good things of Grace.

3. Br. Lastly. Is this such an argument of force with God? Let then such as can use it in truth make use of it, I doubt not but I speak to ma­ny, who can in truth say, that they value the loves of Christ the to­kens of his special, and distinguishing love above all earthly content­ments; when you go to God plead this, take unto you words, and say, Lord, let me be made a partaker of thy special distinguishing love, thou knowest that my Soul valueth it above mountains of Gold, Rocks of Pearl, or ten thousand Rivers of Oil.

Obj. But possibly some may say, This is to plead my own merit.

Sol. I answer, no, for consider who it is that hath wrought in thy heart this value and esteem. Is it not God? Did flesh and blood reveal any such thing unto thee; thou dost not then plead thy own merit, thou only pleadest with God, from what he hath already wrought, and be­gun in thee.

2. It is but the pleading of the promise which God hath made to them that love him and keep his Commandments.

3. Neither dost thou plead thy esteem, and value for the loves of Christ, as meritorious, as thinking that thy prizing the loves of Christ, meriteth the further manifestations of them to thy Soul, thou only pleadest it as a gracious habit wrought in thy Soul, by which God hath fulfilled in thy Soul the condition of the promise; thou only beg­gest of God, that he who hath wrought in thy Soul that condition to which he hath annexed his promise, would now fulfil also that promise to thy Soul which is annexed to that condition.

Thus I have finished the discourses I designed upon the first Pe­tition of the Spouse as pressed by her first Argument; Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth: For thy Loves are better than Wine.

Sermon XIII.

Canticles 1. 3.
Because of the savour of thy good Ointments: Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee.

I Proceed to the next Proposition, which I at first observed from these words, which I then largely opened.

Prop. 11. Christ hath good Ointments, which cast a savour, my meaning is (according to my former explication of the words) That the Lord Jesus Christ, is filled with the graces of the blessed Spirit, which in themselves are as good Ointments, and whose excellency is discerned by every true Believer, by every Soul that is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ (to use the Apostles phrase, I have espoused you to one Husband.) For a further discourse upon this Proposition, let me first shew you,

1. What I mean by Christs Grace, and when I say he is full of the Graces of the holy Spirit.

2. In what respects these graces are like to good Ointments.

3. What particular graces of the Spirit, are thus like to good Oint­ments.

4. Whence it is that they are discerned, and more effectually discern­ed by a gracious heart than another. We read in the Psalmist that Christ was anointed mith the Oil of gladness above his fellows, Heb. 1. 3. That he was anointed with the Holy Ghost, and with power, Acts 10. 38. That phrase in the Epistle to the Hebrews; borrowed out of Psal. 45. as I shewed you, is excellently interpreted by John: God gave not the Spirit unto him by measure, Joh. 3. 34. The Grace of God was said to be upon him, Luk. 2. 40. and he is said to be full of Grace and Truth, Joh. 1. 14. Grace in Scripture, as it relateth unto God, is usually taken in one of these two senses:

1. For the favour, and free love of God by which a Person is ac­cepted of God, and so Grace is in St. Pauls Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and in his other Epistles opposed to works; thus we are [Page 202] Rom. 4. 4. Eph. 2. 5. Rom. 3. 24. said to be justified by Grace, saved by Grace. In this sense it is al­so in Scripture applied to Creatures; Esther obtained Grace (that is favour) in the sight of the King, Esther 2. 17. and so in many other Texts. Or 2dly it is taken,

For some holy and virtuous qualities, and dispositions, by which (our Persons being first accepted in Christ) we are accep­table unto God: Thus it is said, Joh. 1. 16. Of his fulness we have all received Grace for Grace; thus Love is called a Grace, 2▪ Cor. 8. 6. and in this sense the Apostle telleth the Corinthians, God is able to make all Grace to abound to them, 2 Cor. 8. 9. In this sense we are commanded to grow in Grace, that is in holy & virtuous dispositions, or habits, 2 Pet. 3. 18. It is expounded by 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your [...] virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity. The Grace of Christ is taken in a double sense.

1. Subjectively, For that free love, and favour, which is subject­ed [...] Joh. 14. 15. Rom. 1▪ 7. in Christ, and being in him as its Fountain, floweth from him to cur Souls. In this sense Christ is said to be sail of Grace, and truth, full of love, free love towards his Peoples Souls, and truly in this sense Grace comes by Jesus Christ, for out of him God lo­veth no Soul. In this sense the Apostle wisheth to the Romans, Grace and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Take Grace in this sense, Christ is the Subject of it, and the medium by whom it floweth from the Eternal Father to the Children of men; he himself was from Eternity, beloved of God, and that both necessarily, and freely, being his Fathers Son, begotten from Eternity, the Father loved him, delighted in him; and indeed in this sense Christ may be said to have been the ob­ject of Grace, but he was not anointed with this in time, he had it from before all times, only as to the Grace of Ʋnion, the hu­mane Nature, until Christ assumed it was not beloved of God, Christ assuming it, it became the object of this Grace.

2. But secondly the Grace of Christ is also taken objectively for that Grace which was poured out on Christ as Mediator, and this is either;

1. The Grace of Ʋnion, which is the free love of God assu­ming the humane nature into a personal union with the Divine Na­ture, in which thing God put a great deal of dignity upon, and [Page 203] shewed a great deal of love unto our Nature.

2. The grace of Sanctification, by which I understand not the same which the Children of God receive upon Regeneration, when of unholy they are made holy, of impure they are made pure, of proud they are made humble, &c. But those holy disposi­tions, and qualifications, which were found in Christ, considered as the Son of Man by vertue of the union of the Divine Nature, with the Humane Nature, and his anointing with the Holy Ghost (not given by measure unto him) by which he was not only ac­ceptable to his Father as Mediator, but he is also exceeding love­ly to his Saints. So that when I say Christ hath good Ointments; abundance of Grace; I understand,

1. Abundance of free love which dwelt in him as God over all blessed for ever, to be dispensed out according to the particular exigencies of all his Peoples Souls.

2. Many gracious dispositions, which eminently dwelling in the God-Head from all Eternity, were also by the Spirit, poured out upon the Humane Nature in his Incarnation. These are here called by a Metaphor Ointments, and good Ointments.

1. Because by the communication of these from the Divine to the Humane Nature, in the personal union of both Natures in the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ was sanctified and set apart, and constituted as a person fit to be our High Priest and King.

This (as I told you in my last discourse) was one of the sa­cred uses of Oil, which the Jews made, there was a sweet anoin­ting Oil, made by Gods special prescript, for the consecration of the High Priest, the Tabernacle, and their holy Utensils; with this also they anointed their Kings. This did but typify the anoin­ting of the Holy Ghost; and by the receiving of this Ʋnction Christ was constituted our High-Priest, and the King upon the Ho­ly Hill of Sion. By the Grace of Hypostatical Ʋnion he was made so: I mean by the union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the one Person of Christ. Christ indeed had an Essential Kingdom, equal with the Father by his Eternal Generation, but he obtained his Mediatory Kingdom, by vertue of his Incarnation, and Ʋncti­on. The new and living way was consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh, Thus he was made our High-Priest, our King, our Prophet; and by his gracious dispositions and qualifications, he was made fit for a Mediator. For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from Sinners, and made [Page 204] higher than the Heavens, who needed not daily as those High Priests (under the law) to offer up Sacrifice, first for his own Sins, then for the People, &c. Heb. 7. 26. 27.

2. The Graces of Christ were like good Oils, or Ointments, as they were used in Sacrifice, they cannot indeed so properly be called a Sacrifice, but they were as the Oyl poured upon the meat offering. There is a dispute whether the Passive Obedience of Christ only, or his Active obedience also, be imputed to us, and be our righteous­ness; not to meddle with that, supposing his passive obedience to have alone been the Sacrifice, yet his Active obedience must be al­lowed, as the Oyl poured upon it. The meat offering was usually some Beast or Bird slain, but then they were to come, and pour Oyl upon it. Christs death upon the Cross was his offering: That was the Sacrifice, but his Graces were as the Oyl poured upon this offering, had not he that died been pure, and holy, righteous, and separate from sinners, meek, obedient, &c. he could not have been accepted for others, for he must have offered for himself, as the Apostle teacheth us, Heb. 7. 26, 27. Thus his personal graces, and perfections, were like good Oils, with respect to the use of Oil in Sacrifice, upon the account of them it was that he offered up to his Father a Sacrifice for the Sins of his People, which was acceptable.

Thirdly. The Personal Graces and perfections of Christ, were like good Oils for their sweet savour. These perfections are those things which make the name, and person of Christ as a sweet smelling savour in the Nostrils of every understanding gracious Soul; what is it which maketh any Soul love Christ; what ma­keth its own private meditations of him, or the report which it receiveth of him, so exceeding sweet to the Soul, but these excel­lencies and perfections, which are in him: His free, and infinite love, to the Sons and Daughters of Men, his pity and compassion, his slowness to conceive a wrath, and readiness to forgive, his freeness to heal his Peoples backslidings, his purity, and holiness, his patience and meekness: These are those things which make Christ appear so lovely, and amiable to gracious Souls. Lastly like good Oils, they serve the Soul for food. What doth a Soul that hungereth, and thirsteth after Righteousness seed upon, but the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? (some indeed have found a Righteousness of their own to feed upon, but I doubt whether those Souls that feed on nothing else will appear fair, and well liking in the great [Page 205] day of the Lord:) Suppose a Soul pined away in the sense of its iniquities, what doth it live upon, but only the free Grace and mercy of God in the Lord Jesus Christ? As Hezekiah said in another case; By these things men live: so doth every Spiritual Soul make use of the Grace of Christ, and may say: By the Righteousness of Christ I live, by thelove, pity, and tender mercies of Lord Jesus Christ I live: By his fulness of grace I live, for, of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace. Thus you see how upon all ac­counts, The grace of Christ is like good Ointments.

But thus much generally. We are upon a Bed of Spices, it is good for us to be here, let me therefore speak a little more par­ticularly, shewing you particularly:

Qu. 3. What these Graces of our Lord Jesus Christ are, which are upon all these accounts, as good Oils, or good Ointments.

I shall answer this in several particulars:

1. The Grace of Ʋnion, is as a good O [...]l. There is a three-fold Union considerable with reference to Christ. 1. His Eternal Ʋ ­nion with his Father. This is what he saith in the Gospel once, and again, I and my Father are one, but it is not proper to call this Grace. It was natural; his Generation who can declare? 2. The second is the Hypostatical Ʋnion of the Divine, and Humane Nature, in the One Person of the Mediator. This was Grace, the assumption of our Nature, to make one Person, with the Divine Nature, this was an act of Grace; it was not Natural, not Eternal, but the product of Divine, and free [...] time. It was the Grace both of the first and of the second Person in the Trinity, to assume humane nature into an Union with the second Person. 3. There is an Ʋnion of Christ with Believers, I in you (saith Christ) and you in me. These are mysteries (the two latter I mean) not to be fully known, and understood, until Christs second coming. At that day (saith our Blessed Lord) Joh. 14. 20. You shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and Lin you. That there is such a thing we know, how it is we do not know: but in the mean time this is also of Grace. This in the second sense is terminated in Christ, in the last it is terminated in the truly be­lieving Soul. I am sure both are as good Oils. That Grace which was both from the Father, and himself considered as God, by which our Nature was assumed into a oneness with the Second [Page 206] Person in the God-Head. This is like a good Oil, this was the sweet anointing Oil of his Consecration, by this he Was constituted out High-Priest, capacitated to offer a Sacrifice to his Father, both meritorious, and acceptable. As God he could not die, as meerly the Son of man he could not merit, as God-man, he could do both. O this makes Christ exceeding lovely in the Eyes of a Spiritual intelligent Soul: Christ as God is full of Glory and Majesty; but his Glory is invisible, his Majesty is incomprehensible; but now when the Word was made flesh, and came and dwelt amongst us, then as the Evangelist saith) we beheld his glory, as the glory of the on­ly begotten Son of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. All the comfort of a Soul dependeth upon Christs Incarnation, and what he did, and suffered, as manifested in the fl sh. Oh! how sweet this is to the Soul to think of this, together with the satisfaction, which by vertue of this, he gave to Divine Justice, and the daily intercession which he makes, together with the considerati­on, that in this Capacity he entred into the Heavens, as our fore­runner; and we sit together with, and in him in heavenly places (as the Apostle speaks) are matters of exceeding sweet Medi­tation; upon these the Soul liveth, and supporteth its faith. The Grace of Ʋnion also considered in the last notion is exceeding sweet. This Grace is rooted in Christ, and terminated in the Soul. By this the Soul is consecrated to God, by vertue of this it is con­secrated a Priest to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices to God acceptable through the beloved; by this it is comforted and refreshed, when it is terrified with the thoughts of the disunion with God, occa­sioned by the fall of Adam, and that separation which its daily sins make betwixt God and it: By this the Soul liveth its Spiritu­al life, for Spiritual life lies in the union of the Soul with God, which is made by, and in Christ.

Secondly, The Grace of Love in Christ, is as a sweet Oil or Oint­ment: That holy disposition which is in him, by which he takes de­light in the Sons of Men, willeth them good with respect to their seve­ral capacities. God is love (saith the Apostle) Christ is Love as he is God, but as Mediator he is infinitely full of love; his pardoning Grace, is nothing but free love respecting a guilty creature, his heal­ing, restoring Grace is free love respecting a backsliding Soul. I will heal your backslidings, and love you freely. He hath in him comfort for them that are sad, strength for them that are weak; now is not this an Ointment that giveth a good savour? I appeal to any Soul [Page 207] that hath been pricked at the heart for sin, and felt the load and bur­then of it: How sweet hath it been to a Soul to apprehend the Lord Jesus Christ as one who pardoneth its iniquities! How sweet hath it been to a Soul smitten with the sense of its backslidings, to apprehend Christ as one who healeth backslidings, and hath mercy even for the rebellious also! When a Soul is discouraged at the ap­prehended difficulty of duty, the strength and prevailings of sin, and cor­ruption, how sweet is it to the Soul to think of Christ's strengthening grace, the Promises against the Dominion of sin, and the over-power­ing of temptation, &c. That we who of our selves can do nothing, yet can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us!

Thirdly, The Righteousness of Christ, is a good Oil or Ointment. There is a threefold Righteousness may be conceived in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Considering him as God; so there was in him an universal rectitude and perfection of nature. What is essentially good, pure and perfect, is the object of Love. Thy Word is pure (saith Da­vid) therefore doth thy Servant love it. 2. Considering him as Me­diator, so his Righteousness was his Active and Passive Obedience: Whether both be imputed to us for Righteousness, that is another question, as to which I shall only say this; That the usual Objection, That his Active Obedience was but the debt of his humane Nature, which was a Creature, and therefore could not be imputed, is of no value, for his Righteousness was the Righteousness and Obedience of a person that was God Man, so had a surplusage infinitely beyond the debt of the humane Nature considered as a creature. Most certain it is, he had a Righteousness, yea and a Righteousness which is reckon­ed to us for Righteousness: his Name is, The Lord our Righteousness; and he was made of God for us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption; and this is a sweet Ointment; for by this the Soul knows that God hath said to it, Take away that Soul's filthy garments, and clothe it with a change of garments: By this it knows, under the utmost sense of its own unrighteousness, that it hath a Righteousness, wherein it shall stand before God, and its Sins shall be as if they ne­ver had been; by this the Soul knows that its imperfect duties, and short performances of the Divine Law shall be made up, through the more perfect performance of the Lord Jesus. 3. There is also a Righteousness of the humane Nature of Christ, which was the confor­mity of his Soul to the whole Will, and Law of God. There is no holy disposition required of any humane Soul, but was to be found in [Page 208] the Lord Jesus Christ. Holiness, Meekness, Patience, universal Obe­dience; now this also is a sweet smelling Ointment.

1. As these dispositions render any Subject lovely, any creature, though found in it more imperfectly, much more Christ in whom they are found most eminently. There is none but naturally loves one who behaveth himself blamelesly, in whose heart we can discern no guile; one who is in his behaviour humble, meek, lowly, gentle, patient, full of goodness; now these, and all other excellent Virtues being in Christ eminently, make him the excelling Object of our Love: Christ was meek and lowly, Matth. 11. 29. he was humble, condescending to those of low degree. He made himself of no repu­tation, Phil. 2. 7. Though he was rich, yet for our sake (saith the Apostle) he became poor. For his patience, he was led as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and as a Sheep before the Shearers, so opened he not his mouth. What should I speak of his readiness to forgive, his praying to his Father that he would forgive those that crucified him; all these made Christ an exceeding lovely Object.

2. But now Christ as Mediator hath not only these excellent ha­bits as Ornaments for himself, but as the Fountain of Grace, to distri­bute to us. Of his fulness, we have received Grace for Grace, 1 Joh. v. 16. These are now Christ's good Ointments, for the savour of which the Spiritual Virgins love him. And that they may do so, it is necessary they should receive the savour of them. At the savour of thy good Ointments: So then, they must not only cast a savour, but the Soul that loveth Christ for them, must receive the savour of 4 Qu. them. The last Question is; How a Soul receiveth the savour of them? I answer two waies.

1. By Faith: I mean not here Justifying Faith (that brings in experience to the Soul, of which more by and by) I mean here only Faith of Assent; whose Object is the Proposition of the Word, to which the Soul fixedly and steadily subscribeth; So as the Revela­tion which is there, becomes as certain to it, as matter of sensible de­monstration: For Faith is (as the Apostle telleth us) the Evidence of things not seen.

Secondly; The Soul receiveth the savour of these good Oint­ments: By Experience it hath tasted how good the Lord is. What it bath heard of God in his Word, it hath seen in the communications of his Grace. There is no knowledge like to this, and there is no Spiritual Virgin, but hath had less or more, some experience of the Lord's good Ointments. But I come to the Application.

[Page 209] In the first place, this may inform us of the Excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ, what an adequate Object he is for every Soul to take a delight and pleasure in? It may be worth your observation, how the Language of the Scripture concerning Christ, is such as seems to court the humour of every Soul, to a seeking after a propriety and interest in him, by shewing him to have something in him suitable to it, that so it might take our hearts off beguiling Objects. Every Sinner naturally saith, Who will shew us any good? Good is the com­mon Mistress of the World: Every one courts it. They only differ in their fancies and apprehensions of what is so, and court shadows and Chimera's. One saith, Who will shew us any good? That is, some way to get a penny. How shall we heap up Silver as the Dust, and Riches as the Sand, and joyn house to house, and field to field, un­til there be no room left in the Earth? Come unto me, saith Christ, I will give you the Riches of Grace, the Riches of Glory, Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white Rayment that thou mayest be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness may not appear. What shall it profit thee (saith he) to gain the whole world, and lose thy own Soul? Another man he cares not for money, but for his necessary uses; but he hunts after ho­nour, that is his good; he would be [...], some great person in the World; he would be led about the Streets, and hear men cry out; Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to ho­nour. This man now looks upon Silver and Gold but as white and yellow Earth, and Sand, Idolized a little by a relative value some put upon it. He snuffs up the Air, and desires no more than a great Name in the world. Christ, to take them off this pitiful pursuit of the Wind and Chaff of the Air, the empty Air of Court Favour, or popular Applause, tells them, he hath honour for them. To as many as receive him, he gave a p wer to become the Sons of God. And if Sons, then Heirs, Joynt-Heirs with Christ. They shall Reign with him; They shall judge the World; They shall be Kings and Priests to the most High God, &c. There is a third sort that crys, Who will shew us any good? Their good is the tickling of their Senses▪ delicious Fare and Drink for their tast; fine Rayment for their touch; sweet Odours for their smells; Musick for their Ears, &c. Give them but enough of Wine, and Strong Drink, and Dancings, and dainty Food, costly Apparel Perfumes, sweet Ointments for their Hair, &c. and a few such trifling vanities, which perish with the using, and they have enough, let who will take Silver, and Gold, and Honours, &c. [Page 210] Now that the Lord might draw off these sensual Hearts, he proponndeth himself as the object of Pleasure; he at whose right hand is pleasure, a fulness of pleasure for evermore; one who hath Oils, and sweet Ointments, Wine, &c. Thus he allureth the appetite of every sinner, propounding himself as an object pro­portioned to it.

Use 2. In the second place, This Notion will afford every one of us a Note by which we may try our interest in, and acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Note is this: If thou beest a Spouse of Christ, thou hast a savour of his good Ointments. Do the excelling graces of Christ, make him appear pretions to thy Soul? 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that believe he is pretious. To an unbeliever Christ is vile; every unbeliever doth not speak vilely of Christ, but he hath a vile estimate of him, he judgeth vilely concerning Christ, he hath no esteem for him, he seeth no excellency in him for which he is to be desired; he can understand the value of any Gold, but that which Christ calleth Gold tried in the fire, Rev. 3. 18. He can fancy the value of any honour, except that of being called the Sons of God, he can tast any pleasure, but that which ariseth from a Souls Ʋnion, and communion with Christ. By this we may try our selves, what relation we have to Christ.

Use 3. In the last place, this Notion of Christs good Ointments offers me a fair opportunity to persuade Men and Women of pleasure, Vain, Christless, careless Souls, to endeavour an acquaintance with Christ. There is a generation in the world, whom pleasure enti­ceth from God and his ways, their temptation lies not in their Chests, they value not riches, if they have mony, they throw it away as dirt; it lies not in honours, they have no itch after great places, no, but it lies in the cravings of their external senses. Their senses itch, & they must scratch them & this is their undoing,& must be so, so long as the practice of Religion lies in self-denyal, and a mortification of our members. They must drink Wine in Bowls; and stretch themselves upon their couches of Ivory, and a­noint themselves with chief Ointments, and chant to the sound of the Viol, and invent to themselves instruments of Musick. Give them but a few glasses of brisk, and generous Wine, and a lesson or two upon some instrument of Musick, with a foolish wanton Song: Give them but gay cloths, and a powdered Perriwig, a few patches, or a little paint for their faces, they regard not whe­ther they have a peny in their Purses yea or no, and verily Plea­sure [Page 211] is the undoing of many a Soul; the Woman (saith the Apostle, it is as true of the man) that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. As there are pleasures, the meer use of which is sinful, so there is scarce any kind of pleasures, I mean such grati­fications of the outward senses, as come under the name of Vo­luptates, but expose Souls to temptations to greater sins, and in­dispose the Soul to the greatest duties, they are Snares in which the Devil catcheth many a poor Soul. Now how shall these poor Souls, be drawn off from this, that it may not dance itself into Hell fire? Certainly by no means so effectual as the discovering to it, that as these pleasures are pernicious, and dangerous to the Soul, so there are far greater pleasures to be found with Christ. Perfumes often are but like paint to a Sepulcher; the body, the cloaths, by a little art smell sweet, the mind and Soul (the more noble part of man) stinks (it may be through sordid conditions) but most certainly in the Nostrils of God, as being out of Christ; the Begger that hath been anointed with the good Ointments, mention [...]d in the Text, though he smells of the Dunghil, of putrified Sores, in our nostrils, yet in the nostrils of God, and of all S [...]i [...]ts, hath a thousand times sweeter savour than the most costly perfumed Sinner in the world. O therefore come to Christ, that thou maist have of his sweet Ointments.

Br. 2. And let this engage every Child of God to study Christ more, to labour for more knowledge of the Scriptures, for more ex­periences of the Grace of Christ. How often do we put a Box of sweet perfume, or aflower to our nostrils? How seldom do we medirate of Christ, or smell of his sweet Ointments? Consider, 1. Hath not Christ good Ointments? have not you had experience of them? Nay 2. Herein lies their excellency, their sweetness is inexhanstible; you have, i [...]may be, tasted a little of the sweet­nesa of Grace, and communion with God, but ah! how little?

3. Lastly, The more your Souls are acquainted with him, and the mysteries of his Grace, the more you study him, the nearer you come to him, the more exceeding sweet he, and his grace will appear to your Souls. He that cometh too near a Box of Ointment, smells a worse savour then at a distance; there is an ill smelling earthiness in all the worlds sweets; but the nearer your Souls come to Christ: The nearer fellowship and communion you have with him, the more exceeding sweetness you will discern in him.

Sermon XIV.

Canticles 1. 3.
At the savour of thy good Ointments: Thy name is an Ointment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee.

I Have opened these words, and from them handled already one Proposition of Doctrine.

I now proceed to the second from those words, Thy name is an Ointment poured forth.

The name of Christ is an Oil, or Ointment poured out.

Prop. 12. When I opened the words, I told you a Name, is either a word or words expressive of the essence of a thing, or serving to distinguish one thing from another. In the first sense God hath no name. No word sufficiently expresseth the essence of God; what is his name? What is his Sons name? It is secret it is wonderful. But so far forth as God, or Jesus Christ is by any terms made known to us, so far he is said to have a name. More especially I told you, that Christ as Emanuel, or God with us, hath several names: Jesus, Christ, Messias, Emanuel; these are all his names. 2. Whatsoever Christ is made known by to his People, or to any Soul by, that is his name, but that I may yet speak a little more fully, and distinctly, I will shew you; 1. What I mean by the name of Christ in the Proposition. 2. In what sense this name of his, is like an Oil, or Ointment poured out. 3. I shall prove it to you, and shew you whence it is so. Lastly, I shall apply it.

Q [...]. 1. What in the Doctrine is meant by the name of Christ?

I have told you in the general, those proper names, whether relating to his Person or Offices, which the Scripture gives him. Let me instance in some of them.

1. Emanuel (or it may be more properly Immanuel.) When that Ahaz, Is. 7. 14. refused to ask a sign, the Lord graciously promiseth him one. A Virgin (saith the Prophet) shall conceive, [Page 213] and bear a Son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel. The An­gel gives him this name, Mat. 1. 23. The name it self is Origi­nally Hebrew, made up of three Hebrew words. [...] El. signifieth God, [...] signifieth us, [...] signifies with, and thus the Angel interpreteth it. Mat. 1. 23. This is one of the names of Christ, and signifieth the Hypostatical Ʋnion of the two Natures, in the One Person of the Redeemer, and therefore Piscator (I think) saith right that it ought not to be given to any Creature; Cheitomeus tells us it was given to Christ. 1. In respect of his Person, in which God was united with our Nature; and 2. In respect of his Office, we have an advocate with the Father (saith St. John) 1 Joh. 2. 1. even Christ the righteous. So he is God with us; that is, on our side, in that sense, as the phrase is taken, Num. 14. 9. The Lord is with us, sear them not, and Judg. 6. 13. If the Lord be with us, whence is all this?

2. I will join two other names together, indeed they are the same, only one is of an Hebrew extract, the other Greek; Mes­siah and Christ: the one cometh from the Hebrew Verb [...] he hath anointed with Oil, and the Noun properly signifieth one that is anointed; [...] in Greek signifieth one that is anointed: you have the signification of Messias warranted, Joh. 1. 41. we have, s [...]y they, found the Messias, that is, the Christ, and thus even the Samaritans understood it, as appears from the language of the Woman, Joh. 4. 25. I know that when the Messias comes, who is called Christ. The Jews were wont to anoint both their High Priests, and Kings, and Prophets, as you shall find in that one in­stance, 1 Kings 19. 16. compared with the known Text for the anointing the High Priest in the Book of Exodus; those that were thus anointed, were in the Hebrew called Messiahs. The High Priest is so called, Levit. 4. 3. If the High Priest that is a­nointed do sin; the word is there the Messiah. The same name is applied to Saul, the King of Isra [...]l, 1 Sam. 24. 6. The Lord for­bid (saith David, when his men would have had him killed Saul) that I should do this thing to my Master the Lords anointed. In the Hebrew it is the Lords Messiah, yea, and the People of God who have received the Ʋnction of the blessed Spirit, of which the legal Unctions were a Type, have this name applyed to them, Psal. 105. 15, Touch not mine anointed, in the Hebrew it is, touch not my Messiahs, but look, as though there be ma­ny Antichrists (that is many that are enemies to Christ) as St. [Page 214] John tells us, 1 Joh. 2. 18. yet there is an [...], one special Anti­christ to whom that Name belongs, & to whom that Name is as a pro­per Name; whereas, as to others, it is rather an Appellative. So though there be many Messiahs many Anointed ones, to whom the Name agrees as a kind of an Appellative Name; such were the Jewish High Priests, & some, if not all their Kings and Prophets; yea and all the Lord's People, yet there was one to whom this Name eminently & most properly did belong, who was The Messiah: This was Christ. Daniel calleth him Messiah the Prince, Dan. 9. 25. From the going forth of the Com­mandment, to restore Hierusalem, and to build it, unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks. And although the second Psalm literal­ly respects David, an eminent Type, as well as Progenitor of Christ, yet by the Application of it to Christ in the New Testament, it ap­peareth that he was intended in it. There Christ is called the Lord's Messiah, against the Lord and his Anointed, &c. It is a Name which agreeth to Christ as he was Anointed with the Oil of gladness above his fellows, Psal. 45. 8. That is, with the Holy Ghost, and with Power, as it is expounded, Act. 10. 38. The Spirit not being given un­to him by measure, Joh. 3. 34. He was Anointed to Preach glad Ty­dings to the meek, Isa. 61. 1. By this Name some think both Na­tures in Christ are expressed, as well the Divine Nature Anointing, as the Humane Nature Anointed. Justin Martyr thinks he was cal­led the Messiah, not only because he himself was Anointed but be­cause he Anointeth. This is now a second Name given to the Lord Jesus, and is (as I shall shew you) as Oil poured forth.

3. A third peculiar Name of Christ you have, Gen. 49. 10. where he is called Shiloh. Jacob in his last blessing of his Sons saith, The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the Lawgiver from his feet, V. Pagn. till Shiloh come. There is a d [...]spute amongst Etymol [...]g sts, for the Original of that word, some will have it to be derived from [...] which signifies a Son. Until Shiloh come, that is, until the Son of God cometh; or till Judah's Son come, which must be understood either of David, or of Christ: But I do rather agree with those who derive it from the Hebrew Verb [...], which signifies to be a Peace­maker, a name very proper to Christ, who made Peace between God and Man, betwixt Jew and Gentile, and is therefore called Our Peace. This Name of Christ is also an Oil poured forth.

4. A fourth peculiar Name of Christ is the Name Jesus. The Mat. 1. 22. Luke 1. 30. Angel you know gave him that Name, Matth. 1. and gave also the reason of it, because he was to save his People from their sins; [Page 215] he therefore came into the world, that we might be saved from our Enemies, and from the hands of all that hated us. When old Si­meon had him in his Arms, he called him The Lord's Salvation. Jesus signifies a Saviour. These are some of his personal Names, every one of which is to the Soul as a sweet Oil, or Ointment poured forth.

2. But he hath a second sort of Names, which are the Names of Office given to Christ upon the account of several Offices which he was to bear; and thus he is called Our Mediator, Our Advocate, Our King, Our High Priest, The Prophet, &c.

First, He is called Mediator. It is a name you will find in the New Testament given to our blessed Lord four times. One Mediator between God and Man, even the Man Christ Jesus (saith the Apostle to Timothy) 1 Tim. 2. 15. The Apostle to the Hebrews calls him, The Mediator of a better Covenant, Heb 9. 15. Of the New Cove­nant, Heb. 12. 24. The Law was ordained in the hands of a Media­tor, Gal. 3. 19, 20. Socinus tells us, that this word in Scripture sig­nifieth no more than God's Interpreter; but the Word in the Greek is derived from [...], me [...]ius, and signifieth a middle person, one who stands in the midst betwixt two offended parties, and appeaseth them. Su [...]das interprets it by [...], one that maketh Peace. A name excellently agreeing to Christ, who was God-Man: God with us: Neither God only (after his Incarnation) nor meer man. 2. Be­cause being thus God-Man, he interposeth himself betwixt the Of­fended Creator, and the Offending Creature, and taketh up the diffe­rence between God and Man. This Name of Christ is as an Ointment, or Oil poured forth.

Secondly; He is called our Intereessor, and Advocate, Heb. 7. 25. He ever liveth to make Intercession for us, Rom. 8. 34. He maketh Intercession for us, 1 Joh. 2. 1. If we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the Righteous. The Office of an Ad­vocate is in a Court to appear, ingage and plead for his Client. Christ as an Advocate appears in the Court of Heaven for Believers, pleadeth their Cause, answereth the Accusations which Satan brings against them, interceedeth for them, &c. This is a sweet Name. This is as an Oil poured forth to a Soul conscious to it self of its manifold failings, and the imperfections of its best performances.

Thirdly, He is called a King. Pilate called him so in mockery to the Jews, and refused to alter the Superscription of the Cross which had so expressed him. God calls him his King; I will set my King [Page 216] upon my holy Hill of Sion. He is called so not only with regard to his Essential Kingdom, which he hath as God over all, blessed for ever, nor only with respect to his Political Government of his Church, which is, or should be every where executed according to his Laws and Prescripts, but with respect to that special Dominion which he hath over his Saints, by which he doth both surprise their Enemies, bruising Satan under their feet, strengthening them against their lusts and corruptions, commanding them into a conformity to his Will, and to the practice and exercises of those habits of grace which he hath bestowed upon them.

Fourthly, He is called our Priest, our High Priest. The Apostle to the Hebrews calls him the High Priest over the House of God. The High Priest of our Profession, a great High Priest. The Office of the Priest was to enter into the Holiest, to offer Sacrifice for the People, to pray for them, to bless them. Christ did all this: He once offered up himself for us; he entred into the Holiest, whither our forerunner is entred (saith the Apostle;) we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in him. He was (saith the Apostle to the Galatians,) made a Curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come down upon us.

Fifthly; He is called a Prophet; that is also his Name: That Prophet (by way of Eminency) Deut. 13. 3. Joh. 1. 21. Act. 3. 23. The woman of Samaria perceived that he was a Prophet, Joh. 4. 19. He is a Prophet not only as he could, and did foretel many things to come, but as he teacheth and instructeth his People. This he did while he was here upon the Earth, going about, and Preaching in the Temple, in the Synagogues, in the Streets, upon Mountains, &c. but when he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men; he made some Apostles, some Evangelists, others Pastors and Teachers; for the con­tinual building up of his Church; and not only so, but by his Spirit instructing them in, and revealing to them the deep things of God, the things which Eye hath not seen, nor hath Ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive. Now all these pieces of Christ's Name are to the believing Soul as Oil poured forth.

But besides these personal Names of Christ, and his Names of Of­fice. Whatever else Christ is made known by is his Name. I will mention but three things.

First, His Word is his Name. The Gospel of Christ is his Name, that expresseth to us what Christ is. Christ saith, that he had ma­nifested his Father's Name unto the men whom he had given him out of the world, Joh. 17. 6. that is his Fathers Truths, the Doctrine [Page 217] of his Gospel. The Lord Jesus is made known by his Gospel. That doth the same thing for Christ, that our Name doth for us; it lets the World know whose Son Christ is, what he is, what he hath done and suffered for Sinners, and this is to the Soul exceeding sweet, as an Oil that is poured forth.

Secondly, His Mercy is his Name. All those declarations of his love and good will towards his Peoples Souls, of which his Gospel is full. All the Emanations of his Love. When the Lord telleth Moses his Name, he thus proclaimeth it; The Lord, The Lord merciful, slow to anger. As God gets him a great Name upon Pharaoh, and the wicked of the Earth, by executing Justice and Judgment; so he gets himself a great Name amongst his Saints, by shewing me [...]cy. His Name is, I, even I am he that blotteth out transgressions for my own Names sake: I will heal your backslidings, and love you freely.

Lastly, His Truth is his Name. By Truth I mean his Faithful­ness in fulfilling his Word. Thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds, saith David, Psal. 108. 4. David, Psal. 138. 2. resolveth to praise God's Name, for his Loving-kindness and for his Truth. Jesus Christ is much known to us by his Truth and Faithfulness to his Promises, making good to his Peoples Souls, what he hath said; hence he is called the Amen, the Faithful; and the true Witness, Rev. 3. 14. Pareus (upon that Text) saith, that Christ is called the Amen for that reason which the Apostle giveth, 2 Cor. 1. 19, 20. because he is not Yea and Nay, but he is Yea; and because all the Promises of God in him are Yea and Amen. Thus I have opened to you what that Name of Christ is, which the Spouse compareth to an Oil, or to an Ointment poured forth.

2 Qu. But why to an Oil poured forth?

Certainly for the usefulness of it under that circumstance. Oint­ment in the Box, Oil inclosed and kept up in the Vessel, is no way so useful as when it is poured out. If we use it for food, it must be poured out, if for Medicine, if for Ornament, which way soever we use Oil or Ointment, it must be poured out, then it becomes useful to us. But that which I take to be what is principally intended, is, Thy Name is exceedingly, infinitely sweet. Oil is sweet in the Vessel where it is kept; it is sweet, if but dropped out by drops. But saith the Spouse of Christ, Thy Name is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth. Thou hast not only a sweetness and excellency in thy self, but all the grace and mercy in thee is communicated, and that not in drops, or little measures, but as Oil poured forth, that hath scope of Air [Page 218] enough to diffuse it self in and by. If Christ had No Name by which he could be made known to us, yet there would be in him (as God blessed for ever) infinite goodness, as well as Majesty and Glory; the fulness of the God-Head would be in him, he would be full of Grace and Truth; but now his Name makes him to be as an Oil poured forth; by that we behold his glory, the glory as of the begotten of the Father, full of Grace, and Truth, Joh. 1. 14. When the invisible, incomprehensible excellency, love, and grace of Christ is made known unto us, either by the Gospel, or by the emanations of his grace and mercy, or the demonstrations of his truth, and faithfulness, by any of his personal names, or names of Office, w [...]ich are given to him, then like Oil, or Ointment poured out, he appears to the Soul transcendently, incomparably sweet. This now appears both from Scripture, and from experience.

1. From Scripture; how sweet are thy words unto my tast, faith David, Psal. 119. 103. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than Honey, and the Hony-comb, Psal. 19. 10. In his name shall the Gentiles trust, Mat. 12. 21. Adam had a little of Christ made known unto him: One promise (we read of no more) The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head, Gen. 3. 15. It was like Oil poured forth, and kept him from a deliquium, in the sense of the first sin, and his being turned out of Paradise; Abraham heard a little of Christs name, it was to him like Oil poured forth, he saw my day, and rejoiced (saith Christ, John 8. he saw the day star arise afar off; he saw but the morning, the dawning of the morning too, of Christs day, and at a great distance how sweet was it to him? He saw my day (saith Christ) and he rejoiced. I might give you very many instances of the sweetness which the Saints of God per­ceived upon the several discoveries of Christ made to them. But what needs any further demonstration, than what ariseth from the consideration of the thing, and from the experience of any Child of God to whom Christ is, or hath been made known! how sweet must rest be to one that is weary! ease to one that is heavy laden? both these are promised from Christ. Mat. 11. 29. how sweet must the name of a Saviour be to one that is lost and undone, the name of Redeeme [...], to one that is a Captive! The name of a Mediator to one that hath offended a potent adver­sary, able to crush him every moment?

2. I appeal further▪ to the experience of every Child of God, [Page 219] even every Soul who hath tasted any thing of Christ, and who hath heard any thing of his Name, when a Soul is troubled to think, how often, how heinously it hath offended God; how sweet is the name of a Mediator, when it is brought to a sense of its sin, and apprehends itself lost and undone, how sweet is it to remember the name of Jesus, given unto Christ, because he was to save his People from their sins? when a Soul considereth, that without Blood, without a Sacrifice; there is no remission of Sin, how sweet then is the name of an High Priest over the House of God; who offered up himself once for our Sins, and ha­ving done so, ascended up into Heaven, and ever sitteth at the Right Hand of God to make intercession for the Sins of his Peo­ple. How sweet to the Soul that is afraid lest its lusts should have dominion over him, is the name of Christ as a King, given unto him, because he is to rule in the hearts of those who are once subjected and subdued unto him. How sweet are his mercy, his truth, his promises, when at any time the latter are applied to the Soul, and the former any way made known in the Soul?

Doth any one ask whence it is that the name of Christ is so sweet to the Soul? I answer,

1. Because it signifieth him, to be the fountain of the greatest spiritual good to us; his name Messiah and Christ signify him to be separated, and set apart of God for the accomplishment of the great business of our Salvation; his name Emanuel signifies him to have Hypostatically united in one Person, the Divine, and Hu­mane Nature, that he might be a fit Mediator, that he might die, and merit salvation for us by dying; his name Jesus signifies that he is a Saviour; his name Shiloh speaketh him to be a Peace­maker, his name of an Advocate, signifies him to transact our busi­ness in Heaven for us, his name of High Priest signifies him to have offered for us a propitiatory Sacrifice, to have made an atonement for us, to bless us, to interceed for us; the like I might say of his other names. Now if the name of a friend, who hath done some great kindness for us, be oft-times sweet, like an Oil poured forth unto us, how much sweeter must be his name, by whom we are blessed with all Spiritual blessings?

Secondly. Because by his Name, or in his name, our greatest blessings are obtained. How sweet must that name be to the beg­ger upon the use of which, all its wants are supplied. Is salvati­on worth any thing? There is no other name under Heaven by [Page 220] which we can be saved, but only the name of Jesus; do our Souls want any thing? Whatsoever you shall ask in my Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, John 14. 13. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you, ch. 16. v. 23. Is the Soul trembling under the sense of its guilt, doth horrour surprize it? do the terrors of the Lord distract it: a wounded Spirit who can bear? by the discovery of the Lord Christs name to it, in the Gospel, promises, in the mercy, truth, and faithfulness of Christ, it is freed from these. The dis­covery, the least discovery of Christ to the troubled Soul, is like the Sun beam to the weather beaten and be-wildered Tra­veller, like the shadow to him whom the heat maketh faint, like light to him that fitteth in darkness, like life to him that fitteth in the shadow of death. How sweet is the discovery of Christs truth in his promises, the sealing of a promise to a poor doubt­ing Soul? Every Soul that hath experienced it will say. It is like Oil poured forth.

Use 1. I come to the application of this discourse, Is the name of the Lord Jesus so exceeding sweet, like an Oil poured forth. Oh then Origen. in Homil. in loc. what is Christ himself? It is Origens application; Si solo nomine—Quid ejus faciet substantia? How sweet is the Oil upon the Crown of the head, when that which runs down to the skirts of the garment, is so sweet? Open all created boxes, admit that all their sweet qualities would unite, and conspire to make one compounded fragrant smell, distill all the odoriferous herbs that the Earth bringeth forth, mix all the sweet gums, and odorife­rous spices of Arabia, and the whole Eastern part of the world: let them all make one body, and contribute all their delicious qualities, to the composition of one Oil or Ointment to please the wanton sense of a Creature, what would they all signify to one Christ? Oh blessed Jesus; thou that art altogether delights, clear the Nostrils of vain Creatures, stopt with their own lusts, and the vanities of pitiful creature satisfactions, and contentments, that they may take the air of thy delicious names, and follow thee in the sa­vour of thy most precious Ointments.

Br. 2. Secondly, Is the name of Christ in this life so exceeding sweet. Oh what will the enjoyment of Christ in Heaven be? When the Saints shall see him as he is, when they shall be ever with the Lord, beholding his face, rejoycing in his presence, when they shall be at his right hand, where are, and shall be Pleasures, and [Page 221] fulness of Pleasures, and that for evermore; here we know in part, and see in part, and the greatest part of that we know of Christ, amounteth not to the least part of what we do not know; then the Saint shall see him face to face, and know him, as he is known by him. Surely we should cry out with the Psalmist, Bles­sed is the man whom thou chusest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts. Here we sit but under the shadow of the Apple tree; yet it is with great delight, and his fruit is pleasant unto our tast; how sweet will it be to be within the arms of it? If a Garden of Flowers, or a Bed of Spices casteth a [...]sweet smell at a 1000 miles distance, what will it do when we come near it? O you! to whom the name of Christ is as an Ointment pou­red forth, follow the savour of it, it will bring you to that place of delights, where your Souls shall be ever satiated, but never nauseated.

Br. 3. Thirdly, Observe from hence the difference betwixt a natural carnal man, and a spiritual man. The name of Christ is published in all our parts of the world. The Gospel is published, that is Christs name (saith Gencbrard upon my Text) but the natural man discerneth no sweetness in it, he can smell sweetness in a per­fume, but in the name of Christ he can smell nothing sweet. Nay what is more unpleasing to a carnal heart than the name of Christ? and there is reason for it, for to him Christs name is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, his name is a Judge, an Enemy, &c.

Use 2. In the second place, what an argument is here to persuade those that hear it to labour for a discovery of Christs name to their Souls. To persuade sick and fainting Souls to make application of Christs name to themselves: To all to study Christs name more, to wear it upon their hearts, to meditate of it, &c.

1. To persuade those who know little or nothing of Christ as yet, to get a knowledge of Christs name; sweetness naturally en­ticeth the sense, and attracts the Soul, shall the incomparable sweetness of Christ draw no Souls unto him? shall the air of Solomons name bring the Q of the South from the furthest parts of the Earth, and shall Christs name draw never a Sinner, invite never a Soul, to come and tast, and see how sweet, how good the Lord is? You that are enticed with the smell of a flower, that lay out your mony for persumes of no value; will you have no value for these sweet Ointments; Alexander the great was said to have had such a rare temper of his body that it cast forth [Page 222] a natural sweetness. I am sure there is an infinite, a transcendent sweetness in the Lord Jesus. O let the Virgins love him! Men and Women that are in a state of Nature, are in one sense Virgins, not for purity, but as not married to Christ. O do you love Christ for the savour of his good Ointments! Consider what a difference there is betwixt this Object of your Loves, and those pitiful Objects which your Souls are so hot in the pursuit of. One man's heart is after his Wine, another's after his Riches, a third after the Pride of Life. The Name of these things is like the opening of a Dung­hill, which sendeth forth a stench; they bring up an ill report up­on your Souls. Christ's Name is like an Ointment poured out.

2. What an Argument doth this afford to persuade troubled, faint­ing Souls, in their spiritual Swoonings, and Deliquiums, to apply themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. Ludovicus De Ponte upon my Text telleth us; Oil is a sign of Peace, it healeth wounds, it nourisheth the weak, it feedeth the Candle with light; It exceedeth all Liquors. Christ's Name is as Oil, as Oil poured forth; it brings Peace to a disturbed Soul; it healeth the wounds of a wounded Spirit; it nourisheth the weak Soul; it exceedeth all created Oil. O meditate upon this excellent Name. There is something healing and refresh­ing almost in every Name of Christ.

3. Finally, Let those who have tasted how good the Lord is, study Christ's Name more; meditate upon his Name, his Promises, his Mercy, Truth and Faithfulness more; wear his Name upon your hearts. There is no Christian but is subject to its faintings. David's Soul fainted for the Lord's Salvation, Psal. 119 81. But he hopes in the Lord's Word. He had multitudes of perplexing thoughts, but in the midst of all the comforts of God refreshed his Soul. You that have experienced the sweetness of his Name, study yet a farther knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him.

Sermon XV.

Cant. 1. 3.
Because of the savour of thy good Ointments. Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth; therefore do the Virgins love thee.

I Have yet something further to discourse to you from this Text. You have heard from it, 1. That Christ hath good Oils, or good Ointments which cast a savour. 2. That his Name is as an Oil, or Ointment poured forth. It followeth, Therefore do the Virgins love thee. When I opened the words, I noted to you a double sense of the term Virgins, each▪ contrary to the other. Some taking notice of the term Virgins, as signifying persons in a single and solute state and condition, understand by it, persons that are natural and unregenerate, not yet by Faith married and united to this spiritual Bridegroom, in­tended in this Song, who upon the pouring out of the sweet Oil in the Preaching of the Gospel (which is part of his Name) are invited and allured to take a complacency in the Lord Jesus Christ, to desire him, to will and chuse him as their Lord and their Saviour. There is a truth in this: When I shall be lifted up (saith Christ) I will draw all men after me. But I do not think this the sense of the term: 1. Be­cause I am not willing to interpret Metaphors used in Scripture into a sense different from all other Texts of Scripture, where the same terms are used. Now I do not remember that in all Scripture, Heathens, Unbelievers, Natural and Unregenerate men are called Virgins, but only such as are the Saints and Servants of God. 2. Nor secondly are they so, they be [...]ng married to their lusts and to the world, &c. Up­on which account the Scripture expresseth them under the notion of Adulterers, and Adulteresses; persons that are filthy, unclean, defiled, &c. 3. Neither can the Natural Unregenerate man be said (while such) to love Christ, because of the savour of his good Oiutments, they are constantly expressed under the notion of such as hate God, and hate Christ. By Virgins therefore I then told you the Scripture gene­rally understands the Saints. Indeed Professors at large in the Pa­rable, [Page 224] Matth. 25. 1. are set out under the notion of foolish Virgins. But the wife Virgins are the true Children of God, Rev. 14. 4. 2. Cor. 11. 1. The Proposition then is this:

Prop. 13. That the Saints (who are Virgins) love the Lord Jesus Christ for those excelling graces which they discern in him.

In the handling of which, I shall

1. Enquire why Saints are called Virgins, so shewing you the pro­priety of the Metaphor.

2. Whence it is, that they love Chr st, for the savour of his Oint­men [...]s, and the pourings out of his Name.

First, Why are the Saints of God called Virgins?

Not because they are not married. The Soul of man will not be alone, it will be united to something; if it be not united to God and Christ, it will be united to the world, to lust and corruption. I say, it will not be alone. The same therefore that are here called Virgins, are elsewhere called The Spouse of Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, &c. Such as are espoused to one Husband. God faith of them, I am married to you (saith the Lord.) But they are called Virgins;

1. Because they are free from those things to which Vulgar Souls are married, but which are not the proper Husbands of reasonable Souls. God hath created man's Soul for himself, and its Maker on­ly can be a proper Husband for it. A Soul may be united to other Objects, but they are not just Matches, they are not proper Husbands for Immortal Souls, that are Spiritual Substances, and under ordi­nations for Eternity. The most of Souls are married, but they are unequally yoked. For a Spiritual Substance to be united to a clod of Earth, to a little yellow Earth or Sand, is a very unequal match. For a Soul to be united to any sordid lust, any sinful pleasure, is a very unequal match. The Souls of Voluptuous men, of Covetous world­lings, of Ambitious men, they are indeed married, they have made a Covenant with their lusts, and with the world, and with these things; they eat, they drink, they sleep, they converse, they keep a constant communion, as the married woman doth, but they are all this while Adulterers and Adulteresses, because these things are not proper matches for the Soul of man; it is like the marriage of a Man to a Beast. Now in this respect the Saints are Virgins, not de­filed with this adulterous Union; they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 2. 20. [Page 225] Hence they are called undefiled in the way, Psal. 119. 1. They are Virgins with respect to any Marriage-Union with the world, or any sinful lusts, or any thing which is not a proper match for a rational immortal Soul. They indeed live in the world, and use the world, but they use it (according to the Apostles Precept) as if they used it not; they live not with the world, as the Wife lives with her Hus­band, delighting in it, looking upon it as their chief Joy and Por­tion; they make use of the world, and the things of this world for their lawful occasions (as the Man may use the Woman that is not his Wife) but the world is not that, which their hearts cleave to, or set upon, and in which they take a chief pleasure and delight. For their lusts and corruptions, they are not free from them, but their hearts are dead to them. Thus they are Virgins with respect to their state, which is not a state of absolute independency from the world, or absolute freedom from lusts and corruptions, but such a freedom from the one and the other, that they have no constant fellowship and communion with either.

2. Their Life is like the Life of a Virgin, an hidden Life. The Virgin hath her name in the Hebrew from [...], which signifieth to hide, because she lived an hidden kind of life. Virgins antiently lay hid in their Fathers house, and there they spent their time, not in Markets, and Fairs, and places of publick concourse. Dinah made an escape, and there was (you know) a sad consequent of it. The Virgins life is most in her Closet, or in her Fathers house. Such is the life of a Child of God; they are called God's hidden ones; and the Apostle saith of them, Our life is hid with Christ in God. The Spiritual Soul spends most of its time at home, in its Closet, or in his Fathers house, where two or three are met together in the Lord's Name (this is their Fathers house on Earth) or else in Heaven. Our conversation is in Heaven, Phil. 3. 20. The world (saith the Apostle) knoweth us not. The Children of God live, but the World under­stands not how they live; they walk with God▪ They live in Christ; the life which they live in this state, is by Faith in the Son of God.

3. The Life of Virgins is a free Life, free from that care and solli­citude which attendeth the House-wife. The Apostle telleth us, 1 Cor. 7. The unmarried woman seeketh to please the Lord, but she that is married seeketh to please her Husband. The married woman hath upon her a great deal of care and trouble; she hath an Hus­band, she hath Children, she hath Servants, she hath a Family to take care for; the Virgin hath nothing to trouble her, nothing to take [Page 226] care about, but how to please her Father, who provideth for her what she hath need of. In this respect the Disciples of Christ are Virgins; God hath bidden them be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and Supplications, let your requests be made known un­to God, Philip. 4. 6. He hath commanded them to cast their care up­on him, assuring them that he careth for them, 1 Pet. 5. 7. As the Father taketh the care of his Virgin Daughters upon himself, so as they need not be sollicitous, or trouble themselves with cares what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on; so hath the Lord taken care for his Children; and every Child of God that walks up to his Principles, and liveth up to his holy Calling, leadeth a life as void of sollicitous care and anxiety, as the Virgin in her Fathers house, whose only care is to please her Father. He is indeed careful to maintain good works but for nothing else; and thus as with respect to their state, so with respect to the way and condition of their lives, the Saintsare Virgins. But further yet, they are, or should be Virgins, with respect to their Qualifications.

4. Virgins are chast and undefiled. Thus the Children of God are usually described in holy Writ. I have espoused you to one Hus­band, that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ, 2 Cor. 11. 2. They are called pure in heart, undefiled in the way; they have not defiled their garments, Rev. 3. 4. Indeed every married woman is not an unclean woman; there is a marriage-bed undefiled (as the Apostle speaks) and indeed as there is a matrimonial Virginity, or Chastity, so the Saints are such; for though they be Virgins, yet they are espoused to one Husband; they are married unto Christ. Though their hearts cleave not to Objects which indeed cannot be the proper Husbands of a reasonable, spiritual and immortal Soul.

5. Finally, Virgins are or should be modest in all their behaviour. She that hath lost her Modesty, hath exposed her Virginity to great jealousies and suspicions. The Children of God are so in their hearts, in their discourses, in their hehaviour. But I have opened this Me­taphor sufficiently. Now these Virgins love Christ for the savor of his Name, because his Name is an Oil, or Ointment poured forth. All these things are spoken in a figure, that figure which we usually call a Metaphor. Sweet things entice and allure our senses. Sweet sa­vours are grateful to our smell. Thence it is that it hath been an antient practice for Men and Women to use sweet Oil, or Powder, that they might be more amiable and delightful to their Lovers: This you may know was an old practice, by that instance of the [Page 227] lewd Woman in the Proverbs, who to invite the young man to her Adulterous Bed, tells him, She had perfumed her Bed with Myrrh, Aloes and Cinamon. The Spouse making use of this vain and wan­ton practice, to express how pleasant and delightful Christ was to her, fancieth him as one perfumed with sweet Odours; anointed with odoriferous Oil, or Ointment. Thy Name (saith she) is as an Oil, or Ointment poured forth; Therefore do the Virgins love thee. That is, thou art possessed of many noble, rich and excellent habits of grace, which make thee to my Soul appear infinitely more sweet and lovely, than all the good Oils and Perfumes in the World can make one appear to the wanton sense of another; and for those ex­cellent graces of the Spirit, by thee not received by measure, and for the pourings out, and discoveries of these upon the Souls of the Saints, and the discovery of them unto their Souls it is, That Souls freed from the pollutions of the world through lust: Souls that are holy, spiritual, heavenly- minded, desire after delights, and take an infinite complacency in the Lord Jesus Christ. What these excellent habits are; what this same unctuous, sweet-smelling Name of Christ is, I have already opened, in my former Discourse. Let me now a little further shew you:

Qu. 2. What there is in the excellent Graces, or precious Discoveries of Christ, which make Christ so amiable to the Soul?

1. There is in them an infinite, inexhaustible, real goodness. All good is attractive. Who will shew us any good, is, you know, Vox Po­puli; and it is impossible a Soul should apprehend any thing fixedly, as really and transcendently good, but it must be pleasing to it. Light is not more grateful to the Eye, than Good is to the reasonable Soul: And as our Eye is proportionably pleased with the glimmerings of Light from a Candle, or the counterfeit of it in a Glow-worm; so the Soul of man falls into the imbracings of good, when it doth but glimmer in a piece of Silver, or dissemble in a perishing pleasure. Nay, we are not altogether selfish in this motion of our will, which we call Love: We naturally love what we apprehend good, though we view it but at a distance from us▪ Many a man that hath no Learning, nor is ever like to have it, yet loves Learning, as it hath in it an innate Excellency, as it is an ornament to him that hath it, and makes him more useful to the world than his Neighbour. In Christ's excelling graces, which dwell in him eminently, and [Page 228] essentially, there is such a lustre, and brightness, and glory, that to make the Soul take a complacency in him, there needeth no more than that it be enlightened to see, know, and understand Christ. Hence it is that many a Soul convinced of the filthiness of sin, and of the fulness of that Excellency which is in Christ, before ever it have received him, so as to apprehend its Interest in him, yet loves, ad­mireth him, passionately desireth a part and portion in him, saith within it self, Oh that my Soul were brought unto Christ! Oh that this Christ were my Christ, my Jesus, &c.

2. But there is not only a transcendent goodness and excellency in Christ's Name, but also a Relative Goodness. Our reasonable Na­tures force us to love any thing which appeareth to us to be Good and Excellent; but we much more love it, when we discover in it a suitableness to our state and condition; and the more goodness and suitableness we discern in any Object in proportion to our state and wants, the more a great deal do our hearts cleave to it, and long af­ter it. Now every Child of God is apprehensive enough of the pro­portion which the Name of Christ bears to the wants, the various wants that it hath. It wants a Mediator, a Saviour, an Advocate, an Intercessor, and this that Soul is sufficiently sensible of, and there­fore its heart cleaveth unto Christ, and cryeth out, Whom have I in Heaven but thee? Or what have I upon the Earth to be compared with thee? This Soul seeth, that there is nothing in Heaven or Earth that so suiteth the Soul of a Child of God as Christ doth. Hence his love to him is stronger than the Grave, and his jealousie burns like fire.

3. The Virgins must needs love Christ, upon the discoveries of himself to their Souls, because these discoveries command, and teach the Soul to love him. Our love to Christ proceeds, you see, upon ratio­nal grounds, but not wholly upon rational Principles; for we are taught of God (saith the Apostle) to love one another; and if with­out a Divine Teaching we cannot love our Brethren whom we have seen, we shall much less love Christ, whom we have not seen Indeed this is the first cause of any love from our carnal hearts to Christ at all, it is true. No Sacrifice from our hearts flameth, or can ascend towards God, until fire hath first come down from Heaven and kindled it; when indeed love is thus kindled in the Soul, the fire increaseth in the Soul; as the apprehensions of Christ's Excellencies, and discoveries of himself, do increase in the Soul from the experi­ences we have of God, or the improvements of our Reason upon Re­velation, to shew us more of the Excellency of Christ. I come now to the Application.

[Page 229] Use 1. In the first place, This may convince us, That even amongst Pro­fessors there are many that glory in appearance, and not in reality. They are no Virgins; they have no love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The world it is to be hoped is not so full of such as go for Virgins in a carnal sense, and are none, as it is of such as go for Virgins, in a spiritual sense, and are none. Unmarried they are, but you must un­derstand it only with reference to Christ, who is the only proper ade­quate match for a reasonable Soul; they are without Christ indeed, but not without a-Mate.

First, Too many are Whores instead of Virgins. You shall in Scripture observe, that sin, especially Apostacy, is compared to Whoredom; and those that live in sin, to such as live in Adultery. God of old complained of his People, that he was broken with their whorish heart. Ah! how many Professors are there in the world, of whom we may say the same; God is broken with their whorish heart. How many spots are there in our Assemblies? How many of our Virgins that have at least such black spots upon their faces, as cannot be allowed to be the spots of God's Children? Some are gone a whoring after other Gods. (Reconciled they call it to the Church of Rome.) Oh! tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the Tents of Aske­lon, that Protestants should ever again lick up that Vomit, and be so sottish, as to adore a piece of bread for God, or fall down before a Graven Image. Blessed be God there are not many whom God hath thus given over; I mean, not many Professors, though too many that have been baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ. But how many more have defiled themselves with damnable, or at least very dan­gerous Opinions? You read of the Daughter of Jephtah, that she went up to the Mountains three months to bewail her Virginity. The Mountains are places of solitude. How were it to be wished for ma­ny, that they would go and sit alone; that they would go up to the Mountains of Solitude, and bewail the loss of their Spiritual Virginity. They were sound Christians (in appearance) but they have lost their soundness. They were fond of Ordinances and Duties, but they have cast off Duties and Ordinances. They were of the number of Vir­gins, as we thought, and we were bound in charity so to think (we judged by the outward appearance) but they have defiled themselves.

Secondly, Many are wedded, and no Virgins. We do not call married Women Virgins. 'Tis true, they are not so in one sense, as the notion of a Virgin signifieth a solute or single person; but yet they may be so in another sense, as the notion of a Virgin signifieth [Page 230] one that is pure and chast. But now, if you can imagine a Woman married to a Beast, or married incestuously, this marriage would spoil her Virginity in the fairest notion of it. The Soul married to Christ, is yet a Virgin, for she is married but to one Husband, and him the proper Husband for a poor Soul, so that that Soul is yet a Virgin. But now the voluptuous sensual Soul, that is united to a base and sordid lust; or the covetous worldly Soul, that is united to the gain and filthy lucre of the world, is no Virgin, no more than an ince­stuous Wife is in any notion a Virgin; and how many of these are to be found in the Tents of persons professing to Religion! How ma­ny Demas's, who have forsaken and forgotten their Religion, and have embraced the present World? Judas's, who have betrayed their Master and their Brethren for a few pieces of Silver? Surely the Soul, the high-born Soul of man, is of too noble an extract, too spiritual a substance to be united to the Earth. This is cer­tainly a forbidden Relation. Love not the world (saith the Apostle) nor the things of the world; yet never were more to be found amongst such who are called Christians.

Thirdly, Marriage doth not alwaies spoil Virginity, as it signifies Cha­stity: But an heart equally cleaving and inclining to two men will; especi­ally if byast to him who is not the Woman's Husband. She that hath one true and proper Husband, and yet loveth another equally with him, or more than he, hath lost her Virgin-heart. Ah! how many of these are there amongst Professors? they are married to Christ in the face of the Church; they were baptized into his Name, and are under Vows to be the Lord's: But as God said of old concerning Ephraim; Their heart is divided, and therefore they must be found faulty. Ah! How many are there that have divided hearts? that halt between two Opinions, and are not able to conclude with themselves, whether Baal be God, and they should serve him; or God be God, and they shall serve him? Nay, they halt between two Conversations; something there is of Heaven in them, but alas! how much of the Earth? how much of sin, folly, and vanity? how much of contradiction to their Profession? where's a Christian Caleb to be found to walk with God fully?

Fourthly, If we have some that are Virgins, yet how few beauti­ful Virgins? where's the beauty, the glory of Professors? where's their former shining out before men? Ah! call your Children Icha­bods; call them Ichabods. The Glory is departed in a great measure from England, from the Professing Party of England. Where's the [Page 231] former sincerity, love to God, zeal for God, plainness of heart, sincerity of conversation, brotherly love, heavenly walking? the World, the vanities of the World, have spoiled Professors beauty. The Sun of a little outward prosperity hath shone up­on them, how are they tanned?

Use 2. But in the next place this discourse offers us a fair opportunity to try our Relation to Christ, whether we be the Lambs Wife, who shall hereafter follow him whithersoever he goes. 1. Are you Spiritual Virgins? There are tokens of Spiritual as well as Natural Virginity. 1. Purity, and Chastity, in heart, as well as outward appearance; Blessed are they (saith our Saviour) who are pure in heart, for they shall see God; is not thy heart defiled, with sensual affections, impetuous passions, doth not thy Soul cleave to sin, and lust? 2. Dost thou live like a Virgin, an hidden life? doth not the world see all that thou hast of a Spiritual life, dost thou not like the Pharisees, love to pray standing in the Syna­gogues, and in the corners of the Streets, more than with thy doors shut about thee, in thy closet? livest thou any thing of that life which is hid with Christ in God? is it thy only and grea­test care to please thy heavenly Father, and Christ thy great Lord and Master? 3. Where's thy modesty; the Virgin blusheth presently, when any thing is reflected upon her. Art thou asha­med when thou committest iniquity, and thy heart reflects it upon thee, or hast thou a Whores fore-head, that cannot blush? I might instance in many particulars more, but these are enough to try thy Spiritual Virginity.

2. A second note of the Spouse of Christ arising from this Text, is a love to Christ; Love is a natural plant, and groweth in every Soul, but love to Christ is a plant from Heaven, heavenly, a plant sprung up from the seed of God in the Soul. If Christ should from Heaven propo und the fame question to thee, which while he was on Earth he propounded to Peter, couldst thou an­swer with him, Lord! Thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee. This Grace of all others is most discernable, for love is of an active nature, and will hardly lie hid. The pantings of thy heart after him, the acquiescence, complacency, and delight of thy heart in him, will easily discover it to thee if thou look­est narrowly. The natural man cannot say, that his Soul cleaveth to Christ, or thirsteth after Christ, or taketh any complacency in the Lord Christ.

Thirdly. As God is the fountain of good, and blessing to his [Page 232] Creatures, and as Christ hath a fair inheritance of a Crown, an Multi cupi­u [...]t con-reg­nare, non compati. Bernard in Cant. Ser. 21. Heaven, an incomprehensible glory which is annexed to the fru­ition and enjoyment of him, so the worst of men may have a kind of love for Christ, or rather, for what he bringeth along with himself unto the Soul.

Lastly, Therefore, Dost thou love Christ for the savour of his good Ointments; because his name is an Oil, or Ointment poured forth? He that loveth Christ meerly for his Heaven, and Glory, is purely selfish in his love. I deny not but Moses had an Eye to the recom­pence of reward, and so hath every honest and gracious heart; without doubt Christs beneficence, and goodness unto us, and the benefit which our Souls have, and hope to have from Christ is, and ought to be a very great attractive, and to draw out our hearts more, and more in love to Christ, but herein is the purity of the Saints love; he discovereth such an excellency in the Lord Jesus Christ, that were he never to have an Heaven with him, yet his heart would cleave to him, & infinitely delight in him; if thou canst say, that thou thus lovest the Lord Jesus, it will indeed speak thee to be a Spiritual Virgin, a Spouse to the Lord Jesus.

Use 3. Ex­hort. I shall conclude my discourse upon this verse with a three­fold word of Exhortation.

1. In the first place methinks from this metaphorical expres­sion of Saints under the notion of Virgins, I have here a fair opportunity to plead with Virgins to be Saints; Virgins (general­ly) have the object of their love to seek; Lo here a most de­serving object for every young man, every young woman that heareth me. Methinks the holy Spirit points out this in the Me­taphor Therefore do the Virgins love thee; Christ here expresseth himself under the notion of some beautiful young man, beauti­fied, and adorned with all the advantages both of nature, and of art; So that the Virgins must love him. I noted to you before that some would have the term [...] to be rather a term of age, then either signifying Sex or State: oh that I could this day prevail with you who are young men and young women, to love the Lord Jesus Christ. Youth is an age, a time of love, full of love, but it usually mispends its self upon vain, and worthless objects, the young man loves his lusts, and his pleasures, the young wo­man loveth dancings, and foolish sports, and vain company, and gay and costly attire, but how rare is it to find a young man or woman that sincerely loveth the Lord Jesus Christ? truly a­mongst young or old, there is hardly one of a thousand, but of [Page 233] those that are in the height and heat of their youth hardly one of ten thousand. It is too frequent for us, to give our mar­row to the Devil, and then think to put off God with the bone. O desperate folly and presumption! offer this now to thy Prince, will he accept it? canst thou expect Sinner that Christ should freely love thee when thou art grown old, who refusedst him when thou wert young? canst thou reasonably think that God will be put off with the fag end of thy life, dost thou not know how hardly an old sinner is brought to repentance? sin is bred and sed in his bones, and it will not out, art thou aware how ac­ceptable to God the sacrifice of thy youth is? under the old law no Sacrifice was admitted that was above three years old. Dost not thou remember how kindly God accepted his young. Samuel, Abijam, Josiah, Timothy, &c. who in their youth inclined their hearts unto him? doth the good nature and handsome features, and sweet perfumes of the young man please thee, and is there no excellency in the Graces of him who is full of Grace and Truth? is there no savour in Christs Ointments? no sweet Odour from his name poured forth! O come you that are Virgins, behold your Hus­band! an Husband, who if you be poor, is able to enrich you, if you be mean and base, is able to honour, and to ennoble you, who, (what ever you want) is able to supply you. O that upon the pouring forth of his name amongst you in this Sermon this day, some of your souls this day might be allured to love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Br. 2. Secondly, This notion obligeth all those that be Saints, or pro­fess themselves such, to approve themselves to be Virgins, the holy Spirit hath so called them; certainly it should be their great care to answer their name. To keep themselves, unspotted from the world, unde­filed in the way; free from the pollution of the world through lust. I have toldyou that there are many, who go for Virgins, but are not, they are wedded to some filthy lust or other, wedded to the world, defloured by entertainnig some corrupt & dangerous prin­ciples, or declining to a corrupt conversation; we live in a debauch­ed, & a debauching age, you that stand, take heed lest you fall.

1. If you lose your Virginity, you lose your honour. The young Womans Virginity is her honour, your freedom from idolatry and superstition; your soundness in the faith, your purity, in­tegrity, and holiness of life is your honour, Hold fast that thou hast (saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia, Rev. 3. 11.) that no man take thy Crown; he who despoileth you of your puri­ty [Page 234] of Doctrine, and Worship, or who seduceth you to any licen­tious practices, takes away your Crown, yea not only your Crown in respect of reputation, but your Crown of Glory also. John, Rev. 14. 1. Saw a Lamb standing upon Mount Sion, and with him 144000, having his Fathers name written upon their foreheaas; and v. 2. heard a voice from Heaven, &c. and they (the 144000) sang as it were a new Song before the Throne, and the four Beasts, and the Elders, and no man could learn that Song but the 144000. which were redeemed from the Earth. v. 4. It followeth: These are they which were not defiled with Women, for they are Virgins, these are they which follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth, these were re­deemed from amongst men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, and in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without sault before the Throne of God; not defiled with Women. Non polluti idololatriá, quae est scortat io spiritualis sed virgines fide & spiri­tu, (saith Pareus) not defiled by idolatry, which is a spiritual Adultery, but Virgins in Spirit and Faith.

Secondly, Consider, if you lose your chastity. It will be an hard matter to reconcile you to your first Husband. If the Virgin be known to have lost her Virginity, it is no easy matter to procure her an Husband of any reputation; if the Wife hath lost her Vir­ginity (that is her chastity) it is an hard matter to reconcile her to her Husband; If a man put away his Wife, and she go from him, shall he return to her again? Jer. 3. 1. It is true, the mercies of God are above the mercies of men, it follows there; yet re­turn unto me (saith the Lord;) but it is no easy matter for a lap­sed Saint to recover his peace; many a Bone must be first broken, and if such be saved, it must be as through fire. It is a dreadful Text which you have, Heb. 6. 5, 6. O keep your integrity, and behave your selves like Virgins, live an hidden life more and more to God, and Christ, more and more reserved from the world; learn what this meaneth, Our life is hid with Christ in God. Be like Virgins, careful in nothing, save only to please Christ, who is your spiritual Husband, let your behaviour speak your Virgin­modesty; and that you may keep your Virgin State, and beha­viour. 1. Take heed of Books, that will principle you to a Spiritual Fornication. There are 2 sorts of Books in the world, which help much to debauch it. 1. Amorous Books full of lascivious Songs, and filthy stories. 2. Heretical Books. The first debauch People as to their bodies: the latter as to their faith and immortal Souls. 2. Take heed of Whorish Company. The Chast Virgin is often [Page 235] spoiled by unchast Society. Dinah went abroad into wanton com­pany, and was deflowred. If she had kept her Fathers house, she had probably kept her honour. How many Christians are defiled both in Judgment and Practice, by keeping company with Papists, Quakers, Socinians, &c.

Br. 3. Lastly, O love the Lord all his Saints for the savour of his Oint­ments; for the sweetness of his Name, which is as an Ointment pou­red forth. The best are prone to love Christ only for the Peace of Conscience which they have, upon their Justification by his blood, and for the Heaven they shall have hereafter for his sake. His Glory is exceeding sweet. This Love is not to be faulted; but I would work my own heart, and have you study to work up your hearts to an higher pitch. Labour to be like Angels. The Angels were ne­ver Redeemed with the Blood of Christ, never knew what trouble of Conscience meant: They have a natural right to Heaven, yet they love, admire, adore Christ; they are rational, though spiritual Sub­sistences. What maketh them to love Christ but the perfections and excellencies which they see in him. Let us study to be like An­gels, to get up our hearts to such a spiritual pitch as this; to love Christ for the excellency of his person for the savour of his good Ointments. I shall add no more to this Discourse. I have now done with this third Verse.

Sermon XVI.

Cant. 1. 4.
Draw me, we will run after thee. The King hath brought me into his Chambers; we will be glad and rejoyce in thee; we will remember thy Love more than Wine. The upright love thee.

I Have told you that the eight first Verses of this Chapter contain three Petitions, which the Spouse (by which we understand the Church, or the believing Soul) maketh to her Beloved, the Lord Je­sus Christ. The first I have done with, together with the Argu­ments [Page 236] ments which she used to enforce it. I am now come to the second, comprehended in this Verse, with the Arguments by which she presseth it. Her first Petition was in those words; Let him kiss me [...] the kisses of his mouth. Here she saith, Draw me. Our English Annotations make the connexion thus; Lord, do not only invite and call me, by the Preaching of thy Gospel (which are the kisses of thy mouth) but command me by the Power of thy Spirit. Or thus; Let me not only be passively happy in receiving tokens of love from thee, but make me active in maintaining communion with thee. Let me run af­ter thee, and to this purpose do thou draw me. Thus the coherence of her Petitions seemeth to lie. Some there are that do not make this a new Petition, but adjoyn the beginning of this Verse to the latter end of the former, and read it thus; The Virgins love thee, and have drawn thee after them; thus the Seventy read it [...]; Se. per fi­dem, qu [...]a Christus ubi vidit cong [...]e­gatus, &c. Origen. ad loc. V. Nyssen. ad loc. and after them Origen and Greg. Nyssen, expounding it of the Faith of the Saints, by which they draw Christ after them according to his Promise; Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, I will be in the midst amongst them. But though there be something of truth in this, yet this Interpretation is, I think, justly slighted by Lud. de Ponte, and others even of the Papists (the greatest Admirers of the Fathers.) And although the Copies of the Seventy, which we have indeed thus read it, yet Symmachus and Aquila, the two other Antient Greek Translators, read it as we translate it: And I am sure that is the true Translation of the Hebrew, where the Verb is in the Imperative Mood, though there be a little change of the Vowels in regard of the Affix, according to the Rules of Gramma­rians: For [...] so I conclude, they are clearly a Petition, and thus the Vulg. Lat. reads them, with the Tigurine Translators, Pagnine, Montanus, Piscator, Junius, and indeed almost all others. Agreeing therefore in that, let me consider, 1. The parts of the Text: 2. Then open the terms: And thirdly and lastly, Raise and handle such Propositions as it will afford, and may be useful to us. You may in the Text please to consider,

1. The Spouse's Petition. Draw me.

2. The Argument by which she enforceth this Petition; We will run after thee. Where 'tis observable;

1. The parties promising; We.

2. The thing promised; A running after Christ.

3. The Spouse's Acknowledgment of her Beloved's speedy Answer to her Prayers: The King hath brought me into his Chambers.

[Page 237] 4. And lastly, The Effects this Answer had upon her; they are three: 1. We will rejoyce. 2. We will be glad in thee. 3. We will remember thy Loves more than Wine. Then you have the Spouse's Justification of her self in this passion; The upright love thee. Let me now come to open the terms.

[...] This word (for it is but one in the Hebrew) contains the Spouse's Petition. It is agreed by all, that it is the Spouse that speaks; by which the Jews, who understand nothing of the Gospel-Church in this Song, understand Abraham, and the Church of the Jews. Aben-Ezra, Apud Gene­brardum. a Jewish Doctor, would have these the words of Abraham speaking to God to draw him out of his own Country into Ur of the Chaldees, according to that hard Precept to flesh and blood, Gen. 12. Solomon Jarchi (another of them) makes it the voice of the Jewish Church speaking to God to bring them back again to Ibid. Hierusalem, out of Captivity. The old Chaldee Paraphrast, and Li­ra with him, make it the voice of the Church of the Jews coming out of Egypt speaking unto God that he would go before them, as he did by the Cloud and the Pillar. The Righteous of that Generation then said, Draw us after thee, O thou Lord of the whole world: We will follow thee in the way of thy goodness. Mr. Cotton makes the Spouse to be either Solomon himself desiring to be drawn to Christ, or the Church of the Jews, desiring Solomon by Laws and Edicts, and Pro­clamations, to draw them to their duty. Rupertus his notion apply­ing the words to Elizabeth, John Baptist's Mother; and of some Po­pish Writers making them the words of the blessed Virgin are hardly worth mentioning, any more than theirs, who would make them the words of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. We have fixed the Spouse with the most and best Interpreters, to be the true Church of God, and every individual believing Soul; and then it is easie to know to whom the words are directed, viz. unto God; and whether we understand the first or second Person in the Trinity, is not at all material: For besides that they are both but one in their operations respecting the creature; Drawing is made in Scripture the act both of the Father and the Son. No man (saith Christ) cometh unto me, unless the Father draweth him. And again, When I am lifted up, I will draw all men after me. But drawing is a term of motion; there must be a term to which; Whither would the Spouse be drawn? This is not so plainly exprest in the English as in the Hebrew. I shall speak more to it by and by; but I shall first open the term Draw, and shew you what the Spouse desireth of her Beloved in this term. [Page 238] I find the Verb [...] in the Hebrew signifying four things.

Judg. 4. 6. Exo. 12. 21. Job 21. 33. 1. It sometimes signifies no more than to go, to go on, and for­ward; so Jud. 4. 6. Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, Exod. 12. 21. Draw out, and take you a Lamb, that is, go out, Job 21. 33. Every man shall draw after him, that is, by little and little follow him to the Grave. But it would spoil the sense to interpret it so in this place. The Me following makes this sense inconsistent.

2. Sometimes it signifieth the pulling of a thing or person to a place, by some violence or force. Thus you read of the Heifer that had not Deut. 21. 3. Job 24. 22. [...] Kings 22. 34. Gen. 37 28. Jer 38 [...]3. P [...]l. 28. 3. drawn in the yoke, Deut. 21. 3. So it is said, God draweth the migh­ty with his power, Job 24. 22. And you read of the man that drew a Bow at adventure. That is an act of strength and power you know, 1 King. 22. 34. So they drew Joseph out of the Pit, and Je­remy out of the Dungeon, Gen. 37. 28. Jer 38. 13. And David prayeth that he might not be drawn away with the wicked, Psa 28. 3. In all which places this word is used.

3. Because in love and fair persuasion there is a kind of force, com­pelling a reasonable and ingenuous person: The word is sometimes Psa. 109. 12. Jer 31. 3. Hos. 11. 4. Judg. 4 7. Eccles. 2. 3. used to express also such an action. It is said of the wicked, Psal. 109. v. 12. He draweth the poor into his Net, i. e. he slattereth him, and under pretence of friendship enticeth them into ruine. God saith, He will draw his people with the Cords of a man, with the Bands of Lov [...], Hos. 11. 4. and that he had drawn them with loving kindness. Jer. 31. 3. thus Deborah promised to draw the Israelites to Tabor, that is, to persuade, and to conduct them thither. Judg. 4. 7. Solomon saith, he sought to draw his flesh with Wine (so it is in the Hebrew, Eccles. 2. 3.) his meaning is, he would entice and please his flesh.

Exo. 19. 13. Jo [...]. 6. 5. [...]s [...]. 1 [...] 22. Prov. [...]3 12. Psa. 109. 12. Psal. 36. 10. 4. Sometimes in Scripture it signifieth, to lengthen out, and to continue. Thus it is used to signifie the sound of a Trumpet lengthen­ed out. It is translated prolonged, Isa. 13. 22. d ferred, Prov. 13. 12. Hope deferred (in the Hebrew, drawn out) maketh the heart sick, Psal. 109. 12. Let none draw out mercy: We translate it, extend mercy unto him. None of my words shall be prolonged: The same word is there again used; O continue thy loving-kindness, Psal. 36. 10. This sense methinks seemeth not much forreign to this place, as the Petition refers not only to first, but following grace: We need the prolongings and continuances of Divine Influences to make us to V. Avena­rium, run after Christ. The word, as the Learnedest Lexicographers in that Language tell us, signifies, with a secret force to compel one whi­the [...] we would have him. It sometimes signifies, with fair words, Reasons and persuasions to draw one to our side. Forster tells us, that [Page 239] Christ without doubt had respect to this place, in those Gospel Jo 6. 44. Jo. 12. 42. Mar. 22. expressions. No man cometh to the Son, but he whom the Father draweth. And when I shall be lifted up, I will draw all men after me. And Lud. de Ponte expounds this Text by that in the Gospel, Compel them to come in. So then when the Spouse saith, Draw me; this is that she means: Lord! Put forth thy secret Power, thy irresistible and effectual Grace; and compel me to come unto thee, and to run after thee; move me sweetly, but yet powerfully. Draw me by thy Word and Spirit, and by the sweetness of thy grace open my heart (saith Mr Ainsworth.) I am weak, Lord, add thy strength. (so T [...]emellius glosseth.) Divine grace must prevent, and must Satius est mi [...]i ut me tra [...]as scili­cet ut vim quamcunque mi [...] inf [...]ras quam par­cens in meo me torpore securam de­relinquas: Bernard. ad loc. follow, he that is not drawn, will be hindered by his own corrup­tion. Lust draws every heart backward from Christ. The Soul must by Grace be drawn to him. Bernard understands it of an act of power, and thus glosseth. ‘ Lord it is better that thou should'st draw me by any force, than that thou shouldest spare me, and leave me secure in my deadness.’

But let us weigh it yet a little further. It is the Spouse that here speaketh; The Church of God, the believing Soul; hath the Spouse need to be drawn to Christ? Is she not already come to him, doth she not willingly follow after him, how then doth she say draw me? doth the Child of God follow him unwillingly?

To this I answer. 1. The Church doth not consist of all true be­lievers, there may be some in the bosom of that, that have but a name to live, and which had need be drawn unto Christ. For these the Church may be understood to pray; that there may not be any in it strangers unto Christ, but that as some are drawn, so all may be drawn.

2. But Secondly, Bernard (who starts this question) answe­reth it otherwise. Non omnis qui trahitur invitus trahi [...]ur. Eve­ry one who is drawn, is not drawn unwillingly. The Bear is drawn to the Stake unwillingly, so is the Malefactor to the place of Execution; but an hungry man may be drawn to his Meat, and the Cripple to the Bath, and both willingly; besides, if the Spouse were not willing, she would never make it her request to be drawn, nor yet, were she able of her self to go, would she ask to be drawn. Those who are weak, as well as those that are un­willing, had need to be drawn. How perfect soever the Soul be (saith Bernard) while it sigheth under the body of death, and is Q [...]anquam & q [...]a [...]tae­tevis perfect­io [...]s, sit ani. kept in the Prison of mortality, being full of wants, and full of [Page 240] ma quamdiu gemit sub corpore hujus mortis & seculi ne­quam reti­netur carce­re, &c. Ber­nard. ad loc. sin, it goeth slowly and dully after Christ, and is not at liberty to follow him, but must be drawn to its Spiritual duty. I know (saith the Spouse) that I cannot come to thee in Heaven, but by going after thee, while I live here upon the Earth, and I know I cannot go after thee, unless thou drawest, unless thou helpest me. She confesseth here, that she standeth in daily need of pre­venting Grace, of drawing, and quickning Grace, from God. 'Tis true she prayeth, and so seemeth to prevent the Grace of V. Lud. de Ponte ad loc. God, but in that she prayeth, it is plain, that the Grace of God had prevented her; otherwise she would not have said, Draw me. She here desireth that Grace of God which might have a divine, sweet, efficacious, power, and force with it to constrain her Soul to run after Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven within the Child of God suff [...]reth violence, and force, through the power of Lust and Corruption. She beggeth of God, to oppose the pow­er of his Grace to the power of her Lusts, and vile Affections. She useth this word therefore to acknowledge her weakness, and to shew that without the help of grace, she could not run after Christ, according to that, John 15. 4 With [...]ut me you can do nothing. Genebrard saith that by this Phrase she teacheth us, that the beginning of our Justification is from God. Bernard, Beza, Lud. de Ponte, and others conclude, that she teacheth, that fur­ther Grace is from God. By the word draw, she begs, not only first grace, but the prolongings, and continuances of Divine Grace, according to that, Psal. 36. 10. O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee, and thy righteousness, to the upright in heart. The Soul doth not only stand in need of, the sweet and powerful influences of Divine Grace to bring it to Christ, but to keep it, and to carry it on its state, and exercises of Grace. For whether would the Spouse be drawn? [...] after thee, saith the Text. V. Mercer. ad loc. Our translation puts these words after the next Verb, we will run after thee; in the Heb they follow draw me, and so may indiffe­rently be read with either. The matter is not much, they must be understood here as well as there, the term of either motion was the same. Surely 'tis thither she would be drawn, whither she had a mind to run. The Spouse is drawn, and comes to Christ. By faith it runs, and follows after Christ by holiness, and is drawn so by a power inabling it to perfect holiness, it is drawn to Christ by Death (say some) so Paul desireth to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, 1 Phil. With reference to this Bernard puts this [Page 241] question, An hoc dicit cupiens dissolvi? Doth (saith he) the Nunc vero quod dicit post te, ma­gis illud po­stulare vide­tur, ut con­versationis ejus valeat vestigia se­qui. Ber­nard. Spouse speak this, desiring to be dissolved, and to be with Christ? He saith he should be something of that mind, but that the words are not draw me to thee, but draw me after thee. So that he thinks she rather desires the drawings of Grace, that she might fol­low him in an holy conversation, walking as she had him for an example. The sum then of this petition, considered as the lan­guage of the Church (the collective Spouse) is this.

Lord! I have in my Bosom, many that are indeed drawn to thee in an outward profession, in that sense in which thou sayest, When I am lifted up, I will draw all men after me, they are flock­ed like Doves to the Windows: Oh let them yet be drawn more ef­fectually to an hearty embracing of thee, for none so comes to thee but he whom the Father draws, Lord draw that part of my Members by thy efficacious grace. Considered as the voice of a believer, the sense is this: Lord thou hast made me thine, thou hast by thy migh­ty powerful work of thy Spirit drawn me to thee; but I am weak, and feeble, and not able to follow thee in a course of holiness, nor to watch with thee, thou who at first hast put forth thy powerful ef­fectual Grace in changing my heart, in bringing me to thy self, con­tinue the same power of thy Grace, commanding me to keep my heart close with thee, so as I may never depart from thee. I proceed to the next words.

[...] We will run after thee. The former word contained the Spouses Petition: this, her promise: what wilt thou do O thou fairest, if the Lord will bestow upon thee the daily influences of his drawing Grace? she here answereth, and preventeth that question (saith she) we will run after thee. These words may also be con­ceived to have the force of an argument, enforcing her Petition, Lord! If thou wilt draw me, I will not hold back, no; We will run after thee.

Here is considerable, 1. The Persons promising, We; where the change of the number is very considerable; she had spoken be­fore in the singular Number draw me; here she promiseth in the plural, We will run. 2. The promise itself, or thing promised; Will run. The answering of two questions will open these words: 1. What is meant by running. 2. Why she saith we will run, when before she had only said draw me.

Qu. 1. What is here meant by Running; what doth the Spouse promise under this term of running after Christ.

[Page 242] [...] 1. The word in the Hebrew, doth properly signify a bodily motion, and you easily understand what it is to run, it is more than to go, and walk. It is here by a metaphor applied to the Soul, or indeed to the whole man; for although some of the Hebrew Doctors, and some others (according to their different notion of the Spouse, which I before hinted) understand it of Abrahams bodily motion out of his Country, or the Israelites motions, out of Aegypt, and Babylon, or the Peoples going to the Temple in Solomons time to worship God, yet their notions are doubtless much too low, and not at all agreeing to that notion of the Spouse which we have fixed. I do therefore fully agree with the most, and the most eminent interpreters, who acknowledge here a metaphor, and that by running some motion of the mind is signified, analogous to the motion of the body, which we call running; now what that is, we must further enquire.

2. Running doth not only signify motion, but some strength in the body so moving. The sick, and feeble person can hardly stand, or go, much less run. The person running may want some de­grees of strength, but he must have legs, and some strength in his legs, or he cannot run. The Soul that runneth after Christ must first be possessed of some Spiritual strength. The strength of the Soul is an effect of Christs drawing. Behold (saith the Is. 55. 2. Prophet) thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not, and Na­tions that knew not thee shall run unto thee. First God calls, then we run; first he putteth strength into them, and then they use V. Ains­worth ad loc. the strength, which he hath given them, Isa. 0. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength like the Eagle, they shall run, and not be weary; first they shall renew their strength, then they shall run.

3. Thirdly, Running importeth speed, and celerity in motion. De Dieu ad loc Psal. 119. 32. 60. Festinant em significat actionem is De Dieu his note on the Text. David saith, I will run the way of thy Commandments, Psal. 119. 32. which he expoundeth, v. 60. I made hast, and delayed not to keep thy precepts. Buxtorf in his Hebrew Lexicon noteth that the Greek word [...] which signifies to run hastily, comes from this Hebrew word, and others fancy that the latine word Rota, that signifies a Wheel, hath its Original from this word also; Del­rio interpreteth it here by festinabimus, we will make hast, and indeed it is the obvious, and ordinary notion of the word; thus you know running is distinguished from those flower motions [Page 243] of creeping, going, walking, &c. Running argueth a quick and speedy motion; the Soul having received from Christ the powerful influences of Divine Grace, stands not still, creeps not, moveth not slowly, but makes hast in the ways of God.

4. Running argues a free and chearful motion. The man that runs hath, as we say, good will in his way; it implies a prompt inclina­tion and readiness of mind. Thus Forster (an Hebrew Lexicographer) [...] notes a great cognation betwixt this word, and two other Hebrew words; the one of which signifieth, to bring forth in plenty and abun­dance; the other, to be willing, or have a good will to a thing. Bux­torf also observeth its affinity to the latter. Avendrius also observeth, that it signifieth to move readily, as the false Prophets ran, Jer. 12. 5. Jer. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets, and yet they ran; as Gehazi ran for his bride, 2 King. 5. 20. Thus the believing Soul that is once drawn by the Spirit of Grace, moves in the way of holiness, not dragged on to duty by a Foreign Principle: It is its meat and drink to do the Will of God: It delighteth in the Law of God as to the inward man; it was before unwilling, but now it is made willing, as it is said My People shall be a willing people in the day of Psal. 110. my power. Grace giveth wheels to the Soul, and it oileth the wheels when given. Buxtorf noteth, that this word is used only to signifie the running of Men, not of Beasts. Men move not like Beasts rashly and giddily, and meerly when they are whipped on, or out of wan­tonness, but men propose and know their end, and move toward it out of a Principle of Reason and Affection: The believing Soul knoweth its end, and moveth towards it from a conduct of reason; so it moveth speedily and freely after Christ.

V. Robo­tham & Trap. ad loc. 5. I find some Interpreters judging, that the term likewise imply­eth a promise of Perseverance. There is one Text of Scripture which seemeth to advantage this Notion, Isa. 40. 31. They shall run, and not be weary. When men begin to be weary, they leave running, they go a foot-pace, & as it were draw their leggs after them. Now, saith the Spouse, Lord, draw me, and we will run; we will not be weary in our courses of holiness and duty, we will not faint and give over. But running, in its abstract, and single notion, doth not con­clude Perseverance; running added, to not being weary doth. So here supposing first a drawing, then a running in obedience to that; while the Lord draweth, the Soul will run; but we shall no longer dance to him, than he pipeth to us. And this I think sufficient to open the Spouse's Promise: Only add further, that those who run must have [Page 244] a way, or path to run in. What is the Spouse's way? Beza saith, that Christ is both the Principle from which we run; the way in which we run; and the End of the Race. It is true, but in a di­versified Notion. Christ is our Pr [...]nciple in the gracious Influences of his Spirit: Without me (saith he) you can do nothing. Christ in his Word and Gospel is our way. I will run the way of thy Command­ments (saith David) Psal. 119. 132. This is the Race set before us, Heb. 12 1. The following of Christ commanded, Luk. 9. 23. Christ in his Example, in the fulness of the measure of his stature: Christ in his Glory is our End. That then which the Spouse here promiseth, amounts to this: Lord, ‘I am weak and impotent, I cannot come un­to thee, I cannot of my self move after thee; I am hindered by the prevalency of my lusts and corruptions; Who shall deliver me from my body of death? Who can but thou alone? Lord, draw me, make me willing, keep me willing, put forth thy mighty Power, and sweet­ly constrain my Soul by thy love, then I shall not stand still, but move in thy wa [...]es. I shall not move w [...]akly, but strongly, not slowly, but chearfully, freely, nimbly. I shall not be faint nor weary, but hold on in the way of thy Precepts, until I come to the fulness of the measure of the stature, which is in thee; yea until the day break, and the shadows fly away, and I come to thee in that glory which thou hadst prepared for them that love thee, and sollow the Lamb in glory whithersoever he goeth.’ But there is yet one thing further to be considered.

2. Qu. What meaneth the change of the Number? Her request was in the Singular Number, Draw me; her promise is the Plural; We will, or we shall run after thee. Who are these We?

1. V. Lud. de Ponte, & Genebrar­dum in loc. Thou and I together (fay some.) Indeed this must be. I live, saith the Apostle, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. We read in Eze­kiel's Vision of the Wheels, of his Vision of a Spirit within the Wheels, without which the Wheels moved not. Suppose Wheels put upon the Soul, yet the Soul moveth not, without the Spirit moving the Wheels. Ego cum gratia tud (saith Genebrard.) But this seems to me too nice.

2. I rather therefore chuse to expound it with the most of Inter­preters, and to say that by We is here meant, The individual Belie­ver, and all her companions. Ego & adolescentulae mecum, (saith Ber­nard) Ego & Puellae meae (saith Tremell [...]us) I and my Maidens, I and my Virgins, I and all mine. So it imports thus much, that the Child of God once drawn to Christ, will make it her business to [Page 245] draw others along with her. Yet a little further to enquire the rea­son why she changeth the Number. Doth she promise for more than she would pray for? Or doth she envy others that drawing grace which she prayed for for her self? Doubtless neither: what then?

1. Possibly Bernard's notion may be more acute than solid. We are drawn (saith he) when we are tempted, when we are afflicted, and exercised with tryals, we run when we are refreshed and comforted. She would have the sowre for her self, and the sweet for others. She did not know their strength; here was her charity. But I say, this seemeth too nice; for certain it is, that all who run after Christ must be first drawn one way, or other, and that by power. God's People are made willing in the day of his power.

2. Beza therefore speaks better, I think: When she saith, Draw me, she speaketh in the person of the whole Church, so had a liberty to speak either in the one, or the other Number: So that as Ludov. de Ponte hath well observ'd, by this change of the Number, she shews, that the Church, which consists of many, is yet but One; according to that of the Apostle, Rom. 12. 5. We being many are one body.

3. By this alteration of the Number, she sheweth, That she belie­ved it as easie with God to draw many; as one.

4. Lastly, Though the Saints be many, yet the end of Christ's drawing them is, That they might be one. John tells us, ch. 11. 52. That the end of Christ's dying was, That he might gather together in one the Children of God which were scattered abroad. Thus I have opened the terms. But before I part with them, I must mind you who are ca­pable of that Learning. That the Seventy add [...]. according to which our English Translation should have been. We will run after thee, in the savour of thy Ointments. The Vulgar Latine follows them; so do Origen, Ambrose, Theodoret, Vigilius, Hildebrand, Greg. Magnus, Nyssen, Bernard, Honorius, &c. and generally the Po­pish Writers; but Lyra, who is one of them, differeth, and agreeth with the Hebrew, which hath not those words, and thinks, they were put in by some Expositor in the way of an interlineary gloss, and after­wards got into the Text through the unskilfulness of some Transcri­bers. How they came into the Text in Translations we cannot tell: Sure we are, they are not in the Hebrew and therefore our English Translators had no reason to put them in, though they make no new Doctrine; for the believing Soul doth in leed follow Christ in the savour of his Ointments. We heard before, that therefore do the Vir­gins [Page 246] love him, and it is their love to him which maketh them to run after him. But that is enough to have cautioned you of. I proceed to the following words of the Text, The King hath brought me into his Chambers.

This I called, The Spouses acknowledgment or testification of her be­loveds answer. The word translated King is the ordinary word used [...] by the Hebrews to express that relation by; she doubtless meaneth by the King, the King of Kings, the mighty God; I shall not restrain it to Christ considered as a Mediator, upon which account he hath a peculiar Kingdom: The King, God my King.

Hath brought me.] The word is [...] which in Hiphil signifies he [...] hath made me to come, or made me to go.

[...] Into his Chambers.] The word is often used in Scripture, translated a Chamber, Gen. 43. 30. Jud. 15. 1. A Bed-chamber, 2 Kings 6. 12. An inward Chamber, Judg. 3. 24. A Bridegrooms Chamber, Joel 2. 16. A Summer Chamber, Judg. 3. 24. It is also used, Prov. 24. 4. Prov. 7. 27. Job 9. 9. and in many other Texts. It plainly signifieth, the more inner secret, retired part of the house, where Per­sons can be most private, and most secure; The King hath brought me into his Chambers, that is, into the places of most private secret com­munion with him, where I can be most private, free, and secure; but yet for the clearer explication of the words, we will more strictly en­quire upon two things.

Qu. 1. What is here meant by the Kings Chambers.

Doubtless it is spoken in a figure. The House in the Heavens, not made with hands, is not (as our Earthly Houses) divided, into rooms, and stories, by partitions; let us therefore rightly comprehend the notion of a Chamber, and we shall without much difficulty un­derstand the priviledge in which the Spouse doth glory. Three things will give us the notion of a Chamber.

1. It is a lofty place: elevated from the Earth, you know that you or­dinarily call those rooms in your Houses Chambers, which are above the lower floor.

2. It is a place of privacy, In ipsum penetrale thesaurorum ineffabilium Delrio. any one is admitted into your lower rooms, Loca quae­dam abdita, quietis & refectionis. Lud. de Ponte but very familiar friends only into your Chambers, when those of the same family would be more retired and private, they chuse Chambers for that privacy; our more hidden private fellowship with our friends, or near relations is in our Chambers.

[Page 247] 3. A Chamber is a resting place, we eat, and drink, and have our or­dinary converse with our neighbours in other rooms we lie down, and rest in our Chambers.

These three things I should think may make us to understand the Spouses meaning in this metaphorical expression, and what it is that she glorieth in.

The Lord my King hath heard me, and taken me up into the nearest degrees of close & private communion with him, where my Soul enjoyeth him, in the most heavenly, free, and most familiar manner.

Qu. 2. But how cometh the Spouse thus soon to glory, who but now was praying that the Lord would draw her, and facitly com­plained for the want of the manifestations of his Divine Grace? how soon is her tone altered? she but now groaned, as one that could not get up the Stairs, now she glories that she was brought into the Kings: Chambers. To which I answer two things.

1. Possibly she speaketh but in the dialect of Faith; you know the Apostle calleth Faith the Evidence of things not seen. It (like God) calls the things that are not as if they were, and often forgets the future tense, and speaks in the Present or Praeterperfect Tense. The believing Soul, while it is in the dungeon of a desertion, being as­sured the Lord will do it, can say; The Lord hath brought me in­to his Chambers. And thus those must necessarily understand it, who with Piscator, by the Chambers understand Heaven, and Glory.

2. But I rather think the words are to be understood as they lie before us: She is heard while she is speaking; while she prayeth, Lord draw me; she is drawn, and is in Heaven e're she is aware of it; thus the learned Mercer expounds it.

If you understand the words in the first sense. They speak the vertue and efficacy of faith, the believer by vertue of it, can look upon things as done, which yet are to be done, why? because the Soul eyeth the promise, and knoweth, that he who hath promised is both able, and faithful. If a debt be owing to you, from an able, and an honest man; you say it is as good mony as any in your purse, you count you have so much as that debt maketh, addition to your estate. Gods hand is an able hand, and he is faithful, the Soul may count upon it, that it hath so much either in Grace or glory, as the Lord hath promised it. If you take the words in the latter sense (as I shall do) they inform you of the efficacy of Prayer, spiritual, fer­vent [Page 248] prayer, it availeth much; while the believer is speaking, God is answering. I proceed to the latter part of the Text.

We will be glad, and rejoice in thee, and remember thy loves more than Wine; we have heard the Spouses petition, Draw me, she prayed for Divine Grace, that might both sweetly, and power­fully draw her Soul after Christ. We have heard her promise, which I told you might be considered as an argument to enforce her Petition, an argument drawn from the glory of God, and the concern of it, in the answer; we will run after thee. A prayer for the best things, and to receive them for the best end, to make her more holy. We have heard, how well pleasing her petition was, she had no sooner prayed, but God answereth, and she re­cognizeth her answer; My Lord the King (saith she) hath brought me into his Chambers; now she cometh to shew the effects this quick and gracious answer had and would have upon her. She mentio­neth three. The first (as some if not too critically distinguish) respecting her heart: We will be glad. 2. The second respecting the action of the whole man: We will rejoice in thee. 3. The third respecting the record of it: We will remember thy loves more than Wine. This now distinguished her spiritual affection, from a foo­lish transient passion.

[...] We will exalt, or be glad.] the Radix [...] is very often used in Scripture, I will point you to 3 or 4 other Texts, from whence you may gather the sense of it, Is. 65. 19. And I will rejoice in Hierusalem, and joy in my People, Pro. 23. 24. The Father of the Righteous shall greatly rejoice, Psal. 21. 5. The King shall joy in thy strength. So Psal. 2. 11. Psal. 13. 11. My heart shall rejoice in thy Salvation. Psal. 16. 9. Zech. 9. 9. Forster thinks it rather signifi­eth the expression of the Joy of the heart, by some outward gesture, than the meer internal affection. It doubtless signifies the highest affection of the heart upon its union with its desired ob­ject.

[...] We will be glad.] the Radical word is [...] which signifieth to rejoice, and to be merry, and is very often in the old Testament, used to express the gladness of the heart. Exod. 4. 14. The re­joicing of a Virgin in a dance, Jer. 31. 13. I shall not insist upon that critical distinction which some make betwixt these words, restraining the one to the inward affection, the other to the more outward expression; nor do I think it will hold but clearly both these are expressed by these two words, whither distinctly, [Page 249] or jointly I shall not determine, and the sense is this. ‘O Lord thou hast heard my prayer; thou hast granted the request of my lips, thou hast brought me into thy Royal Chambers, admitted me to Spiritual, secret, and most sweet communion with thee. Our hearts shall be most highly affected with thee, and our outward man most highly expressive of our inward affections.’ It follows;

We will remember thy Loves more then Wine.

This is the third thing she promiseth. I shall be very short in the explication of this phrase, more fully opening the terms, when I come to handle the Proposition, I shall raise from them. Only this, the Heb. word is [...] we met with it before, v. 2. the Septuagint translate it [...] the difference is founded I conceive in the cognation of the two words, signifying Loves, and Breasts, they differ only in the points, but suppose it were thy Breasts, a figure must still be acknowledged, because the breasts are near the heart, and that is the seat of love, so that the sense still must be thy loves, thy gracious influences. More then Wine, that is more then those things which are most pleasant, and delightful to us; but I opened this, v. 2. It follows,

The upright love thee] in the Hebrew it is Ʋprightnesses, or Ʋpright things love thee; so the Hebrew word properly signifieth. [...] The same word is used, Psal. 17. 2. Thy Eyes shall behold upright things. The word is found in this form, Psal. 9. 9. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the people in uprightnesses, so Prov. 1. 3. Is. 33. 15. Prov. 2. 9. Psal. 58. [...]2. Psal. 75. 3. If we expound it (as the letter of the Text is) in the abstract the question will be whether it should be read in▪the Nominative case, uprightnes­ses love thee, or in the Ablative, in uprightnesses, they, that is, the Virgins love thee. If in the first sense, the meaning is this:

Whatsoever is good, and right, is to be found in thee, all the graces love thee, that is, cleave and are united unto thee. The fulness of grace dwelled in him, and all vertues, and graces were made perfect in him. But although this be a truth, yet I do not take it to be the sense of the Text, and in my further dis­courses on this Song, I shall have occasion once and again to discourse that subject.

Secondly, It may be read in the Ablative case. In uprightnes­ses they love thee; that is (as Buxtorf expounds it) Rectissimè, for­titer. The Saints love thee most intirely, sincerely, strongly, [Page 250] thus it will afford us this lesson; That the Saints love to Christ is a most strong, sincere, and entire love. The Virgins love Christ in upright­nesses, not in word, and in tongue only: but in deed and in truth, as St. John expoundeth it; they love him with a true, and perfect heart. But this will fall in the handling of the Doctrine, which will arise from the third sense, which is more generally accepted, and which I shall embrace.

Thirdly, Therefore I agree with those who think the Abstract is here put for the Concrete; uprightnesses, for the most upright persons. The quality for the persons indued with that excellent quality; a very ordinary way of speaking in the Hebrew, and indeed most langua­ges▪ No wonder (my beloved!) that I should love thee, for there is not an upright Soul in the world, but loves thee; and the more there is of uprightness in any Soul, the more that Soul loves thee; Upright­nesses love thee. Thus now I have largely opened this excellent Text.

The Propositions I shall observe from it and handle them (if God please) in their order, are these that follow.

Prop. 1. Souls must first be drawn by God before they will come to Christ, or run after him, and it is their duty to pray, that they may be so drawn.

Prop. 2. The Soul being drawn, shall and will run after Christ.

Prop. 3. That Gods drawing one Soul, will be a means to make many run af­ter him.

Prop. 4. That God is often very quick in answering his Peoples Prayers.

Prop. 5. That Jesus Christ hath Chambers, into which he sometimes brings his Peoples Souls.

Prop. 6. That Jesus Christ is the singular object of the Saints joy, in the mid­dest of its m [...]st excellent enjoyments.

Prop. 7. The G [...]ace receiving Soul, will remember his loves more than Wine.

Prop. 8. The upright Soul will love the Lord Jesus Christ, and the more up­right a Soul is, the more it will love him

Sermon X [...]VII

Canticles 1. 4.
Drawme, and We will run after thee.

I Come to handle more largely those Propositions from this second Petition of the Spouse, which in my last discourse I had no more time, but to name, the first of which was this.

Prop. Souls must first be drawn by God before they can come to, or run after the Lord Jesus Christ.

I noted to you in my explication of this Petition, that there are two principal usages of this word Draw, in Holy Writ, it sometimes signifieth an alluring by fair carriage and persuasions. 2. Sometimes a constraining by force and power; both ways the Lord draweth those Souls that come to Christ, or that run after him, he draweth them suaviter, and fortiter, sweetly, and yet powerfully.

1. There is a drawing by Afflictions, and Chastisements. Afflicti­ons are the Lords Cords. If (saith Job, ch. 36. 8, 9.) they be bound in Fetters, and be holden in Cords of Affliction. Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions wherein they have exceeded, he ope­neth their Ear to discipline, and commandeth them that they return from iniquity. Thus the Lord drew Manasses, he was bound by Fetters, and carried into Babylon, and when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fa­thers, and prayed unto him, and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication,—It is added v. 13. Then Manasses knew that the 2 Ch 12. Lord he was God. I know that Bernard thus interpreteth this Text (tho he restrains it not to that sense) but I must crave leave to dis­sent from so great a Person, not only because I find scarce any Inter­preters agreeing with him, but because then the thing here prayed for, must be Afflictions, which I do not know we are commanded to pray for, and I am sure nature restraineth us in such a Petition; nei­ther [Page 252] are afflictions in their own tendency drawing Cords, they are rather called Cords and Fetters to signify their pinching effects, than that God ordinarily useth them to draw Souls by unto himself; we read of one Thief upon the Cross converted at his last hour, and of one Manasses converted by Festers, but you have but a single in­stance of each in Holy Writ, and let me further add, Manasses his affliction was but Fetters, and Imprisonment, nothing that affected his head, and made him unfit to do any thing but to attend the di­stempers of his Body; nor indeed is there any drawing vertue in an affliction, it rather naturally alienateth the Soul from God: in my ex­perience in the work of the Ministry, I have known many good Men and Women bettered by Affliction; but I never knew a bad man or woman, by affliction brought home to God; it is a fire that so softens the wax, and hardeneth the clay, and this agreeth with what we have in Scripture. David saith, before he was afflicted he went astray, but his affliction had learned him to keep Gods Statutes, Psal. 119. But it is said of Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28. 22. In the time of his distress he trespassed more against the Lord; This is that King Ahaz; and I am sure the same is said of the body of Israelites, Amos 4. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. God followed them with judgment after judg­ment, yet they returned not unto him. Afflictions are good remembran­cers to them who have learned their duty before, but they must be some particular afflictions, that give leisure for Instructions to be then first given, or time for the digestion of them, if they can be given. I conclude in short, whatever use God may sometimes make of Afflicti­ons, it is not the drawing by them, which the Spouse here prays for.

Secondly, There is a drawing by liberal distributions of mercies of common Providence. Thus God saith, Hosea 11. 4. I drew them with the Cords of a man, with bands of love, So Jer. 31. 3. With loving kindness have I drawn thee, Love is of a drawing nature, it is like the hook, in the intrails of a Creature, which draweth more forcibly, than Cords fastened to the flesh, and outward part; But experience teacheth us that this is not a sufficient Cord to draw Sinners Souls to God, God in his parable of the Vineyard, Isaiah 5. repeats what he had done for the Israelites, and concludes, v. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it? Yet when he looked, it should bring forth Grapes, it brought forth wild Grapes; Oppression instead of Judgment, and a cry instead of righte­ousness? How many thousands are there in the world, that are in­compassed with Mercies of this nature, they have healthy bodies, [Page 253] pleasing relations, full barns, plentiful estates, they want nothing, yet are they Enemies to God, and to the Cross of Christ; nor do the People of God, ordinarily run most after, or walk most close with God, when they most abound with the good things of this life. Gods People, Jer. 2. that followed him in a Wilderness, and in a land of droughts, forsook him when they came into a land that flowed with Milk and Hony; whence Agur prayed as much against Riches, left he should (being full) blaspheme God, as against poverty. And even the man according to Gods own heart, offended more, when he was come to sit upon his Throne in Hierusalem, than when he was hunted like a Partridge in the Wilderness, and knew not where to rest, and this is seen in our ordinary experience.

3. God draweth us (thirdly) by the potent arguments of the Gos­pel, as it lieth before us to be read, or as it is opened, and applied to us by the Ministry of the Word. Man hath a tunable ear, and is a reaso­nable Creature, so as arguments have a great force upon humane na­ture, and the more, as any of us are more knowing and rational, and able to raise conclusions from Principles. Into this sense Interpreters do interpret those words of our Saviour, John 12. 42. When I shall be lifted up, I will draw all men after me, after my death upon the Cross, I will send my Apostles up and down the world, to be witnesses of my death, resurrection and ascension, and to persuade men to receive me in my true notion, as the true Messias and Saviour of the world. Accordingly the Apostle tells the Corinthians that Christ had com­mitted to them the word of Reconciliation. Now then (saith he, 2 Cor. 5. 20.) We, as Embassadours for Christ, as tho God did beseech you by us, we p [...]ay you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God; and this must be the meaning of that command to the Servants, Luke 14, 23. Compel them to come in, Christ is not there speaking to Magistrates, or of their duty, but of the duty of Ministers, who have no power from him to compel any, but by a lively and powerful Preaching the Gospel, the potent arguments of which set home upon reasonable and ingenuous Souls, by the gifts God hath given to his Ministers have a kind of compulsory force, and power in them, and the Apostle tells us, that Faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10. and as men are by it drawn to Christ; so they are also by it drawn after him, and therefore Peter exhorts Christians, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes to desire the sin­cere milk of the Word, that they might grow thereby. The believing Soul followeth Christ, in the scent or favour of his precious Ointments. It is the publishing of the Gospel that makes the name of Christ an Ointment poured out.

[Page 254] Fourthly, God may be said to draw men by the common motions of his Spirit, impressing good thoughts upon us, either upon occasion of his Providential dispensations, or while we read or hear the word; some say that there is a common Ministration of the Spirit attending the preaching of the word, sufficient to assist every Soul that will, to repent, and believe, and to do what God requires of us in order to Salvation; that the holy Spirit doth ordinarily attend the preaching of the word, and suggest to and imprint upon the hearts of those that hear it, some good thoughts, is what will not be denied; I be­lieve there are but few who have used to attend the preaching of the Gospel, where it hath been faithfully, and livelily preach'd, but must own, that he hath heard the Lord standing at his door, and knocking. But still the question is whether this be all the drawing which the Spouse here begs, No doubt but she begs such a cause, such opera­tions of a cause as should be productive of the effect. The effects are coming unto Christ, running after Christ. Coming is not expresly mentioned in this Text, but it is Joh. 6. 44. No man cometh unto me, except the Father who hath sent me, draw him, and it is included in the term running. The question therefore must be whether such a drawing as is by common mercies, by the preaching of the Gospel, or by the common work of the Holy Spirit, all which reprobates may have, is sufficient to innable a Soul (yet a stranger to God) to come to Christ, or to innable any Soul already come to Christ, to run af­ter him. I think not, and therefore I conclude in the last place;

5. That both in the Souls first motions to Christ, and its further mo­tions after him, the Lord putteth forth a powerful influence of his Spirit of grace, beyond the arguments of the word, the suasion of his Minister and the common work of the Spirit, attending all faithful preaching of the Gospel This I take to be that drawing, the Spouse here prayeth for and which our Saviour mentions, John 6. 44. (as some think with an allusion to the phrase of this Text) nay some bring that Text, John 6 44. to prove this Book quoted in the New Testament) This I firmly believe, because I am convinced, there is such a work of the Spirit necessary, and that both as to the Souls first coming to God, and further walking with God, tho as to the latter the Soul be­ing renewed, and sanct [...]fied there be a far less influence necessary than as to the former, yet even after sanctification, the Apostle tells us that we are kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation, and Christ tells his Disciples that without him, they could do nothing, Joh. 15. 3. And St. Paul saith, 2 Gal. 20. I live, yet not I, but Christ li­veth [Page 255] in me, and the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God. But indeed the great question is upon the first. Armini­ans will grant special grace to believers, but no more than common grace to all men in astate of unbelief. Let us therefore first enquire,

1. Whither there be not something of a divine power and influence necessary to cause any Soul to come to Christ, beyond the Preaching of the Word, and that common concurrence of the Spirit with the word Prea­ched and all the suasions and arguments can be used by Ministers; and of what nature this p [...]wer is.

We affirm it, Jesuites, and Arminians deny it; let me shew you upon what arguments we assert it, I shall not instance in all or the 4th part of what hath been or might be said, only speak something to satisfy you, remembring that I am now preaching a Sermon, not writing a controversy.

1. Those who assert that there needeth no such act of the divine power, must necessarily make man a God to himself; I mean the Author of the greatest Spiritual and Eternal good, both in respect of action and fruition, whatsoever is moved, is moved from a living principle within self, or from another: Either man is moved to Christ as drawn by the Father, or from a principle of life within himself. I know they will say it is from his own power of willing; now besides the multi­tude of Scriptures, which this is opposed to, Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned, who were dead in Trespasses and Sins, Psal. 110. 3. The People shall be a willing People in the day of thy Power, Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you to will, and to do, of his own good pleasure. I say besides these. This opinion makes man the author of the greatest good to himself. 1. In point of action; it makes him the author of th se gracious acts and habits by which a Soul is made meet for the inheritance of the; Saints of life, repentance, faith and new obedience, expresly contrary to those Scriptures, which tell us that it is given to us to believe, Phil. 1. 29. That Faith is not of our selves, it is the gift of God, Eph. 2. God gives repentance unto life, and a multitude of other Scriptures. 2. And in point of fruition too, man by this Doctrine is his own Saviour; for Eternal life is every where promised to repentan [...]e, faith, and new obedience, which accor­ding to this principle are all works proceeding from our selves; so man is become a Saviour to himself by this new Divinity, and the author of the highest good to himself, and hath nothing to bless God for, but only making him a Man, not a Beast, for being indued with a reasonable Soul, and living under the Gospel, he hath a power of [Page 256] himself to repent, to believe in Christ, to do whatsoever Eternal life is promised to in the Gospel, unless they will say he is beholden to God for the Covenant of Grace, annexing eternal life to these perfor­mances, and accepting sincerity instead of perfect obedience, which yet leaves the regenerate Soul no more to bless God for, than the vi­lest and most profane Sinner that liveth where the Gospel is preach'd, for he also hath a reasonable Soul, a will equal with others, there is a covenant of grace equally established for Judas as well as Peter (ac­cording to this Doctrine) One is under the means of Grace, and the common aids and assistances of the Spirit, as well as the other, for the good inclination of his will to accept the terms of the Gos­pel which the profane person hath not, the regenerate Soul hath no body to thank but himself, and to applaud himself for the principle of goodness, of which it seems he is an author to himself.

Secondly. This Doctrine leaves the Soul something to glory in before God. The Apostle treating of Justification by faith, in opposition to that of works argueth thus. Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. The Propo­sition of that Text which alone in this case, I will make use of is, That God hath so ordered the causes in the Salvation of Man, that man hath no cause of glorying before God; to that purpose he speaks, Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then? it is excluded; but admitting that there needed no power, to change the heart, but what is in mans will, boasting is not excluded, a man hath wherein to glory, and that before God; he shall say Lord! it is true, thou fixedst an eternal Covenant of Grace, thou madest me a man, thou gavest me the Gospel, and the preaching of it, but notwithstanding all that thou ever didst for me, I might have gone to Hell as well as a thousand more, for whom the same Covenant was made as well as me, to whom thou gavest a Soul of the same species with mine, the same Gospel, the same Preaching, the same common grace, if I had not had a principle of goodness in my own will, of which my self was the cause; I had been damn'd, notwithstanding all thou didst for me, as many others shall be for whom thou didst as much as for me. Is not here glorying before God? Is boasting excluded by this Divinity? The main parts here as to mans Salvation are given to a mans self! For I pray ob­serve, a man cannot repent truly, and believe, and obey the Gos­pel, and perish for ever, now all these it seems a man may do from himself without any act of Divine power, inabling him more than a reprobate to do them, but he may have a common Covenant of [Page 257] Grace establish'd for him, as well as others, he may have a reasona­ble Soul, he may have the Gospel preach'd to him, and the common aids, and assistances of the Spirit, and yet perish for ever. So as plainly all that necessarily brings Salvation, makes the Soul meet for it, and accompanieth it; all this is from man, nothing is from God, but that, notwithstanding which, he might have perished for ever.

Thirdly, This Doctrine most absurdly ascribes unequal vertues to Souls that are equal as to their species, faculties, and vertues. All reasonable Souls are equal, their faculties are the same, their vertues and powers the same, their Souls are under equal means, motives, aids, assistances, whence is it, that one mans will is enclined to believe, to receive Christ, to obey his laws; the others not? Are not here inequal vertues ascribed to Souls in all points equal, they are both reasonable, both have the same understandings, the same wills, the same means, the same common aids and assistances. I ask then whence, if not from a mighty powerful influence of God upon one mans Soul, one mans will, more than anothers▪ comes it to pass that the Soul of one is softned, changed, renewed, and not the Soul of ano­ther? If it be from a power in the Soul, here is a mighty inequal vertue, ascribed to one Soul more than to another, of the same spe­cies, indued with the same powers and faculties, and under the same means, aids and assistances, which is a most inaccountable thing.

4. I shall add fourthly, If there be no such distinguishing powerful influence of God, making the difference, the Apostle is contradicted, 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? That their Souls are reasonable Souls that differ one from another in Spiritual things is evident, not only in gifts and endowments, but in saving spiritual habits, now (saith the Apostle) who maketh thee to differ? Admit the Apostle there, not speaking of spiritual saving habits, but of common guifts, or extra­ordinary gifts, certainly if it be God who in these maketh one Soul to differ from another, it is much more God, who makes a Soul to differ as to saving spiritual habits, such as make the Soul fit for the Kingdom of God, and accompany salvation, but according to this Doctrine man maketh himself to differ. God doth no more for the believer than for the unbeliever, for the elect than for the reprobate Soul; so he hath not received, but may glory. God is beholden to man for inclining his will to him, he is not beholden to God for inclining his will more than another mans. From hence plainly appears that the Drawing here mentioned doth not signify the [Page 258] meer change of a mans heart or life from a principle within him­self, but a change from a new principle infused from another, from God; and therefore the Spouse here speaking to her beloved, saith, Draw me.

Thus far now I have evinced that the turning of the Soul from a state, and course of Sin, must be the work of God, and 2. That it must be a special work, special grace, but we have yet further to en­quire into the nature of this great work, how God draweth the Soul that comes to him.

This I answer in two particulars, 1. It is For [...]iter. 2. Suaviter.

1. Powerfully. So as though the Soul may a long time oppose itself, yet it cannot finally resist it, Psal. 110. 3. Thy People shall be wil­ling, in the day [...] of thy strength, so is the Heb. Resistance im­plyeth the opposition of the patient to the action of the agent; In all resistance there must be two parties, whose strength must be ei­ther equal, or inequal. If it be equal, there is no victory on either side. If the Patient be stronger than the agent, the agents intended effect is not wrought, but if the power of the Agent be greater than that of the Patient, then the Patient is subdued and conquered to the will of the Agent. Let us take an instance in Physick; we will suppose a Stomach oppressed with wind, or peccant humors; the Physician gives Physick to expel it, if the power of the wind, or noxious humors be above that of the Physick, the Physick is inef­fectual, the wind yet rageth, the peccant humors prevail, or increase, but if the strength of the Physick be more, it expelleth the wind or the peccant humour, though they may first make the Person sick, and struggle a great while with the Physick; such a resistance as this; may be, and is ordinarily, if not alwaies made to the grace of God; especially to his common grace. God calls to the sinner for repen­tance, faith, new obedience, the Spirit of God concurring with the Preaching of the Gospel stands at the door, and knocks, Rev. 2. 20. The Soul saith, how shall I leave my sweet, and pleasant lusts, my sensual or carnal enjoyments. But there is a resistance when the strength of the Patient is above the strength which either the Agent putteth forth, or hath, so as all the action of the Agent is frustrated, and thus Grace cannot be resisted; that is, not finally resisted. It is the will of God to renew, and change the Sinners heart, and who hath resisted his will? The Spouse, Cant. 5. 2. heareth Christ knocking at the door of her heart, and saying; Open my Love, my Dove, my Undefiled; she maketh excuses, she had put off her coat, and how should [Page 259] she put it on? she had washed her feet, and how should she defile them? Doth the Lord nest in that answer? no; see v. 3. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. It is much the same case with the Soul in its first conversion, God calls, invites, persuades, intreats the Soul to leave its sinful courses, and to turn unto God. Saith the poor Creature; I am young, and how shall I abandon the lusts of youth, I am ingulphed in a course of profitable sinning; how shall I leave my too greedy pursuit of the world, my pursuit of unjust gain, &c. Thus it resists a while. But God will not take these answers, he at length— puts in his hand by the hole of the door, and opens it. God cannot seriously act, and be fi­nally opposed, for it is certain his power must be above the power of the Creature. 2. That he must act powerfully, appears from hence, in that the effect is upon the will, otherwise inclined, both by nature, and by custom, which is a second nature; I say the effect is upon the will, a Castle too strong for all the power of Hell to subdue, the will can be over-ruled by none but him that made it; besides, this will is otherwise inclined. 1. By nature, hence we are said to be stubborn, stiff-necked, to have sinews of Brass; he knoweth nothing of the heart of man by nature, that knoweth not that it is averse to God. Add to this, that custom hath the force of a second nature; how can you (saith the Prophet) that are accustomed to do evil, do well? No­thing but a powerful operation can subdue, such a mighty Prince as the will of man is, nor such a mighty Tyrant as custom is. As to the point of resisting grace, we say;

1. There is a common, praecedent exciting grace, this may be re­jected, as the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves, for their own Salvation; thus all reprobates living under the preach­ing of the Gospel, resist the grace of God; they have an enmity to the Spirit of God, Rom. 8. 6. and cannot be subject to it, hence it is, that God so often complains, Jer. 7. 14. I speak to you rising up ear­ly, and lying down late, and you have not heard, Psal. 81. 14. I call'd you, and you have not answered; Christ told the Inhabitants of Hier [...] ­salem, that he would have gathered them, but they would not. And hence appears that it is no wonder that Arminians who will allow none but common grace before conversion, should contend, that it may be finally resisted, for there is no doubt but all common grace may be finally resisted.

2. But secondly, We say there is a working, drawing grace, which may be for a while opposed, but cannot be finally resisted. By this the [Page 260] Soul is regenerate, and born again, and that not after the will of the flesh, or the will of Man, but the will of God. This we say cannot be finally resisted; the reasons are:

1. Because by this God gives a new heart, and a new spirit, and causeth the Soul to walk in his statutes, as you will find, Jer. 31. 18. ch. 36. v, 26. Now grace cannot be resisted but from an old heart, and indeed it is a contradiction, to say God may be resisted by a new heart. 2. Again if this grace might finally be resisted, the whole business of mans Salvation, must depend upon his own goed nature, and the power of his own will, and the proximate cause of a mans repen­tance, faith, holiness, must be in himself.

Thirdly, We say there is a co-working Grace, by which (as Au­gustine saith) being first drawn we move, being acted, we act; this is that grace, which God followeth converted Souls with, that Grace, which followeth the Child of God, all the days of his life, without which he can do nothing, Job. 1 [...]. 3. through which strengthening and assisting him, he can do all things, through which he lives, and moves in his spiritual sphere, this is resistible in part, through that law in our members which rebelleth against the law of our mind, and brings us into captivity to the law of sin. Hence is the spiritual combate; the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit. Yet this is but a partial resistance, not from the whole of the regenerate Soul, but from the flesh in it, which lusteth against the Spirit, from that part which is yet unregenerate. Nor shall this resistance be victorious, but the same Soul that crieth out. O wretched man, who shall deliver me from this body of Death? shall in the next words say, I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus I have shewed you how God in the drawing of a Soul to Christ worketh powerfully.

But 2dly, As he works powerfully, so he works sweetly, powerfully, so that he will be obeyed sweetly, so that he is freely obeyed, the conver­sion of a sinner is an act of power, but not of violence; the mystery of this lieth here: Because the effect of grace is upon the will of man. Violence is then offered to us, when we are compelled to actions con­trary to our wills. The will is not indeed capable of violence; the will may be changed, renewed, otherwise inclined, but not forced, force can only be offered to the outward man, and why those who con­tend for a power in man, so renew, change, alter, otherwise incline his own will, should find a difficulty to allow God, as much power as they claim for man, who is but a creature, I cannot understand: Thus far I have shewed you that a Soul must be drawn before it [Page 261] come to Christ. I have yet further to shew you that it must be drawn, or it will not run after Christ.

In this drawing indeed, there needeth not such a power as in the former, the reason is because now, to will is present with the Soul (as St. Paul saith) it only wanteth strength to perform. But an influ­ence, a powerful influence there must be. I believe (said he in the Gospel) Lord help my unbelief! Lord increase our faith, said the A­postles! without me you can do nothing, saith our Saviour, Joh. 15. 3. and again saith he, as the branch cannot bring forth fruit except it a­bide in the Vine, so no more can you except you abide in me, and 2 Cor. 3. 5. Our sufficiency is of God, we are not able of our selves so much as to think any thing, Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me; we are kept by the power of God to Salvation, 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Apostle speaking of the weak Brother, saith, God is able to make him to stand. We stand in grace, Rom. 5. 3. Christ pray­eth that Peters faith might not fail while Satan winnowed him like wheat. God giveth both to will and to do, both of his own good pleasure; but I shall not need heap up Scriptures in so plain a case. I shall have advantage enough to prove it from Reason, concluding from Scripture principles.

1. In the first place the Scripturé speaketh of the Children of God in this life as in a state of imperfection. Not (saith the Apostle) as though we were perfect, or had already attained, Phil. 3. 12. To have no further need of Grace, speaketh a self-sufficiency, and a state of per­fection, which is every where in holy writ denyed to man in this life, nothing needs be added to that man who stands in no need of the power and assistance of Divine Grace, but the holy Scripture every where speaketh of the state of man while on this side Heaven, as a state in which something is lacking to him, & of Heaven only, as that state, wherein just Souls are made perfect: wherein that which is per­fect shall be come, and that which is in part shall be done away.

Secondly, As the Child of God before he comes to Christ is in Scrip­ture represented in a state of death, Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned, Eph. 2. 1. Who were dead in trespasses and sins; So when come to Christ, it represents him in a state of weakness, Ro. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength, Christ died for us. Not only life but strength, was a piece of the purchase of Christ for us. Christ saith as to his Sheep, John 10. 10. I am come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. The Children of God are all as Mephibo­sheth, the Sons of Jonathan, and so beloved of David, united to [Page 262] Christ, and so beloved of God, and must eat bread at his Table, but they are all of them (like him) lame of their Feet. Now those that are without strength cannot run; running doth not only require life as the principle of motion, but strength also to assist the motion; what the Apostle saith of their knowledge, and prophecying they know in part, and prophecy in part, is as true concerning all their other graci­ous habits and acts, they are all but in part, they are in this like Nebuchadnezzars Image, part of Iron, and part of Clay. Adam indeed had both his legs, a full strength, and could of himself (without any need of the assistance of a Mediator) have done all that God required of him in that state, as necessary to his Salvation, but he fell, and did not only for his posterity, as well as for himself, lose his innocency, and righteousness, but his spiritual strength, and ability also. His fall causing the need of a Mediator, and a coming unto him that we might have life, caused also the need of the influ­ence of the Holy Spirit upon us, to quicken and innable us, to com [...] unto him, and to walk with him, Hence there was a need of such a Covenant for God to make, as that mentioned, Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn from them to do them good, but I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall never depart from me.

Thirdly, That body of death which remains in the best of Gods Peo­ple, evinceth a necessity of a continued powerful influence of grace to keep the Soul in any motion, especially in any quickness of motion after God. That we have weights that pressus down, a sin which easily be­sets us, a body of death as St. Paul calls it, proper lufts, lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, is evident in holy writ; we are indeed at last more than conquerours over this inteftine adversary, but it is through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 7. For lust is so connatural to us, the lustings of the flesh so strong in us, that our regenerate part could never else maintain the Spiritual fight. Besides (as I shall shew you) as we have an impotency, so as we cannot so much as will the thing which is good, so we have also a natural dulness and aversion to it, and this also remaineth in part in the regenerate Soul, nor to be con­quered without the influence of the holy Spirit.

Lastly, The many hinderances which the Soul hath from its Enemies without, will also hinder it from running. James tells us, that every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. This is a temptation from within, à carne, this would be too hardfor a Soul in its own strength But it hath also Enemies from without, both [Page 263] from its grand adversary the Devil, and also from the world. I must con­fess I have met with one, & never but one, that would pretend to main­tain a power in man to resist▪ the strongest Temptations without any ex­traordinary assistance of the Spirit of grace, this he would impose upon the world to believe, because that Joseph resisted the temptati­on from his Mistriss. That Joseph did resist that temptation, is plain in Scripture; but that he did it, by no further assistance of Grace, than Reuben had, who defiled his Fathers Bed, or Absolom who went in to his Fathers Concubines, will want better proof than any I find in his discourse. I cannot but think that if man (without the as­sistance of special grace) had a power (as he boldly saith) to resist the strongest temptations; we should have none destroy themselves upon temptations to self murder, Atbeistical thoughts, and Despair. It is an inaccountable thing why any should destroy themselves if this Doctrine were true, especially if they be persons not before pos­sest of atheistical principles, believing there is neither God, nor De­vil, Heaven or Hell; who can give an account (suppose it in the power of the best of men to resist the strongest temptations without a­ny special grace) how David (the man according to Gods own heart) came to fall into the sin, first of Adultery, then of Murther? To will was certainly present with him, (as well as with Paul) how came he to want a strength to perform, but from Gods withdrawing his spe­cial influence of grace from him, and leaving him to his own strength, which (though, the strength of a renewed man) yet is too little to grapple with a strong temptation. If even the best of men with­out the powerful influence of special grace, can resist strong tempta­tions, how came Peter to fall by denying his Master by swearing and cursing that he did not know him? he manifested that to will was present with him, by his telling our Saviour that altho all men should forsake him, yet he would not. God was pleased to with-hold his pow­erful influence, and to leave Peter to the ordinary strength even of a renewed man, he was not able to grapple with the temptation. It is so far from being true, that man hath a power to resist the strongest temptations, that without Christs influence assisting, he hath not a power to resist any temptation, whether from the World, the Flesh, or the Devil. It is Musculus his observation upon John 15. 3, Our Sa­viour doth not fay without me you cannot do much, or all, but you can do nothing. Nor if it be a strong temptation (such as the fear of life &c.) can a Christian resist and overcome it without a more than ordinary assistance of Divine Grace proportioned to the degree of [Page 264] temptation. But vain man would be wise, though he be but as an Asses Colt he would be strong, though in very deed he is weaker than water, he would be all to himself, though he be nothing in himself.

5. But for a further proof of this Proposition concerning the ne­cessity of drawing, powerful influences of Divine Grace, both with reference to the Souls first motions and coming to Christ, and further motions, in following Christ, and running after him, I shall but ap­peal to the experience of all converted Souls. If there be an heart be­fore me which God hath truly changed, any one that is not only converted from one opinion to another, or one profession to another, from Paganism to Christianity: but indeed converted from the love of sin, and lusts, to the love of God, and the hatred of all sin, and an endeavour to walk close with God, from an opinion and confidence of, and in any righteousness in itself, wherein it can hope to stand be­fore God▪ to a trusting and relying on the Lord Jesus Christ and his Righteousness! I appeal to that Soul, what was it, thinkest thou, that inclined thy heart to accept of Jesus Christ for thy Saviour, to com­mit all the concerns of thy Soul unto him, and to alter thy course of life from a principle of love to God, and obedience to his will, more than anothers, who sate in the same Seat with thee, or lived in the same House, and sate under the same Ministry, heard the same Sermons? how camest thou to be taken, thy Neighbour left? how came thy will to move regularly, whiles thy Neighbour under the same circumstances still retained his stiff neck, and iron sinews, and hard heart, and continued in the same lewd and sinful courses? who made thee to differ? Didst thou make thy self to differ? How came it that he did not also make himself to differ? I know there is no Soul, whose heart is truly changed, but will say, if almighty power had not changed me, I had been as bad as any other. And so since thy Soul hath been changed, thou hast met with Temptations to sin, thou hast resisted them, overcome them, triumphed over them; o­thers (possibly some very good men) have fallen by, and under them, who again hath here made thee to differ? No pious Soul that un­derstands itself, but will here cry out Grace, Grace, powerful distin­guishing Grace. So as this Doctrine is consonant to the experience, and judgment of the best of men, the other contrary to their expe­rience and reason, and therefore not like to prevail much in the world with any who either understand what grace and holiness is, nor what the state of man is since the fall. I could only wish that those who so glory in a power they have to come to Christ, and to [Page 265] walk with him and run after him, and to incounter and overcome the greatest Lions in the way, would let us see it, by their strict and close walking with God, without putting such a sense upon the Com­mandments of God as the Pharisees did of old, whom Christ con­futes, Mat. 5. according to which they may indeed be kept, by ver­tue of that common Grace of God, which he denieth to no man.

This is enough to have spoken Doctrinally upon this Subject.

Sermon XVIII.

Canticles 1. 4.
Draw me, and We will run after thee.

I Proceed to the Application of the Proposition, which I largely opened, and confirm'd in my last exercise, viz. That no Soul cometh to, or runneth after Christ, till it be first drawn; not only sweet­ly allured, but powerfully by God inclined; I come now to apply it.

Use 1. This in the first place may inform you of the Vanity both of the Arminian, and Popish Tenets as to this great point. Arminians think it hard to be accounted Enemies to the Grace of God, yea they will profess themselves to own special Grace, but by the Grace of God, they understand no more than exciting Grace, the Grace of God in the Gospel, which hath appeared to all men, and by special Grace they only mean that further Grace which is given to them, who have first made a good use of the power, God hath created in their wills. They say that wherever the Gospel is preached, there goes alongwith it such a presence of the Spirit, that if men will, they may without any further influence of Divine Grace upon one more than another, repent and believe, &c.

‘That God when he calleth them by his Gospel, giveth to sin­ners, not only necessary, but sufficient Grace, for faith and obedi­ence, and seriously commandeth them to believe and obey, under [Page 266] the promise of eternal life if they do these things, and the contrary threatning of eternal death if they do not. This calling they say is in Scripture called an Election unto Grace differing from that unto gloty and Eternal Salvation. This calling is effected, and perfected, by the Preaching of the Gos­pel, and the vertue of the Spirit conjoined with it, and that with a gracious, and serious intention (on Gods part) of Confess. Rem. cap. 17. working faith in all those who are so called, whether they be­lieve, and be saved in the issue, or pertinaciously refuse faith, and eternal Salvation; for they tell us there is an effectual calling so called, rather from the event, than from the intention of God, properly so called, which calling obtaineth its saving effect, not from any precise intention of God to save men, or because it is so made by the secret and singular wisdom of God, that it effectually agreeth with the will of him that is called, or because in, and by it the will of him who is called, is so determined to faith, by an irresistible, and an almighty power (not less than that of Creation, or raising the dead) that it cannot but believe, and obey, but because man doth not put in a bar (which he might do) to the call of God, nor resist Divine Grace. They tell us there is another sufficient grace which is ineffectual, which through a failure on mans part, hath not a saving effect, but is unfruitful, and obtain­eth not its due, and desired effect, only through mans voluntary and vincible fault;’ Hence they will tell you, that they attri­bute all to Grace, they make that the beginning, the reason of the progress, and perfection of all good, so that without preven­ting, exciting, following, and co-operating grace, the regenerate man himself, can neither will, nor do any good, nor resist any temptation.

But they mean by Grace, nothing but the means of grace, and such an assistance of the holy Spirit, as alwaies attends it, and one as well as another hath, that sits under the Gospel; for that which we call special grace or distinguishing grace (the drawing of the text) by which God powerfully influenceth the Souls of some, not of others, and worketh faith and dispositions to new obedience in them, they deny any such thing, and so attribute to the will of man, all the change of the heart which we call con­version or regeneration; hence they will tell you, that God never so worketh in any Soul, but man may hinder, and finally resist [Page 267] his operations. This is their opinion, which how contrary it is to truth, and how absurd it is, I have shewed you in my former discourse; what Bradwardin saith of the Pelagians, may be ap­plied Bradwar­din de causa Dei l. 1. cap. 38. to these Teachers. ‘They make God pauperculum Merca­torem, like a poor Pedlar, that indeed carries about his Grace, and persuades men to receive it:’ But man is made the buyer. Thus (saith that grave Author) God should rather, gratiam su­am commutare ac vendere, quam dare; commute and sell his grace rather than bestow, and give it. Doubtless the will of▪ God is the efficient cause of every good thing that is done, the first mover in every good motion, the begetter and preserver of it. Aman­tissima genitrix, & vivifica conservatrix (as Bradwardin expres­seth it, l. 1. cap. 9. and maintaineth it from reason, and the conces­sions even of Philosophers.) They will tell us they will grant this; That God is the first cause, and mover as to all good, and that all this is of his grace, but he moves us only, by external calling, and the common assistance of his Spirit. They much de­light in those terms, [aids, and assistances of his Spirit] by which they plainly grant the will of man, the first cause, and make the Spirit but an aiding assisting cause. Again how is the conversion of a sinner from the Grace of God, whose Grace it seems extends no further before conversion, to the person to be converted, than to the person that still continues in its hardness, and inconverted state, so as it is not the Grace of God that causeth the Soul to differ, for as to that, there is no difference, the same administration of grace, both to those whose hearts are changed, and to those whose hearts are not changed. They tell us grace, and in the same degree of administration, may be, yea is resisted, by many of those to whom it is administred. This opinion must be faulty either,

1. By maintaining that God doth not seriously, and efficaciously will the salvation of any Soul, the contrary to which in words they affirm, and instead of it say he seriously willeth, the salvation of all Souls, to whom the Gospel is Preached, which is very strange; for which of us seriously willeth any effect, and want no power to effect it, and the thing is not effected? that an Almighty God should seriously will, what he from all eternity knew should ne­ver be effected, and will that which he hath a power to effect, yet never is, never shall be effected, is a strange piece of Divini­ty, or sense: Or else it is faulty,

[Page 268] 2. By maintaining a greater power in the will of man in its lap­s [...]d state, than in the will of God, which is against all reason, and can be owned by none but such as deny God to be omnipotent; I have in opening and proving the Doctrine, said enough to shew you the vanity of this dream, I shall only add a word or two 1. That this pretended willing of God, which they affirm to be. real, and serious, and yet inefficacious, not producing the effect, is incomp [...]tent with that infinite wisdom and knowledge which must be in him, who is the fountain of all knowledge, and wisdom▪ Indeed man who hath no knowledge of future contingencies, may s [...]ri­ously will, that such a person should be moved, exhorted, and call'd upon to do such or such a thing, upon the doing of which he should have an estate, and yet he may be left at perfect li­berty, whether he will do it or no, and so the reward may not be certain, but contingent to him. But that God who from all Eternity, had a certain perfect knowledge who would, and who would not believe, and could not know it, but because he had willed it, (for the will of God only from Eternity could make that certain, which it itself was but cont [...]ngent) I say that this God, should seriously will the salvation of all those to whom the Gospel should be Preached, and their faith, and holiness as a means in order unto it; when he from all eternity knew, that on­ly some of those to whom the Gospel should be Preached, would believe and obey, and therefore knew it because he had eter­nally willed their faith, and holiness, and salvation. I say this is a strange mystery, which it will be hard for any thinking men of any degrees of sense or reason to understand.

2. Indeed if this Doctrine were true, no Soul could be saved, at least it were possible that no Soul should be saved. Our Lord tells us, Joh 6. 44. That no man cometh unto him, but he whom the Father draweth, and every one as he is learned and taught of the Father, cometh unto him. So then it is not of him that willeth, no [...] of him that runneth, but of the Lord who sheweth mercy, and man that is born again, is not born again, of the will of the Flesh, nor of the will of Man, of God. And it must be said of God, He hath begotten us; not only he hath treated, and intrea­ted us, and proposed salvation to us, but he hath begotten us, in­fluencing, renewing, changing the heart of the Creature by his power; not leaving us to the power of our wills, upon his word being p [...]eached unto us, and the arguments of the Gospel used to us.

[Page 269] I appeal to any whose heart God hath changed, whether they think their hearts, had ever been turned to God if this had been all God had done for them, that is, given them his Gospel, and by that invited them to turn unto him, nor can it be supposed, that when an all-knowing, all wise God, from all Eternity, had a certain infallible knowledge, who should be eternally saved, and of the powers, and inclinations of all mens hearts, that he should leave the means in order to this salvation so imperfectly willed, that it was left possible, that by those means, none should ever be saved, and obtain what he certainly fore knew, and there­fore fore-know because he had willed it. But I have already a­bundantly shewed you the opposition of these notions to the plain revelations, and reason of Scripture; It is said that God o­pened the heart of Lydia, Acts 16. 14. And certainly if man had such a power, being unregenerate, to repent and believe, upon the proposal of the Gospel, and pressing the arguments of it, supposing the common work of the Spirit always attend­ing the Gospel, he would much more have a power, being con­verted, to walk with God, to run after him, for the Soul not changed, is not only impotent, but unwilling, and stubborn, when converted it is willing, though [...]e [...]k, yet not so weak as before conversion; and according to all reason, the Soul, which is both stubborn, and wholly weak, hath more need of a power (foreign to its own power) which can be no other than the power of God, then that Soul which is now made willing, and only weak, and not so weak, as the inconverted Soul is, but this is enough to shew you the vanity of these principles, which yet obtain so much in the world.

2. The Papists say the same thing that the others speak, they will grant, That man hath no power to spiritual things without the assistance of Divine Grace, he cannot believe (say they) the mysteries of Divine Salvation, this Bellarmine proves from Joh. Bellarm. de gratia & lib. arbit. l. 6. cap. 2. Ibid c. 4. 5. 7. 6. 4. where he desires his Reader to observe, that it is not, no man doth, but no man can come to the Son, except the Father draweth him. Nay he tells us; that without the special grace of God to help him, man cannot love God, nor prepare himself for Grace; nor will any thing which tends to Salvation, o [...] Godliness. But then they tell us;

Ibid c. 9. 1. That this Grace of God, is not the sole agent. That the Soul of man (as to the first grace) is no▪ meerly p [...]ssive, but also [Page 270] active. God indeed calleth, and by special grace excites, and his grace aideth the will of man in believing. He falls heavily upon Luther, Calvin, and Chemnitius, for saying that the Soul in the reception of the first grace is meerly passive. Pelagians, and Ar­minians, ascribe to the will of Man, the whole power of closing with the promise by faith, being once offered in the prea­ching of the Gospel; Papists seem to divide Gods glory, be­twixt him, and the will of man. God say they, must send his Grace, but his Grace is not that alone which produceth the ef­fect for the power of mans will (though infeebled by the Fall) is yet alive, and God accommodating the Soul with the aid, and assistance of his Grace, the Soul joins with it, and this they as­sign for the reason, why one heart is changed, and not another (for God proposeth his special grace to all; where by the way you may take notice that they call special Grace, what we call common, because administred to all) because free will works better in him that is converted, than in the other; thus still Arminians, and they are agreed, that the fountain of all Spiritual and Eternal Bellarm. ibid l. 6. c. 15. 3. good is in mans self, that man makes himself to differ, and so hath wherein to glory, and that man is the first cause of any true Spiritual saving motion, and so inequal vertues, are, as I said before, ascribed to Souls of the same kind, under the same circumstances, and endowed with the same rational faculties.

Secondly, They also agree, That the operations of Divine Grace are no other, than what may by the power of mans will be not only op­posed, but finally resisted, so as they shall produce no effect, and that drawing grace, is no more then an intreating, and moral suasion, no such act of power as we would have it to be; man comes to Christ alone, he is not drawn. Therein they agree with the o­ther.

3. Finally they say, the converted Soul, can of itself, do acts of righteousness, obey the Commandments of God, and ordinarily needs, no quickning, only assisting Grace. This is not to be allowed in the Latitude, though there be something of truth in it, there is cer­tainly a greater power, and ability to spiritual good in the con­verted, then in the unregenerate, and unconverted Soul, we dare not say the Soul converted moves not, acts not, but as acted, and is also in that state meerly passive, God hath now infused a principle of life into it, his Spirit dwelleth in it. But we say that even the justified Soul still stands in need of a constant divine in­flux, [Page 271] and that in a powerful degree; and Bellarmine himself grants that as the Soul hath at all times need of Gods assisting, exci­ting and protecting grace (for Christ saith, without me you can do nothing) so in some hard cases, and in the performance of some hard & difficult duties, he hath need of powerful influences of Grace. So as the Jesuite himselfdurst not ascribe so much to the power of mans will, though altered by grace, as those bold men amongst our selves, who will have man have a power not only in ordinary ca­ses, but to resist the strongest temptations. It is a sign they neither ever knew what a strong temptation meant: Nor what it is to resist and evercome them. But this is enough to shew you the vanity of these Doctrines.

Use 2. Secondly, My discourse on this proposition will let all of us see the exceeding solly, of resisting and vexing, or grieving, or quen­ching the holy Spirit of God at any time in its operations or motions. you meet in Scripture with all these terms expressing the oppo­sition which vain man maketh to the holy Spirit of God, two of them, resisting, and vexing are applied to men wicked and unregenerate, Acts 7. 51. You do always resist the Holy Ghost, and thus you read of vexing the Spirit. The Apostle writes to the Thessalonians, not to quench the Spirit, 1 Thes. 5. 19. and to the Ephesians, Eph. 4. 30. not to grieve it. As the man that is unre­generate may resist and vex; so those that are renewed, may quench, and grieve the Holy Spirit. The Proposition which I have opened to you, shewing you the necessity, of our being drawn by this Holy Spirit, if we ever come to Christ, or being come, if we hold on in our way, and run after him, and walk with him, justifies those reproofs, and exhortations of the Apostles evincing it to be the greatest folly imaginable, voluntarily to do any such acts, by which this blessed Spirit should be resisted, vexed, quen­ched, or grieved.

1. This may be done by persons whose hearts are not yet chan­ged, they sit under the ministration of the Gospel (which is the ministration of the Spirit, and a glorious ministration) and be­sides the suasion of the potent arguments contained in it, set on by all the art of the Ministers of Christ, gifted by God for this end, and authorized by God to this work, there is hardly any of them but find some inward impressions of the Holy Spirit, shew­ing them a necessity of believing and obeying the Gospel if they would ever obtain Eternal life, this they cannot deny, but can­not [Page 272] (through the prevalency of their passions above their rea­son) obtain of themselves, to hearken to these admonitions, and yield obedience to these impressions, but after the prickings of their lusts they must go, they cannot deny themselves in their pleasures, or profits, (be they never such forbidden fruit;) yet on the other side possibly their consciences bear so hard upon them, that they cannot quiet them, without promising, that they will amend their ways, they will turn to God, they only beg a little time, and cry out with the Sluggard, yet a little sleep, yet a little slnmber, a little folding of the hands to sleep; like Trades-men, that know they must not spend all their time in their Beds, if they do, their Families must starve, yet their Eyes are heavy, and they cry to those that call them. It is not time to rise yet, an hour or two hence is time enough. So these men sitting under the sound of the Gospel, will grant you, that if they live, and die in such courses as at present they walk in, their Souls must perish to all Eternity. But this they intend not, only it is not time yet to awake ou [...] of sle p, a year or two hence is time enough, let them have some l [...]t [...]s [...]ction in the pleasures of youth, they will repeat and believe before they die, and upon this presumption, they at present [...] the holv Spirit of God from time to time, and v [...]x i [...] no [...] only appearing in the Ministra­tion of the Gospel, but in its more common motions and im­pressions.

This is what I would shortly shew you, the vanity of from the asserted truth of this proposition. Two things I would say to these Souls. That whatsoever humane action is to be done, natural­ly requireth time and place, and that the Earth is the place, and this life is the time for such actions, for (saith Solomon, E [...]l. 9. 10. There is no work, no device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou go [...]st, upon which he exhorts us: Whatsoever thy hand f [...]d [...]h to do, do it with all thy might. It is only while we are upon the Earth, that we are in the way with God whom we have made our adversary, and whom we are concerned quickly to a­gree with, when we die we are delivered to the Judge, the Spirit returneth to God that gave it. When our Dust returns to its Dust, Our comp s [...]um is then dissolved, and no action can be the action of the whole man. When our bodies come to be covered with Earth, our bodies move, and act no more. In the Grave, none re­pents, believeth, prayeth, or praiseth, or any way remembreth [Page 273] God. Thou sayest, to morrow, or within a few years I will amend, I will repent; how knowest thou in what capacity thou shalt then be, what a day, or a month, or a year will as to thee bring forth? The present time alone is thine, and but a little of that neither, that which (as Gerard speaks) dicendo praeterit, currendo praeterlabitur, is gone while thou speakest of it, slipt away while thou thinkest of it. What talkest thou of to morrow, of the next week, month, year, who hast not an inch of time at thy command, nor canst command thy Sun to go back, or to stand still for an hour? If James instruct us not to say, To morrow we will go to such a Fair or Market, with­out adding, If God will; surely vain man should not say at such a time, I will repent, I will believe, I will turn to God, without saying, If God will let me live to such a time; and poor creature, what if God will not! What if he will say unto thee, Thou dilatory fool! This night thy Soul shall be taken from thee, this year, this month thou shalt die. O the most unrea sonable vanity of men in venturing Eternity upon such incertain contingencies! yet this is the usual de­lusion. Augustine confesseth, that his foot was once in this snare; he resisted motions for his turning to God, with cras, cras, to morrow, to morrow, I will do it, till at length through the power of grace he brake the snare, crying out, Cras Domine! cur non hodie? to morrow Lord, and why to morrow? why not to day? This is but the first thing I would say to these procrastinating Souls, and not that which properly resulteth from my former Discourse.

2. But though there be an obvious contingency in that, yet we may admit that thou shalt live unto the time thou hast prefixed to thy self for thy coming, and returning unto God, supposing yet that no man cometh to the Son, unless the Father draweth, how vain are the promises that thou makest to thy self? Admit thou dost live to that time, and that before that time thy heart shall not be more inamoured upon thy lusts, and hardened in thy sinful courses, but that then thou shalt have as good and fair convictions as now thou hast: Yet art thou sure that God will then draw thee? Art thou sure thou shalt then be drawn by the Preaching of the Gospel? Admit that, Art thou sure of the motions, impressions, and breathings of the holy Spirit of God? The Preaching of the Gospel beareth the same pro­portion to the healing of the Soul, that the Pool of Bethesda bare to the healing of bodily infirmities. Men might lie there many years; the Gospel tells you of one that lay 36 years, yet was not healed; the Angel indeed came often down and stirred the waters, but none [Page 274] thrust him in. There is an healing virtue in the Gospel; it is the word of Reconciliation, the word of the Kingdom. The Spirit of the Lord attends the ministration of it, it stirreth the Pool; but ad­mit this, if there be none to help the poor Soul that is impotent in­to it, it is not healed. What knowest thou whether the holy Spirit which breatheth where it listeth, will breathe upon thee at thy lei­sure? God said of the Old World, My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man. If it be not perfectly in thy own power to turn to God when thou pleasest, it is the most unaccountable folly imaginable, for any to resist the holy Spirit, and to vex it; yet promising himself the operations and effects of it, when he will be pleased to call for, and to admit them.

But I hear some saying, Do not you determine that the grace of God cannot be resisted, what need your exhortations then not to resist it?

1. I have told you that the grace of God may be opposed and re­sisted, but that Grace by which the heart is changed, is powerful, and finally cannot be resisted; but certainly the common grace of God (which the Apostle saith hath appeared to all men) may be op­posed and resisted, and finally rejected, and is so by the most of those that sit under it; and certain it is, that mens opposing and resisting of that common grace, may provoke him to deny special grace to the Soul that doth it, and will justifie God in the denial of it. For we have no reason to complain of God's not doing what was truly and purely his part, whiles we have not done what is our part, and in our power. Now, though the change of the heart be an act of Di­vine Power, yet acts of moral Discipline, and the avoiding gross and scandalous sins, and the performance of some religious Duties, which God hath prescribed as means (though not in themselves sufficient and effectual) are things within our power, with the assistance only of that common grace, which God denieth to none to whom he doth not deny the Gospel: And in these the holy Spirit may be opposed, and finally resisted, though he shall not be finally resisted by any Soul that is ordained to life and eternal Salvation; and it is certainly the duty, and wisdom of every Soul, to take heed of this Resisting, this Vexing the holy Spirit, because, as I said before, God shall for ever be justified in the with-holding his gracious acts of power, until man hath done what is in his power. To which I think I may add, that in the day of Judgment, there will be wanting a President so much as of one Soul, who hath followed the drawings of his Gospel, so far as he had power; to whom God hath denied the more powerful [Page 275] drawings of his Spirit, making a change in the Soul, and subduing it to the obedience of Faith; and also because God will not have his Spirit alwaies strive with man, because he is but flesh.

2. But secondly, Even the People of God also fall under this re­proof, though not for such vexings, and resistings of the Spirit, as natural, and unregenerate men are guilty of, yet for Quenching the Spirit in its motions, and resistances of it in his operations, whence the Apostle saw need of those Precepts, 1 Thes. 5. 19. & Ephes. 5. 30. We are prone, 1. To Quench the Spirit in its motions to duty, and to put them off. 2. And to promise our selves, if we fall, we shall rise again.

When we find some motions to duty, which we have reason to conclude to be from the holy Spirit dwelling in us, and sometimes from some more than ordinary suggestions to, and impressions made upon us, we are too ready to put them off to some other time, pro­mising to our selves that we then will obey them, and hearken to them, not considering, that as our first coming to Christ dependeth upon the Father's drawing; so our running after him depends upon Christ's, and his Spirit's drawing. Now, though the Lord never for­saketh the Soul that is his, as to necessary grace; yet he often deserts it as to gradual manifestations, in strengthening, and quickening in­fluences. See that famous instance, Cant. 2. The Lord called at the door of his Spouse, saying, Open my Love, my Dove, my Undefiled. The Spouse grieveth her Beloved's Spirit; she would open in the morning, when she should have had her fill of sleep; when she should be up and drest, she had put off her Coat, and how should she put it on? she had washed her feet, and how should she defile them? At length v. 5. She rose to open to her Beloved, but he had withdrawn himself, and was gone,—She sought him, but she could not find him; she called him, but he gave her no answer. It is the case of many good and pious Soul. The holy Spirit moves it to some evident piece of spi­ritual duty; (for I am not speaking for extravagant impulses to things no where prescribed, or directed in the Word of God) the Soul is under some spiritual Torpor, and listlesness; it agrees the thing ought to be done, and disputes nothing but the necessity of doing it presently, it neglecteth it; it may be when it would open to its Beloved, it finds that he hath withdrawn himself, and is gone. It seeketh him, but it cannot find him.

2. Secondly, We are as prone also vainly to think within our selves, If we sin, we will repent, if we fall, we will rise. Or, though [Page 276] we run into temptation, yet we will not fall by it. All this while for­getting, that although we live, yet it is not we, but Christ lives in us, and we shall stand in need of drawing grace to run after God. It is true, that if the Believer sinneth, he hath an Advocate with the Fa­ther, even Jesus Christ the Righteous. If he falls, he shall rise. God will succour him when he is tempted; but all this proceeds from an influence forreign to him. God is able to make him to stand, and faithful, so as he shall stand. But yet his own endeavours are neces­sary to his standing, and Divine Grace is necessary (if he be lapsed) to his recovery; and though he may know, if he knows that he is Elected, and effectually called, and justified, that he shall not perish for ever; yet this can by no means encourage his presumptuous sin­ning; for these two Reasons: 1. Because while he lies under the guilt of sin not repented of, he can have no knowledge of his Election, or Effectual Calling, but hath reason to suspect he hath all this while mistaken the case and state of his own Soul. 2. Because he may be saved as through fire, and go with an aking conscience even to the gate of the City of God. Now it is impossible, that in the Judgment of any Soul under the conduct and command of reason, the pleasure of sin should appear compensative of the rack of Conscience, and the feeling the terrours of God upon the Soul but for a few days. If in­deed man having fallen from his integrity, had a power to rise again at pleasure by the help alone of his own hands, he might have from hence a motive to indulge his corruptions; but if he hath no such power, but what he derives from drawing grace, certainly it is the vainest thing imaginable for man to sin upon a presumption, of what is not in his power; and though he be certain of it in the issue, yet he may want it so long, as may leave him little pleasure of his sinning, little fruit of those things for which he hath been so long ashamed.

Use 3. Thirdly, From this representation of the state, the present state of Man; We may observe the difference betwixt our present state, and the state of our Pro-parent Adam in the state of Innocency. It is a point not half enough thought of, and the want of a due consideration of it, causeth so many swellings against, and blasphemings of the Truth of God in this point. They will not understand, that although God made Man upright, and in Honour, yet he abode not in Honour, but by seeking out inventions, became like unto the Beast that perisheth. The state of Man at first was such,

1. That he needed not have come to Christ for life; he had his li [...]e in his hands. There needed no Saviour before we were lost, no [Page 277] Mediator or Intercessor, before man had offended, and consequent­ly, no applications of our Souls unto him for life and Salvation, and this by the way may shew you the weakness of their reply, who when they are told, that it is no more injustice with God to call to us for those exercises of Grace in order to our salva­tion, which in our lapsed state we have no power to perform, than it is in man to call to him, to whom he hath lent a great sum, which he by his debauchery hath spent, to pay him what he oweth him, and to lay him in Prison (though he hath nothing to pay) for God in creation gave unto man a power to do what­soever in that state was necessary to his Salvation. I say when they are told this, they usually tell us, That Adam never had a power to repent and believe in Christ; Nor was repentance or faith in Christ necessary in that state wherein Adam was crea­ted, nor would it ever have been necessary either to him, or us, had he stood in that estate, God gave unto Adam and to us in him, whatsoever was necessary in that state, and if our Fore-fa­father, and we (who dyed in him, and fell with him) have made a Mediator necessary, and repentance, and faith in the Mediator necessary, and we have no power to these acts, nor ever had, no not in Adam, how yet is God unrighteous in requiring those acts of us, though we have no power to perform them?

Secondly, As in that state, there was no need of a Christ, of a Saviour, a Redeemer, nor consequently of a being drawn, or a coming to him: So neither was there need of any such potent drawing in order to our running after him. Adam had a perfect power connatural to him, to walk with God in the obedience of his will. It was the fall that lamed us in our feet, and introduced this necessity of Christs drawings in order to our running. Let us in a word or two take a view of man now in this, that he stands in need of these divine drawings.

1. He now stands in need of a Mediator, and there is no name given under Heaven by which any Soul can be saved, but only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, no Salvation by any other.

2. He stands in need of drawing to this Mediator, not only of a Child to be born a Son again, a Saviour prepared, but of the work of the Father, and the holy Spirit to draw us to, and after this Mediator.

1. Drawing (as I have shewed you) imports a fair treating, & intreating, & alluring Souls to what is their great and only happi­ness, [Page 278] this speaks man, 1. In a state of aversion from God and his only felicity. Mans supreme happiness lies in his union, and communi­on with God, as the supreme and greatest good; yet he must be drawn to it, drawn with the cords of a man, allured by mans Rhetorick, persuaded to it by mans Logick, and ratiocination; we as the Embassadours of Christ, must beseech and intreat men to be happy in being reconciled to God, and thus much is gran­ted to us by those who make themeanest, and most jejune inter­pretation of this drawing.

2. Drawing (secondly) signifieth an act of power. This spea­keth us not only averse, but impotent and weak without strength. We are like Lot in Sodom; though we daily hear that the wicked shall be turned into Hell, with all those that forget God, though the Lord useth all intreaties with his poor Creatures, and the love of God be displayed before us in the fullest measure, yet till the Lord doth by us (as the Angel did by Lot) lay hold upon us, and pull us out of our sinful state, we move not a jot. Yea veri­ly man in his best estate, man regenerate, and brought home to God, must also be drawn, or he will not run, he must be kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation, or he will never come into Heaven; when to will is present with us, we have no strength to perform. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. O miserable men that we are; who shall deliver us from our bodies of death. I need say no more, it being what is justified by the ex­perience of the best of men, and their prayers directed to God accordingly.

Sermon XIX.

Cant. 1. 4.
Draw me, and we will run after thee.

I Have formerly discoursed from this Text this Proposition, That the Soul till drawn, doth not run after Christ. I am in the application of that discourse, and that by way of Instruction.

[Page 279] Use 4. This may inform us in the true nature of special saving Grace. It is a drawing to, and after Christ. Grace in its general notion sig­nifieth nothing but free love and favour. Let me find grace, or I have found grace, signifies no more in Scripture, than though I have no worth, no merit, yet shew me love and favour; when ap­plied to God, it signifieth no more in the general notion, whether this love be shewed in the collation of the good things which concern this life, or those which concern that life which is to come, they are all grace in a large sense, because emanations of divine love, not merited by Creatures. But words taking their significancy more from use than etymology, Grace in a more strict and usual notion hath been taken to signify, The emanations of Divine love concerning the Souls, and Eternal Salvation of the Children of men, which is called the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation. Now these divine emanations having different effects, this Grace of God is also distinguished into Common and special, ineffectual, and effectual; under the notion of common grace, we comprehend all those effluxes of divine goodness, by which God sheweth his kindness to the Souls of men in order to their Salvation, whether they prove effective of their Salvation, yea or no; under this head, some will bring both Election and Re­demption, owning no other Election, than the eternal counsel of God to save such as should believe, so denying all eternal Electi­on of persons, and making Christs intention in dying to extend to all, either equally, or at least so far as to put all in a possibility of Salvation, if their own perverse wills do not hinder. The Publi­cation, and proposal of the Gospel, with the common influences of the Spirit attending the preaching of it, certainly come un­der this notion, for though all hear not that joyful sound, yet it is granted on all hands, that of those that do hear it, to some it is the savour of life unto life, to others the savour of death unto death. And this is all the grace which some will acknowledge, an­tecedent to the pardon of sins, and regeneration. But we affirm a further special grace than this is, which we call special, because it is not equally administred to all, no not to all that hear the Gospel, saving, because it brings salvation, not only in a general tender, and offer unto all, but to that particular Soul, upon whom it shineth, and so is effectual, because effective of the blessed end to which it is levelled, and aimed, and doth not evaporate in a meer tender, and proposal of the will of God. This is that which [Page 280] we conceive expressed here, and in John 6. 44. under the notion of drawing. Which term is fully expressive of the Nature of it, as it signifieth both, 1. An act of power. 2. An act of sweetness and love.

1. An act of power. The converted Soul is made willing in the day of the Lords power, Psal. 110. 3, 4. The holy Scrip­ture describes us in our natural state, as dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2. 1. Enemies to God, Col. 1. 21. and alienated from the life of God. Having hearts, harder then rocks, then nether milstones, iron sinews, stiff necks. Let those that think, a meer intreaty of a Soul to come to Christ, that it might have life, a meer moral suasion, or persuading a Soul to Spiritual duty, will change it, and renew it, and beget in it spiritual habits, try what their Rheto­rick will do, to melt a rock, or to raise a dead body. If the dis­advantage of an ill education, and a customary course of de­bauchery, added to our vitiated nature, hath such a power to beget in us a moral impotency, that the drunkard, and the unclean person cannot obtain of himself, notwithstanding the advantage of his own ratiocination, and the potent arguments drawn from the health of his body, the upholding his reputation amongst men, the preservation of his estate, the pleasing of his sober friends, to turn from an Alehouse, and Tavern, and from the house of the strange Woman, no not tho his own experience, and the daily experience of others, verifieth these arguments; and the acts are but such, as by the force of reason (supposing the common grace of God denied to none) may be declined. How shall we ever think, that a man hath a natural power to the most sublime and spiritual acts, and that the power of God must not be put forth upon a Soul, causing it to love God, and to hate sin, and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Two things evince this grace to be an act of divine power.

1. The invisibility of Christ and his excellencies. 2. The natural alienation of our Souls from him; If indeed our need of Christ, or the suitableness which is in him to the lapsed state of Souls, were either evident to sense, or demonstrable to reason, or the excellencies of Christ were demonstrable to either; something might be said for the sufficiency of rational arguments to per­suade the Soul to Christ, yet not enough in that case, for the sen­sibility of the goodness of temperance, and sobriety and chastity, their suitableness to the frail state of our bodies, ready to be [Page 281] destroyed by debaucheries opposite to these vertuous habits, we see by experience, are not enough to keep Souls within the circle and bounds of morality. But the other things being nei­ther subject to the demonstration of sense or reason, it is most ir­rational to plead for a power in the will of man to chuse them. The sweetness of what the lapsed Soul in its state of alienation from God tasteth in sensible satisfactions, is a thing evident to sense, and it is most absurd to imagine, that a Soul should ever call these things bitter, till it be convinced of a more excellent good, and the incompetency of its fruition both of the one and of the other. Could it be any thing less than a powerful act of Divine Grace, that could make Moses willing, to refuse the pleasures of Pharaohs Court, and the honour of being called his Son, and to chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, coun­ting the reproach of Christ, greater riches then the Treasures of Ae­gypt? O study, and adore the power of faving and effectual Di­vine Grace. Do but consider your own weakness, and the migh­ty power of Satan in tempting, and you will be convinced, that there had need be a divine power exerted, in the collation of sa­ving Grace.

2. But yet as it is mighty and powerful, so it is also sweet; we are drawn to Christ, but it is with the cords of a man, the divine power put forth, hath the will for the object, which is not forced, but melted, renewed, changed by the influence of the mighty God upon it. Indeed the will is not capable of violence, but yet it is capable of a divine influence sweetly renewing, and changing it, the Soul is made willing, and then it wills, and chuseth, desires, delights in the things which are good, and acceptable in the sight of God. Grace doth not meerly exhibit, and propose Christ as a lovely, and beautiful object, altogether desires, it doth not only furnish the Gospel, and fill the mouths of Ministers with suasive arguments, but it fills the Soul, the inward man with a powerful divine influence, which quite reneweth and changeth it, and altereth the byass and inclination of it. This is the nature of saving grace, effectual grace, thus it differs from that Grace of God which may shine upon reprobates, which they may final­ly resist, and abide still in darkness.

Use 5. This notion in the next place wonderfully commendeth the love of God, to those Souls that are made partakers of this Grace of God that bringeth Salvation, that maketh a Soul meet [Page 282] for the inheritance of the Saints in light. The great boast which those who maintain the contrary systeme of Doctrine to what I have maintained, make, is, that their Doctrine doth vastly more commend the love of God to mankind. Let us try that a little; According to their Notion of the Grace of God, it is no more, than might have been consistent with the Eternal perdition of all mankind; for they say God hath determined no particular per­son unto eternal life, Christ hath laid down a price no more for the Soul that is saved, than for those that perish. In the Acts of his Providence he doth no more for one than another. Both have the Gospel, both have the common assistances of the Spirit, and one hath no more than another, both have Souls of the same species, indued with the same faculties, both might have resisted the Grace of God, and that finally. Now do not these mightily magnify Grace, who will allow no more of it then what is con­sistent with the eternal destruction of all men? yet neither are they consistent to themselves in their doctrine of Grace, so far as they will allow any thing to it, they pretend the advancement of the love of God, by their conditional Election, incertain Cove­nant, universal Redemption, common Grace, yet they cannot deny, but that the far greater part of the world hath not so much as the means of grace, the sound of the Gospel is not in their Ears; and how little of it is there in Popish Countries, where the Peo­ple have not the Bible in their own language, and hear stories, and tales out of the Legends instead of the Gospel? nay, in Protestant Countries how many places are there, where People have Stones instead of Bread, Scorpions instead of Fishes, where they from the Pulpit hear little of Christ, or the great motives of the Gospel to faith and holiness? so as to make out their notion of their Doctrines, commending the love of God; they must find out a way to Christ and Salvation, for more than three parts of the world, without Christ, and that an ordinary way too, (or but few of them will be saved) yet in this extra­ordinary, that their Salvation must be without the Gospel, and the potent motives and arguments of it, the Preaching of it, and the ordinary concurrence of the Holy Spirit with it. The opinion of Divine [...] on the other side is this; That God out of the Mass of Mankind (whether considered as created, or to be created, they are not so universally agreed) did chuse a certain number of Persons great in itself, but small in comparison of the [Page 283] whole number of mankind, as to whom he willed a Kingdom of life and glory: and also chose them and ordained them to obtain this life, by having Redemption through the Blood of Christ, the forgive­ness of sins, and by being holy and unblameable before him, and to this end sent his Son to die for them, and gives to the most of them, whom he thus ordained to life, and to faith, and holiness, as the means of it, his Gospel, and the Ministry of it, by which he intreateth all those to whom it is Preached, to be recon­ciled to God; but for those whom he hath ordained to life, he powerfully and effectually worketh in them by the Spirit of his Grace, by which their hearts (though they may for a time oppose and resist) yet are subdued to the obedience of faith, and drawn un­to Christ, and by which also being come to Christ, they are drawn after him, being by his power through faith preserved to Salvation. Now whether is the Love of God more seen to mankind in the cer­tain Salvation of many, (though comparatively but few) and order­ing of causes accordingly: Or in such an ordering of causes, as it was possible notwithstanding any thing God had done for man, all might have perished: And whether is God more glorified by our predication of him, as one, who though from all eternity he knew who would believe and live holily, and who would not; yet left it possible that all men should believe if they would. Or by the predi­cation of him, as one who knowing all things, because he willed them (so being the first cause of all good in the creature) ordered all things according to the good pleasure of his own will. In the mean time this Drawing Grace which we maintain, infinitely commendeth the Love of God to those who are thus drawn, if we consider

1. The infinite distance of God from the creature: He is a self-suf­ficiency to himself, and in order to his happiness needed not the com­pany of any creatures: Now if there were no more in drawing grace than some would make, drawing with the Cords of a Man, intreating and persuading Souls to be reconciled to God, his love might be just matter of admiration and astonishment: Who are we that God should treat us, and send Embassadors to intreat us to be reconciled unto God? If the Lord had only sent to us to give us warning of a wrath to come, and timely notice to flee from it, leaving us meer­ly to our own wills, whether we would hear, or forbear, accept, or refuse. This had been love above the usual mercy of men, who do not usually spend much time in treating, and intreating those enemies whom they can easily crush, and tread under foot. Yet had God [Page 284] done no more for our Souls, though in this he had shewed great love, yet we through the natural stubborness, and perverseness of our hearts, had been undone for ever. How many are in a high Road to ruine and eternal destruction, whom God hath been thus intreat­ing, and beseeching many years?

2. But now that the Lord should not only do this, but put forth an act of power, though not saving them against their wills, yet making them willing to be saved, and in order to it not verbally, but really willing to receive Christ as tendred to them in the Gospel, so as not only to be saved by him, but to submit to those Laws and Rules, in the observance of which they shall obtain Salvation; and not only so, but that God should assist the Soul in the performance of these acts; not only giving it to will, but to do also. This certainly must transcendently commend the love and goodness of God to those Souls that have experienced such grace. That God doth not so much for all, speaks indeed severity to them, but that he doth it for any, speaks his unspeakable goodness and good will to their Souls. I say, that he doth not this for all, speaks to them severity, but yet ju­stice, and that not only in regard of that stock of sufficient grace, wherewith our Pro-parent was intrusted, which being lost, God is under no obligation to restore: but also in regard that God never denieth his special Grace, until the Soul hath abused his common Grace.

3. Nay lastly, That the Lord should take care of our Souls after that we are once brought to Christ, that he should put his fear into our hearts, to keep us from departing from him, and never depart from us to do us good, that drawing Grace should follow us all the days of our life. This certainly is the heighth of Divine Love, more than this God could not have done for any Soul; those for whom he hath done this, must be highly beloved. What now is left for such a Soul to do, but to strive after perfection? to live in a constant eying this All-sufficient God, this Fountain of all Fulness, and living in de­pendance upon him: To live in a continual thanksgiving to, and love for that God who hath dealt thus graciously with it, and in a daily care not to grieve that holy Spirit by which it was first drawn to Christ, and by which it is sealed to the day of Redemption, and guided and kept, that it doth not slip fatally. O love you the Lord all ye his Saints! Let drawing Grace find no renitency, no resistance from any of your Souls. God hath done for you more than others; what will you do for God? nay, what can you do for that God, [Page 285] who hath not only called, but pluckt you out of the horrible Pit? Take the Cup of Salvation, and be for ever praising the Lord.

Use 6. Again, we may from hence learn, though not the proximate, yet a true and remoter cause why the Gospel is preached to many so inef­fectually. Our Saviour tells us, Many are called, but few are chosen Isaiah cried out, Who hath believed our report? to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? Paul in his Preaching was to some, the savour of life unto life; to others, the savour of death unto death. When Christ himself Preached some believed, others were hardened. Whence so great a difference, when the Word was the same, the Preachers the same, both to those that believed, & to those who were hardened: They had all reasonable Souls; those Souls had all the same powers, the same faculties; I mean, powers and faculties that had the same virtues. We see the same in the experience of every day. Indeed there may be some Preaching, that may bear no better proportion, to the instruction of the ignorant, or the conviction of a sinner, and turning him from his sinful courses, than the Clay and Spittle had to cure the blind man's eyes, from which no such effect could have flowed, but by a miracle; but where there is the same Scriptural, spiritual, lively, powerful Preaching, we see this effect. Two sit in the same seat, one's heart is changed, the other's is not; one goes on in his leud courses, and perisheth for ever, the other is converted, his heart changed; whence is this difference? Is it from him that willeth, or him that runneth (think you) or from him that calleth? from him that sheweth mer­cy because, and on whom he will shew mercy? We will grant that the one doth not make that use of God's common Grace which he might, and therefore the Lord righteously with-holds his special Grace. But could not the Lord, if he pleased, influence the one Soul as well as the other, to make a good use of his common Grace? Hath God (think we) no influence upon men, inclining their hearts to make a due use of his common Grace? When men have said what they can, the conversion of every Soul is the effect of the Lord's drawing; and when the Lord doth not draw, the Soul doth not, cannot, come or run. The natural man hath many things which draw him another way, and God is not pleased to put forth his power upon the Soul. Indeed properly nothing but our own lusts draw us another way, but our natural passions are inflamed several waies. You have an instance of the principal of them in the Parable of the Marriage-Feast which the King made for his Son, recorded by Luke, c. 14. 18, 19, 20. & Matth. 22. v. 5, &c. A certain great [Page 286] man (Matthew calls him a King) made a great Supper, (Matthew calls it a Marriage for his Son) he bade many, saith Luke; he sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding, saith Matthew. They would not come, (saith Matthew) They all with one consent began (saith Luke) to make excuse. They were invited by potent Arguments; I have prepared my Dinner, my Oxen, and my Fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come you to the Marriage, Matth. 22. 4. In ge­neral it is said, They would not come; they made light of it; they made excuse? What drew them another way. Lu. 14. 18. The first said, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it, I pray thee have me excused? And another said, I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and I go to prove them. And another said I have married a Wife, and therefore I cannot come; who is this King? Even the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords; who is his Son but the Lord Jesus Christ? Of whom he said; This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. What are the fatlings kill'd, how are all things ready? the Lord Jesus Christ hath dyed, there is in his blood a sufficiency of merit. The Gospel is Preached, the Ministers of Christ are sent out to offer reconciliation with God, union with Christ to all those to whom the Gospel is Prea­ched; a great part of them will not come, they make light of the ten­der of Grace and Salvation, what is the matter that they find any difficulty to make hast to their own happiness? The three great cau­ses are mentioned, and they fall under these three heads. 1. Worldly enjoyments. 2. Worldly imployments. 3. Sensual and sensible satis­factions; these have all a power upon man by reason of that lust which is in them, either the lust of the Eye, or the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life.

1. Wordly enjoyments hinder some. The first said, I have bought a Farm, I must go and see it; The young man, Mat. 19. seems to have a good mind to follow Christ. Christ bids him first go and sell all that he had, and he should have riches in Heaven. The Text saith, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions, Mat 19. 22. Our Savi­our upon it saith to his Disciples, Verily I say unto you, a rich man shalt hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is easier for a Ca­mel to go through the Eye of a Needle, then for a rich Man to enter in­to the Kingdom of Heaven Another Evangelist expounds this by one that trusteth in his riches. The desire of getting riches, and the over-much complacency, and delight of the Soul in them, together with mens valuing themselves upon them, are three great drawers of the Soul from Christ. The first as it over-ruleth the Soul to an evil [Page 287] covetousness, oppression, and unjust methods and measures of gain, and so brings him into the herd of those that shall never come into Hea­ven. The Second as it melteth the Soul into sensuality, and hin­dereth those acts of Self-denial, and Mortification, without which a man cannot be Christs Disciple, nor ever come into Heaven. The 3d, As it swells the Soul with pride; and lifts it above re­ligious Duties, which it judgeth too mean for it, suited to poor people, but not to Persons of its degree and quality in the world.

2. Worldly Employments hinder others. Alass! That Men and Women should be too busie to attend the making their calling and election sure, but so it is. The second said, I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and I must go and prove them. Some Men and Wo­men are not at leasure to be saved as they are not at leasure to pray, that the thoughts of their heart might be forgiven them, or to hear that their Souls might live. Licitis perimus. As many perish by the ill uses of lawful things, as by reaching their hands to absolutely forbidden fruit; more die by meat then by poison. Though the Drunkard cannot keep the narrow path that leads to Eternal life, yet what hindereth, but that a sober Person should? what more lawful then to buy five yoke of Oxen, and to try, and use them, when we have them? It is the command of God, that In the sweat of our Face we should eat our Bread. Ah! But if the Cart draws to the Market, when God calls to the Solemn Assemblies of his People, the five yoke of Oxen prove of fatal consequence. O cupide negotiator (saith De-Pon­te) when a man hath so much business about his body, that he hath no leasure to attend the business of his Soul, he is over­busy, and makes his [...] when his Trading is so much in the world, as is inconsistent with having his [...] his conver­sation in Heaven, then much business makes him mad, and his time is but (like Domitians) spent in catching of flies, instead of attending the concerns of the Roman Empire, the concerns I mean of his immortal Soul; I would have the active men of the world sometimes think whether they have not too much busi­ness to manage, and go to Heaven too. This made our holy Mr. Palmer bless God who had call'd him to the work of the Mini­stry which drew mens minds towards God, whereas most other imployments divert the Soul from God.

3. Sensual and sensible satisfactions, are another kind of things [Page 288] which potently seduce and draw off the Soul from God. Another said, I have married a Wise, and cannot come. Never yet any mist of Heaven, but had some impediments or other; the others prayed to be excused, this guest saith, I cannot come, Riches draw hard, so do worldly business and imployments; but ah! Plea­sures, pleasures are the bane of Souls, like the silly Bee, they are drowned in their own Hony. Gods voice grates upon the Ears accustomed to Musick, and all manner of delightful sounds. A bleeding crucified Christ is a most ingrateful object to the wanton Eye that hath been used only to behold pleasant things. Yet it is to be observed that he doth not say, I am going to an Harlot but I have married a Wife, & cannot come. Still, Licitis pe­rimus. These are those potent Seducers, which suiting with the strong & natural byass, & inclinations of our hearts draw off from Christ. Man is too weak to withstand the force of them, God doth not please upon every Soul to whom the Gospel is Preached, to put forth his power. Hence Souls of the same species, under the same means, and assistances, yet incline and move diversely. There is, there can be, nothing in man that makes him in pract­ice to differ from his Neighbour. Let not therefore he who is thus drawn, glory, for it is God who hath drawn him. Nor let a­ny murmur on the behalf of those who are not thus drawn. Grace is the Lords own, he may do with it what he pleaseth; Augustine saith well concerning Grace, the cause why it is given to one, not to another, may be hidden and secret, but unjust it cannot be. In the mean time (as I said before) I believe at the great day there will be not be found so much as one Soul that shall be able to accuse God for the denial of this Grace, this powerful, and effectual Grace, who hath not voluntarily, resisted, and vexed the holy Spirit of God in the use of that common Grace, for the want of which he hath no reason to complain; and shall not the Lord be justified in refusing to draw those, who have first suf­fered a base lust (which was in their power to have resisted) to draw them away from him? Shall not this powerful Grace be righteously denied to them, who have suffered themselves by a revel to be drawn from a Sermon?

2. Further yet we may from hence have an account of those many startings aside, from God of which his own People are guilty, and the inequality of gracious motions, and actions. Some seem to us to stand still, others to move very slowly, others with great [Page 289] heaviness, and difficulty. All this difference depends upon the inequal distributions of Divine Grace, for although when this Oil is once in the Cruise, it shall not fail from it, till Grace shall be swallowed up in glory, but so much influence of Grace shall be continued as to justify the Lord in his promise, that he will never depart from the Soul to do it good, and he will put his fear into the heart, that it shall never depart from him; and the Soul shall be preserved by the power of God through faith to Salvation, yet there may be, and are great differences as to the degrees of Gods Administrations. Nor yet possibly must the blame of these Souls not running, rest upon God for not drawing? For although the Lord may sometimes do it upon his prerogative and sove­raignty,

1. To shew the freeness of his Grace in all the emanations of it, and that he is under no obligations to measure out to every Child an equal portion of the riches of his Grace, but as in the disposal of his other talents of Riches, & common gifts, he may if he please make inequal distributions as it pleaseth him, giving out to some 10, to others 5, to others but one, so he may do as to his Talents of distinguishing Grace, whiles yet every one hath enough to conduct and preserve his Soul unto eternal life and happiness.

2. Secondly, He may do it to lay his people under the potent conviction of this truth, That their running depends upon his draw­ing. God himself sometimes assigns this as the reason of his sub­straction of worldly enjoyments, that they might know who it is that gave them. Hosea 2. 8. 9. For she did not know that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and multiplied her Silver and Gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof, and my Wine in the season thereof, and will recover my Wool, and my Flax, &c. Thus also the Lord may do as to the dispensations of his Grace (that Grace I mean which is not necessary to Salvation) did we alwaies find an equal strength against our lusts, and to our Spiritual duties, an equal readiness to, and chearfulness in the Service of God, we should attribute too much to our renewed nature, and not know in what a daily derivation from, and dependance upon God, even the best Souls live, and that all our fresh springs are from him. Did we Sail to Heaven through the Sea of this world, alwaies with a Trade wind, we should not understand that the wind of Di­vine Grace (which is the breathing of the holy Spirit) bloweth [Page 290] where it listeth. But when we are becalmed in our voyage for the new Hierusalem, and forced to lie at Anchor, then we learn that without Christ we can do nothing.

But though this must be said to aver the Soveraignty of God, and to assert his wisdom, yet most ordinarily these withdrawings are upon some provocations on our parts, the Clouds in the Heavens are caused from the Vapours which arise from the Earth. God can never be so provoked against a justified Soul as to withdraw himself wholly, but he may be, and is oft-time so far provoked, as to withdraw his gradual influences, so as the Soul shall feel that it is not with it as at former times, and cryeth out, where is my God become? When the Lord offereth a wind, and the Soul refuseth to open its Sails when he moveth, and the Soul quencheth its motions, and grieveth him in his operations, he many times hides his face from it, & it is troubled; the Soul that hath grieved the quickning Spirit, shall smart alittle for the want of quickning Grace, & complain of dulness, & heaviness, & listlessness to its Spiritual Duty. I say this oft-times, yea most ordi­narily is the cause. So as though it wants these divine drawings, yet its want of them, is the punishment of its iniquity.

I shall conclude this discourse with a word of advice, what such Souls should do, under such dispensations.

1. Search and see whether some late sin, hath not provoked God to these withdrawings. See if thy conscience (which in this case is thy best informer) doth not tell thee, that such a time thou hadst an impulse or motion to prayer, or such a duty (and that under convenient circumstances) and thou neglectedst it; or of­fered thee some help, and thou neglectedst it. And now the righteous Lord hath left thee to thy own strength, and thou feest what thou art, and humble thy Soul before God, and re­new thy covenant with him.

2. If thou canst not find that any such blot hath clave to thy Soul, yet acknowledge the Lords wisdom, the freeness of his grace, and his righteousness in his dispensations. We must allow God to do many things in infinite wisdom, and righteousness, though we cannot see or understand it, we must not look in this life to understand the reason of Gods works. It is enough for us to know that he hath done it, and that all his works are done in wisdom and righteousness.

3. Take heed of lowing thy Sails, when thou thinkest the wind [Page 291] abates. This you know is contrary to the methods of Mariners; I am sure it is contrary to the wisdom of Christians; keep thy heart at such a time with the most diligence, working and striving against sin. Tow thy Ship if thou canst not Sail as at other times. Go if thou canst not run, and keep thy Soul ready for a wind, whenever God will please to send it.

4. Fourthly, Beg the returns of the blessed Spirit. Tell God of thy Souls weakness, or the strength of thy corruptions, or temp­tations; say unto God as Jehosaphat said in another case; Lord I have a mighty host coming against me, I know not what to do, I have no strength against it, but my Eyes are unto thee.

5. After this, I know nothing more to be done, but a patient waiting for God, according to the resolution of the Church, Isaiah 8. 17. I will wait upon him, that hides his face from the house of Ja­cob, I will look for him.

Sermon XX.

Canticles 1. 4.
Drawme, and We will run after thee.

I Am dwelling yet upon the first Proposition of Doctrine I obser­ved from these words, That the Soul must be drawn to, and af­ter Christ before it will run after him. (It is a great point, and I am willing to make the utmost improvement of it that I can. The improveableness of it for our instruction is all you have yet heard.

Use 2. In the next place, certainly there may be made some improve­ment of this notion, to assist to judge concerning our spiritual state, concerning faith and holiness. These being from the ordina­tion of God so necessary to Salvation, that without them we cannot see God, mistakes about them are like diseases that affect the vital parts, exceeding dangerous. All that this Doctrine will help us in, as to this particular, is in letting us know,

[Page 292] 1. That that faith which will do the Soul any good as to E­ternal Salvation must be (as the Apostle stiles it, Col. 2. 12.) a faith of the operation of God. The work of Faith with power, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Thessal. 1. v. 11. It is call'd the gift of God, Eph. 2. 8. Not of our selves, it is the gift of God, Eph. 2. 8. The work of God, Joh. 6. 29. This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. It is not only the Commandment of God, 1 Joh. 3. 23. and the gift of God, but the work, the operation of God, a work with power, such a faith as is an effect of the Fa­thers drawing? This if duly observed, will go a great way to guide us in this inquiry, it will let us see [...] that that believing (which is the mere product of natural powers) is not that coming to Christ, to which the promise of life, and Salva­tion is annexed▪ Two things men ordinarily deceive themselves with, as to this business of Faith.

1. Judging any kind of blind, and languid assent, to the propo­sition of the Gospel to be that believing, to which the Holy Ghost in Scripture annexeth the promise of Salvation, A great many know no more by believing, but their agreement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he was made man, and died for us. All which, and much more the Devils believe, and yet tremble. I do not think that an assent to the Proposition of the Gospel, be the assent what it will, is that Faith which justifieth. It is not the Proposition of the Gospel, but the Person of the Mediator, that is the object of that Faith; some indeed tell us, that Faith is an operative assent, and by that they have mended the matter: but if the Person of the Mediator, not the Proposition of the Word be the formal, and proper object of true Faith, no assent can be the justifying act of Faith, for the Proposition must be the object of that. There are several kinds of assent according to the light in which we see a Proposition. We assent to things oft-times meerly upon report and hear-say, so as the assent is a meer humane Faith. Thus most Englishmen assent to this, that there was such a Person as William the Conquerour. A thing they can see in no other light than that of humane reports in History; of all other assents this is the weakest, and most invaluable, and before we give it, there must appear to us a probability in the thing; upon this account, none but those who judge themselves obliged to believe what the Church saith, and that those Books were written by the or­der of the Church, believeth or assenteth to the strange stories [Page 293] in the Popish Legends, because their reason tells them the things are improbable, yea, impossible, without a miraculous operation which they see no reason God should work in such a case, nor will men give their assents in such cases, but where they are not much concerned whether the thing be true or false, so as it is e­qual to them to agree the thing or to deny it. 2. Men assent to things upon the evidence of ratiocinations, they form conclusions from principles, and then assent to them. Now in regard our reason is not infallible; this assent likewise (though more strong than the other) yet is but saint and incertain, and alters as we see better reason for the contrary. 3. There is an assent which is given to a Proposition upon the account of a divine revelation. Now this assent is stronger or weaker, as the Revelation, is more ful­ly, or imperfectly, & incertainly agreed. A man by a natural power may assent to the Proposition of the Gospel, as delivered to him by men: he that thus assenteth doth no more assent to what the Gospel saith of Christ, than to what Histories tell him of what was done by the Saxon or Norman Kings many hundred years a­go. Reason working upon its own principles sheweth us nothing of Christ. The Scriptures are by all Christians generally lookt upon as the Word of God, but no man hath any certain and firm persuasion that they are so, but he who is persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit of God; all arguments from tradition and reason, have their incertainties, and though they are useful to make it proba­ble to others, yet they do not produce a certainty of persuasion in our own Souls; hence the assent to such Propositions as are on­ly revealed in Scripture, must also be faint and incertain, and con­sequently not operative, or very incertainly operative; so that although it may produce something of practice, whiles the fit of assent is upon the Soul, yet it produceth no steady, certain con­stant practice; so as though it should be granted, that a practical assent to the Proposition of the Gospel, be true justifying faith, to which is annexed the pardon of sin, yet if by it we mean such an agreement of our minds to the truth, as produceth a certain, steady, constant or ordinary practice and course of life, confor­mable to the propositions of truth which we agree, as this will imply trusting, and relying on Christ for life and salvation, so it is such as is the operation of God in the Soul, and that not in a way of common providence (as our abilities▪ to speak or move are) but in a way of special favour and working, for mans agreeing to [Page 294] the holy Scriptures to be the Word of God, firmly and steadily, being the reason why he agrees the truth of the propositions which are revealed in it alone, and that being the special work of God in Souls that shall be saved, of necessity such also must be the assent to the Propositions that are revealed in it, and which can be seen by the Soul in no other light. So as indeed I do not think there is much in it more than a strife about words, or at least a very great nicety, whether true justifying Faith be a practi­cal assent to the Propositions of the Gospel, or a reliance on the Person of the Mediator, or rather both; for a practical assent doth necessa­rily infer a reliance on the Person of the Mediator: Admitting that this is one Proposition of the Gospel, Acts 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other, for there is no other name given under Heaven amongst men, whereby we must be saved; and that the Soul in its practice of holiness, hath any Eye to the recompence of reward, it is impossible there should be any practical assent (to use the term of some) that is, any assent to the Proposition, that shall produce any truth, or constancy of practice, without a re­liance upon, and trusting to the Person of the Mediator; and this must be the special work, and powerful operation of God in, and upon the Soul. But now if men make any kind of languid, weak and incertain assent to the Gospel Faith, and think that they have true Faith, because they agree the truth of the Propositi­ons of Scripture, they may miserably deceive their own Souls; a Man by a mere natural power may as well agree, that there was such a one as Jesus of Nazareth once in the world, who went about doing good, exhorting men to a good life, and was Cru­cified, &c. as that there was in England a William the Conqueror, or any thing else that is to be found in other Books of tolerable credit, and reputation in the World. Or if men think that they do truly believe, because they agree many propositions of the Gospel, which are evident in the light of Reason, they again de­ceive themselves, here may be nothing of the operation of God in this faith. Nay if they agree the Propositions of the Gospel, because they are revealed there, and in the mean time do not agree the Scriptures to be the Word of God, but look upon them in the same rank with human writings, or only by an human saith agree them to be the Word of God, because the Church hath so deliver'd, and transmitted them, here is all this while no thing of the special operation of God. Nor will [Page 295] this agreement produce any steadiness and firmness of practice, commensurate to the Revelation, but only commensurate to the nature of the Assent, which being not fixed, & constant, nor it may be, not universal, but to some part only of the revelation, must necessarily bring forth no more than a saint, par­tial, and incertain, practice. Hence it is that Hypocrites may do many things contained in the law, and at one time be more warm than at other times. But if thy Assent be the special operation, thou assentest to the whole revelation, because God hath fixed in thy Soul a persuasion that it is from him who cannot lie, it is also steady and fixed; and tho some doubts may possibly incum­ber thee sometimes, yet they hold not long, and thou firmly and generally (with allowance for the frailty and infirmity of human nature, endeavourest to live up to the whole of that du­ty, which the revelation imposeth upon thee, which thou canst not do, without relying on Christ, and him alone for Salvation, and having a respect to all the Commandments of God. And indeed, herein that agreement or assent which is the special work of God in the Soul, differs from that which is but a meer natu­ral action. 1. In that it is more fixed, certain, and universal; and this must be so, for our assent is according to our light, we must first see, before we agree the truth of a proposition, now the light of the holy Spirit is without doubt the clearest and brigh­test light. Our natural reason gives us but a dim light, as to mat­ters of Faith. 2. In that it layeth a stronger obligation to practice. Reason will tell us, that the more firmly we believe the truth of Propositions, holding forth rewards and punishments relating to our practice, the stronger we shall find our obligation to pra­ctice in order to the obtaining such rewards, or avoiding such punishments. 3. In that it layeth an obligation to a more univer­sal practice. The obligation to practice riseth no higher than the assent, so as if there be any duty to which we do not agree, our assent obligeth to no practice of that. Now the holy Spirit per­suades us of the truth of the whole revelation, and that in the fullest and truest sense. Hence it is that the true believer is more warm and universal in his obedience, than it is possible a­nother should be, because his assent unto the truth, is from a quite differing light, and a quite differing work of God, the as­sent of the former proceeding but from a common work of God in nature, the latter from a work of special grace by the [Page 296] Spirit of God upon the Soul. I will not much contend with those who will have true Faith to be a practical Assent to the Propo­sition of the Gospel, if they by Assent mean a firm and steady Assent; and by practical, such an Assent as obligeth strongly to an universal practice of whatsoever is revealed as our Duty. 1. Because I know a reliance upon Christ for eternal Salvation, must be the effect of such an Assent. 2. Because I know there can be no reliance on Christ with­out such a praevious Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel. 3. Because I know there can be no such thing without the mighty Power of God upon the Soul. So that in this sense the Soul must be drawn by the Father, before it come to Christ. Only let none deceive themselves, (as to this point of true Believing) by fancying such an Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel, true Faith, wherein God hath no further concern, than as he influenceth acts of Humane Nature flowing from that order of operations which he hath set in all rational Souls. True Faith must be more than this.

2. As to Faith men are also prone to cheat themselves by calling their Natural presumption Faith; we say Faith lies in a resting, and reliance on Christ. Now many will tell us they rest and rely on Christ, and yet it is no difficulty to evince they do but presume and not believe. Resting and relying on Christ for Salvation, must be the Father's drawing. Natural presumptions are meerly from our selves. Every man is willing to hope well for, and to prophesie good unto himself. Hence living under the publication of the Gospel, and ha­ving heard of an eternal Life and Salvation, and this to be had through Christ, and by resting on him, many naturally cry, they rest on Christ, and trust in him, and him alone. And our Saviour lets us know, that men may die with such confidences, Matth. 7. 22, 23. Now there is a resting and reliance on Christ, which is the Opera­tion of God, yea and the mighty work of God upon the Soul, and this many a poor Soul finds that lives months, and years, under the Spirit of bondage, before it can rest on Christ, and quietly com­mit it self unto him; and there is a resting, which is no more than a natural hope, or confidence, arising either from the Souls natural de­sire of good to it self, or from its ignorance of the true grounds of a true resting and reliance: And indeed by this may these two be distin­guished and known asunder, That resting and reliance upon Christ for any spiritual and eternal blessing, which is the Operation of God, is alwa [...]es bottomed on a Promise, and testified by a life suitable to the con­dition upon which that Promise is made. These two things are al­waies [Page 297] in it. 1. I say first it is founded upon a Promise; for all Grace, and Eternal Life being the gift of God, it is as vain a thing for any to be confident they shall have it, without God's revelation of his Will as to it with reference to them; as it is for any man to pre­tend a confidence, and trust in another for the making him rich with a great part of his Estate, when that other never so declared his mind to him, or any one else. And 2. The Promises being not made to persons by name, but to persons that do thus & thus, it is altogether as unreason­able for any to pretend a rest and confidence in Christ, for the collation of those spiritual blessings, as it had been for any Commanders in the Jewish Army, having heard Saul 's declaration of his Will, That whosoever kil­leth Goliah, should have his Daughter to Wife, should have promised himself Saul 's Daughter without incountring the Philistine. Now this resting and relying on Christ, (which is the only true reliance) is so difficult by reason of our former sins, and daily infirmities of humane nature, and the lapses and backslidings we are guilty of, that no man thus comes to Christ until he be drawn. Thus far I have shewed you how far this discourse may be useful to guide us in our enquiry whether we be drawn and come to Christ yea, or no, directing you to distinguish true Faith, both from a faint and languid assent, and from a natural presumption of our good Estate with reference to Eter­nity.

2. But it may be further useful also to try your holiness. That also must be the effect of Drawing Grace. There are two usual mistakes about holiness.

1. The first is when what we usually call Moral Virtue is called holiness.

2. When we mistake it for a formal running a round of Religious Duties.

I say first, When we mistake holiness, for what we usually call Moral Virtue, or Moral Righteousness. I put in those words [we usually call] because I perceive some modern Writers (possibly be­cause pinched with their Arguments, who have contended for some­thing else besides Moral Virtue to be necessary tó salvation) have ex­tended the notion of Moral Virtue far beyond what Aristotle and the rest of the Philosophers learnt us to understand by that name; and do not only bring Faith within the compass of it, but will pretend it to be necessary to it, that the action to be done should be performed from a Principle of Faith, and Love, and Obedience, and directed to the Glory of God as their end. These acts and actings our Fore-fathers [Page 298] were wont to call Grace; but to let us know that those in our days who have inlarged the acts of Morality, mean no more, than what men may do, by nature, having no more than the motives of the Gospel, and the assistances of the Spirit, common to all to whom the Gospel is Preached, therefore they well call these things Moral Vir­tues. As to Moral Virtue in the latter notion of it, it cannot be mi­staken for holiness, for it is so. It is in the antientest, and most pro­per notion of it, that I am speaking to it. So Chastity, Sobriety, Temperance, Liberality, Justice, are moral habits, and the acts of them are acts of Moral Virtue and Righteousness; whether he that doth them doth them out of any Principle of Faith, or Love, or Obedience, or with any respect to the Glory of God, yea or no; but if any thinks this is holiness, he is wonderfully mistaken, for it is essentially necessary to an act of holiness, that it should be done from a Principle of Faith, the Soul being fully persuaded, that it is the Will of God, and in Obedience to his Will, eying his command in our action. And 3. Proposing to our selves the Honour and Glory of God for our end. So that though the same acts be done, yet if they be done from other Principles, and to other ends, they may be acts of Moral Virtue (that is, under the government, and conduct, and guidance of reason) but no acts of holiness. Besides, there are many actions which are our duties, in obedience to the Will of God, the reasonableness of which is not to be concluded (nor ever was concluded by the men of reason amongst the Heathens) from any other Principle than this, That it is the highest reason that we should do what God commands us. So that to reduce our duty as Christians, to the Precepts of what we have used to call Moral Virtue, is partly to secure our selves from a great part of our duty, by that Art, and partly to do what we do out of such Principles as God will never more thank us for, than we will do our Servants, for doing what we would have them do, but they do out of respect to themselves, without any regard to the pleasing of, or obeying us. Now, though it be true, that acts of Moral Vir­tue (that is conformable to natural reason) may be performed by men without any special influence of the Holy Spirit: Yet without such a Drawing Influence the Soul will neither do those acts, from any true Principle, or to any right end: Nor yet do many things which are required of us (under the notion of holiness) in order to eternal life. Besides, the holiness required of us is in all our conversation, 2 Pet. 3. 11. Now it is observed of the greatest Moralists, that they failed here, and indulged themselves in some things of immorality, [Page 299] yet went for morally virtuous men, if they excelled in Justice, though they failed in Temperance, Sobriety, and Chastity, &c. And indeed herein is the drawing of Divine Grace with respect to holiness seen, and from hence to be judged. If the Soul finds it self under a con­stant obligation to whatsoever God hath commanded, and that be­cause God hath commanded it, and that it might please him, and do what is acceptable in his sight. This no Soul doth from a meer na­tural power; and though the renewed Soul be made willing, yet to keep on in this course it stands in need of the daily excitings and quickenings, and assistances of the Holy Spirit.

2. A second mistake which men may be deceived by, as to Holi­ness, is when they take a formal performance of Religious duties to be it. Holiness lieth in Godliness, and Righteousness. And as men may mistake Righteousness towards men for Holiness, so they may as easily mistake a Form of Godliness, which may consist (as the Apostle teach­eth us) with a denial of the Power of it to be Holiness. Godliness in the sense I am speaking to it, signifieth the performance of those acts of homage and worship, which God hath required of us to his more immediate Service and Glory. This lieth in the performance of some external actions of God immediately, according to the prescrip­tion of his Divine Will, which respecting the manner, as well as the matter, all such actions as are meer bodily labour, are indeed no God­liness, but meer formal performances, and things so short of obedi­ence to the Commands of God, that God in Scripture is said not to require them, that is, not them alone, or them performed in such a manner, as Isa. 1. 12. When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands, to tread my Courts? Bring no more vain Oblations; Incense is an abomination unto me; the New Moons, and Sabbaths, the calling of Assemblies, I cannot away with, even the Solemn Meetings: Your New Moons, and your appointed Feasts, my Soul hateth; they are a trouble to me. God had appointed all these things; he had commanded they should tread his Courts, bring Ob­lations, offer Incense, keep New Moons, and Sabbaths; but all these things ought to have been done out of love to God, with a Faith in Christ, and with pure hearts; not being so performed, they were no Godliness, but meer abomination unto God. The case with us under the Gospel is the same, though our Acts of homage there pre­scribed be of another, more reasonable and spiritual nature. God hath required of us to pray, to praise, to hear his Word, to partake of his Supper. He hath also prescribed us the manner in which we ought to [Page 300] do these acts; in Faith, in Obedience, with the intention of our minds, attention of our thoughts, fervency of spirit. Separate the more exter­nal acts from these, they are no better than formal performances, bo­dily exercises, neither acceptable to God, nor profitable to our selves: If men will call these Godliness, or Holiness, it is a great mistake. The external acts are indeed such as men that live under the Gospel may be excited to perform, and may perform without any special influence of Grace, by vertue of his natural powers and abilities, and the common Grace of God not denied to any: But when they are done, without due affections, and principles, and inward motions of the heart correspondent to the nature of the actions, according to the revelation of the Divine Will, they are no Holiness, but Hypocrisie; and thus they cannot be performed without the assistance and influ­ence of special Grace. Thus from this notion of the necessity of Christ's drawing both with reference to our first coming to Christ for life, and further following him, walking with him, and running after him. Christians may be able to judge both concerning the Truth of their Faith, and also of their Holiness. If either be true, they must be the effect of Divine special Grace, and more than any can do from the powers of Nature, even the best educated Nature, not renewed, changed and influenced by special and distinguishing grace. I am fully of their mind who think that those Souls, who are no further changed and reformed, or converted, than might be from the power of Nature rationally improving Moral Principles, and Gospel Motives and Arguments, cannot be saved: But yet I am so charitable, as to think that many may be saved who think they have no other con­version than this; the workings of the Spirit of God upon our Souls are so indiscernable and internal, that we may possibly mistake them for the workings of meerly our own powers and faculties, under the advantages of the Gospel; but they must be more than such, or else (as I have before said) man is the first Author of all spiritual good, both with respect to action and fruition, to himself, and clearly his own Saviour, and must make himself to differ from another, and that by the highest, and most spiritual difference, and one man's Soul must have different and inequal vertues from the Soul of his Brother, whose Soul is of the same species, and hath the same faculties. But I have dwelt long enough upon this branch of Application.

Let every one now by this Examine himself, whether the Faith that he thinks he hath, be a meer Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel, upon the Evidence of it he hath had from the Church, or from [Page 301] men, or a meer languid incertain Assent, from probable Arguments of Reason, or a meer presumption bottomed upon no Promise. Or, whether it be a firm and fixed Assent to the Truths of the Gospel understood by him, conjoyned with a reliance upon the Person of the Mediator, clearly revealed in the Gospel, as the only Saviour of Man, and producing an endeavour in all things to live up to the con­dition of the Promise? Whether the Holiness which he thinketh his Soul hath arrived at, lieth in a meer Moral Righteousness, a forbearance of gross and scandalous courses of sin, and a doing such acts of Ju­stice and Charity, as a man may do from the meer improvement and conduct of reason, and a meer Formality of Godliness, a performance of such acts of homage, as God hath prescribed, without respect to the manner in which God hath willed them to be performed.

If your pretended Faith and Holiness be no more, trust not to them as Evidences that you are come to Christ; all this may be without any thing of this drawing; your Faith is no more than that mentioned, Matth. 7. 22. where our Saviour tells you that many (pretendedly trusting in, and relying upon him, as may appear by what they said) should say to him in that day; Lord! Lord! Have we not prophesied in thy Name, and in thy Name have cast out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful works? to whom he would say, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. God had never promised Heaven & Salvation, to a prophesying in his Name, nor to a casting out of Devils, so as their confidence, or reliance on, or in Christ, was the growing up of a Rush without Mire; a trusting without a ground, or bottom: Your Holiness and Righteousness is no more than that of the Pharisee, who gloried, Luk. 18. 11, 12. That he was not as other men were, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers; he fasted twice a week, and gave Alms of all that he possessed. Our Saviour saith, he went away not justified. And Matth. 5. 20. Ex­cept your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pha­risees, you can never enter into the Kingdom of God. Say to your selves severally, My Soul, thou must one day come before the Judg­ment Seat of Christ, and begging for admittance into Heaven, thou wouldest be loth to hear the Lord in that day say to thee, Depart from me, I know thee not. My Soul, what hast thou more to trust to than they had? Canst thou say any more than Lord! I am not as other men? I am no Swearer, no Drunkard, no Reviler, no Extortioner, no Whoremonger; Lord, I fast often, I go to prayers often, and to Church often, to hear the Word; if thou hast no more to say, the Pharisee [Page 302] had as much. The interest of a man's own body, or estate, the ex­amples of other men, the credit and applause of the world, may move a reasonable Soul, under no other power than that of reason, nor other influence, than that which all within the compass of the Church, where the Gospel is Preached, may carry thee thus far, without any influence of powerful, special Grace.

Use 3. Further yet, this notion of Truth, may help to relieve many good Souls, who are discouraged, either because they seem to themselves to stick in the New Birth: Or, because they find in themselves a great weakness to spiritual duties: Or, impotency in the resistance of their own intrinsick motions to sin, or forein temptations. As easie a thing as some make it to believe; many Souls smitten of God, and truly af­flicted under the sense of sin, find it one of the most difficult things in the world, to give such a firm and steady Assent to the Revelation of the Gospel, as will produce in their Souls any grounded confidence, and resting on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and shall be pro­ductive of such a change of heart and life as the Gospel requireth. Hence, though they be truly wounded in the sense of sin, and have taken up resolutions through the Grace of God, to sin no more as they have done formerly; yet they cannot tell how to bring their Souls to any fiducial adherence and rest on the Lord Jesus Christ, but they are still full of doubts and fears concerning their spiritual and eternal state; the guilt of their sins is upon their consciences, and they pine away, in, and under it; but they are not able to reach out an hand to the Promise in and through Christ; they have deep sights of their misery, but they can see no hope, no mercy at all in God for them. Now to such Souls as these, this is some relief to consider, That no man cometh to the Son unless the Father draweth him. It is no wonder that thou who hast formerly been not a stranger only, but an enemy to God, canst not at first come unto him, without a powerful influence of Divine Grace; when as those who are brought home to God, stand in need of a daily Divine Influence to enable them to walk with him, and to run after him. This is not the weak­ness, or frowardness, or badness of thine heart alone; it is the condi­tion of every lapsed Soul. And here the thinking Soul will come to feel the wound given it by the Fall of Adam, and its own original corruption. No man hath by nature more aptitude than another to acts truly spiritual. You will say, this is very cold comfort. We are sure, if we be without Christ, we are undone; and what if our hearts be no worse than others were till they were made better by the [Page 303] Power of Divine Grace, so long as that they are so bad as we cannot come to Christ for life? We have been lying in this state at the Pool of Bethesda, under the Ordinances of God, many months and years; others within the time have been rolled in; here we lie still as weak as ever. I will but offer two things to the relief of a Soul thus com­plaining.

1. That every Christian drawn to Christ, doth not presently discern it. Faith, is one thing, the sense of that Faith is another thing. Many a Child of Light doth not walk in the Light. I would hope charitably, that that Soul which complains that it cannot believe, and seriously bemoans its impotency, doth believe; a serious desire to believe, is generally the fruit of believing. I would say to the Soul that thus complaineth, Thou art awakened to consider an Eternity, and that thy Soul is hastening towards an Eternity; yet thou dost not despair, thou hast some hope: In what is thy hope? What dost thou trust in, with reference to thy Eternal Happiness? Such a Soul will easily see, that its Moral Righteousness, or Formal Performance of Duties, are not the things it hopeth in; Where then is thy hope, (those de­grees of hope which keep thee out of the Pit of despair,) fixed? Where can it be fixed but in Christ exhibited in the Promises of the Gospel, so as thou rather complainest for want of sense, than for want of [...]

2. If thou dost but pray, and wait, thou shalt see. Christ will make thee to see, that he hath drawn thy Soul unto himself. Never poor Soul perished under thy circumstances, that is, heavy loaden under the sense of sin, and weary of its sinful courses, and sensible that it hath no Righteousness wherein it can stand before God, and panting and thirsting after the Lord and his Righteousness. I have alwaies thought that God would not be wanting to any as to his special Grace, that had made the best improvement he could of common Grace. But this case riseth higher; God hath begun his good work in thy Soul, and he will perfect it; he hath begun with thee in a way of special Grace, and more shall be added; he hath brought to the birth, and shall he not give strength to bring forth? so as thou hast nothing to do but to pray, to wait upon God in his Ordinances, and to wait for God with patience.

Secondly, I hear others complaining, They would run after God, they would follow the Lord fully; the Spirit is willing, but the Flesh is weak; they find their corruptions, their temptations so strong, their strength against them so small, that they wonder they [Page 304] hold out so long, and fear they shall one day fall. They cannot find that they run after Christ; something of duty they do, but with so much dulness and heaviness, as is far from running. Christian! be of good comfort:

1. The Lord will draw thee; do what in thee lieth, the Lord will draw thee. Who (saith Paul) shall deliver me from this body of death? He presently subjoyns, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Spouse prayeth in Faith, when she saith, Draw me, and we will run after thee. If Abraham had considered his own body, at that time dead (as to such acts) or the deadness of Sarah's womb, he had never glorified God by a strong Faith in the Promise; Rom. 3. 21. He considered none of these, but the Promise only, and con­cluded, that what the Lord had promised, he was able to perform. Thou considerest how busie the Devil is, and what he can do: How strong thy lusts are, how weak thou art, and how little thou art able to do. But thou dost not consider what a mighty God can do; what he can do who hath said, To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have in more abundance. Thou seest a great Mountain of lusts and cor­ruptions, great Mountains of temptations, and thou art afraid: But what art thou O great Mountain before the Lord's Zerubbabel? If it be the Lord's work, who shall let him?

2. Consider, The Lord may sometimes not draw [...] as at other times, and our running will bear a proportion to his drawing. The Mother will never leave the little Child to go wholly alone, for fear it falls; she will alwaies have an hand upon it; but she may sometimes put forth more, sometimes less of the strength of that hand. God never leaveth us wholly to our selves; he knows we cannot stand, or go without him; but he sometimes lets us feel more of his strength, sometimes less.

3. Going slowly when God slackens his hand, is indeed running, that is, equivalent to a going faster with a further influence. It is like the Widdows Mite, who hath no more to put in. Like Hezekiah's chattering like a Crane. Like the voice of David's weeping. Like the sorrowful sighings of the Prisoners which God heareth and accepteth.

Sermon XXI.

Cant. 1. 4.
Draw me, and we will run after thee.

Use 5. IT is a great point that I am upon from the Petition of the Text Draw me, viz. That the Soul must be drawn before it will move toward Christ, either by coming to him, in its first conversion, or by running after him: I have been some time upon it, I shall now shut up my discourse with some few words of exhortation, which shall respect all Men and Women. 1. Those that are yet without Christ, not come unto him. 2. Such as are come unto him, yet are under obligations to run after him.

1. To the first I would speak two things. 1. Never think ei­ther of coming to Christ, or running after him in your own natural strength. It is a rock which many Souls dash, and are eternally spilt upon. They say not, there is no hope, they have found the life of their hands, therefore they are not grieved. It is one of the most dangerous deceits of a mans heart, for him to say he hath his Spiritual life in his own hands, to think that he hath a power within himself, and can turn to Christ, when he pleaseth, or to bless himself as in a good condition, when indeed his condition is very bad. Let me a little shew you the mischief of this er­rour.

1. If I could say no more, than that it is a false persuasion, yet that were enough to defame it to every reasonable Soul, the Soul instead of having its life, hath no more than a lie in its right hand; the object of our understanding is truth, falshood is what it ought naturally to reject and abhor. Men are but in an ill con­dition when they are forced to make lies their refuge, and to hide themselves under falshood, Is. 28. 15. What a sad state is that Soul in, that is put to make a lie its refuge, and to hide itself from the reflections of its conscience, under falshood! His conscience tells [Page 306] him he perisheth for ever, if he abideth in the State he is in, what relieves him? he thinks he can repent, and believe, and turn to God when he listeth, and so goeth on in his sinful courses, stop­peth his Ears against the voice of the Lords Charmers. Here is now a lie made the refuge of the Soul.

2. But Secondly, a further mischief lies here, That whereas the drawings of Divine Grace do usually follow some means, and endea­vours to be used on our part. and that in time, this false persuasion, takes us off the timely use of such means, and endeavours, upon the use of which God ordinarily comes in with the further power of his Grace. Admit a thing necessary to be done, and so allowed by us, yet if it be laborious, painful, or any way ingrateful as to the means to be used in the doing of it, and it be a thing which we know, or believe we can do when we will, we are never hasty to do it, but very apt to defer and put it off from time to time, and to omit those means, the use of which is not pleasing to our sense; whereas if we be convinced that the thing is not in our own power, but requires the assistance of another, if we appre­hend it necessary for us, tho the means be unpleasing, yet we will not neglect the use of them. For example, admit a man sick of some dangerous disease, and he apprehendeth, that without the use of some skilful Physitian he cannot live, though he can­not come at this Physician without a laborious journey, and knows the Physick will not please his pallat, yet a man will not lose his opportunity, nor neglect taking Physick according to the Physicians prescription; whereas if he apprehends his distem­per such, as he knows at any time how to remove, by some means in his own power, he is very prone to put off the use of means from time to time, until possibly it be too late. This is the case of a Soul, persuaded that it hath its life in its own hands, a power in itself when it pleaseth to repent, believe and turn to God; these things being not pleasing to flesh and blood, the Soul is very prone to slight and neglect the means, with which God useth to concur, giving the Soul a power to do these things above what it hath in itself, but now admit a Soul possessed of the ne­cessity of faith, repentance, and new obedience, in order to its eter­nal happiness, and also to know that it cannot do these things without a powerful influence of Divine Grace, which God useth not to give out in the neglect, but in the use of those means of Grace, which he hath appointed, especially if it knows that the [Page 307] Spirit of God shall not alwaies strive with man, it will neglect no time, no use of means, but in the morning sow its Seed, and not suffer its hand in the Evening to be [...]lack, because it knoweth not which shall prosper, this or that, with what means, or at what time God will concur, Isaiah 57. 10. Thou saidst that thou hadst thy life in thy hands, therefore thou wert not grieved. The Jews had used all means to make piece, and leagues with other Nations, and had at length obtained it, and thence concluded they had their life in their hands; they were well enough, and safe enough, and therefore they were not at all grieved for their sins against God, which was a means in order to their true secu­rity. It is even thus with the Soul, did it lie under the power­ful conviction of this truth, That of itself it hath no power to repent, believe, or turn to God, it would then be troubled for its sad and miserable estate, and look out for Salvation in and by Christ, waiting upon him in ordinances, and by prayer crying to him to draw it unto himself, but so long as it is possest of an o­pinion of sufficiency in itself, it neglecteth the timely use of such means as must be used in order to eternal Salvation by, and from Christ, upon this score I conceive it was that Christ told the Pharisees, Mat. 21. 32. That Publicans and Harlots should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them. The Phari­sees said they had their life in their hands, they could save them­selves, they were Lords, and therefore they would not come to Christ; the Apostle telleth us that the Jews going about to estab­lish their own righteousness, submitted not themselves to the righte­ousness of God, Rom. 10. 3.

3. May it not be doubted whether God will ever draw that Soul that faneieth that it stands in no need of his drawing? It is said of God, that he resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the hum­ble. What is Pride but an high, and undue opinion of our selves? Whether it be upon the account of some gifts of common Pro­vidence, such as Riches, Honours, &c. or common gifts of the Spir­it, such as knowledge, the gift of prayer, or prophecying, or (which indeed is the worst of all) upon the opinion of some conceited righteousness in our selves, or some spiritual power, and abilities we have, or judge our selves to have; the latter is Spiritual Pride, nor is any thing more opposite to the truth, and Grace of the Gospel; the whole design of the Gospel, is to exalt Christ as the Lord our righteousness, and our strength, and our great duty is [Page 308] to accept him in that notion, nor indeed can he be truly recei­ved in any other notion; now can it be reasonably imagined, that he whose arm useth to bring Salvation; when he looketh and seeth there is none to save, should bring Salvation to a Soul, that apprehends it hath no need at all of him, he hath done enough for it, in giving it a reasonable Soul, and the Preaching of the Gospel. These are now some of those great Evils, that are con­sequential to this error imbibed by the Soul; but you will say to me: what can a Man or Woman in his or her natural state do in order to his being drawn by Divine Grace? To this I answer,

1. He may not oppose or set himself against the workings of this Divine Grace.

2. He may do some things that may be conducive.

1. In the first place do not resist the Grace of God, nor set your selves in opposition to it; You will say then, can Grace be resisted, did not you tell us it is powerful, and shall be obeyed?

I answer. I did tell you that Grace is powerful, and cannot be finally resisted, but it may be a long time resisted and opposed. The holy Spirit, is the most potent agent, and must at last over­come, but it may be vexed and grieved. I know what some will say; what if I do resist, if I do oppose it, if God hath deter­mined me to lise, and to Grace, as the means, it shall at last over­come? I answer that is true, but yet it is no vain counsel to give any to advise them to take heed of such resistings, and vexings of the Spirit of God, as it is capable of, and that upon a three­fold account.

1. Because he who thus resisteth the Holy Spirit, justifieth God in his condemnation, and not putting forth such a power of Grace as shall be effectual of its Salvation; those who plead so highly for a power in man to what is Spiritually good, lay a great stress upon their fancy, that if we do not allow this, we make the destruction of a Sinner to be from God, not from himself, but they do not consider two things. 1. That whatsoever destruction we derive from Adam, is from our selves, for in Adam all died (saith the Apostle.) God is neither bound to restore unto us the Grace he once gave us, and we lost, nor yet unjust in requiring of us the exercise of that power, which we once had of his gift, and have lost through our own default (for the default of our first Parent in whom we all sinned, and dyed was our own.) 2. That the resistance of the holy Spirit in its more common Grace and ope­rations [Page 309] is a sufficient clearing of God in the condemnation of Sinners, though he doth not give out his effectual Grace; he hath said, that to him that hath shall be given. The sense of which (tho Mat. 13. and in the parallel Text it may be to him that hath any thing of special distinguishing grace, shall be more given of the same nature and kind yet) is plainly, Mat. 25. 29. (where it is used in the exposition of the parable of the Talents) To him that improveth what he hath, and may very well be interpreted into a promise of fur­ther Grace to him that makes a good improvement of common Grace. The justice of Gods judgment upon those of Hierusalem was from this manifested to the world. That Christ would oft­times have gathered them as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, but they would not. If a man must be ruined, yet sure­ly he should not ruine himself.

2. Secondly, Tho if thou beest one ordained to life, the Grace of God towards thee shall not be finally resisted; yet thy resistances, and opposition may make the new birth, much harder, and more full of pain to thee. It is a most certain truth, that the foundation of God standeth sure, the Lord knoweth who are his, and not one of those whom the Father hath by his Eternal gift given to Christ shall be lost, they may for a time oppose and resist the motions, and knockings of his Spirit, but it shall at last overcome them, but the Soul in its coming unto Christ, usually meets with the Spirit of bondage, making it to fear before it receiveth the Spir­it of adoption, teaching it to cry Abba Father. Now thy oppositi­on, and resistances to the Spirit of Grace may keep thee much longer under the Spirit of bondage; and for this, I appeal to the experiences of all those who have been brought home to Christ, whether they have not found the oppositions and resistances which they have made, to the knocks, and motions of the Holy Spirit, have not lain heavy upon them, before they have been able to discern a gracious acceptation; whether when their faith in Christ hath got above their other sins, the follies, and vanities of their youth, they have not found it stick here. They could hope in Christ, and in the free and infinite Grace of God through him, were it not that they remember, how often they refused the tenders of Grace, and put off the holy Spirit, knocking at the door of their hearts. Now what knowest thou O Christian but that thou art an elect vessel, one ordained to eternal life, and salvation, if so, thou shalt certainly be brought home to Christ, [Page 310] and be saved, notwithstanding thy present resistance and oppo­sition, but it may be as through fire, why shouldest thou make thy new birth more painful, and difficult?

3. Thirdly, When thy Soul is brought home to God (if ever thou seest that happy hour) it will while thou livest he a grief of heart unto thee, to think how long thou didst oppose, and resist the Grace of God, bringing Salvation in the tenders of it to thy Soul. The Peo­ple of God, have their sad, and dark hours, as well as their hours of light and comfort, they will tell you from their own experience, that when they reflect a sad Eye upon their former ways, they find nothing lying more sad and heavy upon their Souls, than their so long resisting, and opposing the Grace of God, before they submitted to it, to all their sins they have ad­ded this great iniquity, that when the Lord said to them, yet Believe and you shall be saved, they to go on in their sinful cour­ses, put off the Spirit of God from day to day, and sent him sad away from their Souls, and why should Christians make them­selves matter of trouble and sorrow hereafter, how graciously soever God will deal with their Souls? O therefore let all that wish well to their own Souls, be so far from opposing, or hindering the drawings of Divine Grace, as to do what in them lies in order to the obtaining of them; you will say unto me, what is that, what can we do either, as to the hindering or obtaining them?

1. First, As you may hinder these influences by omitting your at­tendance upon hearing the word: so you may by your conscientious at­tendance upon it, do something in order to the obtaining of it. I ob­serve that the blind men in the Gospel, observed, and placed them­selves in Christs walks, the way wherein he was to go. He that conscientiously waiteth upon the preaching of the Word, placeth himself in the way wherein Christ useth to go. He that walks to the Ale-house, or to his worldly business, or abideth in his House, when he should walk to a Sermon, is out of Christs walk, and as this is in his own power to avoid, so by not avoiding, he hindereth divine drawings. The Preaching of the Word is the ordinance of God for the Salvation of the Elect, when Christ was lifted up, he by this drew all those Gentiles that were converted to the faith of Christ; you know in the drawing of a thing by a Cord, there is necessary, a Cord to draw with, which must de fastned to the thing we would draw, when it is fastned, he that draweth must put to his strength, it is not the [Page 311] Cord that draweth, but the power and strength of the mans arm that useth the Cord. That which is drawn here is the Soul of man, a poor dead Soul, that hath in it no principle of Spiritual life, and of itself cannot come to Christ. He that draweth is God, the holy Spirit of God, and that by the power of an everlasting arm; but now the Cord is the word of God (so God hath or­dained) either some terrible word of threatning, or some com­fortable word of promise, some word of God, is by the holy Spirit fastned upon the Soul, by this the Soul is drawn, yet not by the force of the Word, but by the power of the Spirit ma­king use of the Word; now he who neglects the reading, or hearing of the word, hinders his own drawing, he rejecteth and refuseth the Cord, which though alone, it would not draw the Soul, yet is the mean, the Cord in the hand of the Spirit, by which ordinarily Souls are drawn that do come to Christ. On the other side those Souls that are diligent, and careful to read and hear the Word of God, where it is interpreted, and applied with most tendency to the conversion of Souls, though he doth no­thing ultimately, and efficiently, yet he doth much, in a way of means in order to his drawing unto Christ. This is the first way.

2. As a man may hinder the drawings of God, by quenching the motions of the holy Spirit, and giving a deaf ear to the knocks of it, or delaying its obedience to them, suffering vain company, or world­ly cares to choke the motions of the Spirit, and wear out the impres­sions of the word: so he may further them by favouring them, re­taining such impressions, and whetting the word upon his heart. There is scarce any person who is a constant attender upon the Preach­ing of the word, but at some time ot other will find some dis­course more than ordinarily affecting him, and making some more than ordinary impressions upon him, now if when a man findeth this, he endeavoureth to stifle this conviction, or wear off this impression, and to work his Soul out of the trouble of it, he hereby opposeth and resisteth the drawings of Divine Grace. [...] the other side, if he withdraws himself, fits alone, medi­tateth upon what he hath heard, searcheth the Scriptures to see if it be according to what is revealed there, and when worldly business would put it out of his thoughts, if he endeavours a­gain to bring it to his remembrance, and setcheth it again into his thoughts, desiring it may have its perfect work. This man now doth what in him lieth to promove divine drawings.

[Page 312] Thirdly, As a man or woman may hinder God's drawings, by walking contrary to his or her Light: So they may promove them, by walking up to their Light and Power. The Soul that is drawn to Christ is alive, and yet dead: Alive as a natural rational Soul, dead as to God and Goodness. And this answereth an obvious and ordinary Objection, viz. What can a dead Soul do? The Answer is easie, it can do nothing so far as it is dead; but though the natural man be spiritually dead, yet considered as a man, a rational creature, he is alive; and though he can do nothing that is spiritually good, because he is dead in sin; yet he may do something that is morally, and rationally good, because he is rationally alive, and under the power and conduct of reason in a great measure. He hath some Natural Light; he hath a further revealed Light by and in the Gospel; and though he hath not a power to live up to all the Light which the Gospel shews him; yet he hath a power to sin against that Light, to which he might walk up, and of which [...]he might make a better improvement. It is very possible, and too too ordinary for men when God draws one way, to suffer their passions, their vile af­fections and lusts, to draw another; and in doing it, to triumph over their reason. This is highly provocative of God. There is a great question about the power and freedom of man's will by na­ture. Sober Divines say, the unregenerate man hath no power, no freedom to what is truly, and spiritually good. If any power, or free­dom may be allowed to the unrenewed will▪ certainly it is most pro­per to assert it at such a time, when the Holy Spirit moveth most strongly, by its impulses and convictions. The unregenerate man at such a time more than another hath in his power to resist his lusts and motions to sin, and give up himself to God; if he will now re­sist this Light, and not to his power use this help, he thereby hinder­eth God's drawings. Suppose a man in a Pir, and weak, and not able to get out; some strength he hath while he lies still, to hold back, but none to raise himself upward, to get out: When a Cord is fasten­ed about him, if instead of yielding himself, he holds back what he can; this man now hinders the charitable drawing that others more strong would lend him.

Fourthly and lastly, Pray to God that he would draw you out of the horrible Pit, and miry Clay. It is the Holy Spirit that draweth; and Christ tells us, that he giveth the Holy Spirit to those that ask him. But I shall turn my discourse to the Children of God, and shew them what is their duty, upon the consideration of this truth; That no [Page 313] Soul, unless drawn by God, either comes to, or runneth after Christ I shall open it in several particulars.

First, This Doctrine calleth to all who apprehend themselves to be come to Christ, to examine their Calling, whether it be such as a­mounts to a Divine Drawing; whether there be any thing wrought in your Souls, which flesh and blood could not reveal to you; any thing more than could be the effect of the will of the flesh, or the will of man. I have before enlarged upon this Theme, shewing you, how you may know whether your Faith be a Faith of the ope­ration of God. The work of God upon your Souls with power. Whether what you take to be Holiness, be the Sanctification of the Spirit. You have heard that there is an Assent to the Gospel, which may be given upon meer humane testimony, or upon probable Argu­ments of Reason; neither of which is true Faith; that there may be a Moral Righteousness, and a formal course of performing Religious Duties; neither of which amount to the Sanctification of the Spirit, or a running after Christ upon his drawings. I shall here only add, that there are two or three things which may draw men to some Re­formation of life, though Christ draweth not.

1. The interests of mens bodily lives, and healths, and estates. Tem­perance, Sobriety, Chastity, are Virtues, in the practice of which men are concerned, as to these; and though indeed lusts have so far fer­mented in some debaucht persons, that these interests will not draw them to such a Reformation, yet in many who have not been taint­ed by a vitious Education, and in whom custom hath not begot a second nature, these concerns will draw much, as to which aactions Grace comes not in, (I mean special Grace [...]) further than to direct men to do them from a Principle of Faith, Love, and Obedi­ence to the Will of God, and with an aim at glorifying God.

2. The Examples of others, especially such as are our Superiours, whom we honour or reverence, or our near friends and companions whom we love, may have a great force upon us, that we may please them, or be like unto them, to do many things. It is of great concern with whom we converse. Many persons in Religion, write only by Copies, and do acts because they see others do them whom they love, admire, or have in reverence. These Examples alone will not only bring men to a conformity to them, in a civil conversation, but also to forms of Religion and Worship.

3. The inter st [...]of mens credit and applause in the World will go a great way. Saul begs of Samuel to honour him before the People. [Page 314] The Pharisees sought the praise of men, rather than that of God; and indeed this is the general cause of Hypocrisie. This happens more generally when Religion is in fashion and credit with the world. I might instance in several other things, but these are sufficient. Try therefore and examine your Souls, and rest not till you find what may evidence to you, that you are indeed drawn by Christ.

Secondly, This Doctrine calls to all the People of God for Humility; indeed it evidenceth Humility a necessary ingredient into Saintship. A proud Child of God is a contradiction. Grace leaves the Soul no­thing to boast in, nothing to be proud of Is he come to Christ? He had never come, if the Father had not drawn him: Doth he run af­ter him faster than another? he had never run, if he had not been drawn. There were some in the Church of Corinth, who were puf­fed up, who despised Paul, and thought of themselves above what they ought to think; they were full, they were rich, they had need of nothing. Observe the Argument by which the Apostle humbleth­them, 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who hath made thee to differ from another? Or, What hast thou which thou hast not received? And if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Art thou come to Christ? and is not thy neighbour? What follows from hence, but (as the Apostle to the Romans saith) that to thee God hath been more good, to him more severe. Hast thou come of thy self, or in thy own strength? Christ hoth told us; That no man cometh to the Son, but he whom the Father draweth. Every one as he is learned and taught of the Father, cometh unto the Son. He who is not drawn, is the object of thy pity, and deserveth thy prayers, thy good counsel and exhortations, all the help thou canst give him; but thou hast no reason to triumph, or boast, or glory over him; had not the Lord drawn thee, thou hadst been in the same circumstances that he, as as much a stranger to Christ as he is. It is grace, special grace which alone maketh the difference betwixt thee and him. Dost thou find thy self more strong and able than another to resist a motion to sin, whether from the lusts of thy own heart, or from the suggestions of of the Devil, or from the World? Thou standest when another is overcome and falleth. Dost thou find more ability to spiritual du­ties, more freedom and liveliness in the performance of them? still all this is from grace: Without Christ thou couldest do nothing; thou hast no reason to glory, because what thou hast is received; what thou dost is by grace, which thou hast received. I live (saith Paul, Gul. 2. 20.) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I [Page 315] now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God. So as the Child of God hath nothing to glory in, nothing to boast and triumph over his weaker Brother; for, if he differs, it is grace alone makes him to differ.

Thirdly, This notion calleth upon the People of God to bless the Lord, if at any time they find their hearts more inabled to run after God, Psal. 18. 29. By thee (saith David) I have run, or I have broken through a Troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. David owns there to God his Victory over his fleshly enemies; but a Christian's Warfare is more spiritual, against Principalities and Powers, against spiritual Enemies, mighty Temptations, strong Mo­tions to sin; doth he at any time get a Victory against them? cer­tainly he is obliged to give God the glory, for it is by him that he breaketh through the Troops of the Prince of darkness. Hath he dif­ficult duties to perform, and hath he found a strength to perform them, still the glory is due unto God; for by him he leapeth over the wall. It is an expression of David's, Psal. 87. 7. All my springs are in thee. Our spiritual life is maintained from many springs. A spring of pardoning grace, because of our renewing guilt. A spring of renewing and sanctifying grace, because of the frequent lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, and our being brought so often into a captivity to the Law of our members. Springs of strengthening, quick­ening, comforting grace, because of accidents which weaken our strength, make us dull and heavy in the service of God, and often to walk in the dark, and see no light. Now all our fresh springs are in Christ; whither then but to God should we go with our homage, for any influence of grace received? God laid it to the charge of the Israelites, Hos. 2. 8. that they did not know that he gave them their Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and Silver, and Gold. Great evils followed this ignorance. 1. God had not that glory which was due unto him for it. 2 They made an ill use of them, they multiplied them for Baal. 3. They by this means provoked God to deprive them of those mercies. Those who do not know, that is, do not believe that their fresh springs of grace are from God, cannot give God the glory of them, nor will think themselves so concerned, to use them for the honour and glory of God; the not doing of which will provoke God [...] to deprive them of them. I cannot understand, how those who derive all their good motions from their own wills, should un­derstand themselves obliged further than to sacrifice to their own Net and Yarn, and to applaud themselves instead of giving glory to [Page 316] God. What have they to praise God for, saving only for making them reasonable creatures, and so leaving them to the power and freedom of their own natural faculties?

Fourthly and lastly, This notion calleth upon all the Children of God to eye and to use Christ, as the fountain both of their spiritual life and strength. Christ is the All in all to, and in all his Saints. He is the Lord their Righteousness, that is, their All as to Justification: The Lord their strength, that is, as to Sanctification, and in Heaven he will also be to them All in All. They shall be ever with the Lord: that's their All in Heaven. But here is our infirmity, that we do not eye Christ in this notion. Hence our doubts, and fears, because of our guilt of sin, and imperfection in duty; hence our despondencies as to the Promises, if our Souls be but a little spiritually sick, we prophesie to our selves no less than spiritual death. We shall one day die by the hand of our tempter, or by the power of our lusts. Here we do not act like our Father Abraham; he did not consider the dead­ness of his own body, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered not at the Promise through unbelief. We consider only the frame and temper of our own hearts, and what they are able to produce; we consider not what God is able to perform, nor yet his Promise, which ensureth his willingness, that he might be faithful. Fear not (said God to his People) for I am with thee; be not dismaid, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, and uphold thee with the hand of my Righteous­ness, Isa. 41. 10. & v. 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob, and you men of Israel, for I am thy Redeemer.

2. Use him as the fountain both of your life and strength. It is with the spiritual life of the Soul, as with the natural life of the Body; both of them are from God's breathings: The first is from the breath­ings of his more common providence; the second from the breathings of his more special grace, and spiritual influence: And in the like manner, as the former is also preserved, and maintained by God upholding our faculties, and the virtues in our meat to nourish, in our physick to heal us, and keeping off those accidents, which would ruine and destroy us; use him therefore as the principle and fountain of your life:

1. By frequent addresses and applications to him: Because our na­tural life is from God: We are not excused from endeavouring to our utmost the preservation of it, whether by the use of food or phy­sick, o [...] cautious avoiding what will be noxious and pernicious to it, because the influence of God's blessing is not to be expected in the [Page 317] omission and neglect of due means, but from the due use of them, God concurreth with our endeavours, and use of means, though he putteth forth an influence in order to the effect, beyond the bare ver­tue of the means: so as to our spiritual life, the necessity of Christs influence in order to the preserving, and upholding it, doth not infer a needlesness of our use of such means as he hath instituted, in order to that end, it only teacheth us not to trust in the means alone, but to look beyond them unto Christ. Every gracious Soul hath in itself a principle of spiritual life, as every living Body hath in it a principle of natural life, but as the Soul in the Body of a man may be ob­structed in its operations, so the Soul may be clog'd in its spiritual operations, hindered by lusts, and corruptions, hindered by strong temptations and motions to sin; these may make the Soul stumble and fall, they may make it dull, heavy and inactive, weak, and sad, and dejected; here is need of Christs further drawings, in order to it we must cry unto him, we must lie in the way in which he useth to meet Souls with such dispensations.

2. Keep up in your Souls a dependency upon Christ, without distrust and unbelief; when you cannot live upon the sense of strengthening, quickning, consolatory influences, yet live upon faith, as to them; God is never so much honoured as when he is trusted, when his Servants live a dependent life upon him, for whatsoever he hath promised. It speaketh a great faith to live upon a promise, when we cannot live by sight; a Christian should live by faith upon Christ as to his spiri­tual influences, with reference to the Enemies of his Soul, as David lived by Faith upon God, and his promises, and providence with reference to his worldly Enemies, Psal. 118. 10, 11, 12. All Nati­ons (saith he) compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them: They compassed me about, yea they compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me a­bout like Bees, they are quenched as the fire of Thorns, for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. If our strength depends upon Christs drawings, we have no reason to distrust because of our own weak­ness, and have nothing to do but to do what in us lieth, depending upon Christ for his further supplies and influence.

Sermon XXII.

Canticles 1. 4.
Draw me, and We will run after thee.

I Have done with the Spouse's Petition, Draw me. I now come to the Argument, or her Promise, And we will run after thee. She begg'd her Beloved's drawing; she promiseth her own running. From the Petition I observed; That the Soul must be first drawn, before it will come to, or run after Christ. This I have discoursed largely. I come now to the second Proposition I raised from these words:

Prop. That the gracious Soul being first drawn, will run after Christ.

Till it be drawn, it will not, it cannot run; when once drawn, it will run. This Proposition I shall open, prove, and apply. In the Explication I have only the term running to open. I opened the term draw largely in my Discourse upon the former Proposition, where I told you it signified, a powerful gracious influence of the Holy Spirit upon the Soul, persuading, alluring, and commanding the Soul's Obedience. It is an act both sweet, and powerful. Sweet, for God draws with the Cords of Love, as he speaks, Jer. 31. 3. yet power­ful, for the Soul is made willing; the will is not forced, but melted, renewed, and changed, and contrariwise inclined to what was before its inclination. So as my meaning is, that when God hath once, by the sweet and powerful influence of his Spirit upon the Soul of a man, allured, persuaded▪ and commanded the Soul to its duty, then it will run after him. The only question to be spoken to is, what is meant by Running. When I opened the Text, I told you of several things imported by this term, I shall now more largely discourse them

1. Running implieth willingness to the motion. It implieth mo­tion, and so is opposed to lying, or si [...]ting still. It is a saying of [Page 319] Augustine, Certum est nos velle, quum volumus, agere quum agimur. It is (saith he) certain, that we will, when we are made willing, that we act, when we are acted, sed ille facit ut velimus, it is God that maketh us to be willing. He giveth to will and to do. Men may run, that are not originally willing, it is a mischief that they fear, which makes them run, but yet even then they move wil­lingly, though it be a danger imminent upon them, which maketh them so willing. But this motion is a much sweeter motion, they are made willing first, and then they move out of choice, willing­ly: until the Soul be renewed, and changed, it moveth not at all toward God, it may move to natural actions, from that principle of natural life, of which it is possessed. It may move to moral actions, from that principle of life which every reasonable Soul is possessed of. But it moveth not to any truly spiritual actions, be­cause it wanteth a principle of Spiritual life. But this being in­fused in regeneration, to will being given unto it, it moveth in the ways of God, and that from a principle within itself. You (saith the Apostle, Eph. 2. 1.) hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins. It moveth not, as a meer Machine, or In­strument, from the power and force of a forreign agent, but as a living creature, from itself, and a principle within itself. Yet not without a divine influence, look as it is in natural motions, though they flow from a a principle of life in a man, yet they are not without an influence of more ordinary common providence, uphol­ding our natural faculties; hence the Apostle saith of God, in him we live, move and have our being: So it is as to our Spiritual motions, the Soul moveth from the principles of Spiritual life infu­sed into it, from the principles of the new creature, but yet not without the influence of the Spirit of Grace upon it, upholding those habits of Grace, which are infused into the Soul, and exciting it to, and assisting of it in Spiritual actions. Without me (saith Christ) you can do nothing. he doth not say, without me you cannot do much, or you cannot do great things, but you can do nothing. But yet to will is present with the Soul, yea and to do, though it hath no strength to do what it would. And as the Soul hath need of a daily influence of Grace, in its ordinary course of Spiri­tual action, so it hath need of more special and powerful influen­ces, when it meets with a work more difficult, for (saith the A­postle) 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient to think one good thought [Page 320] as of our selves, for now our sufficiency is from God. This is now Gratia co-operans, co-operating Grace, in the exercises of which we are not mcerly passive, as in the reception of the first Grace; as it was with the Israelites in their journey towards Canaan, Numb. 9. 17. 18. &c. They kept pace with the Cloud, and with the Pillar of fire, when the Cloud moved, they moved, when the Cloud stood still, they stood still. At the Commandment of the Lord they journied, and at the Commandment of the Lord they pitched, as long as the Cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their Tents. And when the Cloud tarried long, upon the Tabernacle many days, then they—journied not. So it is with such as are Is­raelites indeed, in their spiritual motions toward the new Hieru­salem, the City of God. If the Grace of God assists not, they move not, and according to the degree of its influence, they move more, or less. But yet they move, and willingly move, though not without the co-operating and assisting Grace of God.

2. Secondly, Running implyeth strength in the motion, thus it is opposed to creeping, or walking saintly. The weak man may creep, and go slowly, but he cannot run. When the Lord draw­eth, the Soul will not only move towards God, and that freely and willingly, but it will move strongly; it will find strength a­gainst sin, and strength unto duties, Job. 17. 9. The righteous man will hold on in his way, and he that is of clean hanas shall grow stronger, and stronger. God commandeth that we should love h m with all our strength, Luk. 10. 27. When the Lord draweth the Soul, then it runneth with all its strength, loveth God with a love that is stronger than the Grave; then it believeth with a strong saith, and obeyeth with a perfect heart. While God was present with Sampson, though they tied his Hair to a Beam, and shut up the Gates of the City, he could carry away Beam and Gates, though he had no more then the jaw-bone of an Ass, he could with it slay a thousand men, when God was departed from him, he could not get out of his Enemies hands, though he had no such opposition; when a Soul finds the power and presence of Divine Grace, though it hath strong corruptions, and meet with strong Temptations, yet they are all nothing to it, it easily over all becomes more than Conqueror. Peter at one time, at the command of Christ, walks to him upon the Sea, at ano­ther time wanting the same special assistance, is overcome by a silly Maid in the High Priests Hall; the opposite Temptation was [Page 321] much the same in both cases, viz. from the sear of his life, which was in as apparent danger from the Sea, as from the Enemies in the Hall of the High Priest.

3. Running argues speed, so it is opposed to walking a foot­pace, or step by step. When the Soul is by God drawn unto him, and wants not his co-operating Grace drawing him after him, it will not only move towards God, and that with strength, and courage, but it will move with nimbleness and rea­diness. As it is with the body sometimes, though it hath its u­sual strength, and be able to work as usually, yet it is seized with a torpor, and laziness, there is a dulness, and inactivity up­on it: So it is with the Soul, its Spiritual distemper many times, is not so much a weakness, as a spiritual deadness, dulness, and inactivity, so as it wants a promptness, and readiness to its duty: It cannot say with David, My heart is ready O God, my heart is ready, I will pray and sing Praise. Running argues the absence of this ill temper. If the Lord draweth the Soul, it will not only serve him, but it will serve him with a ready mind, and free Spirit; praise and duty will wait for God in the Soul; it will not only walk, but run the ways of Gods Commandments. Da­vid hath an expression to this purpose, Psal. 119. 60. I made hast, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. Every Soul that loves God keepeth the Commandments of God, it is the test of our love to God. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them (saith Christ, John 14 21.) he it is that loveth me. But there is a great deal of difference in mens keeping, and fulfilling the commandments of God. The meanest, weakest Christian doth in his measure keep the Lords commandments, all the commandments of God, Psal. 119. 6. Then (saith David) shall I not be ashamed, when I have a respect to all thy Commandments. He that hath the least of saving Grace, sets the law of the Lord in his Eye, and makes the word of God a light to his feet, and a Lanthorn to his paths, and hath a reverence and regard to all the commandments of God, and To will is pre­sent with him, he would walk perfectly with God, but in many things he doth offend, through weakness, and in many things through a dulness, and heaviness which sometimes doth affect, and afflict his Soul, he doth not only want a strength to perform, but he wants a life, and quickness of Spirit in what he doth, but now if the Lord draweth, the Soul makes hast and delayeth not [Page 322] to keep the Commandments of God. Jacob himself had forgot the vow which he had made unto God, when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau; God draweth him, saith unto him, Gen. 35. 1. Arise go up to Bethel, make there an Altar to God, &c. then Jacob made hast, and delayed not, v. 2. When there is a suspension of this drawing Grace in its co-operating, and concurring influen­ces, the Soul moves heavily, like Pharaohs Chariots; when the Wheels are taken off, it hath a view of its duty, and lieth under convictions as to it, and it may be finds strength enough to the performance of it, but wants a readiness of mind, and is ready when it hath a monition to duty from such as wish well to it, to say as he said to Paul, Go thy way, when I am at leisure I will send for thee. Or tomorrow, or at such or such a time I will do it; as the young man in the Gospel whom Christ bid follow him, said, suffer me first to go and bury my dead; So some­times the Soul is ready to say, suffer me first to go, and do such or such a thing. So the Soul is ready to delay and put off good motions, but when the Lord draweth, then it maketh hast and de­layeth not to keep his Commandments. It longeth for times of du­ty. It is glad when they say unto it, Come, let us go up to the House of the Lord, it sayeth, when shall I come and appear before God? There is a time when the Soul saith, when will the Sabbath come, the hour of Prayer come, that I may appear before God, and pour out my Soul before him? This is now when God draweth hard, when the Spirit of God cometh upon the Soul, in a more than ordinary influence: and there is a time when the Soul saith, when will the Sabbath he gone, the hour of duty be run out? This is when the Lord doth not draw in such a manner. The believing Soul like the flowers, opens or shuts, as the Sun of righteousness shineth more or less upon it. Let me again allude to that Text, Psal. 65. 1. Praise watteth for God in Zion. Praise is a rent due from our Souls to God, we farm much mercy from the great Landlord of all good, Praise is all the rent we pay. Now look as it is in the world, a bad tenant never hath his rent ready so it is with a bad Man, he lives upon mercy, and it may be hath liberal portions of mercy, but God never hears of him to pay his acknowledg­ments. A good Tenant, if the times be good, hath alwaies his rent ready for his Landlord, so as his rent waiteth for his Land­lord: but if the times be bad, even the best Tenants, though they have an heart to pay their rent, yet may not have it to [Page 323] pay, their Landlords may wait for their rents; so it is with the best Souls. If the Sun of righteousness shines out clearly upon them, and the Spirit of Grace draweth powerfully, Praise waiteth for God in their Souls. If not, God may wait for his Praises. Hence David so often prayeth. Quicken me according to thy word, Psal. 119. 25. Quicken me in thy way, v. 37. Quicken me in thy righteousness, v. 40.

I have now opened the term Run. The Proposition opened lies thus before you, That the Soul of a Christian, once drawn not only by the motives and arguments of the Gospel improved by the gifts of Gods Minister, but by the secret, and powerful influence of the Spirit of God upon it, doth no longer lie still (as the Soul dead in sin) nor move from a forreign power put forth upon it, but from an inward principle within itself, and that not weakly and impotently, but with might and strength, and that not dully, and heavily, but with life, freedom, speed, and chearfulness, after God in the way of its du­ty, keeping the Commandments of God with its whole heart; being first made willing it willeth, being first set on work, it worketh, yet not of itself meerly nor principally. I live (saith the A­postle) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God. I can do all things (saith the same Apostle to the Philippians) through Christ that streng­theneth me, and without me you can do nothing, saith Christ to his Disciples, Joh. 14. 3.

The truth of this further appears from Gods Peoples promi­ses of running upon Gods drawing, in that excellent 119 Psal. you shall find many passages of this tendency. v. 32. I will run the ways of thy Commandments, when thou shalt inlarge myheart. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy▪ Statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. v. 34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy Law, yea I shall observe it with my whole heart, v. 35. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandments. v. 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies. The inlarging of the heart, his prayer for giving him understanding, making him to go in the paths of Gods Commandments, &c. are but all several phrases, expressive of the drawing influences of Di­vine Grace, which are followed with the promises of running, keeping Gods Commandments, yea, keeping them with his whole heart, keeping them to the end. So v. 7. I will praise thee with up­rightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous Judgments. So v. 41. Let thy mercies come unto me, even thy salvation, v. 44. So shall I keep thy law continually.

[Page 324] What needs any further proof of this than what every good Christian hath from its own experience? Who is there that walks with God, that alwaies finds the same spiritual temper? that doth not find, that he cannot at sometimes do as he can, and doth do at other times? Every good Christian finds the same willing at all times. To will is alwaies present with him; but who finds the same degree of strength, the same readiness, and chear­fulness of Spirit in Gods service at all times? Now from whence is this, if not from the inequal drawings of Divine Grace? if the Soul be drawn strongly, then is it strong, if weakly, it mo­veth accordingly. Being drawn, then it runs. Being at first drawn to Christ, it moves, being further drawn, it runs.

The reason of this lieth. 1. Partly in the Souls renewed na­ture. 2. Partly in the nature of special Divine Grace.

1. All motion is from a principle of life. Natural motion from a Natural life, Spiritual motion from the Spiritual life, and the truly Spiritual motion is as much an indication of a Spiritual life that principleth it, as the Natural motion is an indication of that Natural life from which it floweth, and the Spiritual motion is as much the necessary effect of a principle of Spiritual life, as the Natural motion is the necessary effect of a Natural life. So as the Soul being once quickned by the quickning Spirit, cannot but move in its Spiritual motions. But look as it is in the natu­ral motions, some motion must attend all natural life, yet it is more or less, more or less strong, or weak, and there is a more or less chearfulness, and readiness, attends the motion of the natural body, as the faculties of the Soul that animates it, are more or less upheld by the influence of Divine Providence, and the incumbrances of that life are more kept off by the power of Divine Providence: So it is as to our Spiritual life, there is in that Soul that is once drawn to Christ, and so alive to God, a seed of God abiding, which is a constant principle of life, and is alwaies working, and moving to, and in its proper operations, but yet these motions are more or less strong, free, and chearful, according to the influence of the holy Spirit of God, and the wor­kings of it in the Soul, which being a free agent, sometimes puts it­self forth more, sometimes less, & according to that are the Souls motions either more quick and chearful, or more dull and hea­vy, but being once drawn to Christ, it moves, and moves willing­ly from a principle within itself, being made willing it willeth, [Page 325] and chuseth the things that please God, though it must be fur­ther drawn before it runneth. It requires no more than a renew­ed sanctified heart to move for and towards God, but it requi­reth an inlarged heart, to run after God.

2. Secondly, It will yet further appear from the Nature of Divine Grace, in its special saving operations. There are those who will acknowledge no Grace but exciting Grace in the pro­posal of the Gospel, and pressing the Grace of it by those gifts which God hath for that end given to his Ministers, whatsoever else is done in the Soul, they will have to flow from the power of mans will, lest free to good or evil; but we say this is not enough, there must also be a working Grace, applied to the Soul in conver­sion, and a co-working Grace, which is necessary to the Soul after conversion. Now all special Grace, whether it be operans, or co­operans, that which we call working, or that which we call co­working, is effective; those who will own nothing but an exci­ting Grace, allow it no proper effect upon the Soul, for if it be productive of an effect, it is more than exciting. Now here indeed lies the difference betwixt common and special Grace, be­twixt the Grace that bringeth salvation, and that which only pro­poseth and offereth Salvation. The first is alway effective of its end, the latter is never effective, but is determined in the exhi­bition and offer of good, which man is left to his own freedom, and choice whether he will accept yea or no, which being admit­ted, it is not possible but that the Soul once drawn by it, must run, or rather will run, for now it moves from the inward prin­ciple of a renewed nature, and if working special Grace be es­fective, and faileth not in its operations upon the unrenewed Soul, it is much more effective of its end in the Soul that is changed, and renewed where it is but assistant to the renewed nature, so as the Soul being drawn, will run, First, From that principle of spiri­tual life which is in the renewed nature alwaies a principle of some motion, though sometimes more, and sometimes less; and Secondly, From the powerful assistance of that special Grace which God puts forth upon the Soul in its renewed state, helping it over those mountains of difficulties which sometimes it meets with, and removing those stumbling blocks, which corruption, and the malignity of the world, or its grand adversary, oft-times layeth in its way. I have thus far opened the proposition, I shall now apply it. First,

[Page 326] Use 1. 1. By way of Caution. Blindness is a great Mother of boldness and confidence, and Love is the Mother of jealousy and suspicion, hence it is, that the natural man knowing nothing of spiritual things, nor understanding the state of the Soul by nature, nor the workings of God in the Soul, turning it from sin unto God, seldom or never examineth, or questioneth his state. The know­ing Christian fullest of Love, for God, finds difficulty to satisfy himself as to his Spiritual state. The first concludeth himself suf­siciently drawn, because he sits under the preaching of the Gos­pel, and finds sometimes some good motions, and impressions, whether he obeyeth them or no, whether he be turned into the likeness of the Gospel, yea or no. The other, though he doth find his heart renewed, and changed, tho he doth find, that to will is present with him, yet because he wanteth strength to perform, be­cause he doth not find at all times, that promptness, and readi­ness of mind, that freedom, activity and chearfulness of Spirit, which he thinks he hath sometimes found, and which he seeth others triumph, and rejoice in, questioneth whether he was drawn, yea or no. Now such a Soul ought to distinguish,

1. Betwixt a being drawn to Christ, and a being drawn after Christ. It is true, there is no Soul that is drawn to Christ, but shall be drawn after him, but yet these are two things, both the acts of special, powerful Grace, but yet in a different kind, and degree.

2. Secondly. Betwixt a real drawing after him, and a gradual drawing. I told you before that all Divine drawing signifieth a sweet, and powerful influence of the Spirit upon the Soul, by which it is allured, changed, and melted into that duty which the Soul oweth to God in obedience to the Gospel; now as it is in our drawing of a thing, or person to us, we may put forth more or less power as we please: So in the divine drawings, though divine drawing be a mercy of that nature, that it shall and will follow the Soul all the days of its life, God will never depart from the Soul to which he is thus united, to do it good, and he will put his fear into its heart, that it shall never depart from him; yet he puts forth more or less of his power, according to the good pleasure of his own will, and the conduct of his own infinite wisdom, and according also to our behaviour toward him; let me for the relief of such a Soul lay down three conclusions.

1. First, I say there is no Soul by the Father drawn to Christ, but [Page 327] that Soul is also, and shall be by the Spirit drawn after him. Upon the Souls being drawn to Christ, there followeth an Ʋnion be­tween Christ and the Spirit of Christ, and the Soul that is so drawn. Christ after that time is in the Soul, and the Soul is in Christ, hence his Spirit is put into their hearts, and dwelleth in them, a multitude of phrases of that nature are to be found in holy writ. It is called an ingrasting into Christ. Now it is not possi­ble, that the Soul should be ingrasted into such a stock, but it must partake of the fatness of the stock, and grow up in him, the seed of God abiding in the Soul, it cannot but grow and spring up in it. Some Communion with Christ alwaies follows this uni­on. So that unless the union with Christ could be wholly broken and dissolved, its communion with Christ, cannot be wholly in­terrupted; interrupted it may be, but I say not wholly interrup­ted. Secondly,

2. The least influence of special Grace keeps the Soul moving for, and towards God, and in a willingness to sorve and obey him, and pre­serveth it from a total falling away. Papists say that we may fall away both totally, and finally, Lutherans say we may fall away totally, but not finally, but we say, the justified Soul can neither fall away totally, nor yet finally, if he could fall away totally, the union betwixt Christ and the Soul, must be dissolved, or the union re­maining, the communion consequent to that union might be wholly interrupted, neither of which can be.

3. But Thirdly, The holy Spirit dwelling in the Souls of Believers, and working in them putteth forth its power, sometimes more, sometimes less, as a free agent, and according to the good pleasure of his own will, as is the drawing, so is the running. Hence the Soul moveth, sometimes with more, sometimes with lesser strength, sometimes with more promptness, and readiness, some­times with less, as the holy Spirit is pleased more or less to ex­ert and put forth his power, in, and upon the Soul. Now from this discourse it appeareth, that a Soul that findeth that God hath renewed, and changed it so far, that to will is present with it, and it hath an heart to do, though it wanteth such a strength, such a freedom to, and chearfulness in duty, as others rejoice in, and itself hath sometimes found, yet hath no reason to con­clude, that it was never truly drawn to Christ, because as it ap­prehendeth it is not drawn after him, all the evidence of which that it hath, is because it doth not run as at other times; all this [Page 328] may be, yet the Soul may be truly drawn to him, and also drawn after him, though not so powerfully as it may be it hath felt it­self, at other times, or seen others drawn.

Use 2. In the second place, This notion may inform us. That a run­ning after Christ is the duty of a Christian. The life of a Child of God is in Scripture, ordinarily expressed under the notion of a walking with God, a phrase that some in this age would scoff at, but one of the ancientest by which in Scripture a course of ho­liness is expressed, Gen. 5. 24. Enoch walked with God, and was not; but now if walking be taken in opposition to running, there is something more than walking with God, the duty of a belie­ver; even this running after Christ which I have been describing to you. Hence it is also expressed under this notion. So the Spouse here expresseth it, we will run after thee. So David, I will run the ways of thy Commandments. So St. Paul, so run that you may obtain, we are not only under an obligation to serve God, but to serve him with all our might, all our strength, to serve him with readiness, and freedom of Spirit; this is that which else­where is called a growing in Grace, and corresponds with the Is­raelites motion and pace to Hierusalem, mentioned, Psal. 84. a going from strength to strength. It is a long journey that we have to go, from the minimum quodsic, the least degree of Grace, to the maximum quodsic, the fulness of stature which is in Jesus Christ, and therefore we had need run; sinners run in their sinful cour­ses. Lusts get strength, and discover their activity daily, men make hast to be compleat in sinning, to fill up the measure of their iniquities. Men make hast to be rich in the world, and shall the Children of God make no hast to be rich in Grace? David saith, My Soul followeth hard after thee, Psal. 63. 8, St. Paul tells us that he pressed forward toward the Mark, Phil. 3. 14. Ah! where are those Souls of whom we can say they run after Christ. How few are those Souls that follow hard after God, that go as fast as they can, though it may be they cannot go as fast as they would.

1. How many are there in the world that appear to us as if they were moving after God, but move meerly as Machines and Ingines, they are rather moved from some forreign principle without them, than move from any intrinsick principle; all hypocrites, all formal professors do so, they follow Christ for the Loaves, or are drawn from the consideration of their own credit and re­putation, some are drawn to some degrees of duty, from the [Page 329] reflections of their natural conscience; this is now no running after God, they may do many things which God requires, but it is from no internal principle.

2. How manẏ are there that instead of running, halt? We dare not say that they do not move at all, we hope their hearts are right, we hope they are the Children of Jonathan, but they are lame of their feet, with one foot they seem to go right, with another they fail, they are like Naaman the Syrian, who pre­tended that he would serve God, even the God of Israel, only he desires that the Lord would be merciful to him, as to his bowing down in the House of Rimmon. They are neither uniform nor steady, and constant in their service of God, they seem to run in publick duties, but follow them into their Families and Closets, there they halt. They appear like those that run in duties of more ex­ternal communion with God, but halt in duties of more secret, heart communion with God. Nor are they constant; that of the Apostle to the Galatians is applicable to them, Gal. 5. 7. You did run well, who hindered you? Heretofore one would have thought them in a great zeal for God, but they are grown cold, and remiss and are very careless of their conversations, these never truly ran, though they appeared to others to have ran: at least they never ran so as to obtain. It is said, Isaiah 40. 12. That they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like the Eagle, they shall run, and not be weary, walk and not faint.

3. How many more are there that seem to stand at a stay? We can­not say they halt, that they are not uniform, or not constant, they are not to be accused of any notorious lapses, or goings backward, but alas they are come yet but to a little pitch in religion, their knowledge of the things of God is but little, that of the A­postle, Heb. 5. 12. is applicable to them. Whereas for the time they might have been teachers of others, they had need be themselves taught the first principles of Religioṅ, and must be spoken to as Babes in Christ, such as had need of milk, and not of strong meat, and truly this is much the fault of good People, they do not grow in the knowledge of Christ, we see something of heat in them, in whom we want a great deal of light. Others seem to be increased in light, but to be decayed in heat, and warmth for God; sure we are we see a great decay of religion amongst Christians, or at least but a small improvement, they have in pro­fession [Page 330] seem'd to be such as have walk'd with God a long time, we do not see them running yet. It is true, some plants grow downward in the root, when they do not grow upward into the air, so as their growth is not so sensible, and difcernable. So it is possible there may be some such Christians, who though their proficiency may not so much appear in their outward performances, which re­quires a growth in gifts, and parts, yet they may be grown more in faith and love, and hatred of sin, and resolution for God, &c. and this is a good running, in Grace; they grow best who grow in the root, not those who improve most, in leaves, and more exterior branches of Christian profession. 2. If Christians cannot satisfy themselves that they run in any sense, it would be enquired from whence they are hindered, whether from some cause from with­in or from without. 1. A man may be hindered in his bodily run­ning by some inward obstructions, bodily decay, or weakness; this must be cured or purged out; Christians ought to search whe­ther they have no secret lust, no love to the world, no greedy de­sire to be rich, nothing of sensuality which weakens their Souls, and keeps them from this running after Christ. 2. As a man may be kept from running from some external cause. So may a Chri­stian also be hindered in his spiritual race, from some ill company with which he is linked, from some impressions of his grand adversa­ry the Devil. From the withdrawings of Divine Grace, those mea­sures of it I mean which are necessary to a Christians running, though not to the upholding of the spiritual life. If a Christian be hindred from such ill company as he cannot avoid, or from some temptations of Sathan, or from such divine desertions, he is the object of our pity, but not to be hastily censured or condem­ned, but in the mean time he ought to lie under convictions of his duty to run, though it be his misery, that at present he cannot run.

[...] Br. Secondly, We may from hence learn one great reason, Why many move not at all after Gȯd; and also of that uneven pace which is discernable even in the best of God's People.

The greater part of the World moveth not after Christ at all. One Man runs after his sensual satisfactions, ano­her after sensible enjȯyments, making hast to be rich, few after Christ [...]: What is the reason? The Scripture layeth the fault upon the immediate proximate cause, that is, Man's perverse will, he will not come to Christ that he might live; but there is an higher cause, for no more would any other Soul have [Page 331] done, if the Lord had not drawn it, and made it partaker of his powerful, special Grace, had it pleased the Lord to have done as much for those other Souls, they would have come, they would have run likewise. But you will say then mens Damnation is from God, and is not caused so much from their not running, as from God's not drawing. I have be­fore spoken to this Objection, but it comes again a cross me. I will add but a word, or two, or rather repeat what I have already said in the case.

The Objection were indeed considerable, if, 1. God did not in some degree draw every Soul to whom the Gospel is preached,

2. If the Sinner did to his utmost obey those drawings, and God yet denied his further and more effectual Grace. But as I have be­fore shewed you, there is no Soul that liveth under the preach­ing of the Gospel, but is drawn, drawn by Exhortations, Argu­ments, Promises of reward, &c. the proper Cords of a Man. Nay, there are none amongst the Heathens, but are drawn by the Cords of common gracious Providence, God (saith the Apostle) leaveth not them without witness. Now though none of these Cords are suf­ficient to draw the Soul home to Christ, yet they are sufficient with that power which is left in the will of Man, to ingage him to many acts of Reformation, and to the performance of many acts of moral discipline; yea, and of Religion too, (that part of it, which lyeth in Bodily exercise) if men will not do what they have a power to do, how shall their destruction be from God, for denying them his special grace? Especially when we say, That although the good use of common Grace meriteth nothing at the hand of God, yet God doth never deny his special Grace, but where common Grace is first wilfully abused; and thus the de­struction of Sinners lyeth at their own Doors, not because that if they would they might repent, believe, and turn to God, but because, that if they would, they might make such an use of the common Grace of God, as in the use of it, God would not be wanting to them in the giving them that further power to Spiritual acts, which they have not of themselves. But now if we rise higher, and enquire, how some come to use common Grace better than others, when all have an equal Natural power, to do those acts of Moral discipline and of Religion also, which extend no further then to a bodily labour; how it comes to pass, that some get leave of themselves, of their Lusts and Passi­ons [Page 332] to do them, others do not? We must say there is an in­fluence of God's Spirit of Grace more upon the one than the other inclining them thereto; but so long as others have a Na­tural power thus far which they do not use, God is acquitted of their Blood, and their Damnation is of themselves, though his abounding grace be more seen as to others whom he doth fur­ther incline to a better use of common Grace, and their natural abi­lities; but of this I have spoken before, and do now little more than repeat.

2. The same account must be given of the uneven pace which is discernable in such as are Christians indeed. The running of God's own People is not alike, though they have all the same renewed Nature, and inward principle of life, To will is present with them all, yet they have not all an equal strength to perform. Nor an equal life, liveliness, freedom, and chearfulness in their walkings with God, there may be much blame to be laid upon themselves, for not using the Grace of God as they ought to do, not keeping their Watch as they ought to keep it, but the Original cause is the want of Divine drawings, which are some­times with-held as a punishment to some loose and careless walking sometimes, as the product of Divine Wisdom for the ex­ercise of some habits of Grace, which are not so well tryed and exercised under the full influences of divine grace upon them, as under the partial withdrawings of it.

There might be other uses made of this point, but they would be mostly such, as were proper to the former Doctrine, and there inlarged upon. So as I shall proceed no further in Application of this Discourse.

Serman XXIII.

Canticles 1. 4.
Draw me, and We will run after thee.

YOu have heard the Spouses Petition opened, what she means, when she saith to her Beloved, Draw me; you have heard her Promise or Argument opened, We will run after [Page 333] thee. She prayeth for drawing, she promiseth her running. Drawing was the act of her beloved. Running was her own Act, though in force of his drawing. But here is (as I before ob­served) an alteration of the Number, She saith, Draw me; She addeth, We will run. She begs but for one, she promiseth for more, she prayeth for her self, she promiseth for others. How is this?

1. I told you when I opened thé words, that some by We understand, The Spouse and the Spirit of God in conjunction. I, and thy Grace. This is a Sense hinted by Genebrard and De Ponte upon the Text, and it may seem to have some colour from that of Christ, Without me you can do nothing, and that of Paul, Gal. 2. 20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the Flesh; I live by the Faith of the Son of God. It is a great truth, that when ever the Soul runs after Christ, the holy Spirit assists its motion; but yet it is drawing, that is Christ's and his Spirits work, running is ours. Grace works together with the Child of God, but it worketh by drawing, the Soul works by running; it is not Christ or the Spirit of Christ that is in us, that runneth the way of God's Commandments, but it is the Soul of the Christian, in and with the strength, and power of Christ. Grace is the Principle of our Spiritual life, like the Spirit within Ezechiels Wheels, without which the Wheels move not; but they are the Wheels that move. I cannot therefore agree this sence.

2. Bernard hath another Notion, She begs (saith he) The sowre part for her self, the sweeter part for others, but this is an in­terpretation which to me seemeth to have many faults. 1. It maketh the drawing here prayed for, to be a drawing by Affli­ctions, which are indeed the Lord's Cords, but such as he sel­dom draweth Souls to Christ by, not are they the proper mat­ter of our Prayer. Secondly, It turneth the Promise into a Prayer, and makes the Sense to be to this purpose, Lord for me, Draw me with the Cords of Affliction: Let others run after thee; but I see no ground at all for such an Interpretation. It is not others, but We, she includeth her self. It is not, let others run, but we will run.

3. Thirdly, If by the Spouse we here understand the Church speaking, The Church being many yet make but one Body. So the Spouse prayeth for her whole Body which is but one, and saith properly, draw me, and then promiseth for every part, [Page 334] Rom. 12. 5. We being many are one Body; She prayeth for Grace, she promiseth not only action, and obedience, but unity in her obedience and action, God's Kingdom is not divided against its self, not different from it self, especially in the Fun­damentals of Faith, and Holiness. They are an Army in order, and fighting together against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; but this still is more than I will run.

4. I rather choose another sence of this Promise. A promise of an endeavour to cause others to run after Christ, or a Prophecy that others would run, so as the sense should be this; Lord draw me, and I will endeavour to be a cause of more than my own running after thee; others seeing, or hearing of thy Grace and Goodness to me, shall also by my example be provoked to run af­ter thee. In this sence I shall carry it. The Proposition resulting from hence is this,

Prop. That God's sweet, and powerful drawing of one Soul, to, or after himself, will be a means of causing others also to run after him.

God's drawing of John, 1 John 26. draweth first two other Disciples, who when they heard him, followed Jesus: and Andrew drew Simon Peter, v. 40, Christ's drawing of Philip, was the occasion of Nathaniel 's running, v. 45. Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write. Christ draweth the Woman of Samaria, John 4. v. 28. She leaves her Water pot, and goes her way into the City, and saith to the men of the City, Come see a Man, which told me all things that I ever did, is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the City, and came unto him, and v. 41. Many more believed because of his own word.

There are two main grounds upon which the truth of this Proposition depends. 1. The first is the alluring nature of Di­vine Grace. 2. The Second is, The exceeding Charity of every pious Soul. I will alittle enlarge upon them.

1. I say, first, Divine Grace in the effects of it is exceedingly attractive. The love of God (saith the Apostle) constraineth; nor doth it only constrain the Soul in which it is shed abroad through the Holy Ghost, but it also constraineth others, at least to some inquiries after it. The Fathers kindness to one Child maketh every Child more studious to please him, and the Masters kind­ness [Page 335] to one Servant, encourageth others to their duty. We have not perfect single Hearts, to act meerly in compliance with a pre­e [...]pt, even Moses himself had an eye to the recompence of reward. Nor are we only incourag'd from the prospect of a futur recompence, but we must also be encouraged, from some promises, or hopes of present assistance. Solomon tells us, The Sluggard saith, there is a Lion in the way We are prone to fancy Lions, where indeed there are none, The way of holiness is a plain and lightsome way, no rough nor dark way, God hath said, Waysaring men though fools, shall not err therein; but we know not how to ad­venture, and indeed there are Lions and Mountains in the way. The roaring Lion is in the way, who goeth about continually seeking whom may he devour, & we have Mountains of Lusts and Corruptions, as well as of Worldly Temptations that are in our Mat. 11. 30. way. Christ hath told us, that his Yoke is easie, his burden is light. We cannot understand it; Is it an easie thing to deny our selves, to take up the Cross, and to follow Christ? To keep a steady even pace with God? The very Thoughts of the difficul­ty of a Christians life, make many to turn away from it, look­ing upon the Yoke of Christ, as a Yoke which no Flesh and Blood is able to bear. But now the effects of Divine Grace upon one Soul here incourageth many others. We are like Travellers, going toward the City of God, we meet with Ri­vers over which we must pass, the River seems deep, and the Stream seems to run swift, here our Hearts fail; but as it is with earthly Travellers in such a case, if one ventures through, and gets safe on shore, then many follow: So when we see some that were under our discouragments from entring upon the ways of God, yet through Grace got into them, and finding them easie, and pleasant, this is a great encouragement to others. I have known some who have long stumbled at this Stone: Better never to know the way of Righteousness, never to enter into a course of Profession, than having entred into it to fall Back; that I shall do, I shall never be able to hold on in a course of Duty; I shall never conquer such Corruptions, &c. Now when God draweth but one Soul, others are incouraged to run, Psal. 40. v. 1, 2, 3. I waited (saith David) patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible Pit, out of the miry Clay, and set my seet up-a Rock, and established my goings, and he hath put a new Song into my Mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, [Page 336] and trust in the Lord. One blessed Martyr, is upheld by God, and Burns chearfully, his ashes set many others on fire. From hence it is that the conversation of Christians is a Winning con­versation, and Christians are persuaded to walk, that others may be won by them. There is nothing unlovely in the effects of spe­cial Grace. Serenity and peace of Conscience, contentation in all Estates, Justice, and Charity towards men, they are all the ef­fects of Grace, and exceeding lovely in the Eyes of all reasonable Creatures.

2. A second ground of this lyes in that Charity, or good will toward men, which is the steady effect of this grace; whosoever is taught of God to love God, is also taught to love men; all men with a love of good will, though the Saints only with a love of complacency or delight. Two things in pursuit of this will be found the effects of true Saving grace, in every Soul that hath been made partaker of it.

1. First, Such a Soul will reveal the grace that it hath received. 2. It will excite, and quicken others to look after their share in the same grace.

1. First, A gracious Soul is alwayes communicative. Grace, in the Soul, is like new Wine in the Bottle, which must have vent, see David, Psal. 66. 16. Come, and hear all you that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul. I cried unto him with my Mouth, and he was extolled by my Tongue. Christ when he healed the lame Man in the Gospel bid him, that he should tell no Man of it, yet he must go and publish it. He ne­ver when he heals a Soul, saith to it, Tell no Man of it, nay, he saith the quite contrary. When thou art converted (saith he to Pe­ter Strengthen thy Brethren, Luk. 22. 32. Such a Soul cannot hold its peace. Job could not eat his bodily morsels alone, but much less can the Soul eat his Spiritual Morsels, and let none know of it. If the Woman in the parable could not find her lost Groat, but she must call in her Neighbours and spend it upon them, how shall a Man that discerns his lost Soul to be found, his lost Peace, and strength, and liveliness to be recover­ed not call his Neighbours, and tell them what God hath done for him? Sorrow and joy both fill the Heart, both pain it, the communication of either unto others in some degree easeth it. There are in the World Mysteries of other knowledge, which Men have and do very studiously conceal, because the more are [Page 337] made partakers of them, the worse it is for those who got the first knowledge, they get the less; but it is otherwise as to Grace that is an inexhaustible Fountain, all may have their fill of the Fountain of Living Waters, and the Soul that makes first discovery of it to another loseth nothing by the discovery. If Abraham knoweth any thing of the mind of God, he will teach his Family; therefore, God will not hide from Abraham, what he intends to do to Sodom. Several reasons might be gi­ven, why grace will not lye hid in the Soul: Such a Soul ap­prehends it self under some Obligation of duty, that of Christ to Peter, when thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren, must not be understood as a special and particular precept. 2. The Joy of that Soul, that hath any evidence that it hath tasted of of this grace, is such as cannot be concealed; little Streams may be circumscribed by the Banks of the River; but great falls and flows of Water, will overflow them. We cannot bite in great passions. Nor can a greater joy fill the Soul, than that which ariseth from the sense of God's special love, either in the first Collation of it upon, or the returns of it unto the Soul.

3. Again this Soul knoweth, That much of God's praise ariseth from his Peoples telling of his wondrous works; you shall in Scripture observe it as a constant piece of God's Peoples thanksgiving, and what we are often called to for. Now the good report which a pious Soul makes of Christ, hath a great influence upon others. If a Physicians Name be up, if but two or three Neighbours make a report, what wonderful Cures he hath done in, and for them, all in like Circumstances will be running to him. See what David saith, Psal. 34. 2. My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. v. 6. This poor Man cryed, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his Troubles. When a gracious Soul makes its boast in the Lord, relates with joy and thankfulness, what God hath done for it: The humble, that is, those that are in poor, afflicted conditions, they hear of it, and are glad, and are encouraged to go to God. They say, Here's a poor Soul that cried, and the Lord heard it, and saved it out of all its troubles. This is the first way, by which Souls once drawn are a means to make others run, by making a good report of God unto them. But this is not all.

2. Secondly, Such a Souls Charity extendeth further, viz. To an exciting, exhorting, and quickening of others, to labour to be [Page 338] made partakers of the same grace. Come (saith the Woman of Samaria) and see the Man that hath told me all things that I ever did, Is not this the Christ? Come saith the Soul, and taste of that love which hath so refreshed me; my Soul was as sad as yours. God hath comforted me; as dead as yours, The Lord hath quickned me. I had once as much prejudice against the ways of God as you; I once thought them as difficult: I now delight in them. I find now the Yoke of Christ is casis, his burden is light. Come, let us go up together to the Mountain of the Lora's House, he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths. I will shew you in two or three words, from whence it is that a Soul that hath tasted the special grace of God, will be so busie with others to bring them into the same circumstances with it self.

1. It knoweth that it shall lose nothing by others running. Na­ture makes us all in the first place to secure our own Interest, but that being first secured, good nature obligeth all Men to wish the best they can to others, and the Moralists give it us for a Rule, That those kindnesses ought to be denied to none which we can do them without any prejudice to our selves. There is no Soul that hath received any thing of the special grace of God, but knoweth somthing of the value of it, and that no so great kindness can be done for another, as to be an Instrument to bring men and Wo­men acquainted with that grace of God which bringeth Salvati­on, Acts 26. 29. I would to God (saith Paul to Agrippa) that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these Bonds. This Soul knoweth, that it should be never the poorer, if all others were inriched with the riches of Grace. All Envy which maketh us pine at the good of others is taken out of the heart of a Child of God, (it is one of those lusts that are mortified in it.)

2. Nay further, It knows that the more Souls it can be a means to bring to Heaven, the more welcome it self shall be. Those who win Souls are wise, and those who win many to Righteousness, shall shine as the Stars, for ever and ever, Dan. 12. 3. It was Christs work to bring many Sons unto Glory. It was David's Language, and he spoke in the Person of Christ, I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren, in the midst of the Con­gregation I will praise thee. The Propagation of its Species, is one of the most perfect acts of the Creature. It is a great piece of the perfection of a Christian, to propagate his Species. The [Page 339] Romans designed rewards for the Father of such a number of Children; God hath prepared great rewards for those that are co-workers with him in bringing Souls unto Christ.

3. Lastly, Such a Soul knows the Price of a Soul, and the sad condition of those who want Christ either in the first, or further influences of his special grace, and so doth it out of mere pity and commiseration. None knows the misery of a Christless Soul, so well as that Soul, that hath been lost, and is now found, hath been dead, and is now alive. None so well knows the misery of that poor Creature whose Conscience is upon a Rack, or whose Soul is under a Divine desertion, crying out, Where is my God become? We never well understand the misery of others, nor throughly pity them under any misery till our selves have felt it. Nor on the other side do we ever understand the riches of Grace, the consolations of the Spirit, or the Soul satisfaction which a Christian hath in God and in his ways, till we have in some measures had experience of them. Hence it is that a na­tural man is so unconcerned, in the natural state of his Relations, it is because his own Eyes are not open; he wants Faith, he doth not see the misery of a Soul that is without Christ, nor doth he believe what God hath in his Word revealed as to the state of such Souls. But the Spiritual Man whose Eyes God hath opened, (knowing God's terrors) persuades with others to get out of the horrible Pit; the believing Soul, giving a firm and steady assent to what God hath revealed in his Word about the Eternal State of Souls, and the only way to happiness, cannot but Night and Day persuade with others those especially in whom it is most nearly concerned, that they would be reconciled to God, and flee from that Wrath which is to come.

1st. Use. In the first place, This puts an argument into our Mouths to use with God, wh [...]n we go unto him for any influences of special grace. Say unto God, Draw me, and we will run after thee. Tell him that his drawing thy Soul, will-not only ingage thee, but be a means also to make others to run after God. It was David's argument, Psal. 51. 12, 13. Restore unto me the joy of thy Sal­vation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit; then will I teach Transgressors thy way and Sinners shall be converted unto thee. An Ar­gument which he often made use of. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad, Psal. 34. 2. An Argument whose force lyeth, in the concern of Gods glory. The glory of God is the great end of all his actions, he doth all that he doth for his own glo­ry, [Page 340] and he useth a great argument with God that tells him, that if he doth such a thing for him, there will a great deal of glory by it accrue to his holy Name. God is glorified by nothing more, than by our, and others running after him.

2d. Use. Secondly, This discourse will let us see a difference between one who is a Christian indeed, and one who is only a Christian in name. An Hypocrite would seem to be somthing, but is nothing, he doth nothing, he is inconcerned in the good of others Souls, whereas, if he were a true Plant of righteousness, he would cast his Seed. Prov. 10. 21. The Lips of the Righteous feed many. It is an i [...]l sign that there is a truth of grace wanting in that Soul, in which are found no endeavours to propagate the knowledge, & fear of God.

3d. Use. But I shall shut up my Discourse upon this Argument with a word of Exhortation, to all those who profess them­selves to have received the special grace of God; So to ma­nage their conversation, that others by their examples, or by their means may be provoked to run after Christ. Christ tells his Disciples, Mat. 5. 13. That they were the Salt of the Earth: and v. 14. The light of the World, a City set upon an Hill; that God had not lighted up a light in their Souls to be hid, for no Man lighteth a Candle to put to it under a Bushel (saith he) but to be set on a Candlestick, that it might give light to all them that are in the House. Upon this he foundeth an Exhortation, v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. I see no reason to restrain those Texts unto those that are the Mi­nisters of the Gospel; they are true of all true Christians, the Children of God in the World, are the Salt of the World, and it is their duty to season others. They are the light of the World, and to shew light to the World; they are obliged so to live that being themselves drawn, others also by their means may run after Christ. You will say to me how shall this be? How should a Christian so live as to draw others to run after Christ. I answer It will very much depend upon, 1. The Seriousness of his pious behaviour towards God. 2. The Humility and Inn cency, and quiet­ness of his behaviour toward men. 3. His abounding in good works. 4. His Communicativeness both of his Gifts, and of his Experien­ces. I will a little inlarge upon all these.

1. I sav First, It will much depend upon the Evenness, and Seriousness of a Christians pious behaviour toward God. Religion is in it self a lovely thing, and many who cannot get leave of them­selves [Page 341] to be pious, and devout, yet are constrained to commend it in others, where they see the Practitioners in it serious, and even in their practice, for nothing is more odious even to com­mon Eyes, than to see men act a part in Religion; but for a Christian in praying to pray, in hearing to hear, to be serious and in earnest in his acts of devotion, so to demean himself, that he shall appear to others to mind what he is about, to be fer­vent in Spirit while he is serving the Lord, is lovely in all mens account; to see men gaping about the Church whiles they are pretending to pray, sleeping, or talking when they are pretend­ing to hear the Word of God, winneth none, but rather estrang­eth the World from God and makes them think there is nothing in Religion but a vain shew: But to see a Christian serious, and servent in prayer, diligent and attentive in hearing, hanging as it were upon the Preachers Lips, as it is said of those who heard Christ, Luke 19. 48. (we translate it they were very attentive to hear him, the Greek is they did hang upon him) this makes People think there is something in Godliness: Especially when men are even in their pious conversation, that their warmth in Piety, is not by fits, but there are the same at all times, having to do with the same God, and being in the same service of God.

2. A second thing upon which the inciting others to come to, and to run after Christ, doth much depend, is Christians be­havior towards men; so three things much commend the grace of God to the World.

1. Humility. Pride, and self exalting, are generally odious to all men, and men (as it were by a natural instinct) conclude there is nothing of God in those in whom they see much of Pride, discovered by an immoderate boasting, uncharitable judg­ing, and censuring, superciliousness, a scorn, and contempt of others; but now where men have the advantage of the Word of God, which commands men to deny themselves to be cloathed with hu­mility, in honour to prefer others before themselves, to learn of Christ for he is meek, and lowly, &c. they are much more confirmed in this; and any thing of pride in Christians doth ra­ther estrange men from God and Christ, then cause them to run after him.

2. Innocency in Christians is another thing, which much com­mends the ways of God to others. Christ commanded his Dis­ciples [Page 342] to be wise as Serpents, innocent as Doves. Paul exhorteth the Philippians, 2. Phil. 15. to be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God without rebuke. Most People have a natural Notion of God that he is full of goodness, and doth no Man harm; and those who are in any measure acquainted with the Scriptures, ob­serve that Christ's conversation on Earth was an innocent, harm­less conversation, the Apostle, Heb. 7. 26. calleth him, not on­ly undefiled, and separate from Sinners, but holy, and harmless. Now an innocent conversation implieth righteousness, in all in­justice there must be harm done to others.

3. A third thing that makes an honest and winning Conversati­on towards men is quietness and peaceableness in opposition to Tumultuousness, Sedition, and qua [...]reling. The Apostle com­mands us to study to be Q [...]iet, 1 Thess. 4. 11. I need not en­large upon this, Experience tells you how much a quietness, and peaceableness of behaviour obligeth the World, and how much a contrary temper disobligeth it from Men and Women professing to Religion and Godliness. God is the God of Peace, and delighteth not in confusion.

3. A third thing upon which much depends, the winning and gaining of others to run after Christ is abounding in good works. I here restrain the Notion of good works, understanding by them acts of Mercy and Charity towards men. Our Saviour bids us make our selves Friends of the Mammon of Ʋnrighte­ousness, and by it teacheth us, that good works of this Na­ture, are not unprofitable as to our own Souls, though they are no fit price to purchase Heaven with. But they are also of great use to save the Souls of others, as they have a tendency to commend the grace, and ways of God unto other men. On the other side, acts of Oppression, Cruelty, and uncharitableness, have a great malignity, to estrange Souls from Religion and Godli­ness. It is a sad story I have somewhere met with upon the Cruelty shewed by the Spaniards to the Indians upon their pre­tended converting them to the Faith of the Gospel; A great Per­son of the Indians would know whither the Souls of the Spa­niards went when they died, to Heaven or to Hell; and being told they went to Heaven, replied▪ Then he woula go to Hell. Being it seems naturally persuaded that cruel, bloody, and un­charitable men could never be happy in another life.

4. I will add a fourth thing (though not beforementioned) which [Page 333] experience hath constantly shewed us to be of very great force, to draw others, viz. A bold, and couragious Suffering for the Name of Christ. It hath been a constant Observation, that the Blood of Martyrs hath been the seed of the Church. Men naturally are in­clined to think there is a great deal in that Religion, which will make men so Valiant as to die in the defence and asserting of it. There is yet one thing more upon which this much depends; that is,

5. A Christians communicativeness both of his gifts, and of his experiences. 1. Of his gifts, his knowledge and other gifts, by which he informs Christians of the Truth, and persuades, and argues them out of their sinful courses. Come (saith David) I will teach you the sear of the Lord; O that there were more of this in the World than there is! how few are those Christians that have either grace or confidence enough to mind others of their conditions and to call upon them to look after Eternity! We can call upon our Children and Friends to mind their World­ly concerns, we are communicative euough to them of what we know, which may help them as to them; but how little do we call upon them to strive to enter in at the strait Gate, to make their Calling and Election sure. What should the reason of this be? Is it unbelief, or is it carelesness? Is it unbelief? do we not then believe an Immortal, Eternal state of Souls, into which no Souls can come, but bv and through Christ as the way? It can­not be, this is the Object of our Hope, it is the great thing we have in expectation; if we had hope only in this Life, we were of all men most miserable. Are we confident that our Children, our Friends, or Neighbours are in the road to this blessed state? Certainly there are many of them of whom we can have no such hopes. How are we then silent? if we know bet­ter things then they know, why do we not instruct them? St. John saith, He that hath of this Worlds goods, and seeth his Bro­ther in want and releives him not, how dwells the love of God in h m? 1 Jo. 3. 17. What shall we say of those who have of the goods that relate to another World, the Treasures of Spiritual knowledge and seeth his Child, his Friend in want, and (to his power) relieves him not, how dwells the love of God, or of his Childs, or Friends Soul in him? Dalilah asked Sampson, how he could say to her, that he loved her, when he kept his se­crets from her, which she was not concerned to know; but how [Page 344] canst thou say, thou lovest thy Yoke-fellow thy Child, thy Friend, and concealest from them what thou knowest with re­ference to their Spiritual and Eternal good, and which it is as much their concern to know as it is thine? I remember Christ doth thus prove himself his Disciples friend, John 15. 15. I have called you Friends, for all things which I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you; that is, all things which my Father hath let me know, and which are of concern for you to know. Thus Christ hath discharg­ed the Office of a Friend to our Souls, and should not we do likewise? Do we know any thing concerns our near Friends Souls with reference to their Eternals happiness, and do we conceal our knowledge from them, how do we discharge the Office of Friends to them? how dwells either the love of God, or the love of them in our Souls?

2. Nor is the communicativeness of our own Experiences, What we have seen, as well as what we have heard, of less use, or less our duty. I know it is a thing which profane Persons may mock at, but let them mock on, Wisdom shall be justified of her Children. I am sure we meet with David and Paul, and others of the Servants of God of whom we have a sacred Record very frequent in it. Come saith David, and I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul. I know Men may boast beyond their line, or measure, they may boast of experiences they never had; ex­periences must be fulfillings of Promises. But certainly there can be nothing as a mean more powerful to draw others to a running after Christ in the ways of Holiness then the knowledge of what others have found, and experienced in them. I am sure it was the practice of the Woman of Samaria, of Andrew and Pe­ter, and that with great success. O let every one of us who have in our hearts any love for God, any zeal for the glory of God, any kindness for the Souls of others, being our selves drawn, so behave our selves, that others, allured by our examples, persuaded by our arguments may also run after Christ. Let those that cannot as yet discern the Savour of his good Oyntments be helped to discern them at second hand, while our Lips feed many, and our Garments smell of Myrrh, Aloes and Cassia.

Sermon XXIV.

Cant. 1. 4.
—The King hath brought me into his Chambers.

I Have done with the Spouses Petition, Draw me, and with the argument by which she impleaded her Petition. She would then run after him, and of the alteration of the number, in the promise, we will run, not I, but we. I come now to the third thing which I took notice of in the verse which I called, The Spouses attestation of her beloveds favour in the answer of her Petiti­on. That is in the words I have now read. The King hath brought me [...] unto his in Ward-Rooms [...] his Closet. His Cham­bers (so we translate it.) What is necessary for the opening of the words, you have heard before.

It was but even now that we heard the Spouse praying, draw me; and promising that if the Lord would hear, and answer her Prayers, both she and others would run after him. How presently is her tone altered, and her prayer turned into praise? Hence I observed;

Prop. That God is pleased sometimes to make a very quick re­turn to his Peoples Prayers. But before I handle this, I shall take a little notice of the name she here giveth to her Beloved, [...] the King. The word is the same, that is every where used, to express the sole dominion of a Person over others; a term very properly given to Christ, and that not only as he is God over all blessed for ever, and so the Psalmist telleth us, that his Throne is established in the Heavens, and his Kingdom ruleth over all; but in respect of his Mediatory Kingdom, as he is the Lords King, whom he hath set upon his holy Hill of Sion, Psal. 2. 6. to whom he hath given the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost part of the Earth for his possession, v. 8. which Kingdom he doth not only exercise over all, in order to the gathering of his Church, subduing the hearts of people unto himself, and then over his [Page 346] Church, gathered, by giving laws to it, and setting Officers over it, but more particularly in the hearts of all believers, in whom he ruleth by his Spirit. But why doth the Spouse here speak to her beloved or of hėr beloved, in this lofty stile, and not rather in that familiar stile which she generally useth in this Song? What if we should say?

1. That in other places of this Divine Song, she is speaking to him, here she is speaking of him. God is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords; yet when we pray unto him, we are licensed and commanded to say unto him, Our Father; when she speaks of him to others, she useth another stile, and saith, the King; though we are allowed an holy boldness in our accesses, and ad­dresses to the Throne of Grace, yet this is not exclusive of that holy fear and reverence which we owe unto God as our King, we ought to remember, that he who is our Beloved [our Fa­ther] is also our King.

2. What if we should say that this lofty compellation is u­sed, to enhance the favour that she had received? She was not ad­mitted into ordinary Chambers, but into Royal Chambers; the King hath brought me into his Chambers. No words are too big to express the singular favour of God to our Souls.

3. What (finally) if we should say that she changeth her stile to intimate the persons who must expect signal favour from God, and to remember her self of her duty, in consideration of such fa­vours? I say first to intimate to us who those Persons must be, that expect any singular favours from God; they must be such, as apprehend and receive Christ, not for a Saviour as a Priest only, but such as own, and acknowledge him as a King, as their Lord to command, and to rule over them, according to that promise, John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments, and keep­eth them, he it is that loveth me, and he who loveth me, shall be lo­ved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest my self unto him. It might also remember her of the duty she owed unto God, in consideration of his favour to her, she resolveth to own, and to acknowledge him, as her Lord, her King. But these things being premised, I come to that Propesition which I raised from the connexion of these words, testifying, the Lords hearing of her Prayers; the words are immediately annexed to her Pe­tition. Whence I observed,

Prop. That it pleaseth God sometimes to make very quick returns to his [Page 347] Peoples Prayers. That it is so, appears. 1. By the Lords answe­ring his People sometimes before they speak, or while they are speak­ing, Isaiah 65. 24. It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Nothing can be quicker then that, for God to take notice of what his peo­ple have in their hearts to ask, and to give it, before they can form it by their lips into words, or while they are speaking, to give an answer, you have the first exemplified in David, Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord, he had not confessed, he had only said in his heart that he would con­fess his transgression to the Lord, and (saith he) thou sorgavest the inquity of my sin, you have an instance of the latter in Han­nah, the Wife of Elkanah, 1 Sam 1. She was praying, her lips moved, but her voice was not heard, yet the Lord heard her, and though the time must be fulfilled before she could have a Son, yet 1 Sam, 1. 18. It is said of her at present, that she went away, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. She had a present answer of peace, her mind was quieted, her counte­nance was no more sad, you have another instance in Daniel (to name no more,) Dan. 9. 20. Daniel with the rest of the Jews had been in the captivity of Babylon, near 70 years, the time was almost expired, as to which God had promised they should come out, Daniel sets himself to pray, and you have a copy of his prayer from Dan. 9. v. 4. to v. 20. Observe now, v. 20. And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my People Israel, yea, v. 21. While I was speaking in pray­er, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in a vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me, about the time of the evening oblation, and he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill, and understanding; at the beginning of thy supplication the Commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee, for thou art greatly beloved, &c. Here now the Lord made a very quick return to Daniels prayer, while he was speaking, the Lord answered him,

But a return of prayers may be quick, though it be not thus quick, but after the interval of some few months, days, or years; Abraham was thus answered as to his Prayer mentioned, Gen. 17. and David glorieth in the assurance of this, Psal. 4. 3. The Lord will hear when I call upon him. But now, because on the one hand this is a very desirable mercy, and many times the Souls of [Page 348] Gods people are discouraged, and flagg in duty, because the vision is yet for an appointed time; It will not be out of our way▪ to inquire, what prayers these are that meet with so quick an audience from God, God doth not this at all times, nor for all persons, no, not for those who are most beloved of him. David himself complaineth; Psal. 22. 2. O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent. The Church complains of some times, when God is angry with the prayers of his people, Psal. 80. 4 Gods own People sometimes shoot arrow after arrow, to find what they shot first; hence you so often meet with it as a piece of the Saints Prayer, Hear my prayer O God, give ear to my Supplications. Let us a little en­quire from whence this variety of Providence proceeds, as to this hearing, and answering of prayers. God is the Lord that changeth not, therefore we are not consumed, we must there­fore find the cause in the persons praying, or in the prayers which maketh this difference as to Gods answers. That so quick and gracious answers may be obtained, something is necessary on the party praying: Something with respect to the matter prayed for: Something as to the manner of putting up the prayer.

1. As to the Person praying, 1. No Soul can expect such an answer, unless persons in special favour with God; this the Angel told Daniel, Dan. 9. 23. At the beginning of thy supplica­tion, the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee, &c. for thou art greatly beloved. Ordinary subjects may have their petitions answered, but they must be favourites, that have the Kings ear presently; those Souls to whom God gives present answers of prayers are ordinarily such as are beloved, greatly beloved. A good natured Mother may help a Child that is ano­ther persons, being in any ill circumstances, and crying to her a­loud, and fiercely, but it is a sign the Child is her own, when her bowels yern towards it as soon as it begins to cry, yet I find two instances at least in Scripture of Gods present answering the cries of persons in no such state of favour with God, Ahab and the King of Nineveh, 1 Kin. 21. 27, 28, 29. & Jonas 3. 4. But besides, that those instances relate meerly to temporal mer­cies, and such wherein not those Persons alone, but great bodies of people were concerned, and in such cases, as nothing but a present answer could have done them good, as to the thing wherein they were heard, Nineveh was within forty days of [Page 349] ruine, and it was only a deferring of that judgment which God had threatned, as to which they were heard, I say besides these things, it is one thing what God may do out of the abundance of his goodness, and mercy, and another thing, what they may with any confidence expect. It is most certain that persons who are strangers, and enemies to God, and so under a threatning, That although they make many prayers, God will not hear them; and of whom God hath said, that their sacrifices are abomination, cannot hope that the Lord should answer, much less presently answer their prayers. 2. As to a present answer of prayers, it is necessary not only that the persons praying be believers, persons in favour with God, but that their prayers be prayers of faith, that they ex­ercise faith in their prayers, James 1. 5. If any of you want wis­dom; let him ask of God.—But v. 6. Let him ask in faith, no­thing wavering, for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the Sea, dri­ven of the wind, and tossed, and James 5. 15. The prayer of faith shall save the sick; Prayers for Persons sick, ordinarily require present answers, now saith the Apostle, the prayer which saveth the sick▪ must be the prayer of faith. This is a point not well un­derstood, viz. how to pray in faith, and what exercise of faith is required in prayer, I shall therefore shortly open it, and shew you what exercises of faith are necessary to that Soul, that would have his prayers at all answered, at least who can expect a present answer.

1. Faith in prayer must respect Gods being and goodness. This the Apostle informeth us, Heb. 11. 6. He who cometh unto God, must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. That God is, and that he is able to give what we ask of him; Believe you (saith Christ to the blind man) that I am able to do this? If God be, if he be God, he is able to do whatsoe­ver we ask of him. But this is not all, we must also believe the goodness of God; That he is a rewarder of them that seek him: one who hath said to the Children of Men, seek ye my face, and who never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain. This is the first act of faith in prayer, whosoever cometh to seek God for any mercy, must steadily agree to this, That God is, and is able to grant the thing he asks of him, and that he is infinitely good, and a rewarder of those Souls, that obey his will in that precept, seek ye my face.

2. Faith must respect that promise which God hath made for that [Page 350] mercy, or good thing which we come to God for. There is hardly a­ny particular good thing, for which God hath not somewhere in his word made a particular promise; now this promise is Gods bond which faith laies hold on, and prayer puts in suit, if we want a particular promise, respecting the specifical mercy, yet there are general promises, within the latitude of which those particular good things fall, such as those, Psal. 84. 11. He will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly, Psal. 34. 10. They that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing, Rom. 8. 24. We know that all things work together for them that love God, 1 Cor. 3. 22. 23. All things are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. Now I say that he that prayeth in faith, must have his Eye either upon some of these more general words, in which God hath promised all good things, or those particular promises, wherein God hath pro­mised that specifical mercy, which he comes to ask of God, Mar. 11. 24, What things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and you shall have them. It is not only necessary that when we go unto God in prayer, we should Eye him, as the fountain of power, so able to grant what we ask of him, and as the fountain of goodness, so willing to relieve all the streights, and supply all the necessities of poor creatures; but 3. As a God of truth and faithfulness, that he believe that he shall receive what he asketh of God, and to this end he must see the good thing either generally, or particularly promised.

3. There is yet a third act of faith necessary, which is a ca­sting of our Souls upon God in the promise, a trusting in him for the receit of the thing we have asked of him. James saith, we must ask in faith nothing wavering, the Soul must not doubt within itself, whether God hears, or will give in a gracious answer, yea or no, but commit itself wholly to God, upon the credit of his pro­mise, believing that he who hath promised, is able to perform, and trusting in him for a performance. This is now praying in faith, and the truth is, all other praying is but praying in forma­lity, of which we can expect no more profit then ariseth from a meer bodily labour. This, now is necessary with reference to an answer, especially a quick and a present answer, on the part of the person praying.

2. But something also is necessary to be observed, with respect to the matter that we pray for.

[Page 351] 1. It must be something which is truly and really good for us and of which we stand in need. Our need of a thing, and the good­ness of it for us, is not to be measured from our sense, and ap­prehension, for we are often mistaken, and do not keep what is good for our selves, and therefore must refer our selves to the wisdom of God, who knoweth what things we have need of. It is true that there are some things so perfectly, and absolutely good, as they can never be evil, such are the pardon of our sins, the love, and favour of God, &c. But there are other things that are not so, which at some time we may have a need of, and they would be good to us, at another time we have no need of, but they would be hurtful, and pernicious to us, and this is the reason why our supplications for some things may be absolute, and pe­remptory, for other things they ought to be limited, conditio­ned, and put up with a reference of our selves to the will, and wisdom of God; God cannot give evil things unto his Children, though they ask them never so importunately, never so fre­quently. This our Saviour hath taught us, Luke 11. 11. 12. If a Son shall ask Bread of any of you that is a Father, will he give him a stone, or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a Serpent. Or if he shall ask an Egg, will he offer him a Scorpion? if there­fore you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your Children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that ask him, Mat. 7. 11. it is, give good things to them that ask him. It is most certain, that no one would ask things that are, or would be hurtful to him, wittingly. Children through igno­rance may, but if they do, their parents that have more wisdom, will not give them such things. No more will our Heavenly Fa­ther, who knows it is nothing but ignorance that causeth us to ask any thing of that nature. And this may help us to understand Gods dispensations, and satisfy the people of God, though they have not all those things they ask of God, if they be such things as are not absolutely, and perfectly good, they may be such things as the Lord knoweth under our circumstances, would be evil and pernicious to us, and we are answered by being de­nied them, for though through our weakness and ignorance we asked them, as believing them to be good, yet had we known them as indeed they were, we would have prayed against them. The things we ask, must be good, and such things as we stand in need of (indeed therein lies the nature of goodness) or they [Page 352] are no matter of a promise, and consequently ought to be made no matter of prayer, nor would be but for our infirmity and weakness, and consequently they may be denied us, and we may never have an answer, by receiving the things which we ask, but are answered, in having them denied to us.

2. What we ask must be according to the will of God, 1 Joh. 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to the will of God, he heareth us. The Spirit ma­keth intercession for us, according to the will of God. Indeed this doth very little differ from the other, for whatsoever is good for us, is doubtless according to the will of God. It is Gods will that no good thing should be with-held from them who live upright­ly. But there is yet something further that I shall add under this head, which is necessary in order to the receiving of a present answer from God; If we would have a present answer, we must ask for such things, not only as it is the will of God we should have, but as it is according to the will of God we should have at such a time as we ask, and under such circumstances as we then are Solo­mon telleth us, there is a time for all things. God hath appointed times and seasons for all his dispensations of providence, he had not only promised Canaan to the seed of Abraham, but he had set the time, after four hundred and thirty years; he had not only promised a deliverance, out of the Captivity of Babylon, but he had also set the time seventy years. Hence, Daniel was presently heard, when he prayed, the Text telleth you; that he under­stood by Books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Hierusalem. Then he set his face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with [...]asting, &c. Dan. 9. 2, 3. and while he was speaking, God gave him an an­swer. To Habakkuk it fell out otherwise, he put up a prayer to to God, ch. 1. his answer was, ch. 3. v. 3. The Vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, it shall not lie, tho it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Had the believing Jews prayed never so often, never so seriously, for the coming of the seed of Abrahams out of Aegypt, and going into Canaan before the four hundred years were expired, they could have neither expected, nor received any present answer, other than according to the tenor of that to Habakkuk; be­cause, Gen. 15. 16, 17. Though God had promised Abraham, [Page 353] that he would give unto his Seed the land of Canaan, yet he had also told him, that they should be strangers in a land that was not theirs, and they should serve them, and they should afflict them, 400 years—but afterwards they should come out with great substance, and v. 16. In the fourth generation his Seed should come again into Canaan. All things are seen by an Omniscient Eye, and ordered by an eternal thought. Now where the believing prayer meets with an eternal thought, as to the time of the mercy, there the answer is alwaies present. See therefore how confidently the Psalmist prayeth, Psal. 202. 12. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion, for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come; when the time, the set time for God to favour a Nation, or a particular Soul is come, then the answer is alwaies present. It is therefore the great wisdom of a Christian, before he sets him­self to pray, to inquire so far as he may, whether Gods set time for the collation of the mercy is come.

Obj. But will a good Christian say, How shall I ever find out this, how shall I knows when Gods set time to favour his Church, or to favour my, or anothers particular Soul is come? Times and seasons are not in our hands, nor within the compass of our knowledge. The case indeed was plain as to the Jews, with reference to their servitude in Aegypt, and Captivity in Babylon. God had then revealed it to, and by his Prophets, but we have no such revelations now concerning Nations, or Churches, much less concerning particular Souls. It may be my Soul is under the power of some violent and impetuous temptations, under the pressure of some strong lusts [...] corruptions, in some dark hour of desertion, I find [...] in the case in Holy Writ; these promises are sufficient grounds for me to pray, but if my prayer must be suited to Gods will, as to the time, how shall I ever know how to perform my duty, how shall I ever pray in faith?

Ans. 1. As we say in our law; When in any contract for payment of any sum of money, no particular time is exprest for the payment, the pre­sent time is to be understood: So God having made promises to his people, which shall most certainly in their Season be fulfilled, and having not expressed the particular time when God will ful­fill them to this, or that particular Soul: The Soul is warranted at all times, to ask them of God, for we may certainly pray for any thing which is not contrary to Gods revealed will.

[Page 354] 2. But secondly, We knowing that God in his secret purpose, hath determined not only the beings, but the circumstances of all things, cannot infallibly expect present answers of our prayers, by giving us the very things which we ask of God. Suppose now a Christian under the power of some strong and impetuous temptation, whe­ther from his flesh, or from his grand adversary, he may pray for deliverance from it, because God hath promised an happy is­sue of temptations, he may pray in faith, Eying Gods power, his goodness, his truth, and faithfulness, and being fully persuaded that God will deliver him, nay, he may pray for a speedy issue and deliverance (with submission to the will, and wisdom of God;) you have it in the case of Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 9. When the Lord had given him a thorn in his flesh to buffet him (what that thorn in the flesh was, whether some impetuous motion to sin, from within, or without, we know not, be it what it will, it was a great burthen, a great affliction) Paul prays to be delivered, and prayeth thrice, and no doubt prayed in faith, but his desires met not with Gods set time, his answer was, My grace shall be suffi­cient for thee. Suppose a Soul walking in the dark, and seeing no light, it prayeth with David, when wilt thou comfort me; possi­bly God is not pleased, yet to visit it with his consolation, yet its prayer is warranted from the promise, God hath promised us the manifestations of the Spirit, Joh. 14. 21. It prayeth in faith, believing that God is able to do it, believing that he is full of goodness, a rewarder of them that seek him, believing that it shall receive even that particular mercy from God in Gods time; but it cannot pray in faith, believing that it shall presently be com­forted. Because as to this [...] hath no bottom, no promise to lay hold upon; but yet even as to this it may pray in faith, having confidence in God, that if it be truly good for it, it shall be presently answered.

Thirdly, When a Soul findeth that Gods ends in the affliction are obtained, and that it is in such a frame as God hath required a people, or a soul to be, to whom such promises are made, it may then conclude that Gods time, his set time is come. Here are now two rules to guide an inquisitive Christian in the knowledge of Gods set time, for the collation of any mercy which he hath promi­sed, whether more publick and national, or more private, or personal. 1. When Gods ends in afflicting are obtained, and satis­fied. We say that God and nature do nothing in vain, indeed eve­ry [Page 355] rational agent propounds to himself an end of all his or her actions. Brute Creatures, and such as are not indued with rea­son, move and act for some end or other, but their end is set them by another. But rational agents propound an end to them­selves, and their ends being obtained, their action ceaseth. God is the highest rational agent, and propoundeth to himself an end in all his actions, and his end is alwaies good, his supreme end is his own glory, that is the best end, and he cannot act for one more ignoble, but his mediate ends, that is, by which he propo­seth to get himself glory, they are several, you shall see much of them expressed in that one text, Hosea 5. 15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offences, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me early. There are also other texts of Scripture, which let us know Gods ends in the afflicti­on of his people, such as those, Jer. 9. 7. I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the Daughter of my people? Zech. 13 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire, & I will refine them as Silver is refined, and will try them as Gold is tryed, they shall call on my name, and I will hear them, I will say it is my peo­ple, and they shall say, the Lord is my God. From these Scriptures now appear three great ends, the obtaining of which, he aimeth at, that thereby he might be glorified.

1. The first is a bringing them to the acknowledgment of their transgressions, and an humbling of them in the apprehension ef them. God by punishing us, whether in our flesh, or with more inter­nal troubles in our minds, brings our iniquities to our remem­brance, & saies to us in every affliction, Know therefore, & see that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast done, in that thou hast depar­ted from the living God, & that his fear hath not been within thee; and this is one thing which he aimeth at, to bring his people to be vile, & low in their own Eyes, when this is done, Gods end is ordi­narily fulfilled. Hence you shall observe, that before Gods pro­mise of a gracious return to his People, Jer. 3. 14, 15. there is put in v. 13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast trans­gressed against the Lord thy God; so that if our affliction hath brought us to this acknowledgment of our iniquities, and a lying low before God, it may give us encouragement to hope that Gods time, his set time is come, for though he hath not particularly told us the day, and hour, when he will return unto his people, either in a way of special providence, or in a way of [Page 356] special grace, yet he having annexed the promise of his graci­ous returns to his peoples acknowledgment of their offences, and humbling themselves, he hath effectually told them, that when that is done, is the time when they may expect to seek his face, with a speedy success, and gracious issues.

2. A second end which God aimeth at in the afflictions of his people, whether by with holding some desired mercies from them, or making them to feel some sensible smart, is the exci­ting of his Peoples Grace. This is plainly expressed in the before­mentioned text, Hos. 5. 15. I will return (saith God) unto my place, till they ackuowledge their offences, and seek my face. There are two gracious exercises which the Lord by affliction extiteth. 1. The first is the grace of prayer. This is most proper­ly signified, by the term seek my sace, (though I know it is a phrase more comprehensive) yet that is most ordinarily expressed by it; this is not only expressed in that text, but in many o­thers. Is any man afflicted (saith James) let him pray, so Psal. 50. 12. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt praise me. Hence it is an excellent sign that Gods ap­pointed time to shew mercy, either to a people, or to a Soul is come, when the Lord poureth out upon them the Spirit of grace, and supplication, he more specially moveth, and inciteth his peo­ple to ask, when it is in his heart to give the mercy that they ask of him, and on the other side, the restraining of prayer from God on our part, or the with-holding the Spirit of Prayer (on Gods part) is an ill sign that our mercy is yet afar off. 2. A second exercise of grace, the exci­ting of which God aims at, is that of faith. Zech. 13. 9. They shall say the Lord is my God; this is now when a Soul for the mercy which it desireth, is brought off all dependances upon the creature, and brought to a sole Eying of, and dependency upon God; and this is true, both as to more publick and national mer­cies, and also as to more private, and personal mercies. Israel were a great way off mercy, when they trusted on the broken reeds of Ae [...]ypt and Assyria, instead of helping them, they ran into their hands, and more wounded them, but they were very near mercy when they said, Hos. 14. 3. Ashur shall not save us, neither will we ride upon Horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ye are our Gods, for in thee the Fatherless finds mercy. Mark what God addeth in the very next words; I will heal their backsli­dings, [Page 357] I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away, I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lilly, and cast forth his roots, as Lebanon. Hence again it appeareth, that when Peo­ple, for the mercies they want and would ask of God, are brought off all forreign dependencies, all creature confidence, and brought to a single, sole confidence in God, this is an excellent sign, that the day is dawning upon them, and the time come, which God hath set in his eternal thoughts, wherein he intendeth to shew them favour.

3. A third end which God aimeth at, in, and by our afflicti­ons, is, the probation and trial of grace, I will melt them, and try them, Jer. 9. 7. I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them, as Silver is refined, and will try them as Gold is tryed. Faith and Patience are those two graces which are more eminently tryed in an hour of affliction; you have them both mentioned together, James 1. 2, 3. My Brethren count it all joy, when you fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trial of your faith worketh patience, and again; let patience have its perfect work, & 1 Pet. 1. 6. You are in heaviness through mani­sold temptations, that the trial of your saith, being much more pre­cious, then that of Gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be sound unto praise, honour, and glory, &c. by faith here is meant a relieance, and dependance upon God, notwithstanding our trials, Job expresseth it well, Job 13. 15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Hence again, if a Soul findeth that its afflicti­on (be it of what nature it will) hath humbled it to Gods foot, made it quiet, and patient, resolving meekly, and without repi­ning, or murmuring to bear the indignation of God, because he hath laid it upon it, and that it hath brought him to a reliance and dependance upon God, though it doth not see him, this (a­gain) is an excellent sign, that Gods set time is come.

2. A second rule to know Gods set time by, is this, When a peo­ple, or a particular soul is wrought into such a frame, as the promise of mercy is made unto. David saith of God, Psal. 20. 17. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, thou will cause thine ear to hear. Mark, first God prepareth the heart, then he causeth his ear to hear; first, he prepareth the hearts of people to receive the mercy, then he gives out the mercy; now how doth God prepare the heart, but by working of it up into such a frame, as he hath promised the mercy upon, and unto?

[Page 358] 1. He worketh the heart into a patient, meek, humble, submis­sive frame, he heareth the desire of the humble, as you have it in that text, but of this I have spoken but now.

2. In the mountain of the Lord it shall be seen. We are then prepared for mercy, when we know not how longer to uphold, and subsist without it, Isaiah 57. 16. I will not (saith God) con­tend for ever, neither will I be alwaies wroth, for the Spirits would fail before me, and the Souls which I have made, v. 18. I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him. When Peter cried out that he sank, then Christ lent hhim is hand; when the Soul apprehends itself as it were at the last gasp, that is often Gods time, for he will not suffer his peoples Spirits to fail, nor the Souls which he hath made.

3. In such dispensations of mercy to the People of God, as must depend upon the destroying or removing of their Ene­mies; the exceeding wickedness of the enemy, is a good sign that Gods set time is near, for the Salvation of his people from them. I build this conclusion upon Gods Word to Abraham, Gen. 15. 16. where God gives this as the reason why the seed of Abraham should not till after four hundred years, take a possession of the land of Canaan—for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. The wicked have their day, and their day is with reference to the people of God, the very power of darkness, but as it is with the darkness of the night, they say it is darkest just before the dawning of the day, so the darkness caused to the Church of God, by the wickedness of the wicked, when it is at the thick­est, is a good presage of approaching light. So as though the day of the gteatest malice, oppression, and wickedness of wick­ed men, be a very sad day, even the power of darkness, yetin this it speaketh well, that the salvation of Gods people is nevernearer.

4. Lastly, In regard the set times of our mercies are hidden from the best of Gods people, in case they have not a present answer in kind, they must be content if they have it in value. I pray observe this. God answereth the prayers of his people more ways then one, sometimes he answereth them by denying them, nor is this a way of answering to be despised, for whatsoever the particu­lar thing be, which a reasonable Soul desires, its general desire is some good. Our reasonable natures will not suffer us to ask any thing which is bad, if we so apprehend it, now such is the infir­mity of our state, that we in all circumstances do not know what [Page 359] is good for our selves. So that God often in denying a particu­lar desire of our Souls, answereth the general desire of our Souls, we ask what would do us hurt; God denieth it, because he would do us good, and not hurt. In this case if the Lord gi­veth us an heart content to be without the thing we ask, he a­bundantly answereth our prayers, and giveth us the general and true desire of our Souls. God sometimes answereth our pray­ers, by giving us idem, the same thing which we ask, but this he never doth, but where he seeth it is for our good, and that under our present circumstances; sometimes he answereth us by giving us tantundem, the value of the mercy, though not the particular thing which we ask of God, thus he answered Paul as to the thorn in his flesh, and this is a real answer, and with this every Child of God ought to be fully satisfied, and contented.

But this is enough to have said to this point, how Christians may know whether Gods time, his set time to favour his Church, or the Souls of his people is come, a point of great concern in order to the satisfaction of Christians, why they have not a pre­sent answer to their prayers, & to abate their dissatisfaction, as to the inequal motions of Divine Providence in this answer of prayers.

3. Lastly, Something is necessary with reference to the man­ner of our prayers, if we would so pray as to receive a present answer. So two things are necessary; 1. That we pray Belie­vingly. 2. Fervently.

1. Believingly. I opened this before, under the first head, and therefore shall say nothing to it here.

2. Fervently. That is that which alone I shall here speak to. This is much mistaken, if it be thought to lie in the vehemen­cy of our tone, and expression, it lyeth much deeper in the in­tension of the mind, and the Souls secret affection to, and in the duty. James tells us, ch. 5. v. 16. The effectual servent prayer of the righteous availeth much. The word is [...] which proper­ly signifieth operative and working, and so working, as it produ­ceth the effect. The Prophet speaking of God, Isaiah 41. 4. useth this expression, who hath wrought, and done it, the Septuagint translate the Hebrew word there by this word, the Apostle useth it to express such a working, as that by which God bringeth about his decrees, Eph. 1. 11. Who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will; and again, he useth it to express the working of the Devil in wicked men, whom he calleth Children of disobe­dience, [Page 360] Eph. 2. 2. In the primitive times, those who were acted by the Devil, were called [...] because of the great power, and force, which the evil Spirit put forth upon, and shewed in those miserable creatures that were possessed. Piscator upon the Text, Jam. 5. 16. translates it Ardens, the burning flaming pray­er. Beza translateth it Efficax, the efficacious prayer; [...] doubtless signifies that prayer, which setteth the whole Soul on work. There is a cold, dead, lazy prayer, where the tongue only is set on work, or only the tongue, and the head, or the fancy; the one to invent and compose matter, the other to utter it, but neither of these is that fervent prayer which St. James speaketh of, but that prayer which setteth the whole Soul in motion to­wards God, where not only the fancy and imagination, and un­derstanding are imployed to invent and suggest matter, the will to will it, but the affections (which indeed in a reasonable crea­ture are but the motions of the will towards its object) with the utmost intension to desire it, to exercise an hope in God for it, &c. this is the fervent working prayer mentioned by St. James, this prayer doth much with God. Jacobs prayer was such a pray­er, Moses saith he wrestled with God until the morning, he said un­to God. I will not let thee go, until thou blessest me, the Prophet expounds it, Hosea 12. 4. He wept, and made supplications unto him; by this prayer he had power over the Angel, and prevailed (as it is there in the words immediately preceding) yea, and he had a present answer, God blessed him before he parted with him as you read in his History. Such a prayer was Daniels, to which he received also a present answer, Dan. 9. v. 3. I (saith he) set my face to the Lord God, to seek by Prayer and Supplica­tions: with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes, such was Elijahs pray­er, 1 Kings 18. 42. The text saith. He put his face betwixt his knees, a posture signifying the great intension of his mind and spirit. It is a praying with strong cries and groans which cannot be uttered, which is the Apostles phrase, Rom. 8. 26. This pray­ing comes up to the first, and great commandment. Yhou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul, and all thy strength. This is like the drawing the arrow to the head, which sendeth it with more force to the mark; nor indeed is there a better sign of a sudden answer, than when the Lord hath thus prepared the heart. A man seldom finds his Soul more then ordinarily fervent, and importunate with God for a mercy, but when the Lord hath [Page 361] determined suddenly to give it in to him. Thus now I have shew­ed you in what cases God ordinarily gives in speedy answers to his peoples prayer. But God doth not do this alwaies. David himself complaineth, Psal. 22. 2. O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not si­lent. The Church crieth out, Psal. 80. 4. O Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou be angry with the prayers of thy people? And a­gain, he shutteth out my prayer, Lam. 3. 8. What should be the reason of these inequal dispensations from the hand of the same God, and gracious Father? I answer;

1, Why may not God do it, that we may not track him in his ways? He will be known to be a free agent. He will sometimes give present answer, that his people may be confirmed in their faith, that God is a God hearing prayer. The God, that never said to the seed of Jacob, seek my face in vain; he will not alwaies give a present answer, that we may not ascribe too much unto prayer, nor will he alwaies delay, that we may not ascribe too little to it. If God should alwaies give a present answer, we should ascribe too much to prayer, and make an idol of a duty. That the Lord might secure his own glory, and be owned as the God of our mercies, the object of our faith, and dependence, the free fountain of all our good things, God is pleased, some­times sooner, sometimes later, to give in answer to his peoples prayer.

2. But there may be reason enough for it, fetched from the prayers themselves. One prayer may be made more in faith than another, more fervent than another, more fitted to Gods set time, for the bestowing of a mercy than another; it is true no­thing of these can render the prayer more meritorious, our pray­ers, take them at the best, are too poor things to be the price of the least mercies, when we have done all that we can, we are unprofitable servants; but where one prayer is more con­formable to the will of God than another, it may move God further, and may obtain a more speedy answer from Gods hand.

3. Finally there may be some reason given on the account of the parties praying. Some of Gods people may be greater favou­rites with God then others; God loves all his Saints with an equal elective, and redeeming love, but there may be differences as to the manifestations of his love. Samuel, and Moses, Noah, Daniel, and Job are mentioned by the Prophets, as Persons that had a [Page 362] mighty power with God above others. God therefore in the expression of his anger against Israel saith, if they stood before him, they should only save their own Souls. God sent Abime­lech to Abraham, and Jobs Friends to Job, to pray for them, assu­ring them that those he would accept, God had a David whom he calls the man according to Gods own heart, and Christ had a John, who was called the beloved Disciple, all the Disciples were beloved, but he was loved with a more special, signal love, this the Disciples knew, and therefore when he had told them, that one of them should betray him, Simon Peter beckned to John, that he should ask him of whom he spake. Now it is no wonder if the prayer of him who is highly beloved in some sin­gular degree of favour with God, should receive a quicker an­swer then anothers, this is but after the manner of men. 2. The state of Gods people, may be such as will admit of no delay. If the Lord doth not come in with some present help, they must be lost and undone, their Spirits must fail, and the Souls which he hath made; now in such cases as these, it is no wonder if the Lord gratifies his people with quicker answers, and returns to their prayers; but who is he that can pretend to give a reason of Gods differing dispensations of his grace? all that we can do in this case, is but to shew you that the ways of the Lord are rea­sonable, though the reason of them be a depth past our finding out. We should not sufficiently adore, and admire God, if we did perfectly understand him; but I shall add no more doctri­nally to this discourse, much of which, though it may look like something of a digression, yet I hope it will not be altogether unprofitable.

Use 1. This notion wonderfully commendeth the love of God to the Sons, and Daughters of Men. There is not any one name of God, that more commendeth the love of God to us, or which we have more reason to glory in than, that he is a God that heareth pray­ers. It is true God needeth not our tongues, to tell him what we have need of, he knoweth what things we need before we ask him, nor do our prayers merit any favour, It is the goodness, the free goodness of God that relieveth us in any streight, in any distress, but you know it is very natural to us, when we are in any misery, in any distress, or streight, to cry for help, and a wonderful relief to our thoughts, to know that our sighs, and cries, and groans are not lost in the air; Oh! 'tis a sad, and un­comfortable [Page 363] thing to cry, and to have none to help, none to de­liver. What a comfortable thing it is to cry in hope, nay, in con­fidence, for we have this confidence (saith the Apostle) that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. Now that the great and mighty God, who needeth not our supplications, should lend an ear to them, and give us an assurance of his hea­ring, and answering them, what a mighty thing is this to set up God high in our thoughts, for the Majesty of Heaven to stoop to the worms of the Earth, when they but turn up their heads to him? What a condescension is this? what an humbling of the Divine Majesty? what a relief to poor creatures infirmities, to know, that not a sigh, not a groan, not a prayer shall be lost? But this is yet something beyond this; That the Lord should oft-times give a present answer, and prevent our impatience by an answer so swift, as gives our Eyes no leave to fail through a frustrated expectation; this is yet a great deal more. In recei­ving our petitions, and promising us an answer, God shews him­self a gracious King, though we wait some time for an answer, but in his present answers he shews himself a gracious Father, that is not patient that his Child should be one hour in distress and misery. Nor is the love of our Heavenly Father alone com­mended in this particular, but the love of Jesus Christ also is remarkably commended, for it is through him that we have boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh, and he is the High Priest over the House of God. O let every quick return of prayers which God makes to our Souls, bring us more in love with Christ, more into the admi­ration of his love, and raise up our hearts more in thankfulness, for the death, resurrection and intercession of Jesus Christ.

Use 2. Secondly, How should this incourage us to prayer, and to such a performance of that duty, as we may have a quick return, and an­swer. Prayer is not so slighty a duty, as the most of people do make it, it ought not to be made such a formal performance. It is one of our great priviledges to have an access, a freedom of access to the Throne of Grace, to ask of God such things as we stand in need of; it is that which bringeth down the Protection, and influences of common providence, and the influences of his special grace, it openeth, and shutteth up Heaven. By prayer Elijah brought down rain and fire from Heaven; Samuels Prayer [Page 364] brought thunder, and lightning. Hezekiahs prayer brought down an Angel, that destroyed the Host of Sennacherib, it obtained a blessing for Jacob, and turned his name into the name of Israel, because as a Prince he had power, and prevailed with God; nay, it often brings down the mercy we want in a very short time, while the Child of God is speaking, God answereth, here am I. This should make us value the duty of prayer, and not to think it a mere thing of course, and turn it into a formality. And what you have heard concerning the nature of that prayer, which is of such power and prevalency with God, should also mind you to take heed how you pray. Prayer doth not lie in a meer uttering, or repeating of words expressive of our minds unto God, men may call this prayer, but they will find it a bodi­ly labour of a little efficacy, and avail with God; it is true, you will hardly find any thing called Prayer in Scripture, where words were not used, it seemeth to be something more then the secret desire of the Soul; the desires of our Souls, expressed by the words of our lips, is what is generally called prayer, in holy writs, but words without inward affections, words not thrust out from the force of our internal desires and affections, are the least thing in prayer, which lieth not in the pouring forth of words, but in the pourings out of our Souls before God. Labour Christians to understand the nature of prayer, both as to the matter you should pray for, and as to the right manner of the performance of it, you all know what you would have, what you have need of, what is truly good for you under your pre­sent circumstances, this you know not; some things are absolute­ly good, universally necessary, such things as all Souls at all times have need of, such are pardon of sins, sanctification, further grace to honour and glorify God in your circumstances, and relations, an heart to honour and glorify God in whatsoever state and condition you are; these and such like things you may beg importunately, and absolutely, and that at all times. But there are other things which are not so absolutely and universally good, but are good or evil, as they are well used, or abused. These must be asked of God, with a submission to his will, and a reference to his wisdom. It is of mighty concern for a Christian rightly to understand the mat­ter of prayer, what he may, or may not ask of God, what he may ask absolutely, what but conditionally, and with limitati­on; an ignorance of this may make Christians too bold, too im­portunate [Page 365] with God in asking some things, and to sin by impa­tience, and murmuring, because they do not receive presently what they ask, when as the reason is, because they ask amiss. James tells those to whom he wrote, Jam. 4. 3. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss; he instanceth but in one way where­in they asked amiss, that you might consume it upon your lusts. That indeed is one way by which men may miscarry in prayer, not di­recting their prayer to the honour and glory of God, but meer­ly to a self-satisfaction, and indeed taking the words in that sense, as spending upon their lusts signifies a gratifying our selves, and giving our selves a pleasure and satisfaction; so all asking amiss, will fall under it, and such asking amiss is the cause of all our not receiving; no man can ask any thing for the honour and glory of God, who doth not ask according to the will of God, God is glorified by the fulfilling of his will, and whosoever prays, and the sum of his prayer is not, let the Lord be glorified, let the will of the Lord be done, doth but ask that he may consume upon his lust, and give himself a satisfaction; now all this is asking a­miss, which is the cause of our not receiving. It is therefore I say of a very great concernment for a Christian to know what he may pray for, what he may pray for absolutely, and peremp­torily, what but limitedly, and conditionally, with submission to the Divine will, and with a reference to the Divine wisdom, how else is it possible, that he should pray in faith? or how else will he be able to command his Spirit into a due silence, and patience, if he doth not presently receive what he asketh of God? Nay, the servency of a Soul in prayer doth much depend upon this knowledge; no prayer can be fervent, but the prayer of faith. No prayer receiveth a present answer, but the prayer of faith. Study therefore (Christian?) the due matter, and manner of prayer. There may be many prayers put up, and yet God not hear, Isa. 1. 15. Though (saith God) you spread forth your hands, I will hide my Eyes from you, yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear, the reason there assigned is, because their hands were full of blood, which amounts to that of David, If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my Prayer, and to that of Solomon, The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. He that lifteth up hands unto God, must lift up pure hands. But a man may lift up pure hands, yet not be heard, David complaineth that he did [Page 366] so, Psal. 22. therefore the Apostle adds, 1 Tim. 2. 8. Holy hands without wrath or doubting, for saith James, ch. 1. v. 7. Let not him that wavereth, think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Now it is impossible that a man should pray without doubting, for any thing of which he is not fully persuaded that it is the will of God that he should receive it, this therefore is of very great concern, that a Soul should know that he asks according to the will of God, and that must be when he knows that God hath somewhere in Scripture promised it. Be not therefore only much in prayer, but see that you do not ask amiss, that you ask so, that you may receive, yea, that while you are speaking, God may give you a gracious answer.

Use 3. Thirdly. This Doctrine calls to you for an holy, and close walking with God. A loose liver may receive some good things from God, as he is a God of compassion, full of pity, and tender com­passion, that hears even the young Ravens when they cry unto him for their food, thus did Ahab, thus did the King of Nineveth, and this was a ground for Simon Magus to pray, though he was in the gall of bitterness, and the bonds of iniquity; but he can re­ceive nothing from God, as he is a God of truth and faithfulness, there is not in all the Book of God, one promise made to a wicked mans prayer. God hath said, though they make many pray­ers, he will not hear them, Isaiah 1. 15. he hath said, They shall call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me, Prov. 1. 28. For Hypocrites he hath said, Job 27. 9. Will God hear his cry, when trouble comes upon him? but a close walking with God is not only commendable to us upon this ac­count, that our prayers may not be wholly shut out from God, that we may not only in our distresses go to God as a fountain of mercy, and goodness, as a God of pity, and tender compassi­on, but as unto a God of truth and faithfulness, with an hope, and a confidence in him, and an expectation upon him, and with an ho­ly boldness: but also that we may have a present answer, we are naturally hasty as to the supply of our wants▪ and the satisfaction of our desires, hence we say, Bis dat qui cito dat, and count that kindness double, which is done for us quickly. Now they are the favourites of Heaven, that gain the quickest answers from God. There's nothing makes one Soul more the favourite of God then another, but a more ardent love for God, and a more strict, and close walking with God. Let this ingage us to per­fect holivess in the fear of the Lord. Study therefore the closest [Page 367] degrees of fellowship, and communion with God, the strict­est course of an holy conversation. There is a great deal of difference even in good mens communion with God, some are more upon the mountwith God then others are, more in holy meditation and contemplation, more in secret duties, more in prayer, more in watchfulness, more warm, and zealous for God, David had many worthies, but he had a first three, to which the others did not come up, though they did worthily. God hath many Souls, that he loveth, that are dear and precious in his Eyes, but he hath also his first threes, some that excel, and out­run others; these are they that have most of Gods Ear, for tho the first grace be not given, because men keep his Command­ments, yet further grace, the manifestations, and signal tokens of Divine love are given out (according to the promise, Jo. 14. 21.) as men love, and keep the Commandments of God; you there­fore that would excel in the favour of God, that would have Gods ear fully and presently open to your supplications, study to excel in holiness. Doth a poor Courtier in the Courts of Earthly Princes, bless himself in having the Ear of his Prince, that if he hath a Petition to put up unto his Prince, he can go immediately into his presence, and have his Petition presently signed, whereas the Petitions of others are rejected, or at least deferred, so as he is constrained to wait months or years? And is this no priviledge, no happiness at all, that a poor Soul can immediately go unto the Lord of Heaven and Earth, to him who is the Fountain of all grace and goodness, and if he wants any thing, freely present his Petition to him, and have it signed presently, not let the Lord go, until he hath blessed him, when as a wicked man, tho he maketh many prayers, yet is not heard; yea, those that may have some interest in God, yet wal­king more loosely, and more imperfectly, may cry a long time, and yet not be answered, if we had nothing more then this to commend to us holiness in all manner of conversation, and the strictest degrees of walking with God, yet this certainly should be enough.

Use 4. I shall add but one word more in application of this discourse. I put into the Proposition, the term [sometimes] God doth not alwaies, but sometimes give in a quick answer to his peo­ples prayers; Let not the people of God therefore think it strange if they have not presently an answer to their prayers. God is not al­waies alike quick in his returns to the prayers of his people. [Page 368] He always heareth them, he will be certain to answer them, but he is not alwaies equally quick in the answer of them. This is many times the trouble of Souls that belong to God; it was Davids trouble, expressed, Psal. 22. 2, 3. It was Asaphs trou­ble, though God did at last hear him, as you read, v. 1. yet he had first spake, as in v. 7. 8, 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever, and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious; hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies, yet because the not hearing of prayers is threatned as a judgment, and pun­ishment upon wicked men, and mentioned in holy writ, as the reward of mens regarding iniquity in their hearts. This often causeth a great deal of trouble in the Spirits of Gods People. Let me therefore shut up this discourse in advising alittle, what that man or woman should do, that lieth at least under some ap­prehensions, that God doth not hear, or hath not heard their prayers, they cry in the day time, and are not silent in the night sea­son, yet God heareth not.

1. In the first place. Let such a Christian examine whether it be not his own mistake. Thou thinkest God hath not heard, nor answered thy prayers, art thou not in a mistake? All answers of prayers are not discernable to our sense. It may be God hath answered thee by denying thee the particular thing that thou askedst of him; thus he answered Paul, by denying him as to the thing he asked, which was the taking the thorn out of his flesh. He better knoweth what we have need of, then we our selves know it, the general desire of thy Soul was for some good, thou didst therefore desire health, riches, &c. because thou didst apprehend them suitable, and convenient, and so good for thee. God who knoweth thy Soul, the frame and temper of it, he seeth, that these things would be for thy hurt, he therefore with-holdeth them, and so in not answering answereth thee, in not answering thy particular request, he doth answer the gene­ral desire of thy Soul, and only correcteth thy ignorance in thy request. 2. You have heard that God sometimes answereth by giving (though not the thing) yet the value of the thing which thou askest, i. e. that which is every way as sutable and conve­nient, and as profitable for thee, as that which thou didst desire. Hath not God (according to thy prayer) removed thy affliction? yet, hath he supported thee under it? hath he filled thee with in­ward [Page 369] consolations? hath he told thee (as he did Paul) that his grace should be sufficient for thee? Dost thou call this no answer? God answers the prayer of that Soul, to whom he giveth the full value of the thing it asketh, though he doth not give the thing itself.

2. If thou canst not find that God hath answered thee, nei­ther in kind, nor in value, Review thy prayer, and see if thou canst not find some failure in that, for which God with-holds his answer. I suppose thee a person reconciled to God through the blood of Christ; other Souls either pray not at all, or if at all, they make a meer formality of the duty, and put up prayers, as Children shoot arrows, never regarding whither they flie, or what beco­meth of them, but even in a good mans prayer there may be such failures as may give God a just cause to with-hold an an­swer, without any breach of Gods truth, or faithfulness, thou mayest not have prayed in faith, but too much doubting, thou mayest have prayed for something, which thy wise Father saw was not good for thee, or at least not good for thee under some present circumstances, under which thou art; if thou findest any thing of this nature, thy work is to correct thy prayers, if thou wouldst receive an answer.

3. If thou dost not find this, if thou canst not charge thy want of an answer upon some defect or failure in thy prayers, nor yet find that God hath answered thee, either giving thee the thing which thou didst ask of him, or the value of it in a quiet and contented frame of Spirit in the want of it, or in the supportations, or consolations of his Spirit, but thy Soul is yet unquiet and impatient; it is thy duty yet to wait upon God, to chide down thy tumultuous, and unquiet thoughts, all the ri­sings up, and murmurings of thy Soul against God, to adore, and to admire God where thou canst not see, or understand him, to acknowledge Gods goodness and holiness, though thou canst not discern his goodness as to thee in this particular. Thus did Da­vid, Psal. 22. 3. after he had complained, that he had cried in the day time, and the Lord did not hear, and in the night season, and was not silent. v. 3. he saith, But thou art holy, O thou that inha­bitest the praises of Israel. This is most certainly our duty under such providences as these are; we must not look in this life to understand all Gods ways, and methods of providence, much less the reasons of them, that is a piece of knowledge reserved [Page 370] for another world; all that we have to do, is to observe, and study them, and where we cannot find them out, to admire and adore them, and to wait upon him, that wrappeth up himself in thick darkness, and hideth his face from the House of Jacob. This waiting doth not only signify a passive quietness, silence, and pa­tience, but an active doing our duty. Waiting on the Lord, and keeping his way, are put together, Psal. 37. we ought not to leave off praying, because (in our apprehensions at least) our prayers lie by without answer, much less to slacken our course of ho­liness, but to resolve as the Church did for Zions sake, so for our own sake, not to hold our peace; we have for this an excel­lent president in the example of the Church, Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us (saith she) yet have we not forgotten thee, nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way, though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death? then she concludeth with prayer. v. 23, 24, 25, 26. Awake, why sleepest thou? O Lord! arise, cast us not off for ever, wherefore hi­dest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction, and oppression? For our Soul is bowed down to the dust, our belly cleaveth to the Earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercy sake.

Sermon XXV.

Cant. 1. 4.
The King hath brought me into his Chambers.

IF any asketh who is this King whom the text speaks of; as the question soundeth like that, Psal. 24. v. 8. Who is the King of glory? So the answer must be much the same; The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in Battel, the Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory. He is the King of Nations, for all the Nations of the Earth are the work of his hands, and he hath a Native Lordship and dominion over them. He is the King upon the holy hill of Sion, the King of Saints, they have chosen him, he ru­leth in them, and reigneth over them, they have chosen him, [Page 371] he hath subdued their hearts unto him, and hath chosen them for his peculiar people; this is the King of whom the Church, and the believing Soul here speaketh, and saith; The King hath brought me into his Chambers. It is the same Person of whom she spake, v. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. To whom she said, v. 3. Draw me, and we will run after thee. There she spake to him, as her beloved, here she speaketh of him as a King; there she prayed for something that she wanted, here she praiseth, and giveth thanks for something she had received. I have already taken notice of the alteration of her stile, of her so sudden giving thanks upon the quick return God had made to her prayers. I come now to consider the mercy or good thing she had received, which she expresseth in the same meta­phorical dialect, which she useth throughout this Song. The King hath brought me into his Chambers; when I at first opened the whole verse, I endeavoured to find out what this mercy was, in the receit of which the Spouse triumpheth in this text. I then considered Chambers, as places more lofty then others, and and of more privacy and secrecy, and from thence concluded; that the Spouse by this phrase signifieth some special favours which she had received from God, some special, and more near and intimate degrees of fellowship, and communion with God, in­to which her beloved had taken her. The Proposition I offered from the words for my further explication was this:

Prop. That the Lord Jesus Christ hath Chambers, in which he some­times entertaineth the Souls of his people. He hath a favour for them all, Rooms in his House for all the sizes of his people, but he hath Chambers for some, or into which he sometimes takes up the Souls of his Saints; the subject of my discourse will be such special favours, as God sheweth to some Souls, or to the Souls of his people at some times. This is evident in holy writ. Abraham was called the Friend of God. Moses is called his Ser­vant, emphatically. Moses my Servant is dead. David, the man according to Gods own heart. Solomon was named by God Je­didiah, a man beloved of God. There are four degrees in the love of God, as it respecteth the Children of men.

1. He hath a Philanthropy, or general love, which he sheweth towards all; He leaveth not the Heathen without witness. In him all men live, move, and have their being, from him they have fruitful times and seasons, which fill their bellies with food, their [Page 372] hearts with gladness, their bellies are filled with his hid treasure. The patience of God leadeth them to repentance. The invisible things of God, even his eternal power and God-head are made known to them, by his works of Creation, by the things which he hath made.

2. He hath a more special love for his Church. This is seen in his more special providence, exercised towards his whole Church, which are more watched over, and preserved by a common providence, then any other body of people are. They have also the Oracles of God, the Ordinances of God, and means of grace, and this latter is certainly an effect of the death of Christ.

3. He hath yet a more special love for all those within his Church, who are effectually called, whose hearts God hath sei­zed, and subdued to himself, they are made partakes of more special grace, being called, justified, and sanctified, and such who shall hereafter be most certainly glorified.

4. But there is yet another specialty of Divine love, even amongst those who are made partakers of special saving graces, some are more specially favoured in this life, and shall be more eminently then others glorified, in that life which is to come. These more special favours to the Saints, that are all made par­takers of the same saving grace, are the subject of my present enquiry.

1. Some here understand the mansions of glory, but they are for­ced to make an Enallage of tenses to justify their interpretation, & to say, the King hath, is put for the King shall bring me, &c. A­quinas, Piscator, and some others thus interpret the Spouse. The question about degrees of glory, is not well agreed amongst Di­vines, there are great Divines on either side as to that opinion; nor is it a small difficulty to open in what the glory of one Child of God, when he comes in Heaven, shall excell anothers▪ When it is certain, that they shall all see God, inherit his King­dom, be satisfied with his likeness, and there shall be no want to any Soul there, especially we being taught by our Saviour, that eve­ry labourer in the Vineyard shall have his penny. But yet it is very probably judged by Divines, That in that firmament, as well as in that which is lower, the stars shall differ one from a­nother in glory, and that when Christ told his Disciples, they should sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Israel, he by it expressed some greater degrees of glory, then [Page 373] shall be the portion of his more common Disciples besides, that the Scriptures speaking of God's rewarding all men according to their works, compared with the disproportion which we see in the works of Believers, make it yet more probable: So that I must confess my self very inclinable in this point, to be of the mind of those Divines who think that in the Mansions of Glory, there shall be Chambers, though I am not able to distinguish them from the lower Rooms in those blessed Mansions. But yet I am not inclinable (supposing this) to interpret the Spouse as speaking of them here, but rather judge her by this phrase de­signing to express her felicity, not discerned by the Eye of Faith, which is the Evidence of things not seen, but by the Eye of Sense, some special favour now received from God; and I am therefore concerned further to enquire, what these favours may be.

2. God hath Chambers of special Providence. Some indeed un­derstand that Text, Isa. 26. 20. Come my people enter into the Chambers, and hide thy self; concerning the Grave, because the righteous are taken away (as the Prophet saith) from the Evil to come: But others (and I think better) interpret it as an invita­tion of God to his people in calamitous times to betake them­selves into the Chambers of his special providenee, the Psalmist saith, Psal. 91. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, shall abide under the shadow of his Wings. In this Chamber there are Closets, there is a special providence that attendeth, and watcheth over the whole Church, as the whole Nation of the Jews were under more special providences, than the Hea­thens, but yet there is a more special providence attends the people of God who are so indeed. Which is abundantly proved throughout the 91 Psalm, so Psal. 34. 18. The Eye of the Lord is upon those that fear him, and upon those that hope in his mercy: To deliver their Souls from death, and to keep them alive in Famine. But in regard the Spouse here speaketh not of herself, as un­der any circumstances of outward misery or affliction; I do not think this is her meaning in this Text, these are not the Cham­bers, concerning which the Spouse boasteth, that the King had brought her into them, she is speaking here doubtless of more spiritual inward dispensations.

3. God hath his Chamber of Audience, where he receiveth, heareth, and giveth answer to the prayers of his people. This [Page 374] is a near degree of the Souls communion with God, and what God hath promised them, Psal. 34. 15. The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his Ears are open unto their cry. And a­gain, v. 17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and de­livereth them out of all their troubles. This is a favour which the Lord affordeth every believer, the promises of hearing prayers belong to them all; but yet in this Chamber there are Closets also, God sometimes granteth a more speedy answer to his pec­ples prayers, sometimes he delayeth, and seemeth to be angry with, and to shut out his peoples supplications from him; but you know it was my whole business in my last discourse to prove, and to give you some account of this, which may very well supersede any larger discourse upon it, under this Propositi­on. Abraham, Moses, and Daniel, and Job, were all entertained in these Chambers, so are many of the Servants of God at this day, men mighty with God in prayer, such Favourites in the Court of Heaven, that they have no more to do then to form their Petitions, and to put them into the hands of Christ, and to get upon their Watch-Tower with Habakkuk, and see what the Lord will answer. God seemeth to have said unto them, as Aha­suerus said to Esther; What is thy Petition (O my Child) and what is thy request? it shall be performed, even to the half of my Kingdom Solomon was entertained by God in this Chamber, when the Lord appeared unto him in Gibeon, and asked him, what shall I give thee? and when after his prayer upon the dedicati­on of his Temple, the Lord again appeared to him, and said? I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place for my self: a Soul may be said to be brought into this Chamber, either when it findeth that God hath answered its prayers at any time; Or, 2. When, it before it prays, ordinarily findeth a persuasion with­in itself, that it shall be answered, and so goeth with boldness, and confidence to the throne of grace, and poureth out its self unto God without doubting.

4. God hath Chambers, which I may call the Chambers of his special presence. This being the thing which I conceive chiefly intended in this metaphorical expression, I shall spend a little time in the explication of it. The Scripture speaking much of Gods presence with, and absence from his people, his being with them, or forsaking them, and departure from them; that you may in some measure understand those phrases, Consider,

[Page 375] 1. There is a presence of the Divine Essence, in all places, in respect of which it is said, The Lord filleth Heaven and Earth. In respect of this he is never far from any of us, he is neither shut up in, nor shut out of any place, nor is he more present in one place, then he is in another, according to that barbarous verse. Enter, praesenter, Deus est & ubique potenter. God is every where in respect of his being, essential presence, and power.

2. There is a presence of the Divine goodness; it's communica­tive goodness, for there is an essential goodness which can never be separated from it, wherever the divine being is, there is infi­nite goodness; but there is in God not only a goodness of perfection, which is essential to God, and inseparable from him, but a goodness of bounty and beneficence, which is no­thing else but the goodness of God affecting the creature, and flowing out upon the creature; now this dependeth upon the will of God. He sheweth mercy where he will shew mercy. Thus God is said to be present, where he sheweth mercy and kindness, and to be absent where he with-holdeth his acts of kindness. Thus the Saints in Heaven are said to be ever with the Lord in Hea­ven, because they shall be ever under the fullest manifestations of his glory and goodness, and the damned are said to depart from God, because they are never like more to see him, or feel him in any manifestations of his mercy and goodness, the shew­ing of mercy and goodness is so natural to God, so much his proper work and delight, that he is said to be wholly absent from them, to whom he will never more shew kindness and mercy. So as to this life, God is said to be present with a people, when he sheweth them goodness, and mercy, to be de­parted, and to be absent from them▪ when he with-holdeth from them such dispensations, as they have formerly enjoyed, and are suited and proper to their wants, or desires. Now these mercies, or good things being such as are suited to the neces­sities of our bodies here in this life, or of our Souls, the first of which we usually call the good things of common providence. The latter, the good things of special grace. God is said to be present with, or absent from his people, with respect to the one, or to the other; with respect to the good things of com­mon providence, God is present with a people, when he goeth forth with their Armies, gives them peace, and plenty, success in business, prosperity in their tradings and commerce; and on the [Page 376] other side, he is said to be absent from them, and to be departed from them, when he goeth not forth with their Armies, but makes them to fall before their enemies, when he sends amongst them famine, and pestilence, &c. Thus as to particular persons, as God is said to be present with persons, when he upholdeth their Souls in life, their bodies in health, when he blesseth them in their businesses, and relations, and maketh the works of their hands to prosper; so he is said to have forsaken them, and to be departed from them, when he leaves them to sicknesses, blasts them in their Estates, &c. thus Gods presence, and being with his people, his absence, forsaking of, and departing from a peo­ple, or person, are often taken in holy writ. Thus God may be present with the very worst of men, thus he may be absent, and depart from the very best of his people.

But then there is a presence of God with men and women, with respect to the good things of special grace. Now these things again are such as are either absolutely necessary to salvation; Or, 2. Such influences, as though they be not absolutely necessary to the salvation of the Soul, yet do highly accommodate the Soul in its way to Heaven. Of the first sort are the graces of justification, and of Regeneration, & Sanctification; without these the Soul can never enter into the Kingdom, as to these therefore God is al­ways present with, never absent from the Souls of any whom he hath chosen, and called out of darkness into light; in that sense the promise doth, and ever shall hold true; He will never leave his people, nor forsakethem. But now there are other influences of grace, exceeding pleasant, & of high advantage, & accomodation to the Soul in its way to Heaven, such are further degrees of strength, and ability, further freedom, l [...]fe, and activity, and chearfulne [...]s in the service of God, p [...]ace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, these are not absolutely necessary unto eternal life, and salvation, nor to the upholding of spiritual life in the Soul, the want of them is only afflictive to the Soul, and incumbers it in its spiritu­al life, without a total destruction of it; as to these, God giveth more or less to the Souls of his people, and to the same Souls, more or less at one time then at another, and so is said to be present, or absent from them, according to the greater or lesser degrees of these influences which he vouchsafeth unto them, and those Souls may be said to be brought into the Lords Cham­bers, to whom he vouchsafeth greater degrees of these gracious [Page 377] influences, and those Souls may be said to be under desertions, for­saken of God, to whom the Lord denieth such degrees of these influences, as either themselves have before enjoyed, or others do enjoy. As to these God is very various in his dispensations, they being such dispensations, as God upon the covenant of grace is left at liberty to dispense out to the Souls of his people, or to with-hold from them according to his own good pleasure, and wisdom, and which accordingly he doth dispense out in pur­sute of the design of his own glory, and as according to his infi­nite knowledge and wisdom, he seeth will be most for the good of his people; when God dispenseth out more of these, he is said to be more present with the Souls of his people, when he more with-holdeth them, he is said to be absent, not that at any time he is wholly absent from the Souls of his people, as to his gracious presence (for without that they were able to do no­thing) the seed of God abiding in the Soul, must be upheld in its life, and cherished by the influence of the Sun of righteous­ness upon the Soul; but as God, though he be alwaies present in the world, by his essential presence, yet doth not alwaies shew forth his power in upholding, and preserving this or that part of it, no not the same parts of it, which is the reason of that sickness and mortality, with which some parts of it are affected more than others, and the same parts of it are affected at some times more than others. So as to spiritual influences, though he alwaies vouchsafeth such a presence of his gracious influen­ces, as shall keep up spiritual life in the Soul, yet for further gradual influences (the want of which is yet consistent with spiritual life in the Soul) the Lord granteth, or with holdeth them, according to his own will, guided by his infinite wisdom, with respect to the great ends of his own glory, and his peo­ples good. And the Lords withdrawings of this nature, are the cause of all the Souls sickness, and spiritual distempers, upon this are the grievous complaints of the people of God, of the strength of their corruptions, the violence of temptations, their deadness, and inactivity to, & in the operations of the spiritual llfe, their heaviness, sadness, and want of comfort. When the Lord granteth out to any of the Souls of his people more of these influences, then he may be said to bring them into his Chambers; when they find more internal strength to the perfor­mance of their duties, that their meditation of God is more [Page 378] sweet to them, they can believe with less doubting, pray with more faith, more fervour, less distraction; when they find more strength against motions to sin, more ability and courage to suf­fer for the name of God, when they find their Souls more rea­dy to, more free, and chearful in their duty, when they find more serenity, peace, and comfort within, than they have for­merly experienced, then may the Lord be said to have brought them into his Chambers, the Chambers of his presence, when these abate, and the Soul lives, and no more but lives, com­plaining that it is without strength, ready to be overthrown by every motion of lust, by every forreign temptation, that the thoughts of God are troublesome to it, it may be terrible that it moves heavily, it doth something of its duty, but it is rather its task, and burthen, than its pleasure and delight, its heart is sad, and heavy, and dejected, in such cases as these. Now God is present with the Soul that is his, for he dwelleth in it, but he entertaineth it as it were in his low Rooms. Cubiculum (saith Bernard upon the Text) est locus ubi vere quiescens & quietus Deus cernitur. The Chamber is a place where the Soul seeth God, quiet, and at rest. Sometimes the Soul apprehendeth God as it were returned to his place (to speak in the Prophets Dia­lect) as it were risen up from the Soul, and returned to Hea­ven, only to be found there, by fasting, and weeping, and earnest seeking after him; it apprehends God as angry, and not at rest in it; sometimes it discerns him at rest in it, the Soul can say, Lo this is my God, I have waited for him, I have waited for him, I will rejoice, and be glad in his Salvation, then the Soul returneth un­to its rest, Psal. 116. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul (saith Da­vid) for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee. When God is at rest in the Soul, then is the Soul at rest within itself, then hath the King brought the Soul into his Chambers. David when he was under apprehensions that the Lord sustained him, resolves to lay himself down in peace, and sleep, Psal. 4. 7. God had dealt graciously with him. These now are the Kings Chambers, and what I conceive to be here chiefly intended.

5. Gregory hath another notion of these Chambers. What (saith he) should we understand by these Chambers but the myste­ries of holy contemplations? The Astronomer indeed, that spends his time in the contemplation of the Stars, chuseth the roof of the House, or some lofty room, for his contemplation, and we all [Page 379] chuse the highest places of the House, for our prospects of things afar off, and all contemplative Persons chuse Chambers, as places of privacy for their contemplations▪ When the Lord raiseth the Soul to further degrees of spiritual-mindedness, and gives the Soul a power further to contemplate him in his Divine Na­ture and goodness, then he may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers. There is a time when the Soul remem­breth God, and is troubled (thus it was with the Psalmist, Psal. 77. 3.) Another time when the meditation of God is sweet to the Soul (so it was with David, Psal. 104. 34.) when the Soul is able to meditate of God without distractions, or disturbance, and can fit alone, and fancy that it seeth even the Heavens o­pen, and beholdeth the glory of God, and its Redeemers arms open to receive it; and there is another time, when it is not a­ble to lift up an Eye to God, nor to behold him with any plea­sing aspect. When the Soul is in the former state, then the King may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers, but this the observing person will see sell under the aforementioned consideration.

Lastly, There are yet some other Chambers, into which God sometimes brings the Souls of his people, in the description of which I will not enlarge, because they are more peculiar Closets into which God hath taken, and may (for ought I know) yet take the Souls of some particular Servants of his, into which be­lievers in general cannot expect to be brought, they being such as God in all times hath been pleased, but to take some few of his people into, and generally such, as he hath designed to make some more publick use of in the world; I may call them Cham­bers of particular instruction. Before God had fully revealed his will in the holy Scriptures, written for our instruction, and con­solation. God was pleased at sundry times, and in divers manners (as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 1. 1.) to speak unto the Fathers by the Prophets. Persons whom God admitted to a more special degree of fellowship, and communion with him, and sometimes more plainly, sometimes more typically, and darkly to instruct them concerning his mind and will, both concerning what they were to do, and to avoid, and concerning what God intended to do in the world, or some particular place in it; into these Cham­bers he took Abraham, when he did not hide from him what he intended to do to Sodom, and Moses, when he took him up into [Page 380] the Mount, and there gave him his law, instructing him in his, mind and will, that he might instruct the people under his charge, in these Chambers the Lord entertained Samuel, Elijah, Elisha; Gad, and Nathan, and all the Seers, and Prophets of whom you read in the Old Testament, and after them the blessed Apostles, and some primitive Christians. But the bringing of any Souls now into these Chambers, is no matter of our faith, and ex­pectation; though we must not limit the holy one of Israel, nor hath (that we know) he any where as to this limited himself; indeed as to one part of the revelation he hath: None can ex­pect, nor have any new revelation of duty, for the holy Scrip­tures are a perfect rule, and able to make the man of God wise to Salvation. But we may have a fuller revelation of what is re­vealed, and thus doubtless, there is a further discovery of duty in this, than in former ages, no new light of truth, but a new light in our Souls to discern the revelations of the word. And doubtless there may be to some particular Souls, some more revelations of what God intends to do in the world, and as to his or their particular circumstances than others have, they are things we cannot expect, hope or believe for, but what some may receive, and for the tryal of the truth of them, the issue must be expected, and from that the truth of their revelations, and prophecies, must be judged. And it seemeth by the answer of the Prophet Jeremy to Hananiah, that under the old dispensati­on, this was a piece of the Judgment, Jer. 28. 8, 9. The Prophets (saith he) which have been before me, and thee of old, prophesied both against many Countries, and against great Kingdoms, of War, and of pestilence, the Prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass, then shall the Prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. Yet they must doubt­less at that time have had some other way to discern a true Pro­phet from a false Prophet, how else could they have been char­ged with sin, in not hearkning to their voice, unless it were in such things which they required them to do, or to avoid, in force of the law of God given them by Moses, for though some of them wrought miracles, as Moses, Elijah, Elisha, yet we read no such thing of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, &c. But what­ever that way was, it is hidden from us, & though I dare not but say that God may yet to some particular Servants of his, not only more fully and clearly reveal what he hath in his word re­vealed, [Page 381] so as they may more clearly understand the Scriptures, and be more able to teach others, but also reveal his mind and will as to future contingencies, with reference to Na­tions, or Persons; yet I know no reason any hath to expect, or pray for any such Revelation; nor any others to believe it; but yet when the thing those Prophets prophecy, comes to pass, then shall we know that the Lord hath sent them. But though these be special degrees of communion, special favours, which the Lord may vouchsafe to some Souls, yet these are not cer­tainly those Chambers, of which the Spouse here speaketh. I have before told you what I judge those to be.

Will any one that heareth me, now say unto me, Why will the Lord thus please to do? 1. Why will he bring any Souls into his Chambers; allow them a nearer fellowship, and communion with him, then he will allow unto othe [...]s, and if he will thus treat any, why not all? I shall add a few words to satisfy such Souls as are so curious, and inquisitive; and then come to the practical application of this discourse.

1. He will do it to some to manifest that he hath a delight in the Sons of men; the wise man thus speaketh of Christ from all Eternity, as Rejoycing in the habitable part of the Earth, and ha­ving his delights with the Sons of men. Who can give a reason of love, and its motions in the creature? the affections of some per­sons to others (as we daily see) are inaccountable things; we find our own Souls, cleaving to some Neighbours, some Friends, and that we take a greater delight, and complacency in seeing them, hearing them discourse, being with them, and having them with us, then in others. Others can give no account of it, nor see any reason for it, and it may be we our selves can give our selves no great account of it, but so we do, though we know not why; and shall any one think to call God to account, to know why he sheweth more favour to one Soul, then to ano­ther? how cometh God to be more a debtor to his Creature, then man is to his Neighbour? what Man or Woman lives with­out their more intimate, and special friends? What Prince (tho never so ingenuous, and good natured, and kind to all his Sub­jects) is without his more particular, and special favourites? Christ as God blessed for ever; before ever that he had assu­med our nature, he had a delight in the Sons of men, but upon his taking unto him our nature, we cannot but apprehend him more [Page 382] specially inclined, he therefore took our flesh, that he might be touched with the seeling of our infirmities, Heb. 2. 17. And in all things (saith the Apostle) it behoved him to be made like unto us, that he might be a merciful, and saithful High Priest. Christ thus being not only ingaged by the infinite goodness of the Divine Nature, to a communication of his goodness; but also by his choice, and assumption of the humane nature, engaged to a de­light in the Sons of Men, though considering his Majesty and greatness, it behoved him not to make every Soul a Favourite, taking it up into the nearest degrees of communion, and fel­lowship with himself; yet it behoved him to make choice of some Souls, to whom he will more fully, and freely make known himself in the riches of his grace.

2. Secondly, He is concerned to it [...] point of faithfulness, be­cause of his promises. God hath given us many great, and pre­cious promises; some concerning this life, some respecting that which is to come, we have promises of special providence, spe­cial protection from dangers, support under them, deliverance from them, promises of special grace, manifestative love, Joh. 14. 21. I will love them, and manifest my self unto them, &c. promises of comfort, strength, &c. Now these promises are not made good to every Soul, at all times, but it is necessary (to uphold the Lords faithfulness) that they should be made good to some Souls, and at some times; by this we know, that none of his words shall fail, that his promises are in, and through Christ all of them, yea, and Amen.

3. By this the Lord also incourageth others to their duty. It is sad, that we should not be willing to serve God for nothing, at least without sensible reward; but so crost is our duty to the grain of our flesh, so many are our temptations, and discou­ragements, that even the most spiritual Souls must have their in­couragements to duty from sensible rewards, whiles we think that every labourer in Gods Vineyard shall have his penny, we are apt to think, it is of no avail for us to labour more then o­thers. God is therefore pleased (though one mans penny in glory may be brighter then anothers) to incourage us also with sensible rewards in this life; one Christian shall have more free­dom, and liberty in his Spirit, then another, more quiet and peace in his Spirit then another he shall find more strength un­to his duty then another.

[Page 383] If any further ask why the Lord doth not please to deal thus with all, who yet truly love, and fear him; we cannot enter in­to Gods secrets, or pretend to give an account of Gods moti­ons. I shall only shew you that it is reasonable, that God should not so deal with all, but with some only, and that he should not at all times deal alike with the same Souls.

1. In regard of our own incertainty, and mutability, and dis­proportion to others; though we be made partakers of the same special saving grace that they are, there is nothing more evi­dent upon observation, then that some walk more close with God, are more in prayer, more in reading, and hearing the Word of God, more in spiritual contemplation, and meditation, more reserved from the world, more watchful upon their own hearts and waies: nay, that the same Christian hath not alwaies the same heart for God, nor doth walk with God the same pace, nor by the same steps. Now though the Lord doth not distri­bute rewards strictly, according to our merits, yet he distribu­teth punishments, according to our demerits, and the withdraw­ing of these gradual influences, being species of punishments, it is very reasonable that as our hearts, and ways are uneven be­fore God, so his ways in these dispensations should also be uneven towards us, that in the darkness of our Spirits, we might some­times read the darkness of our loose, and sinful conversation. God thus punisheth our pride, our hypocrify, our neglect of du­ty, our wilful yielding to temptations, to which we might have made a better opposition. And upon the withdrawing of these influences, we have all just reason to search, and try our own hearts, and to reflect upon our own ways, to search out (if we can) the cause, why when others are in the Mount with God, we are still kept in the valley, while they are in the Chambers, we are kept in the lower Rooms, this is certain, that though possibly the punishment of sin be not alwaies the next cause, mo­ving God to such dispensations, yet we have alwaies reason to suspect it, having our Souls never so free from sin, but we may find enough to justify God in them.

2. It may be reasonable that God should thus deal with us, that we might know (as I told you in handling the other Doctrine) that his grace is free, and he a free agent in the dispensation of it. Not only first grace, but further grace also in God is free; indeed else it could not be grace, we should never understand the free­ness [Page 384] of grace, if it were equally dispensed. We in our little mani­festations of our love to our fellow creatures, challenge to our selves a liberty, and think our selves free to shew it where we will. God certainly must in justice be allowed the same, which we should not be brought to see and acknowledge, if we saw God treating all his Servants, and at all times to the same rate, and in the same degree.

3. It may be the mind of God to make a trial of his peoples grace, to draw forth some habits into acts, which would not be so exercised, if some of his people were not under different dis­pensations, and the same Souls sometimes variously exercised. The Soul that is with the Lord in his Chambers, is more a re­ceiver from God, then a giver to him. It gives him the exer­cise of its saith, in its reflex act, which indeed is not very pro­perly an act of faith. It offereth up unto God, the sacrifice of joy, of praise, and thanksgiving, it followeth here in the next words; we will be glad, and rejoice in thee. It may exercise its love of complacency, and delight in God. But all this while, where is the exercise of the Souls panting, and breathing after God, of its faith of adherence unto, and dependence upon God? of its hope in God, and patient expectation of, and waiting for God? where is the exercise of its patience, and submission to God under severer providences? It is reasonable that God should see all those blessed habits which he hath infused into the Soul; drawn forth into act.

4. The good Judas asked Christ, John 14. 22. Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us, and not to the world. Christ told him, because they loved him more, and kept his Com­mandments better. There is the same reason to be assigned, why Christ will manifest himself to some of his Saints, more then to others, because at some times the love of his people more manifesteth itself to him by a stricter keeping of his Command­ments, and the love of some good men is greater for God. Now to encourage men (as I before said) to perfect holiness in his fear, though he will give them all glory, yet some shall in this life have Gods goodness made to pass before them, more then others, that others may see what it is to be much with God.

5. Lastly, God often doth it for the good of others. And indeed this generally is the reason of that more special communion with God, which some have, more then others, as to the Revelation [Page 385] of his mind and will unto them; thus God would not hide from Abraham, the thing which he had to do against Sodom, because Abraham had a Family to instruct; God taketh Moses up into the Mount, and revealeth his mind, and will unto him, that he might teach the People over whom God had set him his Statutes, and Judgments; the same reason is to be given of Gods special communications to the Prophets under the Old, and the Apostles under the New Testament, and doubtless the same reason is to be assigned for Gods more full revelation of his mind and will already revealed in the Scripture, to his faith­ful Servants in the Ministry, who generally know more of the sense of Scriptures, and the mind, and will of God revealed in them then other Christians do, because God designeth that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge, and the people should enquire at them; and there is the same reason to be given for some more then ordinary influences of grace upon some Chri­stians Souls. See 2 Cor. 1. 4. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comforts, who comforteth us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble by the comfort where­with we our selves are comforted of God. God hath made us one for another, and in the dispensings out of his own gifts, and gra­ces, he hath respect unto the serviceableness both of Ministers, and others, one to another.

But this is sufficient for the Doctrinal part of this discourse.

Sermon XXVI.

Cant. 1. 4.
The King hath brought me into his Chambers.

YOU have heard the Proposition raised from these words; God hath Chambers, in which he sometimes entertains the Souls of his people. As there are specialties of common Providence, so there are specialties of special and distinguishing grace He takes [Page 386] some of those who love, and fear him, into nearer degrees of fellowship and communion with him, then he doth others. Man will claim himself a prerogative in this; the Parent will be more fond of, more kind to one Child then another, though he owns them both as his Children, and will give to them both a porti­on. The Prince who hath a tender love for all his Subjects, yet will be allowed his favourites.

Use 1. Let us not then accuse God in such dispensations of partiali­ty, or injustice, let us not murmur that we have lesser shares in his manifestative love. This is a thing we are very prone to. Christ taught it us in the Parable of the Prodigal, Luke 15. The Son that was alwaies at home with the Father. v. 28, 29. was angry, and would not go into his Fathers House, no not though his Father intreated him, because the Father had killed a satted Calf to entertain his Prodigal Brother returning; our Saviour doubtless intended in that parable to check the Jews envy at the kindness Christ was about to shew to the Gentiles, or did at that time shew to Harlots, to Publicans, and Sinners; but it rea­cheth further, we shall find all our hearts too prone to this, to repine at the further manifestations of the love of God to o­thers Souls, then unto ours. If I do not misconceive him, David seems in this to have failed, Psal. 22. 2, 3, 4. O my God (saith he) I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our Fathers trusted in thee, they trusted, and thou didst deliver them, they trusted in thee, and were not confounded, but I am a Worm, and no Man, a reproach of Men, and despised of the People, &c. To silence this corruption so exceedingly natural to us, let me offer a few things to thy thoughts.

1. The first shall be the Lords Prerogative, to shew mercy where he will shew mercy. This our Saviour hints me in the Parable of the Labourers sent into the Vineyard, Mat. 20. 15. when those who had wrought all the day, received their penny, in propor­tion to those who had wrought but a few hours, they com­plained, the Master of the Vineyard saies to them. May I not do with my own what I please? All influxes of grace are Gods own. It is a prerogative that every one of us claims for himself, to dispose of his love, (especially some degrees of it) as we please; why should we deny that to God, which every one of us claimeth to himself? The Prince will not allow the Subject to dispose of [Page 387] his favour, no more will the Father allow it to his Child; why should we think God is not at the same liberty? especially con­sidering▪

2. That God by it doth us no wrong. You have this in the same Text, Friend, I do thee no wrong, Mat. 20. 15. This now de­pendeth upon this hypothesis, that the grace of God cannot be merited by any; he that hath the greatest manifestations of Di­vine love, hath them freely, & he who hath the least discoveries of it, hath what he hath freely, without any preceding merit in himself. If God will let one of his Children walk in the light of his countenance, and another to walk in the dark, and see no light, if he will treat one in Chambers, another in a low, and more common Room, yet he doth not wrong to any. There is no injustice in the case; in appearance to us, he sheweth indeed more severity to the one, and more goodness to the other, but he is unjust to neither, because neither hath merited any thing that he receiveth.

3. God hath with held from thee nothing for which he agreed with thee. This is a third thing which the Master of the Vineyard told those labourers that repined, because they had not more then those who had laboured less, Mat. 20. 15. Did I not (saith he) agree with thee for a peny? we can lay claim to nothing of anothers, but either upon the plea of a Native right; thus the Child laies claim to his Patrimonial Estate, as heir at law; or up­on the account of purchase, by vertue of some compact or agree­ment, or some valuable consideration given him for it; we can lay no claim to the Grace of God, as our Patrimonial right, as Heirs to it, we are indeed called Heirs, but it is by adoption; nor upon the account of any valuable consideration given; who hath given first to God, and it shall be repaid to him again? All the claim we can lay to any thing either of Grace, or Glory, is upon the account of a Covenant that God hath made with us, or with Christ on our behalf, and by us accepted, when we come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is, what God hath agreed with us for, he hath agreed with us for a King­dom. Fear not little Flock (saith Christ) it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom. He that believes on me, is not condemned (saith our Saviour) he is passed from death to life. He hath agreed with us for all that grace, and mercy which is necessary to bring us to this Kingdom. That he will give us a clean heart, and a new heart, [Page 388] that we shall be kept by the power of God through faith to salvati­on. But where hath the Lord agreed with the Souls of any of his people for equal measures of his manifestative love? Nay, plainly, God in the Covenant of his Grace hath reserved him­self a liberty to chastife, and afflict his people, either for the probation of Grace, or for the punishment of sin, and this is one species of affliction, by which God doth both try the faith and patience, and also correct the errors, and miscarriages of the best of his people. But you will say, is not manifestative love promised? I answer it is, but so are not the measures of it, nor yet the particular time for the discovery of it. 2. It is but the matter of a conditional promise, John 14 21. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest my self unto him. Psal. 50. 21.— To him that ordereth his conversation aright, I will shew the Salvation of God. The promises of Eternal life, and Salvation, are made to Faith, and holiness, without which (both which) none shall see God, but not to degrees of the one, or of the other, a weak faith may bring a Soul to Heaven, so will an upright and sincere heart, though incumbred with many lustings of the flesh against the Spirit; but the case is otherwise as to some degrees of the mani­festative love of God, which much depend both upon degrees of faith, and degrees of holiness also. Our Saviour hath deter­mined doubts, and fears, indications of little faith, and reason will determine them inconsistent with much joy, peace, and comfort in the Soul; that holiness in some good degree is necessary to our peace, will appear to any Soul, that considers, that nothing but sin will break our peace with God. So that if thou beest not conscious to thy self, that thy faith is as strong as others, and thy ways as perfect before God as theirs, thou hast no reason to expect the same manifestations of Divine love; No; tho thou beest one who truly believest, and truly lovest, and fearest God, God hath agreed with every believer for eternal life and salvation, for pardon of sin, and a clean heart, and the upholding of him by his power unto salvation: But he hath not agreed with every such Soul for the same measures of peace and comfort, the same degrees of his manifestative love, he hath reserved himself a liberty to reward those with these more spe­cial favours, who walk most closely, and exactly with him in their conversations. Those therefore who find their Souls under [Page 389] temptations, to repine at God, for doing more for others then for them, should do well to reflect upon themselves, and to consider whether the faith of those others be not more strong, and their walking with God more close and exact then theirs; if it be, they are not to wonder that their Souls are more highly favoured, and more treated in Gods Chambers.

2. But Secondly, There being no merit in any thing we do or suffer, at Gods command, why should we think God obliged thus to reward the highest degrees of faith or holiness? What if God will hear one believers prayers sooner then anothers, what if he will give one such Soul more peace then another, who shall say un­to him what doest thou, or why am I thus, and others are other­wise? we certainly ought to allow the freest, and most sove­reign agent, what priviledge we every one claim for our selves, with reference to our Children, Servants, Friends, whiles every of us receives more then we deserve, what reason have we to repine, because others have more then we.

4. I beseech you consider whether this fruit floweth not from a root of Pride. Why should my Eye be evil, because anothers is good? Why should I repine, because God is kinder (as I think) to another Soul, then to me, if I did not secretly think that I had deserved as much, and as well as those, if not better? The humble Soul looks upon itself as meriting nothing, and therefore prizeth every influence of Divine love. The Dogs eat the crums, said the poor Woman. I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof (saith the Centurion) therefore speak the word only. Now if this be thy root of thy complaint, be assured, there is not a more bitter one in all the wilderness of nature. There is no Soul at further distance from obtaining at the hand of God, then that Soul that challengeth God as a debtor to his Creature, if thy Soul saith, as Haman, to whom should the King more delight to honour then me, thou art like enough to meet with as great disappointment as he did; God sets himself to pull down the Soul, that exalts itself above measure. God will keep Souls swell'd with this tumor, with Thorns in their flesh for their buffetings, it is enough if they find his grace sufficient for them.

5. If it doth not argue this, yet it speaketh a discontent at, and dissatisfaction with Gods methods in the conduct, and govern­ment of thy Soul, in order to that end to which he hath appointed thee. This frame of spirit is sinful enough, it is indeed a branch [Page 390] that groweth out of the root of pride; Gods general promise is, that he will with-hold no good thing from them that live uprightly, and that all things shall work together for the good of them that love God; but we must leave the judgment of good to the wisdom of God, who knoweth what is good for us, while we repine at Gods dispensations, we either shew our distrust, and unbelief in these promises, or assume the judgment of good to our selves, paramount to the judgment of God. No sin more provokes God then this of murmuring, and repining. It was the great sin of the Israelites, which at last provoked God to swear in his wrath they should never enter into his rest. Let us therefore learn thankfully to acknowledge what grace we have received, and with silence, and patience to wait for what further manifestations of it we desire, and judge our Souls to stand in need of.

2. Br. Inft. 2. Hath the King of glory, whom we serve Chambers, where­in he treateth the Souls of his Subjects, not only Mansions, but Chambers, further degrees of gracious influxes, & manifestations. Let us then learn from hence; That no man serves God in any de­grees of service for nothing; some indeed shall have greater de­grees of reward then others, none shall serve him for nothing, there is a reward for every righteous Soul. He that serveth God in truth and sincerity, though with a great deal of weak­ness and imperfection, though he comes into his Service at the last hour, yet he shall have his penny, he shall have Heaven and Glory. If any will come in to Gods Service in the morning, and work in the heat of the day, and labour for God more abun­dantly, he shall not lose his reward; nay, he shall be rewarded according to his work, as there are degrees of active working Grace, so there are degrees of manifestative love, and this by the way.

1. It is a great encouragement to those that are young, to turn in­to the ways of the Lord betimes. Josiah, and Timothy, and Enoch, were all of them such as began early to walk with God. Of Jo­siah it is said, Chron. 2. 34. That when he was but eight years old, he began to seek after the God of David his Father, what special favour he had from God, his story will tell you; he was early taken into the Chambers of glory, and while he was upon the Earth, God treated him in his Chambers, he would not in his days bring the intended evil upon Judah. Enoch walked with [Page 391] God, the Text saith he was not, for God took him. Timothy was a great Favourite, used as a great instrument for God, and doubtless these three, and so those others who have early given up themselves to God, and continued to the end, will hereafter be found in some degrees of glory above others.

2. It is a great incouragement to men and women to put out them­selves mightily for God, to love the Lord (according to the te­nour of the first, and great Commandment) with all their Soul, and all their strength, & all their might, God hath degrees of love to reward degrees of holiness & service, & though possibly there may be some rare instances, wherein the wisdom of God (as unsearchable) is to be adored, and not to be found out, and we may see some, who appear to us more exemplary in holiness then others, yet clouded under darker dispensations, walking in the dark, and seeing no light, yet ordinarily it is otherwise, those who walk most in the light of holiness, have more of the light of Gods countenance, enjoy most peace, and have most mani­festations of Gods special love; and this now lets us see what a difference there is betwixt the service of God, and the service of the Devil, or the service of the world, many a one serves the world, and gets little, and those that make themselves least drudges to it get most of it; he that serves the Devil in serving corruption, the more he toils in that service, the more torment he hath. But the more a man serves God, the more peace, the more inward rest and sweetness he hath.

3. This discourse may give some relief to such Christians whose hearts are right with God, but yet their attainments are not propor­tionable to others. The King hath not brought them into his Chambers, indeed the fault of this may be in our selves, and where it is so, we have reason to blame our selves, and to sit down in silence, and endeavour for the time to come to mend our pace in the ways of holiness; there are Stairs, by which Christians usually ascend into these Chambers, come up (I mean) into this near degree of communion with God, if we will not do what in us lies to climb up those steps which God hath made for us, by which we may ascend into these Chambers, we must blame our selves, if we abide below: But this is not alwaies the cause, in some cases we must have recourse to Gods pre­rogative, and must rest in this. Even so O Father, because it plea­seth thee. Some Souls are dignified with a special communion, [Page 392] and familiarity with God, so was Abraham, Moses, David, yet possibly if we look into the records we have of their lives, we shall find more blots in some of them, then in some others, who we do not read were taken up into such eminent degrees of favour. We cannot give just rea­sons, and accounts of all Gods acts of Grace, it is enough that God wills them. In the mean time, if we find but a good hope through grace, an heart changed, and cleaving to God, if we can say with Peter, Lord thou that knowest all things, knowest that we love thee, though we cannot boast of such special pro­vidences as others, nor of such visions of peace, nor of so quick an hearing of our prayers, tho we dare not pretend to be such fa­vourites of Heaven, yet let us not be discouraged, possibly as to us the Lords time is not yet come, possibly it never will come, God is a great Soveraign, and unquestionably free as to these things, he knows what is best for us, he will deny no good thing to us We may say of the whole Family of God, as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomons, 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are thy Men, happy are these thy Servants, which stand continually before thee, and heaṙ thy wisdom. There are some of Gods Servants, that as to these enjoyments are more happy then others, but there are none but are happy, none but have reason for ever to admire the difference which God hath made betwixt them, and o­thers; to admire what God hath done for their Souls, bringing them out of the horrible Pit, if they have not, if they cannot see reason to rejoice in such a prospect of Heaven as othershave, yet they have reason to rejoice in an equal deliverance from Hell.

Use 4. I will shut up this discourse with two words of exhortation. 1. The first directed to those who can say with the Spouse, The King hath brought us into his Chambers. 2. The second to those who walk with God, but have not yet arrived at this. Are there any who can speak the language of the Spouse, and glory in this▪ not only that they are brought home to Christ, but that the King hath brought them into his Chambers, the Lord hath dignified them with some special favours, and manifested himself more to them then unto others, the following words of this Text will let them know what is their duty. I will (saith the Spouse) be glad, and rejoice in thee, and remember thy loves more then Wine. 1. Be glad, and rejoice in God; we are often called to for this rejoycing in the Lord, Psal. 33. 1. Psal. 97. 12. Phil. 3. 1. 4. 4. and in many other Texts. Such is the portion of Gods Children, such their [Page 393] state, and condition, that they have a continual cause of rejoy­cing, and giving of thanks; be they under what circumstances they can, there is ground enough for them in all things to give thanks, but they are more eminently obliged to it, when they are under the highest manifestations of Divine Love. This re­joycing in the Lord is (I conceive) opposed, both to a carnal joy in sensual objects, and also to a rejoycing meerly in that ease, and satisfaction, which the good thing giveth us, for which we rejoice. As now, suppose a rich man giveth a poor man 20 s. it is one thing for the poor man to rejoice in the gift, as suited to to [...]his necessitous circumstances, another thing to re­joice in the love and favour of the giver. This is now the duty of the spiritual man; he ought not only under the manifestati­ons of divine love, to rejoyce in the Lord, more then in all the world, and all the affluences, and contentments of it, which is expressed in the next phrase, we will remember thy loves more then Wine, and is commensurate to what David saith, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me, for thou shalt thereby make my heart more glad then in the day when their Corn and Wine in­creased▪ I say this is not enough for a Soul thus dignified, he ought more to rejoice in the favour of God shewed him, in these spe­cialties of his favour, then in the ease, and sati [...]faction, which the mercy received giveth unto his Soul, And herein lieth the purity of the spiritual mans joy, nor is his joy genuine, and per­fect till it come to this pitch.

2. The second phrase in the Text, expressive of this dignifi­ed Souls duty is, We will remember thy loves more then Wine. The term remember is taken in Scripture in a great latitude, and ex­pressive both of all that affection which is due to the remem­brance of the object, and of all that practical duty which is con­sequent to it. I shall touch a little upon both these, and that very shortly, for I shall, God willing, speak to both these ex­pressions in order more fully.

1. Remember Christs loves, with the remembrance of the heart. I shall instance but in one fruit of this, and that is faith, Remember his loves, so as for them to trust in God more, and to cast the care of thy Soul in an hour of distress, the better upon him, upon con­sideration of thy past and present experience. We are too ready, both to forget our sorrows, and to forget our comforts, to forget our sorrows, by giving our selves a liberty to the same sins for [Page 394] which we have smarted, and to forget our comforts, by giving li­berty to the same dejections, and despondencies again, after the experiences of Gods favour.

2. Remember Christs loves practically, so as to make them ob­ligations upon your Souls, to a close walking with God. See the example of David, Psal. 116. 1, 9, 12, 18. But I shall speak all this over again, when I come to handle the next words, and shall therefore add no more.

2 [...] Br. My second Branch of this Exhortation shall respect those whom God hath not thus far dignified; the Lord hath (as they hope) admitted them into his family, but he hath not yet brought them into his Chambers. Some communion with God they hope they have, and an heart that panteth after a more full, and near communion with him, but this they have not yet attained to, they walk in the dark, and see no light, the Lord giveth them an heart to pray, but they cannot glory in such a full, and quick return of prayers as others have; they have not that inward joy and peace, which as to some Souls is consequential to belie­ving; the question is now, what they should do, what their du­ty is, under their present circumstances. I will open it in two particulars.

1. Certainly they ought not to despond, and be dejected, and con­clude against themselves, as if they had no share in the love of God, much less to repine, and murmur against God. Against mur­muring I offered you some considerations under the first branch of application. Against condemning your selves, or concluding against the goodness of your spiritual state, I shall offer some­thing now. There is no ground at all for any such conclusion from these providences. The Childs right to the Father is not to be determined from the portion, much less from any particular ex­pression of the Fathers affection, if the Child be begotten by the Father, if owned by him as his Child, this is enough, tho some other Child may have more smiles, and some particular expressions of kindness which it wanteth. If a Christian hath a­ny evidence, that he is born again, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God, born again of the Spirit, by the incorruptible Seed of the Word, this is enough to en­title him to a Sonship, if he hath received the Lord Jesus Christ, this John 1. 12. gives him a right to be called the Child of God, and this new birth is discoverable by the new features in [Page 395] the Souls face, the Souls assimilation to God in holiness. If these things be found, it is a most unreasonable conclusion to conclude against thy Sonship, for want of some special favours bestowed upon others, and not upon thee; so as there is no ground for thy reprobating thy self upon this account, and con­cluding against thy spiritual state, because of thy want of some degrees of spiritual priviledges by others enjoyed; nor hast thou more ground to despond, and to deject thy self, as if thou never shouldst attain what thou hast not as yet attained. David sets us a rare example in this case, Psal. 42. 5. Why art thou cast down O my Soul, why art thou disquieted within me, hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. The longest night hath a morning following, there commonly is a circulation in Divine Providence, and as to the Soul of man, day, and night, Summer, and Winter, follow one another, as by a Covenant, he that doth not grieve willingly, nor willingly af­flict the Children of men, will not be alwaies crushing the Pri­soners of the Earth, nor suffer the Souls which he hath made to fail before him.

2. Br. 2. As thy condition will prompt thee to endeavour to amend it, and to make the case of thy Soul more easy; so I would have thee look upon it as thy duty. St. Paul had not attained, but he forgetting what was behind, pressed forward to what was before, un­to the price of the high calling. It is the state of our Souls, that we are not perfect, neither as to action, nor as to fruition, but it is all our duty to strive after perfection, both after a perfection with respect to action, which the Apostle calls a perfecting holi­ness in the fear of the Lord, and a perfection as to fruition, as to the enioyment of God, you have heard that the King of Glory hath Chambers, in which he entertaineth some of his peoples Souls, admitting them to a fuller, further, and sweeter enjoy­ment of himself then others have. Let therefore no Christian sit down fully satisfied, till he get up into these Chambers I have shewed you a Christian ought to be so far satisfied, as if God plea­seth to chain him for a time in a lower room (my meaning is to lay a necessity upon him to live beneath these Mountains) not to re­pine & murmur against God, not to conclude against his spiritual state, and interest in God, not to despond, and defect himself, and conclude that, because it is now dark, it shall never be light with him, but yet he ought not to be so far satisfied, as not to look after [Page 396] higher degrees of enjoyment of, and communion with God. There are all the arguments imaginable to be pleaded in this case. Whether from profit, or pleasure, or honour, &c. But those are so obvious, that I shall but wast time to inlarge upon them. Every Soul that hath any spiritual sense, will acknowledge the desirableness of this. But will some Souls say, what shall we do, that we may attain them. I have but four things to offer in this case, with which I will conclude.

1. Study to abound in active grace. The grace I am speaking of is that grace wherein man is partly passive. Active grace is that by which we are inabled to our duty in obedience to the will of God; the Stairs by which Souls ascend to the Kings Chambers, mentioned in the Text (as I have interpreted it) are the steps of universal ho­liness, which the Apostle calls, an holiness in all manner of conversa­tion. The promise of Gods shewing his Salvation, Psal. 50. 21. is made to him that ordereth his conversation aright, and the promise of Gods manisesting himself to his peoples Souls, is made to them that love Christ, and keep his Commandments. It is true, God sometimes useth his prerogative, and hides his face from the most pious, and holy Souls, for a time, and shutteth out their supplications from him, you have instances in holy writ, as well as in our daily converse, but it is past all controversy, that those enjoy most of God who walk most with God, and the closest walking is the most sweet and comfortable walking. Study there­fore to excell in holiness; that's the first.

2. Behave thy self well in the lower Rooms. Look to thy self, while God keeps thee in a dark condition, that thou dost not add to thine own Chains, and lengthen the hours of thy dark­ness; affliction is Gods School, by which he fits us for consola­tion. Dost thou ask me what I mean by behaving thy self well? I answer short. 1, Being watchful, and striving against sin, those corruptions especially, which thou shalt discern most busie in such an hour, such as murmuring, unbelief, impatience, &c. 2. Keeping up thy hope and saith in God, so did David (as I shewed you) Psal. 42. 5. Blessed are they saith our Saviour, who have not seen, and yet believed. 3. Humbly acknowledging thine ini­quities, thy unworthiness to receive the least mercy, or look of grace from God. 4. Panting & thirsting after fuller degrees of com­munion with God; thus David, Psal. 63. 1, 2. My Soul longeth, my flesh thirsteth for thee, to see thy power, and thy glory, &c.

[Page 397] 3. Abstract thy self as much as thou canst from the world. You shall observe that the Servants of God have chosen Mountains places of solitude, and removed from the noise of the world, when they designed any acts of more special communion with God, so Christ often went into a Mountain to pray. And God oft chose such places more specially to communicate his mind to his people. It was in the Mount God talkt with Moses, face to face, as a man talks with his friend. Divines have observed that those Persons who have enjoyed most of God, have been, such as have been (I will not say most, but) much in contem­plation, which brought contemplation afterward into a super­stition, and a contemplative life to be cried up beyond all sense or reason.

4. Lastly, Be much in prayer.

But I have spoke enough upon this argument.

Sermon XXVII.

Canticles 1. 4.
We will be glad, and rejoyce in thee. We will remember thy loves more then Wine. The upright love thee.

I Am now come to the Fourth thing considerable in this Se­cond Petition of the Spouse. I have done with the Petition, Draw me. 2. With the Argument by which she inforced her Pe­tition; We will run after thee. 3. With the Spouse's Attestation of the quick acceptance of her Petition: The King hath brought me into his Chambers. I have only to consider the Effect that this Love had upon her, that is exprest in the words I have now read. We will be glad, and rejoyce in thee,; we will remember thy Loves more than Wine. I have opened the words before: We, I and all Believers, we who being many are yet one body, uni­ted by one Spirit, Members under the Government of one Head; we who have tasted and experienced thy goodness▪ will be glad. The word in the Hebrew [...], is expressive of the largest dilata­tion of the heart upon union with its object. It is used, Isa. 65. [Page 398] v. 19. Prov. 24. 23. Psal. 21. 1. Psal. 2. 11. & 13. 11. Zech. 9. 9. [and rejoyce in thee.] The word again here used, is often used in the Old Testament, Exod. 4. 14. Jer. 31. 13, &c. I shall not under­take to justifie the Critical distinction some make betwixt these two words, as if one were restrained to the more inward mo­tion of the heart, the other more expressive of the more exter­nal gestures, or actions, signifying that affection [in thee] in Christ, as the principal object, and in the significations of thy love to us. The Proposition is shortly this.

Prop. Jesus Christ, and the manifestations of his love to believers Souls, particularly in answering prayers, are the singular objects of their joy, and rejoycing. In order both to the explication and confirma­tion of this Proposition, I will guide you a little into the un­derstanding of the nature of Joy, 2. Consider how Christ can be the object of the believers joy, and is more the object of his joy, then of another mans. 3. How he is the special singular ob­ject of their joy.

Take joy considered in itself, it is but a natural plant, a pow­er God hath given to every reasonable Soul, the object of it is some good, to which it is in some degree united, and it is greater or lesser, according to the nature of the good, or the degree of the apprehension. There is in all joy, satisfaction, and rest, and something of musick, or melody.

1. There is in all joy a Soul satisfying suln ss, desire speaks some emptiness in the Soul, and is the Souls motion in order to a satisfaction, the like might be said of hope, but all joy, speaketh a Soul satisfaction, according to the measure of the joy, the re­joycing Soul hath alwaies in it a fulness, and a pleasing fulness; that is the first thing in the nature of it.

2. There is in all joy a rest that quieteth the Soul; the desi­ring, thirsty, hoping Soul is still in motion, being in the pursuit of something which it hath not attained, but the rejoycing Soul is at rest; David in the hour of his joy saith, Return unto thy rest, O my Soul! For God hath dealt graciously with thee. That is a second thing in joy.

3. There is in all joy something of musick and melody, hence that phrase of leaping for joy, hence singing and shouting, are the natural expressions of joy; thus joy may be described to be a natural power, or inclination of the Soul, by which having more perfectly, or imperfectly obtained an union with the object which it [Page 399] desired, or hoped for, it is in proportion satisfied, and well pleased, at rest, and keeps as it were a festival within it self.

Two things are required to make an adequate obiect of this joy. 1. The thing must be good. 2. We must have some apprehen­sion both of the goodness of it, and our union with, and interest in it. 1. The object that our Souls rejoice in, must be something which either is good, or which at least we apprehend to be so, the na­ture of good lieth in a suitableness and conveniency of a thing for us, and whatsoever we apprehend suited to any of our wants, or convenient for us in any of our circumstances that we call good, and whatsoever we apprehend under that notion, whe­ther it indeed be so or no, we love, and if we want it, we desire it, if we apprehend it probable to be our portion, we hope for it, if we have it, or apprehend we have it, we delight, and take a complacency, and rejoice in it. 2. So that secondly, to make an adequate object of our joy. There must be some apprehended union betwixt our Souls, and the object we rejoice in. For although we can love, and take a secret complacency in an object which appeareth to us as good, yet it is propriety in it that causeth our joy and rejoycings. Thus far now I have only considered, and discoursed of joy, philosophically, as it is a natural affection, working upon its proper object.

Let us now consider it as a grace, or sanctified affection. Grace doth not plant new powers in the Soul of man, it only turns the natural powers to their proper objects.

Our Saviour tells us, there is none good but God, God is the Summum Bonum, the first, and chiefest good, nor is any thing good, but what deriveth from him. Christ is good, supremely good, as in him there is found, what is suited to the greatest wants and emptinesses, that the nature of man is exposed, and subject to. And that the believer more valueth Christ then ano­ther man, ariseth only, 1. From his different apprehension. 2. From his different relation to him and interest in him.

1. From the different apprehensions of good which the believer hath, from those which are in other men. I told you before, that the nature of good lieth in the suitableness, or conveniency of a thing to our wants and emptinesses. Man is a creature made up of two essential parts, the Body and the Soul, that which suiteth the one, or the other we call good. The Soul is considerable, with respect to a present, or future state, the first is that which a­lone [Page 400] the most men are sensible of, or concerned for. We have a threefold perception of an object, according to which we judge of the goodness, or badness of it.

1. The first is by the Eye of sense, according to which we judge that good which gratifieth the exteriour senses, this of all is the most unmanly judgment of it, thus the man of pleasure judgeth those things good, which gratify his eyes, ears, tast, sinell or touch, and indeed this is the judgment of the greatest part of the world, when they say, who will shew us any good? this is all they understand by it, who will gratify our sensitive ap­petites? These are the things they desire, delight, and rejoice in, these men rejoice in nothing, but in pleasures, profits, or hon­ours, such things as either serve the lust of the Eye, or the lust of Flesh, or the pride of life.

2. A second Eye by which we discern good, and accordingly judge of it is the Eye of Reason, God hath indued man with a reasonable Soul, which hath several powers and faculties, amongst the rest, the understanding, by which I understand that power in man, by which he apprehendeth things, and the reason of them, and takes the impression of notions, that which is suited to this we call good, and upon a much truer notion then the other.

Hence is some mens thirst, and desire of knowledge, and know­ledge is as sweet to them, as Wine is to the Drunkard, they dis­cern an excellency in the mind, and Soul, above what is, or can be in the fleshly part of a man, and delight more in understan­ding, then the voluptuous man doth in pleasure, or the world­ly man in wealth, that is their good, for which they contemn pleasures, and all sensual satisfactions.

3. Our third way of apprehending good, is by the Eye of saith, which the Apostle tells us is the evidence of things not seen. There are some whom God hath so far enlightned by the reve­lation of his will, as they do not only know that they have bodies, and a sensitive part, which requireth satisfaction to its several cravings, and a more noble part, which is the mind, ca­pable of understanding things, and the reasons, and causes of them, but Souls (an immortal part) capable of the favour of God, of an union and communion with him, they know that the happiness of man can lie in nothing beneath the favour of God, nothing beneath an union and communion with him, they have read it in the Word of God to which God hath wrought in their [Page 401] hearts a firm and full assent, that no man cometh to the Fathers but by Christ. There is no other name given under Heaven, no other way by which they can arrive at a true peace and happi­ness, either in this life, or in that which is to come. And from hence it is, that all their desires are after Christ, all their hope in him, and he becometh their chief joy.

2. A second reason of their rejoicing in Christ more then o­ther mens, lies in their different relation to him, and interest in him, or apprehensions at least of that relation, and interest. I told you before, that although an apprehended good be the object of our love, before we enjoy it, the Soul cannot but take some pleasure, and complacency in what he apprehendeth under that notion, yet while the Soul cometh to have some relation to it, some propriety and interest in it, though it may move towards it by desire, and hope, yet it comes not to a joy, and rejoycing in it, till it comes to have some apprehension, that it hath obtained it. You may see this in other things; suppose a man of the world to fancy a great estate, or a great degree of honour and di [...]nity to be good, or that an ingenious Child fancieth the like of knowledge, both the one and the other may desire these things at a distance; the man of the world may wish he had such an Estate, and the Schollar may wish he had such degrees of lear­ning and knowledge; but till the one and the other have attain­ed what they desire in some degree, they cannot rejoice in it, neither is their mind satisfied, nor at rest. It is the same case as to a spiritual man. He is enlightned to see he hath a Soul of a further capacity, then the most men understand their Souls to be, that he hath some further wants, then the most understand that they have, he believeth the Scriptures, and understands that he wants peace, and reconciliation with God, he understandeth that there shall be a Resurrection, a day of Judgment, and that he must one day be in an happy, or in a miserable eternity, so as he wants the security of a better life, when this life shall be at an end, upon this account he may be pleased with the thoughts of Christ; as he by whom these good things alone can be obtai­ned, he may desire Christ, he may hope in him, but till he comes to apprehend that he hath obtained a part, and interest in him, it is impossible he should rejoice in him, and according to his ap­prehensions of his interest, so is his joy, and rejoycing in Christ. There must be some union betwixt the Soul, and its object, be­fore there can be any joy and rejoycing.

[Page 402] 1. There is an union of contemplation. We cannot so much as contemplate a desirable object, but our Soul must have some u­nion with it, and there will a proportionable joy attend this; in­deed this will be of all other the weakest in degree, because this is the lowest degree of union imaginable. Thus a man may rejoyce in the contemplation of a door of salvation opened to Mankind by Christ, before he hath made any use of it at all to enter in thereat. Thus the Angels at the Birth of Christ proclai­med glad tidings, and joy to all people.

2. There is an union of hope, when the Soul doth not only contemplate some great and eminent good, but apprehendeth it attainable by itself, tho not without some difficulty; as this uni­on of the Soul with its object, now is closer, and fuller then the other, so the joy that resulteth from it, must necessarily be more: hence in Scripture you read of the rejoycing of hope, which the Apostle would have believers keep firm.

3. There is an union of sensible possession, or (which is the fame) of faith, and full persuasion, which makes things unseen visible to us, and as this of all other, is the most full, and per­fect union, so it causeth the most full, and perfect joy, it most satisfieth the Soul, and brings it most to its rest, and causeth the greatest triumph, and festival in the Soul, even a peace which is past all understanding.

There is no believer but hath obtained one of the two latter unions with Christ: No unbeliever that hath obtained more then the former. An unbeliever may have heard, that Christ came into the world to save Sinners, to seek, and to save that which is lost, and may have a proportionable joy, but alass, how little must it be, while he neither feeth a need of him, nor yet can have any apprehension, that he hath any share or interest in him? It can be no more then as the rejoycing of an understanding man, to hear that an able Physician is come into the Country, before he is sensible of any need he hath of him, or hath had any experience of his skill, and ability.

But there is no true believer, but either hopes in his mercy, or hath some assurance of his love; and from hence it is. 1. That the true believer alone can rejoyce, truly rejoice in Christ. 2. That one believer rejoyceth in him above what another can.

I say, the true believer alone can rejoyce in Christ, for he a­lone is sensible of that goodness, and excellency that is in him, and [Page 403] he alone is apprehensive of any relation, that he hath to him, or any interest in him; others are without Christ, he alone can say, my Lord, and my Saviour. And hence I say it is that one be­liever can rejoice in Christ more than another, because one mans apprehension of his part and interest in Christ, may be more full than anothers. One hath but the apprehension of a good hope, the other may have a full persuasion. But though there may be a great difference in the degrees of believers joy, yet they con­cur all in their object. Christ is the object, the singular object of all their joy.

After this discourse; I need not enlarge in telling you how Christ becomes their object of joy, not meerly considered, as God blessed for ever, nor meerly considered as Mediator betwixt God and Man, and the Saviour of lost Sinners, if he were not so, they could not rejoice in him, but neither doth his being so give them any cause of rejoycing; but in the notion in which he is mentioned all along this Song. i. e. considered as their Bridegroom, as united unto them, and having a particular favour, and relation to their Souls. For though good conside­red abstractly, may be the object of our love, desire, and hope, yet only good united to us is the object of joy, yea, and good appre­hended by us as our portion; and according to the degree both of our union with the good, and apprehension of that union, so will our joy be.

And hence again, the most perfect joy of believers, must ne­cessarily be in their glorified estate, hence Heaven is called Out Masters joy, for as our union with God and Christ will be there most full, and perfect, so our apprehension of it will be most clear, and not interrupted. But that is not the theme of my pre­sent discourse, I am speaking of the object of believers joy in this life, not in that which shall be in that life which is to come, when their joy will be unspeakable, and full of glory.

I added in the Proposition, that Christ is the singular object of their joy. We will (saith the Spouse) be glad, and rejoice in thee; this is [...]ru [...], both exclusively, and inclusively. 1. Exclusively.

1. He will r [...]joyce in nothing inconsistent with the fruition of Christ. There is a [...]m [...]al rejoycing in the satisfaction of mens lusts; this is the joy of an Epicure; the Drunkard shouts for new Wine. And you read of some whose rejoycing was to devour the poor, Hab. 3. 14. I told you before that Joy is nothing else but the sa­tisfaction [Page 404] that the Soul hath, and the rest which the Soul takes with the Triumph which it makes in its union with that Object which it judgeth good. Now the gratifying of lusts, and plea­sing the senses, and the concupiscible, or irascible appetite, being that which low-born Souls have chosen as their good; their re­joycing in this satisfaction is natural to them. This Joy is but for a moment, Job 20. 5. and shall one day be turned into heavi­ness; Jam. 4. 9. This mirth, this laughter is madness, as Solomon speaks, Eccles. 2. 2. like the crackling of Thorns under a Pot, Eccles. 7. 6. Sorrow, saith Solomon, is better than it, for those that thus laugh, shall weep, Luk. 6. 25. The Soul that loves Christ cannot rejoyce with this Joy. Charity rejoyceth not in evil, 1 Cor. 13. This is inconsistent with the enjoyment of Christ, and of his fa­vour, with that self denial, which is necessary to those that will be his Disciples, with that taking up of the Cross, which is ano­ther Law of his Discipleship.

2. It is exclusive of rejoycing in any thing without him. Though Christ, and his Love and Favour, be the believing Soul's supreme good, the One thing which he desireth, yet there are other things which he may and doth account good in their order. God hath not forbidden a man to rejoyce in the Wife of his youth, and in the Children which God hath given him; nor in those providential dispensations, by which he accommodateth the lives of his people, and maketh them more sweet and happy; but the believing Soul cannot rejoyce in these things, unless at the same time he seeth reason also to rejoyce in Christ. Men of the world can rejoyce in full Barns, & Coffers, though in the mean time they have no sense, no hope of the pardon of their sins, and reconci­liation with God; the reason is, because they have set up these things as their chief good, and are not affected with the concerns of their Souls, as they relate to Eternity: But neither can the Believer partake of these Joys: The Soul can neither rejoyee in any enjoyment exclusive of its chief good, nor yet in any thing in the absence of its chief good: A believing Soul in any measure satisfied concerning the Love of God to it, can rejoyce in the Wife of his bosom, in the Children which God hath given him, in the accommodations with which God hath blessed him as to the sweetning of this life, but without some assurance, or some good hope at least (through grace) that Christ is his, and he hath the favour of God in and through his blood; he can re­joyce [Page 405] in none of these things. It was a peevish expression of Haman, Esth. 5. 11, 12, 13. When he told his friends of the glory of his riches, the multitude of his Children, and all the things wherein the King had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the Princes and Servants of the King; and how that Esther had invited him, and none but him and the King to the Banquet which she had prepared; and added, All this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecay the Jew sitting in the King's gate. En­vy slayeth the fool (saith Solomon.) But every pious Soul, when he thinks how God hath blest him with a loving Wife, sweet and dutiful Children, a plentiful Estate, yet saith, All this availeth me nothing, so long as I suspect, and fear, that I have no part or In­terest in Christ. There be (saith David) many who will say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy counte­nance upon me; thou hast put gladness into my heart, more than in the time that their Corn and Wine increased.

3. The Joy of the Soul in Christ is such, that it can rejoyce in him alone. It is the expression of the Prophet Habakkuk, ch. 3. v. 17, 18. Although the Figg-tree shall not blossom, neither shall there be fruit in the Vine, the labour of the Olive shall sail, and the Fields shall yield no meat; the Flock shall be cut off from the sold, and there shall be no Herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, and I will joy in the God of my Salvation. The believing Soul can rejoyce in nothing without Christ, and it can rejoyce in Christ when it hath nothing more to rejoyce in. Let a gracious Soul have but the sense of God's Love in Christ to his Soul, he can say to all the world as Esau (though not upon such a consi­deration) said to his Brother Jacob, I have enough my Brother, I have enough, keep what thou haft unto thy self. Am I justified and regenerated? have I peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ? have I the pardon of my sin, and a righteousness where­in I can stand before God? it is enough. If the Lord will not give me Bread to eat, nor Children to continue my name; if I die Childless, so I do not die Christless, it is enough. If I have not Raggs to cloth me, nor an Estate to leave Portions to six, and also to seven, yet I have said to the Lord, Thou art my Portion, it is enough. Hence ariseth a good Christian's contentment in all Estates. I have learned (saith Paul) in all estates to be content, content to want, content to abound, content to have little or much as the Lord pleaseth. If the Lord will take away such a man's [Page 406] Children, Estate, &c. he saith with Job, The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, blessed be the Name of the Lord. If I have my part in Christ (saith he) I have yet enough. Omnia mea mecum porto, I have my All, as the Philosopher is reported to have said, when his City was on fire, and his Neighbours re­flected on him going out, and carrying nothing along with him, nor concerning himself for the share of Estate he had in it. If the Believer considereth his body, he seeth a crazy constitution, dis­eases growing upon him; if he looks into his Family, and seeth it empty of Children; if into his Grounds, and seeth them bring forth nothing but Weeds, and Thistles; if into his Stalls, and seeth them empty of Cattel; yet if he looks into his Soul, and finds any evidences of the Love of Christ, he can rejoyce in them; this must be understood, when he seeth himself stript na­ked, not by his own wicked hands, but (as Job was) by the ef­fective Providence of God, for the loss of the things of this life, the good things of the common Providence of God, caused by our own sinful hands, and miscarriages, oft-times hinder this Joy, as they make it difficult to us to see the Love of God in and un­der them.

4. And lastly, This Soul rejoyceth in Christ, Primarily, Em­phatically, Supremely. The Child of God is a parta ker of flesh and blood, and hath a sensitive appetite, which when gratified, necessarily causeth a joy proportionate to the good which it receiveth; hence he rejoyceth in the good things of common Providence, as well as another man, but not as much as another man, not upon the same account that another man doth. Christ is the Believer's chief Joy; and as his title to the good things of this life differs from the title of another, so his joy in them dif­fereth from the joy of another. All men may have a natural, legal title to the good things of this life; Dominion and Title is not founded in grace, but it is mended by grace. Another man derives from God as the Lord of the whole Earth, who by his common Providence distributeth portions to the Sons of men, as he pleaseth, but the believer doth not only derive from God, as the supreme Lord, but from Christ; all is yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods (saith the Apostle) so that while he rejoiceth in the gifts of common Providence, he re­joiceth in Christ, because he rejoyceth in these things as coming from the hand of a Father, reconciled to him by the blood of [Page 407] Christ; he rejoiceth in the good things of this life, as the loving Wife reioiceth in some present made her by her Husband, not so much in the fineness, or costliness of it (though that may al­so please her humor) as in the kindness, and love of her Hus­band shewed in giving it her. So the believer more rejoyceth in the goodness of God shewen to him in any dispensation of Providence, then in the thing which God hath given him or her; and he supremely rejoiceth in Christ, whiles he rejoiceth in a lower comfort. Let me shew you this in the instance of Han­nah, whose story you have, 1 Sam. ch. 1, 2. She was the Wife of Elkanah, she had no Children, and was passionately desirous of the blessing of Children, an affection common to all (of that sex especially) and for which there was some more special rea­son in that Age and Nation, partly because of the promise of a numerous issue to Abraham, so as the Women that were Barren, lookt upon themselves as hardly the genuine Children of Abra­ham, at least not sharers in his blessing; partly, because they knew the Messias was to be born of a Jewish Woman, and eve­ry Child-bearing Woman might have an expectation to be his Mother. Under this great affliction she applies her self to God by prayer (the Key of the Womb is one of those Keys which the Jewish Doctors say God keepeth in his hand) God hears her prayer, she conceiveth, and brings forth Samuel, as in the first Chapter, she names him Samuel, to testify her joy in recei­ving him as an answer of her Prayer, upon which she dedicates him to the Lord, 1 Sam. 1. 28. So in the second Chapter she sings a Song of praise; mark the phrase of it, 1 Sam. 2. 1. Mine heart rejoyceth in the Lord, my Horn is exalted in the Lord. Her Child was the next object of her joy, but how doth she rejoice in him; the primary object of her joy was the Lord, her great joy in Samuel was as God, by giving him to her, shewed her his love, and that he had not shut out her supplications from him. She rejoyced in God, Supremely, in Samuel Subordinately; in God Emphatically, in her Child more remissly. Thus doth a good Christian rejoice in Christ, thus is he the singular object of a be­lievers joy. David calleth God the gladness of his joy, (we translate it his exceeding joy) Psal. 43. 4. The Prophet Isaiah faith, Isaiah 29. 19. The meek shall encrease their joy in the Lord, and the poor amongst men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Yet the proximate cause was, v. 20, Because the terrible one was [Page 408] brought to nought, and the scorner consumed, and all those that watched for iniquity cut off. Hence Christ commandeth his Disci­ples not to rejoice in this, that the Devils were subject to them, but that their names were written in the Book of Life; Doubtless the subjection of Devils to them was true matter of joy; ah! but it was no primary object, no supreme object of their joy; ; no otherwise the object of their joy, then as it was an evidence of Gods favour. It is a great piece of the Spiritual mans art, to rejoice in God, while he rejoiceth in the creature, to make Christ the gladness of his joy (as the Psalmist expresseth it;) now this motion of a pious Soul will appear to be natural, supposing him to be first enlightned to discern, and to be fully persuaded, that the love of Christ to the Soul is the greatest good the ra­tional Soul is capable of; this will appear to you, if you will but consider these three or four things.

1. That the presence and e [...]joyment of some good, of which the Soul stands in need, and in the pursuit of which it is, is the true and natural cause of the motion of that affection which we call joy. This is evident both to sense and reason; we rejoice not in evil, but in good, not in an absent, but in a present good, in the sense, and manifestation, and apprehension of it.

2. That the loves of God and Jesus Christ, are the greatest goods in the world, and therefore the presence, and sensible mani­festations of them, are the enjoyments and manifestations of the supreme good. The very light of nature shewed the Heathen, that the happiness of man lay in his union with the greatest good, thus far they were agreed by their common reason, though they could not so well agree what that chief good was, & nothing hin­dred them from agreeing this truth, but their want of true know­ledge of God and Christ, and of the possibility of a poor crea­tures, having an union with him, or any kind of enjoyment of him, or understanding the need their Souls stood of the loves of Christ, for agreeing that the happiness of man lay in an union with the supreme good, they wanted but the revelation we have of mans wants, and the possibility of this blessed union with, and fruition of God, but they must have agreed this truth.

3. It is but natural to the Soul to rejoice more in the obtaining of a greater good, then in the obtaining of what is lesser, and to re­joice most in a good, most comprehensive of other particular goods, [Page 409] though it wanteth those particular good things. Who is there who doth not naturally more rejoice in the getting of five hundred pounds, than of five? because the five hundred pound is a greater good then five; who doth not more rejoice in a great stock of mony by him, then in a great quantity of Bread, or a great Wardrobe of Cloaths? the reason is, because Mony is compre­hensive of these, he that hath Mony, can buy Bread and Cloths.

4 Lastly, It is but natural to us to rejoyce in nothing, which we apprehend incompetent with that good wherein our chief happi­ness doth lie: Nor in the having of any thing which we enjoy, whiles we want that which we look at most of all. Rachel was a good Woman, Jacob was her Husband, to whom she was exceeding dear, he had a plentiful estate, 'tis hard to say what good she wanted, save Children only, that blessing her heart was upon, Ja­cob, was nothing, his estate nothing to her; she goes to her Hus­band, and cries, Give me Children, or else I die. Now admit a believing Soul to be firmly persuaded, that it must live for ever, either in eternal happiness, or in eternal misery, and again to be persuaded, That it can never live in eternal happiness, without an union with Christ, without his love manifested to it in the pardon of its sins, and the imputation of his righteousness, ad­mit the Soul to be fired in the pursuit of these things as its chief good; how is it possible that it should rejoice in any thing incompetent with it, or that it should rejoice in any thing with an equal joy, as it rejoiceth in this? Hence it followeth, that Christ must be the singular object of the believing Souls joy.

1. Because it is impossible the Soul should rejoice in what is in­competent with the sruition and enjoyment of what it rightly judgeth its chief good. Such are all sensual prohibited satisfactions.

2. Because it is impossible it should rejoice in what it judgeth a lesser good, more then in what it judgeth a greater, and transcendent to it.

3. Because it knoweth Christ and his loves are comprehensive of all other good, for if he hath given us Christ (saith the Apostle) shall he not also with him give us all things?

Thus I have opened, and shewed you the reason of the Pro­position, why the Soul rejoyceth in Christ. I added, and in the manifestations of his love, particularly, in hearing and answering its prayers; I shall give you some reasons of that, and then ap­ply the whole discourse. But, &c.

Sermon XXVIII.

Cant. 1. 4.
We will be glad, and rejoice in thee.

I Am yet handling the Proposition at first laid down. I shewed you the last day how Christ is the singular object of the Spouses joy. I added then; and the manifestations of his love, es­pecially in hearing and answering our prayers. Indeed Christ is no otherwise the object of our joy, then in the manifestations of his love. All joy requireth some sensible manifestation, or experi­ence. The personal excellencies of Christ, make him the object of our love, whom (saith the Apostle) having not seen, yet we love Love asks for nothing but amiableness in its object, no more doth desire (which is the first born of love) but joy re­quires propriety and union, Christ manifested to the Soul, can alone be the object of joy, but I added, especially in hearing, and answering Prayer; that was the case here; the Spouse had prayed, draw me, and we will run after thee,—she presently trium­pheth in the hearing of her Prayers, and then addeth, we will be glad, and rejoice in thee. I might have also added, prayers put up par­ticularly for spiritual mercies. We shall all along in Scripture find this made a great matter of joy in the hearts of Gods people, take the instances of Hannah and David. Hannah had been, 1 Sam. 1. praying unto God for a Child, the Lord answered, see how she rejoiceth, 1 Sam. 2. 1. Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine Horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is inlarged over mine Enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation, Concerning David we have many in­stances, Psal. 31. 21. Blessed be the Lord, for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City. v. 22. Thou heardst the voice of my supplication, when I cried unto thee, Psal. 3. 4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me from his holy place; in this he rejoiceth, and triumpheth, v. 6, 8. Psal. 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, the Lord hath heard my [Page 411] supplication, he will receive my prayer. So again, Psal. 18. 6. & again, Psal. 28. 6. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications, so Psal. 116. 1. But there needeth no Scrip­ture in the case, the experience of every Soul maketh it good; it is natural to every man.

1. Because in all answers of Prayer, there must be a soul satis­faction upon some union with the object, which it desired. Joy is no­thing else but the triumph of the Soul upon its union with the object which it desired. Prayer is nothing else but the Souls de­sire expressed with its voice. The answer of Prayers must be the Souls satisfaction in the obtaining of its desires, this satis­faction ariseth from its union with its object, upon which joy is but a proper, and natural result, and consequent.

2. In all answers of Prayer, there is an owning of the Soul by God. As the Soul by Prayer owneth God, acknowledging him the Fountain of that goodness, which it beggeth; so God in an­swering Prayer acknowledgeth the Soul, Joh. 9. 31. We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a Worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. All giving in of things prayed for, doth not speak the answer of prayers. God may hear and re­lieve, the cry of the miserable, when he doth noṫ answer the prayer of the righteous. I have before hinted to you, that there is an answer of our cries, which floweth from Gods common providence, as he is a God of pity, and tender compassions, and there is an answer of Prayers, which comes from God, as a God of truth and faithfulness, how to distinguish these two, I may possibly shew you in the application in some measure, it is the latter answer, not the former, which is Gods owning and acknow­ledgment of the Soul, as one for whom he hath a favour.

3. There is yet one thing more in the answer of prayers, last mentioned, which to every thinking Christian is matter of great joy. That it is that which speaketh the Soul to be beloved of God in Christ, and to have Christ for his Advocate, and Intercessor at the Throne of Grace. It is in him that all the promises are Yea, and Amen. It is in his name that the believer asketh, and it is he that doth the thing desired, according to the promise, John 14. 13. Whatsoever you shall ask, that I will do, that the Fa­ther may be glorified in the Son, and because the thing is confir­med, the promise is doubled. v. 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. I shall add no more to the Doctrinal part of my discourse.

[Page 412] Use 1. This notion (in the first place) distinguisheth the Child of God from all Men and Women in the World. He is the only man, that is glad, and rejoiceth in Christ, the only person that can say of Christ, he is his chief joy.

1. There are many that rejoice in their sensual satisfactions. There is a man that shoute [...]h by reason of Wine, Psal. 78. 65. their Vive­re est Bibere, the pleasing of their Senses, their Palate, and Eyes, and Ears, is the greatest good they know, after this their Souls move by desires, and in the satisfaction of them they rejoice, their mirth is madness, and their laughter what doth it? this of all other is the most sordid joy, a rejoycing in iniquity, yet this is the chief joy of many poor creatures.

2. To others the World is their chief joy. Their heart rejoyceth in their labour, as the wise man speaketh, Eccl. 2. 10. they look on all the work that their hands have wrought, and on the la­bour they have laboured to do, and they rejoice; the gladness of their heart ariseth from the increase of their Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and they know no better things to rejoice in. For this rejoycing in Christ, in the sense of his love, and the par­don of their sins, and the hopes of the glory of God; alas! how few understand any thing of it? I have often had occasion to tell you, that the spiritual state of a man or woman, is not so much to be determined from his understanding, and the notions there, men and women may have great degrees of know­ledge, and yet have unsanctified hearts, nor from their external actions. An hypocrite may do many things, and the best of Gods people in many things offend; as from the motions of his will, and affections: He chuseth the things that please God. To will is pre­sent with me saith Paul, and consequent to this are the workings of the offections. Thus a Christian is known by the objects of his love and hatred, his hope and fear, his desire and j [...]y. The last is what I have to do with in this place. Joy is one of the fruits▪ one of the fairest fruits of the holy Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. will any say to me, how shall I know my state by the workings of this affection? the answer is in the Text, the believer rej [...]yceth in Christ; the Apostle tells us that those that are the true circum­c [...]sion, worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, Phil. 3 3. A believer is not a Stoick, as to the things of the World, he lives in it, and hath need of the things of it, but Christ is his chief joy, or the head of his joy, as David saith of Hierusalem, Psal. 137. v. 6. But you will say, how shall we know this, whether Christ be our chief joy? I answer,

[Page 413] 1. Thou wilt not, thou canst not rejoice in any course of sin, which is contrary unto Christ. St. Paul tells us, That he delighted in the law of God after the inward man; he could not glory in a total free­dom from sin, he complaineth that he was sometime brought into Captivity to the law of his Members, Rom. 7. 22. But he did not rejoyce in iniquity. Wicked men sport themselves against God. A­gainst whom do you sport your selves, Isa. 57. 4 Solomon tells us, That it is a sport to a fool to do mischief, & tells us of one who deceiveth his Neighbour, and saith, am I not in sport? his joy is either in the satisfaction of his concupiscible appetite; thus St. Peter tells us of some, That they count it pleasure to riot in the day time, 2 Pet. 2. 13. or in the satisfaction of his irascible appetite; thus some sport themselves in doing, or beholding mischief, they rejoice at the destruction of him that hateth them, which was a thing Job purgeth himself from, Job 31. 29. or at the destruction of those that they hate, they rejoice to do evil, Prov. 2. 15. Yea, and to see evil done, as Edom rejoyced when the Jews were carried into captivity. But now the Child of God can be a sharer in none of those joys. These joys are incompetent with a rejoycing in Je­sus Christ, these men rejoyce in those things which crucified Christ. I cannot say but a good man under some great tempta­tion m [...]y feel some tickling pleasure in sin, and the satisfaction of his appetite through ignorance, or passion, but he can have no fixed joy in any thing of that nature. As a wicked man may have some fit of sorrow for sin, so a good man may have some fits of pleasure, and delight in sin, but neither of them will be constant [...] and abiding; a good mans pleasure in sin, is but a fit of sensuali­ty, a wicked mans trouble for fin is but a fit of distast. It is a good sign that he or she rejoiceth in God, and in Christ, that can find no sensual satisfaction to rejoice in.

Secondly, It is a sign that Soul truly rejoyceth in the Lord Je­sus Christ, that can rejoyce in no sensible enjoyment, without the sense of God's love in, and through him. The unquietness and dis­satisfaction of the Soul, in the midst of all its sensible comforts, if at any time it wants the sense of God's love, and the pardon, of its sins, in and through Christ, will much evidence Christ to be the Head of his Joy, or his chief Joy. There are few Souls in this life, whose daies are without clouds; sometimes they walk in the light, sometimes in the dark, and see no light; now for a Soul under the fullest affluence of created comforts, to be [Page 414] able to rejoyce in nothing, in the absence of the sense of Christ's love, is an excellent sign. Abraham, Gen. 15. 2. when God bid him ask him what he should give him, replyeth, Lord, what canst thou give me so long as I go childless? This now argued that a Child was the chief of his desires, and the chief Joy which he had in prospect. Abraham had a plentiful Estate, a beloved Wife, but his dissatisfaction, for want of an Heir, spake a Child to be his chief Joy, an object which his heart was ready more to rejoyce in, than in all that he had besides it. When the Soul is at this pass, that it can say, Lord, thou hast given me an Hus­band, or a Wife and Children, and I acknowledge thy goodness in them; thou hast given me a plentiful Estate, and I desire to bless thy Name for that; but Lord, what canst thou give me? what canst thou do for me? so long as I want the sense of thy love in Christ, all these things are nothing to me, whiles I have this dissatisfaction; though it will not speak the Soul at this time actually rejoycing in Christ, yet it will speak Christ to be its chief Joy.

Thirdly, It is a sign that Christ is the chief Joy of the Soul, if it can rejoyce in Christ alone, when there is no fruit in the Vines, when the Figg-tree doth not blossom, and the labour of the Olives faileth (as Habakkuk expresseth it) that is, when all sen­sible external satisfactions fail. That Soul which hath not chosen Christ for his portion, will hardly be content with Christ alone. Mephibosheth declared that Davia's return in peace to Hicrus [...] ­lem, was his chief Joy, when upon David's saying, Thou and Ziba divide the Lands, he calmly replied, 2 Sam. 19. 30. Yea, l [...]t him take all, for as much as my Lord the King is returned to his House in Peace. It is said of the Primitive Martyrs, Heb. 10. 34. That they indured with joy the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in Heaven a far more induring substance. Our hearts may be ready to deceive us in this point, when we only put a case to our Souls, and the thing appears at a distance. It may be therefore we may come to a nearer judgment, what our Souls would do in such a case, by observing the frame and temper of our Spirits, and what their support is, under smaller losses, and deprivations of more external comforts. There is none of us but at some time or o­ther, suffer something from the hand of God immediately, or from the hands of men. We lose possibly a dear relation, or a part of our estates, supposing now that at this time thou hast [Page 415] no apprehensions of the wrath of God, no fears as to the par­don of thy sins, and thy interest in Christ, how is thy Spirit un­der such providences? canst thou look above them, and yet rejoice, that thy Christ is not taken from thee? if you should see a Woman in the loss of a Child or Children, yet lifting up herself above her sorrows, and blessing God, that it is not her Husband, he is yet alive, you would easily conclude, that her Husband was her chief joy, though she had some pleasure, some satisfaction in her Child, yet her Husband was the head of her joy.

4. Lastly, Canst thou joy in Christ Supremely? not in thy mer­cies so much as in the God of thy mercies, and in thy mercies only as thou seest the favour, and goodness of God in them; you read, Luke 10. 17. that after Christ had sent out the 70, they after some time returned, and made this report to him. Lord, even the Devils are subject unto us through thy name. Christ tells them, v, 19. Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents, and Scorpions, over all the power of the Enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you, notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the Spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven. God saith thus to many of his people, Behold I give you comfortable Wives, towardly, and dutiful Children, plentiful Estates, success in your tradings, and world­ly businesses. I set an hedge of providence about you, whatsoe­ver you take in hand doth prosper. Notwithstanding rejoice not in this, let not this be the great matter of your content and sa­tisfaction. But rejoice in this, that I have given you my Son, and through him, the pardon of your sins, and favour with me, an evidence, that your names are written in the Book of Life. He that can do this, makes Christ the head of his joy. And if you can do this,

1. You will be more troubled at the fears, or apprehensions of the loss of Christs love, then at the fears or apprehensions of the loss of any external satisfactions whatsoever.

2. You will be rather willing to part with all, then to do any thing that may hazard your loss of Gods favour. Thus the Mar­tyrs shewed that Christ was their supreme joy.

Use [...]. Let us labour to find this evidence of grace in our Souls, to bring up our hearts to be glad, and to rejoice in Christ in that manner as I have opened to you, and particularly to rejoice in the [Page 416] answer of our prayers. I will inlarge upon both these branches a little.

Br. 1. Let us be unquiet in our spirits until we find that our hearts are brought to this, to rejoyce in Christ solely and supremely; to rejoyce in him as our righteousness, as our strength, as our portion, as our All in all. I told you before that the Apostle, Phil. 3. thus describeth a true Christian, one that was of the true Cir­cumcision: (The Jews he calls there the Concision) but saith he, We are the Circumcision, who rejoyce in Christ Jesus: He speaketh there of a reioycing in him as our Righteousness, as he from whose perfect Righteousness alone, the Soul expecteth Salva­tion. This is in opposition to a rejoycing in any Birth-priviledges, or Church-priviledges, or any Works of our own, as things that will serve us in any stead without a part in Christ, when we shall another day come and appear before God's Judgment Seat. O study thus to rejoyce in Christ, as he who hath trodden the Wine­press of his Fathers wrath alone, and in his body upon the Cross suffered whatsoever was due to the Justice of God for the sins of Believers, as he who alone hath fulfilled the Law for us, and in whom alone we are compleat. This is our duty, but this is not what I am here chiefly speaking to.

2. Rejoyce in Christ as your portion, as your All; make him your chief Joy. I would press this great Exhortation by some few Arguments, and then give you some Counsels in the case.

1. Consider how vain and transitory the objects of all other Joy are. There are but three things that I know we have to rejoyce in; or at least all things of that nature will fall under three Heads. They are either sensual satisfactions; these are the ob­jects of the voluptuous debauched Souls Joy: Or secondly, Sen­sible E [...]joyments; these are the objects of the worldling's Joy: Or thirdly, Spiritual blessings in Christ; these are the objects of the Believer's Joy. Let me a little shew you the vanity and transitory nature of the two former. One man rejoyceth in the satisfactions of his sensual appetite, in the pleasure of his Eye, and Ear, and Palate, and Flesh: Shall not these things be the torments of the Soul to Eternity For what think you shall any Soul perish for ever, if not for having pleasure in riot, in drun­kenness, in lasciviousness, or in other sordid satisfactions? are these any more then brutish satisfactions beneath the rational Soul? will these things last for ever? will there not a time [Page 417] come, when you shall say you have no pleasure in them; nay, doth not the pleasure of them perish with the using, and go out like a Candle, leaving a stench behind it, leaving some sour reflections upon the conscience, which the little tickling of pleasure which they afforded, no way compensateth. O vain man! to make those things his chief business, satisfaction and joy, which will bring the greatest bitterness in the latter end? You compass your selves about with sparks, this you shall have at the Lords hand, you shall one day lie down in sorrow. For the more civil, and reclaimed sort of men, whose chief joy is in the increase of their Corn, and Wine, and Oil; how vain, how transitory is this Joy? whilst thou hast them, what necessities of thy Soul do they suit? will they give thee peace when thou art under any disturbance of mind? will they fit thee for, or advantage thee in any spiritual operation? of what advantage can they be to thee as to another life, when as thou comest to die? when thou diest, leave them all behind thee, and write upon them, Whose shall these things be? Nay, mayest thou not out-live all the comfort and satisfaction which thou hast in them? Or, may not they in a moment, by a Fire, by a Thief, by an Oppressor, be taken out of thy sight? Are they not Gourds, that come up in a night, and serve a little to shadow us from the heats, and shelter us from the storms that we meet with in this life; and may go down in a night, and leave us as much as any other exposed to the storms of this world? Are these things fit for the chief Joy of a reasonable Soul, a spiritual and immortal being that is under an Ordination to an eternal Existence, and professeth to know, and to believe so much? On the other side, is the Believer's Joy, who rejoyceth in Christ, so misplaced? Cannot he give the Soul the pardon of sin, and sense of that pardon, which produceth that peace which is past all un­derstanding? Cannot he give the Soul a righteousness wherein the Soul shall another day stand before God, and not appear naked? Cannot he give Eternal Life? and doth he not do it to whomsoever he pleaseth? and will he give so great things, and not food convenient for us? Or, shall not he that giveth the Soul Christ, with him also give it all things?

2. Consider how vainly thou hopest to enter hereafter into the Lord's Joy, who hast not rejoyced in him [...] Canst thou imagine, that Christ will be rest and [...] Soul in Heaven, [Page 418] when thy Soul hath taken no pleasure nor delight in him here. But you will say, what need these words? need any Soul be per­suaded to rejoyce in Christ, if it were a thing in his own power? and if it be not, to what purpose are we so persuaded and in­treated to it? To this I answer:

It is true, it is not in thy power to rejoyce in Christ. We can­not rejoyce in any thing, be it never so good, unless we have a property and interest in it, and have some sense and apprehension of that interest, so that it is no more in our power, to rejoyce in Christ, than to give our selves an interest and part in him, and a sense and apprehension of that interest, both of which are the gift of God. But yet we may do something in the use of the common grace of God, given to all of us who sit under the Gospel, in order to our having a part and interest in him.

1. We may read the Scriptures, and hear the Word of God, and mediate upon what we read and hear, in order to our conviction of that infinite excellency that is in Christ, and his suitableness to the state, and necessity of our Souls. We must see a goodness and an excellency in him, before we shall love him, desire him, or delight in him; this goodness, this excellency is revealed to us in the Word of God; this we must believe, or we shall never lie under such a conviction. It is God that must give us a power to believe it, but we may read the Word, and hear it opened and applied, in order to this; God (as I have before told you) concurring ordinarily with his special grace, with our use of that common grace which he affords us.

2. We may study and meditate upon the vanity of sensual joy, or joying meerly in sensible things, and how unfit they are to be the chief Joy of our Souls.

3. We may thirdly, Cry to God to give us our part in Christ; throughly to persuade our hearts of our absolute need of him, and of that transcendent goodness and excellency that is in him. O that men would but do what lieth in their power to do, and not complain they can do nothing, because they can indeed do nothing efficaciously without God's special grace, as to any truly spiritual acts.

Br. 2. Secondly, I would speak to those who have an interest in Christ, that they would labour to grow in this grace, to be more glad, and more to rejoyce in Christ. It is a duty often called for in Scripture, and I [...] regarded. I speak now upon ad­vantage, [Page 419] to you that understand you have Souls under an ordi­nation to an eternal Existence, that know the state of the Soul by nature, and have tasted also how good the Lord is; to you, to whom Christ is precious, and whom you will easily ac­knowledge your chief Joy; I am calling to you, but for the exercise of an habit, with which God hath indeed indued you, the exerting of a power with which God hath blessed you, the using of a right which God hath given you There are amongst others two great causes why Christians do not so rejoyce in Christ as they ought to do.

1. The first is, Their giving too much way to unbelief and de­spondency. Though we cannot increase our own Faith without spe­cial grace assisting, yet we may promove our unbelief, favouring our despondency, and cherishing our doubts, and giving way to our groundless fears, and forgetting the Covenant of Grace, not saying often enough to our Souls, Why art thou cast down O my Soul! &c.

2. The second is, Their too much carnality or worldliness. Where almost is the man to be found that cannot rejoyce in his world­ly Affluences, although he wants the sense of the Love of God in Christ? or, that if he were tried, would not find it an hard matter to rejoyce in God, if the Fig-tree did not blossom, and there were no fruit on the Vine? How ready are we to re­joyce in our creature-comforts when we have them, more than in the Love of Christ to our Souls? whence is this but from our too much savouring, minding, and living upon Earth, and earth­ly things?

Br. 3. Is the hearing of Prayers such a matter of joy to a gracious man? how should this engage us, 1. So to pray, that we may receive an answer of them from the Lord? 2. To look after our Prayers, and the answers of them, that the sense of such an answer may excite our joy in Christ? As to the first, I have spoken so ful­ly to it under the first Doctrine I handled from this Text, that I shall not need again to inlarge upon it here. I shall only inlarge upon the second.

Foolish Children that shoot Arrows, and never look after them, lose that pleasure and content in their game, which those have who observe what becomes of their Arrows and how near they come to the mark to which they are directed and levelled. Formal Christians who send up Prayers to Heaven, and never [Page 420] look after them, never consider whether the Lord answereth them yea or no, lose that pleasure and satisfaction which the Soul hath that watcheth his Prayers; and with David, when early in the morning he hath directed his Prayers to God (as Psal. 5. 3.) looketh up. You read of the Prophet Habakkuk, when, chap. 1. he had been putting up his Prayer to God, he resolveth, chap. 2. v. 1. to stand upon his watch, and to set himself upon the Tower, watching to see what God would say unto him. Here now comes in a considerable question, viz.

How a Christian shall know whether God hath heard and an­swered his prayers yea or no? The difficulty lies upon two things: 1. Ʋpon God's different ways of answering. 2. In regard we may receive the good things we receive from God, meerly from him as a God full of pity, and tender compassion, seeing, and pitying the misery and needs of his creatures (as our Saviour saith, He hears the young Ravens when they cry unto him;) Not as from a God in Christ reconciled, and hearing us upon the account of his Truth, and Promise, and the Intercession of Christ. Now the answer of those Prayers only, which are answered upon the account of Christ, and testifications of the Love of God in Christ can bring the Soul to a gladness and rejoycing in Christ upon that occa­sion and motive. As to the first,

1. I see no reason for a Soul that hath been importunate with God for some good thing, which it hath not yet received, if it finds it self satisfied under the want of it, and content to submit to the Will of God in the denial of it, and to resign up it self to his good pleasure as to the collation of it upon him: I say, in such cases as these, I see no reason for a Christian to question whether this answer be from God, as a God of Truth and Faithfulness, fulfilling his promise to the Soul. His promise to his people is to with-hold from them no good thing, that is, nothing which shall be truly and really good for them, considered in their circumstances: Now where a sensible good is with-held, and denied, that a real good may be bestowed, and the Soul is al­so brought to see its own mistake in the desire of that sensible good, and to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God, in not gi­ving it; nay, to acknowledge, that it is better for it not to have it, and is quiet, and satisfied; certainly this is one of the clearest answers of our prayers, and no Soul ought to question but this is a return of prayers. Let us put a case. Suppose a [Page 421] Christian lying under the power of some mortal disease, under which he hath often prayed, that if it were possible, God would make the bitter Cup of Death to pass from him: Still he or she groweth weaker and weaker, worse and worse, as to his or her bodily state; but they find within themselves a further con­tentedness with the good pleasure of God, a power to glory in their tribulation, and to rejoyce in the hopes of that glory of God to which its affliction is bringing it; a desire, not to be unclothed meerly, and free from its pain, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up in life. What reason now hath a Chri­stian to suspect whether this be in answer to its prayers, and slowing from God as a God of Truth fulfilling his Word; seeing (as the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 5. 5.) He that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God, who hath also given us the earnest of the Spirit. It is a good thing here that is given the Soul; it is given it by God; it is he who hath wrought the heart into this frame. It is given in upon, and after earnest prayer; and though it be not the very thing in specie, which we asked, yet it is in value more, abundantly compensating the things we asked, and finally, the thing which we did ask, we asked with submission to the Will and Wisdom of God; so that as to these kinds of answers, I take the case to be clear.

2. As to the giving in of such spiritual mercies as we have begg'd of God, in their kind, whether they be peace of Conscience, strength against temptations, power against corruptions, sensible consolations, more freedom and liveliness unto, and in duty, there is as little reason to doubt, because they are the very good things we a kt. 2. Of such a spiritual nature, as God doth not use to give them to Souls that are strangers to him. 3. The matter of pro­mises: The only thing that I can fancy why a Christian should make a doubt here, is, because they may be consequent to the removal of some bodily distempers, whose influence upon the mind, might cause those troubles, that weakness or dulness, such as Melancholy, &c. But hath God no hand in bringing or remo­ving such bodily causes? if he hath (as certainly there is no evil in our bodies more than in our Cities, which he hath not done) why may not God both afflict us as to our spirits, by sending such distempers upon our bodies, and also remove the former, which are the effect, by the removal of the latter, which he hath made to be the cause. So that admit these [Page 422] things consequent to the removal of some bodily distemper, yet they are the effect of God, and may be, and ought to be look­ed upon as the answer of our prayers.

3. The greatest difficulty of judgment in this case is as to those things which are but [...], the things which concern this life, which God giveth to the righteous as well as the wicked, to the sinner crying unto him, as well as unto his Chil­dren: How a Christian shall discern that God when he gives him in these mercies, gives them in as a God of Truth and Faith­fulness, remembring his promise to his Servants; nor indeed is this Judgment very easie to the most discerning Christian. Some­thing I shall say in the case, whether what will be satisfactory or no I cannot tell.

1. If they have been given in after prayer made with a Spirit indifferent (not too importunate I mean for the receiving of them we may hope well. We may observe in Scripture, that sometimes common good things have been wrung out of the hands of God by too much impatience, and importunity, which have never proved blessings. Such were the Quails, Num. 11. 31, 32, 33. the Text saith, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, e're it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the People. Such was the first King given to the Israelites (even Saul) the Prophet saith, Hosea 13. 11. I gave thee a King in mine anger. But when a Christian begs of God any good thing, without too much impatience, and importunity, with an indiffe­rency of Spirit, resigning up himself to the will of God, as to the receiving of it, and God after such a prayer gives in the mercy, I know not why we should not conclude it an answer of prayer. This I think was the case of Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. She was indeed grieved, and troubled, because God had denied to her the blessing of a Child, in this trouble she prays in a solemn manner, we read not of any anger in her Spirit against God, any impatience, or sinful importunity, but she prays as a Wo­man of a troubled Spirit, the Lord gives her a Child, it was but a mercy of a common nature, wicked Women have Children as well as others; but it is given in after a solemn prayer, she looks upon the Child as begged of God. For this Child (saith she) I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my Petition which I asked of him.

2. I shall add but one thing more, viz. When together with the [Page 423] good thing, there is an heart given to the person to improve, and make use of it for the honour, and glory of God. James lets us know that God never gives us in mercies in answer to our prayers, and as evidences of his love and faithfulness, that we might con­sume them upon our lusts, when he tells those to whom he wrote, James 4 5. You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts; when God giveth us in an outward mercy, if he giveth it us in performance of his pro­mise, and in token of his love, and favour, he together with it gives in an heart inclined, and ready to make use of it for the honour, and glory of his name. This is also exemplified in the case of Hannah, in the text before-mentioned, 1 Sam. 1. 27, 28. For this Child, saith she, I prayed, the Lord hath given me my Pe­tition which I asked of him, therefore also I have lent him to the Lord, as long as he liveth, he shall be lent unto the Lord. In the margent of your larger Bibles, you will see it may be read; He whom I have obtained by Petition, shall be returned to the Lord. You have another no less famous instance of it in David, Psal. 116. v. 1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, and supplications. The Lord hath heard his voice. v. 1. He had inclined his ear unto him. v. 2. The Lord had dealt▪ graciously with him. v. 7. He had delivered his Soul from death, his Eyes from tears, and his feet from falling. Now mark the product of this. He lo­ved the Lord, because of it. v. 2. He resolveth to call upon the Lord so long as he lived. v. 9. To walk before the Lord in the land of the living. v. 13. To take the cup of salvation, and to call upon the name of the Lord. v. 14. To pay his vows. v. 16. To be the Lords Servant. v. 17. To offer the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, &c. Now where upon prayer for a more common mercy, suppose life, health, riches, success in business, we find that the Lord hath given us both the thing which we asked of God, and an heart to honour God with it, and to make a due improvement of it, we have there no reason to doubt, but that it is given us in an­swer to our prayers, and in testification of his faithfulness and love towards us. This now is of great concern to us, in order to our gladness, and joy in him upon the receiving an answer of our prayers; for how shall we rejoice in him, upon any such occasi­on, unless we discern our good things coming from him. This I think is enough to have spoken to this question, and upon this whole argument. I shall now proceed (as God gives me oppor­tunity) [Page 424] to the other effect this mercy had upon the Spouse, We will remember thy loves more than Wine. But of this hereafter.

Sermon XXIX.

Cant. 1. 4.
—We will remember thy Loves more than Wine.

YOU heard in my last discourse the first effect, that the Be­loveds favour, shewed to his Spouse, in the quick return he made to her prayers, and the royal favour he had bestowed up­on her, in bringing her into his Chambers, admitting her to some more special, and intimate degrees of communion with him­self, had upon her; it put gladness into her heart, and brought her up to an exulting and rejoycing in him. Joy is but a passion, cito fit, cito perit, that doth not last alwaies, it is like a Land-flood, that is sometimes up, but will in a short time abate. Or­dinary Joys do so. But the Spouse resolves to keep up here, and to this end she saith, She will remember the Loves of Christ, and give them a memorial suited to their excellency. We will (saith she) remember them more than Wine, or (which is the same in the Hebrew dialect) Before Wine. I shall immediately close with the Proposition.

Prop. The Soul that hath once received the grace of Christ, will remember his Loves more than Wine.

In the handling of it, I shall keep to my usual method of Ex­plication, Confirmation, and Application. In the Explication I shall inquire what is here meant by Christ's Loves; 2. What is meant by Wine; 3. What by Remembring the Loves of Christ more than Wine.

We met with the same word, v. 2. the Septuagint translate it [...], and according to them the Vulgar Latine, Ʋbera tua, thy Breasts; that which causeth the different reading is the cog­nation of that word which signifieth Love, with that which sig­nifieth a Breast (the difference is only in the points) the mat­ter [Page 425] is not hard to compound; for those that will have it transla­ted Breasts, agree in the sense, thy Loves; all the difference is, we contend, the word in its original signification primarily so signifieth; they say it so signifieth only in a figure. By Christ's Loves, she doubtless meaneth the manifestation of his Love, which she calleth Loves, because of the variety of them: But of these I have had occasion heretofore once and again to dis­course. The term Wine I have also before opened. We all know that in its primary & literal signification, it signifieth the Juice of the Grape; certainly this is much too low a signification for this place: It hath besides this a figurative sense in Scripture, and so it is either taken Synecdochically. Thus Bread and Wine in Scripture doth often signifie all things necessary for our food and subsistence; or Metaphorically, for whatsoever is sweet and delicate; and this I take to be the genuine sense of the words. We will remember thy Loves more than all wordly enjoyments, how necessary or pleasant soever. I am aware of some other senses, which some Interpreters put upon this phrase, but I take them to be forced and strained. This seems without more adoe to be the plain and unconstrained sense of the words. But having before opened these two terms, that which I have principally to attend, is the opening of that term Remember.

1. Remembring properly signifieth a reflex act of our under­standing, by which the former impressions which we have re­ceived either of notions, or things, is revived, and brought a­gain to our minds and thoughts, whatsoever we receive either by our exterior senses, or by our common sense or any other way, maketh an impression upon us; now this impression, through the coming in of a variety of other objects, is apt to wear out, and die in our Souls, when the thoughts, or notion of them re­vives, and is repeated upon our Souls, then are we said to re­member the things. In this sense it is a meer natural Act.

2. It is an usual observation of Divines, that words of sense used in holy Writ, do not signifie the bare acts of those senses which are expressed by them, but those affections which are excited by such acts in our Souls, and those effects which those acts do ordina­rily produce in our actions and conversation. And so this term Re­member is often used in holy Writ. When Solomon calls to the young man to Remember his Creator in the daies of his youth, he intendeth not only the act of his memory and understanding, that [Page 426] he should call to mind that he had a Creator, and what a one he was, but that he should rėmember to love him, and to fear, and obey him; to pay him the homage that was due to him, Eccles. 12. 1. When the people of God in Scripture prayed. that the Lord would remember his tender mercies, Psal. 25. 6. And David prays, that the Lord would remember him, and all his afflictions, Psal. 132. 1. and that the Lord would remember his Word unto his Servant: He prays that the Lord would shew him the goodness that he had promised, and suit his dispensa­tions of providence to his afflicted state in proportionable suc­cours. So when God's People promise to remember him, the promise is not of a bare act of the memory and understanding, but of the several powers and faculties of the Soul, usually set on work by such a notion and remembrance of things of that nature, so as the remembrance of the Loves of Christ signifieth several things.

1. The keeping the expressions and manifestations of his Love up­on our thoughts, or retrieving the thoughts of it, if they have slipt us, or the impressions of it have been in any measure worn out. Thus remembring, is opposed to forgetting. To the practice of any du­ty incumbent upon us, is not only required our notion or know­ledge of the thing as our duty, but the presence of it in our thoughts at the time when it is to be done by us; for, let us know it never so well, if we do not think of it, in the season when it is to be performed, we shall not do it. Now, saith the Spouse, We will remember thy Loves, that is, we will keep a fresh scent and impression of them; the savour of what thou hast done for my Soul, shall not go off my Soul. This is the duty of every good man and woman; it is in it self an homage to God; God hath given us a power of remembring, and thus we give un­to God the homage of that power of our Souls. Our memory is as the chest of our Souls, which God hath given us not only to lock up worldly things or notions in, but to lock up in them spiritual notions and impressions. Two waies we serve God with our memories, 1. When we use them to retain spiritual notions, to keep up the Knowledge of God, and the things of God in us, 2. When we use them as repositories for the works of God, for the retaining in our minds what God hath done for us. 2. As it is in it self an homage to God, the homage of that power in us which we call the memory; so it is the Mother of all our other homage: [Page 427] we must remember a thing past, before we can be afresh affected with it; before in the sense of it we can do any thing, which such a dispensation calleth to us for.

2. It implies a meditation and pondering upon the Loves of Christ. David promiseth unto God not only a meditation of his Law, and Word, his Statutes and Precepts, Psal. 119. 148. 15 but also of his Works, Psal. 77. 12. 143. 5. The Works of God are either more publick and general, or more private and personal. There are Works of God without us, such are his Works of Creation and Providence; works of Go d upon us and within us, such are all his works of special grace: They are either such as are ab [...]ding (in their effects at least) or transient; the latter are the objects properly of our memories; the other are the objects of our contemplation and admiration. Now, as we can­not remember any thing but we must think upon it; so the re­membrance of any object maketh way for further meditation upon it; the Spouse promising to remember Christ's Loves, promiseth not only the revival of them in her thoughts, but the seeding of her thoughts with them, the fixing of her heart up­on them.

3. It implieth suitable affections; the exciting of such inward affections in the Soul, as the remembrance of so sweet and obliging objects are proper to excite. Such as love to God, further thirst­ings and breathings after God, a suitable hope and confidence in God. Ʋnbelief in Scripture is called a not remembring, because forgetfulness is one cause of unbelief, Psal. 78. 42. v. 41. They tur­ned back, and tempted God, and limited the holy one of Israel, there was their unbelief. v. 42. they remembred not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the Enemy. So Mat. 16. 9, 10. Christ calls his Disciples men of little faith, for reasoning with themselves, because they had brought no bread in a distrust of his power, and goodness in providing for them, v. 9. 10. Do you not understand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many Baskets full you took up. Our Saviour there chargeth their unbelief upon their not remembring the former works of God. No man doth rightly remember the loves of Christ, but he who is suitably affected with them, and whose Soul moves toward God, as one that remembreth his love.

4. Lastly, Remembring implyeth a suitable practice. Thus it is often used in Holy Writ. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy [Page 428] Youth, is the same with Serve, and Obey thy Creator, and Re­member to keep holy the Sabbath-day, is the same with be diligent and make it thy busines [...] to sanctify the Sabbath-day. So then the sense of the Proposition is plainly this.

Those Souls which have once tasted how good the Lord is, and have had any experiences of his special saving grace, will, and ought to be careful to preserve the savour of it upon their hearts, to think, and med [...]tate upon them, to be suitably affected toward God, according to the nature, and degrees of them, and accordingly to manage their conversations, that men may see that they value them above all the pleasures and profits of this world.

Thus did Asaph, Psal. 77. v. 10. I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high, I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate al­so of thy works, and talk of all thy wondrous doings. these were the ancient works of God in kindness to his people, as you will find, v. 14. 15, 16. My mouth (saith David) Psal. 63. 6. shall praise thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches, because thou hast been my help. So Psal. 143. 5. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all thy works, I muse on the work of thy hands. You will find the people of God in Holy Writ, much in these resolutions to remember the works of God.

1. There is great reason for our remembrance of the loves of Christ more then Wine. 1. Because they really are much better than Wine. Every mans Soul doth naturally desire good, good and evil are the two things which make impressions upon the mind of man, evil leaves an impression of fear, and sorrow, and anger. Good makes an impression of love, joy, delight, and as are the degrees of the one and the other, so are the impressions made by them. Great evils make deep furrows in our Souls, and leave great impressions upon our minds, minute evils leave lesser impressions; so things that are good in the highest degree▪ leave impressions of joy, and delight, suitable to the nature of that good which is in them. The manifestations of the love of Christ to the Soul are the greatest goods, and therefore should make the greatest impressions upon us. They are goods, not suited to the Souls irregular passions, but to its greatest wants. Health, peace, success in business, are things we call good, but [Page 429] their goodness lieth only in a suitableness they have to the wants of our outward man, what are any of these things to the Soul? the loves of Christ are suited to the wants of the Soul, and that not only considered as a reasonable being (so knowledge, and learning are also suited to the Souls wants, and all improvements of reason, or means in order to it) but to the wants of the Soul considered as an immortal being capable of an eternal happiness. Nothing more becomes a reasonable Soul, then to put a due rate and value upon things and to prefer what is truly preferrible.

2. This is one great reason of the Lords works, That he might be remembred for, and by them. God indeed in his gracious influences aims at the supply of the Soul, as to what it needeth, but he hath an higher end then this, viz. his own glory, the glory of his goodness, truth, and faithfulness, Psal. 111. 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred. It is a com­plement we sometime [...] use with our Friends, when we make them presents, and give them gifts, we say we do it, that they might have something to remember us by. God in the dispen­sations of his grace and mercy, is often in Scripture said, to re­member his Covenant, his word, his holy promise, and he expect­eth that when we receive any such favours, we should remem­ber his loves, and remember our Covenants and Vows, so as that M [...]n or Woman that doth not remember the loves of Christ, doth not answer Gods ends in the manifestations of his love to us, nor the expectation which God upon that account hath upon us. I shall apply this discourse,

Use 1. 1. By reflecting upon the most of Christians for their not living up to this duty. 2. By persuading to the revived practice of it. Do the most of Christians (such I mean as are so called) re­member the loves of Christ more then Wine? What means [...]hen the most of peoples never looking after a particular share, or interest in them. The love of Christ (considered in itself) is nothing else but his good will to the Children of Men, this was evidenced in his not taking upon him the nature of Angels, but the nature of the Seed of Abraham, in his dying upon the Cross for us, the pub­lication of his Gospel to us, the committing of the word of recon­ciliation to his Ministers, who are sent out as the Ambassadours of Christ, intreating men to be reconciled unto God. Do men re­member this love more then Wine, who reject this counsel of [Page 430] God for their salvation, who trample this blood under foot, and do despight to the covenant of Grace, and all this, for what comes under no better notion than this of Wine, either things pleasant, or things profitable, either the satisfaction of their lusts, or the fil­ling of their Coffers. The world is full, either of such as are excessive drinkers of Wine, or Merchants for it, but how thin is it of such as have any remembrance of Christs love? who as the Apostle tells us, died to redeem us from our vain conversa­tion, 1▪ Pet. 1. 18. For we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold from our vain conversation—but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish; who can be said to remember Christs love more then Wine, that lives in those sins which crucified him, who was the Lord of life? Yet is not this the course of the most Men and Women, who never think of their dying Saviour, to restrain them in their drunken­nesses, debaucheries, in their greatest excesses of Riot? Nay, how many are there that seldom take the love of Christ into their thoughts, the love of their cups, and of their Harlots, hath made Christs loves to be utterly forgotten by their Souls; for how can they say that they remember Christs loves above their lusts, that will not quench one lust for his sake, they in whom the remembrance of Christs death will not extinguish one vile affection, one spark of pleasing lust, will not the most of men, and women, yea, such, in whose ears the loves of Christ are published every Lords day, be found perishing for preferring the very lees, and dregs of Wine, before the loves of Christ? I mean for preferring the basest, and most sordid kind of pleasures, and satisfactions of the flesh (for such are those pleasures which are no more than the gratifying of the sensitive appetite.)

2. Do not most mens discourses and practice betray them to re­member Wine, I mean their profitable things before the loves of Christ? How much is the world, and the things of the world, the discourse of all companies upon all occasions; how few are the discourses concerning Christ, and what he hath done for us? an hours discourse of Christs loves in a Pulpit upon the Lords day, is thought proportionable to six days discourse about our earthly occasions; do we not even grudge the Lord a seventh part of our time for the remembrances of his loves? the Lords day is a day to call to remembrance Christs loves. It was the day of his resurrection, by which he compleated mans redemption, [Page 431] the Ministers work is to help us in our remembrance of his loves. We have besides our attendance upon the publick minist­ry, a private duty this day incumbent upon us, viz. To remember him who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. I be­seech you consider whether your remembrings of Christs loves upon the Sabbath day, bear any proportion to your remem­brance of your worldly interests other days. I mean not for the proportion of time spent in the one and the other; God hath indulged our infirmity in that, he hath set apart a seventh day only to himself; but examine this, whether you remember the loves of Christ on the Lords day, as you remember your worldly concerns on any of the other six days; do the loves of Christ come into your thoughts, as much on the week day, as the world comes into your thoughts on the Lords days? I sear there is none of us all can say, that in this thing our hearts are clean; I hope I speak to many who remember the loves of Christ, and will never suffer his dying love to go off their thoughts. But when we come to these comparative examinations, to enquire whether we remember his loves, more then we remember our sensual, or sensible objects; ah, how short do we come of the duty of Christians, yea, of what our selves will own, and con­sess to be our duty? Happy is that man that doth not condemn himself, even in the thing which he alloweth to be his duty.

Use. 2. But I had rather spend my time in persuading my self, and you to our duty, which according to my explication of the text and this propositionwill lye much in two things 1. In a full and perfect remem­brance of the Loves of Christ. 2. In a remembrance of them proportion­able to that degree of goodness and excellency in them. I say, first in a Scriptual remembrance a full and perfect remembrance of the Loves of Christ. I am afraid that we satisfy our selves too much in a Notio­nal formal remembrance of Christs Loves and so please our selves, in hearing the Gospel read, opened, and applyed to our Souls, in a formal keeping of the Lords day (the day which God hath set apart for us to call to our minds all the acts of our redemption compleated in his resurrection) some Churches aware of Peoples awkness to this Spiritual duty, have thought fit to appoint other days for a more solemn remembrance of his incarnation, and death. Nor have I any thing to say against any Christians that will set apart any Special times to remember any Loves of Christ (though I do not know that Christ hath left any power to his Church to impose particular [Page 432] times of this nature.) But alas! this is the least part of our duty in the remembrance of his Love. We may have a day to remember it in (we have such a day every week▪) we may have helps to remem­ber it by. The holy Scriptures, the Ministers of the Gospel that Preach Christ to their People are such helps. But if in these days, if with these helps, we do not set our selves to meditate of the Loves of Christ, to turn our thoughts from other things, to the contemplation of, and meditation upon the Love of a Christ incarnate, the Love of a Christ dying, and riseing again from the dead, if we do not study to get our hearts affected suitably to such Love, with love, faith, hope, &c. we do not so live as a People that remember Christ died for our Sins, declining whatsoever is contrary to his will, and Law in the Gospel, do what in us lyeth to promove his honour & Glory, we are so far from Satisfying our Duty by this formal remembrance of his Love, that we are the greatest forgetters of his Love. The Jews who never owned him as their Redeemer, the Heathen who never heard of his name, nor of what he was or did for Sinners can in no propriety of Speech be said to forget his Loves. The Christian only, the loose Christian, the formal Christian, he who hears every day of the dying Love of Christ, yet goes on to defy him, to crucify him afresh, and to put him to open shame, or he who every Lords day hears the sound of the Loves of Christ, and reads of it, yet never meditates upon it, never suffers his soul by contemplation to pierce into the heights, or sound the depths of it, whose heart is never truly affected with it so as he hath any Love kindled in his soul towards Christ, no breathings after him, who exerciseth no faith, no hope in him; he that lives not in his measure up to it, leaving his vain conversation, worshiping God in the Spirit, rejoycing in him, living up in a close obedience to his Law; this is the man that forgetteth the Loves of Christ. But yet if there be a Soul that hath experienced the Loves of Christ in a particular application to it self, that hath given it self a liberty to the flesh, and walk­ed in a contrary course to what the Law of Christ requireth, this Soul yet more forgets his Loves, because he had a deeper impression of them upon his heart; the Love of Christ made an impression only upon the others Ears, but it hath entred into this man's Soul. He is the greatest forgetter of his Love. You shall observe in holy Writ, that all sin is exprest under the notion of forgetting God, Psal. 50. 22. and in a multitude of other Texts, and this not only because a forgetting of God is the cause of all [Page 433] the Violations of his Law, which we could not violate, if we re­membred God as we ought to do; but because indeed all sin in God's account is an actual' forgetting of him, God accounts us to know, to remember no more than we are affected with, and live up unto. Therefore Christians, let us make it our business not only to call to mind the Loves of Christ, but to remember them in that sense which God calleth a remembrance of them.

2. Let us not satisfie our selves with a bare remembrance of his Loves, but labour to remember them more than Wine; more than the most sweet and pleasant, the most gainful and profi­table things which this world affords. Think that you hear Christ speaking in your Ears, in the language in which he once spake to Peter, setting all the pleasant and gainful things in the world before you, and then saying to you, Christians! Love you me more than these? Let me shew you the reasonableness of this.

1. Consider, if thou canst not say so, Thou dost not answer the Loves of Christ in any degree. I am now speaking to such as are Christians not in name and profession only, but in deed and in truth. Such a one may suppose all the fallen Angels, under Christ's Eye, even those Legions in the Air, and in the bottomless Pit, Creatures in their Original more perfect and glorious than man, but fallen from their first Integrity, and think he heareth Christ saying to him, Poor Soul! I have loved thee more than all these. I died not for these, I died for thee; I took not upon me the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of the seed of Abraham.

2. He may suppose all the Heathen Nations under Christ's Eye. The great Emperours of Turkey, Persia, China, and other parts of the world, with the millions of Souls under their jurisdiction, and think that he heareth Christ again saying to him, Poor Soul! I have loved thee more than these. Thou hearest my Gospel Read and Preached every Lord's Day; hast thou not seen? hast thou not heard? These great Nations of the world, and all the great Rulers of them, never heard the joyful sound; I was never Preached in their Streets; they were never wooed, never intreated to come to me that they might have life. I have lo­ved thee more than these. Further yet, thou mayest fancy all the prophane men, all the sensual and carnal men, all Hypocrites, all unregenerate men, whose hearts are yet locked up under un­belief, under Christ's and thy Eye; and suppose that thou hea­rest thy great Lord and Saviour saying to thee, Poor Chri­stian! [Page 434] I have loved thee more than all these. They are yet wal­lowing in their native blood, as thou wert before I passed by thee in my time of love, and said unto thee live; they are yet Chil­dren of wrath, in an hourly danger of having it come upon them to the utmost; I have plucked thee out of Sodom: Thy heart by nature was as hard as theirs, as much prejudiced against thy own salvation; I have made thee to differ. I have loved thee more than all these. May I rise one step higher to commend the Love of Christ to thy remembrance, thou mayest fancy all that glory which Christ had with his Father from before the begin­ning of the world; all the blessed company of Heaven; all the riches of Christ's glory and felicity, before his and thy Eye, and fancy that thou hearest Christ say to thee, My poor creature, I have in a sense, and for a time loved thee more than these: I left my Father's Throne, and right Hand, him whom I was alwaies before, brought up with him, I left all to come down from Hea­ven to Earth, to take thy flesh, to be born of a Virgin, and to be laid in a Manger, to live a poor and contemned life in the world, to die a shameful and ignominious death, and all this to purchase for thee Eternal Life and Salvation, and to redeem thee from thy vain conversation. Have I not loved thee more than these? What doth the Apostle say less than this, when he saith, 2 Cor. 8. 9. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his po­verty might be made rich. In what degree then canst thou be said to answer the Loves of Christ, if when there is set before thee no more than the pleasures of sin which are but for a season, the profits and enjoyments of this life, which thou canst have no more than a Lease for Life of; if thou canst not say, Yea Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest that I remember thy Love more than these. Either this intoxicating Wine of sinful lusts and pleasures, how gratifying soever they be to my fleshly appe­tite: or this pleasant and gainful Wine of worldly Riches, Estate, Honour, Preferment, &c. Oh that Christians would think of this!

2. The second Consideration is yet more dreadful, viz. He is not worthy of the Loves of Christ, who doth not remember them more than Wine. What Christ sometimes said of Love, is as true concerning this remembrance of his Loves, which is an act of Love, Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more [Page 435] than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth Son d [...] Daugh­ter more than me, is not worthy of me. And what he saith there of natural Relations, is doubtless as true concerning sensible Enjoy­ments in this world▪ Riches and Honours, &c. which are objects of your love, much beneath reasonable creatures in nearest re­lation to u [...]. It is certainly as true, That man or woman that remembers any sensible Enjoyment, and is more affected with it, than the Loves of Christ, is not worthy of his Loves. Cer­tainly nothing more becometh us who pretend to be creatures endued with reason, than to value things according to their measure, and their true and just valuation. You will say he is not worthy of a Jewel of great price, that valueth a Pebble be­fore it. And by the way, this will be enough to convince us all, that we are saved by Grace, and have what Love we have from Christ freely. For who is not guilty of a great Errour in this particular. We think of sensible things more than of the Loves of Christ; they are more the objects of our meditations, the subjects of our discourses, and the marks of our actions. It is well for us that our Salvation doth not depend upon the perfe­ction of our gracious acts, and that we have another Righteous­ness, than that of our own to appear in before God. That when our Consciences check us in this particular, and tell us that we do not remember Christ's Loves more than Wine; yet the Gospel relieveth us, by telling us that he was made of God for us Righ­teousness, and we can remember that this Christ (whose Loves we should remember after a better manner than we do) is the Lord our Righteousness, an High Priest that can have compassion on our infirmities, he in whom we are compleat. But yet nei­ther will this relieve us, unless we humble our selves before God for our failures in this particular. Fly to him for pardon, and endeavour even in this thing to perfect holiness; and that bringeth me to the last thing I have to do, viz. To offer you my Advice in order to the bringing up of your hearts to this just valuation and remembrance of these Loves of Christ.

1. Labour to understand them. We can meditate upon nothing, but what we have some notion of, we can remember nothing but what we have had some notion of. There are the loves of God, and the loves of Christ, indeed the loves of Christ, are the loves of him who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father, who is God over all, blessed for ever; but by the loves [Page 436] of Christ, I mean the kindness which floweth to us, from Christ as God-man, united in one Person as our Mediator. There is a love and kindness which floweth to us from the providence of God, working either more generally, and extending to all, or more specially towards some. There is also a love and kindness, which floweth from Christ as our Redeemer, Mediator, Saviour. Both these loves are to be remembred, but the latter more es­pecially are called the loves of Christ; understand the loves of God in the effluxes of his good providence. More especially un­derstand the loves of Christ as the Saviour of Man: there are also some of these more common to others, some more special to some. Of the first sort are the Gospel, and the publication of it to us; of the latter sort are those effects of grace which are wrought in us, in the justification of our Souls, the change of our hearts, the renovation of our natures, the strengthenings, quicknings, and consolations of the Spirit of Christ. Labour to understand all your good things, as coming from the hand of God, and to understand the kindness of God in them, see your good things as mercies, as Divine gifts, and then study them;

1. In the suitableness of them to your States. In this lies the nature of all good; from this must be judged the degrees and measures of good that are in every grateful thing.

2. In the freeness of them; Freeness is indeed of the nature of grace; take away freeness, and you take away the nature of grace, which must flow freely without any merit in the crea­ture, or it is no more grace but debt; no more love but ju­stice. If you understand not Christ's Loves, it is impossible you should duly remember them.

2. Labour for to find the experience of the Loves of Christ, in the best, and most salvifi [...]k manifestations. There is a love of God seen in giving us our Wine) for it is God that gives us our Corn, Hos. 2. 11. and Wine, and Oil, and multiplies our Silver and Gold. We must look for higher things then these, or else it is impossible we should remember them more then these. The best manifesta­tions of love must be discerned in the giving us those things which more suit our state, and are suitable to greater wants. Neither shall we effectually remember these, till we find we have a propriety in them. You will upon experience in all things find, that it is propriety which gives us the sweetness in any good thing. Supposs a brave and noble House or Estate, we may look [Page 437] upon it, and admire it, and it may please us, but it is propriety in such an estate that must make it sweet, and pleasant to us. We may have a kind of love for a Prince, of whom we hear, that he is just and merciful, and endowed with many other qualities acceptable to humane nature, but we shall not much delight in him, nor remember his love, until our selves have in some mea­sure tasted, and experienced it, an interest, and property in the love of another, that is it which gives it an impression upon our Souls; God hath commended his love to the world, in sen­ding Christ to die for sinners, Christ hath commended his love to them, in coming into the world, and dying for them, not for all, but for those that shall believe in him; men may talk of this love of Christ, and use their Rhetorick a little about it, in the magnifying of it, but till their own Souls come to be washed with this blood, till they come to have their iniquities forgiven, and their sins covered, it is not to be expected that his love should affect them much, or sink any thing deep into their Souls, so as to be revived by any effectual remembrance.

3. Would you remember the loves of Christ as you ought to do, more then Wine, Set then your selves, sometimes for so­liloquy, and meditation. When the Sound of the Gofpel passeth in­to our ears, we receive a little of it, but transient things affect not much, nor leave any great impressions upon us. Meditation upon a Subject is the Souls standing, and dwelling upon it, it is like the digestion of our food, there is nothing can be concei­ved, a more rational means to affect the Soul with any thing; or to make it fit for the memory to reflect upon, then meditation. One great reason why we remember the loves of Christ no better, nor more, is because we are not at leisure; our heads are so unreasonably full of wordly cares, and employments, the cares of the world so choke, and fill up our thoughts, that we have no leisure to meditate, or stand upon the thoughts of Christs loves, or any spiritual objects. Would Christians allow themselves more time to fix their thoughts upon spiritual ob­jects, to pierce into the depths of divine love, to consider what Christ hath done for them in particular, they would better re­member them.

4. Take heed of any wilful sinnings against his love. Sinning (as I told you before) is usually set out in Scripture, under the no­tion of a forgetting God, and forgetting his loves, Psal. 78. 11. [Page 438] Psal. 106. 13, 21. the committing of sin frequently, is like the continual dropping of water upon a thing, which washeth, and weareth out impressions upon it. Besides it is natural to us, not to desire, or to be willing to remember the kindness of a friend, whose kindness we have abused. Sin puts the tast of Christs love out of the Soul. A remembrance of Christs love, so as to be in any measure duly affected with it, is incompetent with wilful and presumptuous sinning. None but the holy, and hea­venly Soul remembreth the loves of Christ.

5. Lastly, Wait upon God in ordinances, in hearing the Word, in the Holy Sacrament of his Supper. The ordinances of the Gos­pel are not only means of grace, but great helps to Christians me­mory, as to Christs loves; we preach a Christ crucified, there his loves come to our ears, in the Supper you have a representati­on of a Christ crucified, there his loves, his dying love is set before your Eyes, both are helps to the mind of that man or woman, who desireth to feed his thoughts upon the loves of Christ. But to shut up all, Pray, that is a general prescription in order to the obtaining of any mercy from the hand of God; a­mongst other blessed effects of the holy Spirit of God, promised by Christ to his Disciples, this was one, John 14. 26. He shall bring to your remembrance the things which you have heard of me, it is the influence of the Spirit of grace, that quickneth, and inableth us to bring Christs love to our remembrance, our Savi­our hath taught us how to obtain this blessed remembrancer, Luke 11. 13. He giveth his holy Spirit to them that ask him.

Sermon XXX.

Cant. 1. 4.
The Ʋpright love thee. Or Heb. Ʋprightnesses love thee.

STill it is the Spouse that speaketh. She had prayed, Draw me, and promised, that being drawn, both she and others would run after Christ. She had received a gracious answer to her prayer. The King had brought her into his Chambers. In this she hath Triumphed, We will be glad, and rejoice in thee. For this she hath covenanted that she would remember the Loves of her Beloved, more then all the pleasant, or profitable things in the world, Which she expresseth under the Metaphoricall notion of Wine. Now lest any should say to her, Why so fond (O thou fairest amongst women?) to justify her self in this rapture of Joy, this extacy of love she may be conceived to add these words. The upright love thee, or as the Hebrew is, Uprightnesses love thee the words may be variously rendred with consistency enough to the Grammar of the Hebrew text.

1. Uprightnesses [or right things] love thee. The Same word is used Psal. 17. 2. Thine eyes shall behold right things [...] comes from [...] to be right, or to appear so. The word is used in the form that it is here, Psal. 9. 9. He shall judge the World in righteous­ness and the People [...] in uprightnesses. It is used Prov. 1. 3. Is. 33. 15. Prov. 2. 9. Psal. 75. 2. If we expound the phrase (as it is literally) according to the abstract, Righteousnesses, or Right things, the Question will be whether it should be read as in the Nominative case, Uprightnesses love thee, or as in the Oblique case (which the Heb. prefix seems to import) In Uprightnesses they love thee, accordingly the sense will be very different, for if we read it, as in the Nominative case, the import of it seems to be, to set out the Excellency of her beloved as he who was the very seat of all ex­cellent things, in whom did all fulness dwell, even the fulness of the God-head, all righteousness, all Equity, whatsoever is good. If we read it as in the Ablative case (as the prefix in the Hebrew seemeth [Page 440] to guide us) The import of it seems to be to express to us the na­ture of the Saints love to God, which is not in word, or in tongue onely, but in deed, and in truth, in uprightnesses, that is (as Buxtorf ex­poundeth it) Rectissime, fortiter, most intirely, intensely sincerely, thus I say it denoteth the truth, and reality of the believing Souls love to Christ.

2. But our translators have thought fit to translate it otherwise conceiving the abstract here put for the concrete, Uprightnesses, for upright men possessed of uprightness, this is very usual in the He­brew dialect, and indeed in most languages; so the sense is this: Do not wonder, that I love Christ, and am so affected, with the injoyment of him, there is never an upright Soul in the world but loves him, all upright Souls love him; Thus the Proposition is plain.

Propos. Upright Souls love Christ. To this I shall Speak in my ordinary method by Explication, Confirmation, & Application. Un­der the first, I shall give you the true notion of Uprightness and an üp­right soul, & shew you in what sense the Proposition is true.

The Question may well be propounded, Who is the upright, who is the righteous man? For the Psalmist tells us, & the Apostle, Rom. 3. confirmeth it, There is none righteous, no not one, and although God at first made man upright Eccles. 7. 29. Yet the world is so warped, by men seeking out to themselves inventions, that the pro­phet Micah, 7. 2. Tells us, there is none upright amongst men. To resolve this difficulty, I shall first give you two or three distinctions concerning righteousness, or uprightness, without which we shall hard­ly understand the true notion of an upright man.

1. There is an uprightness of heart. Psal. 32. 11. Shout for joy all you upright in heart; so Psal. 94. 11. Judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. And there is an uprightness of way or conversation Prov. 29. 27. The upright in his way is an abomination; so [...] Psal. 37. 14. The wicked man seeketh to slay such as be of upright conversation. Indeed it is true, there is no man, who is upright in his heart, but he will also be upright in his way, for the upright directeth his way, Prov. 21. 29. but there is a seeming uprightness of way, when the heart is not upright with God. Prov. 14. 12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. The Proposition must be un­derstood of such as are upright not in their way only seemingly, but both in heart and in way.

[Page 441] 2. Secondly there is a Legal, and there is an Evangelical righteousness or uprightness. The legal righteousness, or uprightness lyeth in a full and perfect conformity to the Law of God. In this sense it is as true, That there is none righteous, no not one, none upright amongst men, as that there is none who liveth, and sinneth not against God, for the least Flye maketh this box of ointment to stink; all Sin is crooked­ness, and the least crookedness spoileth this rightness. But then there is an Evangelical righteousness, and uprightness, and thus every Soul, that is justified by grace through the imputation of Christs righteousness is a righteous Soul; and every Soul that is Sanctifyed and renewed, the bent of which is towards God, and whose heart is sincere before God, is an upright and righteous Soul. In this Sense, the upright heart is the Sincere heart. Thus David saith of himself, I was upright be­fore him, 2 Sam. 22. 24. And God saith of Job, He is a perfect, and an upright man. The Proposition must be understood of the latter, he that is Evangelically righteous, or upright; for there are none of the former upon the Earth, none that are legally righte­ous.

3. Thirdly. As there are degrees of Sanctification, so there are degrees of uprightness. The text seems to speak of the highest degrees, Uprightnesses. It is very ordinary with the Hebrew to express the Superlative degree, by the plural number; besides this is Signified by putting the Abstract for the Concrete, we usually call men notoriously vile and wicked, by the Abstract names of vice, and persons eminently good and virtuous, by the Abstract Names of virtue and goodness. Those that are highest in grace, & who do most excel in holiness are fullest of love to Christ. Love teacheth every Child of God, the weakest babe in grace to cry after Christ, and the grown Christian to delight in him, and to walk up and down in his name. Every righteous, every upright Soul loveth Christ, and that with a true, sincere love, though not in an equal degree, she (saith our Saviour) who hath much forgiven will love much. Having premised these distinctions, let me a little further inquire into the true Notion of these upright men, upright by this Evangelical rectitude.

In short they are such as are justified, and Sanctified, made righte­ous through Christs righteousness imputed to them, & holy, through the Sanctification of his Spirit. 1. Such as are justified. This is the first thing requisite to an upright, right man, let the unjustified Soul, be what it will, do what it can, it cannot be upright, either in heart or way. Suppose a stick naturally crooked, you may pare it and [Page 442] paint, and colour it, and cover its crookedness alittle, but until it hath been in the fire, and bended right, it will be crooked still; the natural man, the Soul not justified by grace, not washed with the blood of Christ may be pared by education, and brought off from some flagitious, and enormous practices, he may be coloured, and painted over by some acts of moral vertue, and some formal performances of religious duties, but still in Gods Eye the Soul is a crooked Soul, until the Lord hath made it right, till it be justified by faith. 2. To this uprightness is required not only justification, or the removal of the Souls guilt, and imputation of a righteousness, a perfect righteousness, but the sanctification of the heart, God never sanctifieth any, whom he doth not justify, hence no Soul can be said to be an upright Soul, that is not justified, nor doth the Lord at any time justify a Soul, but he at the same time also reneweth, and sanctifieth it; hence the upright Soul must be a renewed, Sanctified Soul. But yet in regard our regeneration, and sanctification, is not as to de­grees perfect, (though as to parts Divines say it is, that is, the whole man is renewed) it may be yet worthy to be inquired from what degrees of Regeneration, and Sanctification, a man may be denominated an upright man; the rectitude of any thing is to be judged from its conformity to some rule. The rule of mans uprightness is the Lords Statutes, which are right, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 19. 8. holy, and spiritual, and just, and good, Rom. 7. Thy judgments are right, saith David, Psal. 119. 75. 128. It is said so of nothing else, so as from a conformity to this rule, must rightness, or uprightness be judged. And thus,

1. There is an uprightness of judgment, when the Soul judgeth according to truth, both concerning notions, and practices, when it judgeth aright concerning truth, and is not warped by error, and when it judgeth aright concerning the ways of God, then the Soul is upright, with respect to the understanding and judgment.

2. There is an uprightness of the whole Soul, with respect to the scope and bent of it, when the heart of man doth not stand inclined, and bent to sin, but the Soul can say with David, I hate vain thoughts; but thy law do I love, I hate every false way, &c. The man that in all his actions, designeth, and intendeth the ho­nour and glory of God, and obedience to his will, though in many things he cometh short, and offendeth, yet this man is an upright man, his end, and general scope is right.

[Page 443] 3. There is an uprightness of will; in this the uprightness of a mans intention discovereth itself, when to will is present with the Soul, as St. Paul saith, Rom. 7. Though he wanteth a strength to perform; the man or woman in heart willeth the honour and glory of God, and this not by fits, but steadily, and certainly, and is really unwilling to do any thing by which God may be disho­noured, though through ignorance he may offend, and through a natural impotency, not being able to love the Lord with all his heart, and strength, yea, and through moral impotency, and a mixt infirmity, through the great power of temptations, whe­ther from the seduction of lust, or the violent motions, and im­pressions of Satan.

4. There is an uprightness of action, which lieth in a true, and sincere endeavour to do the will of God, and by this both the up­rightness of intention, and will also is to be judged. This is the upright man, though he may stumble and fall, and oft doth fail (who liveth, and sinneth not against God?) And as these holy dis­positions are found in the Soul in more remiss, or intense degrees, so the Soul is more or less upright, and the man deserves this ho­nourable denomination less or more. These now are the Souls that love Christ.

To love any object, whether person, or thing, signifieth to take a delight, and complacency in it. Whether in the thoughts of it (if absent) as the Apostle saith, whom we having not seen, yet love, or in the contemplation, and fruition in converse, and communion with it, if more present.

This Praedicate concerning the upright, that they love Christ, is to be understood exclusively, and inclusively, concerning the Person of Christ, and whatsoever beareth his image, and super­scription.

1. Exclusively, these, and none but these love him. Others may talk of loving Christ, but it is but a talk and pretence, they love but in word, and tongue only, not in deed, and truth, there is something else, either lust or the world, something or other that hath more of their affection, more of their heart then Christ hath.

2. Inclusively. These, and all these love Christ, there is not an upright Soul in the world but loves Christ, and takes a pleasure & complacency in him, and preferreth him before his chief joy.

3. They love the person of Christ. He is in their Eyes altoge­ther [Page 444] desires, the chiefest of ten thousand. there is nothing in the world so sweet, and pleasant to their thoughts, as to think of Jesus of Nazareth, him that was incarnate of the Virgin, that died upon the cross for sinners; all their contemplations, and meditations of him, are exceeding sweet, and their hearts ex­ercised about them melt in them.

4. They love whatsoever bears the image, and superscription of Christ. The Gospel, that gives them the history of Christ, and revealeth to them his will, the ordinances of Christ, in which the loves of Christ are set forth, represented, opened, applied to the Souls of people. The members of Christ, even every Soul in which they can but see aliquid Christ [...] (as Bucer speaks) any thing of the features of Christ. This is enough to have spoken for the explication of the Proposition. For the proof of it,

1. Look into the Word of God, see if you can find an in­stance either of an upright man, who did not love Christ, or of an bypocrite, or unregenerate man that did love him. Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, he was one that walked with God, and was perfect, that is, upright, he loved Christ. Our Lord saith of him, Abraham saw my day and rejoy­ced. Simon, and Anna, and Peter, and Mary Magd [...]lene, all were upright Persons, they all loved Christ. On the other side there is not so much as one instance of an unjustified, unregenerate Soul, that had any real love for Christ, no not when they saw him here in the flesh. It is said of the young Pharisee, who came to our Saviour, Mat. 19. that when Christ saw him, he loved him, but he had no love for Christ, for when he bid him go sell all that he had, and he should have treasures in Heaven, it is said he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Judas followed Christ, and so did the Capernaites, but Judas car­ried the bag, and the Capernaites followed him for the loaves. None of them loved Christ in sincerity and truth. We need no other instances then what our own age affordeth us. But we need no Scripture in this case. Reason will evince the necessary truth of this Proposition, if we consider, that all love is found­ed, either, 1. In the apprehended goodness and excellency of the object beloved: Or, 2. In some similitude, and likeness, &c. Or [...]loweth, 3. From some instinct, of which we can give no very just account. I will begin with the last first.

1. Love to another often proceeds from some inaccountable [Page 445] instinct; we see this very ordinary amongst us, the heart of a woman cleaveth to a man, or of a man to a woman, [...]o the heart of one friend is knit to another, and we are able to give our selves no great account of it, the man loveth the woman, to whom he had a former aversion, and the woman loveth, and chuseth the man for her Husband, that she did never think of, and they can give themselves no account of the change which they find in themselves, this is undoubtedly a providential in­stinct or influence, of which we can give no account. The Souls love to Christ, also floweth from an instinct of God, an influence of special grace, for certainly if we must be taught of God, to love one another, to love the brethren, whom we have seen, and daily do see, and much that is lovely in them, we have much more need to be taught of God to love Christ, whom we have not seen, and whose excellency, and amiableness, is only matter of faith to us. Hence it appeareth, that no unrenewed, no un­sanctified heart, none but the upright Soul can possibly love the Lord Jesus Christ, for this love is no natural habit, no man by nature loveth Christ, nor is it any acquired habit, but an infused habit, and indeed a piece of regeneration.

2. Love to an object is founded in an apprehension of some good­ness and excellency in that object, we cannot love any object, that appeareth to us evil, or unlovely. Now none but the renewed, and regenerate Soul can possibly see any goodness and excellen­cy in Christ, for it is spiritually discerned, besides, the reason of love in us to any object, is not so much the abstracted goodness, and excellency of the object, as its relative goodness unto us; now none but the Soul that is justified, and regenerate Soul hath in any thing tasted of the love of God, or hath found him in a­ny degree good as to it.

3. Lastly, Whereas love is founded in likeness, in some simili­tude of nature, or disposition, and qualities, there is such a dis­similitude between a natural man, whether he be one that is pro­fane and flagitious, or meerly moral, and formal, and hypocritica [...], that this Soul cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy, and harmless, and separate from sinners; and the very same rea­sons make it necessary for every Soul to love Christ, for every such Soul is renewed, and regenerate, and taught of God to love the Lord Jesus Christ, every such Soul is beloved of him, and under some apprehensions, and experience of the love of [Page 446] God in Christ unto it; every such Soul (finally) hath the I­mage of God renewed in it, in righteousness and holiness, and by grace wrought up into a conformity to Christ, and the more upright the Soul is, the more is the image of God renewed in it, the more it hath tasted the special love of Christ, the more it hath received of the potent influences of Divine Grace, hence it must needs love Christ more. I now come to the application.

Use 1. In the first place, This may let us know, That Christ is a most excelling object, and the non-adherence of our hearts to him, is a piece of the natural crookedness, and defection of the Soul of man. The goodness or excellency of an object is not to be determi­ned from a vulgar judgment. Learning is an excellent thing, the foolish ignorant person doth not so judge it, nor look after it, this detracts nothing from the excellency of it. Wise men value it. It hath no enemies but the ignorant man. Now the judg­ment of the best and wiser part of the world, their value, and prizing of it, is enough to commend it, though fools hate know­ledge. So the upright mans loving Christ, is a sufficient evidence of the transcendent goodness, and excellency that is in him, tho the loose, and profane man, the formal, hypocritical man hath no love at all for him. There are thousands in the world (in the Christian world) whose conversations testify, that they can see no beauty, no excellency in Christ at all, to them he grows up as a root out of a dry ground, in their Eyes he hath no beauty, no comeliness at all. They stand, and admire what sweetness Gods people have in their meditations, and contemplations of him, what is that sometimes makes them so sick of love for him, so breaking with longings after him (as holy David expresseth it.) The business is not what fools judge of Wisdom in the mean time, Wisdom is justified of her Children. It is enough that the up­right love him. The upright men, are the best men in the world. But you will say, were there such a beauty, such an excellency in Christ, why should not every rational man enquire after him, and love him? The answer is easy. Because his beauty, his excel­lency is not obvious to the Eye of sense, or to the Eye of reason, wor­king from its own principles, but only to the Eye of faith, & that of reason, working upon revealed principles. The goodness & excellen­cy of Christ considered as Mediator, doth not lie in a suitableness to our bodily wants, no nor to the wants of our Souls, considered only as rational and spiritual Beings; but in his suitableness to our [Page 447] Souls considered as lapsed, and fallen from the happy state where­in they were at first created, and by that fall exposed to the wrath of God, here, and hereafter. Now this is revealed only in Holy Writ, and is to be discerned only by the Eye of faith. So as those who do not by a firm and steady assent, agree to the revelation of the word, cannot possibly see any excellency in Christ as a Saviour, and Mediator between God and Man.

Use. 2. Secondly, Every gracious Soul is from this Proposition justified in all their pangs of love for, and toward Christ, and in all their acti­ons, and sufferings in evidence of this love. That there is such a thing as a spiritual love sickness is evident to all those who know any thing of the ways of God with the Soul, or the mo­tions of the Soul toward God: Let persons of atheistical, and profane hearts mock so long as they please; no Soul that I know of, expresseth more of this nature, then his who is stiled by God, the man according to Gods own heart, Psal. 119. 20. My heart breaketh with the longings, which it hath to thy judgments at all times, Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks, so panteth my Soul after thee O God, my Soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, Psal. 63. 1. My Soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. Our Saviour I am sure blesseth those who hun­ger and thirst after Righteousness, Mat. 5. (what work would the unhallowed wits of our Age have made with such meta­phors as these in their Books of drollery, &c.) they are all ex­pressive of those pangs of love that sometimes affect good Christians in the several states of their Souls, and besides these more inward motions, the Souls of good Christians cannot but express their love, by a zeal for his glory, a love to his institu­tions, a regard to all his commandments, and durst not do ma­ny things (as to which their Neighbours find no difficulty) be­cause they love the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath said, If you love me, keep my Commandments. For Christ, that they may shew their love by their obedience unto him, they are ready to suffer the loss of all things, yea, and do count them but dung, that they may win Christ; for this the men of the world mock them, let them mock on; The upright love him. I remember in the story of David, we read, 2 Sam. 6. 20. That Michal, his Wife (the Daughter of Saul) mocked him, for his dancing before the Ark in a linnen Ephod. How glorious (saith she) was the King of Is­rael to day, who uncovered himself to day, in the Eyes of the hand­maids [Page 448] of his Servants, as one of the vain fellows, shamelesly unco­vereth himself. The holy man gives her a very smart answer; saith he, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy Father, to appoint me to be a ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel, therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile then thus, &c. Whiles carnal men mock at the secret sighings, and groanings of Gods people, at their frequency, and strictness at, in, or to religious duties, and call it all whining, and canting, and what comes next to the end of their lewd Tongues, the Child of God is justified in this, that the upright love Christ, and all these their expressions of love are for, and towards him who hath chosen their Souls to Eternal life, and the use of all means which he hath made necessary in order to that Salvati­on, and who (for ought yet appeareth) hath passed over the Souls of these Scoffers, and left them to perish in their gain­sayings. When ch. 5. of this Song, the Spouse chargeth the Daughters of Hierusalem, that if they found her beloved, they should tell him she was sick of love: They reply; What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou fairest among Women, what is thy beloved more then another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? Cant. 5. 8. 9. See into what an elogy of her beloved, she breaks out to the end of that Chap. My beloved (saith she) is white and reddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, &c. when the men of the world see a gracious Soul panting, sighting, and brea­thing after Christ▪ they are ready to speak to the same sense, tho in ruder language, what is the beloved of this Soul, more then anothers beloved; what makes these people so full of prayers, and tears, so full of duty, so fond of the ordinances of Christ? This justifies such Souls in all their pantings after Christ, in all the passions of their Souls for him, The upright love him.

Thirdly. From hence Christians may take measures of them­selves, and make up a judgment of their Souls, whether they be upright Souls, yea, or no, very much lieth upon this, many are the promises that in Holy Writ we shall find made to up­right Souls. Perfection of degrees is our mark, but what in this life we cannot attain unto, all perfection we are capable of, is up­rightness, this may be attained, we are therefore highly concer­ned to inquire upon our uprightness. By this we shall know it; The Soul that truly loveth Christ, that is an upright Soul, so as that which we have to examine, is the truth of our love to Christ. [Page 449] This inquiry also is considerable in respect of the Apostolical Anathema, 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. It is a great point, how a Christian shall certainly know his spiritual state? he shall know it by his uprightness? how shall he know his uprightness? that is to be known by his love to Christ. But will some say, is not this as hard to be discerned as any thing else? I answer; surely no. If it be no hard thing for a man to know whether he loves such a woman, or a woman to know that she loveth such a man, or for any to know they love such a friend, such a companion, why should it be so hard for a Soul to know whether it loveth Christ or no? love will work much in the same manner towards all its objects, and though the visibility, and sensibility of some objects, may draw out more of our passion, and excesses of affection, yet the reality and truth of our love may certainly be as well discerned re­wards a spiritual, and invisible object as to one, that is more the object of our exteriour senses, let us therefore try those measures, and see how we will make up our judgment of the truth of our love to a fellow creature; what is that which we call love, but the delight, and complacency, and satisfaction of the Soul in an object beloved, declared by the pantings and breathings of the heart after it, when absent, for an union, or re-union with it, the acquiescence and meltings of the heart upon it, when pre­sent, and an union with it is obtained, or apprehended; the Souls intercourse and communion with it, and free communications of its self unto it, its kindness to every person or thing, to whom, or which the object beloved, hath any relation, its patient, and pleasing bearing his reproofs, its readiness to go, or run, or do any thing at the will, and command of such a person, its standing up in the defence of him or her, its rising up against any that would do them injury, or that it hears speak reproachfully, or diminutively of him. It's readiness to suffer any thing for his sake, &c. Surely by some or all these notes we may try our love to Christ, and be as certain of it, as we can be of the sin­cerity of our love to any fellow creature; let me therefore de­sire you to propound these few questions to your selves.

1. How far is Christ the object of thy thoughts? We say, [...] amor ibi oculus, where love is, there the Eye will be; the reason of that is, because our thoughts are much imployed about the ob­ject [Page 450] of our love, where our treasure is (saith our Saviour) there will our hearts be also, the Psalmist therefore speaking of the wicked man who hath no love for God, saith, God is not in all his thoughts. Psal. 10. 4. So long as we live in the world, the things of it are so much, and so continually the objects of our senses, that it is not to be expected, but that our thoughts should in a great measure be exercised about the things of it, so that I would not put the issue upon that, whether the world or Christ have most of our thoughts? but certainly Christ will be much in the thoughts of that Soul in whom the love of Christ is, Te veniente die, te decedente canebat (saith the Poet of the lover) the Soul that loveth Christ, will think of him in the evening when he lieth down, and in the morning when he riseth up, and David had his waking thoughts in the night season with God. God will not have all of the best mans thoughts, because he is but flesh, and hath some thoughts to take about what he shall eat, and drink, and put on, but God will have much of his thoughts. Christ will be much in the thoughts of that Soul that truly loveth him. Secondly.

2. How are the motions of thy Soul after an absent Christ? Christ as to his person is alwaies absent, that the Heavens must contain till the end of the World, but he is or may be graciously pre­sent in his institutions, and with respect to his gracious influences, and with respect to both these he is often, or may be absent; the first makes up the desertion of a Church, when it is general, or a particular person, when it is only the affliction of a particular Soul in some cases, and by some severer providences kept from the ordinances of God; the second is, the particular desertion of a gracious Soul, not as to necessary, but as to gradual influen­ces; now how is thy Soul affected to Christ absent, when thou canst not enjoy the Ordinances of Christ, as thou hast formerly enjoyed them? You see the heart and affection of David in this cafe, in divers Psalms, particularly Psal. 42. Psal. 63. Psal. 84. what breathings, what longings, what impatience doth he there express? So when thou suspectest his absence as to the particu­lar special influences of his grace, how doth thy heart move to­ward him? doth it move as the heart of the Spouse moved in the third and 5th Chapters of this admirable Song, Seeking him, sighing after him, enquiring of all like to inform thee, how thou mightest recover thy lost peace, being restless till thou hast re­covered it? This is a sign of love.

[Page 451] 3. How is thy heart affected in any presence or enjoyment of Christ? What pleasure, what delight and complacency hath thy Soul in the institutions of Christ, in the manifestations of his love to thy Soul. See the instance of the Spouse as to this, Can. 3. 4. I found him whom my Soul loveth, I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my Mothers House, and into the Chamber of her that conceived me. v. 5. 1 charge you O you Daugh­ters of Hierusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that you stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. A rejoycing in the signs of his love, being glad, and resolving not again to part with him, a fear of offending him, and care to please him, are all of them signs of a love to the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. A freedom of converse, and communion with him, also spea­keth love. Christ proves himself his Disciples friend, because he had made known to them whatsoever he had received from the Fa­ther, Joh. 15. 15. Dalilab challenged Sampson for want of love to her, because he had concealed his secrets from her. The with­holding of prayer from God, the want of frequency, freedom, and boldness in prayer, speaks want of love to Christ in the Soul; frequency, freedom, and boldness, holy boldness speaks a Soul full of love to Christ.

5. What affections hast thou to those things and persons, that have a relation to Christ, that bear his image and superscription, the Word and Ordinances of God, the Ministers and People of God; by this you shall know your love to Christ. Again—

6. How canst thou bear the reproofs of Christ? Our nature doth not love reproof, we must love those very well, from whom we take reproof quietly. Let the righteous smite me (saith Da­vid) it shall be as an excellent Oil, which shall not break my head When a Christian can bear the verbal reproofs of Christs Word, and Ministers, and the real reproofs and chastenings of his rod It is a sign of love.

7. What zeal hast thou for the honour and glory of Christ? Canst thou not hear him reproached, but that his reproaches fall on thee, thy blood riseth, and thy heart is troubled? It is an argument of little love for God or Christ, when we can patient­ly hear them abused, and dishonoured, Psal. 69. 9. The zeal of thine house (saith David) hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen on me.

8. I must not forget that of our Saviour, If you love me, keep [Page 452] my Commandments. No Soul can so much as pretend to a love to Christ, that makes no conscience of keeping the Command­ments of Christ.

9. The Soul, lastly, that hath a love for Christ, will suffer any thing for his sake, it will rather suffer the loss of all things, then the loss of Christs favour. By these and such like questions, and notes as these, it will be no hard matter for a Soul to judge of its love to Christ, and by that it will be able to judge, and de­termine concerning its uprightness.

Use. 3. In the last place doth every Soul that is upright love Christ, and are the degrees of the Souls uprightness according to the degrees of the Souls love, How do we then all stand concerned to love Christ? In order to it,

1. The Soul must be dispossest of other loves inconsistent, and in­competent with the love of Christ. Such is the love of all lust of any thing that is contrary to the will of God. Such is the ex­cessive and immoderate love of the world. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world (saith John, 1. Joh. 2. 25.) If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; in like manner we may say, If any man love the world, the love of Je­sus Christ is not in him.

2. Do what in thee lies to persuade thy self of the suitableness of Christ to the sta [...]e, and needs of thy Soul; we love nothing but what appeareth good, that is some way suitable to, and convenient for us. All we can do as to this, is to read the Scriptures, which alone give a true account of the state of Souls: To hear them opened, and applied to our consciences by able and faithful Mi­nisters, to meditate upon what we read, and hear. Christ must appear to our Souls an amiable object before we can love him.

3. Lastly, Pray for the Spirit of Grace; both effectually to dis­cover Christs loveliness to you, and also to draw out your hearts to love him, if we must be taught of God to love our Brethren, whom we have seen, we must much more be taught of God to love Jesus Christ whom we have not seen. Those that think man hath a power in his own will to love God, do not consider that we have not a power, in and of our selves (as we often find upon experience) to love a creature, whom yet it were our great interest to love. O pray, pray without ceasing, that you may love the Lord Jesus Christ remember, that the upright love him, there is no upright Soul in the World but loves him. 2. Thus [Page 453] thou shalt shew thy self to be upright. Nothing more discovereth an upright heart, then a sincere Love to Christ. Now of how great moment it is for a Christian to discern his uprightness, I need not tell you. I shall conclude with a bare naming of some Scriptures containing promises made to uprightness, leaving them to you at your leisure to meditate upon them. Psal. 7. 10. The Lord saveth the upright in heart, Gods Righteousness belongeth to the upright in heart, Psal. 36. 10. The End of the upright man is Peace, Psal. 37. v. 37. Gladness belongeth to the upright in heart, Psal. 97. v. 11. The Generation of the upright shall be blessed, Psal. 112. v. 2. Light shall arise upon them in obscurity, v. 4. They shall dwell in Gods presence, Psal. 140. 13. They shall dwell in the land, Prov. 2. 21. The way of the Lord is strength unto them, Prov. 10. 29. The integrity of the upright shall guide him, Prov. 11. 3. His Righteousness shall deliver him. v. 6. The upright in the way are the Lords delight, v. 20. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way, but wickedness overthroweth the Sinner, Prov. 13▪ 6.

Sermon XXXI.

Cant. 1. 5.
I am black but comely O you Daughter of Hierusalem, as the t [...]nts of Kedar, as the Curtaines of Solomon.
v. 6. Look not upon me because I am black, because the Sun hath looked upon me, my Mothers Children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the Vineyards, but my own Vineyard I have not kept.

IT is the Spouse in this excellent Song of Love that yet Speaks, Twice we have heard her Speaking to her Beloved. Once, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, begging some di­stinguishing token of his Special love: Her heart suggesting to her, that her beloved, was far more ready to imbrace her, then she was to run after him. She spake a Second time, Draw me, and we will run after thee, begging the sweet and powerfull influen­ces of divine grace, Here now she interrupteth her applications to her beloved, with an Apostrophe to her companions (whom she here calleth The Daughters of Hierusalem.) The verse contains a modest apology which the maketh for her self. In which are considerable,

[Page 454] 1. The persons to whom she maketh it, here stiled, The Daughters of Jerusalem.

2. The Apology it self. I am black (saith she) as the tents of Ke­dar, as the Curtains of Solomon, &c.

In the latter is considerable, 1. The thing which she apologizeth for: That is her Blackness, which she confesseth, I am black (saith she) and illustrateth, as the teints of Kedar &c.

2. The arguments of her Apology, or head from whence it is drawn. They are four or five.

1. The mixture of comeliness with her blackness. I am black but comely.

2. The Influence of heaven upon her. The Sun (saith she) hath looked upon me.

3. The oppositions she had met with on earth. My mothers children were angry with me.

4. Her worldly diversions and imployments. They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards.

5. Her own neglect. But my own I have not kept.

Finally. She pleadeth with them that they would not look up­on her because she was black.

But what needed this Apology? who faulted the Spouses black­ness? who questioned her comeliness? This is not expressed in the letter of the Text but easily understood. Patet quod dett axer ant ei nigredinem improper antes. It is apparent, saith Bernard, that they did detract from her, charging her with blackness. Neither did the true Church of Christ, nor any truely believing Soul ever want those that reproached them. The man according to Gods own heart, heard some telling him, There was no help for him, in God. We must therefore Suppose our Spouse to have heard some saying to her to this purpose. Canst thou think that Christ who is the fairest of ten thousand, should kiss the with the kisses of his mouth? Thee? That art by nature an Ethiopian, and by thy renew­ing actuall Sins, hast made thy self much more black and ugly. Surely when the King of glory humbleth himself to make love to his Subjects, he will chuse one much fairer then thou art. Did Aaron and Miriam, wonder at, & reproach, Moses, because he had married an Ethiopian Num. 12. 1. And should not Christ be the wonderment of the whole creation, if he should love one so black as thou art? Whispers to this sense, a believer often heareth from the Devil, from the men of the world, and from his own heart also. Solo­mon [Page 455] Personating the true Church, & every true believer, fanci­eth the voice of these Spiritual adversaries in his Ears, nor is there any Child of God but heareth it at some time, or other. The spouse therefore preoccupieth this objection by this Apo­strophe. O you daughters of Hierusalem, I am black but comely like the tents of Kedar, like the Curtains of Solomon.

You daughters of Hierusalem] Hierusalem is an Hebrew word, and signifieth, The Vision of Peace, or They shall see Peace; it is to be considered in its Political, Ecclesiastical, and Typical notion.

1. In its Political Notion, it signifieth the Metropolis or chief City of Judea; a City supposed to have been builded by Melchize­deck, and by him called Salem, he is called the King of Salem, Gen. 14. 8. Heb. 7. 1. 2. Salem in Scripture is put for Herusalem. In Salem is God known, Psal. 76. 2. It was afterwards for some hundreds of years in the possession of the Canaanites. Adonizedek was the King of it, Josh. 10, 3. who was conquered, and slain by Joshua, Josh. 10. 26. the Jebusites afterward lived there in common with the Benjamites who did not drive them out, Jud. 1. 21. David smo [...]e these Jebusites, 2 Sam. 5. 7, 8. and took the strong hold of Zion, & made it his City. It was scituated amongst the Mountains; hence you read of the mountains being round about Hierusalem Psal. 125. 2. Yet the habitable part of it was in the Valley, Jer 21. 13. Now if we take Hierusalem in this notion here, the Daugh­ters of Hierusalem are the Inhabitants of this famous City.

2. But there is an Ecclesiastical Notion of it so it signifiyeth the Jewish Church: Hierusalem was the place where the Temple stood, where was the most folemn Worship of God; thither all the males of the Israelites went up thrice a year to Worship God. There lived the High Priest; in that place alone (in their set­led state) they were to Sacrifice. Hence Zion (a City contigu­ous to this City) the City of David, and Hierusalem are often in Scripture put for the Jewish Church; hence the Psalmist pray­ing for the prosperity, and restauration of the Church of the Jews, Prays in this aialect; Build thou up the walls of Hieru­salem. So Psal. 102. verse 23. to declare the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Hierusalem. that is, in the Jewish Church. In this sense, the Daughters of Hierusalem are the members of the Jewish Church.

3. But there is yet a further Typical Notion of it. So it signi­fieth the Church of God both that part which is in Heaven Triumphant, called the mother of us all which is called the New [Page 456] Hierusalem Rev. 3. 12. ch. 21. verse. 2, &c. or that part of it which under the Gospel is still militant on earth, Zech. 8. 22. Thus the Daughters of Hierusalem, are the Members of the visible Church. you may take it in either notion; either thus, O my neighbours, you people amongst whom I dwell, or O you that are members of the same Church of God with me; Brethren are too ready to censure and upbraid one another, Aaron, and Miriam spake against Moses, Num 12. 2. David complaineth that he was an alien to his mother's Children, Psal. 69. 8. and in the next words, the Spouse saith, my mothers Children were angry with me. To these she saith, I am black but comely; how the Church of God, or the particular Souls in it are Black, I shall have occasion more fully to shew you hereafter. Every one will understand, she speaketh in a figure and intends not the black colour of the flesh, but some condition fitly enough represented and expressed by a blackness of colour, [But comely] There is no contradiction in that, There is a comeliness in some blackness. The Black Eye is come­ly, so is the black marble. But I reserve a further and larger dis­course, concerning the spouses blackness, and comeliness, till I come to the Propositions of Doctrine I intend to discourse from the words, but what is the meaning of the follow phrase.

As the tents of Kedar: as the Curtains of Solomon.] They are certainly two similitudes which the Spouse brings elegantly to set forth what she had said, either concerning her blackness, or concerning her beauty and comeliness. Only the question is, whether the sense be this; I am black like the tents of Kedar, and like the Curtains of Solomon: but I am also (like them) comely also: Or thus, I am, I confess, black, like the Tents of Kedar: but I am also comely like the Curtains of Solomon. The letter pleaseth me best because we read nothing of any black Curtains, that Solomon made for the Temple, and it is most likely he kept the colours of the Curtains of the Tabernacle which were Blue, Purple and Scarlet. Redar was one of the Sons of Ishmael as you read Gen. 25. 13. It is probable that he did build some, City in Arabia which (as was very usual) he called after his owne name. We shall read that in the Prophecy of Isaiah against Arabia, Isaiah 21. 17. he hath this expression, The mighty men of the Children of Kedar shall be deminished. And in the Prophecy of the Gentiles coming in to Christ, Isaiah 60. 7. All the flocks of Kedar, shall be gather­ed unto thee, and the Rams of Nebujoth. You read of it also Jer. 2. 20. and Jer 49. 28. and Zech. 27. 21. Arabia and all the [Page 457] Princes of Kedar. Keder then was either a City or a Province of Arabia which was a very hot Country, they had at that time generally no such fixed houses, nor such wayes of covering their habitations as we have: They did generally live in Tents, which were moveable places of habitation, these were ordinarily cove­red with the Skins of beasts which they killed for their uses. That kind of covering as you know in Countreys where the Sun is very hot, is apt to tan into a very lothsome, and unlovely colour▪ To these the Spouse compares her self. I am black like the tents of Kedar.

Like the Curtains of Solomon.] This I take to relate to the latter part of the Spouses words. Solomon made Curtains for the Temple, and it is very likely they were made in Proportion to those which were made (by Gods Prescription) for the Taber­nacle, Exod 36. 8. of fine twined Linnen, Blue, Purple, and Scarlet, with Cherubims of cunning works; the Spouse compareth her self to these for comeliness.

Look not upon me because I am black.] That is, you Daughters of Hierusalem, look not upon me. The Chaldee Paraphrast maketh this the voice of the Jewish Church speaking to the Heathens thus: O you Heathen Nations! do not despsse me because I have made my self blacker then you by doing after your deeds, Worshipping the Sun, Moon, and all the host of Heaven; false Prophets, have made me to err after your ways by which means the wrath of the Lord is poured out upon me. The reason of this interpretation is their dream that they are the only Church of God in the World. But the text is not to be so restrained. The true Church of Christ, or the truly believing Soul here speaks unto any others: That they would not look asquint upon her because she was black; Ne tor­vum intueamini, nec velut per contemptum despiciatis, (so Mercer glosseth upon the words) do not look upon me with an Eye of despight, scorn or, contempt. As the Leviat han beholdeth all things Job 41. 34. (so Mr. Ainsworth interpreteth it) or as he addeth, not with a rejoycing pleased or Satisfyed Eye, according to that, Obadiah v. 12. Edom should not have Looked upon the affliction of his brethren. Or not with an astonishing, admiring look: As the Apostle commandeth us not to think it strange concerning the fiery tryal, and 1. Thessal. 2. 3. that none should be moved by the Churches afflictions, knowing that God had appointed them there­unto. The English Annotators add, not with a partial eye, beholding [Page 458] my blackness and not my comeliness; no nor yet with a dull de [...] ­jected, or despendent Eye; Nor yet so as to take a Copy from me for your imitation. Do not thus look upon me, because I am black.

[...] There is a little difference in the form of the word from the word as used before [...]. It is the observation of some critical Interpreters, that this change of the form of the word, maketh a diminution in the sense. So as it should be read, because I am something black a little black, duskish, subnigra, fusca (thus Arias Montanus translates it.) Nun [...] se corrigit (saith Ge­nebrard) here she correcteth her self. She had said before she was black. Now she altereth her phrase and speaks to this sense; I am indeed something brown, but not so black as you take me to be; thus I said critical Interpreters in the Hebr. carry it. Mercer also and Mr. Ainsworth, & our English Annotators take some notice of it. And Mr. Ainsworth quotes a text where another word much of the same form is translated, something red. We have now pro­bably the sense of the words. O you that are the People of God, do not look upon me with a scornful abominating Eye, to flee from me, and avoid me: Nor yet to take out a Sinful Copy from me: you men of the world, do not scorn, do not clap your hands at me, do not stand amazed, because you see me full of trouble, and affliction, do not look upon me on one side parti­ally; I am indeed something black, but not coal black, not wholly black.

The Sun hath looked upon me.] The Arabick version reads it, The Sun hath declined me, but Avenarius tells us, the Hebrew word [...] signifyeth to look wistly and directly upon an Object; in that first Conjugation it is used but thrice in holy Writ, Job 20 9. The Eye also that saw him shall see him no more. Job. 28. 7. There is a path, which the Vultures Eye hath not seen. The third is this text. So as the ordinary reading is not to be declined. But con­cerning the Sun mentioned in this text there is a great Variety amongst Interpreters.

1. some understand bY the Sun here the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ who is so called Malachy 4. 2. and accor­ding to this sense, I find Delrio giving a singular sense of these words which he calleth the Tropological sense. As if these words were not brought in by the spouse as a reason of her blackness but only as a reason why they should not despise her by reason of her blackness. Tho I am black, (saith she) yet the Sun of righ­teousness, [Page 459] the Lord Jesus Christ hath looked on me and hath clothed me with his Righteousness, therefore you ought not to despise me. There is a great truth in this. If we can Charitably judge con­cerning any soul that God hath received it, if we see any Person so living, so aright ordering his conversation, that we can­not but think he or she is one whom the Lord loves, and who is accepted of him, we ought not to despise them, because we see them gu [...]ley of some failings, or altho we find them made black through a pressure of trials and afflictions. But this seem­eth not to be the sense of the words. 2. Others understand­ing by Sun here, the Sun of Righteousness make another improve­ment of the Notion. Christ, [The Sun of Righteousness] hath lookt upon me, and I am become black, that is, Vile in my own Eyes: This is truth, the more the Lord looketh upon any Soul the more mean and low and vile it is in its own Eyes. When our Lord looked upon Peter he went out, and wept bitterly. Isaiah cryeth out. Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amongst a People of unclean lips, for my Eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. The more the Lord looketh upon any Soul, or the more a Soul looketh up to and upon God, the more vile it iudgeth its self; but tho this be true, yet I cannot judge it the truth of this place, where I take the Spouse to be apologizing for her blackness in her outward ap­pearance to others; tho it be also true, That Exercises of re­pentance, and mortification do not commend Souls to the Eye of the world, tho they highly commend them unto God. Bernard hath yet a 3d improvement of this notion— Ejus amore lang [...]eo. God by casting an Eye upon my Soul, hath so drawn out my heart after him, that I faint, and am broken with longings for and af­ter him; this maketh me so unlovely, and black in your Eyes. I find both these last mentioned notions in Bernard. Thus the Souls blackness, had only been occasioned accidentally from the Sun's looking upon her.

2. I find that some by the Sun (in the Text) understand the fruits of the Spirit; such as zeal which inflameth the Soul where it is, and as it were burns it up, as it is written, The zeal of thy house hath Eaten me up: Brotherly Love which teacheth the Soul to weep with those that weep, from which ariseth what the world miscalleth a blackness.

3. But I find the generality of Interpreters by the Sun (in the [Page 460] Text) understanding Persecutions and Afflictions. Delrio and Ber­nard (after the mentioning some other notions) yet fix upon this as the most probable sense of this phrase, and we have in the Gospels a Text of Scripture which justifieth this Metaphorical acception of the term. It is that, Ma [...]th. 13. 6. in the Parable of the sower. In the parable our Saviour telleth them that the seed which sell upon the Stony ground, when the Sun was up, was scorched, which he interpreteth v. 21. when Tribulation, or persecution aris­eth because of the word, they fall away. In this sense I shall fix; so the sense is this:

It is true, I am black, but be not offended, do not contemn, or despise me for it; it is no native blackness, it is but accidental to me: it is not internal, but external, that which makes me thus black in your Eyes is, those Affl ctions, & persecutions, which I have met with in, and from the world. The exceeding heat of that sornace of affli­ction, into which the Providence of God hath cast me, hath scorched me: and that is it which maketh me appear so black in your Eyes. It followeth:

My Mothers Children were angry with me.] The Chaldee Para­phrast all along taking the Church of the Jews to be the Spouse here mentioned, by Mothers Children here understands the Hea­then, who were the Children of her mother Eve, tempting, and seducing them to their Idolatryes. The thing is true of that Church very often by the Heathen seduced to their Idolatrys; but I find amongst Interpreters, two other senses much more large, and probable.

1. Some by Mothers Children understand those l [...]sts and Corruptions, which lye in the womb of our Souls. Together with the habits of grace. Thus Paul complaineth of the flesh lust­ing against the Spirit, and of a law in his m [...]mbers, rebelling against the law of his mind.

2. others (more probably) understand such as are presump­tive members of the same visible Church. The true members of the Church can be no others then such as are ordained unto Life, such as are truly Sanctified through the Sanctification of the Spirit. But there are many others who from their external profession are presumptive members of it, so may be called our Mothers Chil­dren, tho not the Children of our Heavenly Father; such are all false brethren, all hypocrites glorying in an External profession, and meer outward appearance. Such as these are ordinarily an­gry [Page 461] with such as are the true Spouse of Christ▪ David complained long since that he was become a stranger to his brethren, an alien to his Mothers Children; the Apostle, Acts 20. 30. foretelleth to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus that there should arise of themselves, men speaking perverse things to draw many disciples after them; you may read at large in the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, how the primitive Churches of Christ were troubled with them, and Paul, in his Epistles to Timothy, foretells that latter times should be more troubled with such as should resist the truth, as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses. It was Bernards Observation, long since & more lately noted by Ge­nebrard upon my text that she doth not call them Brethren, but only her Mothers Children, not her Fathers, for they were of their Father the Devil, his works they did. Many such there now are & will be in the Church to the End of the World, who have only a titular relation to Christ, no real relation. This now is a Second cause which the Spouse assigneth of her blackness. There were many false brethren in her communion who had falsely represen­ted, and reported her and made her appear far more unlovely in the sight of others than indeed she was; this I take to be the most proper sense of this phrase.

They made me the keeper of the Vineyards.] The Chaldee Para­phrast by the Vineyards here understands the Idolatry and Super­stition of the Heathen, to which the true members of the Jew­ish Church were tempted by the Heathen their Neighbours, and the false brethren they had amongst themselves. Hypocrites, and formal professors are very prone to admit the Superstitions of men in the Worship of God. The Pharisees in our Saviours time laid heavy burdens of humane traditions upon others, Mat. 23. 4. Into this sense Mercer and Ainsworth interpret the text, observing that it is their Vineyards; their Vineyards opposed to her own Vineyard, seems to imply the false Worship, Rites, and Ceremo­nies of d [...]bauched and apostatized Churches.

There is yet another sense of the words hinted by Delrio and Genebrard. It is this, They intangled me in secular affairs, so made me neglect the things which were Spiritual and of much higher con­cernment to me. This now is a third cause, which the Spouse assign­eth of her blackness: 1. She had before told us she was Scorched with afflictions and persecutions. The Sun had looked upon her. 2. She had been betrayed, by her own lusts, and by false brethren, [Page 462] and seduced her to intertain their corruptions, to keep their Vineyards, now she tells us That her secular diversions, did also much contribute to her darkness, she had been made to serve in the brick-kilns of the world. Keeping of Vineyards was a great deal of the labour of those Countrys a painful and labori­ous imployment; therefore you read, 2 Kings. 25. 12. upon the King of Babylons conquest of Judea that the Captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be Vine-dressers & husbandmen; & those who in the parable had been labouring in the Vineyard tell the Lord of the Vineyard, they had born the burden and heat of the day.

My own Vineyard I have not kept.] Here now the Spouse assigneth a fourth cause of her blackness. The question here is, what is meant by her own Vineyard? It is manifestly to be understood of something which the Lord had committed to her to keep, con­sidering the Church as the Spouse. The Oracles of God were com­mitted to the Church of the Jews (as the Apostle telleth us, Rom. 3. 2. and the Church is called, The pillar and ground of Truth, 1 Tim. 3. 15. Paul tell us. 1 Tim. 1. 11. that the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to his trust, and telleth Timothy the Ministry was committed to his trust. St. Paul calls it his Gospel upon this account, Rom. 26. 25. and saith they were put in trust with the Gospel, that is, the Custody and Ministration of it. And St. Paul commandeth Timothy to commit the things which he had heard of him, amongst many witnesses to faithful men, who should be able to teach others. That general term of the Gospel signi­fieth both the Propositions of the Truth, and Doctrine of Faith con­tained in the new Testament and also those excellent rules which are to be found in it, relating both to the Worship of God, and the Government of the Church of Christ, & the dispensation and admi­nistration of it. This Gospel as to the Ministration of it was by Christ committed, first to the Apostles, to be by them transmit­ted to faithful and able men, as to the keeping of it to the whole Church. The Church of Sardis, Rev. 3. 8. is commended, for keeping Christs word, and not denying his name. This undoubtedly is the Churches Vineyard. The Province which God hath betrus­ted to her to keep. But every particular Soul hath a Vineyard too. And what is its Vineyard but its immortal Soul, and the particular trust which God hath committed to it, with relation both to its self and others? What is the keeping of this Vineyard, [Page 463] but a Christians observance of the duties incumbent upon him, with reference to his more general, or more particular calling? So that understanding by the Spouse the particular Christian, she complaineth here of her own voluntary neglect, and careless­ness as to her own Soul, suffering the weeds of lusts and cor­ruptions to grow up, and to prevail, according to that of Solo­mon, I passed by the Vineyard of him who was vaid of understan­ding, and to, it was overgrown with thorns: Nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone-wall thereof was broken down, Prov. 24. 30, 31. This now is the fourth cause which the Spouse here assigneth of her blackness; thus I have given you the best ac­count I have been able of the sense of these words, which if you take them as the words of the Church (the collective Spouse of Christ) sound thus:

O you that are my Brethren (members of other Churches) you that are my Neighbours, the men of the World. I must confess I am something black, yet not wholly black, not inwardly black, not with­out some comeliness, I may be a little black, yet let not me be the ob­ject of your contempt, despight or scorn, let not my blackness make you decline, be afraid, or ashamed of the ways of God; let it not cause you to err as I have erred. I have been under great temptations, long, and sharp trials of persecution, these have a little tanned me, and made me to look something unlovely; I have had some Neigh­bours, and false Brethren, who have allured, inti [...]ed, and betrayed me, my Enemies have imposed upon me a superstitious Worship, su­perst [...]tious Rites and Ceremonies, and have prevailed with me some­thing to comply with them. Nor am I as to my self to be wholly ex­cused, I must own that through my own voluntary omission, and neg­lect, I have not kept the Truths, and Ordinances of Worship, nor any of the Laws of God concerning me, so as I ought to have done, or might have done.

If we take the words as the words of the particular believing Soul, they sound thus.

O my Brethren! I am I confess black, but let not my blackness cause you to tr [...]umph over me, nor yet for my sake to decline the holy ways of God. I have been under many sore and great temptations, in great heats of affliction; the Sun hath looked upon me, others have too much seduced me, and I have been misled by them, I have been too much intangled in secular concerns, so as I have been too negligent as to the concerns of my own Soul. From the words thus opened, [Page 464] several Propositions may be raised, of which I shall discourse in their order. I shall only name them at this time.

Prop. 1. That even the Spouse of Christ on this side of Heaven, hath her blacknesses, which will expose her to the reproach and obloquy of her Brethren, and the men of the world.

Prop. 2. Though the Spouse of Christ be black, yet she is also comely.

Prop. 3. As the Spouse of Christ ought to know that she is black, so she al­so ought to understand she is comely.

Prop. 4. As the Spouse of Christ ought to own, and acknowledge her infir­mity, and desormities, so it is also her duty at sometimes to own, and acknowledge her beauty, and graces, and to justify her self against those who would upbraid her for her blackness.

Prop 5. It is our duty to take heed how we look upon the Spouses black­ness.

Prop. 6. Affliction, and persecution from the world, will make the Church, and people of God look black, especially in the Eyes of the men of the world.

Prop. 7. Corruptions within, and false Brethren in the bosom of the Church, will make both the Church, and the particular Soul appear black.

Prop. 8. Great intanglements in worldly affairs, will make Gods people look black.

Prop. 9. The yieldings of a Church, or of particular Souls, to impositions of false and corrupt worship, are a great cause of their appearing blackness.

Prop. 10. Nothing makes a Church, or particular Soul so black as their own neglect in keeping their own Vineyards, the trust which God hath betrusted them with. I shall speak something to all, or the most of these in their order hereafter.

Sermon XXXII.

Cant. 1. 5.
I am black but comely: O you Daughters of Hierusalem, as the Tents of Kedar, as the Curtains of Solomon.

I Shall now begin a larger discourse upon those Propositions which I did but name the last time after my explication of this, and the next verses. I will join the two first, and handle them severally, then apply them jointly.

Prop. 1. The Spouse of Christ on this side of Heaven, hath her blackness, exposing her to the reproach and obloquy of others, but she is al­so comely, and therefore ought not to be looked upon, because she is black.

My business in the handling of this Proposition will chiefly lie in these two things.

1. First, Shewing you wherein lies the Spouses blackness, ex­posing her to the obloquy of others.

2. Secondly, Shewing you wherein her comeliness lieth. The confirmation I shall mix with the explication. By the Spouse here I have all along understood, the believing Soul, & the Church of Christ, which is a body made up of these as its Members, they have both their blackness, for which they are exposed to the ob­loquy of others.

1. First, Sins, and Corruptions make them black. The best of men, are but as white Swans, with black feet, they have in them a body of death, a law in their members rebelling against the law of their mind, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and they are many times brought into a captivity to the law of their members, and though these motions to sin be ordinarily suppres­sed, yet they sometimes break out. The Pride of one, and the ssionate anger and wrath of another, and other lusts in others [Page 466] often break out unseemly, and make even the best of Gods Peo­ple appear black, the habituated Sinner is all black, there is in him no whiteness, no comeliness at all. The glorified Saint is all white, there is in him no blackness at all. The militant Saint, is partly white, and in part black. All sin is black. Christ therefore in justification makes the Soul white through his blood, Rev. 7. 14. They are made white in the blood of the Lamb. In regeneration they are made white; cleansed through the washing of water, Eph. 5. 21. Hence, Christ tells his Disciples, except I wash you, you can never be made clean; they are clean, but yet had need wash their seet, John 13. 10. If there be in us any thing of faith, yet there is also much of unbelief; who liveth, and sinneth not? the righ­teous man falleth seven times in a day, and who can tell how often he offendeth? and though indeed the lust and corruption, that is in a good mans heart, doth not commonly break out into scan­dalous acts, which standers by take notice of, yet sometimes they do. Lot and Noah were both overtaken with Wine, David was overco [...]e by the stranger that came to his House. Peter de­nied his Master. Solomon, Asa, Jehosaphat, all the good Kings of Judah had their great Errors, which are as black spots upon their memories to this day. And besides the blot which these e­ruptions of corruption leave upon the particular Souls, they leave also a blackness in the Church, which is made up of them. Besides that, there is no Church but hath in it some of unsancti­fied hearts, who as Jude tells us, are spots in our feasts of chari­ty, and where they prevail in number, they bring in also another blackness upon the Church, by admission of corruptions, in Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline, &c.

2. Particular Souls are also black through acts of mortification. The people of God live a dying life; I die daily (saith Paul) they keep under their Bodies, that they may keep them in sub­jection to their Spirits. Now though there is nothing makes a Soul to look more white, and beautiful in the Eyes of God, yet nothing makes them appear more black and unlovely in the Eyes of the world. The world looks upon Christians chastising themselves with fasting, and tears, in their dejections, and hu­miliations, as very black, but this is indeed no real, but an appear­ing blackness, to such as understand no loveliness in any thing but sensuality.

3. The People of God are often black through afflictions. Job [Page 467] speaking of affliction saith, Job 30. 30. My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burnt with heat. Hence the afflicted faces are said to gather blackness, Joel 1. 6. Nahum 2. 10. The skin of the Church in the hour of her affliction, is said to have been as black as a Raven, Lam. 5. 10. and it is said of the afflicted Naza­rites, Lam. 4. 8. That their visage was more black then a Coal. So that you see Affliction is every where in Scripture called Black­ness. Now there is no Child of God in this life exempted from afflictions, such as are from the hand of God immediately, of which nature are desertions, terrors, and Soul troubles of several sorts, bodily distempers, &c. or from Satan more immediately, of which nature are temptations. Or from the world, in persecuti­ons, and injuries by it done unto them, and the Spouse seemeth to have a particular respect to these, for she adds, my Mothers Children were angry with me. And as the particular Soul is sub­ject to these blacknesses, so is the Church.

1. Through a mixture of ill members, such as (to use Judes phrase) are spots in the Churches feasts of charity. Such no Church of God hath been free from in any age, some that are corrupt in their tenets, and principles, others that are so in their conversations. God denominates his Church from the sincere, and better part of it, but the world alwaies denominates it from the worser part, and cries— Crimine ab uno disce omnes, they are all alike, hence there is no man causeth the name of God to be so reproached, and evil spoken of, as persons professing to re­ligion, and membership in Churches, and living loosely, o [...]grow­ing corrupt in their Doctrines, and Principles.

2. The Church becomes black, Through the admission of cor­ruption in Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline. All deviation from the Divine Rule (where it is a sufficient rule in the case) is the black­ness of any Church; it is a wonderful thing to observe how prone the heart of man is to this. Though the Church of the Jews had a more infallible rule, and more plain in this case, then any other Church can pretend to. Yet I cannot find that ever the Worship of God continued in it in purity fourscore years. The longest was the time of David and Solomon, who each of them reigned forty years, but in the latter part of Solomons time, it admitted of much corruption, there was a great toleration of Idolatry (as you read in the story) and you shall observe in the whole History of that Church, in how few Kings Reigns, the [Page 468] high places, and the groves were taken away, and when they were taken away in one Kings Reign, how soon they grew in fashion again in the next, though there were no sins for which the Jews so severely smarted, nor against which the wrath of God was more severely declared by the Prophets God sent a­mongst them. If (in the New Testament) you look over the Epistles wrote to the Church of Corinth, and Galatia, and the seven Churches of Asia, you will again find the same thing; it is true, every deviation from truth, or from the purity of Wor­ship, or discipline, will not unchurch a Church, the Lord hateth putting away; concerning Idolatry, I know not what to say, that is a Spiritual Adultery, and every where in Scripture is call'd Whoredom, and going a Whoring, and as divorce was lawful in case of carnal adultery, so possibly it may be presumed as to spiri­tual adultery, that God hath said to a People Lo-ammi, you are not my people who are lapsed to idolatry: but for other failings, tho the Lord liketh them not, but hath something against every Church that admits any corruptions of this nature, yet they are but spots and blemishes, and how far a separation from such a Church may be lawful, or is sinful, is a great question. I think a total separation is not. But that is not my task at present to discourse.

3. The Church also may be black through persecutions. The af­flicted state of the Church is called a lying amongst the pots, Psal. 68. 13. Probably there may be a time towards the end of the World, when the true Church of Christ may enioy some tran­quillity, and enjoy a more serene, quiet, and fixed state then it hath yet enjoyed, or doth at this day enjoy, when it shall not be so incumbred by the Cross, and those tribulations, by which Christians have hitherto entred into the Kingdom of God; there have been some both more ancient and modern Divines, who have inclined to think, that yet before the end of the World, Christ shall reign upon the Earth a thousand years, but whether that time which we call the day of Judgment, shall last so long, or those thousand years shall be a space of time preceding the last judgment, whether those Scriptures which are usually interpreted in favour of that opinion, signifying Christs being heve in Person, or only a quiet, and more tranquil estate of the Church, are questions which I shall not undertake to determine. But as the history of the Gospel Church hitherto justifieth, that [Page 469] it hath been a state of affliction, and blackness; so most Divines are pretty well agreed, that we are not to expect any other, un­til those thousand years do begin, so as in this respect we must look to see the Church of Christ black, however white she be upon other accounts. Now thus the Spouse is black, not in Gods Eyes, who judgeth not according to outward appearance, but according to the heart, and in his judgment of men counteth none the worse, for what happeneth to them from the World, or from the Devil, and though he cannot look upon iniquity in the best so as to approve of it, yet doth he not judge of them according to their failings, but giveth an allowance both for their infirmi­mities, and temptations, upon which account he calleth to us to behold the patience of Job, though Job had his fits of frowardness, and impatience, and often calleth his Spouse fair, and undefiled, though she hath many defilements. But.

1. The Spouse upon these accounts is black in her own Eyes. 2. In the Eyes of others.

1. In her own Eyes she is black; two things make her so. 1. Her Humility. 2. Her Love jealousy. The Child of God is alwaies vile in his own Eyes, and hath a very low and mean opinion of himself, and therefore condemneth himself for every motion, and prevailing of corruption. I am a worm (saith David) and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the peopl [...], Psal. 22. 6. O wretched man that I am, (saith St. Paul) who shall deliver me from this body of death, Rom. 7. in another place he calleth himself the greatest of sinners, and the least of Saints. Woe is me (saith the Prophet) I am a man of unclean lips; the sense of former sins makes them call themselves black. I am (saith Paul) not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of Christ. The sense of present corruptions also makes them so judge; Iniquities (saith David) prevail against me. Hence is the ordinary dialect of pious Souls. There was never any had such unbelieving hearts, such proud, dead, false, & hypocritical hearts as ours are. Those who are most eminently comely in the Eyes of Christ, are usually most black in their own Eyes. 2. Their Love-jealousy is another cause. Their love for God is so great, that they suspect every frown of Providence, as speaking God out of favour with them for their sins. Hence it often proveth as great a matter of diffi­culty to persuade the Child of God, that God hath any favour for him, as it is to persuade a sinner that God hath any dis­pleasure to him.

[Page 470] 2. Secondly (which possibly is here chiefly intended) She is black in the Eyes of others. The World dealeth by the Disciples of Christ, as it dealt with him (nor is it reasonable to expect that the Disciple should be above his Master, or the Servant a­bove his Lord) they saw Christ despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, they hid their faces from him, and esteemed him not. The men of the world see the peo­ple of God, men of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, they despise them, and esteem them not, yea, for the most part their business is to blacken them, loading them with reproach and ca­lumny, and laying to their charge things which they know not, and all this through an implacable enmity, put betwixt the seed of the Woman, and the seed of the Serpent, or because they see themselves condemned by the more righteous conversation of such as fear God. Nay it often so falls out, that the People of God are black in the Eyes of their Brethren, through mistakes, as Eli mistook Hannah, or through envy or prejudice, &c. But this is enough to have spoken concerning the Spouses black­ness.

2. Let me now come to shew you how, and in what sense she is comely. 1. She hath a comeliness besides her blackness. 2. In some of her blackness there is a comeliness.

1. The Spouse is not wholly black, besides her blackness she hath a great beauty, and comeliness. Every believer hath something of unbelief in him, but he is not an unbeliever, he hath a truth of faith in him, there is his comeliness. Paul had a law in his mem­bers, that was his blackness, but he had also a law of his mind, that was his comeliness. All sin and lust is blackness all gracious habits are the Souls beauty and comeliness. The unbeliever, the natural man is wholly black, the godly man is not so, there is a mixture in his Soul, he is come into Canaan, tho some Canaanites yet dwell in the Land, the faith, and love, and obedience of a good man, his pantings, and breathings after God, his complacency, delight, and rejoycing in God, these are all his comeliness. The Church of God may have spots in her assemblies, these are her blackness, but she keepeth up her assembl [...]es, and hath the Ordi­nances of God in them, that is her comeliness, she may have seve­ral hypocrites, meer seeming professors, these are her spots, from these is her blackness, but she hath many that love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity, these are her comeli­ness; [Page 471] she may-suffer some erroneous principles to be published in her, that is her blackness but she keepeth the foundation doctrines of faith and holiness pure, and incorrupt; that is her comeliness.

2. In much of her blackness there is a beauty, and a comeliness. It is Bernards note, whatsoever is black is not therefore uncomely. The Eye is black, yet comely. Marble is black, but yet it is comely. Christ is black but yet he was comely. Look upon him (saith that devout man,) clothed with raggs, blew with Stripes, daubed with his Enemies Spittle, pale with death, you will say he was black, but yet he was comely, yea the Chiefest of ten thousand. The Apostles saw him comely when upon the mountain they beheld his glory at his transfiguration. Nay in his blackness there was comliness, to see him under all this be­coming obedient to his Fathers will, even unto death, the bitter death upon the Cross, working out the redemption and Salva­tion of all those whom the Father had given him; this was come­ly. When the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us (saith St. John) we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. Look upon the Child of God, as daubed, and besmeared with the filth and obloquy which the men of the World cast upon him: Scorched with Afflictions, fol­lowed with dark, and hellish temptations; so indeed he looketh black in our carnal Eyes but in other respects he is comely, even in this blackness.

1. As by these afflictions Christ is magnified in his body, and he is made conformable unto Christ, and filling up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ: So he is comely. All conformity to Christ is beauty, Paul desired no more then that he might know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made comformable unto his death, Philip. 3. 11. This is what our Saviour told his disciples, John 15. to comfort them under the Worlds hatred which he knew would make them to appear black, If the World hateth you it hated me first. The suffering child of God lookes black, but as Christ is by his sufferings magnified in his body as he is by his sufferings made more like to Christ, so he is comely.

2. Secondly. As a believers afflictions perfect him for glory, so even in his blackness there is a comeliness. The Captain of our Sal­vation was made perfect (as the Apostle tells us) through suffer­ing Heb. 2. 10. and so must the Souldiers under this Captain be [Page 472] made perfect, for by much tribulation they also must enter into the Kingdom of God. By this (saith the Lord, speaking of the Afflictions of Jacob) shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and all the fruit shall be to take away Sin. Afflictions to the Church and People of God, are but as the furnace for the Silver, and the re­fining pot for the Gold, like polishing Irons to the Stone, and the File to the Steel.

3. Finally. There is a comeliness in this blackness, as Afflicti­ons give the Spouse advantage, and opportunities for the more no­ble and perspicuous exercises of their graces. Faith never shineth so much as in a dark place, and state; now for a season (saith Pe­ter, 1 Pet. 1. 7.) You are in heaviness through manifold temptati­ons (their was their blackness) but it followeth, That the tryal of your faith being much more precious then that of Gold which perisheth, might be found unto praise, honour, and glory. There now was a comeliness in their blackness; though he killeth me (saith Job) yet will I trust in him, there again was comeliness in blackness. Patience is another grace, the time for the exercise, of which is a time of afflictions, and tryals; it is a feature in the face of a Child of God hardly discernable, but in a day of adversity, when we fall under severer Providences, then is the time for Patience to have its perfect work. If you look upon the Child of God as lying amongst the pots, under the reproach, and obloquy, and rage, and injuries of a vile and wicked generation, who fly at the image of God wherever they see it, out of that perfect hatred they have to God, so indeed he looks black. But now see him under this, owning the righteousness and goodness of God, kis­sing the Word of God, saying concerning his Enemies, Let them alone, perhaps God hath bidden them curse, and will requite me with blessing for all the cursings wherewith they have cursed me, or with Eli, 1 Sam. 3. 18. saying; It is the Lord, let him do unto me what seemeth good unto him, or with Stephen, praying for his Enemies, and saying, Father! forgive them! they know not what they do; so he appeareth comely. Look upon the Child of God, under the withdrawings of divine influences from him, when we hear him crying out, My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me? he appeareth to us black, but if we see him under such withdrawings, resolving to trust in God, not to depart from his integrity, nor to forget the Lords precepts, nor deal falsely in his Covenant, but still adhering to God, and his ways, and [Page 473] following him with fervent and importunate prayers, so again he appeareth comely. In short;

1. The Spouse of Christ is comely in the Eyes of the generality of the Saints, and People of God. There may be some grains of envy, and passion in the hearts of the best of Gods people, which may cause some misinterpretation of their brethren, as Joshuah envied for Moses his sake, when Eldad, and Medad pro­phecied in the Camp, Num. 11. 29. and the Disciples of John were jealous for their Master; and by mistakes they may be judg­ed black, as Hannah was by Eli. But by the generality of the Saints, all such as are partakers of the Divine Nature, they will be judged comely, notwithstanding their low and afflicted con­dition, and notwithstanding that partial blackness which appear­eth in them.

2. They are comely in Christs Eyes; and alas how small a thing to the Child of God is it to be judged of mans judg­ment? Bernard thus glosseth upon the words; Nigra vestro, formosa Divino Angelicoque judicio, I am black in your judgment, but fair in the judgment of God, and of the Angels. The Spouse is black in the Worlds Eyes, but exceeding comely in Christs Eyes. The Spouse speaketh to her beloved, Can. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee. He replieth to her, v. 10. How fair is thy love, my Sister, my Spouse. v. 11. Thy lips (O my Spouse) drop as the Hony-comb, Hony and Milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy Garments is like the smell of Lebanon. Would you be confirmed in this, and understand whence it is that Christ judgeth his Spouse so comely? I will shew you in a few particulars.

1. Because he loveth her. Love never calleth its object black, but alwaies imprinteth a loveliness in its object beloved; the blackest woman is fair in her Husbands Eye, love with men co­vereth a multitude of faults, and infirmities, it overlooks black­ness and lameness, and crookedness, and any external deformity, it calleth black things white, crooked things straight, and lame things perfect. Christ loves every Spouse of his with a dear and most tender love. But yet this is our infirmity. Christ cannot call any comely, who indeed is not so, the Spouse must be come­ly, before he can judge, or call her so.

2. Therefore she must needs be comely in the Eyes of Christ, because he hath made her so, by putting his comeliness upon her▪ [Page 474] Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee (saith the Lord God.) No Child of God is comely in his or her own comeliness, but in Christs comeliness put upon him or her. Now this is twofold. 1. His perfect Righteousness. 2. His holy and blessed Spirit.

1. His perfect Righteousness. Thus the Soul is comely by im­putation. All unrighteousness is blackness, and uncomeliness in the Eyes of God, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and it is impossible that the Lord should look upon any Soul as comely, but that Soul whom he looketh upon as righteous. Christ was of old prophecied of, under the notion of the Lord our righteousness, and the Apostle tells us he was made of God, Wis­dom, Righteousness. &c. This righteousness of Christ lay in his perfect obedience to the whole law of God, and his suffering the curse of the law due to us for our transgression of it; it being the act of another, we could not have any interest in it, but by a gracious imputation, or reckoning it to us, and by this gracious act, upon our faith by apprehending it, it becomes ours, so we are said to be justified by his faith, Rom. 5. 1. yet by his blood, as v. 9, and yet by grace, Titus 3. 7. It was an act of grace in God to accept the performance of another for us, the act and satisfacti­on of the surety, for the satisfaction, and acts of the principals, yet a satisfaction must be given; for God, Rom. 3. 25. set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins—That he might be just while he became the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. So that upon every Souls believing in Jesus Christ, who justifies the ungodly. God becomes its justifier, and the Soul standeth as righteous in the fight of God, through Gods imputation of righteousness to it without works, and not imputing sin (as the Apostle expounds the whole business of justification, Rom. 4. 5, 8.) Thus now e­very believing Soul becomes a righteous Soul in the Eye of God, through the righteousness of Christ put upon it. This is indeed what some modern wits laugh at. But as we say in other cases, let them laugh that win; so every serious Soul will think it hath cause of rejoycing, if it hath thus won Christ to use the Apostles expression, Phil. 3. 8. which he expoundeth in the very next words. v. 9. And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; and I would have all that love their own Souls, look to be one of that [Page 475] circumcision, which the Apostle speaketh of in that Chapter. v. 3. Which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Some trust in Chariots (faith the Psalmist) some in Horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God, Psal. 20. 7. (I do but allude to that Text. There are some that trust to a righteousness of other Saints (so do the Papists) some trust in a righteousness of their own, so do they also amongst others, some trust to the meer free grace of God, without any regard to a perfect righteousness, but we will trust alone in Jesus Christ, and in his righteousness. I fear what follows in the Psalmist. v. 8. will be found true in the day of Judgment. Those will be brought down and fall, but those that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and his righteousness, will rise and stand upright. Those that trust in the good works of other Saints, will find at that day, they will have none to spare, there will not be enough for themselves, and much less to lend to o­thers (as the wife Virgins told the foolish Virgins in the Parable wanting O [...]l, and offering to borrow of them;) and those who trust to a righteousness of their own, will find that they do but trust to a Spiders webb, and which hath these two qualities analo­gous to a Spiders web: 1. That it is a thing spun out of their own bowels. 2. That the least touch of it sweeps it away, it is what upon examination, when judgment is laid to the line, and this righteousness to the plummet, will be found to be no such thing as will cover the Souls nakedness, a bed too short for a Soul to stretch it self in Gods sight upon. They say the great Cardinal Bellarmine dying, confessed that it was safest to trust to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ; whether he said so or no, I am sure it will be found so. There is an original blackness, which cleaveth to every Soul, the not belief of which is possibly the foundation error as to this great point. 1. A blackness of impu­tation. The Apostle tells us, that in Adam all died; we were all in the loins of that our first Parent, what he lost he lost for us, we in him plucked a fruit of the Tree of forbidden fruit, and so loft that Original Righteousness in which God at first made man, and became black, and unrighteous. 2. An inherent blackness, for having lost the image of the heavenly, we were born with the Image of the Earthly, which lay in a Native aversion from God, and a Native proneness, and aptitude to sin against God. This is seen in our native ignorance, and blind­ness, stubborness, and perverseness, in our naturally vile affecti­ons [Page 476] turbulent, and impetuous passions, things very far from the Image of God; and hence we are all by nature (saith the A­postle, Eph. 2. 3.) Children of Wrath. To say nothing of those actual sins, which are consequent to this native blackness, all our thoughts, words, and deeds, contrary to the law of God: Divines think the natural blackness of the Soul is well set out by the Prophet, Ezek. 16. Thy birth is of the land of Canaan, thy Fa­ther was an Amorite, thy Mother an Hittite. In the day wherein thou wert born, thy Navel was not cut, neither wert thou washed in water to supple thee, thou wert not salted at all, nor swadled at all, none Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee, but thou wert cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day wherein thou wert born. All this while here is no appearance of any thing but filthiness, and blackness. Now how cometh this black, and most filthy creature to be made clean, and come­ly. see v. 6. I said unto thee while thou wert in thy blood, live. (There is what we call effectual calling.) v. 7. I have caused thee to multiply—and thou art increased, and waxed great, and come to excellent Ornaments. v. 8. When I passed by thee, it was a time of Love, yea, I spread my skirt over thee, and I covered thy nakedness, yea, I sware unto thee, and entred into a covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water, (there the Spouses blackness began first to wear off) yea, I thoroughly washed thy blood off thee, and I anointed thee with Oil. (the Psalmist tells us, Oil makes the face to shine.) I clothed thee also. v. 14. And thy renown went forth among the Nations for thy beauty, for it was persect through my comeliness put upon thee saith the Lord thy God. God there under the similitude of a wretched new born Infant, and the care of a Parent for it, setteth out the woful state of the Jews, and Gods care for them, and as Divines judge, the wretched state of every Soul by nature, till washed by Christs blood, and made comely, by Christs comeliness, is al­so by that similitude excellently expressed, but it is plain enough from other texts, that our comeliness of righteousness, that righ­teousness wherein we must stand righteous before God, is put upon us by Christ, and his comeliness, though by imputation, made ours.

2. Christ makes us righteous, by putting his Spirit into us. Hence he promiseth to put his Spirit into his people, and you read of the holy Spirit dwelling in believers, and working in them. This is the [Page 477] comeliness of Regeneration and Sanctification, which is called the San­ctification of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ in us, whose fruits Gal. 5. 22. are love, joy, meekness, &c. Indeed whatsoever rend­reth a soul comely and beautiful in the eye of reason; upon the uni­on of which holy Spirit with the soul, the soul becomes a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. In the same hour wherein Christ saith to the soul I will, be thou clean he also saith I will, be thou pure, and holy, an habitation for God through the Spirit, undefiled in the heart and in the way. This is also metaphorically set out by the same Prophet Ezekiel 16. 10, 11, 12. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain about thy neck, and I put a jewel upon thy forehead, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head. What do all these metaphorical expressions signify, but the various habits of grace, with which Christ adorneth the new crea­ture, in the day of its new birth, in the day when he removeth from it the guilt of its iniquity, he doth not only wash, and cleanse it with his blood from the guilt of its Sin, but he reneweth and sanctifieth it, and furnisheth it with all habits of grace. This is also Christs comeliness, for as the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodi­ly, so himself received the Spirit without measure that he might measure it out by measures to his people, and they might of his fulness receive grace for grace. The holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, and all its operations are his; Christ tells his Spouse in this Song that she had ravished his heart with the chains about her neck, but there is not a jewel in those chains, but cometh out of Christs cabinet, he giveth those chains with which himself is ravished, though these divine powers, and habits be his, yet being once given and by us produced into Acts they are truely and inherently ours: Our Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness Joy, &c. Our stock of grace upon which our souls live, yet not without the daily influence of Christ and assistance of his spirit; and this stock is capable of aug­mentation, or diminution, as it pleaseth God to let out upon us or to withdraw from us, and as we more or less improve it, tho indeed Christ hath a constant inspection upon his Spouses treasury and will take care that it shall never so fail, but there shall be a seed of God abiding in the soul continually, and the grace of Regeneration in it shall be like a spring of water whose waters fail not. This now is the Spouses real beauty, and comliness, which makes her inwardly comely, tho she be externally black, comely in Christs eyes, and [Page 478] comely, in the eyes of judicious Christians, tho black in the Worlds eyes who judg from external accidents, or in the eyes of less judici­ous Christians, either judging from outward accidents, or particular acts or from some corrupt passion in themselves.

3. They must be comely in Christs eyes, because he judgeth not of comeliness from the outward appearance, nor yet from single spots and defects, but according to the heart, the scope and intention of that: and from the more constant tenour of the Souls actions. The speaking of a few words to this, will prevent an objection: How Christ can judg a soul comely, that is yet full of spots, infirmities and defects, for even the best of men sinneth seven times a day, and who can tell how often he offendeth? I say Christ judgeth not from the outward appearance, man judgeth so, but God judgeth from the heart, he looketh at the inward man how that is; nor doth he there judg from every particu­lar motion, any more then from any particular act in our conversa­tion, but from the sincerity and uprightness of the heart. If there be a willing mind it is accepted. The World judgeth from the outward appearance, and indeed that is one disadvantage with re­ference to the World that the spouse of Christ is under, she is Ni­gra extrinsecus, formosa, intrinsecus. Black outwardly but comely inwardly. The Kings Daughter, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 45. is all glorious within. A good Christian is like a Merchants warehouse, which is full of rich wares and commodities tho little appeareth without: The hypocrite is l [...]ke a Pedlars stall, where all is exposed, and perhaps much more then the pretended owner is worth. There is a double judgment of the comeliness of Virgins; the one is sen­suall, from the lines, and colour of the face, the Symmetry of parts, the other is rational from the complexion of the soul; Knowledg, Ingenuity, Modesty, Sobriety &c. Those who judg the former way may be deceived, that which the Vulgar calleth beauty, is de­ceitful, and vain, and fading, the person that is possessed of it is very often unlovely enough, through a crooked, and froward dis­position, and badness of humour; the latter maketh the true judg­ment; men judg of the comeliness and beauty of persons, meerly from the visage, and outside, so the children of God, are by them judged unlovely, and black as Ravens. If they see the Church or Child of God tossed with tempests and affl [...]cted, groaning under the sense of sin, they presently judg them according to the outward ap­pearance black, Christ looketh upon the heart, the bent and scope of that, its sincerity, and uprightness, its purity and holiness. The [Page 479] World again judgeth of men by single acts, (tho Philosophy teacheth us, that from them none is to be denominated either vir­tuous, or vicious.) God doth not so, which is remarkable in the two famous instances of Job and David. Job you know had great fits of impatience, yet saith God, Behold the patience of Job. David was a man of very great failings; his defiling of Bathsheba, his murder of Uria, his numbring of the People, were three (to name no more) yet God doth not onely mention him, as a man whose heart was perfect, a man according to Gods own heart; But in all the following story of the Kings of Judah God mentions him as a Pattern, telling us, that such a one did walk according to David, or such a one did not do according as David had done. The Apostle also tells us, that we have an high Priest that can have com­passion on our Infirmities, upon the ignorant, and those that are out of the way. All which makes it appear that Christs judgment of the Beauty and comliness of persons is not from single acts, but from a constant and general course of life and conversation. Now every true believer sets his heart to seek the Lord, and to walk before God with a true and perfect heart, and tho he faileth in many par­ticulars, yet the Lord overlooketh them and judgeth of the Soul, only from its [...]ope and intention, and the general course of his acti­ons, hence it is that the spouse of Christ tho in some respects she be black, and in the Worlds eyès she appeareth black, yet in truth, and in the Judgment of Jesus Christ she is comely.

Sermon XXXIII.

Canticles 1. 5.
I am black but comely (O you daughters of Jerusalem) as the tents of Kedar, as the Curtaines of Solomon.

My business in this exercise, is but to apply my last discourse. Where, I shewed you how, and in what sense the Spouse of Christ is Black and yet comely; black in her own eyes, in the worlds eyes, and somtimes so in the eyes of her weaker Brethren, but comely in Christs eyes, and in the eyes of her more judicious Brethren. Having a great comliness, in some of her blackness, and a comeliness besides her blacknes: Black through remaining Just, and corruption, through Afflictions, and persecutions: But comely hrough an imputed righteousness, and through the habits of grace with which God hath adorned her. I come now to apply that discourse; and First,

We may from hence gather the true notion of a child of God, and understand how he stands distinguished from one that is a na­tural man, and yet an unbeliever. The true notion of a child of God is this: He is one who is imperfectly perfect. Black but come­ly, you shall observe in Scripture, that perfection is both predicated and denied concerning the People of God; Not as if I had attained, or were already perfect saith Paul Phil. 3. 12. We are commanded to strive after perfection, to endeavour to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, but it is a mark which no man hitteth, Heaven is the only place, where just Souls are made perfect, both as to their frui­tions, and as to their Actions. A thing is then said to be perfect, and so a person, when there is nothing wanting to it, or him, nothing that can be added, and in this sense no man can be said to be per­fect: on the other side we are not only commanded to study per­fection, but it is said of many in holy Writ that they were perfect. Noah was a just and perfect man Gen. 6. 9. Job was perfect and upright, Job 1. 1. Paul saith he spake wisdom amongst them that [Page 481] are perfect. 1 Cor. 3. 6. Phil. 3. 15. Let us as many as be perfect. A Christian is perfect in the same sense that he is comely. In short there is a threefold perfection may be predicated of a Christian.

1. A Perfection of Justification. In this sense every believer is comely through Christs righteousness put upon him and reckoned to him and he is perfect, for the state of justification is a state that admits not of degrees, thus we are (as the Apostle speaketh to the Co­lossions compleat in Christ.

2. There is a Perfection of Regeneration and Sanctification. this is threefold. 1. Of degrees; thus none is perfect, no not one; none liveth and Sinneth not against God, there is something to be added to the best mans habits and Acts of Grace. 2. Of Parts; thus again every believer is perfect, Sanctified, (as the Apostle speaketh) in body, and mind, and spirit, the man is made a new creature, all the faculties, and powers of his Soul are renewed and Sanctified. 3. Of scope, design and intention. This is uprightness, this is called perfectness be­cause God upon the covenant of grace accepteth the Soul upon the account of Christ as if it had fulfilled the whole Law of God. Rom. 8. 3, 4. What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through our flesh, God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin (or by a Sacrifice for sin) condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not af­ter the flesh, but after the Spirit. God accounteth the righteousness of the Law fulfilled, by those who walk after the Spirit, tho per­sonally it is not, because Christ condemned sin in the flesh. Thus Noah is said to be a perfect man, Gen. 6. 9. and Job a perfect man and upright; this is expounded v. 8. one that feareth God and escheweth Evil. For in the strict sense of perfection; Job saith chap. 9. v. 20. If he justified himself his own mouth should condemn him, if he should say he were perfect that should prove him perverse.

3. There is a comparative perfection in this sense the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3. 6. That he spake wisdom amongst them that were per­fect, and Phil. 3 15. Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded that is, as many of us as are comparatively perfect, whose attainments as to knowledg and faith are higher than others. The State of the Saints is in no other sense a State of perfection. So as I say they are imperfectly perfect which is the same with that of the Text, Black but comely. And this sufficiently distinguisheth the believer from the unbeliever whether the profane person or the hypocrite. The un­believer may say he is black, but he cannot say he is comely. What [Page 482] beauty can there be in any Soul not reconciled to God? they are all blackness, all deformity. It is true there is a great deal of dif­ference in these men, some of them are black and filthy in the eyes of the rational, and more orderly part of the World, such is the Atheist, the profane Curser and Swearer, the Blasphemer, the Drunk­ard, the Thief, the Oppressor, the unrighteous, and intemperate man, these are the fots of the Earth, the spots of the World, the shame, and reproach of the Nation, or City in which they live, Beasts walking in humane shapes. But there are many others who have much beauty in them in the eyes of the World, and humane reason, yet are not comely in the eyes of Christ. If a man be Sober, and Temperate, Just, and Righteous, Kind, and Charitable, tho he liveth not up to the strict rule of the Gospel, and the Commandments of God, yet living up to the conduct of humane reason, and the advantages of humane society (which the others infect, and destroy) the World counteth him a very good man, full of beauty, and comeli­ness, applaudeth, commends, and courts him. But now the Lord Christ, not judging according to the outward appearance, but accord­ing to the heart, seeing in this mans heart, no love of God constrain­ing him to these acts, nothing of the fear of God awing this mans Soul unto his duty; God I say seeing him in these actions, neither acting from a persuasion that this is the will of God, nor from a belief of the Promises or of the Threatnings, nor from an Obedience to the Precepts of God, but meerly from Politick, and rational principles, from self ends, & interests, that he may appear to men to be good, and seeking in these actions the praise of men, not of God. Or meerly under the conduct of reason commanding their passions, in order to their more comfortable being in this World, and a more honorable and acceptable converse with the best men in it. God I say seeing this, judgeth these morally vertuous men black; we that are Parents to Children, and Masters [...] Servants, tho we cannot judge of their hearts, yet can distinguish betwixt actions which they do upon, and in obedience to our com­mand, and what they do not at our command, nor out of obedience to us, tho they be things which done please us, being what we would have had done. God who knoweth the heart will much more do so. I remember our Saviour, Matth. 23. 23. pronounceth a wo, to the Scribes, and Pharisees; for (faith he) you pay Tythe of Mint, and Annis and Cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment mercy, and faith, these things ought you to have done and not to have left the other undone. Christ judgeth the come­liness [Page 483] of a Soul, not meerly from its external acts, but from that faith in the Precepts, Promises, and Threatnings of the Word, from that love, fear, and obedience to God, which ought to have principled those acts, and if they had been so, would have made those acts more intense, certain, steddy, and uniform, if these be wanting, the Life-colours are wanting to the Picture. Other things make but up the Skeleton of the duty, and are but as a draught of the lines of the Face without the Life-colours which seldom have much beauty in them, and the Soul, notwithstanding all this fair and splendid outside is in his eyes but as a painted Sepulcher within which is nothing but a stench, and rottenness, and the bones of dead men. So that no Soul that is without Faith, without the fear and love of God, and that acteth not out of obedience to Christ in what it doth, but is black, wholly black in the Lords eyes, how fair soever in its own eyes, or the eyes of the men of the world; and what Augustine said of old of the best, and most vertuous actions of the Heathens is true of the best actions of these titular Christians, they are but Splendi­da Peccata, Splendid Sinnings. Thus now I say the true Christian standeth distinguished from unbelievers of all sizes whatsoever, none of them are comely, but wholly black in the eyes of Christ, be­cause they have none of his comeliness put upon them. The glori­fied Saint is altogether whitehe hath not onely washed his garments in the Blood of the Lamb, but he is also delivered from the infir­mities of humane nature, from the Sin that easily besetts him, the weight that presseth him down, the war in his members from the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, the law of his members so often rebelling against the law of his mind, and bringing him into a captivity oft times to the law of Sin, and is now presented be­fore Christ without spot or wrinkle. This is the felicity of his State.

The Apostle saith that we are now the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Sin here maketh us black, afflicti­on and sorrow make us appear more black then we are, the translat­ed Soul neither sinneth nor yet suffereth, or sorroweth any more; the state of the Child of God differeth from these, because he is black, it differeth from the state of the unbeliever in this life, because he is not onely black but also comely; hence you may understand the error of those who dream of a state of perfection which the Peo­ple of God, may and do attain in this life; some go very high in blasphe­my, telleng us that we are Christed and Godded, and that the believer [Page 484] is as spotless as Christ, &c. The Apostle indeed tells us, we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, but it is one thing to be made partakers of, another thing to be transformed into the Divine Na­ture. Christ is the chief of ten thousand, altogether desires, there is no spot no blemish in him. The best of Gods people is black as well as comely; black through inherent corruption, and unrighteous­ness, tho comely in respect of imputed righteousness, and inherent habits of grace and holiness. The Apostle tells us that, by one mans disobedience many were made Sinners, and that we are all by nature, children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. Those who would have Christ to die for every man, being pinched with that question, What did Christ then purchase for those that shall never be saved? some of them answer, he purchased for all a totall freedom from Adams Sin, I know no line in Scripture to justify that; it was after Christ had dyed that the Apostle tells us we are all by nature children of wrath, but he that can fancy that he liveth, and sinneth not against God, and so is not black through actual sin, doth yet more foully deceive himself, certainly, he must not look into the perfect law of God, or else is not able to distinguish white from black. If he looked into the divine law he would quickly with Saint Paul see that the law is Holy, and Spiritual, and Just, and Good, and that the best of men is but carnal sold under Sin. Let not then any glory in a fancyed perfection, it is but a glorying in appearance, not in reality. All that the Spouse gloryeth in is, that she was not altogether black. It is a true saying of Mr. Calvin, that it is the greatest piece of our perfection to be sensible of our imperfections. As vain is the glo­rying also of them who glory in an exemption from afflictions, that this Sun hath not lookt upon them, afflictions have not scorched them, as they have scorched others, the Apostle tells us, that if we be without chastening then are we▪Bastards, and not Sons. It is not our glory to be free from them, but to indure them, not to be wholly exempted from them, but under them to exercise our faith and patience, and to glorify God in the Fires. The motto of a Child of God is Black but Comely, black through remaining lusts, and coruptions; comely through imputed righteousness and inherent ha­bits of grace and holiness. Black through Affliction, and Perse­cution, Comely in, and under them, glorifying God in the Fires, by the exercises of Faith and Patience.

Use. 1. From hence every inquisitive Christian, may take just measures of himself, he is not to judg of himself by his blackness, whether it [Page 485] be the blackness of renewing sin, and corruption: or the black­ness of Affliction and Worldly Opposition, and Persecutions. Let him examine himself,

1. Whether he hath not a mixture of grace with corruption. Sin in dominion is not indeed consistent with grace, but Sin in being is; there are Twins which struggle one with another in every good Soul. Every Christian will find he hath a flesh to be crucified, members to be mortified, and a law in his members, some impe­tuous motions of lust, at some times, but let him examine whe­ther he doth not find also a Spiritual part, and a law in his mind; the flesh indeed lusteth against the Spirit, that is a Christians blackness, but doest thou not also find, the Spirit lusting against thy flesh? that is thy comliness. A true Christian is not to judge himself from the freedom of his Soul from sin, but from the war and combate of his Soul with sin. He in the Gospel that said, I believe, Lord help my unbelief, expressed the lively Image of every true Christian. So doth St. Paul more largely, Rom. 7. 18, 19, 20. For I know in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me, but kow to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not that I do; now if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it, but sin, that dwelleth in me: I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

2. Let him Secondly examine himself, whether there be not a comeliness in him, in, and under his blackness of Affliction and world­ly opposition. A wicked man may be black through affliction, but his blackness is like the blackness of a coal, which is a dead colour and hath no beauty in it. The Child of God is also black from the same cause, but his is like the blackness of a polished marble, which hath a great beauty and comliness in it, The trial of his faith in his afflictions appeareth more precious, then that of gold that perisheth, his love to God then appeareth, by his panting after him, and firm adherence of Soul unto him, his meekness, his patience, all shine forth under his afflictions. The demeanour of People under afflictions, will much discover whose they are.

3. Thirdly, The comeliness of the Spouse of Christ is not a comeli­ness without blackness, but a comeliness norwithstanding blackness: That is to say, It is not a Native, but an adventitious, and Super­induced [Page 486] comliness, nor adventitious from any good dispositions, or any acts or indeavours of our own singly, but a gracious impu­tation and infusion. The imputation of Christs righteousness, the infusion of gracious habits, a comeliness arising from Christs comeliness put upon the Soul. So as tho the poor creature hath been guilty before God, and iniquity yet doth sometimes prevail against it, the righteousness of Christ being reckoned to him for righteousness, and his heart being renewed, & Sanctified through the Spirit of Christ, and the bent of it being set right for God, notwithstanding his blackness, the Lord doth judge him comely and beautiful, overlooking his blackness by reason of sin, and infirmity.

4. Lastly, Every Child of God will own, and be truly sensible of his blackness. I am black saith the Spouse. The hypocrite boasteth of his whiteness; come, (saith Jehu to Jonadab) and see my zeal for the Lord God of hosts. God, I thank thee (saith the Pharisee) I am not as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican, I fast twice in the week, I give tythes of all that I possess, Luk. 18. 11, 12. he owneth nothing in himself but white­ness, & aversates all blackness; yet v. 14. he went away to his house not justified. Hypocrites are hardly perswaded to own in them­selves any blackness. The Children of God, are as hardly perswa­ded to own any beauty, or comliness in themselves, I gave you before the Instances of David and of Paul. The reason is be­cause the hypocrite trusts to a Spiders web, a righteousness from himself spun out of his own Bowels and he is concerned to justify his integrity, and to make it as whole as he can; again, all that he doth is to be seen of men, and therefore he must set the best face of his actions that he can, the Child of God seeketh for no such things in himself, but despairing in himself he flyeth to the righteousness of Christ, and freely confesseth, and owneth his own nakedness, that he might be clothed with that righteous­ness; again, the Child of God seeketh not the praise of men, nor his own honour and glory, but seeketh the praise of God, and the honour and glory of Christ alone.

Use. 3. Thirdly, This notion affordeth a great relief to the People of God against their own dejections, and despondencies; 2. Satans temptations; and 3. The worlds upbraidings.

1. Against his own despondencyes, and dejections. A Child of God living under the power of that Precept, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine [Page 487] your solves, prous your selves whether you be in the faith or u [...]; is often looking into his own heart, and can seldom please himself with the prospect. He seeth in his own heart much of Ʋnbelief, much of Vani [...]y much of Hypocrisy always some lust or other, a body of death remaining in him, iniquity prevailing against him, he sinneth 7 times every day, and he seeth it every night and oft times as much out of heart, much dejected, crying out, Ʋnclean, Ʋnclean, I am black, wofully black, no better then a painted hypocrite, I make a fair shew to the World, and deceive some of my brethten, but alas they do not see that luft, and vanity, that pride, and passion, that folly and hypocrisy which I can with half an Eye discorn in my own Soul, surely I deceive myself, I have no portion in God, no relation to Christ, I cannot be his Spouse. Christian be of good Chear! thou art black, but art thou not also comely? When a Child of God hath found out the best of himself all his comfort will be found to lie in that one text, Rom. 8. v. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He can neither look into his own heart, and see his inward thoughts, and the motions there, nor consider his tongue, and the issues of that, nor compare the best of his actions with the Divine rule, but he feeth himself by all condemned, and findeth nothing to relieve him in is dark thoughts but in Christs imputed righteous­ness, and that there no is condemnation to them that are in Christ. And that is enough, provided that he hath this evidence of his be­ing in Christ, That he walketh not after the flesh but after the Spirit.

2. It affordeth the same relief against the most desperate temp­tations of our grand adversary the Devil. Satan we say first tempt­eth to Sin, and then he makes advantage of our hearkening to his temptations to tempt us to further sins, and those of a more heinous, and horrid nature, to despair of Gods mercy, to destroy our selves, &c. He first attempteth to make the Soul black by moving it to sinful acts, then his next work is to perswade the Soul, that God will never pardon such a sinner, Christ can never Love such an Ethiopian. Hence those strong & violent impressions upon Souls under the power of temptations. God is an holy God, of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, he can never set his heart upon such a polluted vile wretch as I am; I have been guilty of thousands of willful Omissions of duty, and Commissions contra­ry to my duty, possibly some particular sin or sins lie as an heavy [Page 488] load upon the poor creatures conscience. The Spouse here hath furnished such a Soul with an answer to the tempter. The Spouse of Christ is black, but yet comely. Let then such a Soul thus an­swer these suggestions of the tempter, O thou Prince of dark­ness, it is true, I have been a grievous sinner, and as such Christ cannot Love me, so far forth as I am black I am unlovely, but I am not wholly black, Christ cannot Love my sins, but he can pardon my sin and Love my Soul. The Lord hath been graciously pleased to pardon my sins upon my repentance and my accep­tation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receiving him as my Saviour; he hath said to me while I was in my blood, live, he hath fixed his Love upon me who was by birth an Ethiopian, he hath hung a Chain about my neck; I am black but I am comely. I have met with a story of a Minister, who going to visit and pray with a poor creature [...] possessed by the Devil, the Devil thought to have stopt his mouth, by objecting to him some sins commit­ted by him in his youth. The holy man answered, confessing the charge, but Satan saith he, upon my repentance Christ, hath since that washed me with his blood. Another story I have met with of a worthy Person, who lying upon his sick bed, and being alone, one opens the door, and comes in, in the habit of a Scrivener, with a Pen, and Inkhorn and Paper, andsetting himself down at the table in the Chapter, called the sick man by name, and told him he was sent from God to take account of him, of all the sins he had done for which he must presently go and answer to God before his Judgment seat. The good man, rightly apprehending that it was the Devil, had assumed an habit to tempt, and distrub him, bid him go on, and write first, Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Upon which the evil Spirit presently disappeared. (Speaking only from my memory I may forget some circumstances, but this is the substance of the story.) What the Devil in these cases did by a more audible voice he doth yet every day by impressions made more secretly upon the Spirits of some or other that fear God. For tho conscience will of it self often bring sin to remem­brance, and reflect sins upon the Soul committed long before, yet they are some times reflected with such violence, and de­grees of terror, and attended with such strong motions, and solli­citations to despair of Divine mercy, and to self murder, that it [Page 489] is but reasonable to judge, there is more in them then the ordinary workings of conscience. In such a dark hour as this, it will be a great relief to a Soul to think that the Spouse of Christ is black, but comely. Doth the Devil then object thy blackness, whether by reason of past, or present sins, in bar to thy trust and confidence in God, for the forgiveness of them through the blood of Christ? Reply to him, Satan, I have been black, I confess it, I am black, but I am comely also, having my Garments washed, and rouled in the blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the World. I am as the Tents of Kedar, they are black, but I am also as the Curtains of Solo­mon, they are exceeding beautiful.

3. It also relieveth a Christian under Persecutions, and afflicti­ons, and against the Worlds upbraidings, because of them. The Barbarians concluded Paul a Murtherer, because they saw a Vi­per cleaving to his hand, and the men of the World are very prone to judge, and condemn the People of God for what hap­peneth to them in this life, they see the blackness of Gods Peo­ples visages under affliction, and persecution, but the love of God in chastening them, that they might not be condemned with the World, the exercises of their faith, and trial of it, and its appear­ing more precious then that of Gold, their patience, & its perfect wor [...]; h [...]se are things in which their comeliness appeareth in, and under afflictions; these are things which they do not see. Gods People are also ready to conclude against themselves, because of their tryals, but there is no just reason for it; afflictions are but a blackness of the skin, the Child of God may, notwithstanding them, be within exceeding beautiful, and comely. The tents of Kedar, though they had black and unlovely coverings and out­sides, yet within might be fill'd with Spices and Riches.

Use. 3. I shall shut up this discourse with some few words of exhor­tation to that duty, which this notion of truth calls to us for.

1. It calleth to all the People of God for humility, a mean and low opinion of themselves; beauty is often a great tempta­tion to Pride, whether it be natural or artificial. The Daughters of Sion were haughty, and walked with stretched forth Necks, and wanton Eyes, Isaiah 3. 16. Spiritual beauty gives no advantage to a Soul, to think of it self above what it ought to think. In all reason we should have been some cause to our selves of that whereof we glory, we should have some propriety in it; and there should be in it some perfection. The comeliness of [Page 490] Gods People is neither natural, nor any acquest of their own. There are three things which may keep the most comely of Gods Children humble.

First, The consideration of their former blackness. Let but any of them look back to the rock out of which they are hewen, and to the hole of the Pit, out of which they were digged, and they will see no reason to be exalted above measure; their Fa­ther was a Syrian, their birth was of the land of Canaan, their Father was an Amorite, their Mother an Hittite, and in the day wherein they were born, they were cast out to the loathing of their persons, not salted, not swadled at all. Nor was this all, there is none of them but had their conversation in times past, according to the Prince of the power of the Air, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, Children of Wrath by nature. &c, There is none of them but hath reason to pray, that the Lord would not remember the sins of their youth a­gainst them, and to beg of God that for them, he would not write against them bitter things, nor make them to possess their years of vanity. None of them but before Christs comeliness, was put upon them, had been guilty of sin enough to make them to walk softly all the days of their lives.

Secondly, The consideration of their present blackness is e­nough, though they are comely, yet they are black still, they have a body of death, a law of their members, the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, sins that easily beset them, weights that often press them down; the beauty of the best of Gods People is but like the beauty of the Moon, which is full of spots, hath a dark part, and often suffers great Eclipses, and all whose light is borrowed. He observeth not his own heart that doth not see e­nough in the imperfect, and extravagant motions of it, to keep him humble.

Thirdly, The third is the consideration from whence he deri­veth his beauty. If men and women would but debate a little with their own reason, they would see no reason to be proud of a comeliness arising from any external Ornament; it is some­thing beneath a Reasonable Being, to be beholden to a Stone (Jewels are no more) or a little Earth (such are Gold and Sil­ver) a Plant, or a Fly, or a Silkworm, or a Sheep▪ a little Wool, or Flax, for that which should commend him or it No artifici­al beauty is our own, and so a thing not to be gloried in. All the [Page 491] comeliness of a Child of God is a derived comeliness. His black­ness is his own, his comeliness is from another, it is Christ that hath made him to differ, he hath received his beauty, and there­fore ought not to glory, as if he had not received it.

Br. 2. And this in the second place ought to mind them of their du­ty of thankfulness, and admiration of [...]he love of Christ. When (saith David) I consider the Heavens, the work of thy hands, the Moon and the Start which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Yet David in that Psalm is speaking of no more then Gods more common mercies of Creation, and Providence, but what greater reason hath a Child of God to cry out, Lord; what is man, that thou shouldst remember him? Lord! What was I, that thou shouldst remember me, and fix thy love, and put thy comeliness upon me? I was by nature an Ethiopian, and have contracted much more blackness, by my conversation in the world; now that the Lord should make us comely through his comeliness, that he should fix his love upon any of our Souls, and put any of his Chains about our Necks? What manner of love was this? To which of the Angels said he at any time, a [...] Zech. 16. 8. When I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was a time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness, yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant of life with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine? Or as Jer. 3. v. 14. Turn O backsliding Children (saith the Lord) for I am married unto you? To which of them hath he at any time said, my Love, my Dove, my Ʋndefiled? We had none of us either Beauty or Portion, Christ hath given us both. Admire the height, and depth of Divine Love, and consider what an ingratitude it would be, if any of us should now like Israel, Ezek. 16. 15. Trust in your own beauty, and play the Harlot [...] ▪ and pour out fornications on every one that passeth by. Bestow our hearts, our love, and affections upon any objects contrary to him, be­neath, and besides him; whether it be not reasonable that we should be wholly to him, and for him, who are wholly from him, and are nothing but what we are in him.

Br. 3. Thirdly. This notion calleth to the people of God, not to be overmuch disqu [...]eted, and dejected. It is one thing to walk humb­ly, (that is our duty) another thing to walk dejectedly (that is our infirmity;) we have no reason to be proud, because we are [Page 492] black, nor yet to despond, and be dejected; because in Christs Eyes if we be upright, if we prepare, and fix our hearts to seek the Lord, we are comely. We have no reason, because of our blackness, to glory in our selves, but we have reason to rejoice, and to glory in our comeliness, which though indeed Christs comeliness, yet being pu [...]upon us, becometh ours. A believer hath therefore hath nothing to do, but to see that his interest in Christ be clear, and to see to wash his feet, and he is clean every whit. We have reason to consider our ways, to reflect upon our infirmities, to be humbled for our failings, and to walk humbly at all times, in the sense of them, but still to incourage our selves in the Lord our righteousness, to hope in God, and rejoice in Christ, tho we have no confidence in the flesh, either in any priviledges of our birth, or in any works of our own.

Br. 4. Lastly, This Doctrine calleth upon all not to look upon the Spouse of Christ, because she is black. They are the words of our Spouse, following in the next verse, but the proper application of what she saith in this verse, the use which she desireth her Brethren to make of this her imperfect and black state. Something (God willing▪) shall be spoken hereafter more largely for the explica­tion of those wo [...]d [...], then the streightness of my time will now allow. I shall therefore reserve the fuller explication of this du­ty, until I come to the next verse, and shall give you but a short tast and specimen of what I shall then more fully inlarge upon.

1. We ought not to look upon the Spouse of Christ in these circumstances with a supercilious, scornful, and censorious Eye. The Eye is the O [...]gan of the body, by which the Soul first taketh the cognisa [...]ce of a thing, and is suitably affected; there are two false rules by which we judge of persons. 1. When we judge of them by particular actions. 2, When we judge of them by exter­nal ac [...]idents; the first of them indeed is more proper then the latter, because they are the fruit of the Soul, the other are forreign, and adventitious; neither of them are a safe rule of Judgment; not the former, because none is to be denominated from single, and particular acts, and this the Philosopher will teach us, and indeed if this rule of judgment should be true, what judgment must have passed upon Lot, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Job, David, P [...]te [...], all the most eminent▪ Servants of God, whose names are upon Sacred Record, they were all guil­ty of irregular acts. Not the latter, for it is not that which [Page 493] is accidental to a man, but that which proceedeth from him that defileth a man. Take therefore heed of a censorious scornful Eye, when you look upon the People of God in their blackness, con­sider, that you also may be tempted, that although you now stand, yet you may fall.

2. Look not upon her with a pleased, and satisfied Eye. The Eye is that Organ of the Booy, which giveth the Soul delight, content, pleasure, and satisfaction in the object, Psal. 92. v. 11. Mine Eye also shall see my desire upon mine Enemies. We have naughty, and corrupt hearts, ready to take a secret delight and pleasure in the slips and failings of our Brethren, let this be far from you, either to rejoice in the real blackness (the failings, and miscarriages) of any, whose general conversation is not unworthy of the Gospel, or to rejoice in any of their afflicti­ons, we are to weep with those that weep, not to rejoice, when we see our Brethren weep. The first rejoicing is opposite to your duty, with respect to the honour of God, which suffereth by others sins as well as our own. The second is eminently contrary to that love, and fellow-feeling, and compassion which we owe unto our Brethren.

Thirdly, look not upon them, so as to take out a copy for your imitation. Rocks stand up in the Sea, and lights stand upon the Land, to give Ships notice of Rocks and Sands, not that Mariners should run upon them, but that they may avoid them. for this end also are the failings and sins of Gods People Re­corded in Holy Writ. When you see a Child of God black, either through some sinful failing, or through some sharp trial of af­fliction, look upon him as wistly as you will, to move your pity, your Bowels of compassion, and tears, to excite in you the Spi­rit of Prayer, and supplication on his behalf, to quicken you to use all means in your power to help him up, and to restore him in the Spirit of meekness, but take heed of copying out his fai­lings. But I shall speak more fully to these things hereafter, when I come to the next verse.

Sermon XXXIV.

Cant. 1. 5.
I am black but comely: O you Daughters of Hierusalem, as the Tents of Kedar, as the Curtains of Solomon.

YOU have heard me discoursing the first and second Propo­sitions which I observed from this Text, I shall now dis­course the third, and fourth, (for I shall handle them together, as I did the 2 former.) Take them thus.

P [...]op. As it is the duty of the believer to confess, own, and acknowledg his or her failings, and infirmities, so he ought also at other times to own, and acknowledge his graces, and beauties.

You see here are two Propositions. 1. Godly Men, and Wo­men will, and ought at sometimes to acknowledge their corrup­tions, blackness and infirmities. 2. That they ought also at o­ther times, to own and acknowledge their graces, and beauty. The Spouse doth both in one breath, I am (saith she) black, but comely. The handling of this Proposition will lead me to the discoursing of 2 Questions, or Cases of Conscience. I begin with the first.

Qu. In what cases, how, and to whom a conscientious Man or Woman is bound to confess his or her sins?

Ans. 1. Ʋpon all occasions, and at all times, he is bound to confess all his sins unto God. Not that the Divine knowledge can be bette­red by such a confession, for he who knows what things we have need of before we ask them, knoweth what sins we are guilty of before we confess them, but it is a piece of homage we owe unto God, and a duty which his revealed will hath made, and declared a medium in order to our obtaining of mercy and for­giveness, 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just [Page 495] to forgive us our sins. There was of old a confession required be­fore the bringing of the Trespass Offering, Num. 5. 6. Consonant to this you will find the practice of all the Servants of God. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, Psal. 32. 5. Thus you read of the more publick Confessions of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah. This is on all hands granted as a duty out of question, and to be extended to all, and all manner of sins, especially in secret Prayer, where no sins ought to be hidden from the Lord, those we know, and remember ought to be confessed more particularly, others more generally.

2. There are diverse cases wherein a Christian is obliged to con­fess his sins unto his Brethren, or to such as God hath set over him as his Guides. They may all be reduced to three heads, Where 1. The glory of God: Or, 2. The good of his neighbour: Or, 3. The good, or peace of his own Soul, may be promoved, or advantaged by such a confession. I will mention 4 more special cases, in which all, or some of these may be concerned.

1. Where a Christian hath stumbled upon the same stone, and fal­len, and by reason of such fall may be under temptations to cast a­way his confidence in God, and despair of Divine Mercy. In such a case as this, my Brothers peace and spiritual good may pro­bably be promoved by telling him, that even also my foot slip­ped, but yet through Grace I was recovered. In this sense I un­derstand David, confessing his sins, Psal. 51. 13. and praying for the restoring of Gods Salvation. Then (saith he) I will teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. I will tell others what a great sinner I have been, and how, notwith­standing the multitude, and greatness of my sins, I found favour with thee, and this shall incourage them to confess their sins, and humble their Souls before thee, and implore also thy mercy and favour. Thus Christ bids Peter, Luk. 22. 32. When he was converted, strengthen his Brethren. When thou art converted in that Text, is as much, as when thou art recovered from thy fall, how [...]hould he strengthen his Brethren, but by confessing his fall, and Gods goodness in recovering him, by telling our Brethren, that our circumstances were the same with theirs, and how the Lord shewed us mercy, we both direct them what to do, we help their faith, and confidence in God, and strengthen them in their ad­dresses, and applications to the Throne of Grace.

2. Where any man discerneth that his Brethren are prone to think [Page 496] of him above what they ought to think; this is that which made Paul forbear his glorying, 2 Cor. 12. 6. Lest (saith he) any man should think of me above what he seeth me to be, and doubtless, this was that which made that great Apostle, though he some­times magnified his Office, and the Grace of God bestowed upon him, yet also so oft to vilify himself, as 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, injurious, but obtained mercy, less then the least of all Saints, Eph. 3. 8. One born out of due time; doubtless this ought to be carefully avoided by us, we ought to take heed, that Gods glory be not given unto us, and his Grace obscured, or eclipsed, by mens having us in admiration. In such a case a true believer will not be ashamed more then Paul, to own his own sins and blackness.

3. A third case is, Where a Christian seeth, that without bring­ing a scandal upon the Gospel, he may by owning, and confessing his sins unto men, advance the glory of Gods Free-Grace, and make God to be more admired, and adored in the emanations of it. Free-Grace is that which hath made the Child of God what he is, and is therefore the admirable object in the believers Eye, and where a Christian seeth an opportunity to predicate that, and advance it in the Eyes of any, he will not lose it, nor stick at the sha­ming, and dishonouring himself, so God may have his glory from that shaming of himself. Now because Free-Grace is never more magnified, then when a multitude of sins are forgiven, and a great sinner is received to favour, a good Christian (ob­serving circumstances) where they will fit this end, will not spare this acknowledgment, though it tendeth to his own shame, and dishonour. So that God may be glorified, he is content to take shame to himself. I say observing circumstances, and indeed the chief circumstance to be observed, is the reputation of Re­ligion. He will therefore decline it in the presence of profane and ungodly men, who would make an ill use of such discourse, to blaspheme the good, and holy ways of God. Thus David re­frained from good talk whiles the wicked were in sight, Psa. 39. v. 1, 2. Confession of our sins one to another called for, Jam. 5. 16, 17. is one of those holy things which must not be cast before Dogs, one of those Pearls, which must not be thrown before Swine. Thus you shall observe in St. Paul, that in that part of his Epistles, where he writeth with reference to the Saints, he openeth himself, and layeth himself naked, but where he speaketh of himself with [Page 497] relation to the false Apostles, there he magnifieth his Office.

4. A fourth case is, where a Child of God can probably judge, that by his confession of his sin, and owning of his blackness before men, he may be advantaged by their counsels, or by their prayers. There are two ways by which a Christian may be advantaged by the confession of his sins unto men. 1. With respect to the obtain­ing of his pardon. 2. With respect to his peace, or the obtaining a sense of his pardon.

1. I say with respect to his obtaining pardon. Not that it is in the power of man to pardon sin, he only can discharge a debt, to whom it is owing. Sin is a debt to the justice of God, and who but God can remit this debt? It is not in the power of Pope, or Priest, or Minister, to pardon sins, or grant absolution to a­ny, but declaratively, he can indeed declare the will of God, to pardon the sins of those that truly repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but that is all the Minister can do in the remission of sin, the Act is Gods, the Ministers absolution is valid or inva­lid as the Person doth, or doth not truly repent, and truly be­lieve. But yet I say the confession of sins, not only to Ministers, but to private Christians, may be of great use and effect▪ in or­der to the obtaining of our pardon, by vertue of that promise, 1 Joh. 5. 16. If a man see his Brother sin a sin, which is not unto death, he shall ask, and give him life who hath not sinned unto death. Now unless we know that our Brother hath sinned, how shall we ask for him, and unless we have seen him, how shall we know it, without his own confession of it us.

2. But secondly, It must also be of great advantage to us with respect to our peace, or sense of pardon, and that is not only (as the other) by obtaining their prayers for us, but also by obtai­ning their advice and counsel, thus oft-times a Christians own­ing, and confessing some particular sins, either to a judicious and faithful Minister, or to some judicious, and well experienced Christians, proveth a great ease, and relief to his mind, by their speaking of some word in season, or by some seasonable advice, and counsel. Now in such a case as this a Christian may be under the same obligation to confess his sins unto men, that every one is to do what is of most proper Spiritual advantage to his Soul.

3. Lastly. There are some cases wherein a Child of God will own his blackness even b [...]fore the world.

1 When he cannot conceal it without denying the truth. A Chri­stian is not bound to proclaim his Sin to the men of the world [Page 498] when it may tend to the reproach, and blaspheming of the name of God, but if the case be so, that he hath failed in their sight, and they come to the knowledge of it, and charge him with it, they must not tell a lie to cover their own shame. When Tamar, Gen. 38. 25. sent to her Father in law the Signet, and Bracelets, and Staff, with that message. By the man whose these are I am with Child. Discern I pray thee, whose are th [...]se. Judah, acknowledged them, and said she hath been more righteous than I.

2. When the sin is known, and is an eminent injury to our Neigh­bour. In case of all injuries to men, which are capable of repa­ration, and satisfaction, satisfaction is necessary in order to Gods pardon, if we be able to make it, but not confession in all cases. As now suppose a Servant hath stolen from his Master, during his service with him, and his Master be one that is an Enemy to Religion, and Godliness; afterwards God changeth this Servants heart, he is certainly bound to his ability to make his Master reparation, & full satisfaction, but I do not know that he is bound to come to confess it unto him, who probably would make no other use of it, then to reproach, and blaspheme the name of God, and that way, and course of Religion, in which he is inga­ged. But in case the thing be known, then confession even to man may be our duty, to take shame to our own Souls, and give glory unto God.

3. Lastly, a Child of God will confess his sin even before Men of the World, where he sees a probable opportunity to do other sinners good by it. And this most commonly happeneth when men have been companions in sin, one to, and with another. When men have been companions one to another, in Drunkenness, These, Sabbath­breaking, or any other course of sinning. A good man may some­times probably judge that his owni [...]g and confessing with tears, to his old Companions, his fellowship with them in sinning, may probably invite them to a fellowship with him, in a considerati­on of his or their ways, in a sense of, and godly sorrow for their sins, and if he hath any such hopes, any such prospect, he will confess his blackness even to them. Thus I find some Divines in­terpreting that, Jam. 5. 15. Confess your sins one to another. That those who have been colleagues, and companions in sin one to a­nother, should confess and bewail their sins each to other, tho I must confess I rather think that Text is to be understood of in­timate, serious Christians, confessing their sins freely one to ano­ther, in order to the obtaining of the benefit of each others [Page 499] prayers, because of what follows, And pray one for another.

These now are those cases and times, in and under which, the Spouse of Christ will confess and acknowledge that she is black, black through the prevailings of sin and corruption.

Of this Confession of sins we have plentiful instances in Scrip­ture, both of such as were more publick, and such as were more p [...]ivate; it is brought as one argument to prove the Holy Scrip­tures to be no humane Writings, but the Word of God, and that holy men wrote, as they were inspired by God, that they have published their own failings, and made their own sins to stand upon Record to Posterity, which is not the way of ordinary Writers, who commonly write for their own honour and praise. Besides the Scripture instances, we have it in the daily practice of Gods people, not only in their dayly prayers they put up to Almighty God; but in their more private converses, with Mini­sters, and with fellow Christians, which are very full of these confessions, and abasements of themselves.

This freedom of Gods People in owning, and acknowledging their blackness, proceedeth from several causes. 1. The Souls humiliation before it be brought home to Christ. The Soul being enlightned by the Spirit of Grace, seeth the vileness, and filthi­ness of its own heart to that degree, that it is ashamed, and thinks that it cannot abase itself enough in the sight of God, and from this disposition of the Soul to abhor, loath, and shame it­self, proceedeth this freedom, & willingness in the Soul upon all oc­casions (with respect had to Christian prudence) to vilify it­self by the confession of its own blackness and infirmity.

2. It proceedeth also from the habit of humility given to, and wrought in the heart of every believer; this is one of the per­fections of the new Creature, it differeth from the other little more then as the d [...]sposition from the habit. This teacheth the Soul at all times a mean and low opinion of itself. The Hypo­crite is alwaies proud, and looks upon all his gifts, and good actions with a multiplying glass, which makes them appear more then they are, and greater then they are. The humble Soul looks upon all as less. In me (saith Paul) there dwelleth no good thing? Hence he can hardly be heard to say any thing but in diminution, and defamation of himself.

3. It proceeds also from this Souls more perfect understanding the mark of perfection. He knoweth better then another, what God requires of him, what degrees of faith, love, zeal, holi­ness, [Page 500] this makes him a better judge of his own imperfections, and more ready to confess, and bewail them. The Hypocrite and natural man understandeth not the breadth of the Divine Law, what faith, what holiness God requireth of him, he is proud, knowing nothing (as the Apostle speaks of some, 1 Tim. 6. 4.) not only his Pride, prompting him to exalt himself, but his ignorance, knowing nothing as he ought to know it, is the cause of his want of freedom to this duty. It is with such a man, as it is with a Sophister in the University. A little knowledge that he hath, puffeth him up; he thinks he knows all things. But when he comes to be Master of Arts, to have lookt into Books a little more, and to understand the compass of learning a little better, then he complains of his ignorance, and the small portion of knowledge which he hath. So the man that hath but a mean and imperfect knowledge of the will of God, he is proud, and thinketh he knoweth all things; but when God comes to open his Eyes, and to let him see the mysteries of Divine knowledge, he seeth more duty then he saw before, and consequently more sin, and more defects in his own Soul: There is a vast difference betwixt that knowledge of duty & sin, which is in the heart of a Child of God under the illumination of the Spirit of Grace, and that which is in a Soul not under that special illumination.

4. Again a Christians often compuring himself with others, and judging himself by their measures, is often a great cause of this. The natural man ordinarily chuseth companions like unto him­self, and judgeth of himself by their measures, seeing himself (as the Pharisee, Luk. 18.) to exceed the Drunkard in tempe­rance, and sobriety. The Extortioner in justice, and mercy, the Adulterer in chastity. The Atheist in a formality of dutiness (a form of godliness; he seeth no blackness in himself to confess, he is Captain of his Form. But now the converted Soul being come to be a companion of those that fear the Lord, he sets before himself the examples of the Saints of God in Holy Writ, and of those that are yet in the world, that excel in virtue. In the Scripture he reads of the faith of holy Abraham, who belie­ved in hope against hope, not staggering at the promise through un­belies, the patience of Job, who when he had lost all his Estate, all his Children, yet did not speak inadvisedly with his lips, nor charge God foolishly, he reads of Davids exceeding love, and de­light for, and in the law of the Lord. When he looks amongst his new Companions, he sees in one Christian more tenderness of [Page 501] heart, in another more faith, in a third more zeal, and activity for God then he can find in himself; hence he cryeth out of his blackness and bewaileth his coming so short of others.

5. Again he liveth in a daily sense of his wants and defects; My sin saith David, is ever before me, and so his tongue doth but express the inward sense, and apprehensions of his Soul.

6. Lastly, as all such Souls will be sensible of their defects, and wants, so they are continually desirous of an healing of their wounds and a Supply and relief. Which they know confession is the way to obtain. As for confession unto God, the Wise man hath told us Prov. 28▪ 13. That he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. David telleth us, Psal. 32. 3. That when he kept silence, his bones waxed old, through his roaring, all the day, For (saith he) Day and night thine hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer. What remedy did he find? v. 5. I acknow­ledged my sin unto thee, I said, I will confess my trangressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin. Nor was this a particular favour to David but what others may expect upon the like application to God v. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found, surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. A Godly man knoweth, that as the hiding of his disease from the Phy­sician, and his wounds from the Chirurgeon is not the way to be cured, or healed, so neither is the hiding of the nakedness of his Soul f [...]om God, the way to have it covered; for altho in this there be a difference, that our spiritual Physician knoweth our diseases without our discovery of them to him, which the earthly Physician doth not, yet God notwithstanding his know­ledge, requiring our acknowledgment, makes the case the same. And the reason is much the same for the confessing of our sins especially in some cases to a faithful Minister, or to private Christians. God sent Abraham to Abimelech Gen. 20. 7. For (faith he) he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee & thou shalt live. Genes [...] 20. v. 7 and he sent Jobs friend to Job, Job 42. v. 7.—and (saith he) my servant Job shall pray for you, for him I will accept.

Use 1. This in the first place lets us see the difference between a Child of God and one who is but a formal hypocrite An hypocrite generally seeth nothing but whiteness in himself. Jehu can see, and call Jonadab to see his zeal for the Lord God, but he can [Page 502] see nothing of his own self ends in all that he did. The Church of Laodicea said, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, tho at the same time she was wretched, miserable, blind and naked. On the other side Paul complained that he was the least of the Apostles, not worthy to be called an Apostle, &c. Yet so false are our hearts that there may be hypocrisy even in our confessions of our sin, and blackness, whether to God or to man, we must therefore take heed, both to our design and end in these confessions, and also to the truth and manner of them. The hypocrite never confesseth his blackness, but in hopes, that for his confession he shall be reputed white, and the praise of men is all that he seeks after. Hence. 2. he doth it without any serious sense of the sin which he confesseth, or heart contrition for it. A confession of sins which is but a bare recitation, and Enumeration of them, is not that confession which God requireth or accepteth.

Use. 2. Secondly. This calleth to us all for the practice of this duty. I have shewed you that there is a threefold confession of our sin which is our duty. 1. A confession unto God. 2. U [...]to the faithfull Ministers and Servants of God. 3. Ʋnto the men of the World. The first is our duty at all times, and under all circum­stances and we have nothing to regard as to that, but knowing the matter of confession, keeping a watch upon our hearts, and ways that we may know our errors and the plague of our own hearts, that we do it in such a manner as God hath directed, and prescribed; confession must not be the meer Sacri­fice of the Calves of our lips, but the Sacrifice of a broken, and contrite heart. But this is not that of the Text, where the Spouse is not speaking to God, but to the daughters of Hierusalem, it is to them the Spouse faith, I am black. In what cases this con­fession to men is our duty, I have largely shewed you, as also what advantage may arise from it, both with reference to Gods glory, and the good of our own, and others Souls. I shall one­ly offer you some few directions for the more advantageous per­formance of it.

1. There is a great deal of prudence to be used in the choice of that friend to whom thou doest thus unbosom thy self. 1. Conceal not thy self from that able and faithful Minister of Christ, whom thou hast intrusted with the charge of thy Soul. I am very far from pleading for that auricular confession in the Ear of [Page 503] the Priest, which the Papists make such a stir about. Amongst o­ther supernumerary Sacraments which they have added to those 2 which alone were instituted by Christ, they have one which they call the Sacrament of Penance. In order to which they require in Lent especially, but at other times also a circumstantiated confession of all men and womens particular sins, which being so confessed to the Priest (who is therefore called their confessor) he appoint­eth them a penance to be done for them, and so absolveth them from the guilt of them (as they pretend.) As we know of no Satisfaction to be given for sin, but what is given by the death of Christ (excepting only in cases of wrong done unto men capable of reparation;) Nor of any power in any to for­give sins but only in God, only the Minister may declare what God hath done or will do in cafe of our true repentance and faith: so we know of no incumbent duty upon any Christian to make a particular confession of sin to the Priest, and only judge such particular confession necessary in some particular cases, for the disburthening, and easing of Christians consciences, pressed under the guilt of some particular sins, and in such a case an able and faithful Minister of Christ is doubtless the most proper Person to make confession to, both because as by his office he is both an Interpreter of the mind, and will of God, and to pray for the People, so he is or ought to be one of a thousand, like Saul, taller then his Brethren by the head, and shoulders in know­ledge & gifts of greater knowledge & judgment in the things of God, and so more able to minister a word in season. It is sad that it cannot be said of all, they are so, but it is to be presumed, that the same wisdom which teacheth every man and woman, to commit the business of his bodily health, to the ablest & most faithful Physi­tian he can chuse, and the concern of his Estate, to the most able & faithful Lawyer he can, will also direct a Christian to commit the far more weighty concerns of his Soul, to the most able and faithfull Minister that he can; nor ought any Christian to be more abridged in his liberty with reference to the latter of far more concernment, then with referenceto the former of far more minute concernment to him, But I say a good Christian having made choice of such a Person he is undoubtedly the fittest Per­son to confess our sins unto, when they lye heavy upon our con­science and we cannot recover our Peace, and that with respect to both the ends of such confession, whether Prayers for us or Counsel and advice, and that both with respect to the abilityes of [Page 504] such a person, which cannot but be presumed greater in order to the revealing the mind, and will of God to us, and so giving us advice and counsel, and with reference to his Office, he being one whom God hath set over us, and gifted with reference unto us. But set aside the case of a disturbed conscience, not able other­wise to gain peace, or some particular cases, upon which cases of conscience, and perplexing questions may arise too hard for a private Christian to answer without some help, I see no need of any particular Confession unto Ministers more then others.

2. As to more private Christians. I have also shewed you se­veral cases wherein some particular Confessions of sin may be highly expedient, if not necessary. It must be the care of a good Christian so to manage this duty, that he may attain the ends which he aimeth at in it, without dashing upon such Rocks, as every good, and prudent Christian ought to avoid. To that end,

1. Christians ought to use so much wisdom as may protect their pro­fession from reproach and scandal, & which may prejudice the re­pu [...]e either of themselves, or others walking in the holy ways Prop. of God. The honour of the Gospel, and profession of it is a great thing, and though we must not commit the least sin, that any such good may come of i [...], yet whatsoever prudence we can use to prevent any thing of this nature, is doubtless our duty. This evil ariseth from the needless publication of the sinful fail­ings of professors. He that hath sinned openly, ought to be rebu­ked openly, and openly to confess his sin, that the Church of God offended by his fall, may be satisfied in the truth of his repen­tance, and recovery out of the snare of the Devil, but where the sin is of another nature, and hath been committed secretly, there is not only no need of such a publick confession, but it may be of a greater mischief, and ill consequence, then good, by reason of a wicked world, which watcheth for Gods Peo­ples haltings, to reproach profession, and the holy name of God. Though therefore in such cases private Confession, even of more private sins, may be necessary and expedient, yet it ought to be managed with prudence, as to the manner, that is, in the best consistency with the end to which it is directed, and for the avoiding such things as may tend to the dishonour of God, and disadvantage of the more publick interest and cause of God, and therefore much wisdom is to be used in the choice of a friend in this case, for though Solomon hath advised us, Pro. 25. 9 [Page 505] To debate our case with our Neighbour, yet in the next words he hath added, discover not thy secret to another, thereby informing us that Neighbour in that Text is not to be expounded in that latitude, as in the Parable, concerning him who fell amongst Thieves. Every one, no not every good man is to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls. Considering the end of this action, and the great thing that is to be avoided in the performance of it, Three things seem requisite in the choice of a private Christian, to whom a prudent Christian may thus unbosom himself. 1. Silence and Secrecy. 2. Knowledge and Wisdom. 3. One of whom we may presume that he hath some more then ordinary interest in God.

1. I say, first, Silence and Secrecy. Your ordinary experience telleth you, that even amongst good men, some have a much better command, and government of their tongue then others, and as it is observable that such fall into more errors themselves, then others, for in a multitude of words there wanteth not sin; so such persons are least to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls.

2. Secondly, he that confesseth his faults to another, doth it, in order to his advice, and counsel, this maketh knowledge, and spiritual wisdom, requisite in the person whom we chuse to unbosom our selves in this manner unto; every man who hath knowledge enough to guide his own Soul in the ways of God, yet hath not knowledge, judgment, or experience enough to give spiri­tual advice and counsel to his Brother.

3. If this Confession be made in order to obtaining the benefit of prayers, the same wisdom will direct us to make choice of such as we can reasonably judge to be persons likely to prevail with God in prayer; there are some that are more mighty in the Scriptures, more exercised in the ways of God then others▪ these are most fit for advice, and counsel. There are some that are more exercised in prayer then others, and more prevailing with God, these are fittest to hear our Confessions in order to our advantage by their prayers, and these generally are such as walk most uprightly, and closely with God. The Lord heareth not sinners but if any man be a Worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth, John 9. 31. The prayer of the upright (saith Solo­mon) is his delight.

Direct. 2. Secondly, As there is a great deal of prudence to be obser­ved in the choice of Persons, to whom we own and acknow­ledge our blackness, so there is a great deal of piety, and chari­ty [Page 506] to be shewed in the manner of the doing of it. That which of charity is to be shewen in it, is to do it where the Soul of our Brother may be advantaged by the performance of it. That of pie­ty, which is to be shewed in its Eyes,

1. In a right sixing of our end, which ought to be the glory of God, the general end of all our actions. When Joshua exhorted Achan to confess his sin. My Son (saith he) confess, and give glo­ry unto God; you read in Scripture of a confession of the Lords name, a confession of truth, and a confession of sin. The glory of God is the end of all (that is the praedication of his glory, for that is all the way we have to glorify God.) A man by con­fession of his sins, either unto God, or men, may give glory to God, for in confeffing himself a sinner, he owned the Lords Power, and Soveraignty over him, the Holiness, and Righteousness of his Law, and his patience, long-suffering, and goodness, that he is not cut off, and thrown into Hell, and indeed there is no con­fession of sin our duty, where this end cannot be attained some way or other, God doth not delight in the shame, and confusi­on of our faces, but he doth delight in the exalting of his own name, and in the praedication of his own praise and glory.

2. Secondly, Piety is concerned in the manner of the action. So it must be doṅe with tenderness of heart, brokenness, and con­trition of Spirit; indeed without this, the enumeration, and recital of our sins is but either a glorying in sin, or at best but a formalt­ty, and shell of duty. A glorying in sin, is but a glorying in our shame, and what will be far from the Soul of a Child of God. A formality of duty is but hypocrisy. It is a great vanity for a­ny Soul to think, that God should be pleased with a meer emp­ty noise of words, which are not expressive of any inward dis­position of the heart, in which he hath declared himself pleas'd. Words in prayer, and confession of sins, are our duty, but they must be such words as are thrust out of our lips, by the force of the inward affections of our hearts. If a man confesseth his sin unto God, either publickly or privately, this is requisite. Therefore you shall observe that the main thing which God re­quires, is our humbling our selves; that signifieth the affection of the heart. A man cannot humble himself by the words of his lips, without the inward shame, and brokenness of his Soul. The same thing is necessary in our confessions unto men. Under the old law there was Oyl, and Frankincense to be poured upon [Page 507] the Meat Offering Lev. 2. 2. and several other Offerings as you will read in that Book, but upon the Sin Offering there was no Oyl nor Frankincense, to be put, Lev. 5. 11. Oyl signified Glad­ness, hence you read that they used it when they would make their Face to Shine; and you read of the Oyl of Gladness; the Confession of Sin under the Gospel is a Sin Offering to God, and must not be offered, without a sutable sense and Sorrow of Heart. This is a requisite in all Confessions of Sin.

Lastly, We ought with the acknowledgment of our Blackness, whether to God, or Man, to join also the acknowledgment of our Comeliness, so far as God hath made any discovery of it to our Souls: we ought not indeed, to Glory beyond our line and measure, but we ought not to conceal what God hath done for our Souls. In this both the Glory and Honour of God, and the good, and incouragement of our dejected and dis­consolate Brethren are both concerned; nor can we imagine, that we should be more concerned, to discover our own vile­ness and naughtiness, then Gods Grace and Mercy. But of this I shall speak more fully, in my handling the Second part of the Proposition.

Sermon XXXV.

Canticles 1. 5.
I am Black, but Comely, O ye Daughters of Hierusa­lem, &c.

I Come now to the second part of the Proposition I raised from these words, I had no more time in my last discourse then to handle the former.

Prop. There are times, when Christians are bound to own their graces, and to declare what God hath done for their Souls.

There are such times, when good Christians must not only say they are Black, but also own that they are Comely. That this is a [Page 580] duty, appeareth from the practice of the Servants of God in holy Writ. Psal. 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul. And indeed what are most of the Psalms of David but declarations of this nature, to say nothing of Pauls speeches before Festus and Agrippa, &c. But whatsoever I intended for the proof of it, I shall bring under the explication, applying it to the particular cases. The Question is,

Qu. When, and in what cases, are Christians concerned, to own, acknowledg, and declare unto others their grace, and what God hath done for their Souls.

As I said of the other piece of a Christians duty, so I shall say of this. It is their duty 1. To own and acknowledg it to God; 2. To the Church of God; 3. To the Men of the World some­times.

1. To God. This is their unquestionable duty at all times, and you shall find it the frequent practice of the Servants of God in Scripture. If we have any Comeliness, it is Christs Comliness put upon us, and it is but reasonable that God should have the ac­knowledgment of it to his Honor and Glory. But of this there is no question, neither is this the acknowledgment of the Text, she is here speaking not unto God, but to the Daughters of Jerusalem. It is our duty also in some cases to own our Comeliness through grace unto men.

2. To the Church of Christ, and to particular Christians. 1. To the Church, and that in two cases. 1. Upon our Admission into it. 2. Upon our Re-admission, and restoring to the Priviledges of it. We find in the first Plantation of Churches of the Gospel, there was ordinarily such a confession and acknowledgment. It is said Mat. 3. That those who were Baptized of John were Baptized in Jordan, confessing their Sins, Matth. 3. 6. After Christs Ascension into Heaven, we read of the three thousand Souls, added to the Church, that they were first pricked at the Heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren, what shall we do? and in Acts 8. 36. when the Eunuch said to Philip, Here is Water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip answereth, if thou be­lievest with all thine heart thou maiest, and he answered, and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In those first ad­missions into the Gospel Church, it is plain, that Confession of Sin, and Profession of a Faith in Christ, were required as necessary, and previous to Baptism, by which Persons were admitted into a fellow­ship [Page 509] with the Church of God. But altho the first admission into Gospel Churches were only of Grown Persons, able to make Con­fessions of their Sins, and a Profession of their faith in Christ, which were alwaies done upon such admissions: yet the Children of such persons so Baptized have been alwaies taken to be within the Co­venant and so Members of the Church also, but whether compleat Members or no, hath been a question, and indeed generally denied, and something further required of them before they have been taken into a full Communion with the Church in the Ordinance of the Supper. For that being an Ordinance of the Gospel, which is a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith (as was said of Circumcision with reference to Abraham, Rom. 4. 11.) It is but reasonable to conclude that none have a right unto it but such as are made Partakers of that Righteousness of Faith, those that by an eye of Faith can discern the Lords Body, by an hand of Faith lay hold upon Christ under those sensible signs, and representations, and that by Faith can Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, while with the Mouths of their Bodies they Eat the Bread and Drink the Wine. Hence the Apostle commands us to examine our selves and so to Eat of that Bread, and Drink of that Cup, and telleth us that whoso Earteth the Flesh and Drinketh the Blood of the Lord unworthi­ly, Eateth and Drinketh Judgment unto himself: and hence it is that some evidence both of Knowledg, and Regeneration is judged necessary to such as have a full Communion in this Ordinance with the Church of Christ. The best evidence whereof is un­doubtedly an holy conversation; That a verbal declaration in this case is absolutely necessary, I cannot say, which may be made in hy­pocrisie, and it made signifies nothing, if not confirmed by an holy Life; where it can be made in truth, and with freedom of Spirit it is doubtless exceeding satisfactory, both to the Ministers of Christ, who are Stewards of the Ministries of God, of whom it is required that they should be faithful, (distributing their Masters goods according to their Masters order) and to the Members of the Church with which they are joined. But I by no means think that it ought to be insisted on, as to many Christians who may be under fears, and doubts, and despondencies, but evidence the change of their hearts by a holiness of life. Thus far I have a little digressed to give you my judgment in this point. By which you may se how little the difference in this case is betwixt Brethren, would they calmly listen to hear and to understand one another and not judge each other not heard.

[Page 510] 2. Upon our re-admission, or restoring to the Church of God. The judicial separation of Scandalous persons from the Church, is a suf­ficient evidence, that no persons unholy in their lives ought to be admitted into a communion with it, and that they are no more then presumptive members of it, or if you will, visible members, that is, such as in outward appearance are so, but when by any open action, they discover the contrary, they ought to be separated from it, and not restored without repentance, of which repentance indeed, (it being the change of the heart) we are no infallible judges, having no rule of judgment, but being forced to trust to the sincerity of Pro­fession, joined with a visibly reformed Conversation. The Church of Christ in all ages, so far as we may trust any account we have had of it, hath required both. 1. A verbal declaration, of what God hath done for the offending party, working in him or her a Godly shame and sorrow, and besides this the evidence of a reformed life, to which purpose, there was a great severity used in the Primitive Church, in case of persons lapsed before they would again receive them into a full communion with them, they would in the case of some Sins have the evidence of a changed heart, from a reformed Life. For 3, 5, 7, 10, 20. Years according to the degree of the Scandal and Offence. Indeed in latter Ages, as Popery prevailed upon the World, this discipline degenerated into a strange for­mality of auricular Confession, setting penances, and a present absolu­tion without any thing more then a perfunctory verbal confession. But from the beginning it was not so, neither ought to be so now. When any person, by any apostacy or lapse▪ declareth, (so far as the Church can judge) either that at first he was no true member of the Church, (however by an error admitted to it) or that at least the Church hath no reason to judge otherwise so as he be separated from its Communion, he ought not to be restored without such an evidence as may satisfy the Church, that he is one fit to be in full Communion with it, and this evidence can be no other way, then by a verball declaration, or by an holy and reformed conversation. I think it ought to be by both. Thus, St Paul in the case of the incestuous Person, whom he had ordered to be cast out of the Church, 1 Cor. 5. ordereth the restoring of him, but not till he had eviden­ced his sorrow, and that to such a degree, as St. Paul was afraid he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow. 2 Cor. 2, 7. & v. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage. These are the two cases in which I conceive Christians ought to make no difficulty to acknow­ledg [Page 511] their Spiritual Comeliness to the Church of God, of which they are Members. I have been a little larger in speaking to them, in regard of the questions which have arisen in these times, that I might tell you my judgment as to them, and do what in me lyes to the healing of breaches amongst Brethren, with reference to them, that if possible we might rightly understand one another, and recover the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace.

But besides this more open acknowledgment of what God hath done for us, in order to our more comfortable Communion with the Church of Christ, & participation of all Ordinances of the Gospel with them: I do conceive there are also some cases wherein such a Declaration, or owning of what God hath done for us, to particular Christians is our duty: and that,

1. In case of some particular Scandal. Suppose a Christian hath taken some particular offence, at some Scandalous actions or behavi­our of mine, before God wrought a change in my Heart or after­ward, and can hardly be satisfied that I am now a disciple, but is afraid of fellowship and communion with me in this case, it is doubt­less my duty if I know of it, to satisfy him, by declaring to him, what God hath since that time done for my Soul. Thus you read of Paul, Acts 9. 26. Paul you know was a Persecutor, in the beginning of that Chapter, you read of his Fury against the Chri­stians, when he came to Hierusalem v. 26. he essaied to join him­self to the Disciples, but, they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a Disciple, v. 27. Barnabas took him, and brought him to the Apostles, and declared how he had seen the Lord in the way, and how he had spoken to him. Paul had declared it to Bar­nabas, and doubtless (tho it be not recorded) made a follow­ing Declaration himself. Certainly of this there can be no doubt what ever the Scandal be.

But Secondly, Certainly it is our duty so often, and in any case, as and where we can probably judge that such a Declaration may con­duce to the Glory of God, or to the good of other Souls, either in bring­ing them to God, or exciting them to bless God on our behalf, or to trust in God and in Christ by our example. The relating, de­claring, and telling abroad Gods Wondrous Works is one way by which we Praise and Glorify God, as appears in all the Thanks­givings, and Songs of Praise, which we find in holy Writ, now certainly the Declaration of Gods wonderful Works in the Soul is of a high, and great concern to the Glory of God, as his wonder­ful [Page 512] works of common Providence in the World, and ought no more to be concealed, nor shall we find in holy Writ that they were. Come (saith David) and I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul, Psal. 66. 16, 17. I cryed unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. And possibly you shall find the book of Psalms as full of expressions of this, as any other nature. How free in this case is Paul? I live (saith he) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the Life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 1. Cor. 15. 9, 10. I am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle, be­cause I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain, But I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. So, Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer a persecutor, injurious. But I obtained mercy— v. 14. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, was exceeding abundant by saith in Lovewhich is in Christ Jesus. So in many other texts.

3. Lastly, There is a time when a Christian will be obliged to acknowledge his grace, and Spiritual comeliness before the men of the World. That is, when the World scandalizeth his profession. This Interpreters judge was the case here, the daughters of Hierusa­lem reproached the Spouse for her blackness. Thus Saint Paul, then whom none ever spake in a more vilifying dialect then him­self of himself, yet at other times he magnified his Office, 2 Cor. 12. 11. I am (saith he) become a fool in glorying, you have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in no­thing am I behind the chiefest of the Apostles, tho I be nothing, Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought amongst you in all pati­ence in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. So 2 Cor. 11. 25. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the chiesest of the Apostles, but though I be rude in Speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been throughly made manifest first amongst you in all things. When the Corinthians sought a proof of Christ in him, 2 Cor. 13. 3. he tells them v. 4. For we are also weak in him, but we shall live with him, by the power of God towards you, v. 6. I trust you shall know that we are no reprobates.

From this discourse may easily be gathered the reasonable­ness of this duty. There are four things that call to us for it, and make it our duty.

1. The first is the honour and glory of God. This is the great end of all our actions, for this cause we were born, for this cause [Page 513] we came into the World, I have before told you, that we have no other way to glorify God but by the predication, or speak­ing of his greatness, or goodness, or some other of his attributes, and by our holy life and conversation in obedience to his will: Now of all Gods attributes, there is none wherein he more delighteth then in shewing mercy, and whoso tells of Gods acts of grace doth eminently glorify God, for the riches of his grace and goodness, are discovered in Christ, and as in his giving of Christ for poor lost sinners, so in the application of that pur­chased redemption to the Souls of his poor creatures. Bless the Lord! O my Soul (saith David) Psal. 103. v. 1, 2, 3. and all that is within me bless his holy name. Blessthe Lord, O my Soul, & forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thy iniquities & healeth all thy diseases.

2. The Second reason is the good of our Brother. Next our immediate magnifying and glorifying of God there is nothing more our duty, then the consulting the good of our Brethren, and he is highly serviceable to God, who is any way serviceable to the Souls of others, either in winning them to God, or advantaging them in their walking with God. The Souls of Christians have often great advantages by hearing what God hath done for the Souls of others in their circumstances. It incourageth them to make their applications to God, to hope, and trust in his mercy to wait untill he will be pleased in like manner to be gracious to them. David Psal. 69. 32. makes this as an argument, with which he pleadeth with God for mercy for his Soul. He promiseth first, v. 30. That he would praise the Lord with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving. then he addeth v. 32. The humble shall see this, and be gladand your hearts shall live that seek God, for the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his Prisoners. By the humble is to be understood (as in many other Texts of Scripture) Persons in low, mean and afflicted conditions. It much conduceth to the raising up of the Spirits of a man, under torments of bodily pain and affliction, if one comes and tells him, I was in the same condition, and had the same pain, yet I by such and such applications recovered, and it is of no less usefulness, to one of a poor, and broken Spirit, for one to come to him, under his doubts and fears, and despondency because of the guilt of sin, when another Christian comes to him, and tells him, I also was a blasphemer, a drunkard, an injurious Person, yet I obtained mercy. I bless God my doubts are resolved, my fears scattered, and I am inabled through grace to hope in the [Page 514] frèe gerace and mercy of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Wher now such an opportunity as this is (which is not very frequent) there the good of our Brother calls to us for such a declaration, what God hath done for our Souls.

3. A third reason is the duty of a Christian so far as he may to avoid Scandal and Offence. Offences and mutual dissatisfactions one in another, destroy all the freedom, and sweetness of Christi­ans communion each with other, and it is our duty so to walk as to give no offence, to Jews or Gentiles, much less to the Church of God 2. Cor 20. 32. There are two ways by which offence is given.

1. By doing some actions as to which we are at a perfect liberty by which we cause our Brother to sin against God: As to these the Apostle cautioneth Christians very largely both in his Epistle to the Romans and to the Corinthians: But these kind of offences are not obviated by Christians declarations of what God hath done for their Souls, as to the influences of saving grace: but rather by the declaration of his knowledge, and forbearing such actions, as he hath a liberty to, but no necessity that presseth him to the doing of them, at least till his Brother be Satisfyed in the lawfulness of them.

2. By some Scandalous actions; these indeed are Scandala data, Scandals that are given and such sores as a Christian ought by all means in his power to endeavour healing of, and whether such things have been done before, or after a change wrought in our hearts, it is our duty to do what in us lyeth to remove the Scandal of them, which I know not how it can at first be done, without some declaration to the party, or Church offended, what God hath done for us, what a change he hath wrought in us, until by a contrary conversation (which is a work of time & the best evidence) we can make it more really to appear to them.

4. Lastly. The Credit of our professions some times calls to us for it; and this is the reason of the performance of this duty with reference to the men of the World, who seek all advantages to reproach the good and right ways of the Lord. But this is enough to have spoken doctrinally upon this argument.

Use. 1. From hence (in the first place) we may observe. That a Child of God may know that he, or she is comely. Indeed this is not the lot of every Child of God, at all times, and for them that do know it, there are degrees of their knowledge. Some have a more, some a less certain knowledge, but I say a good [Page 515] Christian may know it. The Papists indeed make all a Christians faith to be languid, and uncertain, but Paul was perswaded, that nothing should separate him from the Love of God. The Spouse knew she was sick of Love, and here, that altho she was black, yet she was also comely, tho as the tents of Kedar, yet as the Curtains of Solomon also. Peter knew that he loved his Master, so as he durst appeal to him, and say. Thou that knowest all things knowest that I Love thee; and St. John giving us rules how we might know that we are translated from death to Life, sup­posed that it might be known, and if it had not been possible sure­ly Peter would not have quickened us to the use of all diligence to make our calling and election sure. That every good Christian doth not certainly know his Spiritual Estate, is unquestionable; That he who doth know it this day, may fall into doubts and fears concerning it, is also certain: But it is as plain in Scripture, that a Christian may walk in the sense and view of his own since­rity, and uprightness, he may know it by the more special influ­ence of the holy Spirit, which witnesseth with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God, and this is of all other, the most certain and comfortable knowledge. He may also know it, by the more ordinary influence of the Spirit of grace, supporting the Soul, in the view of its own habits of grace. And certainly a good Christian is highly concerned to labour after this knowledge, as for the Quiet, Peace and Satisfaction of his own Spirit so for the glory of God, the good of others, and the upholding of our selves against the calumnies, and reproaches of evil men: How shall a Christian, that is full of fears, and continually doubting, whether God hath done any thing for his Soul or no, ever give God the honour and glory of what he hath done for him, and wrought in him. A sad, and dejected Spirit can never walk thankfully and praise God, for what he hath done for him: how shall such a Soul be serviceable to his Brother in distress! The Apostle adviseth working with our hands that we may have something to give to those that need, and tells us, It is more noble to give then to receive; the despondent, doubting Christian is always a receiver he cannot be a giver of advice and counsel, to others, How shall such a Christian bear up against the sug­gestions of the Devil, or against the reproaches, Scandals, and calumnies of the men of the World: Upon all these and many more accounts, Christians are highly concern­ed, [Page 516] to look for such evidences as may Satisfy them that altho they have been black, and are black through the frequent renewings of corruption, yet they are comely through grace. If any ask what they should do that they may know, I know no better way, then the studying the perfection of the new crea­ture to perfect holiness in the Lords fear; for tho it be true that we may be deceived in our judgments of the true features of the new creature, yet it is also true that the true testimony of the Spirit, is in concurrence with the witness of our Spirits and where there is a faileur of that Testimony there can be no certainty of the other.

Use. 2. We may learn from hence that it is not the sole work of a Christian to be complaining of himself, and loading himself with ac­cusations, and charges of blackness. Solomon saith, there s a time for all things; A time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Eccles. 3. 2. 4. I would have Christians to consider their season. There is a time for him to consider his blackness and to weep for it; And there is also a time for him to own and ac­knowledge his comliness. There is a time for him to sit alone, and keep silence and put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; But he ought also to find a time to lift up his head, to bless God that he lives, tho yet it is not he, but the grace of God in him, to acknowledge that by Grace he is what he is, and that the grace of God hath not been bestowed on him in vain. The time for the former, should be the time of his Solitude, chiefly when he sitteth alone before God. Except in some other par­ticular cases which I instanced in while I was handling the for­mer part of this Proposition. God is indeed honoured by our humiliations, confessions of sin, shamings of our own Souls: but not so much as by the predication of the riches of his grace. Thankfulness, and rejocing in the Lord, and in his Salvation, are great pieces of duty. The weeping, dejected Christian doth not so much predicate the Lords glory, nor so much commend the ways of God to men, as the rejoicing, chearful Christian, pro­vided his rejoycing be not carnal, and sensual, but Spiritual and in the Lord. That is the conversation, which most com­mendeth God, and his ways, and most inviteth Souls into a walking in them.

Use. 3. Suffer therefore a word of Exhortation and with that I shall shut up this discourse, it must be to a declaration of what God hath [Page 517] done for your Souls. A declaration of it (I mean) where God calleth to you for it. When that is may easily be concluded from my former discourse. It is alwaies your duty unto God, when you are alone in your Closets, [...] never unseasonable. It is (as you have heard) oft-times yo [...] duty to do it unto men, to the Church of whichyou are Memberts, to particular Christians whoare your Companions, sometimes before the world. Fou r thingsare usually pleaded as hinderances of it. 1. Christians uncertainty. 2. Modesty. 3. Pride. 4. Novelty of such a practice. 1. I will endeavour to shew you the vanity of these pleas in bar to this duty. 2. I shall give you some directions in order to the per­formance of it, with which I shall conclude this discourse.

1. The first plea is Christians own incertainty, and this is in­deed a great plea, for no man ought to boast beyond his line, or to arrogate that to himself, which he doth not find in himself, we ought therefore to labour to bring our Souls to a certainty, and the doubting Christian hath this advantage, that the grea­test certainty is that which followeth doubting but though it may be thou hast not an infallible certainty, yet possibly thou hast a moral certainty, though not a certainty free from all doubts, and fears, yet not incumbred with strong doubts, and tormenting fears, though not an assurance, yet a good hope through grace, yea, such an hope as shall not make ashamed. Thou mayest declare how it is with thy Soul, though thou canst not declare what is not in thy Soul. I am not pressing any Chri­stian to arrogate to himself, what there is no ground for, but only to own in himself, what God hath wrought in him, and for him. Fears, and doubts, though they alwaies argue a weakness in faith, yet they ordinarily argue a truth of grace, and faith, it may be, because of thy clouds, and doubts, thou canst see no beauty and comeliness in thy self, yet others may see a great beauty and comeliness in thee.

2. A second plea is Modesty, a vertue which excellently be­cometh the Children of God, who are called Virgins. It is the duty of the Children of God, not to think of themselves above what they ought to think, it is pity that so comely an habit should be turned into sin, and that Christians under pretence of avoiding Pride, and Ostentation, should run upon another Rock, and neglect a duty of so much tendency as I have shewed this to be, to the glory of God, and the good of others. Let me [Page 518] therefore examine this a little strictly. Pride (saith the Phi­losopher) is a vice by which we judge our selves worthy of more ho­nour then indeed we are, and slight, or despise others who indeed have, or whom at least we judge to have [...] of this, or that perfection then we have. The Schoolmen tell us there are three ways by which we may discover this sinful tumor, or swelling in an opinion of our selves.

1 Aqu. 228. in 62. art. 4. When we judge those good things to be from our selves, which we indeed have but from above.

2 When we boast our selves to have some good, or some measures of good, and perfection which we have not.

3 When we slight, and despise others whom we judge to come short of our perfections. They likewise prescribe a threefold remedy for this distemper. 1. The consideration of our native weakness and infirmity. 2. The consideration of the infinite greatness, and perfection of God. 3. The consideration of our own gifts and graces, in the shortness, and imperfections of them. In short therefore, there is no need to fear the discovery of any Pride in the acknowledg­ment of what God hath done for us, provided,

1. That we do not play the Hypocrites, boasting beyond our line, of what we never experienced, what God never wrought in us. The proud man arrogateth more to himself, then doth belong unto him.

2. Provided, that thou doest intitle God to all that thou hast of good in thee. It is truly said by the Schoolmen. Cum aliquis aestimate bonum quod habet ab alio, ac si haberet a seipso, fertur per consequens appetitus ejus supra modum in propriam excellentiam: That is; If a man judgeth that, that good which he hath from another, proceedeth from himself, his desire is immoderately carried out after his own excellency, and this is Pride. They are therefore highly concerned to look to themselves as to this, that attribute so much to the power of mans will, without any influence of special, and distinguishing grace; you shall ob­serve how careful St. Paul was against this upon all occasions, where he mentioneth his grace. I live (saith he) but yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. I was a Persecutor, a Blasphe­mer, Injurious, but I obtained mercy, and the grace of the Lord was exceedingly abundant in me, with faith, and love, which is in Christ Jesus. I am the least of the Apostles, not worthy to be called an A­postle— [Page 519] But by the Grace of God I am what I am. It is no pride to acknowledge what God hath given us, and done for us, but to arrogate it to our selves, as done by our own power, this is pride.

3. Provided (3dly,) That thou dost not despise the day of small things in the Souls of others: Scorning, contemning, and despising those, for whom God hath done, or we think that he hath done less then he hath done for us. This will speak Pride, the proud Soul as he alwaies arrogateth too much to himself, so he alwaies giveth too little to his Brother, and haughtily over-looketh what he hath, so that his Brother alwaies seems low, and vile in his Eyes.

4. Lastly, Provided, That with the acknowledgment of thy per­fections, and graces, thou conjoynest an admiration of Gods goodness, an acknowledgment of thy unworthiness, and of thy sinful failings, and imperfections. Thus you see the Spouse doth in this Text. I am black (saith she) but comely. So did Paul in the places I be­fore quoted.

3. A third Bar to this is Novelty. This can only be pleaded with reference to our acknowledgments to the Church, or the Officers of it, with respect to our either being admitted into a full communion with it in all Ordinances, or being restored to it after some lapse for the more private practice of it to our Bre­thren, it is as old as David, as may be seen from Psal. 66. v. 16, 17. As to the former, it was from the beginning certainly thus. None were admitted into the Gospel Church without a profession of repentance, and faith in Christ. None after a lapse or Apostacy was restored to the Church without it. Indeed through the cor­ruption of times, both the one and the other practice, hath de­generated into a meer formality, and now it seemeth new to us. But as it is but a reduction of an Apostolical, and Primitive Pra­ctice, so there certainly is nothing more reasonable, both for the comfort of the particular Soul, from whom this declaration is desired, and for the satisfaction of the Minister of Christ, who is but a Steward of the mysteries of Christ, and ought to be faithful, and also for the mutual satisfaction of such as are to be Members of the same Body.

4. But lastly, (whatever is pretended) it is much to be fea­red that Pride is the true hinderance of this Christian, and Spi­ritual duty. 1. Either we think it beneath us to discourse of spiri­tual [Page 520] things, and to acknowledge all to the free grace of God: Or,

2. We think we come short of some perfections which others have attained, and we are ashamed to let others know how short we are. But O that Christians would grow more familiar with spiritual things. We think that it is a piece of Charity if we hear of a Neighbour that is full of pain, or very sick ofsuch adistemper as we have formerly laboured under, to goand tell him how we were, what we did, what effect and issue it had, but we find an awkness to relate to fellow Christians, how we lay labouring under the guilt of sin, and perplexities of conscience, and bur­thens of temptations, and what our applications to God were, and what relief we found from his free grace and mercy. But in the performance of this, as well as other duties, there may be miscarriages. Let me therefore conclude with offering some di­rections for the better management of this duty. They shall be three.

1. Take heed to the principle moving thee to such actions. That must be love to God (the principle of all religious actions, with­out which we do nothing acceptably, this is determined by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13. 1, 2. It is love that is the fulfilling of the law, and indeed we can no otherwise in any point fulfil it. Take heed that self-love be not the principle, if by it thou seekest thy ho­nour and praise; self love only principleth thee, but if thou dost it, that God may have the glory of his Grace, that the Souls of others may be profited, and advantaged. That offences may be prevented, or removed. That the dirt may be wiped off, which the world throweth upon profession. In these cases the love of God is thy principle.

2. Take heed to the manner of thy doing it. As to that I shall only hint 2 things.

1. See that God hath all the glory. It is lawful for thee to boast of the Grace of God, but you must be sure to boast in the Lord, and in all thy acknowledgments of any spiritual good, thou oughtest to sing with David, Psal 115. 1. Not unot us O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be given the Glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth sake.

2. Do it with all the greatest lowliness, and humility of mind and expression that thou art able, so as nonw may for what thou hast received of grace, think of thee above what he ought to think▪ Paul forbare to speak what he could have spake, after his rap­ture [Page 521] into the third Heavens, 2 Cor. 12. 6. Lest (as he saith) any should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or that he hea­reth of me. We are to have a care of the corruptions of others hearts, as well as our own.

3. Look to the simplicity of thy heart in the end of thy action. This will indeed be much regulated from the principle; if the principle be true, the end will be so. A man can do nothing out of a true principle of love to God, but his end will be the ho­nour, and glory of God; if the principle be self-love, the end will be our own honour, praise, and applause, to have the repu­tation of a religious man in the world, and to appear to be what indeed we are not. Now if thy end be the honour and glory of God, you have heard, that is no other way attainable, but either by the predication of his goodness, or by the doing of his will, either in the doing good to others, or the preventing of scandals and offences, or upholding the credit, and reputation of Religion, &c. But of all these things I have discoursed more ful­ly before.

Sermon XXXVI.

Cant. 1. 6.
Look not upon me because I am black, &c.

I Have done with the four first Propositions, which I observed in these two verses. I come to the fifth from those words, Look not upon me because I am black. Where the Spouse (or ra­ther the Holy Ghost by her) doth not forbid all looking upon the Spouse (whether we understand the Church, or the parti­cular believing Soul (in the day of her blackness, but some particular lookings. And this is very usual in Scripture to deli­ver Propositions generally, which yet must be understood in a li­mited, and restrained sense, of which a multitude of instances might be given, Mat. 18. 3. Except you [...]e converted, and be­come [Page 522] as little Children, (that is, in some things as little Children) you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. So where Christ saith; my Doctrine is not mine, the meaning is, not mine alone; and a­gain, If I give testimony of my self; that is, if I alone gave testi­mony of my self, my testimony is not true. So often in precepts, and exhortations, when thou makest a feast (saith our Saviour, Luk. 14. 12.) call not thy Friends, or thy Brethren, or thy Kind­red; that is, not them alone. There is nothing more ordinary in the phrase of Scripture, and particularly in exhortations, or prohibitions. So here when she saith, Look not upon me, her mea­ning is not to dissuade all intuition, and beholding her in her blackness, but to caution us how to look upon her; hence the Proposition was:

Prop. It is our duty to take heed how we look upon the Church, or the particular Child of God, because they are black.

What the blackness of the Church, or of the particular Soul is, I have heretofore largely discoursed. Both of them are black through Afflictions, and black through Corruptions; the Corruptions of particular Souls are personal, the Cor­ruptions of the Church are the Corruptions of the body collective, through the mixture of undue, and corrupt Tea­chers, or Members, the reception of false and erroneous Doctrine, idolatrous, or superstitious Worship, or Rites, &c. In some sense we may not be able to avoid looking upon them, as looking signifies no more then the casting of our Eyes upon obvious objects that are before us. In some sense it is our duty to look upon them, to pity and compassionate them, and contribute what we are able toward their help, and recovery. But in other senses it is our sin to look upon them. The business as to which I am to instruct you under this Proposition, is how truly to divide betwixt our duty, and our sin in this case.

The Eyes are the windows of the Soul, through which most of our affections, and passions shew themselves. Pride discove­reth itself by the Eye, hence you read of a Generation, whose Eyes are l [...]f [...]y, Prov. 30. 13. and David saith of himself, O Lord, mine heart is not haughty, nor my Eyes lofty, Psal. 131. 1. Love and wantonness discovereth itself by the Eye. Hence Peter tells us [Page 523] of Eyes full of Adultery, and Job tells us, he had made a covenant with his Eyes, that he would not look upon a Maid. Covetousness, and immoderate desires discover themselves by the Eye, Prov. 27. 29. The Eyes of man are never satisfied. The joy, pleasure, and sa­tisfaction of the Soul, are discerned by the Eye. Mine Eyes al­so shall see my desire on my Enemies, Psal. 92. 11. Hope looketh through the Eye; hence David expresseth his hope in God, by the action of his Eyes, Mine Eyes are towards the Lord, Psal. 25. 15. and in many other Texts. Pity, sorrow and compassion are discovered, and expressed by the Eye. The Eyes for sorrow wax dim, and run down with tears. The outward man moveth accor­ding to the bent, and inclination of the will and affections; as a mans will stands bent, and his affections are inclined, so he mo­veth, so he acteth, and this will of man, and his affections disco­vering themselves by the Eye. The motions of that are made use of in Scripture to express the several affections, and inclina­tions of the Soul of man. The Spouse in this Text must not be understood to caution the Daughters of Hierusalem against the natural motions of their Eyes, with reference to her. But,

1. Against those unkind aff [...]ctions towards her, which were not suitable to her state and condition.

2. Against those unkind effects, and actions, which ordinarily follow such affections.

I put in those words [unkind] and [unsuitable] because there are affections, and actions, which are our duties towards the Spouse in the day of her blackness. This will lead me to dis­course two points under this Proposition.

1. The du [...]y of Christians towards the Church of Christ, black with Afflictions, or through sinful mixtures and corruptions; and to­wards particular Christians under aff [...]ctions, or lapses.

2. How Christians may sin in their behaviours towards one, or the other, under such circumstances.

First, Let me speak as to what is a Christians duty in the ease; that I shall resolve in this general position, That it is a Christians duty so far to look upon the Church, and the particular Christian in the day of their blackness, as they may be thereby af­fected with that due compassion which they owe unto their Brethren, and quickned to those acts which brotherly love, and compassion cal­teth to them for. Thus not to look upon the Spouse, because she is black, is our sin. So that the duty of a Christian here lieth in two or three things.

[Page 524] 1. In a sympathy, or fellow feeling of a Churches, or Christians burdens, and misery. The Eye naturally affects the heart, accor­ding to the nature of the object which it seeth. Nature itself teacheth a sympathy betwixt members of the same body. No one member can be afflicted, or pained, but the whole body feel­eth it, and hath some sense of it. The Apostle hath compared the Church (the Body of Christ) to the Body natural, for the order of the Parts and Members, the several offices of the Members, the mutual subserviency of one Member to another, and that sympathy which should be found betwixt the Members. Hence we are commanded by the Apostle, to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those that weep, and Paul saith of him­self, who is weak, and I am not weak, who is offended, and I burn not? and again we are commanded to remember those who are in bonds, as if we were bound with them, and those that suffer adver­sity, as being our selves in the Body. So that, 1. The precept of God obligeth us to it, who having made his people all one Body hath made them also Members each of other. 2. Their relation cal­leth to them for it. It seems to be the law of nature upon all near relations, for it is not only where (as in natural Bodies) the na­tural union is made by Nerves, and Sinews, but where love hath made an union, as in the union betwixt Parents, and Chil­dren, Husbands, and Wives, &c. Nor is this to be extended only to such cases where the person beloved feels a burthen, or mise­ry, but where they lie under it, though they be not sensible of it, what Husband, or Wife is not affected with the affliction of their correlate in an Apoplexy, or under some distempers, of which themselves possibly have iittle or no sense. So will every good Christian be affected at the case of his Brother fallen, tho he possibly hath not that due sense of his own fall, which he should have, and at the case of the Church, under its blackness, though possibly the Rulers, or generality of the Members, be not so sensible of their own corruptions, and deviations, and to look upon the Spouse of Christ in her blackness, with a mourn­ful, pitying and compassionate Eye, is very much the duty of every good Christian, and what we find the constant, and religi­ous practice of the People of God at all times.

2. We may so far look upon the Spouses blackness, as our sight of it may inform us better, or quicken us to seek God on her behalf. It is our duty to pray for one another, James 5. 15. Confess your [Page 525] faults one to another, and pray one for another. They are put to­gether, and the first seemeth to be mentioned as a means in or­der to the other. How can I plead for a Church, or a particular Child of God, if I know nothing of their state? how can I know it, if I may not look upon it? It is a divine indulgence granted by God to his People, that they shall not be heard only praying for themselves, but for their Brethren also, 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his Brother sin a sin, which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give them life for them who sin not unto death. All a Christians sins in their own nature are mortal, and unto death. The Papists err in their distinction of sins into such as are mortal, and such as are venial, but no sin is mortal, in that sense as it sig­nifies, what cannot be forgiven (saving only the blasphemy a­gainst the Holy Ghost, mentioned by our Saviour,) and in res­pect of Gods gracious Ordination, no Child of God sinneth, or can sin unto death. Now where the sin is not unto death, God hath promised us, on the behalf of our Brethren, that if we see them sinning, and pray for them, their sins shall be forgiven them. Now if they may not look upon them in any sense, or to any purpose, how should they pray for them? And thus it is highly the duty of Gods People to look both upon the Church, and the People of God, because of their blackness through af­fliction. Is any man afflicted (saith James 5. 14.) let him pray, and let them send for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over them—and the prayer of the faithful shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he hath committed sin, it shall be for­given him. In this sense it is so far from being Christians sin, that it is their duty to look upon the Spouse, because she is black.

3. Lastly, It is Christians duty to look upon the Spouse, be­cause she is black▪ so far as to inable us in any measure to the pur­ging out their corruptions. A good Christian ought so far to con­sider the corruptions of a Church, as in his place to endeavour its reformation; and consequently it cannot be his duty to have communion with her in those things wherein she deviateth from the rule of her Lord. It is true, the effectual Authoritative Re­formation of a National Church, belongeth to the Rulers, if they be Christians, as appeareth by all the instances of the Old Testament, concerning the Kings of Judah, and such a Reforma­tion of a particular Church or Congregation, belongeth to the Officers of Christ in it, but every private Christian hath his part, [Page 526] viz. to inform such, in whom the power is, to bear a testimony against such corruptions, and not to have fellowship with the Church in such things. I cannot grant that all Corruptions, in the Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline of a Church, are a sufficient cause to conclude it no true Church▪ and wholly to withdraw himself from the communion of it. But I doubt not to say, that it is my duty to withdraw Communion from a Church in such acts, as without sin I cannot have communion with it; but of this more by and by. The case is the same in the case of a lapsed Brother, I am bound to admonish him, to tell him of his offence, and if he will not hear me to take two or three with me. If he will not hear them to tell the Church, that he might be separated from the Communion of it. The Apostle hath di­rected us, If our Brother be overtaken with a fault, to restore him in the Spirit of meekness, Gal. 6. 1. Now in order to the perfor­mance of this, I may, yea, it is my duty to look upon my Bro­ther when he is black, for the Lord who hath willed the end, must be understood to have also willed the means, that are neces­sary to that end.

Let me in the next place shew you what kind of looking on the Spouse in her blackness is sinful; this I shall more largely o­pen in several particulars.

1. First, We ought not to look upon them with a censorious, and condemning Eye. Neither for their seeming blackness through Af­fl [...]ctions, nor yet for their real blackness through coorruption, ei­ther breaking out of a Christians heart, or appearing in a Church. Judge not (saith our Saviour, Luk. 6. 37.) and you shall not be judged, condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. He that judg­eth the truth of a Christians Grace, or of a Churches state, from the more external providences of God, either towards the one, or towards the other, doth not consider what hath been the lot of the Church, and People of God, ever since God had a Church, or a Believer upon the Earth; nor what the Scripture speaketh concerning such providences. He that condemneth, and casteth off a Church as no true Church, for some particular Cor­ruptions, and undue mixtures, doth not consider the state of the Jewish Church, which yet God owned, and Christ owned, by ha­ving communion with the Assemblies of it in those things which were of his Fathers institution in it: nor yet the state of the Church at Rome, and that in Galatia, and Corinth, all which had their Corruptions, and undue mixtures, yet are owned by God [Page 527] and Christ as true Churches. Where indeed Idolatry is owned in the Doctrine of a Church, and ordinarily practised in the Wor­ship of a Church, or established as the Worship of it, I cannot well tell what to say, I do not find that Idolatry was ever estab­lished as the Worship of the Church of God in Judah, tho I find it several times tolerated, and during some wicked Princes, reigns practised amongst them, but not universally, nor so steddi­ly, but a succeeding Prince quickly revived the true Worship of God, and destroyed the Idols. Idolatry seems to be that sin which unchurc [...]e h a Church, and makes a People not to be owned by God as his People, but that a Church should be condemned as no true Church, where this is not found, is more then I can find in Holy Writ, tho there may be in a Church not so far corrup­ted, a great many corruptions, in which it may be a Christians duty not to join with them; where Christ is owned, and the truths of God necessary to be known, and believed in order to salvati­on, are owned and published, and the main acts of Divine Wor­ship are performed, there is some comeliness. So far a particular Christian, though we see some particular failings in him, and such as may justify the separation of him from a Church, as a suspected Leper, yet we ought to take heed of looking upon him with too censorious an Eye, to restore him in the Spirit of meekness, lest we also be tempted.

2. We ought not to look upon them with a glad, and satis­fied Eye. It is inhumane to rejoice in the afflictions of any, but irreligious to rejoice in the afflictions of any belonging to God. This was the sin of the Edomites, for which God so severely threatned them by Obadiah, v. 12. of his Prophecy; Thou shouldst not have looked on in the day of thy Brother, in the day that he became a stranger, neither shouldest thou have rejoyced over the Children of Judah, and to the same purpose, Ezek. 35. 15. As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the House of Israel, be­cause it was desolate, so will I do unto thee, thou shalt be desolate, and v. 14. When the whole Earth rejoyceth, I will make thee deso­late. I fear there is too much of this ill humour in the world, such an hatred to those that fear God, and those Churches which walk most strictly up to the rule of the Gospel, as produceth a joy and rejoycing, when we hear that any evil betideth them. We ought to be very careful of our selves, as to this, this is very far from weeping with those that weep; but much less ought we to be glad, and rejoice in the sinful falls of professors, and [Page 528] miscarriages of such as have had a repute for religion and god­liness. Nothing is more against Piety and Charity. The honour, and glory of God is as much concerned in the sins of others, as it is in our own sins, and we ought no more to glory in the shame of others, then in our own shame. There is a double re­joycing in the sins of others. The first is a rejoycing of wanton­ness, when men out of a meer idle wanton humor can please themselves, and others with discourses of Mens and Womens failings. The second is a rejoycing of envy, and malice, when men envy good men their honour, and repute in the world, and therefore watch for their halting (as Jeremiah 20. v. 10.) and rejoice when they are fallen. All rejo [...]cing in iniquity, all look­ing upon others to that end, or of which, that is an effect, is highly sinful, as being against Piety, a rejoycing in Gods dishon­our, and against Charity, 1 Cor. 13. 6, a rejoycing in an evil be­fallen to thy Brother. Take heed therefore of this looking up­on the Spouse, and this is too too frequent, and no more then hath always been in the world, which alwaies lay in wickedness, and from Abels time was alwaies filled with malice against them that loved and feared God, David deprecates it, Psal 35. 19. Let not those that are mine Enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the Eye that hate me without a cause. v. 21. They opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, Aha, our Eye hath seen it. And David prayeth bitterly a­gain [...] such a generation; L [...]t them be desolate for a reward of their shame, that say unto me Aha, Aha; and so again, Psal. 70. v. 3. Ham rejoyced in his Fathers nakedness, how dreadfully did the Lord revenge it upon him and his Posterity, according to the prophetical Curse of his Father? G [...]n. 9. 25, 26. I have, not without trembling, seen People make sport at the natural defects of Persons, so reproaching God in his works of nature, and pro­vidence, whereas they ought rather to bless God upon such sights, who might have made them like unto such imperfect Creatures. Not without more trembling sometimes seen, and heard men rejoice, and make themselves sport with the moral defects, and profancness of others, their Oaths, and Curses, and Drunkenness, and ribauldry, whereas they ought rather to mourn for the dishonour of God, and that such things might be taken away from persons who call themselves Christians; it argues a very corrupt Soul to rejoyce in the sins of any, but to be plea­sed [Page 529] to rejoice, and be glad at the stumblings, and falls of Per­sons that make a profession of Godliness, is yet more sinful, be­cause God by such sins hath more dishonour, and such rejoycing can proceed from no other root, but that of hatred to God, and envy and malice. Thirdly,

3. We ought not to look upon the Spouse, because she is black, with a scornful and despising Eye. The Psalmist complain­eth, Psal. 123. v. 4. Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn­ing of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud, And Psal. 79. 4. We are become a reproach to our Neighbours, a scorn and derision to those who are round about us. So Psal. 44. 14. Thou makest us a reproach to our Neighbours, a scorn and a derision to those that are round about us. The occasion of scorn is black­nes [...], either caused through affliction, or through temptations, and fallings by the prevalence of corruptions. Job complained, Job 16. 20. That his friends scorned him, while his Eyes poured out tears unto God, The Church in her blackness was thus despised, Lam. 1. 8. so was Christ himself, Is. 53. 3. But how far is this from the duty of Christians? where is the scorners Brother­ly love and compassion? how doth he forget that himself also is in the body, and may be tempted? Affliction is what may be­fall the best of men, and who can scorn and despise a Christian fallen through infirmity, and temptation, that considers how Da­vid and Peter fell, and that himself standeth by Grace, and that the reason of his standing, is because God keepeth off from him the like temptations that others meet with?

4. It is our duty not so to look upon the Spouse in the day of her blackness, as because of it to be scared from her company, to shun, and avoid her, and to withdraw our selves from her, either from advising, and counselling her in order to her cleansing, or doing what in us lieth in order to it. Solomon saith, A friend loveth at all times, and a Brother is born for adversity. If there were no ob­ligation upon us from any religious bond, or relation, yet our participation of the same common humane nature ought to ob­lige us to pity, counsel, advise, and what we can to help Persons in distress; but Religion lays yet an higher tie upon us, as it ob­ligeth more specially to love the Church, and to love the Bre­thren, and to be Friends to those that are Christs Friends; now a Friend loveth at all times. Our Saviour in the Parable of him that fell amongst Thieves, Luke 20. 31. determines him no Neigh­bour, [Page 530] that seeing the man stripped of his rayment, and wounded, and half dead, came and only looked on him, and passed on the other side; much less can such a one call himself a friend. God by Obadiah tells the Edomites, v. 11. of their standing on the other side, when the strangers carried the Jews away into captivity. Nor are we only obliged to this in case of the Spouses blackness through affliction, but through sin also, and corruption, and that both in the case of the particular Christian, and of the Church of God; let me a little inlarge upon this because I fear there is too much failing of Christians upon this account.

1. In the case of the particular Christian. It is true there may be such faileurs of particular persons as may oblige conscientious Christians to shun an intimacy with them; I have written to you, saith the Apostle, 1. Cor 5. 11. not to keep company, if any man be called a Brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an Idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one no not to Eat [...]; 2. Thessal. 3. 14. If any man obey not our Word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. But observe the next words, yet count him not as an Enemy, but admonish him as a Brother. I ought not wholly to withdraw my self from that man who may have so fallen, as it may be my sin to have an intimacy of fellowship and communion with him: I ought not to count him as an Enemy, whom yet I may not make my intimate, and bosom friend, but what I can do, by counsel and advice, by reproofs and admonitions in order to his recovery, I am bound not to neglect so as I ought not wholly to withdraw my self from him.

2. In the case of a Church, black through corruption, the ad­mission of undue mixtures of members, of erroneous doctrine, Su­p [...]rstitious rites, &c. it is undoubtedly our duty not to defile our selves by communion with her in those things wherein her black­ness appeareth. But it is also our duty not so to withdraw from it, as to lend it none of our help; There is indeed a time when God saith of a Church, Wherefore come out from amongst them, and be you separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and yo [...] shall be my Sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. God said so to the Jews when Jeroboam set up the Calves at Dan and Bethel. The honest Priests and Levites resorted to Judah out of all their coasts, leaving their suburbs, and possessions, and after them out of all the [Page 531] tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Hierusalem to Sacrifice to the Lord God of their Fathers, 2. Chron. 11. 16. But where God hath not said to a People, you are not my People, where Idolatry is not crept into the Worship of a Church, nor such errors in Doctrine, as destroy the foundations of faith and repentance, tho it may be the duty of Christians, not to be so blind as not to see manifest errors and corruptions, and to mourn for them, yet it is also their duty not so to look upon them, as wholly to shun communion with such a Church, so far as Christ owns it and to put themselves out of the obligations of charity and brotherly Love, or to think them­selves discharged from such obligations; all the diseases, and wounds of Churches are not incurable, and we ought so far as we can to attend, and indeavour the cure of them. It is indeed a sad case, when a Church is so far corrupted as to its officers and members, as a Christian can see no hope of a reduction of it to the divine rule, but certainly a great deal of waiting and patience in this case is our duty, tho that a Christian can be obliged all the days of his life, to keep in the communion of a Church, in which he cannot injoy all the Or­dinances of the Gospel according to the will of Christ is more then I know. But it is one thing to Satisfy our own con­sciences, as to the purity of acts of Worship, and communion, ano­ther thing wholly to reject, cast off, and condemn such Churches in which we cannot see such a purity. It is apparent, that in and after our Saviours time, the Church of the Jews had wofull mixtures, and were corrupted both in Doctrine and in Worship and in discipline, indeed little in it was right. The whole Cere­monial Worship was abolished by the death of Christ. He pulled down that partition wall betwixt the Gentiles and the Jews, and abolished the law contained in Ordinances; yet observe the Apostles practice, tho they kept their private meetings of the Christians, yet they also went into the Temple and into the Sy­nagogues; and Acts 19. v. 8. When Paul came to Ephesus, he went into the Jewish Synagogues and spake there for 3 Months, disput­ing and perswading, the things belonging to the Kingdom of God. But when diverse were hardned, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, then indeed he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the School of one Tyran­nus. If the foundation Doctrines of the Gospel be any where denied or blasphemed, the ways of God reproached in any Church, [Page 532] and those that walk in them, reviled, and persecuted, or Idolatry admitted, set up and encouraged; in all these cases, we may pre­sume Christ hath forsaken a Church, & we may go after him. In other cases we ought only so far to look upon her, because she is black, as not to colly and defile our selves by any com­munion with her, in what things in her are irregular, andout of order, being so far Separate as not to touch the uncleanthing.

5. Fifthly. We should not look upon the Spouses blackness so as to be moved thereby either to think or speak ill of Religion, or the good ways of God, or to depart our selves from them. I know of no Religion whose principles teach debauchery. Much less doth that which is pure, and undefiled before God. We must therefore carefully distinguish betwixt the Vices, and faileurs of Persons, and the faults of principles and the way of Religion. So as it is a most unrighteous thing for any Person to entertain ill thoughts of Religion or to speak Evil of it for the er­rors failings, or miscarriages of those who profess it. Yet how ordinary a thing is this in the world! how common is the unreasonable clamour of such as hate God— Crimine ab uno, Disce omnes; They are all alike. You see what their religion teacheth them. Indeed upon the account of this, it is that the sins of Professors are so hainous. When God by the Prophet had let David know he had pardoned his sins, yet he threatens him with a severe punishment because he had given occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme, Saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians, 1. Th [...]ssal. 3. 3. That none should be moved by his afflicti ons, for God had appointed him, his Church, his People thereunto. I would speak to you for one thing more. That none should be Scandalized and offended at the wayes of God for the breakings out of corruptions, in particular Persons own­ing and professing Religion, for there never were any so white but they had some black Spots.

6. Lastly. We ought least of all to look upon the Spouses blackness, so as to be coll [...]ed by it to copy it out for our practice, or plead it in justifi [...]ation of our selves. The use we should make of the failings and sins of professors should be, that while we stand, we should take heed lest we fall. The failings of Christians ought to be for our caution, not for our imitation. And to this end Christians should not only consider David, sins, but Davids punishment also, his broken bones, his watering his couch with tears, the sword never departing from his house, the difficulty he expres­seth [Page 533] in his penitential Psalms to recover the sense of Gods Love, his hard work of repentance and they will see little incouragement to sin after Davids copy. Nor yet after Peters if they consider how bitterly he wept after his fall, before he recovered the kind look of his Master. This is enough to have spoken Doctrinally, as to this point indeed the whole discoursehath been practicall I may therefore be very short in the application.

Use. 1. In the first place I desire from this discourse that we may all observe both the Excellency of the Divine rule, and the crook­edness of the heart of man. How much sin is committed in the World? How many indecencies may be observed in the conver­sations of men, of Christians, from their undue looking upon the Spouse of Christ because she is black? What a comely society would the society of Christians be, would they bear one ano­thers burdens, and every one have a fellow feeling of each others miseries, and afflictions? And would look no further on the black­ness of Professors, then to inform, and direct them how to ap­ply themselves to God on their behalf, or to them, or any others any way in order to their help and cure; if Christians would not look upon the Church or each other in afflictions or under any lapses, with a censorious Eye to condemn one ano­ther, but with a charitable Eye hoping the best and helping towards it. Not with a glad and rejoycing Eye, but with a mourn­ing and weeping Eye, being grieved for the afflictions each of other and much more grieved, for the breaking out of one ano­thers lusts and corruptions. Not with a Scornfull Eye, but with an humble Eye, pitying one another under the hand of God up­on them, or bewailing the frailty and infirmity of humane nature Not shunning and avoiding one anothers Societeis, but keeping to the Divine Rule, so far keeping company with the worst of our brethren, as our company may serve them for any good, to their souls, I say were it possible to reduce the whole society of Christians to this order, how beautifull a society would it be? This is our rule, if any walk not up to it, let not religion suffer for their passions and uncharitable behaviour.

But ah! how many fall under a severe reproof, if what you have heard in this discourse be ture, and the duty of all such as profess themselves to be the disciples of Christ. How many censo­rious Christians and rash judgers have we, that will not consi­der that the finest gold must have some grains of allowance how many that will undertake to determine the state of Souls from [Page 534] external providences that happen to them, and from particular acts and miscarriages. How glad are a great many in the world when they can but hear a report of the failings of Persons own­ing Religion? That say report, and we will report it and watch for their haltings, saying peradventure he will be enticed. How many that sit in the seat of the scornful; despising one another for their afflictions, because themselves are at ease. How ma­ny of Gods People may repeat those words of the Psalmist, Psal. 123. 4. Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scornings of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. How little tenderness is to be found amongst Christians, towards lapsed brethren, how little care to restore such as are overtaken with faults in the Spirit of meekness? Is this not to look upon the Spouse because she is black. How ready are Christians to shake off all fellowship and communion with Churches and particular Christians for some partial blackness? And how ready are others for the failings of professors to reproach even Religion it self, and to take up prejudices against the right ways of God? How ready are others to copy out the sinfull miscarriages of Christians, and to justify themselves from them. Certainly these things ought not to be. Oh that all you who are Daughters of Hierusalem, who profess to Religion, as you do not come behind in many other things that are good, so that you would not come behind in this: The many errors of Christians in this one piece of duty, the due and right behaviour of themselves towards Churches, and particular Souls. Let us know that it is a great piece of Christians perfection, that whereunto the most have not as yet attained; remember, it is a great piece of your duty to be pres­sing after it. I shall but mind you of three things which if they will not prevail with you I know not what to add.

1. The concern in it of the glory of God. In the obedience of his will, for it is what he hath (as I have shewed you) com­manded, the winning of Souls: Which may be more estranged, and alienated from God, by an undue behaviour, and much re­duced by a just and Christian behaviour, and the upholding the credit, and reputation of religion, and godliness.

2. Secondly. The concern of your brothers good is not little; by this thou shalt shew that brotherly Love which is so commen­ded in the Gospel; how canst thou say thou lovest thy Brother▪ whiles thou watchest for his halting, and art glad, and rejoicest [Page 535] when thou see [...] him fallen, that scornest and despisest him because he is low, and mean, and afflicted, or because thou observest his foot to have slipped. Where is thy pity? Where is thy compassion in the case.

3. Finally, thy own concern is not small in the case. Upon this argument the Apostle to the Hebrews perswadeth a remembring of such as are in bonds, and adversity. Heb. 13. 3 considering that we also are in the body. And upon this argument he also perswadeth tenderness to persons black through faults, Gal. 6. 2. considering thy self lest thou also be tempted. What man is there that may not be afflicted and tossed with tempests as much as any others are? What man is there that may not be overpowered at some time or other by his corruptions, or Satans temptations? Now observe that of our Saviour, Luke 6. 37, 38. Judge not, and you shall not be judged, condemn not and you shall not be condemned—For with the same measure that you meet withal, it shall be mea­sured to you again. In these cases the Law of Nature holdeth, which Christ hath also Ganonized in his Gospel. Whatsoever you would that others should do to you, do you the same to them.

Sermon XXXVII.

Canticles 1. 6.
—Because the Sun hath looked upon me.

I am come now to the sixth Proposition I observed from these words, which the Spouse giveth as one reason of her black­ness. By the Sun I told you, I understood the scorchings of Af­flictions, and Persecutions; hence observed,

Prop. That in this life the Spouse of Christ (whether we by it under­stand the true Church, or the particular believing Soul) is exposed to afflictions, and persecutions which, make her black.

The Proposition asserts the Lot of the People of God in this [Page 536] world, that is to be afflicted, and persecuted, to have the Sun look upon them; this sense I put upon this metaphor, having our Sa­viour my guide, Mat. 13. 6. 21. 2. It sheweth the ill effect, or influence which these Persecutions have upon the People of God, sometimes, that is, to make her black, or at least to appear so to humane Eyes. In the handling of this Proposition I shall,

1. Shew you, That Afflictions, and Persecutions are usually the lot of the Spouse of Christ while she is in this world.

2. Whence it is, that this is its hard fate to have the Sun to look upon her.

3. What collying, or blackning qualities there are in afflictions, which affect the Spouse.

4. Whence it is, that because of these Afflictions, and Persecuti­ons, the Spouse of Christ is judged sometimes black, when indeed she is not so. Then I shall apply the whole discourse.

Concerning Afflictions in general, I shall speak little, they are the common lot of mankind, nor is the Child of God more exempted from them then another. I shall therefore rather bend my discourse to such kind of afflictions as are the more peculiar afflictions of the Gospel, and affect the Spouse of Christ, and these are those which we call Persecutions; of these our Saviour interpreteth, the Sun being up, Mat. 13. 6. v. 21. These are such injuries as are done to the Church and People of God, sor the Words sake, for Righteousness sake, for Christs sake, which are the several phrases by which these kinds of affliction are expressed, Mat. 13. 21. Mat. 5. v. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 14. Any sufferings under­gone of choice, rather then we will defile our conscience with sin. It is true, the Etymology of the word will not give us this sense of it, but verba valent secundum usum. It is the usage of words, that must give us the sense of them, and this you will find is the sense of this term, both in Holy Writ, and all Ecclesiasti­cal usage. Nor doth it alter the case, if men be made sufferers truly upon this account, whether they suffer according to an humane law, or not, for if an [...]umane law would have purged such acts from unrighteousness, and cleansed them from the guilt of Persecution; the Jews had been clear'd, who said upon their Crucifying of Christ, we have a law, and by that law he ought to die; and all the Martyrs who have suffered since his time for his names sake (excepting such as had died in Massa­cres, and by Assassinations had died as fools died, for they gene­rally [Page 537] died in the execution of some laws, first made by such as thirsted after their blood. Nor is it to be limited only to capital punishments. Amongst the noble Army of Martyrs reckoned up, Heb. 11. 36. Some had tryal of cruel mo [...]kings—of bonds, and imprisonments—some wandred about in Sheep-skins, and Goat skins,—in deserts, and Mountains, and in Dens, and Caves of the Earth, and Paul calls Ishmaels mocking of Isaac a Persecution, Gal. 4. 29. and as then (saith the Apostle) he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Now that this hath been the lot of the People of God in all a­ges, is so evident both from the whole story of Scripture, and all Ecclesiastical history, that I need not be large in the proof of it. He that casteth his Eye upon Adams Family (when that con­tained all the Church God had in the world) will find there a Cain rising up against Abel, and slaying him, because he offered up a more excellent Sacrifice. In Abrahams Family he that was born after the Flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit. Esau persecuteth Jacob, the Egyptians oppress the Israe­lites, there was a continual feud betwixt Judah, where the true Church was, and Israel after they had Apostatised. David in ma­ny Psalms tells you how he was continually opposed, and malig­ned. What the holy Prophets of the Lord suffered for decla­ring the truth, you may read at large in the Books of the Kings and Chronicles, what Jeremiah, Daniel, Amos, the three Chil­dren suffered, you may read at large in the Prophets. If you come to the New Testament, you find John Baptist beheaded, Christ Crucified, Stephen stoned, James killed with the Sword, Paul variously suffering, and all for righteousness sake.

2. It may be more worth our inquiry, whence these storms arose, which our Saviour foretold, and were begun with him, but grew greater presently after his death, and troubled the Church for 300 years together; the root of them was doubtless the worlds hatred, this our Saviour hath learned us, and in some mea­sure armed his people against it, John 15. 8. If the world hate you, you know it hated me▪ before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world ha­teth you. God hath put an enmity betwixt the Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent; Christ and his Seed, the Devil and his Children, but in regard we must not so understand that Text, [Page 538] Gen. 3. 15. as if God infused those evil habits of malice, and en­vy, and hatred of God, and goodness, but only that God would in­fuse such Spiritual, gracious habits into the Souls of his People, as through that native malice, envy, and corruption, which is in the hearts of such as God pleaseth not to change by his special grace, would provoke such an enmity in them; we must inquire into the root, and grounds of that hatred, which produceth this enmity and hostility, and that is, 1. Their natural aversion to all piety and goodness: And 2. That Pride which is in their hearts, which suffereth them not to be patient of the preference of godly men in the favour of God, nor of being excelled by them be­fore men in such a conversation, as their lusts will not suffer them to lead, much less to be condemned by their Doctrines, and reproofs▪ hence they both hate such as will reprove them, either in the Gate, or from the Pulpit, and because the Ministers of Christ are those to whose Office especially the latter belong­eth, hence they have in all times been made the buts and ob­jects of their fury.

But though these afflictions come immediately, and proxi­mately from men, yet they are also the appointments of God, the counsels of God, executed by his permissive Providence, not restraining the malice, and lusts of wicked mens hearts, but suf­fering them to exert, and put it forth; the same account must be given of this sort, as of other sorts of Gods afflictive dispensa­tions: 1. The punishment of his peoples sins. 2. The trial, exer­cise, and manifestations of his peoples graces.

1. The punishment of his peoples sins, and this is for the most part evident in such Persecutions as fall upon whole Churches, I say for the most part, it is rare that God lets loose Enemies upon a setled Church to disturb its quiet, till it hath losts its first love, and admitted sinful mixtures. Thus it fell out to the famous Churches of Asia, to whom the Epistles were written in the Re­velations, and it may be the obvious decays of Religion in the Primitive Churches, were no small cause of the Persecutions which vexed, and destroyed them for three hundred years toge­ther.

2. The trial, exercise, and manifestation of his peoples graces, was also another cause; this we are often told in the Epistles of the Apostles, nor did the Church of Christ receive a small augmen­tation, and increase by the courage, and constancy, the faith, and patience of the Martyrs.

[Page 539] 3. Lastly, God also by this means obtaineth another end, viz. Wicked mens filling up the measures of their iniquities. That upon them might come (as our Saviour speaks) all the righteous blood that hath been shed by their Fore-fathers. But all this is a digression from the principal thing in the Proposition, which is to shew you how these blacken the Spouse of Christ: That is, either, 1. Really by drawing out corruption: Or, 2. Appearingly in the Eyes of the world.

1. Afflictions often really blacken the Spouse of Christ, as they draw out that latent Corruption which is in their Hearts. This is true both concerning the Church, and concerning the particular Soul. 1. As to the Church, which is by our Saviour compared to a Field of Wheat, in which are Tares as well as Wheat, and to a Net, which within the swallow of it hath bad as well as good fish. Now Persecution makes a great discovery of Hypocrites, they that received the Seed into stony ground, having no root in themselves, fall away, enduring but a while, and when Tribulation, or Persecution ariseth, for the Word are immediately offended; the Dragons Tail, Revel. 12. 4. drew down the third part of the Stars of Heaven, and did cast them down to the Earth. Thus it is seen in all Persecutions, they alwaies dis­cover a great number of Hypocrites, & false Brethren, yea, and often many of Gods People at first shrink, and fall under the greatness of the temptation; so you know it sell out as to Peter in the High Priests Hall, and so it hath been with many of such as have at last dyed in the testimony of the truths of God. These things make the Church black, when the Sun looketh upon it, though in the issue the melting of the Church proveth the puri­fying of it, and making it exceeding white, as you know it is with many things purified by fire, though the fire maketh them at last more bright, and pure, yet at first till their dross be clean­sed, they look more black, so it is with the Church of God in the day of its fiery trial. So it is also as to Particular Christians. Tribulation in them at last worketh Patience, and Patience Ex­perience. and Experience Hope. Even such an hope as will not make ashamed, but this is after some excercise therein. Hence saith the Apostle, Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present, see­ [...]oth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness, unto them which are exercised there­by. [Page 540] How black did holy Job look, Chap. 3. When he Cursed the day of his birth. Who afterward being exercised with a long afflicti­on came out white. Till by Tribulation the Soul cometh to be humbled, and tamed to the will of God, and to have his will melted into a resignation to the will of God, till his faith, and pa­tience come to be both tryed, and to have their perfect work. Tribulation, and Persecution maketh the Spouse really black, like the Person that hath taken Physick to purge out some ill humours, so long as his Physick is working, and strugling with the peccant humours, he is sicker, and appeareth worse then be­fore he took it.

2. But secondly. Tho Persecution and Tribulation may at first make the Spouse really black; yet they make her appear much more black then she is in the Eyes of the world, and the genera­lity of men and women in it, of which a various account may be given, I will instance but in two or three things.

1. The first is the impressions which the calumnies, and slanders of Enemies thrown upon the Church, and upon believers, have upon many people. There is nothing more ordinary, then when the Enemies of God are in their highest rage against his People, to have their mouths fullest of obloquy and slander against them. Thus David complains, Psal. 35. 11. that in the day of his ea­lamity, False witnesses did rise up against him, and laid to his charge things that he knew not. The men of the world, whose malice, and hatred, prompteth them to injurious actions against innocent persons, conceive themselves obliged to defend them­selves against the common reason of the world, which teacheth them to cry out against such acts of violence, with raising lies, and slanders concerning such as they so oppress, and persecute, he that is any thing acquainted with the Psalms of David, or other parts of Holy Writ, will find that what we see in the age we live in, was but the old practice of wicked and profane Per­sons, ashamed to own the true cause of their hatred, and malice. It was Matchiavels maxime, Fortiter calumniare, aliquid adhae­rebit, lay loud enough (though never so false) upon thy adver­saries, something will stick to them, and indeed it is hardly imagi­nable but it should.

2. A second reason of this judgment is, because the most of men judge of blackness, and comeliness by a meer sensual Eye. The life of the Spouse is an hidden life, her beauty is an hidden beau­ty. [Page 541] The world doth not consider the afflictions of Gods People Spiritually, as they are the tokens of Divine Love (for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth) nor as they purge away the Souls dross, and take a­way its Tin, as they melt it, and try it, and give faith a perfect exercise, and patience a perfect work, nor are they able to dis­cern the Souls exercises of faith and patience, of humility, and meekness, and quiet submission to the will of God. The afflicted Spouse may not only be exceeding beautiful in the Eyes of Christ, but in the Eyes of the Saints and People of God in their affliction, and tribulation, and the generality of men yet see no beauty and comeliness in them, because their beauty is spiritually discer­ned; all that is external, is blackuess, and unloveliness, they are only glorious within.

3. The generality of men and women in the world judge of the love and hatred of God, by what is before men in this life. The beauty of the Spouse of Christ lieth in two things. 1. In her acceptation with God. 2. In her habits of grace, and the exercise of them, both these are hidden from the Eyes of the world, they see not the internal frame of a believers Soul (as I but now told you) and as their habits of grace are hidden things (the world knoweth us not, faith John) so their state of favour, and acceptation with God is an hidden thing also; they cannot understand how God should love him or her, against whom he suffers men to prevail to such a degree, so that the wicked devours the men that are more righteous then they; they judge of Gods love, and hatred to Souls, by what in this life happens to them. The Apostles phrases, 2 Cor. 4. 8, 9. are all riddles to them; we are troubled, saith he, on every side, but not distressed, we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroy­ed; I have done with the Doctrinal part of my discourse.

Use 1. Is this the lot of the Spouse of Christ, to be Sun-burnt with af­flictions, and persecutions? Is it their lot to be afflicted, and will afflictions make them black, and appear more black then pos­sibly they are, what then is our duty?

1. In the first place, it is certainly our duty to expect afflictions of this nature, and to expect such usage under them, as the people of God before us have constantly met with. Our Saviour Christ ha­ving given to his hearers the law of his Discipleship, Lu. 14. v. 27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be [Page 542] my Disciple; addeth further. v. 28. 29, 30, 31. For which of you intending to build a Tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it, left happily after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all begin to mock him, saying this man began to build, and was not able to finish? Or what King going to make war against another Ring, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him, that cometh against him with twenty thousand. Or else while the other is yet afar off, he sendeth an Embassage, and desireth con­ditions of peace? Our Saviour Christ by those two similitudes, teacheth us all the duty of a pre-consideration, a thinking be­fore hand what may afterwards happen to us in the profession of religion, and the owning of him, and the profession of the Gos­pel. It is certainly a true saying, Mala inopinata graviora, the less prospect we have of evils, the more inexpected they come upon us, the more heavy they prove to us; unthought of evils are alwaies most intolerable, because we are least prepared for them. Let every good Christian therefore live in view of those Afflictions which the Apostle calleth the Afflictions of the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1. 8. Either because they constantly, or most ordinarily follow the profession of it, or because indeed it is unreasonable to think that any person should either adhere to the propositi­ons of truth contained in it, or live up to the rule of life, which the Gospel prescribeth, and be free from them. If (saith our Saviour, John 15. 18.) The world hateth you, you know it hated me before it hated you, and v. 20. Remember the word that I said un­to you, the Servant is not greater then the Lord, if they have per­secuted me, they will also persecute you. These things (saith our Sa­viour, John 16. 1. 2, 3.) I have spoken unto you that you should not be offended, they shall put you out of the Synagogues, yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God good service. It is a most unreasonable thing for men to meet with more pleasing things, and prosperity, in the profession of Religion, then the Author of that Religion, or any of his Disci­ples ever met with, or then he hath told us we should meet with in the profession of it, who knew all things; or that we should expect more tranquillity in the profession of Religion, then the nature of that profession, considered together with the igno­rance, and corruption of the world, doth promise the professors of it. It is true there is nothing in the nature and profession of [Page 543] the Christian Religion, considered singly, and apart by itself, that is unlovely, or disobliging to any; it is a Religion full of good will toward men. But considering this Religion, together with the corruption of the world, there is much in it, which he that looketh but with a rational Eye, will see that the world is never like to bear better then it hath hitherto done▪ it tieth a man up to be­lieve Propositions according to the revelations of the Word. To live a life according to the rule of the word. To worship God according to the prescriptions of the Word, in all things, it calleth a man to the Law, and to the Testimony. It obligeth every man in his place to bear a testimony against whatsoever is contrary to the strict rule of the Word. Now whoso considereth either the ignorance of the world, which knoweth not the Son of God, nor him that sent him, nor what is the revealed will of God, or the sensuality of the world, how mad upon their lusts the most of Men and Wo­men are: Or the Pride of the world, which maketh men impa­tient, either of a verbal reproof, by doctrine and admonitions, or real reproof, by a quite contrary conversation, more pleasing to God, & acceptable to, and beautiful in the sight of men: Or the affectati­on of dominion over the conscience, which a multitude are possest of, and their impatience at good Christians not owning, and sub­mitting to their dictates, and saying as they say, and doing as they do, can hardly imagine how those that will live godly in Christ Jesus, should live any long time in the world without persecution. Now the expectation of those searchings, and Sun­burnings, will have various good effects upon the Soul.

1. It will put the Soul upon preparing for them. He that liveth in the expectation of trials, will be oft-times putting the case to himself, if such a tryal should be, what should I do? My Soul wouldst thou stand to, or desert the profession of thy faith? wouldst thou keep close to God, or depart from him? we should be laying up something in store against an evil day.

2. Expected tryals (as I before told you) are alwaies lighter, and more tolerable, and endured with more courage, and patience. We are not so frighted with evils, which we see at distances, and view in the approaches they make to us. Nothing more weakneth a Soul in the bearing of an evil, as a sudden surprisal, like an Apoplexy to the body, it at once stops those passages by which the Spirits should discover, and exert themselves.

Br. 2. Secondly, This Doctrine calls to Christians for patience, and that both under Persecution, and Afflictions, and under the cen­sures, [Page 544] and obloquies of the world, because of them. Expectation of tryals is a previous duty in order to our preparation for them. Patience is a present duty, when the Christian is fallen under them. It is indeed the work of the day; that very grace, which in the hour of tribulation should have its perfect work, it lieth partly in a quiet submission to the good will and pleasure of God, because he hath laid it upon us, an holding our peace, because it is the Lords doing, partly in a quiet waiting for God in the ful­filling of his promises made to his People under such circum­stances. There are two things that call for our patience under afflictions. 1. The smart of the Affliction, for no affliction is joyous, but grievous. 2. The reproach of the world under it, this often doubleth the affliction and maketh it more grievous, and intolerable. Now consider how many things have occurred in this discourse, which may excite our patience under both these.

1. This is the lot of the People of God. There is none of them but the Sun at one time or other works upon. The Apostle ex­horteth the Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 3. 3. That no man should be moved by their Afflictions, for (faith he) your selves know that we are appointed thereunto. There is a great deal in that saying to quiet the Spirits of Christians under the burthens of tryals. 1. God hath laid those burthens upon them. I held my peace (saith David) because it was thy doing. It is the Lord (said that good man) let him do what soever he pleaseth. Perhaps (saith David) God hath bidden him curse. It is a mighty thing to silence the Spirit of a Christian, when he can see the hand of God in it. 2. It is the Lords appointment. What hath befallen us in pursu­ance of an eternal counsel; this speaketh the tryal eventually ne­cessary, it speaketh it also good for his People, for he hath not appointed us unto wrath, nor to any means of that tendency. Nor is it thy lot alone, but the lot of all those who will live godlily in Christ Jesus. The Apostles themselves were appoin­ted thereunto, and wherein are we better, then our Fathers, or our Brethren?

2. You have likewise heard why God hath appointed our lot to be Trials, and Afflictions, for the punishment of our sins, and for the tryal, and exercise of our Graces; this also calls for pati­ence. Why should a living man complain? a man for the punish­ment of his iniquity? We have much less reason to be distur­bed at the trial, and exercise of our graces.

[Page 545] 3. You have heard upon what mistakes it is that the World ac­counts the Christian black by reason of Afflictions, because they judge of their complexions by a meer sensual Eye, and from a meer erroneous judgment. We have therefore no reason to be disquieted, because of it. But indeed the main use we should Use 3. make of this point, should be for Caution; and that in two par­ticulars.

1. That afflictions may not blacken us. 2. That we do not judge others black, because of them. 1. Will afflictions blacken the Spouse of Christ? Let us take heed that they have not this ill influence upon us. We have heard that they no otherwise make us black then as they are occasions to draw out our lusts and cor­ruptions. This is that which we are more especially to watch upon. In afflictive providences, God tryeth us, and Satan and the world also try, and tempt us. God tryeth our faith, our patience, our submission to his will, whether we will deny our selves, and take up the Cross and follow him. The Devil, and the men of the World, which are the Devils instruments, try us, whether we will desert our profession, deny the Lord that bought us, for­sake the ways of God, and imbrace a present World. If upon Gods tryal his ends be obtained, then are we by our afflictions purified, and made white, if the Devil and his instruments pre­vail upon us, then are we by our afflictions made black. This is the thing we are to take heed of Job 2. 3. after that God had taken away Jobs Estate, and Children, he saith to Satan, Hast thou considered my Servant Job, that there is none like him in all the Earth, a perfect, and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil, and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movest me against him to destroy him without a cause. How white there did Job appear after his afflictions?

But I shall not inlarge my discourse to afflictions in the gene­ral, but limit it to such afflictions as are more peculiar to the Spouse of Christ, and which I have had a more special reference to in my former discourse, viz. Persecutions, or sufferings for our adherence to the truths of the Gospel, and the good ways of God. Let us take heed that we be not made black by afflictions of this nature, which we shall be, if by them we be moved from our good opinion of the ways of God, from our profession, or practice of them; there is no sinner more black then the Apostate. See 2 Pet, 2. 20. 21. For if after they have escaped the pollutions [Page 546] of the world through the knowledge of the Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again intangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it is better sor them not to have known the way of righteousness, then after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. Indeed failings in a time of Persecution are caused from a dou­ble cause. Sometimes meerly from the fear of life, or some great danger that will befall to men, if they adhere to their former profession; failings of this nature make a Soul look black, but ma­ny such recover themselves, and the Lord who can have compas­sion upon our insirmities, pities them, and recovers them out of the snare of the Devil; this is a blackness we ought to avoid, by putting on the whole Armour of God, that we may be able to stand in the day of the Lords Battel. But there is another defection, which is occasioned by Persecutions, and Afflictions of this nature: That is, when men out of a greater love to other ways in a time of tryal, renounce the truths of God they have formerly owned, and forsake the ways of God, in which they have formerly walked; to these now Persecutions, and Afflicti­ons of this nature, are but a slight occasion of their defection and Apostacy, and this eminent difference you will find betwixt the others, and these: The others, though they may be prevai­led withal to warp, and start aside, because of the greatness of the temptation (it was Peters case in the High Priests Hall) yet will never be prevailed with to speak evil of, and to revile the truths of God which they have owned, nor the ways of God, in which they have formerly walked, and others yet walk. The others being prevailed upon to their Apostacy meerly from the lusts of their hearts, and the greater love they have alwaies had, (tho like Hypocrites they have concealed it) to looser principles, and a looser way of living, take themselves concerned to reproach their former ways, and those who yet walk in them. This is a dreadful blackness, not a tincture upon the face only, but a tincture of the heart, which by occasion of Persecution for the Gospel, breaketh out into the more exteri­our conversation. To enforce this caution, I shall only mention three things.

1. That this is the affection only of the stony ground, Mat. 13. 6, 21. It is a certain sign, that those never received the Seed of the Word into honest, and good hearts, that they never had any [Page 547] root in themselves who when tribulation, and persecution ariseth, because of the word, by and by they are offended. He that receiveth the truth, in the Love of it cannot so easily abandon the profes­sion of it, 1 John. 2. 19. They went out from us, they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. The day of Persecution and tribulation for the Gospel sake is the day of the manifestation and discovery of hypocrites. I do not think that all shrinking in a time of per­secution is a note of hypocrisy, there is a shrinking through fear in the time of great temptation (so Peter shrank.) But for men to make a defection, out of a principle of lust and greater Love to other ways, and to reproach and speak Evil of the ways of God (which by the way is a certain indication of such a defe­ction) this speaketh the man or woman to be no better then an hypocrite nor ever to have been other, tho, to serve his lusts, he disguised himself with a mask of holiness, and Religion.

2. Secondly consider, That no sinner so reproacheth the good and holy ways of God as such a sinner doth. He tells the World that he hath tryed them, that there is nothing in them, that no­thing but the ignorance & prejudices of his education & youth led him into them, that the ways of sin & profaneness, of Formali­ty, and Superstition are better, and therefore he is at last grown wiser then to take such pains to go to heaven. If I would pick out a wretch out of the whole herd of sinners to reproach God, to blaspheme the Gospel and the ways of holiness, I would pick out onethat had been formerly a professor, and had turned away from his profession this wretch pretendeth from experience to justify what others do but loosely discourse.

3. Thirdly no sinners must expect a more dreadful Vengeance. The reason is evident, because none sin against more light. There is no man who hath made a profession, and lived in any practice of Religion, but knows that there is no iniquity in it, nothing but what suteth the common reason of mankind not debauched through lust, and that those who in any measure live up to the profession of the Gospel, are (if sober heathens were to be judges) the best of men, with respect to all duty which the light of Nature teacheth toward the Divine Being, and all good offices towards men. I say there is none who hath made any profession but knows this, and in all his Evil speaking of [Page 548] them doth not sin like an heathen, nor like a profane man who speaketh ill of the things he knoweth not, but speaketh contrary to the dictate of his own conscience. I would not have this understood of those who are made black, through these afflicti­ons, from the temporary prevailing of a strong temptation, these with P [...]ter (tho they fall) yet go out and weep bitterly and are recovered, and made stronger by their fall, but of those others before mentioned to whom Affliction and Persecution are but the externall occasions to draw out the lusts of their hearts which waited but for an opportunity to discover its self.

2. Finally to shut up this discourse let this caution us from Judg­ing the Spouse of Christ black because the Sun hath looked upon her. You have heard that this is but the Worlds judgment, not according to any measures of truth, or righteousness. To this End,

1. Root your selves in this truth, That none can judge of Gods Love or hatred from what happeneth to him in this life. It is Solo­mons Maxime, and a great truth, God governeth the World ac­cording to the just Oeconomy of his Providence with respects unto his own wife Ends; and no spiritual judgment can be made of the state of any, from those administrations, oft-times he maketh Princes to go on foot, when servants ride on horse back, and the wicked to devour those that are more righteous then they.

2. Look under the vail of Religious Persons in the day of their afflictions. The Vail may be black, and yet the face White. You may possibly see the People of God glorifying him in the Fires, eminent faith adherence to God constancy, pa­tience shining forth in the People of God in the hour of their tryals. you may possibly hear Paul and Silas, singing praises unto God at midnight, and the Apostles going away from their place of punishment rejoicing that the Lord hath thought them worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ; and here a Job resolving that, Tho the Lord slayeth him, yet he will trust in him. These things speak a Lilly tho amongst thorns.

Sermon XXXVIII.

Cant. 1. 6.
—My mothers Children were angry with me.

I am now come to the 2d cause, which the Spouse of Christ here assigneth of her appearing blackness. The Anger of her Mothers Children. My Mothers Children (saith she) were angry with me. [...] which the Septuagint translateth [...] They fought in me, or they fought against me. In my explication▪ of the verse I told you that some by Mothers Children under­stand those lusts and corruptions, which are members of that bo­dy of death, which yet remain in the best of Gods People; those members mentioned by the Apostle Col. 3. 5. which we have while we live upon the Earth for our exercise to mortify, these lye in the womb of the same Soul, together with our habits of grace; these are those which the Apostle calls the flesh, which lusteth against the Spirit, These cause that war in our members mentioned, James 4. 1. they war against the Soul. 1. Pet. 2. 11. Others 2. understand by the Mothers Chil­dren mentioned in the text, False brethren, such members of the Church as are indeed the Children of the Church, our visible Mother, but not the Children of our heavenly Fa­ther. Tho in my own judgment I rather incline to the latter as the sense of the Text, yet I shall give that deference to those worthy Interpreters that have mentioned the former, that (there being a truth in that) I shall take both senses into the Proposition which I shall law down thus.

Prop▪ The conflict which particular believers have with their own in­bred lusts and corruptions, and which the Church hath with false brethren, will often make them appear black to the Eye of the World.

Here are two propositions wrapped up together.

[Page 550] 1. That true Christians will have conflicts with their own lusts and corruptions, and the true members of the Church with such as are false brethren.

2. That both the particular Christians, and the Church of Christ in these conflicts will appear black.

1. True Christians will have conflicts with their lusts, and corrup­tions. This is so great a truth that this Spiritual conflict is a note of the truth of grace in the Soul. It is indeed as wars use to be, sometimes hotter, sometimes cooler and more remiss, and the Soul is in it sometimes more, sometimes less a conquerour, as God will please to afford the Soul more or less of his strength, but it is always something. When God did bring the Israelites into Canaan, he was not pleased at once to drive them cut, but by little and little, Exod. 23. 28, 29. neither were they faultless, for many of the Tribes did not drive them out; Judah could not drive them out, Judg. 1. 19. It is said of several of the other Tribes that they did not drive them out. Upon which God resolveth that he would not drive them out; but they should be as thorns in their sides. God in bringing Souls out of a state of nature, into a state of grace, doth not wholly drive out lust and corruption, he bringeth sin out of its Dominion, Rom, 6. 13. So as it reigneth not in the mortal Bodies of the Saints; sin like the tree in Ne­buchadnezzars vision, Dan. 4. 14. is hewed down, many of its branches are cut off, and its leaves, and its fruit is scattered, and the Soul is got from under it, but yet the stump of its roots are in the Earth, tho bound with a band of Iron and Brass, kept un­der by the law of the Christians mind, that he getteth no domi­nion, the Soul is not under the power of it. Now as there was a continual war betwixt the Canaanites left in the land, and the Israelites, so there is a continual war and spiritual combate, betwixt those [...] these passions of sin, these lustings of the flesh, and the Spiritual part of the Spiritual man. Paul doth excellently describe this conflict, Rom. 7. 21. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God, as to my inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me▪ &c. Saint Paul sets forth himself there as a man in a battel, and sometimes taken Priso­ner. So again▪ Gal, 5. [...]7. For the [...] Spirit, [Page 551] and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contr ary, the one to the other. And indeed in the last words lyes the reason of this war, and conflict. It is of the nature of contraries to expell one another, not to indure one another in the same subject, but to be in a continual combate till the one, or the other hath got the Victory. Grace in Scripture is compared to light, sin to darkness, light and darkness mutually expell one another, so doth Grace and lust. Now both these being in the Soul of the regenerate man, who is but Sanctified in part, and neither of them being lazy and inactive, but active, and operative principles, there must be this conflict which I have mentioned, this war in our members, which makes the People of God look black.

2. And as it fares with individual Christians, with respect to their lusts, and corruptions: so it also fareth with the Colle­ctive Spouse, the Church of Christ, with respect to false Brethren, who are the presumptive, but not the true members of it. 1. such will be in the Church while it is upon the Earth. 2. And these will be angry with the true members of it.

1. while the Church is upon the Earth, it will be like a field of Wheat which hath tares in it; the Gospel and the preaching of it is like a drag-net which draweth unto the Church, as its shore Fish, both good and bad, there will come a time, when the Lord will take his fan, and throughly purge his floor, but that will be in the day of judgment; if we look upon Gods ancient Church, the Congregation of Israel, there was a Jannes, and a Jambnes, that resisted Moses, a Corah, Dathan, and Abiram that rose up against Moses & Aaron, many false Prophets to mislead People & many more false hearts, that were easily misled; the Chaldee Paraphrast expounds the term in the Text of false Prophets, Ahab and Jezebel had 300 of them at a time, a great number of the People, were ready upon all occasions to relapse into Idolatry, and Superstition, as they had any Princes, that would either tole­rate or incourage it; Jeremiah and Micaiah, and Amos and Eli­jah, and all the true Prophets of the Lord found that their Mo­thers Children, were angry with them, so did those that were good People amongst them, the Priests were a snare upon Miz­peh, and a net spread upon Tabor, to hinder the People from attending the true Worship of God. Look upon the Church of Christ: In Christs little company there was a Judas, a Son of per­dition, and amongst the multitudes that followed him, there [Page 552] were many that followed him but for the loaves. In the primi­tive times, there was a Demas, an Hymeneus and a Philetus a Simon Magus. Many false Apostles that opposed Paul, and the Apostle to Timothy Prophesieth that there shall not be a lesser plenty of them in the latter days.

1. Nor can it be reasonably expected otherwise considering 1. Gods appointment, for the exercise of such as be real and true Saints. 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be (saith the Apostle) heresies amongst you, that those who are approved may be made manifest. False brethren discover themselves, either by the broaching of false doctrine, to corrupt the faith of Christians. Or by bringing in undue Rites, Ceremonies and Superstitions, to corrupt the Wor­ship of God. Or by a looseness of conversation, discovering the want of the Love, and fear of God in their hearts. Now the Lord hath appointed such a Constitution of his Church, that these shall be tolerated in it, that those who are approved may be made manifest; contraries near one another best discover themselves.

2. Secondly, Man is tyed up to a judgment according to out­ward appearance. God alone judgeth the heart and according to the reality of things. Even Christ himself tho as God he was Omniscient and needed not that any should tell him what is in the heart of man, yet when he appeared in the head of his Church here upon the Earth, and acted as the chief Minister in and of it, he admitted a Judas into his first society of that nature, teaching us in our admissions of members, whether by Baptism or other wise, to content our selves with a visibility, and out­ward appearance; there must be a difference betwixt the Church visible, and invisible, the Church Militant and Triumphant.

2. But as these are contrary in their Principles, and in their Ends; so they must and will be contrary in their actions, and they will be angry with the true, and more sincere Professors of the Gospel. Thus it hath been in all ages and periods of the Church, thus it is and will be. Cain was a false Brother in the Church in Adams Family, he roseg▪ up against his brother Abel and slew him, because he offered up a better Sacrifice, and God had more respect unto him then he had unto Cain. Ishmael was a false Brother in Abrahams Family, Esau, in Isaac, the Scrip­ture tells you of the ill agreement betwixt Isaacs and Ishmael; Jacob and Esau. The whole story of the Church of the Jews re­corded [Page 553] in Scripture, and of the Church of Christ recorded in the New Testament, is a proof of this opposition, so is the whole story of the Church, since the Apostles time, and what need we any fur­ther proof then what we have at this day? nor can any thing else be rationally expected, whether we consider the falseness of such Per­sons hearts to God, and the interest of God, or the Pride of their hearts. Or the looseness of such mens principles.

1. The hearts of all such are false to God, and the interest of God. The love of God is the thing which doth distinguish a sincere Chri­stian from an Hypocrite; the Hypocrite loveth God in Word, and in Tongue only, the other loves him in Deed, and in Truth. There is no faithfulness in an Hypocrites heart, his heart is not right with God; the true Christian is sincere for God, and serious, and right down in his actings, for the honour and glory of God. The other doth but mock and dissemble, and pursueth private interests of his own, he sees that profession serveth his design and interest. Observe in any other thing, where two, or more are joined in the prosecution of a design, and one of them is serious, & right down, and plainly pur­sueth his end, but the other runs along with the business for some o­ther ends, or upon some otherdesigns, but is not real in his scope, inten­tion, and actions for the obtaining the end which he pretendeth to; he whose heart is right for the work, hath no greater enemythen he who is joined with him seemingly in the pursuit of it. This is the case here, all those who are visible Members of the Church of God, are appear­ingly coupled in a design for the honour and glory of God. It is the whole business of the Church of God, which is the only body of People upon the Earth, which God hath called and chosen for that purpose, for the predication of his name, In this Church there are some who do it from a single and right heart, truly intending the honour and glory of God as their end; there are others, who are un­der an ingagement to do it as much as the others, but their hearts are not right with God, do not stand towards that work, but drive some self end of private honour, credit and applause, these men may do some things night, but they never walk with God fully; as I re­member it was said of Amaziah, one of the Kings of Judah, 2 Chron. 25. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, so it may be said of these, it may be they may do many things, which as to the matter of them are right in the sight of the Lord, but they neve [...] do them with a perfect heart, so as there can never be a good harmony betwixt, them and such whose hearts are more sincere and perfect. The Hypocrite will never be heartily pleased with the sincere Christian.

[Page 554] 2. Especially considering the Pride that is in the heart of every Hypocrite. Though the Hypocrite doth not himself love to do much for God in the denial of himself, nor will further serve the Lord, then he can by the service of God serve himself, yet he is too proud to be patient of being outdone by any; this was the ground of that oppo­sition which Cain gave his Brother Abel, this made him so wroth, and his countenance to fall, because the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offering, but unto Cain and his offering, he had no respect, Gen. 4. 4. 5. Sincere Godly Christians will be doing their utmost for God, spending much of their time, and strength in communion with God, they will be much in praying, much in hearing the Word, strict in their walking, ready to exhort, to reprove, and admonish such as walk disorderly, and not as becometh the Gospel. Hypo­crites and false Brethren are no more able to bear this, then they are able to obtain of themselves to do like them. Hence are their cen­sures of them, as Persons that are righteous overmuch, needlesly strict, and severe, hence their envy, and reproaches, and their watchings for their haltings, and taking all advantages to blazon their infirmities, and to make them as odious, and to look as black as they can.

3. Another reason of it lyeth in the looseness of their principles, both their principles of Doctrine and Faith, and their practical prin­ciples, directing their lives and conversations. False brethren are al­waies looser in one or both these sorts of principles, then the sincere Christian is. The study of the Hypocrite is to form his faith, and to interpret the law of God into a consistency with his lusts, that he may keep his lusts, and yet protect himself from the checks, and re­verberations of his conscience, and flatter himself with hopes of E­ternal Salvation, and also keep up his credit, and reputation with the world. The sincere Christian hath no other design then to form his faith, according to the revelations of truth in the Word, and his conversation to the rule of life in the Word of God, the Word is a lamp to his feet, and a lanthorn to his paths, and from that he dares not start; when the false Prophets told Micajah, that the Prophets had all with one mouth prophesied good to Ahab, and suited his humour. Micajah answers them. As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord bids me speak, that will I speak. The same is the language of every true Christian; whatsoever Propositions of truth I find spoken by Holy Men that were inspired by God in his Word, that, [...]nd nothing but that shall be an article of my faith. What way soe­ [...]r God hath prescribed me in his Word to Worship him in, and [Page 555] by, that will I do, neither adding thereunto, nor yet diminishing therefrom, whatsoever rules God hath given me for the order of his Church, to them I will adhere; whatsoever laws God hath given me to guide my conversation, to the observation of them I will keep; thus he is in all things tied up to a divine rule. But now the false Professor hath looser principles. He dare allow the judgment of his own natural reason in determining of truth, as the object of his faith, and of the Traditions, and Practice, and Precepts of men, as the rule of his Worship, and the will of men as to the order, and government of the Church and from one of these three causes; most ordinarily proceeds that opposition which is given to the strict Servants of God from the anger of their Mothers Children. I come to the second Member of the Proposition.

2. This opposition is one great cause of the Spouses appearing black. Both the opposition which the particular Christian hath from his own impetuous lusts, and motions to sin, and which that part of the Church, which is alone the Spouse of Christ, hath from false Bre­thren, and the opposition given her by them, are a great cause of the Churches blackness, or appearing blackness.

The grounds of it are, 1. Partly that trouble, and sadness which usually attends those conflicts in the Spirits of Christians. The time of War is a time of sadness in that part of the world which is the seat of it, and the hour of this Spiritual War and Conflict is a sad time in the Soul. Paul cryeth out, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Hence are Christians sad, and heavy walkings, which the World counteth blackness. 2. Partly from the prevailings of sin sometimes in the Soul. David complained under the Old Testament that Iniquities prevailed against him, and Paul complaineth under the New Testament, not only of a War, but of a Victory in some Skirmishes, that the law of his Members got against the law of his Mind, so that he was brought into a captivity to the law of Sin, which was in his Members, Rom. 7. 23 Now sin is that which maketh the Soul really black, and where any of the People of God in the view of the world so dis­coloureth himself, the world needeth no provocation to call them black. The Eye that is directed by a Soul full of malice, envy, and hatred, spies the least miscarriages in the Soul that is hated, and aggravates them with the highest aggravations.

And as this is true concerning that opposition which the particu­lar Soul findeth from its inbred lusts and corruptions, that makes [Page 556] the believer black, so it is as true, that the opposition which that part of the Church, which is the true Spouse of Christ, meets with from false Brethren, will make the Church appear black. This will appear from the several unlovely consequences of such opposition.

1. From hence are Errors, and Heresies, Schisms, and Contenti­ons in the Church of Christ; of these you read in the Episties to the Romans, Carinthians, Galatians, then which nothing make a Church appear more black in the Eyes of the World, and they are more especially the reproaches of the Church of Christ, by how much the Gospel, which is their rule, in which they are in­structed, and to the rules of which they profess a submission, is a Gospel of peace, and Christ Jesus, which is their head, and the Author of the Gospel, is the Prince of Peace. Errors rise up in the Church from men of corrupt principles. The Apostle tells us of perverse disputing [...] by men of corrupt minds, 1 Tim. 6. 5. and 2 Tim. 3. 8. you have it again, men of corrupt minds, repro­bate concerning the Faith. Hence also are Schisms and Contentions. Only by Pride saith Solomon cometh contention. The cause of [...] is generally some corruption in Churches, and deviation from that Order which Christ hath set, and established, which that part of the Church, which keeps close to the Word as its rule, cannot bear with. Indeed sometimes they are caused from mens corrupt principles, as to the faith, and love of prehemi­n [...]ce, their rashness▪ and want of Judgment; how far Christians ought to preserve unity, but I say generally they are caused by such as are [...]lse Brethren, who if they be not those who divide, yet are those who give the cause of the division.

2. From hence are [...]srepresentations of the Servants of God, [...] Phar [...]ical generation, that say unto others, stand far from us, we are [...] then you, such as would be too pure▪ and righteous ov [...] much, that make a shew of more then indeed th [...]y [...]ard, Hypocrites, Precisions, that are over-nice, &c. Such kind of charges, and imputations as these, proceed ordinarily from Mothers Children, sa [...]e Professors, and Brethren, such as have a form of Godliness, and deny the power of it, such as are M [...]mbers o [...] the Church, but their hearts are not perfect with God.

3. From hence (Thirdly) are the faileurs of some sincerer [...] of God, [...] too far to the corruptions of others [Page 557] (too many instances of which we have had.) The opposition which Christians have met with, having been a continual drop­ping upon them, and overpowered them, to do many things a­gainst the dictates of their own consciences, thus losing their beauty, it is no great wonder if they appear black. Indeed from hence almost are all those things which render Christians, and Churches black. I now come to the application.

Use 1. Let not then Christians think it strange if their habits of grace find opposition from within, and the actings of their grace meet with opposition from without. There is no Child of God, but findeth upon experience that his Mothers Children are angry with him, his flesh is many times lusting against the Spirit, and he findeth a War in his Members. As Rebekah was troubled, because she found Twins strugling together in her Womb, so is many a good Christian, when as indeed there is no greater note of Grace, then this Combate of the Flesh and the Spirit; if thou hadst not two parties within, there would be none of these conflicts, the un­regenerate man hath nothing of them, he hath motions to sin, but no contrary habits to oppose, no lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh, such a man may indeed from natural light, and the ob­ligation, under which the law of nature layeth him, sometimes resist motions to more gross, and flagitious sins, but this com­bate is rare, and in very rare cases, and those such, where the law of nature is offended, or his honour, and reputation, and profit, and advantage is concerned, as to his avoiding of them; nor is the Battel ever very hot. The true Christian hath a double principle, the one natural; this inclineth, and moveth him to sin▪ the other supernatural, and infused. Both these principles are active, and operative, and these spiritual conflicts must be ex­pected, the discovery of the truth of Grace in thy Soul doth much depend upon thy behaviour in the Spiritual Fight, and thy managery of it; if thou findest this conflict, if thou maintainest it with thy might, if thou criest unto God for help and strength, if ordinarily thou beest a conquerour: Thy opposition is so far from being an evidence against thee, that it is a great evidence for thee.

Nor let good Christians wonder if the exercise of their grace meets with opposition from without, and that from their Mo­thers Children too. As there are two parties in every gracious heart, so there are, and ever were two Parties in the Church of [Page 558] God. There were some, and those the greater number, on whose behalf Paul saith, he could wish himself accursed from Christ, they were his Brethren, and not only his Kinsmen accor­ding to the Flesh, but Israelites, to whom belonged the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of God, and the promises, yet Rom. 9. 6. they were not Israel, though they were of Israel, neither were they all Children, because they were the Seed of Abraham, v. 8. They which are the Children of the flesh, are not the Children of the promise. God in one place promiseth to make his Seed as the Stars of Heaven, Gen 22. 17. in another place, Gen. 13. 16. As the Dust of the Earth. He had a Starry Seed; these were a great number, for he was the Father of the Faithful, the Father of Believers, the Father of all Holy Men that do the works of Abraham. He had also a dusty Seed; this was grea­ter, thus it is said he should be the Father of many Nations, and he was the Father of the whole Jewish Nation, the o [...]y visible Church God had for many years upon the Earth, but these (saith the A­postle) are not all Children: Tis the same case with the Church under the New Testament, it is made up partly of presumptive equi­vocal Members, partly of real univocal Members, such as glory not in appearance only, but in reality, that are not as Jews▪ only outward­ly, nor of that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but they are Jews inwardly, Christians indeed, and that circumcision which is of the heart in the Spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of Men, but of God. There is a Baptism in the name of Christ, and a Bap­tism into Christ, a Baptism with Water, and a Baptism with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire, all that are Baptized with a Ministerial Bap­tism with Water, are not Baptized with the Spiritual Baptism of Re­generation. These two parties in the Church never did, never will agree, there is in them a different Seed, they are acted from different principles, and they act to quite different ends: Let not therefore good Christians wonder, and think it strange if they find still that their Mothers Children are angry with them; it is no more then e­ver was the lot of the true Spouse of Christ, and will be her lot un­til Christ shall come, and with his Fan throughly purge his floor. Nor do you wonder if these things make you appear b ack. The Papists think they make us appear very black, when they can tell us of Errors, and Heresies, Factions, Divisions, and Schisms amongst us, and indeed it is a reproach to us, they are spots, and blemishes in the Assemblies of Protestants; But, 1. Are they then so well agreed a­mongst [Page 559] themselves? what mean then the differences betwixt their Dominicans and Franciscans; to say nothing of their other Orders? What means their Secular Priests and Jesuits so bespattering one ano­ther in their Books? Though it is very probable that if Protestants could dispense with their consciences, to with-hold from the People the sight and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, the rule both of their faith and life, so as they know no more to differ about then their Priests tell them; or to set up a Judge of all controversies, that should be infallible, and from whose decrees none must vary? And finally to set up an Inquisition, to force all mens Obedience to the de­crees of that infallible Judge, under pain of death; I say could Pro­testants in these things dispense with their consciences, to take such methods for unity, they might probably arrive at as great, if not a greater unity then they can glory in, who have been so far from it, that themselves reckon 30, or 32 Schisms, and those of that nature, as according to their principles destroy all unity, for so many times (some of which lasted a great many years too) they have been at a loss for to find the true visible head of the Church We know that the Apostolical and purest Churches that ever Christ had upon the Earth, had some that were indeed Mothers Children, Members of the visible Church, but no Children of our Heavenly Father, and that these have constantly been angry with, and given opposition to those that have been the true, and sincere Members of the Church, and have brought in Errors, and caused Schisms and Heresies. So as we are not to wonder if the things that have been still, are whiles the state of the Church is yet militant, we are not indeed to cause them, or be the Authors or Abettors of them, but neither are we to be discouraged, or condemn Churches for them, who may be come­ly, though they have something of this blackness thus caused.

I shall shut up this discourse with a few words of Exhortation. 1. To all such as own themselves Christians, and glory in the name of the Sons and Daughters of the Church. That they would answer that name and relation, and not be a cause of the Spouses blackness, or appearing blackness. There are two ways by which we may be so: 1. By a loose and scandalous conversation. 2. By being angry with our Brethren. By the first we make the Spouse black. By the second we cause her to be reproached, and called, and counted black.

1. Take heed of a loose and scandalous conversation. This makes you spots in the Assemblies of Christians, and declares you to be but presumptive Members. Can a man be a Member of Christ, and a [Page 560] Member of a Harlot? Christs Companion, and a Pot companion? A Disciple of Christ, who hath commanded us not to swear falsly, idly, or prophanely, and yet being a common Swearer, and Curter, and Blasphemer? Only let your conversation (saith the Apostle) he as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Loose livers are the blots of any Church, the Church is a body of called ones, now you are not cal­led to uncleanness, or profaneness, but unto purity, and holiness. It is for your sake that the name of Christ, and the body of Christ is e­vil spoken of. Consider, that though it be the way of God to deno­minate his Church a parte meliori, from the better part of it, and therefore he calls the Church those that are called, and sanctified in Christ Jesus, (though they all be not so that are Members of the visi­ble Church) yet it is the way of the World, out of their hatred both to Christ, and all that have relation to him, to denominate them a parte deteriori, from the worser part, and to call all, Professors of Re­ligion by the name that belongeth only to the worser part of them. But this is not so proper an application of this Proposition, which speaks of the anger of false Brethren as the cause of the Spouses black­ness.

2. Therefore let me speak to you, whose corruptions will not al­low you to be so strict in your walking with God as others are, whe­ther in matters of Worship, or your more ordinary conversation, yet not to be angry with those who desire to walk more closely with God then you think needful, and in some things dare not give them­selves that liberty which you dare allow your selves. I will offer three things to your consideration, which may help you to abate your wrath.

1. Consider first, How little reason there is for you to be offended? You all profess to be going the same journey, aiming at the same end, you all profess to be going towards the new Hierusalem, Your dis­pute is only about the nearest way, you are satisfied, that this way of worshipping God, this course of Religion will bring you to your journies end, others cannot be so satisfied, but take a straiter way, what reason is there here for thy wrath, who thinkest a broader will bring thee as well to thy Journies end? how doth his walking more strict­ly prejudice thee? Thou thinkest thou doest enough in the Service of God, another thinks he can never do too much, never do enough, and therefore he heareth more, and readeth more, and prayeth oft­ner; wherein art thou hereby prejudiced? Hast thou not rather cause to bless God for the good example of others, and to examine thy [Page 561] own ways, and why another should not take up with those measures in duty, with which another cannot be satisfied? Thou thinkest that in the Worship of God, thou mayest be guided and limited by the precepts, and practices, and traditions of other men: others considering that it is but reasonable, (Worship being an Homage which the Soul payeth to God) that God should prescribe his own Homage, and considering that God hath declared himself to be a jealous God, and affixed the declaration of this his jealousy to the se­cond Commandment, which concerneth his external Worship, and that in the whole course of Scripture, the revelations of Gods wrath appear more against sins relating to the Worship of God, then any other sins, they dare not in the matters of Divine Worship deviate from the Divine Rule; wherein art thou by this prejudiced? What reason is there for thine anger. Surely they walk most safely, that finding the Holy Scriptures a perfect rule, able to furnish a man to every good work, keep close to that, and dare not in practice admit any thing but what they find there commanded or practised. Thou ownest the Holy Scriptures as thy rule? Why art thou offended that another keepeth closer to it then thou dost?

2. Consider you are a great cause of the Spouses appearing black. She is reproached for the contentious divisions, and Schisms that are in it; who are the cause of them? those that keep to the rule of Gods Word, or those that depart from it? Surely the whiteness, and pu­rity of any Church lieth in its adherence to the Divine Rule, the more a particular Christian, or any society of Christians, keep close to the pattern which Christ and his Apostles have set them, and to the rule which God hath given them, the more pure, the more white and comely they are, Their deviation from it is their black­ness, so are those contentions, and divisions which arise in the Church, because of those deviations; it is a dreadful text, 1 Cor. 3. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy. The Apo­stle is there speaking with reference to the Bodies of Professors, which he had called the Temple of God. But it is as true concerning the Church of God, that is the Temple of God, this is destroyed, or de­filed, for the word may be translated by either of these words. God (saith the Apostle) will destroy him; who are they that defile the Church, and indeed destroy it, but those that are the cause of scandals in it, either of its being black, or of its appearing black unto the World?

[Page 562] 3. Lastly, Let the words of our Saviour sink into your hearts, Mat. 18. 7, Woe unto the World, because of offences, for it must needs be that offences must come: but woe to that man by whom the offence [...]ometh. Luke repeating that passage, ch. 17. v. 1. addeth, v. 2. It were better for him that a milstone were hung about his neck, and he cast into the Sea, then that he should offend one of these little ones. Who­so considereth the Church as the only body of People in the World, by whom God is spontaneously glorified, and how God hath expressed his favour and love to it, must dread the laying a foundation for those scandals which arise in it, and are thrown upon it, from which it appeareth black.

Lastly, You that are the sincerer part of the Church, and have heard that you must expect that your Mothers Children should be angry with you; that there should be some bad fish in the drag-net with the good, some Tares in Christs Field of Wheat, some that will be spots in your Assemblies, and that these, if they do not make you black, yet will make you appear black; what remaineth, but that you take care that neither the lusts of your own hearts, which are (in a sense) your Mothers Children, make you black, nor the opposition that you will meet with from such as are false Brethren, make you ap­pear more black then indeed you are. This care of yours must be shew­ed, 1. In a watchfulness against your motions to sin, especially such sins as are your proper lusts, the sins which do most easily beset you. 2. In a mortifying of your Members. 3. In a care that you be not unwarran­tably disturbed, and unduly disquieted, because of the opposition which you find srom the law of your Members. 4. In a maintaining the Spiritual Combate, &c. 5. In an innocent, and inoffensive carriage in your stations, that those who would speak evil of you, as evil doers, may see your good works, and glorify your heavenly Father, for so (saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2. 15.) is the will of God, that with well doing, you may put to silence the ignorance of foolishmen, in avoiding unnecessary divisions and separations, we ought to walk with all that own the name of Christ as far as the Shooes of the Gospel will carry us, where we cannot walk with any who call themselves Christians, and walk with Christ, that is, keep to the rule and law, which he hath given us, there we must part, and the offence lieth on their parts who give the cause of it, but otherwise we ought to keep Unity. Finally in a peaceable and quiet departing from them with whom we cannot agree, I know all this will not avoid the unreasonable anger of some of our Mothers Children, but by doing this, we shall remove the stumbling [Page 563] stone, and rock of offence from our own doors, they will be those by whom offences come, and the woe pronounced by our Saviour will belong to them.

Sermon XXXIX.

Cant. 1. 6.
They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards

THE Spouse is yet apologizing for her Blackness, of which she assigneth four Causes. 1. Her afflictions: The Sun (saith she) hath looked upon me. 2. Her opposition both from within and with­out: My mothers Children were angry with me. These I have dis­coursed, and come now to the third Cause assigned by her, expressed in these words; They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards: They, that is, my Mothers Children (before mentioned) made me the Keeper of the Vineyards. In my Explication of the Text, I hinted a double sense of the words; the one literal, the other metaphorical. In the former it signified her intanglement in secular affairs. Keeping the Vineyards is a secular imployment, a mean imployment, and a laborious imployment. Thence you read that the General of the Assyrian Army, 2 King. 25. 12. left of the poor of the Land to be the Dressers of the Vineyards; and those in the Parable who had laboured in the Vineyard, told their Lord, that they had born the heat of the day. Thus the sense is, I have been too much intangled in secular affairs; that hath been the cause of my blackness. 2. Others un­derstand the term Vineyard in a metaphorical sense. God useth the term to signifie his Church, Isa. 5. 1, 2, 3. As God hath a Vineyard, so Idolaters and superstitious persons had their Vineyards. Most Hea­then Nations having some notions of a God, have had some Worship of a Deity, and wanting the guidance of holy Writ, grew vain in their own imaginations; hence came Idolatry and Superstition; the Israelites, having lived many years in Egypt, and in their passage through the Wilderness, conversing with the Moabites, and Midia­nites, [Page 564] and not driving out all the Canaanites out of the promised Land, by converse with them, learned to know, and to serve their gods, as you shall read in their whole story, in the Books of Kings and Chronicles; there being a corrupt as well as a sincerer part, in the Jewish Church, the corrupter part, imposed upon the whole, the Idolatrous and Superstitious Worship, and Rites of these Nations. This is the sense into which the Chaldee Paraphrast interpreteth these words. I am not apt to think this the sense, but more incline to the former; yet [...] shall not wholly pass it over, partly because the Chaldee Paraphrast is a very antient Interpreter; and partly because that sense carries a truth in it. Hence arise two Propositions.

Prop. 1. That a submission to false Worship, and Superstitious Rites in the Service of God, will make the Spouse of Christ appear black.

Prop. 2. That great entanglements in secular affairs, will make the Spouse of Christ black.

I shall speak shortly to the first, and more largely to the second, which I rather think to be the sense. The Church of God hath three things committed to her trust; the Doctrine of the Gospel; the Ordinances of Worship: The Rules of Discipline. The admission of corruption in any of these, maketh a Church black, as it is a breach of trust, and a deviation from the Divine Rule. This is sufficiently proved by the message Christ sent to the seven Churches of Asia. He let the Church of Ephesus know, that he had something against her, because she had left her first love, Rev. 2. 4. v. 13. He reflecteth upon the Church of Pergamus, because she had those in her, who held the Doctrine of Balaam, and of the Nicolaitans, v. 20. He re­flecteth on the Church of Thyatira, for suffering the woman Jezabel to seduce the Servants of God, to commit fornication, and to eat things offered to Idols. Nor is any thing plainer in the whole story of the Jewish Church, than that the admission of corruption in the Worship and Order of that Church, was that which made it black and de­filed, and look unlovely in the Eyes of God, and was at last the cause of its ruine and destruction. But because Christians may not so distinctly understand either wherein the Nature of Worship lies, or wherein the difference lieth betwixt that which is true, and false, I shall in a few Conclusions lay down what I conceive to be truth in this case, and then pass on to the handling of the Proposition arising from the other sense of the words.

1. Worship is an homage performed to God immediately, in conside­ration of his Excellency. This is Aquinas's, and other of the School­mens [Page 565] notion about Worship, and it is a very good one.

2. This homage is either the homage of the outward, or inward man. The homage of the inward man lieth in the exercises of our Faith, Love, Fear, the exercise of our thoughts upon God, admi­ring him, &c. But that which the Scripture calleth Worship most ordinarily, is some external acts testifying that inward homage, and submission of the heart.

3. These acts are either such as the Light of Nature directeth, and the Law of Nature obligeth us unto, or such as God hath prescribed us in his Word. Worship being in the general nature of it, nothing but an external homage done to God, in testification of the inward, and more secret homage and subjection of our Soul. It is the most rea­sonable thing imaginable, that God should prescribe it; this he hath done as the God of Nature, imprinting a Law in our hearts, obliging us to call upon him for good things we want, and to praise him for good things received, partly in his holy Writ. There is no natural Wor­ship, but is also instituted, but there is much instituted Worship, which the Light of Nature doth not shew, nor the Law of Nature oblige us to, such as Reading the Scriptures, hearing the Word Preached, com­municating in the holy Sacraments.

4. External acts of Worship, that depend meerly upon Institution, must be either instituted by Christ, or by our own wills, or the wills of others, Col. 2. 23. there is a Will-worship mentioned.

5. All true Divine Worship must have a Divine Institution. What­soever is pretended as an immediate act of homage to the Divine Being, and is not directed by Nature, and directed also, and con­firmed and regulated by the Revelation of the Divine Will in the Word of God, is what we call False Worship, or Will-Worship. As the first Commandment directeth our homage to God, as the alone true Object, so the second directeth the manner of it, to be according to his revealed Will; for certainly that Commandment must not be interpreted as meerly prohibiting the Worship of God by, or be­fore a graven Image, or the similitude of a thing, on purpose set be­fore us, either as representative of the Divine Being, or as a Me­dium by which we worship God, but as prohibiting all other Modes, Acts and Methods which have no more of a Divine Institution than that hath, only that one instance is given, and under it the other included. So that a graven Image is but species pro genere, and those that worship God before a painted Image, or any other way which God hath not prescribed, are also transgressors of that second [Page 566] Commandment. Hence it is observable, that God directed the Jews not only every Act by which an homage was paid to him, but also every Rite and Ceremony, and it was guilt enough for the Jews in his Worship to do that which he commanded them not. Uzziah must not offer Incense, nor Saul Sacrifice, nor Nadab and Abihu make use of ordinary fire, nor Uzzah carry the Ark upon a Cart, nor touch it. The same we conceive to be the will of God in the New Testament, God being a Spirit, and to be worshipped by us in Spirit and in Truth, as well as by the Jews; and it seemeth the most reasonable thing imaginable, 1. Considering that our Worship in its self is a pitiful thing, infinitely disproportioned to the perfection and excellency of God, so as it deriveth all its value from the Di­vine Institution. 2. And being an homage done to God, it is most reasonable that God himself should direct what he will accept. 3. Nor is it to be imagined, had God left man in the case to his own conduct and direction, how vain and various man would have been. 4. Besides, it is not reasonable to think that the holy Scriptures should be a less perfect Rule in matters of Worship, than it is in matters of Doctrine, or that concern our ordinary course of con­versation, or that acts of Worship, as to which it appeareth in all the Scripture, that God had a special jealousie, and in which we are said to draw nigh to God, should be none of those good works, as to which the holy Scriptures are sufficient to furnish every good man.

6. Divine Worship being an humane act, and that of the most noble nature, as it must have such circumstances as are necessary to all humane acts, (such are Time and Place;) so it is reasonable that it should have such circumstances as suit such acts, so as they may be performed in such manner as the Light of Nature, and common guise and custom of Countries shall not determine, sordid, filthy, or inde­cent, and such as may render it useful, and more profitable and ad­vantageous, and answering to their ends, which circumstances, be­ing necessary to the acts as humane acts; or at least plainly expe­dient, to avoid the indecent and sordid performance of the acts, or for the more profit and advantage of the acts, and such as in re­gard of the variety of Countries, the Customs and Usages of them, &c. could not be determined by the Word of God, must be deter­mined by the Governours of Churches, Nations, or Kingdoms, but still with respect to the general ends of the action. But for any things used in the Worship of God, neither directed by Nature, nor yet by holy Writ, and appropriated to the Worship of God, as a Religious act, [Page 567] out of a respect to the excellency of the Divine Being, and as an ho­mage to it, I cannot see how they can be lawful, they must have something of the nature of Worship in them, and having so, they ought to have a Divine Institution, without which I cannot see how they should avoid the guilt of Idolatry, or Superstition, which differ thus. If the faileur respect the Object, either terminatively, where the creature is made the term and ultimate Object, as in Ahab's Idolatry, and the Papists Adoration of the Bread in the Eucharist, or mediately, as in Jeroboam's case, and the Jews, relating to the golden Calf, or Mi­cab's; all which worshipped the true God, though by an Image, and using an Image as a mean of their Worship (as the Papists now do in their Veneration of their Images) This is Idolatry, called in Scrip­ture Whoredom, spiritual Whoredom; and as Adultery in marriage, so this is the highest sin can be committed in Worship, and which God hath more severely punished at all times, than any other sins People have been guilty of. If the faileur respect the Acts, or the manner; if it be only internal, it is Hypocrisie, if in the external Acts or Manner, it is Superstition, (such are the Papists Salt Oil, Cream, Spittle, superadded to the Institution for Baptism, and an hundred other Rites and Ceremonies used in all parts of their Worship.)

7. It is very observable, that from the beginning of the Church there hath been a strange Itch in men, to be adding and mixing their own fancies, inventions, and Will-worship with the true Worship of God. God gave unto Moses the particular Rule, and Law of his Worship; he communicated it to the People. David added to it, but no more than God by his Spirit directed, as appeareth, 1 Chron. 28. 19. All this, said David, the Lord made me to understand by his hand up­on me, in writing. If you would know what that was, v. 12, 13. The Pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the Courts of the House of the Lord, and of all the Chambers round about, of the Treasuries of the House of God, and of the Treasuries of the dedicate things also for the courses of the Priests and Levites, and for all the work of the Ser­vice of the House of the Lord: Texts of Scripture which they are not aware of, who bring in David as an instance of a Prince, who added new Acts, or Modes, or Rites and Ceremonies in the Worship of God. David ordered no more than the Lord had made him to understand in writing, by his Spirit, and by his hand upon him. One would think that mens common reason should judge it safest to keep to the Divine Rule, and that it should be the easiest thing. But so vain hath man been in all Ages, that you shall find they could never [Page 568] content themselves with that Rule, but as if they had had a mind to pull down the Vengeance of God upon them, they were continually devising new waies and methods, after the example of other Nations, and copying out their Idolatries and Superstitions. The Jews must make a golden Calf in imitation of the Egyptians, then they fall in with the Idols of the Moabites. Micah must have an Image. Jero­boam must set up Calves at Dan and Bethel. In short, this was the constant vanity of the Jews to all reasonable mens just admiration. Christ left us a perfect Rule for Worship under the New Testament. But how soon was the Primitive Church, in matter of Worship, turn­ed aside from the simplicity of the Gospel. It kept Doctrine in good degrees of Purity, for five hundred years after Christ, but the Purity of Worship was abated in many places within less than three hun­dred years, and every Age still grew worse and worse, till the Pope got into the Saddle, and then that Pope was no body who could not think upon one trifle or other to be added to the Rituals of Worship: Till the Popish Worship came up to be what it is at this day, a mix­ture of Paganish, Jewish, and Christian Rites. And it is a very hard thing for any who readeth the Gospel, and observeth Christ's Rules, and the Apostles Practice and Rules for Worship and Ordinances, to find any thing amongst them which hath upon it Christ and the Apostles Stamp and Impression.

8. In all times this hath been a temptation to sincere Professors, and many both Ministers and People, individual Believers and Churches, to deviate from the Divine Rule. Either the Commands of Superiours have prevailed, (as in Jeroboam's time) it is laid to the charge of the Israelites, Hos. 5. 11. That they willingly followed the Commandment. (It is like some not very willingly neither, but the more of their will was in it, the greater the guilt was, and they are chiefly blamed) so Micah 6. 16. The Statutes of Omri are kept. Or else the Ex­ample of their Leaders in Church or State have had the force of a Law upon them: Or the gaudry or specious pretences made for things introduced, have had a force upon them. Many things ha­ving as (the Apostle saith) a shew of Wisdom, and Will worship, and a neglecting of the body.

8. And lastly, When these things have happened, they have been the blackness and pollution of those Souls, and those Churches that have been so far prevailed upon. Black and white in this case must be de­termined and adjudged from a strict adherence to, or a deviation from the Divine Rule. Those that are brought over to such com­pliances, [Page 569] have discoloured themselves more or less, according to the degree wherein they have offended. They have kept others Vine­yards, but their own they have not kept. The trust which their Lord and Master committed to them, as to the Ordinances of Worship, they have not kept. 1. These things bring a blackness and unloveliness upon the Soul, or upon a Church in the Eyes of God, and of Jesus Christ. He may not presently give them a Bill of Divorce, and say unto them, they are not his People, but he looks upon them with an ill Eye, as a speckled Bird, Jer. 12. 9. Mine Inheritance (saith God) is become unto me as a speckled Bird; they kept something of Divine impressions and institutions, but they were speckled; they had some colours fetched from the Moabites, and Ammonites, and Phi­listins, &c. It is his will that those who worship him, should worship him according to his will, in Spirit, and in Truth (such the Father seeketh to worship him) now these things spoil the truth of Divine Worship (which must be measured from a Divine Institution:) And they spoil the spirituality of it, reducing Carnal Ordinances, and set­ting them up instead of the Spiritual Worship of God. Such indeed the Jews had for a time, as you read, Heb. 9. 10. but they were to hold no longer, than until the time of Reformation. The Gospel­worship was to be exclusive, not only of Ordinances that were typi­cal, prefiguring a better and most excellent Sacrifice and Service, which were fulfilled the Antitypes being come, but it was also ex­clusive of Carnal Ordinances, such as were pleasing and gratifying to the flesh and outward man. The Worship of God according to Christ's Institution, was to be more reasonable, plain and spiritual. 2. Nay, Errours in the matters of the Worship of God, do not only defile, and make the Soul guilty, but exceeding guilty. Errours of Worship look like controulments of the Divine Wisdom, who sent his Son, and his Apostles to establish a Rule of Worship. These ad­ditaments speak the Establisht Rule imperfect, for otherwise they must be idle and superfluous, nothing of which nature is to be ad­mitted in so grave and sacred an action. The Assertion of the Divine Rule as not perfect in the matter of Worship, reflecteth upon our Saviour either as not knowing what it is that in worship would be most acceptable to his Father, or as not faithful in the House of God. Or finally, as carelesly leaving things of that nature to the wills and fancies of men, as whose wildness even from the beginning of the world to that time, had shewed it self in nothing more. But besides, how can we better measure the greatness of any guilt, than by the [Page 570] Revelations of God's will and wrath against it, and in reference to it. If you observe the Old Testament throughout from the time of the Israelites coming out of Egypt, to their coming out of Babylon, you fhall find the will of God fully revealed against no one sin, or kind of sin like this of corruption, and faileurs in the matter of his Worship, so as such Souls must needs be black in the Eyes of Christ, because guilty, and that not in an ordinary degree.

2. Hence also these things have made them black in the Eyes of the sincerer part of Christians. Thus doubtless were the Israelites in Jeroboam's time, not only to the men of Judah, who adhered to the true Worship of God, and the sincerer part of the Ten Tribes, who left them, and came to Hierusalem to worship: But the genera­lity of the Israelites in Ahab's times, in the sight of Elijah, and those seven thousand whom God told Elijah, he had at that time in Israel, who had not bowed their knee to Baal, nor kissed him with their lips.

Use The Use of this will be very short; only warning us to be very tender in this point; very careful of having to do with these Vine­yards. It is inconsistent with the keeping of our own, the things which God hath committed to our trust. It renders Churches, and particular Souls also black. It is an abatement to our beauty and comeliness. These things are spots in our beauty, shadows to our glory. Nothing more offendeth the Eyes of the Divine Glory; no­thing more provoketh the Lord to jealousie. To those who consi­deringly read the History of the Jewish Church recorded in the Old Testament, nothing need be added upon this Argument. I come now to the second sense of these words, to which I told you I more inclined to. From whence the Proposition is this;

Prop. That great intanglements in secular affairs will make the Spouse of Christ to appear black.

Demas did once appear white; twice you have an honourable mention of him, Col. 4. 14. Luke the beloved Physician, and Demas salute you. He is reckoned amongst Paul's fellow-labourers, Philemon, v. 24. but the world made him black, 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas (saith the Apostle) hath forsaken us, and imbraced the present world. Martha was doubtless white, in her Lord's Eyes, yet being cumbred about ma­ny things, she appeared something black. Mary had chosen the better part, Luk. 38. 40, 41. The Apostles left their Nets when they fol­lowed Christ: When therefore one askt leave of our Saviour before he followed him, to go and bury his dead; Christ replied, Let the dead bury the dead, follow thou me. You know the excuses those [Page 571] made, Matth. 22. that were invited to the Marriage Feast; one had bought a Farm, another had bought five yoke of Oxen. Our Saviour hath determined, Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two Ma­sters, but either he will cleave to the one, and neglect the other; or neg­lect the one, and be overcareful for the other. What need we any Scripture in the case; shew me that man or woman that is intangled in a multitude of worldly affairs, and hath not lost something of his beauty (if he or she ever had any) as to the power and practice of Religion & Holiness. But it will be demonstratively clear to us, if we consider either how much of our time the world will take up, or how much of our strength and spirits, how it will distract and divide us; how much it will allure and intice us, or to how many scandals it will expose us. Of all these I shall speak a word or two.

1. I say first, if we consider how much of our time worldly occa­sions take up. All humane actions require time as well as place. There is no religious action, but requireth time, and the more time is spent in our worldly employments, the less must, or can be spent in religi­ous duties, the more our intanglements are in secular affairs, the less time we must spend in the acts of our more immediate homage to God; Alass, how little time hath he who is much imployed in the world, for reading, hearing, praying, for any religious service, and this is the ordinary plea that men make for the non-performance of them, they have no time to read the Scriptures, or to pray in their Families, or to instruct them, or to hear the Word, or to imploy their thoughts upon spiritual things. Solomon saith of the covetous man, that the multitude of his riches will not let him sleep. It may be said of others, the multitude of their businesses will not let them pray, or keep up any course of Religion in their Families, it suffers but a few to spend the Lords Sabbath as they ought to do, they are so far from sparing God any of their own time, that they are more ready to steal his time, though it be but one day of seven.

2. Secondly, Worldly businesses do not only take up much of our time, but also much of [...] spirits and strength, God doth not only require our love, and such acts of homage in testification of our love as he hath prescribed, but also that we should love him, and do those acts with all our hearts, with all our might, and strength; and excess of worldly labour, and business, wasts our Spirits, takes away that might, and strength which we fhould spend in the service of God. Ah what heartless, lifeless prayers, and religious duties are performed by men and women taken up with an undue proportion of secular imployments?

[Page 572] 3. Thirdly, They fill the head with a multitude of distractions, 1 Cor. 7. 35. The Apostle upon this account, v. 34. commendeth a single life to those to whom God had given that gift, for, saith he, The unmarried Woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in Body and Spirit: but the married Woman careth for the things of the World, that she may please her Husband. And this (saith he) I speak to you for your own profit, not that I might cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that you may attend upon the Lord, without distraction. Distractions in religious services, though they appear not to the world, yet really are the blackness of the Soul, and it is our duty (as much as in us lyeth) to serve the Lord with the greatest attention of our thoughts, and with as few distractions as we can; now the more we are incumbred with secular affairs, the greater we shall find our distractions in the service of God. For, as it is upon the ringing of a Bell, though the man's hand be off the Rope, and the Bell begins to be still, yet for some time we shall dis­cern a din in the sides of the Bell, caused from its former motion and agitation: So will every observing Christian find, that when his hand is off his secular business, yet his head will for some time be working upon it; and this more especially sheweth a preparation of heart necessary for those in particular, who are much imployed in worldly business, before they draw nigh to God in the Solemn Du­ties of his Worship, that the noise of their secular affairs may be out of their heads, and they may serve the Lord without distractions, and not be like to the People, whom God complaineth of, Ezek. 33. 31. They said come, and let us go and hear the Word of the Lord. And (saith God) they come unto thee as the People cometh, and sit be­fore thee as my People, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouths they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. Christ (in the Parable of the Sower) compareth some hearers of the Word to the ground that received the Seed amongst Thorns, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choked the Word, and made it become unfruitful. It is a great blackness of a Christian, not to have his heart with God in Religious Services, so as the Lord (as the Prophet expresseth it) is nigh in his mouth, and far from his reins, and it is a blackness that will cover the face of every man and woman that converseth too much with the world. Paul therefore rightly adviseth the Corinthians, that they should use the world in a careless manner, that those that rejoyced in the affluences of it, should be as if they rejoyced not, and those [Page 573] that bought, as if they possessed not, and those that used the world, as not abusing it. But (saith he) I would have you without carefulness, 1 Cor. 7. 30, 31, 32.

4. Worldly imployments have often an ill influence upon Christi­ans, to intice, and allure them to sin, not only by omissions of duty, but by the commissions of things which are contrary to their duty, there is a sensible sweetness in worldly enjoyments, and those are the product of worldly business and imployment. The Devil baiteth all his Hooks with some piece of the World or other. Some with the sensibly sweet part of it, some with the gay, and splendid part of it, some with the richer, and more profitable part of it. It is an hard thing for Christians to keep Vineyards, and not drink some of that intoxicating Wine which is the fruit of them. When Samuel gave up his account as a Judge, in 1 Sam. 12. 3. Behold (saith he) here I am, witness against me before the Lord—whose Ox have I taken, or whose Ass have I taken, or whom have I defrauded, whom have I oppressed, or of whose hand have I received any bribe? Paul in like man­ner thus acquitteth himself to the Church of Ephesus, Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no Mans Silver, or Gold, or Apparel. But shew me the Man or Woman that hath been much incumbred with worldly affairs, and can say; I have coveted no Mans House, or Land, or Sil­ver, or Gold; or that can say; To whom have I told a lie for my gain, or said it hath cost me so much, when indeed it did not? Or whom have I done injustice to in a bargain? Commonly the best of the Market which such Christians have, is that of Zacheus, Luke 19. If I have taken any thing from any man by unjust dealings, I restore him fourfold.

5. Lastly, A too great incumbrance with the world, leaves a blot upon Christians in the common repute of the world, if they escape real blots from it. Holy Men in the Greek are called [...] that is, men who are not Earthly, and the world expects it of such as profess to Religion and Godliness, that they should be persons looking for better Houses then those made of Clay, even an House in the Heavens not made with hands, and for a better Country, and a more induring sub­stance. Hence a too great pursuit of the world becometh a greater blot to Persons professing to an heavenly conversation, then unto o­thers. Our conversation is in Heaven (saith the Apostle) [...], our trading and business is in Heaven. I shall only add two or three words for application of this discourse.

Use 1. This in the first place, giveth us all an opportunity to bewail the [Page 574] disadvantage we have all received from the fall of Adam. It was a curse which upon the fall fell upon all the Posterity of Adam, Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy Bread, till thou re­turn to the ground. I do not think that if man had continued in in­nocency, he should have lived idly, but Mercers opinion is very pro­bable, his labour should rather have been for delight, then for neces­sity, or rather, his labour should not have been so great, as now it is; the Thorns and Thistles which the ground now naturally brings forth, and in the prevention, and extirpation of which the labour of the Husbandman is so much, were clearly the effect of the curse up­on the Earth, Gen. 3. 18. a lively-hood for the Sons of Men had doubtless been got at a cheaper rate, with lesser labour, and man had been at a great deal more liberty, and leisure for a communion with God, and have had more time for his immortal Soul, then his world­ly occasions will now permit, or allow. This may be a profitable meditation for the poorer sort of Christians, whom the need of Bread for themselves, and the want of a just provision for their Fa­milies, restrain from spending so much time in communion with God as they would, to sit down, and think of the woful effect, and fruit of the sin of Adam, that first sin of man, which reduced the Sons and Daughters of men to these miserable necessities.

Use 2. Secondly, Observe from hence, what an advantage those have, whom the liberal hand of Divine Providence hath delivered from such a miserable servitude to secular affairs. If they will make themselves slaves, and drudges to the World, they may, but the Providence of God hath not put them upon any necessity so to do. God hath given them Estates to live upon, Servants to toil for them. I will but offer two things to the consideration of these.

1. How inexcusable will you be if you do not keep your own Vine­yards well? Your own Vineyards are your Souls, those immortal Substances, ordained to an Eternity, ennobled with Reason, and ma­ny gifts and faculties, by which, if you will, you may bring forth much fruit to the honour and glory of God; if now you be not found mighty in the Scriptures, much in reading, hearing, prayer, close in your walking with God, &c. You cannot plead that you want leisure: A morning and evening Service God under the Law required, and in the same proportion doubtless under the Gospel, though not by way of Sacrifice properly so called. I observe of David and Daniel, that they prayed thrice in a day, Psal 55. 17. Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud (saith [Page 575] David.) Of Daniel we read, Dan. 6. 10. that he kneeled three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks unto God, as he did before-time. They were both great men, and at more leisure than ordinary Jews. they considered this; and as God had doubled their portions, so they thought it reasonable in some measure to proportion their duties to their circumstances.

2. Secondly, Consider how little you will have to say, if you so far intangle your selves in the world, as it becometh a snare to your Souls. Who pitieth him that is burned, who for meer wantonness puts his finger in the fire? Hath God given us food and rayment? Jacob begged no more. The Apostle commandeth us, if we have so much, to be therewith content. It is an excellent Exhortation which the Apostle hath given, and those are especially capable to receive to whom God hath given a plenty in this world, Heb, 13. 4. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with those things which you have, for God hath said, I will never leave nor forsake you.

Use 3. Let this caution us all (in the last place) to take heed how we keep Vineyards; how we make our selves drudges and slaves to secular imployments. Take heed of such a Service to the world as is incon­sistent with that duty and service which you owe unto God. You cannot serve two Masters, you cannot serve God and Mammon. Suf­fer me to allude to that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 5. 9, 10. I wrote (saith he) to you an Epistle, not to keep company with Fornicators, yet not al­together with the Fornicaters of this world, or with the Covetous, or the Extortioners, or the Idolaters, for then you must go out of the world; But now I have wrote to you, not to keep company, if any Brother, &c. I do but allude to the Text. Brethren, I have this day been speaking to you to have a care of medling with the world, because it wasts your time, spends your spirits, distracts your thoughts, allureth and in­ticeth you to the too much love of it, because it will be a blot upon your Profession, yet I would not be understood, as if I had been per­suading you to the lives of lazy Monks, and Nuns, and Hermites; if you will have nothing to do with the world, you must not live in it. God hath commanded us in the sweat of our face to eat our bread. The Apostle bids, that those who would not labour, should not eat, and hath told us, that he would have us to labour with our hands, that we might have something to give to those that want, and hath told us, that he who provideth not for his family is worse than an In­fidel, and hath denied the Faith. Only take heed how you con­verse [Page 576] with it, that you be not by it defiled, that it takes not up too much of your time, nor wasts too much of your spirits and strength; that it leadeth you not into temptation, distracteth not your hearts in holy duties. Keep thy foot when thou goest into the House of God; look to your thoughts and affections, when you draw nigh unto God in holy services and duties; use the world so, as thou mayest have time for Religious duties in thy family, and mayest not by thy worldly concerns, be distracted in them. I would speak to you in this case, as Paul doth in the case of servitude to men, and of Marriage. Are you by the Providence of God loosed from the world? seek not to be bound to it. Do your necessities call, and for the present bind you to it? Till God by favourable Providence loosen you from it, do not loosen your selves by idleness and laziness. It is possible thou mayest be God's free-man, while thy necessities bind thee to worldly business. I confess thou hast an hard task, but (saith the Apostle) Let every man in the Calling wherein, and whereto he is called, abide therein with God. Mark that last term, not without God, not in a neglect of his duty to God, but with God. Labour to have manum in clavo, oculos in coelo, to be in thy heart, thoughts and affections with God, whiles thou art imployed in thy lower business and con­cerns in this life.

Sermon XL.

Canticles 1. 6.
—But my own Vineyard I have not kept.

THe Spouse (by which I understand the Church of Christ, and every particular believing Soul that is a true member of it) is yet apologizing for her blackness, or appearing blackness, from the causes of it, three of which she hath already assigned. 1. Her afflictions, or persecutions. The Sun hath looked upon me. 2. Her opposition from false Brethren. My Mothers Children were angry with me. 3. Her submission to Idolatrous or Superstitious Rites. Or her too great intanglements in secular affairs. They made [Page 577] me (saith she) the keeper of their Vineyards. She comes now to a fourth; Her own too much neligence. My own Vineyard I have not kept.

1. The Spouse had hitherto not much charged her self, she had charged her blackness upon her afflictions and Persecutions, & upon the opposition she had met with from false Brethren, and upon her intanglement in Secular affairs, but was there no fault in her self; here now she comes to lay much of the blame up­on her self? My own Vineyard (faith she) I have not kept. Gods dispensations of Providence to me (saith she) have been some cause of my blackness: The opposition I have met with from false Brethren have yet been a greater cause, but the truth is (saith she) notwithstanding both these, had not the fault been my own, I had not been so black. I might have kept my Vineyard better then I have done. The truely gracious, and humble Soul will not as to its failings ex­cuse it self wholly. It may charge something upon forreign causes out of its self, either from God or Satan or men, but will not discharge its own naughty and corrupt heart. The hypo­crite chargeth God, and the Devil and men highly, but seldom chargeth himself, or if at all very faintly. The reason lyeth in the pride of his heart which will not suffer it to stoop so low as to give God glory, or to take any shame to its self.

2. Secondly, Observe what words they are which these words immediately follow, They made me the keeper of the Vineyards, but my own Vineyard I have not kept. The Soul that is too much abroad is ordinarily too little at home, he or she that must have an Oar in every ones Boat seldom hath his own Boat well governed; Such a Soul is like the gadding house­wife, whose own house rarely is well lookt after. This hap­peneth especially when the Soul is much abroad about secular concerns; the Soul though it be of a Spiritual nature, yet is ve­ry capable of being laden with, and mired in thick Clay. No Soul is so careless of things of an Eternal concern, as those Souls which are most careful and sollicitous about things transitory, and pe­rishing. There is a kind of inconsistency betwixt the business of the world, and the business of Heaven, the prefent world, and that which is to come, Nor is any Church so neglective of the Vineyard, with which God hath betrusted it, as that Church that hath bowed down to impositions of false worship. But I [Page 578] shall not largely discourse either of these points, though there be a good foundation in the text for it. There are vet two other.

3. Thirdly, It is the Spouse that here complaineth, saying, My own Vineyard I have not kept. Hence observe, Even Gods own People are to ready to neglect the Vineyard with which God hath betrusted them.

4. Fourthly, In that she assigneth this as one, and that no small cause of her blackness, observe,

Prop. The Churches, or particular Christians negligence in keep­ing of their own Vineyard, is one main cause of their appearing blackness. This includeth the other, I shall therefore discourse them together; I shall handle this by inquiring,

1. What is the Spouses own Vineyard. 2. Wherein the keeping of this Vineyard doth lye; 3. I shall shew you, That even the Spouse of Christ is a [...]t to neglect her own Vineyard. 4. I shall shew you what the Ordinary causes of this negligence are. 5. Then I shall shew you how this doth cause her to appear black. After which I shall make some application of the discourse.

1. Qu. 1. There is no man that liveth, be he believer or unbeliever, but were he sensible of it, hath a Vineyard committed to him by God to keep; It is his Soul: Nor is this interpretation of the Metaphor without some foundation in holy Writ, The Lord ex­pressing the sinful works of the Jews saith, Deut. 32. 32. Their Vine is of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of g [...]ll, & their clusters are bitter: Their Wine is the poison of Dragons, and the cruel venom of Asps. Works, you know are the fruit of the Soul as Wine, and Grapes, are the fruits of the Vine. As God when he first created man trusted him with a garden to keep, so he never breaths into man the breath of life, so as he be­comes a living Soul, but he gives him a Soul to till, cultivate and take care of. The Soul of man, is a Soil naturally prone to bring forth weeds, briars and thorns, yet capable also to admit plantations of grace and vertue (for grace grows not naturally in the Soul more then the Vine doth in the Vineyard;) I might shew you many other particulars, by which this sense of the Metaphor might be justifyed but I forbear that discourse.

2. Secondly, You may here by Vineyard understand whatsoe­ver God hath committed to a mans trust to be kept, maintained, and looked after by him. Now all this, considering man singly, & personally, is summed up in two things; The profession of faith; [Page 579] and the Profession of holiness. 1. A profession of faith, both of the Doctrine of faith, and of the grace or habit of saith. It lyeth upon a Christian to keep both. 2. The profession of holiness (which is indeed but the practice of faith, for that worketh by Love and the fruits of holiness) must proceed from the root of faith. This is every Christians Vineyard and indeed the Vineyard of his Soul, is not kept without the keeping of these. Hence David glorieth, that he kept the ways of the Lord, Psal. 18. 21. Paul kept the faith, 2 Tim. 4. 7. David kept the Lords testimonies, his Law, his Precepts, his Word, Psal. 11. 9. 22, 55, 56, 67. The Church of Philadelphia is commended for keeping the Lords Word, Revel. 3. 8. The word of his patience, v. 20. This is the Vineyard of every Christian according to the more publick or private station which he hath in the Church of God.

2. The Church of Christ hath a Vineyard also. Indeed the Church is her self compared to a Vineyard, Isa. 5. and in the parable of him who let out his Vineyards to husbandmen (but in that sense Christ is himself the Keeper of it;) Onely he lets it out to husbandmen, intrusting certain Officers of his own appoint­ment with the managery of the affairs of it, but himself hath such a Superintendency upon it, and so keepeth it, that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. The Church hath a Vine­yard to keep; what is this Vineyard, but the Doctrine of faith? The Ordinances of our great Lord for worship, and for discipline: These are the Churches Vineyard. Paul speaking of the Church of the Jews, saith, that unto them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 2. Paul saith, the dispensation of the Gospel was committed unto him, 1 Cor. 9 17. The word of reconciliation is said to be committed to the Ministers of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 1. 19. The Gospel was committed to Pauls trust, 1 Tim. 1. 11. Hence Timothy is spoken to to keep that which was committed to his trust, 1 Tim. 6. 20. The Church is therefore called, The pillar, and ground of truth, and is fitly compared to the Ark in which was laid up the Pot of Manna, signifying the word and truths of God. The two Tables containing the Laws for Wor­ship, and our more ordinary conversation, and the rod of Aa­ron signifying the Government and discipline of the Church. The rules for these are laid up in the Church being part of those Oracles of God which are committed to it. It is a task which God hath layed upon his Church to keep this Vineyard.

[Page 580] Qu. 2. What it is to keep it we may easily gather from an under­standing what it is to keep a Vineyard or nursery, or garden, &c. It signifies the keeping it clean from Weeds which would hinder the growth and flourishing of the plants, and return the place into its former incultivated state and condition. To keep it with digging, planting, manuring, dressing, and cultivating, that it may yield that fruit, and profit to the Owner which he expects from it, and for which he at first planted it. Hence then may easi­ly be concluded what it is both for a particular Christian, and for a Church to keep its own Vineyard. The whole business lyeth in these 2 things.

1. It signifieth a Christians keeping of his Soul from Errors, and from lusts, and corruptions. All motions and inclinations to sin, are the Souls Weeds, and what the Souls of the best of men are too prone to, its natural fruit; and Quod Sponte prodit laeti [...] prodit, naturally Weeds grow faster then induced plants. A par­ticular Christians care in keeping the Vineyard of his Soul lies in keeping his understanding and judgment untainted with Er­rour as to Doctrine, in keeping his will from closing with motions to sin, whether from within, or without, and his conscience sprinkled from Evil works. So for the Church of Christ, her keeping her Vineyard lies in preserving in all her members a purity of Doc­trine in opposition to the impurity of corrupt opinions, and errors: A purity of Worship in opposition to all Superstition and Will-Worship, and a purity of discipline.

2. Secondly, it implieth the Souls filling and furnishing it self with knowledge and Spiritual habits the plants which the Lord would have to stand, and to grow in all parts of his inheritance, and in every Soul that pretendeth any relation unto him. As the Gardiner, who is intrusted with the keeping of any of your Gardens doth not keep them as he ought, unless beside the weeding of them, and purging them of Weeds and nettles, he also furnisheth them with useful plants and herbs, and keeps them duly cut and pruned, &c. So neither doth that man or woman keep the Vineyard of his own Soul, that doth not take care to grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in all other good, and vertuous habits. So as to the Church, that Church doth not keep its own Vineyard, that doth not besides purging itself of errors, and scandals, take care also that the truths of God be duly preached, and published, and the [Page 581] Ordinances of God purely administred. This is now for the Spouse to keep, or not to keep her own Vineyard, now I say the Spouse of Christ, whether the Individual Spouse (which is every truly gracious Soul) or the collective Spouse Which is the Church of God is very prone to neglect the keeping of its own Vineyard.

Qu. 3. This needeth no other Evidence, then the experience of all Christians and all Churches, and that in all ages.

1. I say first the Experience of particular Christians, for who liveth, and sinneth not against God? The righteous falleth 7 times in a day; now though it be true, that many of the sins of Gods people are sins of pure infirmity; Either through ignorance or impotency, to resist the temptation, yet both this ignorance and impotency are often occasioned through a neglect, or not improvement of the means of knowledge and better infor­mation, and through our not preparing our selves to the Spi­ritual fight, putting on the whole Armor of God as we ought to have done; Avoiding occasions to Sin, abstaining from the appearances of Evil, and giving no advantage to the ad­versary; all which are our duties and enjoined us by the Apostle.

2. Nor Secondly either is there, or ever was any Church of God upon the Earth, that kept its own Vineyard as it ought to have done. The Church of the Jews was the only Church God had upon the Earth until the time of John the Baptist. Whosoever readeth their story, in the Books of Moses, the Books of Kings and Chronicles, or in the Writings of the Prophets, will find that they did not keep their own Vineyard. Never had any Church a trust more clearly committed to them, they could have no long disputes about any thing of the revealed will of God, if any question did arise they had an infallible rule, Deut. 17. for the determination of it; yet (as I told you before) as the ten Tribes made a total defection after the reigns of David and Solomon, both whose reigns made up but 80 years in the lat­ter part of which, (in Solomon's time,) towards the latter end of his Reign; they also admitted very great corruptions) so in the Kingdom of Judah they lost what was committed to their trust many times and seldom kept it 60 years together in any degrees of purity. So that in Josiahs time the Book of the law was thrown about and hid in the rubbish, and found by the repairers of the house of the Lord, as you find in the story of the Book of the Kings. Now that this was their most wilful [Page 582] neglect, appeareth by their frequent reductions though not perfect, to the Divine rule. When Asa, Jehosaphat, Hezekiah, Joash, Josiah, attempted it, and the plain revelation which they had of the will of God, both from the letter of the law, their way for decision of doubts about it, and the Prophets which God favoured them with, all the while that Kingdom remain­ed. After that Church was destroyed, and the Christian Church set up, all the Apostolical Epistles give a proof of the prone­ness of Churches to neglect the keeping of their own Vine­yards, and of the Lords Watchmen to sleep while the Enemy sowed tares. The same is also Evidenced by all Ecclesiasti­cal history, and from the History of all modern Churches, their Deviations in Doctrine, Worship & Discipline, &c. testify it.

Qu. 4. Nor is the reason of this aptness in us to neglect the keeping of our own Vineyards, hard to be assigned.

1. The first is the laboriousness of the work, and the cros­ness of it to the genius of Flesh and blood. For a Christian to keep his heart with all diligence is no easy work, it lies much in a Christians denial of himself, taking up the Cross, mortifying his members, as to which, our flesh incessantly cries in the language of Peter, Master, spare thy self. So that he who doth it rows (as we say) both against wind and tide. It requires much knowledge and judgment to keep a mans self unspotted from errors, but a great degree of self denial for any man to keep himself unspotted from the pollution of the World through lust; upon this account it is that our Saviour compareth the way [...]o heaven to a narrow way, a strait gate. And tells us that it is as easy for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle as for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. Our work is compared by our Saviour to a cutting off the right hand, and plucking out of a right Eye. In works of great labour, and difficnlty, we are very prone (you know) to be remiss, and negligent.

2. But this is not all; The native corruption and inclination in mans heart to deviate from the holy and right ways of God is a great cause. I must confess that as to the Churches keeping its Vineyard I cannot apprehend such a difficulty in it. As to truth a man indeed cannot believe what he listeth, but the Church notwithstanding this may keep the Doctrine of saith; if parti­cular Persons that are otherwise persuaded, in some points then [Page 583] the rest of the Church is, would but learn what the Apostle directs in that case; Hast thou saith? have it to thy self, Rom. 14. and not think themselves obliged to publish to the disturbance of a Church what is their own particular opinion. As to Or­dinances relating to Worship and Government, what difficulty can there be in keeping strictly to the Divine rule and doing that alone which Gods Word requireth? the questions concerning that would be very few, if men did not lay hold upon some gene­ral passages, and apply them to their own fancies. Were men but fixed in this to adhere to the Divine rule without diminish­ing it, or without adding to it, unless in cases where such ad­ditions are apparently necessary, certainly this were all to be required in order to the Churches keeping its own Vineyard as to the Ordinances committed to it. But the corruption of mans heart, inclining him to interpret the will of God in a consistency to his own reason, makes all the difficulty in the Churches keeping the Doctrine of faith. And the wild humour that hath always possest men to Worship God according to their own fancies, and to create decencies, and matters of order, according to their own pleasure, and to conform their Altars to that of Damas­cus, hath been all along in the story of the Church, the cause of the Churches neglecting to keeps its proper Vineyard.

3. Thirdly, It is much caused from the mixture of the world in our conversation. This is true both as to the neglect of the particular Christian, & as to the neglect of the Church also. As to the particular Christian; we are but flesh, and have senses to be gratified with plea­sures, profits, honour, &c. as well as with the supply of our necessities: We live in, and converse with the world, which is full of objects, that gratifie our sensitive appetite in these things; these are continual temp­tations to us to remit at least the care of our own souls, & to neglect our own Vineyards. The Church also while it is militant here on Earth, & considered as Visible, hath in it a great mixture of the world, though not of the Pagen world, (there must be a profession of Christ in all the Members of the Visible Church) yet, of that world which lyeth in wickedness, and it is this mixture of Hypocrites, with such as are the sincere Servants of God, that causeth the Church's neglect of its Vineyard. All the remissness in a Church of its care as to the Do­ctrine, Worship, and Discipline of Christ, proceedeth from this mixture of persons, who are no more than Visible, with such as are sincere, and true Members of the Church of Christ.

[Page 584] 4. A fourth cause of this neglect, is mens foolish presumptions, that they are well enough. The work of every particular Per­son in keeping the Vineyard of his own Soul, is so contrary to the grain of flesh, and blood, that not only the natural man, but even the Sanctified man (in regard of that corruption which is yet in him) is ready to take up with short measures of it, and to think his Vineyard is well enough kept when indeed it is not; men are loth to be righteous over much, and are very apt to think that a little is enough. We are very apt to think that we do enough duty, and consider not the mark which we are to press after, the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. It is something natural to us to think we may not only do, but over-do what God requireth of us, when alas! when we have done all we can we are unprofitable servants, servants, so that what we do is but our duty, unprofitable servants, so that what we do cometh much short of our duty. Perfection is what we are all bound to aim at and strive after, but withal it is what no man attaineth; not as though I had already attained, or were already per­fect (saith the Apostle.) You know in works that are not na­turally pleasing to us we are well pleased to think we have done enough. Thus it is in the business of Religion, and holiness, they are things which please not flesh and blood; so as we are well pleased when we can Satisfy our selves, and think that we need do no more nor go any further, and as it is with particular Christians so it is with Churches, all which have not Pastors, and Governours according to Gods own heart, nor are all the members of them, members of Christ. Now those who are not so are no great lovers of, nor zealous for the perfection of purity, but can take up with measures short of those which Christ hath made, and given. Hence is that neglect of the keeping their own Vine­yards which is but too obvious in all Churches; and hence are those obvious declinations in that duty which men owe to God, and in the purity of Churches every Age is still declining, and growing worse then the former, whiles a party in the Church still studyeth more and more to wriggle their neck out of the yoke of Christ, and to get rid of some ingrateful things to flesh and blood, which a former Age retained. For as no parti­cular Person at first runs up to the highest degree of wickedness, so seldom doth any Church at first Apostatize, to that degree, but gradually declineth.

[Page 585] Qu. 5. None shall need to enquire, whence it is that this Neglect of our own Vineyards, maketh us to appear thus black, who but considereth that this Neglect is contrary to the Divine rule, which ob­ligeth us to keep our hearts with all diligence, Prov. 423. to strive after perfection, and to go on unto it: and also obligeth all Churches, to keep that which is committed to their trust, to keep the Lords Word, &c. There is no medium in this case be­twixt black and white. The Whiteness, beauty and glory of a Christi­an lyeth in his holding fast of his profession, both of faith and holi­ness, his keeping close to the divine rule, and here in also lyeth the whiteness, and beauty of those assemblyes of Christians which we call Churches and the more, or less, both of a Christians, and of a Churches beauty, and whiteness lyeth in his, or their more or less conformity to the divine rule, which being granted, their neglect of this must necessarily render them black and make them to appear so to others.

Use 1. This discourse may in the first place let us see, the weakness of our faith, in our different apprehensions of our worldly, and spiri­tual concernments. Certainly had we the same persuasions, that we have Souls, as that we have Bodies, as quick apprehensions of the danger of our Souls miscarriage, as we have of our bodily dangers; had we but a firm persuasion of the excellency of our Souls, above our Bodies we should have an equal, if not a greater care, to keep this Vineyard of our immortal Soul, as we have to keep our Bodies; but have we so? It is true there are some in the World, that are lazy, and slothful as to their outward concerns, they will rather steal, or beg, then work, but these are but few in comparison of others, God hath given men a body to look after, with what diligence doth he keep that? he riseth up early, lyeth down late, and eateth the bread of carefulness, and all this for the keeping of his body, but for this Vineyard of the Soul of man, how few are they that look after it? how little is the diligence that is used in keeping of that? who attendeth the health of his Soul with that diligence that he attendeth his bodily health? or the maintenance and food of his Soul, with the same diligence that he attendeth his bodily food and susten­ance? or the adorning of his Soul, with the same care and dili­gence that he attendeth the adorning of his body? What doth this argue? doth it not speak either that men have no great opi­nion that they have immortal Souls, or that they have no great [Page 586] opinion of the price, and value of them, or that they do not think there is so much care necessary for the keeping of them?

Use 2. We may observe from hence, upon what the blackness of par­ticular Souls, and Churches, is principally to be charged. There may be some blame to be laid upon forrein causes. Temptations from the World and the Devil, but the greatest blame must be laid upon our selves. Did we keep our watch so strictly as we might keep it, Temptations could have no such power upon us as they have, the Devil and the world can do no more then strike fire, the tinder that receiveth it must be in our own box; when the Prince of the World came to Christ, he could do no­thing against him, because he found nothing in him. If the Devil found nothing in our Souls he could do nothing against them but only disturb them. The like may be said for the corrupti­ons of Churches; If the husbandmen did not sleep the Enemy could not sow so many tares. All corruptions, in the Doctrine of faith, in matters of Worship and discipline, have crept in by the Officers of Churches not keeping their own Vineyards. The man of sin, the Western Antichrist, had never so hacknyed the We­stern Churches, if they had not like Issachar Couched under the burden, and bowed their necks down to the Yoke.

Use 3. I shall shut up this discourse with a few Words of Exhortation to all to keep their own Vineyards. I shall not here speak to the duty of husbandmen (Spiritual husbandmen) to keep the Vineyard of the Church; it were a Proper discourse from the Doctrine, but I am not in a proper auditory. And besides would every parti­cular Christian but keep the Vineyard of his own Soul, the care of Magistrates, and Ministers who are the keepers of Christs Vineyard might be less. Christians woful remissness, and neg­lect in keeping the more particular Vineyards of their own Souls, is that which makes the work of the keepers of the more publick Vineyard of the Church so difficult and almost unpractica­ble to them. Let me therefore only lay a little stress here, as we say, if every man would sweep his own door the street would be clean: So it is true if every one would look to the Vineyard of his own particular Soul, or his particular family, the Church of God would be clean, for that is made up but of particular fa­milies, and particular Souls. When these Vineyards are kept, the more publick Vineyard which is made up of these must also [Page 587] be kept. Wherein the keeping of our Vineyards lyeth you have heard, viz. 1. In the keeping of it clear of weeds and noxi­ous plants. 2. In the cultivation, and manuring such plants as are fit for it. In these two things lyeth the keeping of Gardens and Vineyards amongst men: in these two things lyeth the keep­ing of our Vineyards in a metaphorical & more spiritual sense, you whom God hath trusted with the care of others, have a larger Vineyard then those that are solute. The Wife is a part of the Husbands Vineyard, Children are their parents Vineyard, Servants are their Masters Vineyard. Every mans family is his Vineyard. If any be single his Soul is his Vineyard. The keeping of your Vineyards lyeth in a keeping of them free from Scandal, not suffering sin upon any that stand in any relation to you; we ought not to do it as to our neighbour, much less as to any that are our neighbours in thenearest and strictest sense, and who stand in nearest concernment to us. David resolved to walk within his house with a perfect heart—that the faithful in the land should dwell with him, and that he that walked in a perfect way should serve him, that he that wrought deceit should not dwell with­in his house, he that telleth lyes should not abide in his sight, Psal. 101. 2, 7, 8. Abraham commanded his Children, and his houshold after him, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice, and judgment, Gen. 18. 19. For you that have only the Vineyards of your own Souls to keep, neglect them not; I will press this upon you with 2 considerations which I shall recommend to you.

1. The first shall be, The value of the Vineyards with which God hath betrusted to you. The Vineyards are Souls, either your own Souls, or the Souls of others, or both. Which way soever you consider a Soul, whether as a Spiritual being, or as a reasonable being, indued with noble faculties, or as an immortal being that cannot perish with the body, as that part of man, which beareth the most lively impress of the image of God, as that which was purchased by the blood of Christ, and which is the habitati­on of God through the Spirit in which the holy Spirit may dwell, that which is ordained to an Eternity either of happiness or misery; which way soever you look upon your own Souls, or the Souls of those who are committed to your trusts, they are noble Vineyards. Reason teacheth us to take the best care of our best and most excellent things, I have thought it often a most unreasonable vanity of some Gentlemen, to take a great [Page 588] deal more care of the managery, of an horse or hawk then of their Sons. It is every whit as great, if not a much greater vani­ty, to take a greater care of the bodies, and outward concerns of their relations, then of their Souls. What can be laid in bal­lance with a Soul which will not be found too light for it? what shall be offered in exchange for it, and not rejected as of too low a consideration? Of what value think you that must be which was bought with the blood of him who was the Son of God? Consider of what value the profession of your faith, and the practice of holiness is; your faith is called precious faith, and of holiness, it is said that without it none shall see the Lord.

2. Secondly. Consider who it is that hath betrusted you with Ezek. 18. 4. them. Behold (saith God) All Souls are mine, It is God that hath given unto us the trust of our own Souls and the trusts of others Souls for all Souls are originally Gods. He breaths the Soul into the body of a man, he puts Souls into mens families, I beseech you consider here these particulars: 1. That every Person of reputation and honour valueth a trust, and thinks it be­neath a man, not to discharge a trust he undertakes with some degrees of faithfulness. We see in our daily experience, that as men naturally Love to be trusted, so they have a kind of natu­ral religion, for the keeping and discharging of it. This is what makes men consciencious as to the wills of Persons that are dead. All Souls are trusts, our particular Souls are trusts, the Souls of our relations are trusts to us. The property of all Souls is Gods, the trust of them is in us, I wish this were but well thought on; the wicked men mentioned by the Psalmist said, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? Psal. 12. 4. men think that they may do what they will with what they have a full propriety in. This is a great cause of mens neglect of their Souls, they dream too much of an absolute property they have in them, they say, their Souls are their own. Who is Lord over them? would men consider their Souls a little more as trusts they would take a stricter care of them. 2. Tho we naturally value all trusts, yet such as our Superiours or near friends com­mit to us we yet value more. A dread of our Superiours makes us to value and take care of what they have committed to our trust a love to our friends makes us value theirs; our Souls, and the Souls of those that are in relation to us, are a trust commit­ted to us by the Lord of the whole Earth by Christ who hath [Page 589] dyed for us. So that here is both the relation of a Superiour and of a friend in the case, obliging us to take a due care for the keeping of our Vineyards. 3. The more eyes we have upon us, ob­serving how we manage our trust, the more careful we are (ordinari­ly) as to the managery of it. This is a trust as to which God who hath entrusted us, hath an Eye to us how we discharge it; this needeth no great proof, whoso believeth Gods Omnisciency, and considereth the observing Eye which God keepeth upon all men, and all their actions, so as they are all written in a Book, must know and believe this. Lastly the more accountable we are for any trust, the more we take our selves obliged to keep it with all diligence. The trust of every mans Soul is a trust for which he must account, Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God we must give an account to him who is ready to judge both the quick and the dead, 1 Pet. 4 5. of what must we give an account, but of our Souls? their Elicit & Imperate acts, the Apostle tells us that it is the duty of Pastors and Governours of Churches, to watch for Souls because they must give an account. Certainly it is as much the duty of every particular Christian to watch over his own Soul, because his Soul is a trust, of which he must give an account to him that is ready to come to judge both the quick and the dead. Nor are we only to give an account of our Souls, but of the Souls committed to our charge. This the Apostle telleth us plainly, Heb. 13. 17. as to those who are Governors, and Pastors of Churches, and God told it Ezechiel, Ezech. 3. 18. Son of man (saith he) I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel—v. 18. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warn­ing, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his Life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. (This is that which made Chrysostom think that there were but a few Ministers that would be saved.) But it is as true concerning Superiors in other relations; God never bringeth a wife into the bosom of any husband, nor addeth a Child or Servant to any family, but he saith to the husband of that wife, to the Parent of that Child or those Children, to the Master of those Servants, All Souls are mine. The Souls of these Persons I commit to thy trust, if thou doest not warn them from sin­ful courses, if thou doest not walk towards them as a man of knowledge, and bring them up in the nurture, and admonition of the Lord, they [Page 590] shall die in their ignorance, in their iniquity, but their Souls will I require at thy hand. A consideration which if duly weighed by the Sons of men, would awaken men to another kind of Govern­ment of their families, and another kind of instruction of them then I fear is ordinarily to be found in families.

2. I shall add but one thing more; The better any man keepeth the Vineyard of his own Soul, or the Vineyard of his family, the more fruit he shall reap from it. His Vintage will be the better, there is little fruit to be expected from a neglected Vine. Our Vineyards, those I mean of our own Souls and the Souls of others under our trust, do not only bring forth fruit to the honour and Glory of God but unto our selves, and that very considerable, 1. In our peace of Conscience here in this Life. 2. In that glory which is the object of our future hopes. The fruit of righteousness is peace and quietness, and assurance for ever. Keep your Vineyards, that you may drink the sweet fruit and wine thereof, that joy, and peace which is the fruit of believing, and of an holy life and conversation. This will be very pleasant to us while we live, much more, when we come to die. Lord Remember (saith Ezekiah upon his sick bed) how I have walk­ed before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart. Conscience checks us for nothing, but the neglect of some Vineyard or other, which the Lord hath intrusted us with. 2. Your glory hereafter will be the more. I know there is a question in Divinity whe­ther there shall be any degrees of glory? It is hard to shew you wherein the glory of one Saint shall excel another, but I think it is plain enough that there shall be differences of glory in Saints that shall be glorified, and if so, doubtless those that have best kept their own Vineyards, shall have the largest penny. And those that have best discharged their trusts to the Souls of others, shall have the larger share in glory. He that winneth Souls is wise. And the Prophet Daniel tells us that those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever.

Sermon XLI.

Cant. 1. 7, 8.
Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions.
If thou knowest not, O thou fairest amongst Women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flocks, and feed thy Kids, beside the Shepherds Tents.

IT is the Spouse who yet continueth her speech to her Beloved. She hath spoken once to him, desiring some tokens of his special and distinguishing love, v. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. She hath spoken a second time to him, desiring strength from him to run after him. She now putteth up a third petition, v. 7. Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions. To which her beloved replyeth, v. 8. If thou knowest not (O thou fairest amongst Women) go thy way by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents. The words easily fall into two parts:

1. The Spouses Petition to her Beloved. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth, &c. v. 7.

2. Her Beloveds answer, v. 8. If thou knowest not (O thou fai­rest amongst Women, &c.)

In the Spouses Petition is considerable. 1. Her compellation. O thou whom my Soulloveth. 2. Her Petition. Tell me where thou fee­dest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon. 3. Her argument. For why should I be as one who turneth aside by the flocks of thy com­panions. In the answer is also considerable,

[Page 592] 1. His compellation. O thou fairest amongst Women.

2. His particular direction, and information of her, in two things. If thou knowest not, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. 2. Feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents.

O thou whom my Soul loveth or hath loved.] The Chaldee Para­phrast would have us believe, that this seventh verse was Moses his Petition to God, when he was about to die, for direction from him, how the People should be governed, when he should be gone, and how they should dwell amongst the Heathen, whose laws would be more grievous to the sincere part of them, then the Sun is to the Traveller at noon day, and asking, why she should live amongst the Edomites, and Moabites, who made Idols the companions of the true God, and v. 8. the same Paraphrast makes this to be the Lords answer, telling his Prophet Moses, that if they would not live under the power of the Heathen, they must walk in his Commandments, and be obedient to the guides he had set over them. But doubtless this is a strained sense, proceeding from the overgreat fondness of that Interpreter, to apply all that is said in this Song, to the Jewish Church. There are others who according to their different notions of these betwixt whom this Dialogue is instituted, carry these words in other senses, you know the sense which I have all along followed, is that of those (and they are the most, and the best) who make it a Dia­logue betwixt the believing Soul, or the Church, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is then the believing Soul that speaks in this language of a lover, O thou whom my Soul loveth. Christ is the primary object of the believers love, a believer loveth him, and none else, in a degree to be compared with him, or with a love any thing like that love, wherewith she loveth him. But if she loveth him, must she tell him so? Modesty maketh the Virgin ordinarily to conceal her passion; sinful modesty oft-times maketh her that is a spiritual Virgin to con­ceal her love to Christ. She that may, while she is doubting her own sincerity, conceal her love to Christ, will not conceal it, when she lives in any view of it, and can say with Peter, Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee. Nor when she is to use it as an argument to obtain any favour from him. Nor when she is doubting of his love to her (how unreasonably soever.) Nor is the Virgin that is too modest to publish her love to the world, so modest as not to own it to him whom she hath resolved upon, and chosen for her Husband. Bernard hath, I think too critical a note upon these words; mark (saith he) she doth not say whom I love, but whom [Page 593] my Soul loveth; Spiritualem designans dilectionem, intimating a spiri­tual love. But yet it is well noted by the learned Mercer, that the phrase signifieth more then if she had said. Omy Beloved; it is as much as if she had said, In quem omnes meos affectus effudi (saith Beza) upon whom I have bestowed my whole heart.

Tell me where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon.] Thus she expresseth the thing that she would have under a metaphorical expression, the sense of which we are to enquire; kee­ping of Sheep, and Goats, was a very ancient, and in those times a noble employment. Abel was the first Shepheard you read of, Gen. 4. 2. Rachel was a keeper of Sheep, Gen. 29. 6. So was Jacob, and Da­vid (as you know) before he came to be King over Israel, God called him from the Sheepfold. Christ takes unto himself the notion of a Shepheard, he calleth himself the good Shepheard, John 10. 1, 2. &c. It was prophecied of him, that he should feed his flock like a Shepheard, Isaiah 45. 11. and his death was prophecied of, under the notion of smiting the Shepheard, Zech. 13. 7. Mat. 26. 11. The Apostle calls him the great Shepheard, and the chief Shepheard. In this dialect here, the Spouse speaks to him. It was not unusual for the Heathens to discourse matters of carnal, and sensual love, as transacti­ons between Shepheards, and some whom they loved. The Holy Ghost doth the same here, he by Solomon discourseth this matter of Spiritual and Divine love, as a transaction betwixt a Shepheard, and one who dearly loved him. But what would she have? she would know where he fed, that is, where he fed his flocks, where he made them to rest at noon; the noon (as you know) is the hottest time of the day, and so by the noon I find some understanding a time of af­fliction. To this I find Mercer, and Beza inclining. Beza thinketh that the Church here beggeth to know how Christ would have his Church governed, and ordered in the middest of temptations, and persecutions, and beggeth for Christs fullest, and clearest manifesta­tions of himself to her at such a time (so saith Bernard,) Mercer thinks it is as much as if she had said. Lord I am burnt with the Sun; shew me that shadow, in, and with which thou usest to refresh thy Saints in the hour of affliction. There is a promise made to the Church, Isaiah 49. 10. They shall not hanger nor thirst, neither shall the heat, or the Sun smite them, for he that hath mercy on them, shall lead them, even by the springs of waters shall he guide them. Now the Spouse here (in the opinion of these Interpreters) begs to know these shadows, where the flocks rested at noon.

[Page 594] I must confess I more incline to another sense. The noon was the hottest time of the day, and as in our Country, where the power of the Sun is nothing so much as in those hot Countries, Cattel seek shadows, and resting places, where they are a little free from the heat of the weather; so they were wont to drive their flocks of Sheep into such shadowy places, where both the Shepheard, and the Sheep were more quiet and at rest, which time was the most free time of the day for the Shepheard, when any might more freely discourse him, according to that of the Poet, Fauste precor gelidâ quando pe­cus omne sub umbrâ ruminet, antiquos paulum recitemus amores. So that the Spouse desireth to know where he fed, where he made his flocks to rest at noon, That is, where she might have the most free, and uninterrupted communion with him.

For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy com­panions.] She here implieth, that without her Lords direction, she was like enough to turn aside: She beggeth she might not so turn aside. The word in the Hebrew is [...] we translate it, as one turning a­side, or that turneth aside, and so Pagnine interpreteth it. Arias Mon­tanus translates it, sicut operiens se, as one that covereth her self, and indeed so the Hebrew word most commonly signifieth. Now this co­vering themselves, was either in token of shame, or of sorrow, or mo­desty. Mourners were wont to cover their faces, Ezech. 24. 17. For­bear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thy head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips. It was also a token of shame. Harlots were wont to cover themselves, Gen. 38. 14. It was also done as a token, or signification of modesty, so you read of Rebeccah, Gen. 24. 65. when she heard of Isaac, his coming towards her, she hasted, and took a vail, and covered her self; this custom of Virgins covering themselves, was of long use in the Church of God, so that Tertullian, who lived 2 or 300 years after Christ, hath a particular Book to persuade the upholding of that custom, which it should seem then began to be disused. Our Tran­slators interpret the word, turn aside. The cause of the difference lies in the doubtfulness, whether the Hebrew root be [...] or [...] the first signifieth to turn aside; the second to cover. Hence also ariseth the difference of Interpreters about the next term.

By the flocks of thy Companions.] Those who interpret the former word turn aside, understand by Companions, Idolaters, and Superstiti­ous persons; who indeed make themselves the companions of Christ, or rather make their Idols his companions; some interpret it of [Page 595] Hereticks. Idolaters make their Idols Christs Companions, by giving that Homage to them, which is due to him alone. Thus the Papists do to their Images, and Crucifixes, to Saints, and Angels. Hereticks make their leaders Christs Companions, making them the guides of their faith and practice, which is an Homage due unto Christ alone. Indeed Christ hath properly no Companion, consider him as to his Divine Nature. He is, and there is none besides him, nor hath he any Companion as our Mediator, and Interc [...]ssor. He trode the Wine­press alone, neither was any of the People with him, he had no Companion either in his Kingly, Prophetical, or Priestly Office. But he hath some who call themselves his Companions, and arrogate to themselves that title, nay, which others sinfully make his Com­panions. Beza thinks these are here meant.

2. But secondly, Christ hath some, who though they are not strictly his Companions, yet he graciously so calleth them, being (as the Apostle saith) not ashamed to call them Brethren, of these I should chuse to understand the text, (and though I am very tender of dif­fering from the received translation of a Church in any matter of moment) should be more inclined, as I said before, to translate the former term, one covered. So the sense is, For why should I be a­mongst thy People as a Mourner, or as one that is an Harlot, with whom thou wilt have no communion. or fellowship? Why should I walk as one covered, either as a Mourner, or as a Strumpet, a­mongst thy People, whom thou hast so far owned, as to declare thy self not ashamed to call them Brethren, or Companions? This I take to be the sense of the Petition;

O thou whom my Soul loveth above all other objects whatsoever, who art my Shepheard, let me know where, and how I may enjoy communion with thee, how I may have fellowship with thee in a time of trouble and affliction, and when I may have the nearest, fullest, and most uninterrupted communion with thee, for why should I, for want of thy presence, be under a constant temptation to turn aside from a true fellowship and communion with thee to the Synagogues, and Assemblies of Idolaters. Or why should I walk a­mongst thy People, either as a Mourner, or as an Harlot, whom thou hast cast off, or divorced.

To this now, her Beloved answereth [O thou fairest amongst Wo­men] it is an Hebraeisme, a way they have to express the superlative degree, so Luk. 1. 28. 42, Thou art blessed amongst Women, that is, very much, very highly blessed. So the Lyon is said to be strong among [Page 596] Beasts, Prov, 30. 30. that is, the strongest Beast. It is no more then in our dialect. O thou that art fairest, to whose Beauty in my Eyes no others Beauty is to be compared.

If thou knowest not] the Hebrew is [...] the Sep­tuagint translate it, [...] if thou dost not know thy self, the vulgar Latin, Aethiopick, Syriack, and Arabick Translators, and indeed most ancient Interpreters that I meet with follow the Sep­tuagint, and translate it, If thou knowest not thy self. Hence Bernard (upon the place) runs into a large discourse concerning Christians ignorance of themselves, and the profitableness of our knowledge of our selves, according to the ancient Precept of the wise man amongst the Heathen, [...]. But undoubtedly though this be a great truth, yet it is nothing to the sense of this text, where [...] is a Pleo­nasme, as both Tremellius, Mercer, and Mariana, (three Interpreters very learned, and critical in the Hebrew Dialect, do all agree) so as we translate it truly, according to our Idiom, If thou knowest, tho in the Hebrew it be, If thou knowest to, or for thy self. It follow­eth,

Go thy way by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy flocks by the Shepheards Tents.] These words now contain her beloveds directi­on, if she were at a loss, what to do in a time of streights, or how to enjoy the most full and free communion with him, she must go her way by the footsteps of the flock. Interpreters vary in the sense of these words, according to their different notion of the former. If thou knowest not. Those that will not allow [...] to be Paragogical, or Pleonastical, but will interpret them, If thou knowest not thy self, and so make the whole to be a rebuke, or chiding of the Spouse, for her ignorance, or pride, will have the flocks here to be the flocks of Idolaters, and Hereticks, and by the Kids here understand her own vain imaginations, and make this speech to be the language of an angry God, giving up a People in wrath (according to that of the Apostle) to strong delusions to believe a lie, for their wilful ignorance and non-improvement of the means of grace. This is the sense put upon the words by Hierome, Gregory, Bernard, Aquinas, Lyra, and others. And there is a truth in this, when a people continue in the bosom of a Church, under the means of grace, ignorant, proud, and unprofitable, God often in wrath giveth them over to Seducers, and leaves them to the vanities, and delusions of their own hearts (a Judgment of all others most formidable.) But certainly this is not the sense of the words. Delrio (though a Papist) differs from them, [Page 597] and gives us a good reason, telling us, if that had been our Lords meaning, he would never in the same breath have called her the fairest among Women. Therefore Tremellius, both the English, and Dutch Annotators, Deodate, Piscator, Mariana, and others, under­stand here by the footsteps of the flock, and by the Shepherds Tents, the Precepts, and Examples of Moses and Aaron, the Prophets, and the Apostles, and the purer Church of God, and by the Kids mentioned, they understand particular Souls. So that the sense of the words is this.

Thou believing Soul, who in my Eyes art more beautiful, and lovely, then any other Soul in the world, if thou beest in any thing ignorant of my will, and where to meet me, and how to enjoy fel­lowship and communion with me, do not stray from the rule of my word, nor vary from the examples of those whom I gave for Shep­herds to my People, keep close to them, to their Doctrine, and to my Ordinances administred by them. There thou shalt find me. There I rest at noon. These two verses thus opened, afford us several Pro­positions of Doctrine, as matter of further discourse.

Prop. 1. Christ is he, and only he whom the believing Soul loveth.

Prop. 2. Though there may be a time when such a Soul may con­ceal, and disown its love to Christ, yet there will be a time when it will break forth, and she will acknowledge it.

Prop. 3. A gracious Soul, desireth nothing more then a quiet, full, and sweet communion with Christ.

Prop. 4. Christ hath shades where he resteth, and feedeth his flock, under the greatest, and most scorching Afflictions.

Prop. 5. Though a pious Soul never slighteth a communion with Christ, yet she never prizeth it at an higher rate, then in an hour of grea­test trials, and temptations.

Prop. 6. Gods People will, (especially in times of trial, and great temptation) be prone to fall into sin, and error, to the scandal of their profession.

Prop. 7. Sin and Scandal, are the two great things which a graci­ous Soulfears.

Prop. 8. The Believing Soul, is of all other Souls the most beauti­ful in Christs Eyes.

Prop. 9. The Beauty of this Soul is not perfect, it may in some things be ignorant.

Prop. 10. The surest way for a Soul to get a perfect instruction in the things that concern its spiritual good, and to keep, and to enjoy com­munion [Page 598] with Christ, is to feed its self by the Tents of Christs Shep­herds, and to live according to the examples and directions of his holy Servants, recorded in Holy Writ.

I begin with the first, of which I shall speak but briefly.

Prop. 1. Jesus Christ is he whom the Soul loveth with a singular love.

I put in the term singular, because (as I told you) the phrase im­ports it. Love is nothing else but the adhaesion, or cleaving of the Soul to an object, out of a goodness and suitableness which it hath discerned in it, with a complacency which the Soul taketh in it, which is such, as if the Soul wants it, it desires it; if it enjoyeth it, it is glad, and rejoyceth in it; which being first considered, it fol­loweth; that look how many objects as there are, that have in them any goodness, or suitableness to our state, so many objects of our love there are in the world. And 2. That look how much goodness and suitableness to us we apprehend in one object more than in another, so much we love one thing more than another; or one person more than another. 2. There is also a love that floweth from Union and Relation, of which we are not able to give a perfect account; the Parent loves the Child, and the Husband loves the Wife, and the Wife the Husband, not alwaies out of Judgment. The Husband discern­ing in the Wife a suitableness to him, is not alwaies the cause of love: Nor is the Child's love to the Mother or Father alwaies ra­tional, flowing from an apprehension of the suitableness of the Parent to it, but rather from an impetus of nature, an unaccountable com­placency in those whom God hath made correlates, caused by the God of Nature, who hath made them one flesh; who so delibe­rately considereth this, will easily understand a double reason of the Believers Love to Christ.

1. The first is, That Union which is betwixt the believing Soul, and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is wrought by Faith; this pro­duceth this second Union, which is that of Love. By Faith Christ is united to the Soul, and becometh a member of his body, and that is followed by this Union of Love: The Soul in the same hour wherein it is united by Faith to Christ, being taught of God to love the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a piece of its Regeneration, which continually followeth Justification, and is indeed coaevous with it; so that as in the natural Union, the same day the man becomes a Father, or the Woman a Mother, there is a new Emanation of af­fection and love; the Man or Woman that before knew nothing [Page 599] of the heart of a Parent, now begins to feel it, and in the moral Union betwixt the Husband and Wife, the same day that they are married to each other, there floweth a reciprocal Affection each to other, so as they then begin to know the heart of an Husband and a Wife, of which they knew little or nothing before: So it is upon the Spiritual Union; as the God of Nature influenceth the Souls of per­sons, whom he hath given one to another in natural and moral Re­lations, ordinarily for a reciprocal usefulness one to another: So the God of Grace influenceth the Soul put into a spiritual Relation to Christ: That the Believer upon his Union with Christ, doth find his heart cleaving to, and taking a complacency in the Lord Jesus Christ, and begins thus to know the heart of a Believer. And look as it is in the moral Relation betwixt the Wife and the Husband, though the Man may have heard such reports of the virtues and ex­cellencies of the Woman before he hath married her, as hath in­forced from him a complacency in her, yet this bears no propor­tion to that delight and complacency he taketh in her when she is once married to him. So, although a Soul upon the large discourses he hath heard of Christ, and of his love to Mankind, and what he hath done, and is ready to do for the Souls of men, may have some good thoughts of him, and some kind of complacency in his thoughts of him, yet there is a vast difference betwixt this, and that complacency which the Soul taketh in Christ, when it is once by Faith united to him, and amongst other habits of grace hath that of Love to God infused into his Soul, according to that, Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. I know there is a Dispute raised by some, whether the natural man's love to God, differeth from the Believer's love to God specifically, or only gradually. I do not think that these spiritual habits fall under those logical measures; I am sure it is a love flow­ing quite from another cause. The natural man's love is no more than a natural Plant cultivated by reason; the other's is a fruit of the Spirit; so as they differ further than gradually; but whether we should call it specifically, or no, or want a Logical term to express the difference, I shall not think it worth my time to enquire.

2. A second Reason of the Believer's love, and so great and sin­gular love to Christ, floweth from his Experimental discerning of that admirable suitableness that is in Christ to his Soul, and the exceed­ing love which he hath shewn to him. 1. A Believer hath another kind of persuasion of the Love of Christ, and the excellency that is in [Page 600] him, than it is possible another should have. 1. A persuasion flowing from Faith; And 2. Confirmed by Experience. I say, first flowing from Faith. We know a thing by Sense, Reason or Revelation; the Excellency of Christ falleth not under the demonstration of Sense. Reason indeed working upon Principles of Revelation, I mean con­cluding from the Revelation of holy Writ, will shew even a natu­ral man, much goodness, much excellency in Christ. But this Knowledge is very far from that certainty which Faith begetteth in the Soul, which is a certainty against which the Soul hath nothing to oppose ordinarily. Faith is an Evidence, and the strongest Evi­dence to the Soul of what it doth not see by the Eye of Sense, and seeth very imperfectly by the Eye of Reason. 2. A Believer's Knowledge is confirmed by Experience; as he hath heard from the Word of God; so he hath seen in the dispensations of God to his Soul. His Soul is sprinkled with the Blood of Christ; it was lost, it is now found: It lay under the guilt of sin, and through Christ's satisfaction it is acquitted. Though every Believer hath not a full persuasion of this, yet he hath a good hope through grace, and this cannot but kindle in his Soul a vehement flame of love to Christ. Bless the Lord O my Soul (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 103. 3, 4. and all that is within me bless his holy Name. Who forgiveth all thine ini­quity, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from de­struction. Nor hath he only some experience of the suitableness of Christ to his Soul, considered as a lost undone Soul; but he hath as firm a persuasion of Christ's readiness, as well as ability to supply all his wants, to hear all his prayers, to supply all its necessities, to bless it with all spiritual blessings; there is no Soul that lives in such a view as a Believing Soul, of its daily renewing sins, and so standing in need of daily repeated acts of pardon, daily renewings of spiritual strength, &c. It knows it is in the power of none to help it, but Christ alone, he alone sitteth at the right hand of God to make Intercession for the Soul; he is he alone who can be its Ad­vocate at the Throne of Grace. It is the Spirit of Christ through which he must mortifie the deeds of the body, and who must strengthen it with might, to all the operations of the spiritual life. It is so natural to the Soul to love those that love it, that our Sa­viour saith, if you do it, what reward have you? The Soul thus apprehending Christ, its love towards him proceedeth in a natural order, and riseth higher as it knoweth that the love which he hath shewed it, and doth shew it, is the greatest love: For greater love [Page 601] than this can no man shew, than that a man should die for his friend; Christ hath died for it while it was an Enemy. We (saith the A­postle) being Enemies to God, were reconciled unto him through the death of his Son. The evil from which he delivered it, was the grea­test evil. The reason why the natural man loveth not Christ, is be­cause though he hath indeed heard much of Christ, and of his love to the Sons of men, yet he believeth not, or giveth only a faint and careless Assent unto what he readeth and heareth concerning him: He hath experienced nothing concerning the evil of sin, nor feeleth any need of pardon, and so cannot possibly discern or apprehend that goodness and excellency that is in Christ, nor that suitableness to a Soul's state, that a Believer is apprehensive of. And in regard the wants of the body are no way to be compared with the wants of the Soul, and the wants of the Soul cannot be supplied from any (except only Ministerially) but from Christ alone, the Soul must necessarily love Christ with a singular love, and all other things in subordination unto him, so as they must stand in no competition for the Soul's Affection with him, much less can such a Soul love any thing that offers it self in opposition to him. I might inlarge fuurther, in giving you Reasons for such a Soul's singular love to Christ; but I have touched upon this Argument before, and these are the two main Reasons of their singular love unto him. Their pourings out of their whole hearts, their intire Affections into his bosom. I shall only add a short Application of this Discourse.

Use [...] Let us all by this try our selves, whether we be the Spouse of Christ, yea or no, that is, whether we be true believers, yea, or no, and true Members of the Church of Christ; by this we shall know it: If we can look up to Heaven, and say unto Christ, O thou whom my Soul loveth. There are many who go into the number of those who make up the visible Church, who are not the Spouse of Christ, or at least shall not be of the number of those hereafter, who shall make up the Lambs Wife, mentioned, Rev. 21. 9. They are not that Spouse mentioned, Rev. 19. 7. To whom it is granted that she shall be arrayed in fine linnen, clean and white, or of those blessed ones, who shall be cal­led to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The contract betwixt the Soul and Christ is made in secret. In that contract (as in others) Christ consents to receive the Soul, and the Soul consenteth to re­ceive Christ, The former of these indeed is sufficiently in the general declared in the more general call, and invitation of the Gospel, wherein Christ calleth to all to whom the Gospel is preached, to [Page 602] come unto him, promising that he will receive them, and that he will by no means cast them away, yet he hath not there spoken this to any particular person by name, only in general, to all those who are wea­ry, and heavy laden, and who come unto him, and the Soul is of­ten at a loss, in determining concerning the truth of its own acts, in coming to, and receiving of Christ tendred in the Gospel. On the other side the presumptuous man is like the foolish young man in the world, that thinks that every young woman who smileth on him, or speaketh kindly to him, will presently take him for her Husband, and concludeth good to himself from every smile of providence, but to satisfy the true Christian, and to convince others of their folly, let every Soul know, that there is no Soul can take any comfort of this nature, but that Soul only that can truly say unto Christ, O thou whom my Soul loveth, and certainly would men, and women be true to themselves, they might from hence determine their Spiritual state. But yet, as there is a common affection, which a woman may have for many men, none of which she intendeth to make her Hus­band, and she may do many common acts of kindness for them, so there is a common love, which a man may have for Christ, and ma­ny common actions which they may do in his service; the question therefore is, how a man or woman may know, whether he or she may with confidence look up to Heaven, and say, O thou whom my Soul loveth! Let me add a word or two upon this argument here, though I have before spoken much to it.

1. I desire you to observe in the first place, that the Spouse spea­keth here in the singular number, O thou whom my Soul loveth, so must every Soul do that loveth Christ in truth; a divided Soul is al­waies faulry. That Soul which hath any thing in Heaven or Earth to be compared with Christ, doth not love him. It is true that love is a diffusive affection, and may respect several objects, but note these two things.

1. These objects must be only diverse, not contrary. Contraries naturally expel one another, there is nothing but sin and last that is contrary to Christ; you cannot (saith our Saviour) love God & Mam­mon, he that saith to any lust, O thou whom my Soul loveth! cannot in truth say so unto Christ. How many in the world by their fondness upon their lusts, shew their want of love to Christ?

2. Conjugal love admitteth neither parity, nor priority. The Wife that loveth her Husband as she ought to love him, must nei­ther love any other before him, or better then other, nor yet in a [Page 603] proportion equal with him; she must love him before, and above all things. Our Saviour hath determined this in saying, He that lo­veth Father or Mother, or Brother, or Sister more then me, is not wor­thy of me, and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me, is not worthy of me.

2. Soul-love will be known also by Soul-longings. Love teacheth the Soul to long after, 1. Union with the object beloved. 2. A sense of reciprocal love. 3. Communion with the object beloved. If thy Soul loveth the Lord Jesus Christ, it will be seen in thy longings after him in the hour of his apprehended adsence, or after such degrees of his presence, as thou hast not yet attained, and after a sense of his reci­procal love; the Soul that truly loves, is impatient till it discerneth itself mutually beloved, it will also long after communion with Christ; you read Davids temper as to this, Psal. 84. 1, 2, 3. Psal. 42. 1. Psal. 63. 1. Alass how few are there whose pulses beat with any strength for God?

3. Love (thirdly) is discovered by a complacency, delight, & satis­faction, in the presence of the object beloved, according to the de­gree of its presence. As it longeth for its object when absent; so it rejoyceth and melts in the embraces of it when present. What satis­faction hath thy Soul in an Ordinance, or Duty, in which thou hast seen the power & glory of God, the presence of Christ in his Ordinance?

4. Love again is seen by the Soul's sorrow for a departed Christ. The loving Wife weepeth when she for any time parteth with her Husband, and is solitary when he is gone. Mary's love to Christ was discerned by her weeping, because she knew not where they had laid him. And the Jews cryed out, when they saw Christ weeping over the grave of Lazarus; Behold how he loved him! The dispensations of Christ to the Soul sometimes are very dark; he seems to be gone, and as it were buried out of the Soul's sight, how beateth thy heart at such a time? art thou afflicted? or art thou not?

5. If thy Soul loveth the Lord Jesus Christ, it will be seen by thy anger a! any thing, whether in, or from thy self, or others, which grieveth or offendeth him. Love (to its power) will suffer no injury to the Beloved The Wife will not her self abuse her Husband, nor (to her power) will she suffer any other; if unwarily, ignorantly, or in a passion at any time she hath done it, she is angry at her self for it; and if others do it, she is ready to seek a revenge upon them. What indignation! what revenge! (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 7. 11.) is produced by godly sorrow, which is the effect of love.

[Page 604] 6. If thy Soul loveth Christ, thou wilt reveal all the Secrets of thy Soul to him; he shall know all thy griefs, all thy desires and wants; thou wilt be much in prayer, much in secret prayer. Dalilah charged Sampson for want of love to her, because he had concealed his se­crets from her. Christ (on the contrary) justifieth his love to his Disciples, Joh. 15. 15. by his telling them all he had heard of his Father.

7. If Christ be he whom the Soul loves, the Soul will be much in the meditation of him. Whatsoever is the object of our Love, is much in our thoughts. O how I love thy Law (saith David,) Psal. 119. 97, 99. it is my meditation night and day. What room in thy thoughts hath Christ, and the things of Christ?

8. The Soul that is full of love, is like the Fountain which is full, and must overflow. If we love any persons, we are often talking of them, upon all occasions talking for them, and very often (as we can get opportunities) talking with them. What are thy discourses of Christ to others? How dost thou use thy Tongue in discoursing for Christ, when there is need? What discourses hast thou with Christ in prayer?

9. Soul-love is like the Sun, that cannot shine upon the Glass of the house, but its refracted Beams will pierce thorow, and shew themselves upon the walls, the floor, the pavements. A love to Christ will look thorow him, and shew it self upon every thing that hath relation to him, his People, his Ministers, his Word and Ordinances, Psal. 16. 2, 3. O my Soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my de­light.

10. And lastly; If you love Christ with your Souls, you will keep his Commandments; yea if it be to sacrifice an Isaac, to pluck out a right Eye, or cut off a right Hand: This is our Saviour's mark, Joh. 14. 15. Obedience is the first and most genuine fruit of Love; and if it be such as shall speak a true Love in the Soul to Christ, it must be 1. Internal, as well as external. 2. Universal, not partial. 3. Constant, and not only for a fit.

But of these things I have spoken before, and therefore shall not inlarge, &c.

Sermon XLII.

Canticles 1. 7.
Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon.

I have done with the first Proposition I observed from these Words from the compellation (O thou whom my Soul loveth) viz. That Christ is he, and the only he whom the believing Soul loveth; there was a 2d which I also observed from that; viz. That as there is a time when such a Soul will conceal its Love to Christ, and will not be brought to own its Love to him: So there is a time when it will own and acknowledge it. This now would lead me to a discourse of those times, when a believer is free to own, and acknowledge its grace, particularly, its love to Christ; And those times when it findeth a difficulty and will not be brought to do it. But I remember, I handled that point, when I discoursed the forgoing words I am black but comely. I shall therefore here pass it over, and come to the matter of the pe­tition or thing wherein she desireth to be instructed. viz. Where he fed [his flock;] Where he made his flocks to rest at Noon. In the explication of the terms of the Text. I considered the Noon time,

1. As the time when Shepherds having driven their flocks into some shady places to lye down, and rest, were themselves most at leisure and one might have the most private, free, and full communion with them with the least interruptions, At other times of the day, till night again comes, the Shepherd must have a constant Eye upon his flock. According to which sense, the phrase is expressive of believing Souls desires of all oc­casions, and opportunities, when it may have the most pri­vate, free, and full communion with Christ, with the least inter­ruptions.

2. Secondly, As the time, when the Sun shines out hottest; So it [Page 606] may be understood of the Churches Noon, or the Believers Noon. When they were most scorched with Trials, and Persecutions, So there are 3 Propositions which I before observed. The first of which I shall begin with.

Prop. That a believing Soul is very covetous of such occasi­ons and opportunities, when it may injoy the most private, free, and full communion with Christ, with the least interrup­tions.

Whiles the Shepherd is driving his flock to their pastures he is in motion, one may exchange some few words with him, but he cannot have much serious discourse with him, when he com­eth to his feeding place, still his Eye must be after his flock, which in their feeding may be prone to straggle, but at Noon, when his flocks are in the shadow, that is the fairest oppor­tunity of converse with the Shepherd. It is true it is the infir­mity of our humane natures, that we cannot at the same time duly attend two different things, God is not under the Law of it, God cannot be so taken up with one business of providence, as to neglect another because of it. But while Christ is set out to us under imperfect, and infirm comparisons, he is set out as one compassed about with our infirmities. And certain it is that our communion with him in this life, admitteth of many inter­ruptions on our part, and there are times, and places wherein a good Christian may and doth injoy a more perfect, free, and full communion with his God, then he doth, or can do, at other times and places.

The Spouse here desireth to know, the times, places, and opportunities of most free, full and perfect communion with God, and this I say is the object of every believing Souls desire.

As to times of this nature they are easily discerned, by consi­dering what those things are which most interrupt and hinder our communion with God: those are either, 1. Worldly cares, businesses and distractions: or 2. Temptations, whether from the stirrings of lusts in our own heart (for every man saith James is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.) Or from his Grand adversary the Devil. So that times of freest communion with God, are times, when we are likely to be most free from the incumbrances of the World, or the [...]lestations of our own lusts, or Satans Suggestions. As to the two latter, there are indeed no times as to which which we can promise [Page 607] our selves an absolute immunity. As to the former there are two times. The morning or the night season. 2. The Sabbath day.

1. The morning or night season. That is a time for rest, and when the greatest part of the World are at their natural rest, hence you shall observe that the Servants of God have often made choice of these times for their more private and free com­munion with God. Psal. 5. 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee, and will look up, Psal. 59. 16. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morn­ing Psal. 63. 1. O God thou art my God, early will I seek thee, v. 6. When I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on the in the night watches. Times of least business, in the World and greatest si­lence, from the noises & businesses of the World, are the times for freest communion with God, not that God is not as ready to hear our Prayers, and to communicate himself at other times, but because the Souls of Gods People, are not so free in themselves, for whereas the life of our communion with God lyeth in the attention of our thoughts, and fervency of our Spirits. And the latter of these hath also a great dependence on the for­mer, it is impossible for us to keep our thoughts so intent upon our duty, when the noises, and businesses of the World distract us, as when we have nothing of that nature from the World to disturb or divert us.

2. The Sabbath day is likewise such another time, and so are other times which we have voluntarily set apart for the So­lemn seeking of God, but the former especially. For tho the Law of the Lord for the Sanctification of the Sabbath, hath not such an influence upon the World, as were highly to be desired, yet in the places (especially) where we live, it hath some in­fluence so that the most of men and women cease from all ser­vile labour and there is a great silence in the World that day in comparison of other days: and that law taketh a great hold upon the hearts of all such as truly fear God, so as none of them durst ingage themselves in wordly businesses as on other dayes: and tho this be not the case as to such solemn days as Christians set apart for religious duties, yet we having laid our selves under a private law, tho the time at first was our own, and we needed not to have dedicated it to the Lord, yet hav­ing done it, we think our selves justly to be more ingaged, and concerned to lay the World out of our sight and thoughts, and [Page] and this doubtless much commendeth the practice of Christians in setting some times of this nature apart for the solemn ser­vice of God.

As to places under the Gospel we have no such place as the Temple at Hierusalem, none to which any such promise is made, our Rule is, Every where to Worship the Father: Every where to list up pure hands. But yet though there be no particular place, concerning which we have a command, more then another, in it to make our addresses to God, nor any to which any promise is made, nor concerning which it can be said God hath in it more Manifested himself to People seeking him, yet there are two sort of places in which we have more advantage then in others, for a communion with God: 1. Places of Solitude, 2. Places where 2 or 3 meet together or a greater number of Gods People so meet to pray, or in any manner to Worship God.

1. The first give us advantage by freeing us from the noises, business and distractions of the World; hence you read of Jsaac's going into the field, for meditation, and our Saviour's going so often up to a mountain for Prayer, Mar. 6. 46. Matth. 14. 23.

2. The second gives us advantage, as from the promise of God made to the assemblies of his People, so from the influence that the Affections of pious Souls in holy duties have, one upon another, of which it is an hard thing to give an account, but it is no more then I believe any good Christian will find upon his or her experience, that their hearts are otherwise affected, when they are in a society of serious Christians praying to God, or perform­ing any acts of Worship, then when they are alone. Hence it is that you find serious Christians, so covetous of opportunities to withdraw into their closets, or when they may join with other serious and consciencious Christians in more publick Wor­ship.

If any shall (for the further explication of this notion) ask me, from whence a more full, free, and uninterrupted communi­on with God is to be adjudged and determined; I answer shortly, I have before told you, That all communion speaks a mutual or reciprocal communication of two or more each to other. God communicateth himself to the Soul in his influences of grace, the Soul communicateth it self to God, in the actings and exercises of its gracious habits, so as the fulness, freedom and more near [Page 609] communion with God is to be judged from several things.

1. First from the attention of the Souls thoughts in the duty. A Soul hath more or less communion with God in a duty, as his thoughts more or less deviate and wander from the thing he is about. When there is a meer bodily service performed either by the lips, or knee, or Eye, the duty is but a mere formality, the Soul hath no communion with God in it, in Praying the man doth not Pray, nor in hearing hear, nor in singing sing. As to this the best of Gods People must cry, God be merciful to us sinners, so that the degree of perfection attainable in this life as to this thing is but comparative, some may have more of this attention then others, or more at one time then at another, but none is perfect in this thing. Only the pious Soul as in other things, so in this thing, is striving after perfection, pressing forward towards the mark, and daily humbling himself for his imperfection, and flying to Christs intercession and advocation, and exercising faith on his more perfect righteousness.

A second thing wherein a fuller communion with God (on the Souls part) lyeth, is, fervency of Spirit, this chiefly respect­eth the duties of Prayer, and Praise. The effectual Prayer must be servent, [...] a Prayer which setteth the whole Soul on work, and while we sing, we must make melody in our hearts to the Lord, Eph. 5. 19. Prayer is oft times in Scripture expres­sed under the notion of crying, wrestling with God, pouring out of the heart before the Lord, Psal. 142. 2. Psal. 62. 8. David calleth this a pressing hard after God, Psal. 63. 8. some think it is a metaphor from hounds pursuing their game in view.

3. A third thing is a Freedom of Spirit. This is (as I take it) that which David calls largeness of heart, Psal. 119. v, 32. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. There is no good man but findeth his heart more free to duty, and in duty at one time then at another; there is a strait­ness of heart which at some times is the great grievance, and incumbrance of pious Souls, it is caused sometimes from immo­derate sorrow, sometimes from fear sometimes from one cause, sometimes from another, but what ever the cause be, it certain­ly abates the Souls communion with God, at least its communi­cations of it self to God. And by consequence, a freedom of Spirit, a readiness of heart to duty, with a liberty not of tongue onely but of Spirit also (for without the latter, the former [Page 610] is but hypocrisy) advantageth, and promoveth the Souls com­munion with God.

4. A fourth thing which maketh the Souls communion with God more full is, An ability more strongly to exercise its saith upon God without doubting, whether it be in a stronger adhe­rence or more firm persuasion.

5. On Gods part the Souls communion is more full, when it re­ceiveth from God more influences of grace testifying his acceptance of the Souls addresses unto him, or filling it with the sensible manifestations of his love, or inabling it more fully to communi­cate it self unto God, that it can be more attent in its thoughts, more fervent in Spirit, more free to, and in its performances, or exercise its faith more powerfully and strongly. This I con­ceive to be enough to have spoken in the explication of the Proposition, hinting you both wherein this more full, and free communion with God, is discernable, and also what those times or places are where, and when it may most ordinarily, and pro­bably be obtained, which I conceive is the thing which the Spouse in the text expresseth her desire towards, and which she begs that her beloved would instruct her as to.

That this is the desire of every good Christian, appear­eth,

1. From its deprecation of those things which would hinder it, and avoiding them so far as it can. Those things that hinder it are, 1. Intestine lusts and motions to sin, Vanity of thoughts, &c. 2. Diabolical Suggestions. Now there are no two things which the pious Soul more deprecateth then these two: Worldly di­stractions. Observe David how he bewailed his dwelling in Me­shek; And having his habitation in the tents of Kedar and how bitterly in three several Psalms he bewails his being banished from Hierusalem, Psalm 42. Psal. 84. Psal. 63. So Psal. 120. v. 5. How sadly doth St. Paul bewail his body of death Rom. 7. 24.

2. From its thirstings after times, and opportunities of com­munion with God; of which also you have instances in all the Psalms before mentioned, Psal. 86. 11. He prays for an heart united to fear the Lords name, Psal. 86. 11. And rejoiceth in a fixed heart, Psal. 57. 7. Psal. 208. v. 1.

Reason. Nor indeed can it possibly be otherwise as will appear to any Soul that understandeth what communion with God is. [Page 611] That which is the object of any rational Souls desire, must come under the notion of good, and so appear, and the more goodness, or sutableness to a Souls necessities is in any object, and appears to the Soul, the stronger must be the Souls motions to, and towards it. Now there is nothing in the World, can possibly appear to a pious Soul to have that degree of goodness in it, that an Ʋnion and communion with God hath, they being things suited to the Souls highest wants. Our com­munion with God, is the great testimony of our union with him, and that Soul that hath no evidence of a communion with God, will find it self at as great a loss to evidence its union with him. Besides, good is generally valued, and adjudged, either by pro­fit or pleasure. The pious Soul knoweth, that the more full, or free, and less interrupted its communion with God is, the more sweet, and pleasant it is; duties are more our tasks, and burdens, then our delight and pleasure, when the Soul hath but a broken interrupted, and distracted communion with him. And as to profit nothing can be more considerable to the Soul, con­sidering that the peace of the Soul, and the increase of its grace, are both much advantaged by it. David cryeth out, Psal. 73. v. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee. The desire of God upon Earth (mentioned by the Psalmist) must be a desire of fellowship, and communion with God, which being in it self desirable, the more the Soul hath of it, the more full, and free, and less interrupted that communion is, the more still it must be the object of every pious Souls desire.

Use 1. This (in the first place) will shew us a certain difference, betwixt the Child of God, and an hypocrite. The profane man despiseth communion with God, and looks upon all discourses concerning union and communion with Christ as mere canting. The hypocrite pretends to something of communion with God, but any slight degrees of it, any acts by which he can but fancy he hath any such communion, serve his turn, and satisfy him. A formal hypocrite possibly cannot stop the mouth of his natural conscience, nor save his reputation with the World without the performance of some duties, which God hath instituted, wherein the People of God have a communion with God, he must some­times pray, and hear a Sermon, but whether his heart be uni­ted to God in Prayer, whether he attends to the Words of the [Page 612] Prayer, whether he finds any fervency of Spirit or any freedom of Spirit to, or in the duty, whether his Soul performeth it with any exercise of faith in God; these are things he looks not after, neither are they the objects of his desires or indea­vours.

Use 2. Hence therefore conscientious Christians may take some just measures of themselves. A Christian indeed is not to be judged from his praying or hearing, but from his hungring and thirst­ing after a communion with God in the duties he performeth unto him and after such a communion with God, as I have been describing unto you; and if there be such desires in your Souls, they will be evidenced.

1. By the trouble of your Souls when you find you come short of it. Desire (not obtained) as well as hope deferred, will make the heart sick, no true Christian but at some times, will find his thoughts more wandring, his Affections more cold, his Spirit more straitned, his Faith more languid; to find this and not to be con­cerned for it, or troubled at it, is a very ill evidence against the Soul, that it hath no such desires as I have been discoursing of.

2. Secondly, Such desires will be attended with indeavours to avoid whatsoever may hinder such a communion with God. Real desires are always attended with proportionable indeavours. He that desires a more free, and full communion with his friend, will go out of a croud of company, where he knows he cannot injoy it. He that desires such a communion with Christ will find some time to get out of the crouds of Worldly business and company, where he knows he cannot have it.

3. And Lastly, The truth of such desires will be evidenced by the use of all probable means that may conduce to it.

Use 3. He vainly pretends to desire a thing who will use no means within his reach, and power to obtain it. And that brings me in the last place to a Word of exhortation to the use of such means. For though it must be by an influence, a great influence of grace, that any Soul comes up to this, yet that is to be ob­tained by the use of due means on our part.

I shall briefly hint some probable means of this nature.

1. Make Religion as much your business as you can. I know it cannot be all our business while we are in the world. But the more it is our business the more our communion with God will [Page 613] be. When a Boy is first bound Apprentice, he knoweth not how to keep his mind to his business, it is much running after his idle diversions and recreations, but when he hath once been habi­tuated to his work, by degrees he grows more serious, and fixed. So will the Soul as to its great business of communion with God.

2. Prepare your hearts to seek the Lord, by prayer, by seque­string your selves sometime from your secular concerns. There lyes much in this, for want of it, we are much accessary to our own distractions; and that interrupted broken communion with God, of which we complain.

3. Ʋse your indeavours to lift up your hearts to God in duties, and to keep off such things as would hinder it. Frown upon your hinderances. If a man frowns upon one that would come to disturb him in any serious discourse with his friend, he must be very impudent that should continue such interruptions, or repeat them.

4. Lastly. Beg of God to make up what thou canst not do.

Hitherto I have only discoursed a notion of my own as to the Sense of my Text. I told you that the generality of Inter­preters take notice of the Noon as the hottest time of the day, when the Sun emits its most direct beams, & so by it understand a time of Affliction and trial, for which interpretation, they have that of our Saviour Math. 13. 6. 21. This will afford us two no­tions, the one more implyed, the other more plainly expres­sed. I shall speak something onely to the first of them at this time.

Prop. That Christ hath feeding, and resting places, and shades, wherewith, and wherein to refresh his Saints in the most scorch­ing times of trial and affliction.

I shall onely open the Proposition by shewing you what these shades, these feeding & resting places are, & then shortly apply my discourse. As to the first I shall instance only in three particulars. David in his 23 Psal. maketh use of this very Metaphor, The Lord (saith he) is my Shepherd, v. 2. He maketh me to lye down in green pastures, he leadeth me besides the still Waters. It is the work of a Shepherd, to find out green pastures for his flock in the day time and a secure fold for them at night, yea and a fitting shadow for them at noon. Christ doth so for his little flock to whom it's his his Fathers and his will to give a Kingdom. There shall be no [Page 614] want of those that fear him. In the day time of their lives, he feeds, and protects them by his providence, he nourisheth them by his ordinances, and daily influences of grace. In the night of death, he folds their Bodies in the grave, their Souls in Abra­hams bosom; It is the work of a Shepherd, to provide and look out pasture for his sheep when that ordinary pasture is burnt up like a wilderness; It is our great Shepherds work, to provide feeding, and resting places, when either publick trials, afflictions, and persecutions debar them of their ordinary sub­sistence upon common providence, or ordinary and more pub­lick dispensations of publick ordinances, and institutions, the common food of their Souls. But you will say to me, what are these shadows from the heat, these feeding, and resting places which Christ hath provided, wherein to feed and rest his flock at such a Noon?

1. First he feedeth them upon the promises, either more general, or more specially suited to their particular trials. Jeremiah saith, Jer. 15. 16. I found thy words and did eat them and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart Jeremy possibly there speaketh of the word of Prophecy which was as welcome to him as his meat. But what was the word of Prophecy but the revelation of the will of God to him, which when it was foretelling some judg­ment to come upon the People is more ordinarily called, The Burden of the Lord? The Believing Soul also in the Noon time of his Affliction and tryal, finds the word of the Lord, this he digesteth by faith, and they become the joy and rejoycing of his heart. By these things men live (said Hezekiah) some under­stand his affliction: Others the promises of God made to him in the day of his Affliction. The carnal heart understands not this food, it is to him all one with feeding upon the air. The promi­ses are onely yea and Amen in Christ; they are as shew bread of which none but the Royal Priest-hood can eat, when the Child of God hath nothing else to eat, he will yet feed upon a promise. I had perisht (saith David) in my affliction if thy word had not been my delight, Psal. 119. v. 92. Latimer is said to have made his last meal upon that promise, 1 Cor. 10. 13. Faithful is God, who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able. It is also reported of one Mr. Midgely a Minister in Yorkshire, that being under horrid temptations to destroy himself, and going once to the water side with design to do it, carrying in his poc­ket [Page 615] the New Testament; he paused a while to read a little and happily fell upon that text, Mat. 1. 28. 29. Come unto me all you that are weary, and heavy laden and I will ease you; upon the reading of which he said to himself (or to God rather) sayest thou so? I will not then drown my self yet. The large field of the promises, is one of those green pastures; Where Christ at Noon feedeth his flock, and maketh them to rest. It is a feeding place which is at all times green, the promises contain the Sure mer­cies of God. He that liveth upon meer Sensible enjoyments, feedeth but upon Grass and Flowers. The Grass will wi­ther, and Flowers will fade. But the word of the Lord abideth for Ever, and there are some promises or others, which sute the Soul in all its states, and circumstances of Tryal and affliction.

2. Secondly, Christ sometimes feeds his flock at noon, up­on Special Providences. And these are also of several sorts, either of Protection from the Evil, or Sustentation in, and under trouble or deliverances out of trouble sometimes when thousands, and ten thousands fall on their right, and left hand. The Plague shall not come nigh their dwellings, according to the promise, Psal. 91. v. 7. In a time of famine, Corn shall be fetched out of Egypt for Jacobs Family, the Prophet shall be fed by a raven, or the multiplying of the little meal in the widows barrel, and the little Oyl in the cruse. Sometimes they shall by some miraculous, or at least inexpected waies, and means be delivered out of trouble, so were the three Children in the fiery fornace; Daniel, in the den of Lions; of these there are multitudes of instances in Ecclesiastical History.

3. Thirdly, He sometimes feeds his People by Special influen­ces, either of strengthening or comforting grace. In the multitude of my perplexing thoughts (saith David) thy comforts delight my Soul, Psal. 34. v. 19. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, (saith the Apostle) so our consolations abound by Christ, 2 Corinth. 1. 5. He will (saith Job) put strength into me. Hence the Servants of God are inabled to rejoyce in tribulation; & under sicknesses, have professed that they were never better, and in great trials have rejoiced with a joy unspeakable; Re­joycing in tribulation floweth not from the Tribulation. For no affliction is joyous, but grievous, but from the influences of God upon the Soul in, and under its tribulation. Some one or o­ther of these waies, and means Christ feedeth his flock in a time of Trial, and maketh them to rest in the Noon time of [Page 616] Trials, and afflictions. I proceed to the application of this dis­course.

Use 1. This in the first place commendeth the love of Christ to his lit­tle flock. They say the Devil leaves the Witch when she is once in Gaol, or upon trial for her life, how true that is I cannot tell; but certain it is that his Servants have no great help from him in an hour of straits, and adversity; & this indeed speaks no love, which never so much or so clearly shineth as through a Cloud of sad Providences. Solomon tells us that a friend is made for an hour of adversity. But herein is the Love of Christ manifested to those that have relation to him, my Soul (saith Mary, Luk. 1. 4647.) doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour, for he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. Christ regardeth the low estate of his People, he leaveth them not when they are in distress, Isaiah 43. 1, 2. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee: For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel thy Saviour. This lets us see the wonderful difference betwixt the state and con­dition of believers, and unbelievers. The world hath no places where to make their flocks to rest at Noon. The Devil takes no care for his flock at such a time. Other men may seem to do well enough so long as they have rest and ease, and prosperi­ty. But what will they do in the day of their visitation? God takes another care for his People; when David can incourage himself in nothing else, he can incourage himself in his God. When the Fig-tree doth not blossom, and there is no fruit in the vine, when the fields yield no meat, and the flock are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stall, yet even then they can re­joyce in the Lord and be glad in the God of their Salvation, Ha­bak. 3. 17, 18, 19. Ʋnder his shades we shall live (saith the Affli­cted Church, Lam. 4. 20. I state under his shadow with great de­light, saith the Spouse, Cant. 2. 3. There are many promises which God hath made to his People to be their hiding place, their rock, their Covert, their shadow from the storm, and from the tempest. To which I refer you.

Use 2. In the next place; What cause of rejoycing and lifting up of the head is here to the People of God, whether such as lie under the pre­sent [Page 617] pressures of Tryals or Afflictions, or such as have these storms in prospect, though they be not already fallen upon them. Is the noon of Tryals and Afflictions come upon any of you? Hath the Lord taken away those gourds which heretofore were a shade to you, your health, friends, estate, your outward comforts, of what kind soever? yet be of good cheer, God is only changing your Souls Pastures: Hitherto you have lived more immediately upon the creature, you shall only now live more immediately upon God; hi­therto you have lived by sight, God is now calling you to live by Faith; hitherto your great Shepherd hath fed you in the fields of sensible comforts and enjoyments, things that are seen, he is now calling you to live upon things that are invisible, but every way as sufficient for the support and sustenance of the Soul; he that hath fed thee in the morning, will not leave thee at noon time, Psal. 37. v. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good, and so shalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou shalt be fed. David saith, He never saw the righteous forsaken. The Believer shall be fed, either with that bread which the world knoweth, and calleth so, or with that bread which the world knoweth, and calleth so, or with that bread which the world knoweth not of. There is a revolution of time, a vicissi­tude of Providences, but there is no change of the Word and Pro­mises of God. Verily they shall be fed. There shall be no want to those that fear the Lord. A noon may come, but Christ hath a sha­dow, a feeding, a resting place for his flocks at noon. That God who hath kept thee in health, will also keep thee in sickness. He that hath hitherto kept thee from the malice of a most malicious world, will keep thee under the pressures of their malice: Only take care to Trust in the Lord, and to do good. Is not this thy case? Hast thou the storm only in prospect, but it is not yet fallen upon thee; and art thou only tormented with the fears of what is likely to come up­on thee? oft-times slavish fear proves a great evil, and an evil in prospect, is greater than when it is fallen upon a person. Let this incourage you to hear that Christ hath shades for his People at noon. God hath said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Let me only commend one Promise to you; it is made to the Church, and to every Believer as a Member of it; it is that, Isa. 4. 5, 6. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her Assemblies a cloud, and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for upon all the glory shall be a defence, and there shall be a Tabernacle in the day-time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from Storm and from Rain.

[Page 618] I will shut up this Discourse with a word or two of Exhortation.

Use 3. First; To such as are yet none of the Inhabitants of Mount Zion: None of those, I mean, who are the true Members of the Church of Christ: Those who have no title, or are able to make out no title to the dwelling-places upon Mount Zion, or any of them; what a motive should this be to all such to indeavour what in them lieth, to get into Christ's little Flock. A noon must come. Possibly it is now morning with you, and you are more careless; but man is born to trouble, and it is as natural to humane nature, as it is for sparks to fly upward, as Job tells us. The Children of God in re­spect to the world's hatred, are more exposed to others; but there is none who liveth and shall not see death; none that lives but must look to be in deaths often, of one nature or another. It is cer­tainly the highest prudence to be prepared for all Assayes. Thou hast no way for this but to get an interest in Christ. Whilst thou art an Egyptian, thou canst not look for the Priviledges of one that is an Inhabitant in Goshen. Doest thou ask me how can this be? How should I who am a Goat be transformed into a Sheep? Our Saviour answers thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God; he can be none of that little Flock to whom it is God's will to give that Kingdom. Regeneration, a new Birth, from the holy Spirit, can only make this Spiritual Metamorphosis. Thy work in order to it, lyeth only in some external actions, such as re­fraining what thou canst from sin, waiting upon God in Ordi­nances, calling upon God in Prayer, not resisting the motions of his holy Spirit.

2d Branch. Secondly; This Discourse ought to quicken such as are of the Flock of Christ in all their Noons of Affliction and Trial, to betake themselves to Christ's shades, to the places where Christ useth to feed, and to make his Flocks to rest at Noon. What those shades are, I have shewed you; our work is to betake our selves unto them. It is natural to us when we are pursued to look for a covert, for some refuge or shelter, where we may hide our selves till the storm be passed over, and to flee to such places where we think that we may be secure. There is no true shelter but in Christ's shades. Let us then inquire what is the duty of a good Christian in an evil day, that he may bring his Soul to a rest and quiet.

1. The first and great thing is, to look out our Evidences, to make out our title to, and interest in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must intitle our selves to the great Shepherd of our Souls, as our Shepherd, [Page 619] before we can expect that he should in a scorching time make us to lie down in green Pastures, and lead us besides the still waters, and encourage our selves as David, Psal. 23. 4. Though I walk through the shadow of death, I shall fear none evill, for thou art with me; thy Rod and thy Staff comfort me.

2. That done, a Christian's next work is, to look out the Promises which God hath made, either such as are more general, and respect his People under any Trial, or such as are more special, and relate to the People under any Trial, or such as are more special, and relate to the People of God under such particular pressures of Affliction that they lie under. The Book of holy Scriptures is a great Store-house, there is scarce any condition of Christians to which some Promises are not suited. It is of great use for a Christian to know, and un­derstand, and be acquainted with the Promises: They are as the Jointure to the Wife, all that she hath to live upon; only with this difference, the Woman liveth not upon the Jointure which her earthly Husband hath made her, till he be dead. Christ died once, he dieth no more, but ever lives; but the Promises are what the Soul liveth upon, when God seems as dead, withdrawing himself from the support and protection of his People. A good Christian ought not therefore to be a stranger to them.

3. It is the duty of a Christian to betake himself to these shades; to eye the Promises, to commit himself unto them, to hope in them; these are acts and exercises of Faith. Come my People (saith God by his Prophet Isaiah,) Enter into the Chambers, and hide thy self for a little time, till the indignation be overpast. Our coming is by Faith, committing our selves unto God, and trusting in him, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls unto him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Christ is the primary object of our Faith, the Promises are the proximate objects. In such a time therefore let every good Christian call the Promises to his mind, whet them upon his Soul, offer his Soul to them, call upon it to trust in them.

4. It is the duty of a Christian at such a time to wait upon God with patience. God ought to be trusted in regard of his Truth and Faithfulness, his Power and Goodness. He ought to be waited upon in regard of his Majesty, and Greatness, and Wisdom. The Pro­mises are oft-times made in general, for help, deliverance, strength, and the like, without specifying the particular way and method which God will use, and without limitations of time; He that be­lieveth maketh not hast.

[Page 620] 5. There must be a close walking with God, though we be sore broken in the place of Dragons, and covered with the shadow of death, yet we must not forget the Name of our God; our heart must not turn back from him; we must not deal falsly in our Covenant with him, nor suffer our steps to decline from his way, Psal. 44. The Promise, Psal. 37. 4. that we shall dwell in the Land, and be certainly fed, is prefaced with a Precept, to trust in the Lord, and to do good. And the advice of the Apostle Peter is to commit our Souls in well doing unto God, as to a faithful Creator.

6. Lastly, Prayer must be added, the promises are Gods bonds, by which he hath made himself a Debtor to his Creature. Prayer is an action of ours, by which we put these bonds in suit.

Sermon XLIII.

Cant. 1. 7.
Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon; for why should I be like one of them that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions.

I Am still upon the Spouses third Petition to her Beloved. Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon. Methinks I could say with Peter, when he was with his Master upon the Mount of Transfiguration. It is good for us to be here; let us build here two Tabernacles, one for the Spouse, another for her Beloved. What she would have in this Petition clouded with Metaphors, I have more fully before opened, either a more full communion with Christ, most free from interruptions: Or his more special influence upon her in her hours of affliction, and persecution. I have spake something already to it in both these senses. I have but one thing to add, before I come to the words, which are the reason of her Petition, that is from the [Page 621] form of the words, considered as a prayer, so expressive both of her wants, and desires a supply. The Proposition I shall shortly speak to is this.

Prop. That though a Believer at all times fees a need of the pre­sence, and influence of the grace of Christ: yet more especially in the time of afflictions and tryals.

Return unto me, for I am married unto you (saith the Lord) was Gods language of old to his ancient Spouse, the People of the Jews. The Apostle largely pursueth the same metaphor, Eph. 5. 32. This is a great mystery, I speak concerning Christ and the Church, so he concludeth his discourse; the Wife desireth her Husbands presence at all times. God hath made the Woman the weaker sex, and the Wife stands in daily need of her Husband, (whom God hath made her head) to guide, and conduct her, she is not only as a Vine for fruitfulness, but for weakness and dependency also; so is every be­lieving Soul, it hath alwaies need of that promise, I will never leave you nor forsake you. But as the Wife hath more especial need of the Influence, and assistance of her Husband, in times, and matters of difficulty and distress: so hath the believing Soul, so that he at all times prayeth with David, Psal. 27. 9. Hide not thy face from me, put not away thy Servant in anger, thou hast been my help, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my Salvation. The Child of God knoweth what will follow at any time, if the Sun of Righteousness doth not shine upon him, all his protection, strength, life, healing is in the shadow of his Wings. But yet I say he or she seeth a more especial need of his presence and influence, in the noon of sharp Tri­als, and Afflictions. Hence you shall observe, that though the Ser­vants of God have kept their daily courses of prayer, yet at such times they have used themselves to more solemn addresses, and appli­cations to God, of which you have plentiful instances in Scriptures, in the solemn fasts, and prayers put up to God in such times, and their more special Petitions, put up with reference to such times, and dis­pensations of Providence. Hence David cryeth out, Psal. 22. 11. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help me, and again, v. 19. Be not thou far from me O God, make hast to help me; so again, Psal. 35. 22. It was a time of great outward straights with David, as you may see by reading all the former part of that Psalm, v. 22. This (saith he) thou hast seen O God, keep not silence, O Lord be not thou far from me; so Psal, 38. 21, 22. Psal. 71. 12. Every Christians experience is a full proof of this, so as the Propo­sition [Page 622] needeth no further proof, only let me shew you the reason of it.

Reason. The great Reason is, Because we are all of us more prone to live by sight, then by faith. The Apostle saith, we live by faith, not by sight. He tells you what he himself, and other Christians then did, and what all good Christians should do. The just (saith the Prophet) shall live by faith. But through our infirmity we do live more by sight, then we do by faith. It is a lesson very hard to flesh and blood, could we live more by faith, there would be these two consequents to such a life.

1. In the day of our sensible contentments, we should live more upon the word, and promises of God, then upon any sensible comforts and enjoyments. But it is hard for us to have a staff lent us, and not to lean upon it, so when it breaketh, we come to see our errors, and see more need of the influences of Divine Grace at such, then at o­ther times.

2. We should see as much in God, and in Christ to uphold, and main­tain our selves in an evil day, as at any other times, for the promises are the same, and Christ in whom all the promises are yea, and Amen, is the same, and Gods all-sufficiency is the same, he is at all times the God that changeth not. This being premised as the great and original cause, we may conceive some further, and more particular reasons.

2. Because in this Noon, all creature comforts fail: yea, and in some afflictions, sensible spiritual comforts sometimes fail also. In trials that are more external, such as bodily afflictions, persecutions, &c. outward comforts fail; when the Sun shineth upon our Tabernacles, and the rod of God is not upon us, we are then ready to forget God, when Jeshurun waxed fat, he kicked up the heel, when these outward consolations are taken away, then the Soul beginneth to see, that it stands in need of some other supports. If the Affliction be some divine desertion, then the sensible consolations of the Holy Spirit fail also, what Daviá said in his prosperity, Psal. 30. 6. I shall never be moved, we are all of us too prone to say in the day of our prosperity, but as it fared him with, v. 7. so it fareth with us, when the Lord hideth his face we are troubled. It is too natural even to the best of men not to know the God of our mercies, in the day of our mercies. It was Israels sin, Hosea 2. 8. For she did not know that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil. We do not so duly attend to that which we profess to know, that our Soul strength, and Soul comforts are from the Lord, and hence it is, that in the day when they are withdrawn, we see a more special need of the presence, and influ­ence [Page 623] of Christ upon us. It is the unhappiness, and infirmity of hu­mane nature, that we seldom either understand our mercies, or the Author and Fountain of them, till we come to want them, while we have health, and peace, and liberty, while we have inward strength and quiet, we neither understand the value of these mer­cies, nor Eye God as we should do, as the Author of them, but in the noon time of our tryals, and afflictions, whether more immediate­ly from God, in bodily afflictions, or divine desertions, or more imme­diately from men, then we both understand the value of our mer­cies, and also what need we have of the presence of God with us, and the influences of God upon us. At other times we live very much upon our more sensible enjoyments, now we have not them to live upon, and so see a more need of a God, and a Christ to live upon.

3. Ordinarily at such a time. Our lusts, and corruptions move very impetuously. A man never so well knows the lusts, and corrup­tions of his own heart, as in an evil day. Natura vexata prodit S [...]ip­sam. Anger a man (we say) and you will see his temper, when God by his providence vexeth a poor creature as others will see something, so he will see more what lusts, and corruptions are in his heart. The Devil knew this well enough, when he replyed to God commending his servant Job, Put forth now thine hand and touch him, and he will eurse thee to thy face. Now as every good Soul keepeth a watch upon his heart and observeth the motions of sin and lust in his Soul, so he never seeth more of the need of the presence and influence of God upon his Soul, then when Iniquities prevail against him. When Paul cries out of the body of death, he presently cries out, O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me?

4. Lastly, His Grand Adversary the Devil is never more busy then at such a time. Times of afflictions are not only times of divine temptations, when God proveth, and tryeth his People whether they will adhere, and keep close to him, but of Diabolical Suggestions and temptations also. When the Devil is making tryal whether he can pluck a Soul out of Christs hand, and out of his Fathers hand. The Psalmist calls the Devil The fowler and he knows hard wea­ther is the best time for his purpose, he first gets a commission against Job to take away all that he had, saving his life onely and then his Wife cometh, and persuadeth him to curse God and dye, and he fol­loweth him with many other Suggestions, and temptations. This was the reason of Saint Pauls writing to the Church of Corinth to [Page 624] restore the incestuous Person who by his order was cast out of their communion, lest saith he, he should be swallowed up of too much grief; and Satan should have advantage against him, for we are not igno­rant of his devices. We are never so sensible what need we have of our friends, as when our enemies appear most busy, most strong, and active. Hence it is that although a believer seeth a need of the pre­sence and influence of Christ at all times, yet he never seeth so great a need of him as in a time of great and sharp trials, and afflictions, when trouble is hard at hand. I shall shut up this discourse with a Word or two of exhortation shortly.

Use. This should ingage all of us so to behave our selves towards our Lord in the morning of our prosperity that we may not want his presence, and influence, in the noon of our trials, afflictions, and adversity. It is a mighty folly in any of us to live, as we had no Prospect of the ordinary, or necessary contingencies of humane life. Prudence quasi providence, Solomon saith, The wise man hath his Eyes in his head. And these Eyes are imployed in looking for­ward, as well as round about him at the present. It is a great folly in a man to spend, as if it were not possible he should ever come to want, or to live as if he should never see death. The wise man lives in a constant view of what may be, or what is likely to be, and in some kind of provision for it. It were mighty madness for any in a morning (though it be never so cool) to conclude it would never be Noon or Night. Man is born to trouble (saith Job) as the sparks flie upward. Good men seem to be more particularly designed for it, if not from the appointment of God, who hath ordered their por­tion in another life, yet from that hatred and enmity which the world hath to them, and to the waies wherein they walk.

It is therefore an high point of wisdom in all men to have them in prospect, and be preparing for them; this can be done no better way than by taking heed to our conversations in times of health, peace and liberty. We must not think to abuse, or to live in the neglect and contempt of a friend, in the time of our prosperity and liberty, and to have him at our beck, ready to help us in the time of our straits and adversity. God had often delievered the Jews in their distresses, when they cryed unto him, Judg. 10. 6. They did evil [...]again in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam and Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria and Moab, v. 7. God sold them into the hands of the Philistins, and into the hands of the Children of Ammon. V. 10. They again cryed unto the Lord; observe what answer God [Page 625] gave them, v. 11, 12. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the Children of Ammon, and from the Philistins? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Moabites did oppress you, and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hands, yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods; Wherefore I will deliver you no more; Go, and cry unto the gods which you have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribu­lation. If as we have a need of the presence and influence of Christ at all times, so we shall have a more special apprehension of that need in any time of affliction and distress, we stand highly concern­ed to take heed how we carry our selves to him in the time of our health, peace, liberty, prosperity. As we use him in the daies of our health, peace, and liberty, so we shall find him in the daies of our sickness, distress, or other adversity: So as considering our subje­ctions to trials and afflictions, here is a potent Argument to persuade our keeping close to the Laws of Christ while we are at liberty. But I shall add no more to my discourse upon this Proposition; and have done with the Spouse's Petition, and come to that Argument by which she presseth this Petition,— For why should I be as one who turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions? When I opened the words, I noted to you, That the 70 Interpreters, Montanus, and some others, translate the words as one that covereth her self. [...], so the Dutch Annotators; Junius and Tremellius, as one that stretcheth out a Tent, by the flocks of thy Companions. The Syriack, and the Ethiopick Versions, and the Vulg. Lat. who is also followed by Pagnine, translate it, as one that wandreth, or one that turneth aside.

The Radical word is [...], which primarily signifieth to cover, in a secondary sense to wander or turn aside. I before noted, that covering denoted three things amongst the Eastern Nations. 1. Mo­desty. Virgins therefore went vailed into the company of men especially. 2. Shame. Harlots therefore covered themselves, as you read, Gen. 38. 14. 3. Sorrow, Ezek. 24. 17. So as the sense of the words seemeth to be this.

Why should I that am married to thee, be taken for one not married to thee, or for one that goeth on whoring from thee? or for one that is a mourner, through great grief and heaviness?

Or if you take it in the second sense, she plainly hints her aptness to wander without the conduct and guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ, and accordingly she deprecateth it. By wandring or turning [Page 626] aside, must be understood a deviation from the statutes and Com­mandments of God. By that term [the flocks of thy Companions] I told you some understanding Idolaters, some, Hereticks, the Ido­later makes his Idol Christs Companion, giving it the same worship that is due to him. The heretick maketh some creature, his leader, Christs Companion, taking his Instruction from him. But I told you I should rather understand it of true Christians, whom the Apostle saith Christ is not ashamed to call Brethren, but yet the former sense being imbraced by grave, and reverend Authors, I shall not pass it over without a few words relating to it. Observe then,

1. Here are two things which the Spouse seemeth to fear, and so deprecateth, Sin, and Scandal; Sin especially those two great Sins of Idolatry and Heresie. Scandal lest she should be any ways a re­proach to the Gospel, and give occasion to any to speak evil of the waies of God, and to reproach the Gospel.

2. The Spouse in this reason that she gives for her Petition, doth suggest, that without the influence and support of her Lord, she should never be able in an hour of great temptation, to make straight steps to her feet, and to keep her self upright, she should be ready to wander and turn aside.

3. That which the Spouse expresseth, is an earnest desire to be kept from sin, and from scandal: She doth therefore use this as an Argu­ment to plead with her Lord for his presence and influence, that she might not sin against the Lord, nor being overcome with temp­tations, or swallowed up with grief, become a scandal to her Profes­sion. Here are two things which offer themselves as matter for my Discourse.

1. The insufficiency of a. Soul to avoid sin and scandal, without the presence and influence of Christ upon it. This the Spouse owneth and acknowledgeth. It is as much as if she should say, Lord, if thou doest not help and assist me in the Noon of my trials and afflictions, if thou dost not shew me, where at such times thou feedest thy flocks, and makest them to rest at Noon, I shall wander, I shall turn aside by the flocks of those that are set up for thy Companions; I shall go a whoring from thee, and upon that account walk as one co­vered for shame, amongst those who are thy People. But this is a sub­ject which I have before handled, when I discoursed upon those words; Draw me, and we will run after thee.

2. The second thing is, The two great objects of a believing Soul's fear, are sin and scandal. Why should I wander, or turn aside, [Page 627] or walk as one covered for shame, like an Harlot? All these senses speak her fear of sin. Or, why should I walk as a mourner, covered and dejected? or as an unbeliever, one that is not married to thee? Those senses of the words express her fear of scandal.

Prop. That sin, and Scandal are the two great objects, of the be­lieving Souls fear.

What sin is I need not spend many Words to tell you. The Apostle gives you the full notion of it when he calleth it [...], A Non-conformity to the divine law, which notion comprehendeth original sin, which lyeth in the absence of the divine Image, and the ill complexion of the Soul resulting from it, and actual sin, which is well described by Augustine to be, every thought, Word, and deed which is contrary to the holy Law of God. Sin is often in Scripture set out under the notion of erring, wandring, going astray, and that dependeth upon another Metaphor we often meet with in Scripture, comparing a course of holiness unto a way, with relation to which sin (which is a deviation from holiness) is expressed by the notions of erring, wandering, going astray, turning aside, &c. The Precepts of God are expressed also under the notion of a rule and a guide; hence sin is called a crooked way. Now all sin is the object of the believers fear but not all alike. For as there is a difference in the guilt of sin, so there will be a difference in the Souls fear, it will most tremble at those sins which render it most obnoxious to the wrath of God, of which nature Idolatry is; and indeed the guilt of it much lyeth here, that in that sin the creature is made the companion of God, and the Worship due unto God alone is either given unto it or shared betwixt God and it. The notion of Scandal is not so obvious, I shall therefore inlarge a little in my discourse on that. The Words Scandal and Scandalize are hardly found in any Prophane Authors; the Scripture therefore must open that term to us. A Scandal pro­perly and strictly, is something laid in a mans way at which one is prone to stumble, and fall, the Word which the Septuagint translate by this Word we translate a stumbling block, Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind. The Hebrew Word is by our translators rendred offence, 1 Sam. 25. 31. This is all we can get from the Etymology of the Word, it signifies any thing at which another stumbles, and falls, thence it is applyed to such things as are to others occasions of sin which is the stumbling, and falling of the Soul; so Aquinas I think rightly describeth Scandals to be any Words, or actions of ours by which others have an occasion of ruin; [Page 628] That is sinning which is the Spiritual ruin of a man, or woman. In this sense man only can be Scandalized, he cannot be tempted to evil. But two wayes a Scandal may reflect upon God.

1. As by our carriages his glory may be prejudiced amongst men, his name blasphemed, his wayes reproached, and these actions which produce such effects we call Scandals.

2. As others by our carriages may be induced to sin against God. So that Scandals may be committed two wayes. When we so be­have our selves as we cause the Master which we serve, the Gospel which we profess, or the way wherein we walk to be evil spoken of; or that others by our example are inticed to sin. Scandals are ordina­rily divided, into such as are not only taken but given also: and such as are meerly taken but not given.

1. The latter is what is called Seandalum Pharisaeorum. The scandal of the Pharisees because they were so offended at our Saviour. This is when men are offended at us and speak evil of us or of the wayes of God for our sake, though we do nothing but what is our duty, and we must not omit for the offence of any Persons. These are now only passive Scandals, Scandals taken, and not given, and the guilt lyeth not upon those who do the actions but upon those who are troubled that others are more righteous then they, and will do what they judge God requireth of them, without regard to the pleasing or displeasing of any. These are not the Scandals which a good man feareth.

2. But then there is an active Scandal or a Scandal given, and this may be two wayes.

1. By any open sinful actions. Thus we call open sinning Scandalous sinning. Because it giveth a just offence to all good People, and be­cause it of its own nature tendeth to cause the name of God to be blasphemed, and the Gospel, and wayes of God to be reproached, and evil spoken of, and is an inducement to others also to sin against God.

2. It is also committed by an ill use of our liberty, in things where Gods Law hath left us our liberty, when we will do actions, which although we think we may do, yet others think are unlawful, and our doing of them may either cause them that have another opinion to reproach us and our profession, or in­duce them doubting concerning the lawfulness of them, yet to do them because they see us whom they look upon as stronger, doing of them, thus we abuse our liberty by chusing that action by which our Brother is offended, grieved or made weak, now these [Page 629] Scandals are such as next to our personal plain sinnings ought to be the object of all good Christians fear.

I must confess as to these last mentioned Scandals, by actions, in which I judge God hath left me in his Law a full and perfect liberty, but others have not the same apprehensions so as my taking one part may cause in other Christians, hard thoughts or hard speeches concerning me. Or if not so, yet my example may induce them though they doubt, yet to adventure upon the same actions, and sin against God, (for he that doubteth is damned if he eateth, that which another who doubteth not may freely eat.) I say as to such Scandals there is a very hard question in Divinity, viz. what is a Christians duty, suppose him pressed by a Superiours command on the one side, if he doth not do it he disobeyeth his Superiours in a thing which he confes­seth not to be forbidden by the Word God, and so seemeth to sin against the Precept of obedience to them. On the other side he seeth, that if he doth the thing, he shall not onely grieve many good Christians who think the thing lawful, but possibly cause them to intertain hard thoughts of him, or to speak hard­ly of him: or if not so, yet (which is worse) to do the same thing though they doubt of the lawfulness. Nay further it may be that the command of Superiors in the case may be attended with penalties which may ruin a man & his family. What is to be done here is an hard case: That it is not our duty to obey Superi­ours in all things is out of question: that we ought to obey them in things of which we are strongly persuaded that they are un­lawful, whether they be so or no, is what no weighed Divine will say; whether this be not, though not Originally, yet with re­spect to circumstances a thing unlawful, so as it is not just matter of a Superiours Precept, that is the question. On the other side: That St. Paul said he would never eat flesh while the World stood rather then make his brother to offend, 1 Cor. 8. 13. I observe, St. Paul doth not say I will eat no meat, but no flesh while the World standeth; flesh is but one Species of meat, he might eat other things, and support his life. And as to that Species of meat, it must doubtless be restrained by the former discourse: which is of meat that had been set before Idols: This he de­termines unlawful, 1 Cor. 20. doubtless it is unlawful for a man to starve himself rather then offend his Brother. St. Paul speaks of a thing if not unlawful, yet as to which he was at a full liberty; [Page 630] he could forbear it without any remarkable prejudice to him­self. Besides, the Scandal in the case is but a contingency, he is not sure his Brother will be made to offend by his example or action. The case is a very hard case, but I shall spend no more Words about it, that being not the Scandal which cometh with­in the compass of my text: But either such Scandal as ariseth from actions plainly sinful, or at least actions, that have no such circumstances. Whether we interpret covered, as an harlot was covered, or as a mourner was covered, both such Scan­dals are the just fears of all good Christians.

1. Sin is the object of every good Christians fear upon many accounts. As it defileth the Soul and taketh away its beauty, and comeliness, as it rendereth the Soul guilty and obnoxious to the wrath of God: As it Spoileth the Souls peace, & causeth sour refle­ctions of conscience. As it hazardeth the Souls Salvation. As indeed it is the cause of that evil, all that evil that can befall a man, especially considering that every good Christian knoweth this, and in one degree or other hath felt it so as it needeth no more then its own former experience to confirm it, and can have no fruit, no pleasure, in those things for which it hath formerly so trembled, and of which it hath been, and is still ashamed. He that loves the Lord hateth evil, Psal. 97. 10. David hated the works of them that turned aside, Psal. 101. 3. Now whatsoever is the object of our hatred when it cometh near us, and we see a pro­bability of being surprized with it we naturally fear.

2. As to scandal: If it be given by any sinful action of ours, it is doubtless sin, and to be feared equally with any other sin, it being but the aggravation of a sinful act. The case is also the same, if it be caused through an ill use of our liberty, in a case where we have a perfect liberty, though the act be not in it self sinful, yet the circum­stance makes it so. The reason is, because in things of an indifferent nature we are tied up to general Rules, and are obliged to do that which shall be most, 1. For the glory of God. 2. For the good of others. 3. Which will give least offence to Jew or Gentile. Those golden Rules given us by the Apostle, in 1 Cor. 10. 31, 32, 33. There are three great Reasons why every good Christian will as much fear scandal, as any other more plain downright sinning.

1. The concern of the glory of God; that is an end we must aim at in all our actions, whether Natural, Moral, or Religious. The glory of God is as much prejudiced by the sin of another, as by my own [Page 631] sin; so that in all scandals the honour of God is wounded two waies; 1. By my own sin, who ought not so to have used the liber­ty which his Word left me. 2. By the others sinning occasioned by my sin. David's Eyes ran down with Rivers of water, because others did not keep the Law of God.

2. The concern of his Brothers Soul, which is destroyed by his sin. For thy meat (saith the Apostle) destroy not thy Brother, for whom Christ died. God makes it a mark of hatred of our Brother, not to reprove him, nor to suffer sin upon him; how much greater hatred must it speak in us to give him Exemplum malae rei aedificantes in ge­hennam (as Tertullian somewhere describes scandal) to set him an ex­ample contributing to his destruction. Love will not lay a stumbling block in the path of the blind. How can any man say, he loveth his Brother, that doth not not lay a stumbling block before his Brother, to make his body to stumble and fall, but to make his Soul to fall?

3. The concern of the peace and quietness of his own Soul is in it too. He that is of any tenderness of Conscience, will find no peace in the doing of any thing which reflecteth any dishonour upon God, or tendeth to destroy his Brother for whom Christ died.

Use 1. We may learn from hence, that the fear of sin and scandal, are no ill signs in any Souls in whom they are found. It is a noble [...]nd Divine temper to be afraid of sinning against God. The best of men in the Old Testament are ordinarily described under the notion of men fearing God. No man can fear God but the man that feareth sin; whether he feareth the Lord, and his power, and greatness, with a more servile fear, or feareth the Lord and his goodness, which is a more filial and ingenuous fear, one of the first fruits, or prime evi­dences of it, is a fear of sinning against God; and that man who feareth not sin, feareth not God. It is true, there may be an ex­cess of this fear, through our infirmity ignorance, and mistake; a man may have a timorated Conscience, and be sometimes afraid where no fear is, and this often happeneth in Persons under the power, and prevailing of Melancholy, which darkeneth a man's reason. In such a case it is rather the effect of a natural disease, than the genuine and proper motion of a reasonable Soul. A man also free from that distemper, through ignorance and infirmity may be afraid of actions as sinful, which indeed are not so; but this is an errour on the right hand. It is much better in this case to fear too much, than too little; to forbear many lawful actions for fear of sinning against God in them, when the weak Conscience is not fully [Page 632] satisfied, then to run on adventurously, when the Conscience doubteth. Let others despise and mock at Persons, as those that would be too precise and pure, that durst not do some actions as to which others make no difficulty; nay, it may be think them their duty. My Soul shall, I hope, alwaies reverence those in whom I discern an uniform fear of sin. If men indeed strain at Gnats, and swallow Camels; pretend a Conscience in some things, but regard not the dictates of it in other things, this is Hypocrisie; this is but a pretended fear. But if you see Christians in all their other waies strict and conscientious, taking heed to their waies, though I may think that in some things they fear too much, and scruple what I do not scruple, nor see any sin in, yet I hope I shall alwaies reve­rence such Persons. I may be mistaken as well as they, and who hath made me more infallible than they are? It is a noble temper to be afraid of sinning against God, and so consequently to be afraid of scandal, not only of doing acts that are openly sinful, but of do­ing such actions which we think we cannot do without grieving, offending, and making to stumble and fall those for whom Christ died. If Christ had such a value for Souls, as for the Redemption of them, to come down from Heaven to Earth, and to die upon the Cross, certainly they should not be so cheap in my sight; as for the good of them, I will not forbear the least thing which I may as well forbear as do. It is possible that Religious People may fear scandal too much: They may in some particulars be afraid of their duty, for fear of offending Brethren; they may lay too great a stress upon a scandal of grief: But these are very pardonable things in compari­son of mens neither fearing God nor men, and running on in cour­ses of actions, without regarding the offence of God or of men. Every good man will in your City be wary of leaving ladders in streets, or heaps of muck, or any pits uncovered, from whence Persons in the dark may receive any mischief, and this is but in conformity to the antient Law of God, which commanded the Jews to lay no stumbling blocks in the way of the blind: Have we charity for our neighbours Bodies, and have we none for their Souls? Are we ten­der of making them wound, or break a bodily limb, and have we no regard to the making them wound the honour and glory of God, and the peace of their own Souls, and to hazard their own eternal Salvation? If men had any drams of true Brotherly Love, they would at least forbear actions, as to which they have a perfect liberty, with which they know any number of f [...]ber Persons will [Page 633] be offended. This I speak as to things in which they have a perfect liberty. For what things I apprehend that I ought to do as my duty toward God, or to forbear upon that account, I can neither do the one, nor forbear the other, to avoid offending others, the reason is, because Charity (as we say) ought to begin at home; every man or woman is obliged in the first place to attend, and look after the Peace and eternal Salvation of his own Soul.

Obj. But you will say to me, What shall we do in cases where we are under the command of Superiours, to do things which yet we see we cannot do, but we shall give occasion of offence to Christians not so well satisfied as we are?

Sol. I told you before, that I apprehend this a very hard case. The Law of God obligeth me to obey my Superiours; it also com­mandeth me to give no offence, to lay no stumbling block before my Brother, and this Law concerneth Superiours as well as Inferiours. As I ought not to do any such actions which probably may give occa­sion to my Brother to sin; so no Superiours ought to command me to do any such things: Superiours therefore unquestionably sin, in making any such things the matters of their command. But admit they will not do their duty, still the question is, what is mine?

I do not think the command of a Superior in this case can take hold of my conscience, my reason is, because his command in this case is contrary to the command of God who hath commanded him as well as me to give no offence, to lay no stumbling block in the way of his Brother. If he sinneth in the matter of his command I cannot sin in withholding my active obedience, that is certain. But if he will not be sensible of his duty, nor only command, but command under penalties that I though originally at liberty must do the thing, or ruin my self and family, this much narroweth the case. Here now the question lyes: Whether in a matter, as to which I have originally a perfect liberty, and so judge but through the iniquity of a Superiors command, must either do or forbear this or that action or ruin my self and family: and on the other side, if I do do it, or do forbear it, I see I shall not only grieve my Brother, but cause him to sin probably, what is my duty? Whether ought the contingency of my Brothers stumbling, and sinning by my example, to rule me and cause me rather to chuse the loss of all. I must confess I do here a little hesitate. My reason is, because my Brothers fall is not necessi­tated by my action, he ought to live by rule not by example, to fol­low me no further then I follow Christ, to allow me to live by my [Page 634] own faith, while yet he lives and walks by his own faith. That may be lawful to me, which to him is not lawful because he doubteth, and cannot see with my eyes. Oh! how happy would the World be, if Superiors would only press things which they apprehend neces­sary by a divine Precept (I mean in relation to the things of God, for in civil things Superiours are more absolute Judges) and if in any thing they mistake and apprehend things such which indeed are not, they would be very tender (for that can be but in very few cases) and if private Persons, would learn not to judge others but in things where they see them act apertly, and plainly against the will of God, and not arrogate infallibility to themselves, and others would learn not to be too positive upon their own apprehensions, nor make others practice their rule, but to live by their own faith. But this is but a digression; I say, It is a good thing to fear sin, and to fear Scandal.

Use 2. I shall shut up this discourse with an Exhortation to Christians, to make sin, and Scandal the objects of their fear I shall not need to in­large much upon the first, it being the confessed duty of every one that owneth the name of a Christian, or any relation to Jesus Christ. He that feareth not what is plainly sinful feareth God in no sense, he neither feareth the Lord and his greatness, nor yet the Lord, and his goodness I shall only tell you that he who feareth sin, feareth the occasions, and appearances of it. But I shall rather press the exhorta­tion with reference to Scandal, calling upon you to take heed of any actions,

1. Which may draw out the lusts and corruptions, of other mens hearts to entertain any hard thoughts, or use any hard speeches con­cerning Profession, and Religion. Now these are in the first place, 1. All actions that are openly sinful; this was that which stuck to David, when he had committed those two great sins of Adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah, and God had declared his pardoning him these sins, nevertheless saith he, because thou hast made the Enemies of God to Blaspheme, the Child shall dye, the Sword shall never depart from thy house. The honour and glory of God is a tender thing, and it is a dreadful thing for Christians to give a cause for the name of God to be evilly spoken of.

2. But 2dly good Christians are not only concerned to take heed of such actions, as are acts of plain impiety and unrighteousness. But of such behaviour, and such acts, as should make Religion and religious Persons appear unlovely, to the World; let me instance in three or four things.

[Page 635] 1. Take heed either of an over sad, and pensive, or of an over light, and chearful behaviour. The sober and serious Christian, that knoweth his times to laugh, and times to weep, and decent measures to be observed in both, is the only man that honoureth Religion. He that walks covered, by the flocks of Christs companions, covered as a mourner, or covered as if he were not married to Christ, or covered as an harlot, whose face is always full of shame and his Eyes always full of tears, doth not honour Religion; let a Christian betwixt God and his Soul alone, cover himself with as much shame as he will, and let his Eyes run down with tears in his closet, but take heed of dishonouring Profession by a continual drooping, and sadness. That Christian that is over merry, and jolly offends on the other hand, and as much Scandalizeth Profession. Canst thou be mer­ry, canst thou play foolish Soul who sinnedst to day? (saith our English Poet) we sin too much to be over frolick. Both these extreams are to be avoided.

2. Take heed of a rash tongue. I know none more Scandalize Religion and Godliness, than such whose Tongues must be al­waies running, and who give themselves a liberty to say, Quid­libet de quolibet, any thing of any Persons, who say, report and we will report it. Hence James accounts the Government of the tongue to the perfection of Religion. The tongue is a little member, saith James, Jam. 2. 5 but it kindleth great fires, it is a World of iniquity, an unruly evil, full of deadly Poison; I know nothing by which Religion is more Scandalized, then by the ungoverned ton­gues of Professors.

3. Take heed of being busie bodies in other mens matters. They who must have an Oar in every Boat, besides that they never row their own Boat well, shall be sure to have every body quarrelling with them. You shall observe that the Scripture never gives a busie bo­dy a good character. He reckons them as Persons that walk disor­derly, 2 Thes. 3. 11. He joyneth them with idle Persons, 2 Tim. 5. 13. He commands men to take heed of suffering upon this score, 1 Pet. 4. 15.

3. And lastly; Good Christians ought to take heed of those actions or carriages, which although themselves judge lawful, (and possibly they are so) yet are generally offensive to Christians, and the most serious Christians, especially in those Churches and places in which God hath cast their lot. All see not with the same Eyes, and we ought to have regard to the Souls of others, and to a Peace with others. [Page 636] Hence some things may be lawful for us in one place, and under some circumstances, which are unlawful in other places, and under other circumstances. Now such things may either concern Religious duties, as to the Acts of which, though all be agreed, yet they may not as to circumstances. Where thou hast a perfect Liberty, it is thy duty to forbear such circumstances, as, though thou thinkest lawful, yet thou feest will be grievous aad offensive to others. 2. As to our Civil behaviour in matters of habits and dresses. It may be thou thinkest the things in themselves lawful, others think them unlaw­ful. Why shouldst thou walk like one covered by the flock of Christ's Companions? Why shouldest thou for an indifferent thing, bring thy self under the hard thoughts of any number of serious Chri­stians. The things themselves in thy apprehension are lawful, and it is also lawful for thee to decline them; why shouldest thou not chuse the less offensive part? You may learn from 1 Cor. 11. that Christians in such things as these are to have a great respect to the common guise and custom of places, and especially to the common guise and custom to such as themselves in those places. God forbad the Jews the very habits of Heathens. I believe good Christians as much prohibited the habits of prophane Persons, so far as they are distinct from those of the generality of sober Christians: So in mat­ters of Pastime and Recreation: For Games depending upon meer Lot and Chance. What though Judicious Divines do not all determine them unlawful, yet some do, others, and many conscientious Chri­stians, doubt concerning them; possibly thou dost not; if thou doubt­est, thou art bound to forbear them, to take the safer part; but ad­mit thou dost not doubt, yet in places where any considerable num­ber of conscientious Christians doubt, thou art bound to forbear; why should thy Liberty be condemned by other mens Consciences? Why shouldest thou walk covered by the flocks of Christ's Com­panions? I shall shut up this Discourse with the words of the Apostle, Phil. 4. 8. Finally Brethren, Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Sermon XLIV.

Cant. 1. 8.
If thou knowest not (O thou fairest amongst Women) Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flock, and feed thy Kidds besides the Shepherds Tents.

I Have done with the Spouse's Petition, and am come to her Be­loved's Answer. In which I have observed three things.

1. A friendly Compellation; O thou fairest amongst Women!

2. A Supposition that she might be ignorant of some things rela­ting to communion with him— If thou knowest not.

3. A Direction in this case: Go thy way by the footsteps of the Flocks, &c. Hence three Propositions are obvious.

Prop. 1. That of all Souls, the truly believing Soul is the most beautiful Soul in the Eyes of Christ.

Prop. 2. That the beauty of this Soul is not perfect. This Soul may be in some things ignorant, and at a loss how to main­tain communion with God at some times.

Prop. 3. That the surest way for a gracious Soul to get a perfect Instruction in those things which concern its spiritual good, and to keep and enjoy its communion with Christ, is to feed it self by the Tents of his Shepherds, and to live according to the Precepts of his Word, and the Examples of his Church there recorded.

I shall begin with the first.

Prop. 1. That of all Souls, the Believer is the most beautiful Soul in the Eyes of Christ.

I will inquire a little into the Nature of the Believing Soul's Beauty: Then I shall give you some Reasons of it; and lastly, Make some Application.

1. It is not a corporeal visible Beauty, but spiritual and invisible. When we speak of Beauty, we ordinarily understand a symmetry of bodily parts, with a due mixture of the colours of flesh and blood [Page 638] commending it self to the carnal Eye. This is that of which Solomon saith, Favour is deceitful; Beauty is vain, but none I hope will have so gross a conception of the Soul's Beauty in the Eyes of Christ, who seeth not as man seeth, and judgeth not from any outward appea­rance. The King's Daughter is all glorious within, Psal. 45. 13. This Beauty lieth in the Soul's symmetry to, and with the Divine Law, in a due proportion of virtues and gracious habits in the Soul's con­formity to God the pattern of Perfection. The Heathens, by the Light of Nature, could see that the inward Beauty was the true Beauty. It is reported of Diogenes, that meeting with a young man who was exceeding comely, but very vitious, he cried out, O quam bona domus, & malus hospes! What a brave house is here, and how bad an inhabitant it hath! It is what may be said of a great many comely men and women in the world: O what brave houses hath the God of Nature made, but what ill Tenants hath the Devil thrust into them? Within there dwells nothing but Pride, Igno­rance, Lust Vanity, and other Inmates of corruption. Our Saviour hath fitted them with a name, they are Painted Sepulchres. The Spouse's Beauty is spiritual, her Ornaments are the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible (as the Apostle speaketh,) 1 Pet. 3. 4. And as corporeal Beauty lieth in the due proportion of the parts of the body one to another, yet this alone will not make a Beauty, without a due proportion of colours, and a good Air of the countenance: So this Spiritual Beauty lieth in the proportion of the Soul and its several powers and faculties to the Divine Rule, its Symmetry with the Divine Nature; yet this will not do without the grace of Justification, that grace which doth gratum facere, render the Soul acceptable in the sight of God. Hence this Beauty is not obvious to our senses. The World (saith the Apostle) knoweth us not. It is a Spiritual Beauty, so as flesh and blood discerneth it not; where­as we see things by the Eye of Sense, Reason or Revelation. Corpo­real Beauty is discerned by a carnal Eye; the object beareth a due proportion to the Organ: Yea, there is an inward Beauty, which even the Eye of a natural man may discern; it lieth in the propor­tion which the mind of the man or woman beareth to the Rule of Virtue, and the Principles of Reason. Thus a man may see more Beauty and Loveliness in one that is Learned and knowing, than in one that is ignorant; in one that is just, chast, sober, temperate, than in a beastly Drunkard, a sottish unclean Adulterer, an unjust and un­righteous man, &c. But the Beauty of a Child of God lieth deeper, [Page 639] and more remote from a carnal mans apprehension, in the Souls Symmetry with the pure, and holy nature of God. the proporti­ons of his Soul to the pattern of a disciple of Christ as his linea­ments are drawn in holy Writ. This the natural Eye seeth not, the Spiritual man alone discerneth, nor doth he at all times dis­cern it in ano ther, Eli could not see Hannahs beauty, but thought it had been only a little colour which too much wine had brought into her face. The Subject of this beauty is the heart, Christ seeth, and knoweth that hence, though a Child of God doth appear fair to his Brother, yet to Christ more fair, even the fairest amongst Women.

2. Secondly, It is not a Native but an adventitious beauty, you (saith the Apostle) hath he quickened who were dead in tres­passes and sins. Eph. 2. 1. Children of wrath by nature even as o­thers, v. 3. By nature there is none righteous, no not one, none that understandeth, nor seeketh after God, the Philosopher spake like a Philosopher when he determined the Soul to be naturally as white Paper or tabula rasa. The Divine must speak otherwise there is in man a want justitiae debitae inesse, a want of that image of God in which lies the Souls beauty; He was created in hon­our, but he is become like the Beast that perisheth, he hath lost the image of the heavenly, Behold (saith David, Psal. 51.) I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother bring me forth. What can be clean (saith Job) that is born of a Woman? Or how can that which is clean come forth from that which is unclean. The vitious inclinations of Children is matter of demonstration, till they be in some measure corrected, by the precepts and in­structions, and government of those that are set over them, and by moral discipline, which yet doth not cultivate and a­dorn them sufficiently to render them beautiful in the Eyes of Christ.

3. Thirdly, it is not an Artificial but created beauty. The beauty of the Civil person, that either from the precepts or examples of his governours or his ingenuous education, hath imbibed Principles of Moral Discipline is indeed no native beauty, but it is an artificial beauty, as to which God hath had no hand but that of his common Providence, but the Spouse's beauty is a created beauty, wholly Gods work in the Soul, creating faith in it, uniting it to Christ, changing its heart, giving it new habits, new qualities, and inclinations. Thou were [Page 640] comely, saith God, Ezech. 16. 14. through my comeliness put upon thee. Corporteal beauty is the work of God in nature, and it is hardly in the power of man to contribute any thing towards that. The Painter dissembleth a beauty but giveth no real beauty; the Taylor dissembleth a Symmetry of parts but cannot give it. But Spiritual beauty is much more the gift of God, that is, a Gift of Special grace. Art may make a woman that is not beautiful appear so, but it cannot make one to be beautiful that is not so. Good works do little more to the Saints beauty in the Eyes of Christ then hansome cloaths, or linnen doth towards the beau­ty of the body. If the body be comely, and beautiful, han­some fashioned cloaths or linnen may indeed set it off, but if the body hath no true symmetry of parts, all that good cloaths do is to hide deformity, and to make the body that is not comely yet appear so unto others. If the Soul of a man or wo­man be truly beautiful through an imputed righteousness and in­herent grace, good works much set forth this beauty to the world, and are also acceptable unto God. But works only Mo­rally good, that is, such things as God hath commanded, can never make a Spiritual Ethiopian fair, nor the Soul that is natu­rally crooked, straight. The Romish Taylors, and Painters, labour in vain to make Souls beautiful by prescription of good works, not flowing from a true faith in Jesus Christ; indeed the truely beautiful Soul will maintain good works for necessary uses, and not be seen in any part of the world, or in any station in it, but clothed with them, the Kings Daughter though all glorious within, yet must have her garments also smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cassia, but these are not her onely beauty in the Eyes of her beloved, she still cries out, O Lord, my righteousness is all as a menstruous cloth, as an unclean thing. I am altogether in my self, as a filthy and unclean thing.

4. The beauty of the Child of God is not onely Adherent but also Inherent, Justification is his beauty, this I call adherent, he is in a state of favour with God, & hath a right to be called his Child. Regener at ion is his inherent beauty, and makes not onely a change in his state, but in his nature and temper. Justification maketh an alteration in the Souls state, and relation to God, before that it was an enemy, now a Child, it cannot be properly said to be any thing inherent in us, rather adherent to us, without it the Soul cannot be comely in the Eyes of Christ; those who in Johns [Page 641] vision were seen clothed in white, were such as were washed in the blood of the lamb. Let the Vertues of mens Souls be never so e­minent, their actions never so splendid, yet while they are not justified, they cannot be fair in the Eyes of Christ, who judgeth not according to the outward appearance, but according to the heart. But yet this is not all the Spouse's beauty; In the same moment wherein by justifying the sinner, God maketh a change in his state, he also maketh a change in his heart; this cannot be alone, neither is it causative of the other. Those are wonderfully vain that charge us with asserting, that God can be pleased with an unholy Soul or that any such Soul is fair and lovely in the Eyes of that God, who is of purer Eyes, then that he can behold any iniquity. This is what Protestants do affirm; That God reckoneth the righteousness, or comeliness of Christ unto to the Soul, and so makes us comely, and in the same moment gives his Spirit to it, to renew & sanctifie it, and dwell in it, & that both these make up the Spiritual beauty & comeliness, but God doth not accept our Persons upon the latter, but upon the former account; yet we say, This conformity of the heart to the will of God wrought by regeneration, is a great part of the Souls com­liness. Thou hast (saith Christ) ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished mine heart with one of the Chains about thy neck, Cant. 4. 9. This we also further say, That al­though this inherent beauty, be not that for which Christ accep­teth the Person of a Child of God, yet God is well pleased with it, and it doth much increase Gods manifestative love towards a Person, John 14. 21.

5. Fifthly, The beauty of the Child of God is a desirable beau­ty desirable to God. Indeed all beauty is desirable; this is to God desirable. You must understand it safely. All desire in the crea­ture speaketh some want and indigences, in God it only speaks complacence, Psal. 45. 4. So shall the King desire thy beauty, the meaning is no more then be well pleased with thy Beauty. God is well pleased with their Souls and his will moveth toward them, and the enjoyment of them, not to fill up any vacuity or emptiness in himself, but to fill up their emptinesses with the sul­ness of himself who filleth all in all. Thus the Schoolmen say truly, That though the creature works, and moves to supply his own indigence, yet God never moveth nor worketh but to commu­nicate his own perfection and fulness.

[Page 642] 6. The beauty of the Child of God is a never fading beauty. Corporeal beauty is vain, age, sickness, contagious diseases, many accidents, either greatly abate, or destroy this. This Spiritual beauty, though it may abate, yet shall never sail; It is one of Gods gifts to the Soul which are without repentance, It is caused from the seed of God which abideth in the Soul. The appearance of it to the world may abate, but its beauty cannot wholly fail and perish. It is as the air of the Soul result­ing from its state of Justification, which altereth not, and from the infused habits of Regeneration which cannot dye.

7. Lastly, It is not apersect beauty. The adherent beauty of Gods People is perfect, the Soul that is justifyed from the guilt of one sin is justifyed from the guilt of all sins. God never for­gives in part (if we understand by forgiving, remitting the ob­ligation sin layeth us under to Eternal death.) But the inherent beauty of the Children of God is imperfect, we know in part, and love in part; sincerity is all we can glory in, all our perfection as to that. The habits of grace infused in Regenera­tion are capable of increase and augmentation, nor will any be perfect in them till he comes to dye: No nor then neither, for though the actings of some grace proportioned to our indi­gent mortal state will then cease (and so in that sense may be said to be perfected) yet Love and delight in God, habits of Grace which we shall carry with us into, and exercise in ano­ther world shall be made perfect there. But in the exercises of our habits of grace the best of Gods People are much more im­perfect, laying many a black parch upon a fair face, which the pure God seeth, and can distinguish from Beauty spots. Though for them he will not cast his people off.

Thus far I have shewed you the nature of the Spouses beauty. I shall now shew you whence it is, that such a Soul in the Eyes of Christ is the fairest amongst Women. This will appear but reasonable if we consider,

That their beauty is Christs workmanship. I told you before that it is not an artificial beauty, nor natural, but created and superinduced upon the Soul; The holy Scripture calls man Gods Generation, Acts 17. 29. and borroweth the expression from an Heathen Poet, [...] they saw that by the light of Nature. The Apostle tells us, Eph. 2. 10. That we are Gods workmanship created to good works, which God had before or­dained, [Page 643] that we should walk in them, God, had ordained it Christ wrought it. Whatsoever of good a Child of God hath in him it is all from God, he is begotten of God, John 1. 13. We are created by him to good works, and he worketh in us to will and do. Are we justified, and is that any part of our beauty? We are justifyed by his grace, washed in his blood. Except I wash you (saith Christ) you have no part in me. It is natural to us all to account any thing best, and fairest, to which our selves have contributed any thing as a cause. The Father and Mother value their own Child above any others: The man of art takes most delight in his own workmanship. God can do no­thing, but what is truly, and highly good, and he cannot but be most pleased in his own work.

2. Secondly, The beauty of the Child of God is Christs beauty, and lyeth in the Souls assimilation, or being made like unto Christ. Is he justifyed? It is by the imputation of his righteousness. Is he regenerated? It is through his Spirit and by his regeneration, the image of God, and Christ is renewed in him in Knowledge, righteousness and holiness, the like mind is in him that was in Christ. Likeness is the Mother of Love, and all Love floweth from some likeness or conceived likeness in the object beloved. Christ cannot but love that Soul that is made partaker of the Divine nature, & renewed according to his image, & made like unto himself. The believer was predestinated to be conform to the Image of the Son, & by Faith & Regeneration he is made con­form, renewed according to the image of God, (according to the Apostles phrase.) If Jacob knew his sons coat again, and the sight of it was enough to set the Fathers bowels on yerning, Christ will doubtless know his own robes, and cannot but account that Soul most beautiful, that is adorned with & dressed in them.

Use 1. This in the first place may serve to convince us of the truth of what John tells us, 1. John 5. 19. That the whole world lyeth in wickedness. For these Souls whom Christ judgeth and calleth the fairest amongst Women: The most lovely and beautiful Souls, are those who in the Eyes of the generality in the world are counted the most unlovely, despicable, and contemptible Persons in nature in so much that Godly men and women may take up the words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 4. 9. concerning him­self and those of his own order, 1 Cor. 4. 9. We think, that God hath set as forth as it were appointed unto death, for we are made [Page 644] a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christs sake, profane, leud men they are wise, we are weak, they are strong, they are honourable, we are despised; the People of God, in the present age, in all former ages are they who hunger, and thirst, who are naked and buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place, yet they labour, working with their hands, being reviled they bless, being persecuted they suffer it, being defamed they intreat, yet are they made as the filth of the world, as the off-scouring of all Nations even to this day. Thus it was under the Old Testament, the prophet complained in his time, Isa. 59. 15. That truth failed, and he who departed from evil made himself a prey, but he addeth, and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. It was so under the New Testament; who was more despised, and reject­ed of men then Christ? Who was more reviled, contemned, a­bused both in words and deeds then John the Baptist, Christ, and his blessed Apostles, and all the Primitive Christians? Christ foretold his disciples, that the world should hate them, that they should speak of them all manner of Evil, persecute them, turn them out of their Synagogues, &c. It is so in our times, if there be in any places Persons fearing God, and working righ­teousness, Persons that make a conscience of their waies, that fear an Oath, that durst not drink, and swear, and curse, and blaspheme the living God, as others do, that make conscience of their worshipping God, and are a little more strict and frequent in it then others are. These are the Persons against whom the world spits all their venom, against whom their hands are lifted up, men may meet together to drink, and re­vel, to hear leud and profane Songs, and Plays, but not to pray, not to consider and exhort one another to love, and to good works; what is this an Evidence of but that the world lyeth in wickedness? Christ judgeth pious Souls, the fairest Souls, these are they sor whom he died. Whom he calls his Sister, his Spouse, the fairest Souls in the creation; these are those Souls, whom the World sets up as marks to shoot all their in­venomed arrows, bitter words against, to offer all affronts, and indignities unto. Shall not the Lord visit for these things? Shall he not be avenged on such a generation? Shall a gallant in the World, draw his Sword upon the man that affronts his Para­mour, or Mistress, a wanton Woman that he hath espoused, or [Page 645] to whom his heart cleaveth, and shall the Lord bear these af­fronts, these injuries offered to Souls that are more precious in the Eyes of their Lord then all the world is beside? Hear what the Lord said by his prophet as to that antient People of his, Isa. 43. 2, 3. I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Saviour, I gave Egypt for thy ransom: Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wert pretious in my sight thou hast been honour­able, and I have loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee, and People for thy life. Was this spoken for the Jews only think we, or did this concern the profane part of the Jews, or those only that feared the Lord, walked in his commandments, and worshiped him in Spirit and in truth? That it was not to be un­derstood with reference to or upon the account of the leud, and profane part of the Jewish Nation is evident, by Gods declar­ed detestation of them by the same prophet, and by others of his Prophets. If it were spoken with reference to such as fear­ed God, and walked in his commandments, and kept close to the rule of Worship which he had given them, it holds good still to all Souls that fall under that Character. They are preci­ous in Gods fight, honourable, he hath loved them, the holy one of Israel is their Saviour, and the worlds hatred of them, profane mens reviling, contemning, abusing them, is but a con­tinued Evidence, that the world knoweth them not, and speaketh evil of, and doth evil to things and Persons they know not: Or that it lieth in wickedness, in a vile and wicked Error of judg­ment, judging those vile, and base, whom God judgeth precious and honourable, and those worthy of hatred, whom he loveth, & though the Lord may for a time suffer his good & righteous Servants to be thus reviled, thus treated, thus abused, by leud and ungodly men, for the trial of their faith, and for the exercise of their patience, and that some of the blood of his Saints may be poured into the cup of wicked mens sins, that the cup of their iniquities may be full, and they may fill up their measures of sinning, That upon them may come all the righteous blood of his People, which hath been shed, yet be assured, the Lord will not suffer it alwaies, but awake as one out of sleep, & plead the cause of his People, and give Egypt for their ransom and Ethiopia and Seba, and they will find at last, that God will give men for them, and People for their lives. Possibly some will say to us, but how shall we know these whom Christ calls [Page 646] the fairest amongst women, if we knew them, we should give a a due respect to them. It is true the Apostle saith, The world knoweth us not. Nor can they perfectly know them, for the Kings Daughter is glorious within, saith the Psalmist. But yet our Saviour tells you, Math. 7. 16. By their fruits you shall know them, do men gather grapes of Thorns; or Figs of Thistles? even so every good tree, bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Will you know what is good fruit? see Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spi­rit, is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against these there is no law; No law of God. Add to this, Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision, which Worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh; these are the true Jews, that are such inwardly, in the heart, and in the Spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. See you therefore any man, or woman, or any party of men and women in the World, who disclaiming any confidence in the flesh, any priviledges of birth, or Church-state, or the merits of any works they have done, or can do, place their hope for Salvation in Jesus Christ alone, trust in him, rejoyce in him and Worship God in the Spirit, (tho it may be not with those external rites, and Ceremonies that you do, nor under the same circumstances, yet) heartily Worship God, according to the rules which God hath given them, that Love God, and have a love to all men, though more especially to those that fear God, and desire to live in Peace (as much as in them lyes) with all men, that are gentle and meek, not giving way to rude, and boi­sterous Passions, that are good in their behaviours, temperate, no drunkards, no unclean Persons, but squaring their lives by the rule of reason, because it is also the law of God. Let me tell you, that against these there is no law. No law of God, which is the regula re­gulans the rule by which all the rules, and laws of men must be guided, or they are nullities and no rules at all. These are those whom that God, whom you own as your Creator, and the great Lord of Heaven and Earth, that Christ, whom you call your Re­deemer, your Saviour, and who most certainly shall be your Judge, and give unto you at the last according to what you have done in the flesh, calls the fairest amongst women, the most beautiful and lovely Souls in the whole creation, judge you, whether you ought not so also to call, so to account them, so to deal with them. These are the best men and women in your Cities, Parishes, &c. Take [...]reed of using hard Speeches concerning them, God will for them [Page 647] execute Judgment as well as for ungodly deeds, much more take heed of any hard actions against them; he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of Gods Eye, Zech. 2. 8. Deut. 32. 10. They have pray­ed with David, Psal. 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine Eye. God hath said concerning them, Zech. 2. 8. He that toucheth them touch­eth the apple of his Eye. Be wise now therefore O ye Princes, be in­structed, O you men of the Earth, whether great or small, be assu­red Christ will revenge his Spouses quarrels, even the quarrels of all those whom he judgeth the fairest amongst women. Let none think to cover their malice against Religion, and Godliness, under preten­ces of executing humane Laws; the Apostle saith against such is no law, no law that will be justified by the law of God, no law that will justify either the lawgivers in making it, or the Executors in execution of it, 1 Tim 1. 9. The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless, and disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sin­ners, for unholy, and profane, for Murderers of Fathers, and Murderers of Mothers, for Whoremongers, for those who defile themselves with mankind, for Man-Stealers, for Lyars, for perjured Persons, and other things contrary to sound Doctrine. The law [that is, the law of God] [is not made for them] that is, to punish, afflict, torment them, it is made for them to live according to the rule of it. It is made to pro­tect them. For rulers are not a terror to good works but the evil, Rom. 13. 3. And all Magistrats ought to be Ministers of God to Christi­ans for good, Rom. 13. 4. Now all humane laws must be either in affirmance of the law of God, and to force that, or in civil things left to their power, as they shall judge to be most for the publick Peace, or necessary to uphold Nations, and Polities. O therefore take heed what you do, lest you be found fighters against God. Much less let any think to cover their malice with pretences, that the Persons they run upon with such a rage are hypocrites. Hypocrisy can be but in the heart when there is no contradiction in the conver­sation, that man is no judge of. But is it not possible to reconcile (at least) some part of the men of the World to those to whom the Lord Jesus Christ hath given such a Character? Is he not a better Judge then men are? Will you make your selves believe for a cloak for your rage) that these men are not what they pretend to be? I would ask you but one question, are they not more righteous then you? Are they not more in reading the Word, Hearing, Prayer, Fasting, and are not these things duties commanded in that Word, which you own to be your rule, and to be holy, just and good? are [Page 648] they not stricter in the observation of Sabbaths? (Which is so great a piece of Religion that the Prophet expresseth a great part of it, under that notion, Isa. 56. 4, 6.) Into their hearts you cannot look, but their Words are audible, do not they fear an Oath more? Do they swear and curse, and Blaspheme like you or many others? do they exceed Heathens, Dii omnes deae (que) te perdant; by their Dam­mees, do they rail and revile, and lye like other men? Do they drink, and whore, steal and murder, gripe and oppress? is not the contrary to this the beauty of a Soul in the Eye of humane reason? You have therefore no reason to judge them none of those whom Christ calls the fairest amongst women, you must own they are fairer then you, or any of your converse, and stamp. You must find some in the World that are better then your selves, or they must be the most comely and beautiful Souls. Sirs I beseech you consider, how much it becometh a man as a man to judge according to truth? And what can be a better standard then the judgment of Christ. O let not the People of God be vile in your Eyes who are so highly esteem­ed by him who is your Lord and Master, and by whom you pre­tend to hope to be saved. But to shut up this discourse; You that will not conform your judgment to the Judgment of Christ concern­ing such People, and behave your selves towards them according­ly, shall certainly be forced to submit to his Judgment spoken of, Jude 14. and 15.

2d Branch. I would willingly improve this notion a little fur­ther, not onely to reconcile, your judgments to the judgment of Christ concerning the People of God, but to reconcile you also to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the ways of God, The effecting of the former, (if I could do it) though it might produce some more quiet and peace in the World and reduce men to the rule of rea­son, yet as to your own Souls (if that be all) all the effect it would have would be to save you from a deeper place in Hell. It is not a good opinion of Gods People, or a peaceable or kind behaviour to them, will bring any man to Heaven. I could wish that all who hear me this day (to use Saint Paul's words to Agrippa) were as the People of God are, (excepting that reproach and obloquy which they suffer, those bonds, and imprisonments to which they are ex­posed) that they also would come into the number of those whom the Lord judgeth the best Souls in the World, the fairest amongst women.

1. Is it nothing to you to come into this reputation? Leud, profane, de­baucht [Page 649] Persons, let their quality in the World be what it will, in Scripture come under the notions of Children of Belial, Vain Persons. What an object of desire doth corporeal beauty appear to the World? What will not a vain woman do to get it, to preserve it, to dissem­ble it, what time, what mony she spends to set it out? What care she takes, if as to it she be under any defects, to hide them, to cor­rect them, &c. Quantum est in rebus inane? All this it may be is spent in painting a Sepulcher, a rotten post. Possibly look into this Mas­querade, there's nothing but what is rational filthiness, and deformi­ty. An understanding void of any valuable knowledge. A Perverse and stubborn will against what is rationally good, beastly affections, her Soul it may be is full of lasciviousness, Pride, Malice, Envy: All unlovely things, Turbulent Passions. Is Spiritual beauty worth no­thing? Shall Heathens judge a Soul that is knowing, subdued to the rule of reason, chast, good, just, sober, meek, modest, beautiful, and worth a thousand Souls otherwise disposed, and qualified; and shall Christians judge otherwise? shall they think Soul-beauty not valuable? Or shall they not judge it worth any thing, to be comely with Christs comeliness, and in the Eyes of an all seeing, heart searching God, to be without spot or wrinkle; consider Sirs, how much this is beneath the name or profession of Christians, how we are condemned by wanton gallants desiring corporeal beauty, and Heathens, valuing the rational beauty of the mind which commends it self to all rational minds before they be debauched.

2. Consider what it is to have the King of Kings to desire, and to predicate our beauty, Psal. 45. 11. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. The King, this King is God whose throne is for ever, and ever, and whose Scepter is a righteous Scepter, v. 6. Beauty is in it self attractive but who is there that will not covet a beauty, that a King should desire? But what are all the Kings of the Earth, com­pared with him who is the King of glory? So shall the King (saith the Psalmist desire thy beauty: How great a thing is this for the great God to have a desire to the Sons of men and a delight in them? And further for this King to predicate our beauty, as the Lord doth in the Text, and did concerning Job, Job 2. v. 3. And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my Servant Job, that there is none like him in all the Earth, a perfect, and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil, and still he holdeth fast his integrity, though thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause. For this great King to desire a Souls beauty, signifieth to be [Page 650] the Spouse of Christ, to be in favour with God in this life, and it promiseth an eternal communion with God in glory, in the life which is to come, when the Marriage of the Lamb shall be consum­mate, and the Bride the Lambs Wife, shal follow him wheresoever he goes.

3. Lastly consider, The consequent of not being of the number of those, whom Christ here calleth the fairest amongst Women. Amongst men their is a medium betwixt mens looking upon a wo­man as the fairest, and such a one whose beauty they desire; and being abominable, and odious in their Eyes. But as to Christ there is no medium betwixt these two. The unbelieving and the abominable are put together, Rev. 21. 8. A man may not love a woman so well as to make her his Wife, and yet have a kindness for her, not hate, and abhor her. The case is not so betwixt God, and the Soul. He or she whose beauty the Lord doth not desire, is by God hated and abhorred, that Soul is abominable in his fight. The abominable, Rev. 21. 8. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the Second death. These arguments are enough to those who believe there is an Heaven, and an Hell, who believe there is a God, and a Christ and that all mankind are under the favour, or disfavour of this great and terrible God. To persuade them to get into the number of these whom God judgeth the fairest amongst women. Will any say to me but what can we contribute to­wards it? Love is a free thing. It is true Love is free, and the Love of none amongst the creatures is or can be so free as the Love of God who is the freest Agent; but yet hearken to the direction of the Psalmist who doubtless is an infallible guide in this matter, Psal. 45. v. 10. Hearken O Daughter, and consider, and incline thine Ear: for­get also thine own People and thy Fathers house. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. What is our Fathers house, but the house of old Adam? What are our own People, but our own sinful courses? our old sinful company? How shall we forget them but by hearkening to the Counsels of God, considering our state and conditi­on what we are? Whither we are hastening, what will become of us in the latter end? Giving and inclining our Ears, to what? To the reproofs, corrections, admonitions, instructions, of Gods Word, to the knockings and motions of his blessed Spirit, so shall the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, desire and greatly desire your beauty. To those who what ever they are called, and go for in the World, are Atheists in heart, and believe nothing which [Page 651] the Scripture saith of Heaven, or Hell, and a World to come, no­thing of God, or Christ, nothing that I or any other can say will be enough God, must persuade Japhet to come & dwell in the tents of Sem.

3d Branch. I shall shut up this discourse with two or three Words of Exhortation to such as this blessed Bridegroom dignifieth with this honourable compellation of the fairest amongst women.

1. First let every such Soul be in some measure reconciled to itself. There is a great difference betwixt Christs apprehension of many a pious Soul, and its own apprehension of it self. There is none so high in the Eyes of Christ, none oft times so low in its own Eyes, as the believing Soul is. Paul calls himself the greatest of sinners, and the least of Saints. David calls himself a worm, and no man, Psal. 22. Yea and I shall by and by shew you that low and mean apprehensi­ons of our selves are a great part of our duty, much of our beauty. Yet there may be an extream in these apprehensions. If these appre­hensions hinder our faith in Christ, our chearfull and comfortable walk­ing before God, our chearful looking up to God and calling him Father, and coming with boldness to the throne of grace, they are so far from a Christians duty, that they are his sinful failings. It is too ordinary amongst Christians, to take so much shame to them­selves that they know not how to give glory to God, the glory of their being what they are (to use Saint Pauls phrase.) Thou hast Christian, many failings and infirmities, thou seest much naughtiness, and corruption in thine heart. What then? though thou beest not the fairest amongst the glorious Angels and glorified Saints; Yet thou mayest be one of the fairest amongst women, the glorified Saints have no spot, in their garments, no ill lineaments in their faces, thou hast some, but so have all that are on this side of the blessed mansi­ons. Thy spots may be no more then the spots of Gods Children and if they be not thou mayest be one of the fairest amongst women.

2. Let every believing Soul learn hence to be humble. That they are the fairest, some of the fairest amongst Souls yet on this side Heaven, this indeed is matter of glorying, and rejoicing. But then to consider, that this is not their native complexion, but an adventitious beauty, that it is not an artificial but a created beauty. This though it doth not take away all glorying, all boasting from them, yet it rest [...]ineth them in their boasting and glorying to make their boast, and to glory onely in the Lord, if they look to the rock out of which they were hewed, to the hole of the Pit from which they were dig­ged, they will find they derived not their beauty from thence, they [Page 652] were in the quarry as unlovely rude stones as any others; it is the Lord that hath hewed them out, that hath polished them and of grace hath superinduced that beauty upon them wherein they glory, and if they have received their beauty they have no reason to glory as if they had not received it. I say he that considereth this, and that now at the best he is not without spots, his beauty is not perfect, at least that part of his beauty which is inherent in him is not perfect, this will shew a thinking. Christian eternal cause to walk softly towards men, and humbly as well as thankfully toward God. Grace leaves no room for, giveth no advantage unto pride; hence though a believer most excelleth all other Souls, yet he ordinarily least excelleth them in his own apprehensions.

3. Let this engage every believer to high admiring thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ in this Text calls his Spouse the fairest a­mongst women; you will find she requiteth him, Chap. 5. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest amongst ten thousand. And certainly we have all the reason imaginable constraining us to this admiration of Christ, we were by birth Ethiopians, Our Father was a Syrian, consider us in our selves, as separate from Christs comeli­ness put upon us. We are altogether black, he is all glory, all beauty, altogether desires (as the Spouse expresseth it) Christ is to be admired of all them that believe, we should never think of Christ, but with admiring thoughts, never solemnly discourse of him but in forms of admiration. If Christ can see so much beauty in us who are poor creatures, poor worms of the Earth, who have no beauty but what he hath put upon us, and into us, certainly we must be very blind if we can see no beauty, no loveliness, nothing to be desired in him, who is the bright Image of his Fathers glory, and the express Image of his Person, whom all the Angels, adore, and ad­mire, and in whom the Soul of the everlasting Father resteth, and is well pleased, and who is his great delight.

4. Lastly, Hath Christ stiled the believing Soul the fairest amongst women? How do all such Souls stand concern'd to preserve their beauty? Your beauty is your holiness, the favour of God, your acceptable­ness to him and his love towards you. The state of Justification in­deed cannot be lost, the seed of God doth, and shall abide in the Soul. But yet your luster may be lost, his manifestative love to you may be withdrawn, your honour in the World may be lost. You may walk like one covered, besides the flocks of those who are the companions of Christ. Is the vain woman so curiously careful to [Page 653] preserve her beauty, that she will spare any time, any mony for it? will she avoid any thing that may be a stain in it? How shall she rise up in Judgment against the loose careless, and negligent Christi­an, that doth not through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, that doth not wash himself continually in the tears of repentance and beg the daily imputation of Christs righteousness to cover his new appearing nakedness? That in his converse with the World, doth not set a strict watch over his heart, at the doors of his lips upon all his converse with men, left he should receive any impression from the dirty World, in which he lives, which may be a blot upon his beauty, in the Eyes of an holy God or in the Eyes of holy men. But I have spoken enough to this Proposition raised from the compella­tion, O thou fairest amongst women.

Sermon XLV.

Cant. 1. 8.
If thou knowest not (O thou fairest amongst Women) Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flock, and feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents.

MY business in my last exercise was to shew you the nature of her beauty, whom the blessed lover here calls the fai­rest amongst Women. I shall at this time shew you a Spot in her beauty from the Supposition in the Text, If thou knowest not. It is true that Suppositions neither in holy Writ, nor in our Idiom, do not alwaies contain positions of undoubted truth. Sometimes things that are impossible, or absurd, and false, are supposed in order to the forming of a true conclusion. But in the Text it is certain that it doth. Our Lord in saying If thou knowest not, Supposeth, that the Spouse might not know, and therefore he di­recteth her in the latter part of the Text. It is certain, that the term know in Scripture doth not alwaies signify the comprehend­ing the thing spoken of in our understanding, it some­times [Page 654] signifieth to approve, sometimes, to attend to what we know, sometimes to Experience. I take here the first and most natural signification of the term to be the Sense. If If thou knowest not, that is, if thou beest ignorant. If thou beest at a loss. At a loss for what? I told you that to perfect the Sense we must supply something from the foregoing verse from the matter of the Spouses Petition. She had desired him to tell her where he fed his flock, where he made them to rest at noon. Where she might have the best, freest, and least interrupted fellowship and communion with him, especially in a time of great distress, and affliction. To this he answereth, O thou fai­rest amongst Women? If thou knowest not (that is) if thou know­est not where I feed my flocks, nor where I make them to rest at noon. Go thy way, &c. The words might lead me to a more ge­neral discourse of the imperfection of a believers state in this life, Or to a more particular discourse concerning those grains of ignorance which may be allowed a gracious Soul. But as the first is too general, so the latter is too hard a task until the world, be better agreed then it yet is, about the number of fundamental truths, necessary to be known, and believ­ed in order to Eternal life, and Salvation. Besides I think my Text considered as an answer to the preceding petition, guides me to another thing. The Spouses request was, to be instructed how she might enjoy, a full and free communion with her Lord especially in a time of trial and distress with reference to this pe­tition; her Lord answereth her, If thou knowest not; Supposing she might as to this at some times be ignorant, and at a loss; The Proposition is plain:

Prop. That even the best of Gods People (the fairest amongst Women) may sometimes be at a great loss where, and how to maintain their desired communion with Christ.

I shall open the Proposition in three conclusions. Then confirm and apply it.

1. The Souls communion with Christ lyes in their reciprocal communications of themselves each to other. All communion is made up of a mutual communication of two or more Persons. I have discoursed the nature of communion largely in some of my former discourses and therefore shall say little of it now. Onely I say all communion lyes in a mutual and reciprocal communication. Thus two friends have communion each [Page 655] with other by frequent meetings together, mutual discourses, and communications of the Secrets of each others hearts, one to another. The Subjects in this communion are Souls clothed with bodies, and their communion is bodily. But now the Soul con­sidered with Christ, as its correlate in this communion, are Spi­rits, and their communion is more Spiritual. The Soul perform­eth its part in it by the secret exercise of the powers God hath given it upon Christ as the object. By Spiritual Meditations, the exercise of faith, love, hope, desire, joy and delight, &c. By giving up its will to his will, assenting to what he dictateth in his word, consenting to what he there commandeth, &c. Christ communicates himself to the Soul by the secret influences of his Spirit, opening and inlightening the understanding, bow­ing, and inclining the will, influencing the affections, convincing, strengthening, quickening, comforting the Soul. Indeed there is a more external communion with God, but separated from this it signifieth nothing to the Souls advantage; so we are said to have communion with God, in reading, and hearing his word, praying, receiving the Sacraments, the Soul hath in these no further fellowship & communion with God, then it in them exerciseth these more inward powers in more external acts by the advan­tage of the bodily members; so far as it poureth out itself to God, in prayer by the words of the lips, or opens its heart to God in hearing the word, receiveth it with faith and love, and meekness, &c. So far and no further, hath the Soul in these du­ties any communion with God. Nor doth God communicate himself to the Soul that is not made to believe and obey what it heareth further then to let it know his will with the advan­tage of such arguments as his Ministers are inabled to use by vertue of those gifts which he hath given them to fit them for their ministration.

2. There can be no union between Christ, and that Soul, with whom Christ hath not a constant communion, communion is the Daugh­ter of union, according to the nature of the union. Wherever communion wholly ceaseth, the union is dissolved. Indeed where the communion is voluntary (not from a natural cause) there may be great differences in the degrees of it, but wholly inter­rupted it cannot be; hence God and Christ have a constant com­munion with the believing Soul, this is by the Spirit of God given to them, and dwelling, and working in them, and the [Page 656] seed of God abiding in them. Our union with Christ is preserved by the same means by which it was at first made, which was by Gods first communication of his power and goodness to the Soul, and the Souls communication of itself by faith to him. Thus the Ʋnion was first made between God, and the Soul, thus it is, and must be maintained, and upheld. The reason why we say the Soul once in a state of grace cannot fall from it, either fi­nally, or totally, is not from the ability, and certainty of their own wills, however renewed, and sanctified, but from the more constant, and certain influences of the Spirit of Grace, which is given to the Soul, dwelleth in it, and worketh in it; Christ hath not only promised to come to them that love him, and keep his Commandments, but to make his abode with him, hence the union between Christ, & the Soul, is not only compared to the moral union between the Husband and Wife, Eph. 5. 30. but to the natural union between the Vine and the Branches, John 15. 1. betwixt which (while they remain united) there is a constant communication, and in very deed did not the Soul of a believer daily receive divine influences and communications, it must wi­ther, and die as naturally, as the Branch doth, when the union is broken betwixt it and the Vine, and this our Saviour teacheth us, John 15. 4. As the Branch cannot bring forth fruit, unless it abideth in the Vine, so no more can you, except you abide in me.

3. Although the Souls communion with Christ can never be whol­ly interrupted, and broken, yet it may be more of less, and sometimes indiscerned by the Soul. I say it may be more or less. God may more, or less communicate himself to the Soul, as to his influen­ces of strengthening, quickning, comforting grace, and the Soul that moveth from these principles, may be able, more or less to communicate itself to God in the exercises of meditation, faith, joy, and delight in God. Nay, sometimes Gods influences may be so secret, and indiscernable, that the Soul may cry out as one forsaken of God, and a stranger to him. This hath so plentiful an evidence in Holy Writ, as the truth of it cannot be disputed. We find David, Psal. 22. 1. crying out, My God! my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring, and the Psalmist, Psal. 77 3. I re­membred God, and was troubled. v. 4.—I am so troubled, that I cannot speak. v. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his pro­mise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath [Page 657] he in anger shut up his tender mercies? There are many instances of this nature in the Psalms, we have an instance in this Song, Cant. 5. 1, 2. By night upon my Bed, I sought him whom my Soul loveth, I sought him, but I found him not. v. 2. I will rise now, and go about the City, in the streets, and in the broad places, I will seek him whom my Soul loveth, I sought him, but I found him not. v. 3. The Watchmen that go about the City, found me, to whom I said, saw ye him whom my Soul loveth. So Cant. 5. 5. I rose up to open to my Beloved, and my Hands dropped with Myrrh, and my Fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the lock, I opened to my Beloved, but he had withdrawn himself, and was gone, my Soul failed when he spake, I sought him, but I could not find him, I called him, but he gave me no answer. What do all these meta­phorical expressions purport? but this, that there are times when the Soul finds a difficulty to maintain, or discern its communion with God.

Sometimes God doth not as at other times breath upon, & com­municate himself to the Souls, even of the best of his people, the faileur seemeth to be on Gods part, for some just cause, the Soul findeth some freedom to impart, and communicate its self to God, but findeth not Gods assistances, influences, and com­munications of himself to it, as it desireth, and as it hath expe­rienced from God at other times; this looks like the case of the Spouse in those two places of this Song before mentioned.

Sometimes again the Soul easily discerneth the faileur in it­self, it cannot meditate upon God. It remembreth God, and is troubled, it cannot pray with any fervour, nor exercise faith with any boldness; this seems to be the case of the Psalmist, Psal. 77. That the thing is so evident, let me therefore rather spend time to search out the reasons of such a dispensation on Gods part, and affliction on ours.

1. Oh Gods part we usually call such a dispensation a desertion, so as the cause of it is the withdrawing of some divine influen­ces from the Soul. It was truly said of Augustine, Deus non de­serit etiamsi deserere videatur. Though God seemeth to forsake, yet he never wholly forsaketh any Soul to whom he is united, it is the withdrawing only of some sensible manifestations of his love. All divine desertions are either founded in Divine Justice, or in the Divine Wisdom, so as the account which can be given of any such dispensation on Gods part, must fall under one of those two heads.

[Page 658] 1. When it is founded in Justice, it alwaies is for the punish­ment of sin. For though God upon the Covenant of Grace hath reserved no liberty to himself eternally to forsake his people, no nor yet totally, yet he hath reserved to himself a liberty for temporary afflictions of them; you have (as to this particu­lar) a fair copy of the Covenant of grace, Psal. 89. 26. 27, &c. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ from Eternity, the tenour of it was revealed variously, to Adam upon the Fall, to Noah, to Abraham, to David; in that Psalm you have the re­velation of it to David, v. 20. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. He shall cry unto me; thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my Sal­vation. Also I will make him my first born, higher then the Kings of the Earth. v. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him. His Seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his Throne as the days of Heaven. As this Covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed, I am thy God, and the God of thy Seed, Gen. 17. So in the further revelati­on of it to David, it is declared to relate to him and his Seed. Now followeth v. 30. If his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgments, if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments: That is, if they sin against me, (for all those phrases do but express sin) then v. 32. Will I visit their trans­gression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. God you see hath reserved to himself upon his Covenant of Grace with his People, a liberty to visit their transgression with the Rod; and their iniquity with stripes, but no liberty utterlyto take away his loving kindness from them: Afflictions (which are there call'd a visitation with rods and stripes) either respect the outward, or the inward man: Those which relate to the outward man, are diseases, pains, per­secutions, &c. Those which relate to the inward man, are deser­tions, and temptations, which God permitteth, though himself moveth none to Evil. Desertions are either total, or partial; as to the former God hath foreclosed himself by the Covenant of Grace, in which he hath said, He will never leave his People, nor forsake them. His loving kindness he will not utterly take from them, nor suffer his faithfulness to sail, Psal. 89. 33. Partial desertions therefore are the only rod, the only stripes which God [Page 659] hath reserved to punish his people with (as to their inward man) who break his Statutes, and keep not his Commandments, these must be the withdrawings of some manifestations of his love, which are promised to those who love him, and keep his Com­mandments. Hence it is, that as Sampson found the continuing in­fluence of God upon him (as to his bodily strength) while he kept his vow and covenant with God as a Nazarite, yet when he had betrayed himself to Dalilah, and she had shaved off his locks, he discerned that God was departed from him, and he had not strength to do, as at other times, whatever he resolved: so when the Soul that found in itself a strength before sufficient to grapple with its temptations, and to perform the several duties and operations of a Spiritual life, hath suffered itself to be over­come with motions; and temptations to sin, it finds itself weak, falls before a temptation, fails in its Spiritual duties, it cannot believe, hope, meditate, rejoice, and delight in God, &c. Thus it was with Peter, that had faith enough to walk upon the Sea at Christs command, when he had sinned by too much confidence in himself, he falls by the hand of a silly Damsel in the High Priests Hall, hence it is oft-times, that the liveliness, and chear­fulness of the Soul in its conversation also fails, and it is at a loss where to find its beloved, and how to enjoy its desired com­munion with him.

2. Sometimes these dispensations are not so much founded in the Divine Justice, and intended as the punishment of guilt in the Soul, as in the Divine Wisdom designing to prove, and to try his People, and to make them to seek more after him. Job was thus tried. Though Job doubtless had guilt enough of sin to have justified God in such providences, yet God himself saith of him, Job 2. 3. That there was none like him in the Earth; that he was a perfect, and an upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed e­vil, yet had he not been under some divine desertion, and with­drawings of grace, as well as more external Trials, he had never fal­len into those extravagant passions in which you find him, ch. 3, &c.

3. On our part this loss and ignorance happeneth divers ways. I shall instance in some more principal causes.

1. The prevailing of sin and corruption in the Soul. The guile of sin alwaies causeth weakness and blindness. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord, seeing thou dost all these things, Zech. 16 30. Weakness is the cause of sin, and it is the effe ct of sin, it argueth [Page 660] weakness in a Soul to do those things which God hath forbid­den, and which will certainly end in the harm of the Soul. It is a weak thing wilfully to sin against God, and weakness is also the effect of sin, this is caused from the sour reflections, and reverbe­rations of conscience, when a man would medirate on God, be­lieve, and hope, joy, rejoice, and delight in God, conscience throws his sin in his face, and bringeth his iniquity to remem­brance, he remembreth God, and is troubled, he cannot tell how to believe, how to hope, how to joy, and rejoice in God, whom he now looketh upon as angry with him; for the proof of this (though I might fetch enough from Davids Poenitenti­al Psalms) yet I need no more then the experience of every good Christian, who keepeth any watch upon his own heart and ways. I appeal to any of your Souls, when you are conscious of any wilful slips, and failings in your life, can you remember, and think of God as at other times? Can you believe, and hope in his mercy; Can you pray with that boldness, and courage, and confidence, doth not shame cover your faces, so as you know not how to look upward?

2. Diabolical suggestions are another cause; what strange and horrid impressions do the best of Gods people find? some indeed of more strength, and longer continuance then others, but there is scarce any who doth not find them at some times, and in some degree, or other, and although if they be mere impressions, not consented to by the Soul, but abhorred by it, they are not the Souls guilt, yet they must be the Souls disturbance, so as under them the Soul will not know how to uphold, and maintain a communion with God as at other times, but its communion is broken, and interrupted, and imperfect; though the Devil can­not stain the Soul without its own concurrence, yet he can trou­ble the Soul, if God permits him, by his mere suggestions, and impressions, and therefore we had need pray every day, Lead us not into temptation. The Devil in this case can do as much to a Soul, as a clamorous railing fellow can do to disturb our com­munion with our friends, though we hearken not much to him, and chide him away, yet he can make a noise, and disturb our communion.

3. Severe outward afflictions may be a cause. Though afflictions be not alwaies indications of Divine Wrath, (for the Apostle tells us, that whom he loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Child [Page 661] whom he receiveth) yet oftentimes they are so, and whether Gods end be to punish sin, or no, yet there is no Soul but is conscious of so much daily guilt, as gives him cause to suspect, they are the punishments of some guilt; and I told you before how apprehensions of guilt, very ordinarily make the Soul at a loss how to uphold, and maintain its wonted communion with God. Besides afflictions usually excite passions, particularly those of fear and sorrow; Both opposite to the exercises of faith and joy, and delight in God, both distracting the Soul in the sweet meditations of God. To this may be added, that the Soul in afflictions, as it standeth in more need of the divine presence, and influence, so it is prone to expect more, or to think it hath nothing. Neither can the Soul under the roilings, and prevail­ings of passion so well discern Christs communications of himself unto it; and besides, they hinder the Soul in its motions, and com­munications of it self to Christ. I am so troubled (saith the Psalmist) that I cannot Speak. The Soul is so troubled, that it cannot believe, it cannot hope, it cannot Pray, &c.

4. The last cause that I shall assign is distractions, caused either from worldly cares and businesses, or from some false guides. A Soul overwhelmed with businesses and cares of the World, will many times find it self at a loss how to maintain its communion with God, there is such an opposition betwixt a communion with God, and the World, the first being wholly a Spiritual thing, the other wholly of the Earth, earthly, that a man overwhelmed in the World will find the maintaining of this communion difficult, and be more at a loss to it, then another man more free from these incumbrances. Besides, in the World Christians are subject to distractions from false guides; one saying loe Christ is here; another saying, loe he is there; one telling us that the way to have communion with Christ is to cast off duties, and ordinances; another prescribing an attendance upon them as the onely means of such communion: One telling them that there is no other communion with Christ then with Christ mystical, having and keeping in the communion of his Church, whereas many may do so (if we mean the visible Church) that have no communion with Christ at all. Upon Christs floor there is Chaff as well as Wheat, which when Christ cometh with his fan thoroughly to purge his floor, shall be cast into unquenchable fire; tares, as well as wheat, which must grow together untill the Harvest, but then the Son of man shall send forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom, all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a [Page 662] furnace of fire, where shall be wailing, and gnashing of teeth, Matth. 13. 40, 41, 42. Some telling them, that there is no communion with Christ, but by joining with the Prayers of the Church, and re­ceiving the Sacrament with the Church, as if an external communi­on with Christ, (which Judas a Son of perdition had) were all, that men and women need look after. These different notions, and instructions sometimes puzzle the minds of Gods own People and make them to be at a great loss. I now come to the Application.

Use 1. This in the first Place lets us see what a perpetual use, and need there will be of an able standing Gospel Ministry and the goodness of God, in providing such an ordinance for his Church. The interest of Souls lyeth in two things. 1. In an union with Christ, and reconciliation to God. 2. In a fellowship and communion with him. The Ministry of the Gospel is, and will be useful to the end of the World on both these accounts. 1. For procuring, & promoving Souls reconciliation to God, and union with Christ, 2, Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you reconciled to God. So long as there are any sinners in the World, any Souls in such a state, as liv­ing and dying in it, they cannot be saved: So long will be need of Gospel Ministers and such too as are both able, and faithful. There are some in the World that think a Conversion to an opinion, from Paganism to the outward profession of Christ, is all the Conversion ne­cessary, and Baptism all the regeneration necessary (according to whose Doctrine all Drunkards, Whoremongers, Men-stealers, Lyers, Thieves, Extortioners, Covetous Persons, Sorcerers, if Baptized must be saved, (directly contrary, to what the Apostle affirms) these indeed may think the Ministry of the Gospel needless, Preach­ing needless amongst Christians, and only of use amongst Heathens or count no more need of Ministers, then of Philosophers from Athens, to read men lectures of a good life, and any Ministers, any kind of Preaching will serve the turn; A lecture out of Aristotle or Plato is as good a Sermon as they see any need of But those who will believe what Paul saith, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. That there are multitudes amongst Baptized Persons, not reconciled to God, and who shall never come into Heaven, which is confirmed also by Saint John, Rev. 21. 8. They must see a need of this Ordinance, and acknowledge the great mercy in this gift to the Church. 2. Nay indeed this Doctrine may convince you, That if all within the Church, were Christi­ans, not in name onely but indeed, washed with the blood of Christ, [Page 663] Justified and Sanctified, yet there would be need of such an Ordinance. For the best of Christians are oft times at loss how to uphold, & main­tain their communion with Christ. Here now lye th the work of the Ministry of the Gospel, as the hand in the way to direct Christians which way to go, that they may come to the journies end which they aim at, the end of their hopes, and the Salvation of their Souls. This was the end of Christs institution of them, Eph. 4. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints—for the edifying the body of Christ. If there be such a thing as Christians fellowship and communion with Christ, if they may be, and often are at loss, how to maintain this communion, they had need of some to be helpers of their faith, and of their joy. Which is the Notion of Ministers given by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 1. 14. Yea and they had need be able Ministers too. How various are the cases of Christians, how different one from another? This work is to be done publickly which indeed serveth for the most of Christians, and privately also, for those who cannot receive Satisfaction from pub­lick instructions. Alas who is sufficient for these things? and how slighty a business is ordinarily made of the greatest work, the most weighty imployment under Heaven? How many watchmen are there that like those mentioned in the 3d Chapter of this Song? When the Spouse of Christ comes to them complaining, as v. 6. That her beloved hath withdrawn himself, and is gone, when their Souls fail, when they come and tell them, that they have sought their beloved, and cannot find him, they have called, but he hath gi­ven them no answer, instead of relieving of them, they smite them, & wound them, & take away their vails from them, they wound them with cruel and envenomed Words, mock and jeer, and revile them, and know not how to speak a word to the weary, (indeed not under­standing what a wearied Soul means) the most they are able to say is, what is thy beloved more then anothers beloved? The Lord pity his flock and give them Pastors according to his own heart, who can feed them with wisdom, and understanding, and will be faithful in doing of it, men to whom the Lord God hath given the tongue of the learned, that they may speak a Word in season to those that are weary, as he promised, Isaiah. 50. 4. There are no more pestilent enemies to the People of God, then those that would have the flock of Christ, without Shepherds, or (which it may be is worse) Sup­plied with Idol Shepherds (as the Prophet calls them, Zech. 11. 17. And indeed are like Idols that have Eyes and see not, Ears and hear not, the name of Shepherds, but nothing of the skill and faithful­ness required in such a place.

[Page 664] Use 2. This Notion (Secondly) may give some relief to Souls, whose condition this may be. Here may be some before the Lord this day, who are crying out, where is my God become? Lord when wilt thou strengthen me? Quicken me? Comfort me? I confess the case of these Christians is sad, communion with Christ is the life of a good Christians life. All the comfort, and Satisfaction of his life is bound up in this one thing, let him want this he wants all, if he be at a loss as to this, he is quite lost; this is that which differenceth the true Child of God from an Hypocrite; the profane man lives with­out a God in the World, all talk of communion with God is but canting, the thing it self a Chimera. The Hypocrites ends cannot be obtained by this course of life he taketh up with meer external acts of communion, never regarding whether he hath any com­munion with God, in, and by those acts, he can live without any presence of God, without any influence of God upon his Soul: A Child of God cannot, if he wanteth communion with God, he calls all into question, doubteth of his union, and whether he hath not been all this while mistaken, whether his Soul be yet actually reconciled, and at Peace with God. All that can be said to relieve the Child of God under this complaint, to ease him under this burden, is this; That this misery which befalleth him, is but what is common to the very best of men, it is a priviledge reserved for the Saints in glo­ry, to live in a not interrupted communion with God. To be ever with the Lord, beholding his face, to live in the sense of such a con­stant communion with Christ as doth afford the Soul a perfect Satis­faction. The sublunary Saint is often crying out, Tell me, O thou whom my Soul loveth, where tho u feedest. This dispensation indeed will speak thee sensibly miserable, and sad, but it will not speak thee to have no relation to Christ.

Use 3. I shall shut up this discourse with a Word or two of exhortation, Pleading with you to do what in you lies to avoid such a state, and to keep your selves within the knowledg, where Christ feedeth, where he makes his flocks to rest at noon, 1. Consider first, That as the Spiritual life of any Soul lyes in its union, and communion with Christ: So the comfort of his life lyeth in his sense of this communion and knowledge, how at all times, and in all conditions to Support, and to maintain it. Our Saviour tells us that, As the branch cannot bring forth fruit unless it abide in the Vine, so neither can we except we abide in him, John. 15. 4. That Soul which hath no communion with Christ is as certainly dead, as the body is that hath no communion with the head, or [Page 665] the branch that hath no communion with the stock. Now it is true, Sense is not necessary to Spiritual life. We live (saith the Apostle) by faith, not by sight. But the comfort of the Soul doth de­pend upon sense and knowledge, it is true as to a Christians com­fort, not to live, and not to know that we live, are much the same thing, as to its happiness, it is not; but I say as to his comfort it is; What quiet can a Christian have in his breast, what Peace in his conscience? What joy in the Holy Ghost, that feeleth no inter­courses, is sensible of no inward communion betwixt his Soul and Christ?

2. Hence consider Secondly, That to the waky Christian there is no greater misery upon the Earth then what ariseth from his apprehensions of his having no communion with Christ. All the enjoyments of the World will be nothing of Satisfaction to such a Soul, it is an evil— Nullis medicabilis herbis. I say with a waky soul it will be thus; some Souls are in a profound sleep, they never think of Eter­nity, never consider their latter end, they are ignorant, and know not the relation that Christ hath to a State of Eternal happiness, that as Eternal life is the gift of God, so it is through Christ, for that the Father hath given into his hands the Power of Eternal life, and he giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth. Now these Souls though they have no fellowship, no communion at all, yet they have no misery, no grief from it. But I say to the Soul that is awake, to consider the Grave, the Eternity to which he is hastening, 'tis the greatest burden imaginable to lye under apprehensions, that his fel­lowship is not with the Father, and with the Son Jesus Christ.

3. Thirdly, consider that of all evils, those lye heaviest, and most sadly upon the Soul, concerning which the man or woman is conscious, that he himself hath been accessary to them, and a cause of them. Let a good Christian be at loss for his communion with God, let the cause of it be what it will, he is sad enough, but if his heart smites him that he himself hath been the cause of it, Oh! insupportable burden of that reflection! he cannot bear the thoughts of his destroying his Soul by his own hands; of this you may make an easy judgment by considering the frame of your Spirit under such acci­dents, though of a much lighter nature, it is sad enough for a man to lose his estate, for a Mother to lose her Child, but for the man to think that he lost his estate, through his own supine negligence, or for a Mother to think she hath been the death of her Child: These are wounds healed usually with great difficulty. So for a [Page 666] Soul to think it hath lost its communion with its dear Lord by its own supine negligence, or any voluntary act of its own which it might have avoided. This maketh a deep wound in the Soul. But will some say, what should, what can we do to uphold our commu­nion with Christ and to maintain a sense of it? Let me here speak two words.

The first to such as have their beloved in view, and do yet injoy desired communion with him; 2. To such as have lost this view, in order to their recovery of it.

To the first I say,

1. Be much with him whom your Soul loveth. What the Prophet said of Gods presence of Providence is as true concerning the pre­sence of God in gracious influences, 2. Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him, if you seek him, he will be found of you. Souls that are much with God seldom lose their sight of him, ordinarily the Souls of men, and women, first withdraw the com­munications of themselves unto him through levity, and wantonness, then Christ withdraweth, both in justice, to punish in them that le­vity, and in wisdom to make them to seek after him, Hos. 5. 15. I will go, and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face, in their affliction they will seek me early. That Soul is seldom or never at a loss to know where Christ feedeth his flocks, that keepeth a constant correspondence with him. Be much in Pra­yer, especially secret Prayer, much in Heavenly meditation, and con­templation; when the Spouse after her loss, Cant. 3. 1, 2 had found her beloved, I held him (saith she) and would not let him go. How doth the Soul hold Christ so as she will not let him go, but by faith, and constant, and frequent acts of fellowship and commu­nion with him?

2. Secondly, Take heed of grieving the holy Spirit. It is the Apo­stles Counsel, Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit by which you are sealed to the day of Redemption. We maintain our fellowship with Christ by the Spirit. That takes of Christs and giveth to us, and again it takes of ours and giveth to Christ, by the Spirit we Pray, by its assistance we exercise faith, Love, &c. Christ by his Spirit com­municateth himself to us, and we by the Spirit do communicate our Souls to him. Take heed therefore you grieve not this Spirit, ei­ther by any presumptuous sinnings, or by quenching its motions, or resisting its operations. Let every Knock, every motion, and impulse, every impression of the holy Spirit be very valuable to, and regard­able in the Eyes of your Souls.

[Page 667] 3. Thirdly, Maintain in your Souls an high estimate of Jesus Christ, and the influences of his grace. If (saith Christ) any man loveth me, I will come to him, and make my abode with him, John 14. 21. The Soul that truly loveth Christ shall never be ignorant where to find him.

4. Lastly, Study holiness in all manner of conversation. The Spouse saith that he feedeth among the Lillies; the Lillies are white, and fruit­ful Let your apprehension of Christs withdrawing, the communica­tions of himself to your Souls, be no temptation to you to withhold the communications of your selves to him, though you may find it more hard, and difficult, and that you cannot do your duty with so much ease, yet do it. If you cannot do what you would, yet do what you can, if (as you think) you do not, you cannot overtake God, yet let your Souls press hard after him.

But what shall be said to that Soul that is at loss and in such a state as that it doth not know where its Beloved feedeth, where he maketh his flocks to rest at Noon?

1. Let such Souls look for him in the promise, where it wants the sight of him in his Providences. There David found him, when he cryed out, Remember thy Word, in which thou hast caused me to hope. The promises are Christs place, when he returneth from a Soul he retreateth no further. All the punishment that our tender Lord putteth his Spouse to suffer is to live by faith, not by sight. Christ in his Providences may appear to a Soul yea and nay, sometimes a friend sometimes an Enemy. But in his promises he is always yea and Amen the true and faithful one. I have already shewed you that the Promises are those green pastures were Christ feeds his flocks in the Noon of trials and afflictions.

2. Look for him in supporting influences, when you cannot see him in comforting and quickening influences. Christ communicateth him­self variously to the Souls of his People, not always in the same me­thods or influences, see if thou doest not feel his strength, when thou doest not find his consolatory manifestations; you have heard that the communion of the believing Soul with Christ never ceaseth, it is only our sense that fails, or some particular Manifestations or the degrees of them may abate. We ought therefore to look narrowly to see if we cannot find any influences of Christ upon our Souls, when it may be we cannot discern those which our Eye is most upon.

[Page 668] 3. Thirdly, Be as free as you can in your part of this communion, when you cannot discern your Lord so free in his part. You may rest upon this; That Christ will never be in your debt, nor be long wanting in his communications of his grace to that Soul that is ready to communicate it self unto him. It may be I or another Soul may not see, and discern it, but Christ is never behind hand with the Soul as to acts of love. Nay we could not be free in communicati­on of our Souls to him, without his first influencing our Souls with strength to such a liberty.

4. Lastly take the advice of your beloved in the text. Go your way by the footsteps of the flock: And feed your kids by the Shep­herds tents. But that leadeth me to the last part of the Text, which I called the Direction in answer to the petition. Of that (if God please) in my next exercise.

Sermon XLVI.

Cant. 1. 8.
If thou knowest not (O thou fairest amongst Women) Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flock, and feed thy Kids by the Shepher ds Tents.

I am now come to the last part of the Text; The Beloved's Direction, What to do, that she might find where her be­loved fed his flocks, where he made them to rest at Noon. It is expressed in these words, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and seed thy kids by the Shepherds tents. By the flocks when I opened the words more largely, I told you was meant, the Church, the People of God, often in Scripture compared to a flock, I will gather the remnant of the flock, Jer. 23. 2. The Lord hath visited his flock, Zech. 10. 3. Fear not little flock it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom, Luke. 12. 32. Feed the flock of God, 1 Pet. 5, 2. So in many other Texts. The word in the Hebrew [...], indifferently signifieth any company of lesser Cat­tel, [Page 669] whether Sheep, or Goats, though it be most ordinarily appli­ed to sheep, as in 1 Sam. 15. 2. Jer, 50. 6. Jer. 31. 19, &c. The People of God are ordinarily the lesser sort of men, and women in the world. Not many noble, not many wise, but the poor of the World hath the Lord Chosen. The great ones of the World for the most part are of the Herd, not of the flock.

1 A flock is a term of multitude. Gods People are not the greatest number of the World, but yet they are a great number, God in the worst times (which were those of Ahab had 7000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, nor kissed him, with their lips. St. John saw 144000 sealed, Rev. 7. 4. There were two great breeders of Gods antient Flock. Leah, and Rachel, these two did build up the house of God, from these came three­score and ten Souls whom God sent to pasture in Egypt, there they were killed up apace, yet they multiplyed to an exceeding great number; from thence they were led like a Flock through the Wilderness by the conduct of Moses, and Aaron; in Canaan they also increased, till for their sins God let in Wolves upon them to destroy them. It is true all were not Israel, that were of Israel, but yet they all constituted the visible Church of the Jews, and doubtless there were a great number of them who were of the invisible Church, of that little Flock to whom it was the Fathers will to give a Kingdom. In Christs time, the flock of God began to be gathered together in one, and soon after his ascension into Heaven, those other sheep, mention­ed, John 10. who were not of the Jewish fold began to be added, by vertue of his commission granted to 12 principal Shepherds, under the great Shepherd, and multitudes were added to this flock; since that time the wild beasts of the field, and forrest, have broken in upon it, seeding in several Countries and places; But yet they are many.

2. A flock is a term of unity. The Church of Christ is many, yet but one body, united by one common faith, and under on head, All the true Members of it, have one Shepherd, one law, and rule. The true Church therefore is doubtless the flock which is here mentioned.

By the footsteps of the flock.] The footsteps you all know is the Print of the feet. The course of boliness is in Scripture called, The way of the Righteous. The footsteps of the flock, can signify nothing but the Examples of the holy Servants [Page 670] of God which have gone before us, in the way of holi­ness.

And feed thy Kids by the Shepherds tents.] Kids as you know are young Goats. Once in Scripture Goats are put in opposition to sheep, Math. 25. to signify the wicked of the Earth, which hath given Interpreters occasion to interpret this phrase [thy filt by and unclean thoughts.] But it is observable that though Goats be a term once used in Scripture in that sense, yet Goats are not alwaies mentioned in holy writ in an ill [...]sense. In this ve­ry Song the Spouses hair is compared to a flock of Goats, Ch. 4. v. 1. The Goat to the Jews was not an unclean beast, the hair of it was much used about the Tabernacle, and the body of it was often used in Sacrifice. Their interpretation there­fore is doubtless to be preferred, who interpret it, 1. Either of the weak Members of Christ, o [...] 2. of the infirm faculties of the Soul.

By the Shepherds tents.] It is all along a Metaphor, The flock is the Church. The true Sheep of this Flock are those who hear the voice of Christ, and follow him, as himself tells us, My Sheep hear my voice, and follow me. The Principal Shepherd is Christ, John. 20. 1, I am the true Shepherd. He administreth this great charge committed to him by his Father by inferiour Shepherds. He led his ancient People the Jews like a Flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron, and afterwards made use of seve­ral Shepherds to feed them. Christ committed his Flock to the 12 Apostles, with power to ordain Pastors and Teachers. The Shepherds tents signify the places, where they feed the Flock of Christ. Shepherds in those countries had no fixed houses, but moveable tents which they carried about with them, and pitch­ed now here, now there, as was most convenient for the feeding of their Flocks. If any ask me, where we shall find these footsteps of the Flook? I answer in the Word of God, we have no other infal­lible record of them that I know, so that by the footsteps of the Flock, and the Shepherds tents, two things are clearly to be understood. 1. The Examples of Gods Saints recorded in Scripture. 2. The Ordinances of God dispensed by his faithful Ministers.

Hither doth Christ send his Spouse, inquiring where he fed, where he made his Flocks to rest at Noon You see whither my Text would lead me, viz. To a discourse concerning the Word of God [...]s the Rule of Christians, the certain footsteps of the Flock are to be found there. 2. To a discourse concerning our duty to imitate the Saints of God. [Page 671] Something I must touch upon as to both these, but I shall discourse neither of them in their latitude, having fully done it lately in set Discourses upon those Arguments; I shall now speak to neither of them further than they relate to the direction of the Text: Being both the surest compass for a Christian when he is at loss, to direct his course by, when he is in distress, and knows not what to do.

Hence the Doctrine is;

Prop. The surest way for Christians to support and maintain their communion with Christ, under any doubts or dark dispensations of God to them, is for them to keep to the examples of the Saints of God under such dispensations, and to keep themselves close to Divine Institutions.

The Proposition you see is concerning Christians injoying and upholding their communion with Christ in a day of darkest dispensa­tions, in the Noon of Trials and Afflictions. 2. It directeth a double means in order to this end. 1. A keeping to the footsteps of the Flock. 2. Feeding by the Shepherds Tents. I shall speak to this by way of Explication, Confirmation, and Application. By way of Explication; the only Question is, What Flock, what Shepherds are here spoken of?

1. It must be Christ's Flock; that is plain. There are other Flocks in the World, but the Text is doubtless to be understood of the Flock of Christ, which I before shewed you was the Church of Christ.

2. I think it reasonable also to determine, That that Flock is here meant, for whose feet we have the best assurance that they were guided and upheld by the unerring Spirit of God. The Papists call to us for this, to keep to the footsteps of the Flock: But when we come to ask them where that Flock is, they will tell us, it is at Rome, where it hath been kept and fed by a lineal Succession of Bishops from the Apostles times. The name of the Church of Christ is an honourable name; this maketh every Party cry out (as the Jews of old) The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord are we. There is scarce any company of Hereticks and Sectaries, but lays claim to this name. Neither can this Text be understood of all those that are within the Pale of the Visible Church, which hath in it bad as well as good, but of that little Flock only, who hear Christ, and follow him, and those to whom it is our heavenly Father's will to give a Kingdom, the footsteps of those who have made the Word a light to their seet, and a lamp to their paths; for none can be so absurd as to [Page 672] think, that Christ here directeth his Spouse to go her way by the footsteps of those who walk contrary to the will of his Father. Now, where shall we find, where can we find those of whom we are sure they were of this little Flock? or, where shall we find the certain practice of such, but in the Records of holy Writ? For the present Church of Rome, those that know the second Commandment, or any of the Revelations of the Divine Will against Idolatry, must know this Flock is not to be found there. For the Primitive Church, if they mean the Apostolick Church, the Church in their Age, whose Story we have Recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we agree with them, that this is the Flock whose footsteps we are to follow, yet no further than they followed Christ. Be you followers of me (saith the Apostle) as I am of Christ; but for the following Church after their Age, we are so much at loss to know what they did, Antichrist hath so trodden out their footsteps, so purged and corrupted all Writings that should give us any true account of what the Church did, that we can by no means allow the Record of their practice to be a suf­ficient Guide to us. We have no sufficient Evidence of the prints of their feet, in matters wherein the Eternal Salvation of our Souls are concerned. We have a more sure word of Prophecy, and we are sure we are not to follow them in any thing wherein they did not follow Christ. We conclude then as to this matter, that Christ in these words intended to give his Spouse a certain Rule, to fol­low the steps of those whom they might be sure it was Christ's Flock, and whose footsteps might be seen. This Flock can be only that, the print of whose feet we have in the unerring Word of God. We believe that in all Ages of the World Christ hath had a Flock, a number that have heard his voice, and followed him, to whom he hath given, and will give Eternal Life, but they have been under various dispensations, sometimes more, and sometimes less perspicuous to the World. We believe that it hath been the design of Rome ever since the Mystery of Iniquity began to work in it, to blot out the prints of the feet of the Flock of Christ in for­mer times; we therefore reasonably in pursuit of this Direction of Christ's, overlook the Churches of this, and former Ages. The pra­ctice of those of Rome in this and late ages we know to be directly contrary to the Word of God. The practice of the Primitive Church in former ages we are incertain of, further then what is con­tained in holy writ, we know that it hath been the policy of the Papists, to blot out all the records of those times which might make [Page 673] against them, any thing that might shew us that the Doctrine, Wor­ship & Discipline of the Church in those ages was different from their present practices, we know that the records of the Primitive Churches practice (excepting that in the Apostles time recorded in Scripture) have been mostly in their hands and they have blotted out, and put in what they pleased, to justify their Idolatry and Superstitions, we therefore call to the Law and to the Testimony; to the holy Scriptures; we are sure they have not been kept in their hands onely, we be­lieve them the pure Word of God. We say there is no other cer­tain rule, no other unquestionable record of the footsteps of the flock: We know they are able to make the man of God wise to salvation. thoroughly furnished to every good work. All Protestants acknow­ledg them a perfect rule as to matter of Doctrine, we say they also are so as to Worship and Discipline, and as to all our conversation. We know the practice of the Saints, and Servants of God in holy Writ (not reproved by it) are the footsteps of Christs flock, for others we know not, we are sure if they were contrary to the footsteps of the Servants of God in holy Writ, they are no footsteps of the flock of Christ, which hears his voice, and owneth that only, and will not follow strangers.

2. As to the Shepherds mentioned in the Text, We know Christ is the true Shepherd, the chief Shepherd. He feedeth his Flock like a Shepherd. He ascending up into Heaven, hath betrusted his Flock to Pastors and Teachers, to Under-Shepherds, we know that if these be Christs Shepherds, they must take, and follow Christ's directions, and they are no further Shepherds then they do so. He hath indeed betrusted to some his Gospel, the Mini­stration both of the Doctrine, and the Ordinances of the Gospel; As they are to publish no other Doctrine, so they are to pre­scribe no other Rules of life, either for the Worship of God, or government of the Church, they have no legislative power in the Church committed to them; only an executive power, to execute those Laws, those Ordinances, which Christ the Supreme Shep­herd, and his Apostles, which were his first Commissioners have left. This is the trust which Christ hath committed to them, in the discharge of which alone, they can be faithful, they are not the Ministers of men, but the Ministers of Christ. By the Tents of those Shepherds who do this all Christians are bound to ab de, and to feed themselves, neither casting off Divine institutions, nor submitting to humane institutions contrary to the Divine rule; [Page 674] and if the Divine rule be a perfect rule, whatsoever is besides it is contrary to it, for it reproacheth it with imperfection, or else is meerly, idle, and Superfluous.

That this is the duty of Christians, will appear both from the the consideration of the end for which God hath left us the footsteps of the flock in holy Writ, and also from comparing this with other courses.

1. Let us first consider the end for which God hath lest us the footsteps of his flock in holy Writ, and when he ascended up on high, gave gifts unto men, and amongst others Pastors and Teachers. The footsteps of the flock of Christ are to be found in the Word of God, you have in Scripture not onely the instructions of David, the words of the man according to Gods own heart, but the practice of David recorded under several circumstances: Not onely the Doctrine, and instructions of the Apostles in their Sermons, and Epistles, but the Acts of the Apostles teaching us their practice. Now though it be true, that their examples oblige us in nothing wherein they did not follow the Lord Jesus Christ, nor in any thing which they did in conformity to the Ceremonial law, wherein they used a liberty (that law being dead with Christ, but through a gracious indulgence, allowed, for a time, till the believing Jews could be Satisfied concerning the abolition of it, in order to the gaining the Jews, and walking towards them without offence, upon which account Paul both circumcised Timothy and purified himself. Nor are their exam­ples our rules, in what they did as Apostles or as men indued with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, working miracles or speaking with tongues; for as we cannot do the latter, so we want their mission and more extraordinary commission to do the former. Hence Ministers are under no obligation to do as they did, fixing no where, but going up and down preaching the Gos­pel, and settling Churches: yet in other things, wherein they acted as Ministers of the Gospel, or private Christians, we are bound to the imitation of them, and God hath left us their actions upon sacred record for our instruction. For whatsoever is written aforetime is written for our learning, Rom. 15. 4. The Apostle telleth us, That all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for in­struction in righteousness. This is the end for which God hath given us the Scripture, and all the Scripture, 2 Tim, 3. 16.

[Page 675] 2. It is the most safe and certain rule. The two great things that commend a rule given with reference to any end is the security of it, and the certainty of it. To walk by the footsteps of Christs flock recorded in Scripture must be a safe rule, no man needeth fear sinning against God, by obeying his Word, and living up to the rule, direction, and prescription of it, sin must be some­thing contrary to the Divine Rule. In following other rules men may err, in following of this rule they cannot err. The certainty, of a rule much commends it. If the Trumpet give an incertain sound who shall prepare himself for the battel? If there be no certainty in a rule who can follow the direction of it? Let us now compare this rule as to this case what a Christian is to do, especially in a time of affliction and distress, to maintain and up­hold his communion with Christ.

1. Some will pretend to the Spirit as their rule. They have an a­nointing (they tell us) which teacheth them all things, and so pretend to follow the motions, and impressions of the holy Spirit. But there is no certainty in this pretended Rule for all Spirits are not of God. The Spirit hath given us the Rule of the word, for you heard before, That all Scripture is given us by divine inspiration, and that it is able to make the man of God wise to Salvation. The Spirit teacheth nothing contrary to the Word. The Word directs us to follow the footsteps of the Flock. There can be no cer­tainty in pretended impressions from the Spirit which are con­trary to the Word of God, no nor any security. For all such pretences must Issue in the deceit of our own hearts, we follow­ing our own lusts, and imaginations in stead of the holy Spirit, or (which is worse) the impressions of the evil Spirit. Yet this is the rule of all Enthusiasts.

2. Others call out to us to follow the Church, the practice of the Church in all ages. And indeed if they could make appear to us what that was, they would say something, but what certainty can there be in this rule while they that talk of it, can neither make that Church appear to us, nor yet what their practice was; we know who were the Church, in the Apostles age, and we know what their practice was, by the records of holy Writ, but who the Church were, and what their practice was in latter ages we cannot tell, and by consequence there is no certainty in this rule, we may follow the steps of the Synagogue of Sat an instead of the steps of the flock of Christ.

[Page 676] 3. The Papists call to us to follow Traditions, and indeed for the Traditions delivered us by the Apostles we see reason to fol­low them, and if they could by an unquestionable record make out any thing to us, which had been received as an Ʋniversal Tra­dition of the Ʋniversal Church, we should have a great respect and reverence for it, but for unwritten Traditions, which the Papists put into an equal ballance with the Word of God for Chri­stians rule, being (as they pretend) delivered as rules by the Apostles to the Church of God, as we know no need we have of such, so we have no certainty that any such things were ever so delivered and therefore can see no security in receiving them, or giving any ear unto them.

4. There is a 4th sort, that in distresses are much for seeking God, and walking according to the impressions we have upon such seeking; this practice is founded upon an excellent bottom: 1. A Precept for the owning, and acknowledging of God in all our ways. 2. A Promise that he will direct our steps, Prov. 3. v. 6. Seeking of God at all times, (at such times especially) is the great duty of Christians, and if rightly done, cannot be in vain, but for the right performance of it, a Christian must have res­pect both to the matter of his Prayer, and also to the manner of it. It is to the matter of our Prayers onely that I am here con­cerned to speak. As to this our rule is, that it must be something consonant to the will of God. I mean his will revealed in his Word. Hence it followeth,

1. That when God hath revealed his will in his Word for, or against a thing which we are about to do, for us to seek God, whether we should do it or no, forbear it or no, is to tempt and provoke God. This is like Balaams going to inquire of God whether he should go with the Messengers of Balak, after that God had plainly told him he should not go. We ought to acquiesce in the determi­nation of Gods will in his Word, whether in the Precepts or the examples of the Servants of God recorded there, and for things forbidden to avoid them, for things commanded to do them; here's no place for seeking God as to the doing or forbearing; so that although for things of this nature, as to what God hath commanded us to do, we may, and ought to seek God for di­rection, help, and assistance in the doing of them: And as to things forbidden we may seek God for strength to avoid them, and all temptations to them, yet we may not seek God whether [Page 677] we should do the things so commanded, and forbear the things so forbidden yea or no. Such seeking of God is but asking leave to sin against him.

2. In particular actions as to which Gods Word hath not par­ticularly directed us, it is our duty to seek God for direction, and having first well considered the general rules of the Word of God, if we find the action neither commanded nor forbidden, according to them we may, for ought I know, attend the impressions we find upon our Spirits, after such sincere and serious seeking of God. And take them to be the will of God concerning us as to such actions. But this is but a digression from my subject. This is enough to shew you, there is no such security, or certainty in any direction we can have, as in following the footsteps of the flock of Christ, the prints of whose feet we find in the Word of God.

2. It is as reasonable that we should feed by the Shepherds Tents, that is, attend upon Divine institutions, if we would en­joy any fellowship, and communion with God; for it is unreasona­ble to expect the influences of Divine Grace in any way, but such only as God hath promised he will give them in, much less in the neglect, or contempt of any such means as he hath ap­pointed. The promise is, Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I re­cord my name, I will come unto thee, and bless thee. Our commu­nion with God depends upon his coming to us, and blessing us. Where God will come unto us, and bless us, there we may, there we shall have communion with him. Now where will God come unto us, and bless us? In all places where he recordeth his Name to dwell; what doth that signify but in all his sacred ordinances, and institutions? Conformable to this is his promise in the New Testament, Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered toge­ther in my name (that is, at my command, or by my order) there am I in the midst amongst them, and to his Ministers his promise is made, Mat. 28. 19▪ Go you therefore, and teach all Nations, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com­manded you, and loe I am with you alway, to the end of the world. Where can we expect communion with God, but where he hath promised to be with his People, to meet them, and to bless them?

Use 1. Observe from hence how unreasonable they are that talk of a communion with God, or expect any such thing, who make not the [Page 678] Word of God a light to their Feet, who go not forth by the footsteps of the flock, who feed not their Souls by the Shepherds Tents: under this condemnation fall,

1. All such who having no regard to the Word as their rule, walk according to the imaginations of their own hearts, which you shall find to be the constant Character of wicked Men in Scripture.

2. Such as follow the incertain examples, and traditions of men.

3. Lastly, Such as cast off ordinances under a pretence of a more immediate fellowship, and communion with God. There is a middle way betwixt resting in, and taking up with mere external per­formances, and casting them off. It is true, a Soul may wait up­on God in ordinances, and have no communion with God in them. Communion with God lies in more then meer lending an Ear to God, and allowing him our bodily presence, in more then a communication of the will of God to our external senses: but this is to be had by the Shepherds Tents, in places where God hath recorded his Name to dwell, and the performance of such ex­ternal acts, as God hath required, and made his promises of that nature unto. To look for a presence of God with us in a neglect, or contempt of these institutions, is to look for what we have no reason to expect to find.

Use 2. Let me only further persuade you that hear me this day, to follow the counsel given you in the Text. To go your ways by the footsteps of Christs flock; to feed your Souls by his Shepherds Tents.

1. In all your actions go forth by the footsteps of the flock. Do what you have found the Servants of God have done, whose names and practices you have upon a sure record in Holy Writ. As it was prophecied of old, that there should come times when many should say, Lo here is Christ, or lo there is Christ, to amuse Souls, and make their way incertain to them. So the times are come. when many say, Lo here is the Church, others say, lo it is there, the Papists say it is with them, and other parties say it is with them, in this incertain cry we have a certain rule. In the Holy Scripture we have a certain record of the flock of Christ, we have certain prints of their feet, peace shall be upon those who walk according to that rule, you may be deceived as to other scocks, as to that you cannot be deceived. The practice of the Primi­tive Church not recorded in Holy Writ, the pretended Traditi­ons of the Primitive Church, of which the Scripture maketh no mention, are very incertain things, the Word of God that is a [Page 679] sure rule, let none leave that which is certain, for those things that are incertain, if you cannot find in the Holy Scriptures a sufficiency to make you wise to Salvation, both as to what you are to do in the Worship of God, and in the whole of your con­versation, then there may be some reason for you to hear what others say, and to listen to your own reason, but there is a suffici­eney there.

Obj. Some will tell us, That Scripture is obscure, and who shall in­terpret it to us but the Church.

Sol. If there be any thing in Scripture necessary for us to know, that is obscure, I am sure the practice of the Church after the Apostles times, is much more obscure; who shall vouch the Au­thority of any one Book that pretendeth to give us any such account? There is a great deal of fault found with that princi­ple, that we ought to do nothing but what we have a Warrant for from the Word of God. If it be rightly understood, I know no fault that is to be found with it, not that we must have a particular Warrant from the Word of God, for every action that we do, none ever asserted any such thing. But we ought to do nothing for which we have not a particular, or general Warrant from the Word of God. In fome actions (those especial­ly which relate to the Worship of God) the Word of God is a particular rule in all things. No act of Worship, no mean of Worship is to be used, but what we have a particular Warrant in Gods Word; the reason is, because there is all the reason in the World God should prescribe his own Homage, and because it is a sufficient rule, he that worshippeth God according to the rules of the Word, neither adding thereto, nor diminishing therefrom, shall worship God acceptably. As to particular, natu­ral, and civil actions, the word is not a particular sufficient rule, but it is a general rule; it is impossible that the Word of God should particularly direct all the civil actions of a mans life, it hath left a thousand things of that nature to our own liberty and wisdom, only hath given us some general rules, which we are to observe in them; in these things a Christian hath not such a liberty, but that he ought to obey the Ordinances, and laws of men, so far as they respect the order and government of Nations and Kingdoms, and that out of conscience to the Commandment of God, requiring such obedience to men in their Spheres, and the capacities which God hath set them in.

[Page 680] Secondly, Feed your Kids by the Shepherds Tents. Keep to the Ordinances, and Institutions of Christ, administred by those whom he hath set over his flock as Shepherds. That is the sense of that part of the direction, and by the way this sheweth us a neces­sity, and usefulness of a Gospel Ministry. It is the design of Je­suites, and Romish Priests to take you off from your Ministers. The Socinian complaineth, that the world hath been a long time troubled with an idle sort of Persons called Ministers, Quakers, and other Enthusiasts, all sing the same Song, yet there is none of these but have their Heads, their Guides, and Teachers, only possibly some of them would have none who should wholly set themselves apart, and give up themselves to this work, others would only bring you off the true Ministers of the Gospel, to put you under Idol Shepherds. Certain it is that the Shepherds mentioned in the Text are such as are sent by the great Shep­herd, and can truly derive from the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the question how shall we know which be the Shepherds tents, our reason will direct us not to give credit to those who only bear witness of themselves, Christ saith, John. 5. 31. If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true: That is, if I alone bear witness of my self. Such a Testimony is also more to be suspect­ed when it is arrogant, when men challenge to themselves to be alone the true Shepherds. But for your direction I shall lay down a few conclusions.

1. It is both impossible for any to know them by their lineal succession from the Apostles, who were the first deputed by Christ to feed his flock, and needless to make such an inquiry for them. The former assertion proveth the latter, for it is doubtless needless to look for what is impossible to be found. This is the great thing which the Papists boast of, the great thing which they contend for, That those can be no true Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops in a lineal succession or a personal succession from the Apostles, & Rome hath only had such a succession, there­fore the Shepherds Tents, are only to be found amongst them. I am sorry to find any Protestants lisping this language of Ashdod; Protestant Divines in former ages have thought it enough to prove succession in Doctrine. The truth is a succession of Persons is a thing impossible to be proved, if we must own no Ministers, but such as can prove they are made so by Bishops, in a true suc­cession from the Apostles, I am sure they must own none at all, for [Page 681] how is it possible think you that after near 1700 years, any Ministers should be able to prove such a succession. All the Issue of this contest must be either to bring us all again to Rome, which indeed vainly boasteth of such a succession, or else to Atheism, to the owning of no true Ministry at all, and consequent­ly to no Ordinances. Nor is any such inquiry necessary, for cer­tainly Christ hath clothed his Church with a power to restore his institutions if they were lost, or the exercise of them for any space of time were interrupted.

2. Secondly, The true Shepherds are to be known by their mission. Christ is agreed to be the true Shepherd, the principal Shepherd. All true Under-Shepherds must have their mission from him. He certainly sendeth none but, 1. Such as are by him fitted and qualified for all parts of their work. 2. Such as are disposed, & inclined to their work. Consider but what the work of the Shepherd is, viz. to seed the flock of Christ, to watch over them, &c. And this is one way for you to know Christs Shepherds, they are by him qualified for their work with gifts and abilities to pray, and Preach, to open, and to apply the Scrip­tures, they are also by him inclined and disposed to it, desiring the Office of a Bishop, and to give up themselves to it. Where this is found, there's Christs Mission. They are also called by the Church, proved, set apart to the work by fasting and Prayer, but this is onely their external mission. A Church may be so corrupted as to send out men who were never sent of Christ, neither having any internal qualifications to fit them for it, nor any inclinations, and heart unto it, only desiring to be put into the Priests Office for a morsel of bread. No good Christian can judg these Christs Shepherds, for though he hath given a power to his Church to send out Ministers, yet they are limited to such as are able and faithful, nor ought any to be look'd upon as a true Shepherd or Minister of Christ, who apparently hath no inward qualifications for the work of the Ministry nor any heart faithfully to discharge it.

3. Thirdly, You shall know them by their Doctrine, Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you, then that which we have Preached unto you, let him be accur­sed, v. 9. As we said before so now I say again, If any man Preach any other Gospel unto you, then that you have received, let him be accursed. He that is accursed, or to be accursed, is none [Page 682] of those Shepherds, by whose Tents Christians are to feed their Souls, but those who bring any Doctrine to Peoples Ears, that is contrary to the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apo­stles, or other then that, is accursed, and by the Judgment of the Apostles to be accounted accursed; such a one therefore, can be no such Person as Christians are bound to hear, or to feed their Souls by their Tents. But you will say, what if they be not declared so or adjudged so, by the Church. This is the Churches sin and neglect of their duty. The Church by its judgments cannot make one hair of truth white or black, she is only to declare and adjudg that to be the Doctrine of Christ which is so: And to declare and adjudg that which is not so to be what it is. If the Church will neglect her duty I am not to neglect mine. If the Major part of the Church be so corrupted, that they will call evil good, and good evil, determine Error to be truth, and truth to be Error, their Error cannot conclude me. If it could, we had long since been Arrians, and in later times been Papists. Protestants have therefore rightly determined that every true Christian hath a judgment of discretion in this case. The sole judgment of truth & Error is in Christ and his Word. A declarative judgment is in the Church, but a judgment of discre­tion, so far as to guide a Christians particular practice, is in eve­ry Christian, who is to prove all things, and to hold fast that only which is good. I cannot, I ought not to feed my Soul by the Tents of those Shepherds, who bring me other Doctrine then what they can prove from the Word of God. If the Church will suffer such, I am not bound by their sins. Gods Pastors feed his People with wisdom and understanding, Jer. 3. 15. Not with meet high-swelling Words of vanity, much less with lies and Erronious Doctrine contrary to Christs and the Apostles Doct­rine.

4. Fourthly, Christ tells us that to the true Shepherd, the Porter openeth, John 10. v. 3. And the Sheep hear his voice. God opens the hearts of his People to such as are his Shepherds. The Apostle tells the Corinthians, they were the seal of his Apostle­ships, 1 Cor. 9. 2. And again, 2 Cor. 3. 2, 3. Ye are our Epistle, Written in our hearts, and known, and read of all men, for as much as you are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Minister­ed by us, Written, not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart. God [Page 683] hath sealed the ministry of those Ministersto be from him, whose ministry he hath blessed, by opening the hearts of People to it, and by it; there needs no further evidence, this is a sufficient let­ter of recommendation of them to all that own the name of Christ. I speak not here for that insignificant conversion of men to an opinion, without a turning of their heart from sin unto God, but of the real conversion or change of mens hearts. This is a proof Sirs, of true Shepherds a proof of a true ministry, 2 Cor: 13. 3. I will never question the truth of that mans ministry, with whose ministry I see God going along. So that their mini­stry opens the Eyes of the blind, and turns men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may re­ceive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified. Which were the ends for which God sent out Paul, Acts 26. 18. Let such men as these be ordained by whom they will, Bishops or Presbyters, or only sent out by the Church, let them be ordained by what Rites and in what manner they will, it is plain they are Christs Shepherds. Let there have been defects in their entrance, and admission by the Church into the mini­stry. God hath now sealed their ministry, all defects are taken away.

5. Our Saviour hath given us another note of a true Shepherd, John 10. 4. When he putteth forth his Sheep he goeth before them, he doth not only lead them by his voice but by his feet. I shall never believe that Christ sent an open Drunkard to persuade men not to be drunk with wine wherein is excess, nor a Scandalous and unclean Person to tell men that Whoremon­gers and Adulterers God will judge. Nor a profane Swearer to Preach to men, Swear not at all. Christ indeed did send out Judas, but he was under no Scandalous Character till he betrayed his Master. A secret Hypocrite, whom we do not discern may be judged by us sent of Christ. But a Scandalous profane Person can­not. The Church ought to cast out such unsavoury salt; if she neglects her duty, I ought not to neglect mine: I am bound to feed by no such Shepherds Tents.

6. The true Shepherds of Christ will not traduce, and revile one another, the false Apostles traduced Paul to the Corinthians, as an hireling, and a weak man, &c. you read not that Paul and Peter, &c. ever did so, there was some hot Contests betwixt Paul and Barnabas, and Paul and Peter, but [Page 684] they never ended in revilings, and seeking of a proof of Christ one in another. In short, if you see any Ministers who are able to Pray and Preach, and faithful in doing it, and who in Preaching mind the Souls of the People, and feed them not with the air of a few fine Words: Nor with rotten, and corrupt Doctrines. Any whom the Lord owneth, making them bles­sed instruments to turn Souls to God, any who walk before their flock, who live up to what they Preach in all holiness of life, conclude these are the Shepherds Tents by which Christ hath commanded you to feed, if you would have any commu­nion with him. Regard not what Romish Priests say, that they have no Apostolical Succession; no what Enthusiasts say, that they are wirelings, therefore none of Christs Shepherds. He is no hireling that receiveth wages, for the labourer is by God deter­mined worthy of his hire. He is an hireling in the sense of Christ, John 10. that regards not the Souls of People, and looks at nothing but his hire. I shall only press your feeding by the Shep­herds Tents,

1. From the former advantages you have had from your Souls feeding there. I shall allude to that of the Apostle, Galat. 3. 2, 3. This only would I know of you, were not you converted from sin unto God by the Ministers of Christ, by such Shep­herds, as I have been describing to you? Were your hearts first changed, by those that declaim against Ministers and Ordinan­ces, &c.

2. Consider the moful Examples of those who have cast off the Ministry and Ordinances of God. What horrors have filled the Souls of some? What stupid blindness have others fallen into? How many of them are delivered up by God to strong delusi­ons to believe lies, or to a loosness of life and conversation, to commit iniquity with greediness, and that without any appa­rent sense or feeling. I could give you several, strange instances, but I shall rather chuse to leave you to be informed by your own Observation.

Sermon XLVII.

Canticles 1. 9.
I have compared thee (O my Love!) to a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots.

I Have done with the Answer of the blessed Lover to his Spouse's Petition; she prayed him to let her know where he fed, where he made his Flock to rest at Noon. How in her state and circum­stances of Affliction she might enjoy the fullest and sweetest com­munion with him. He hath directed her to go her way by the foot­steps of the Flock, to feed her Kids by the Shepherds Tents. But he hath not finished his Discourse. 'Tis seldom that Christ in his An­swers to his Peoples Prayers, giveth them strict and bare measure; it is ordinarily pressed down, and running over. He goes on,

I have compared thee (O my Love!) to a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots. Upon a view of other Translations, I find little or no difference; what is, is mostly about terms. The word which we translate Love, the LXX translate [...], My Neighbour; others, My Kinswoman. The word which we translate a company of Horses, the LXX, and those who follow them (the Syriack and Arabick) translate my Mare. Pagnine, Montanus, the Vulgar La­tine, and our Translation read it, a company, or my company of Horses. We will shortly inquire the sense of those two terms. The first word which we translate My Love, cometh from the Hebrew root [...] which in its primary signification, signifieth to feed as a Shepherd feedeth his Flock. In a secondary sense it signifieth, To associate, to shew ones self a companion to another, or a friend, because Shep­herds use to associate together; thence [...] which is a Substan­tive in the Feminine Form, used both in this verse, and again, v. 15. chap. 4 1, 7. ch. 2. 2. 10. 13. ch. 5. 2. signifieth one who doth intimately associate him or her self with another, so may be translated by, My Friends, my Love, or My Companions or any [Page 686] other term of like signification. It is not material which.

For the other term [...], the question is, Whether it should be translated My Mare, or my company of Horses, the Original word [...], signifieth an Horse; thence cometh [...], in the Femi­nine Form, which is the word used here. I think that in the Femi­nine Form, it is only used in this Text, so that it is difficult to de­termine which is the truest Translation, My Mare, or My Horse, or My company of Horses, or a Mare, an Horse, a company of Horses, [...], is often used, to signifie a single Horse, Psal. 32. 9. A company of Horses, Exod. 14. 9. It is also as hard to determine whether it should be read, My company of Horses, or a company; for though the Affix often hath the force of the Pronoun of the first Person, yet it is sometimes added Paragogically; so Pagnine and Mercer de­termine it here, and justifie it from the like usage of it, Lam. 1. 1. Isa. 1. 21. Besides that, the following words, in Pharaoh 's Cha­riots, would make one think it should not be translated My Com­pany, but A Company. In the words is, 1. A very amicable Com­pellation; My Friend, My Love, My Associate. 2. A Comparison; where is, 1. The Person comparing, I have likened. 2. The Person compared, thee. 3. The Thing to which she is compared, Horses, A company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots. The Text affords us two Propositions.

1 Prop. The Believing Soul is Christ's Associate, or Companion, his intimate Friend.

2 Prop. That Christ hath likened such a Soul to a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots.

I shall begin with the first of these; The Believing Soul is Christ's Love, his Friend, his Fellow, or intimate Associate. The word signifieth▪all these. There is a great deariness, and friendly fellow­ship betwixt the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spouse; whether by the Spouse, we understand the Believing Soul, or the Church, which is made up of such Souls. The word almost in this Form, from the same root, is translated fellow, Judg. 11. 37. I and my fellows, Psal. 45. 14. The Virgins her Companions. He had before called her the fairest amongst Women, v. 8. to shew his value and estimate of her; he here calls her his Love, his Friend, his Fellow, or Com­panion. It is a very sweet meditation, a pleasant voice surely, to hear him whom God calleth his fellow, and who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father, stooping to Dust and Ashes, and to the Worms of the Earth, and calling them his Love, his Friends, his [Page 687] Fellows. Surely it is good for us to stand here a little, and under­stand the significancy and meaning of this expression, inquiring,

1. How Christ approveth himself his Spouses Companion and Fellow.

2. How he (who knoweth not how to complement like vain man) by his influence upon, and by his Communion with his Church, and with the Believer, declares her to be indeed his Love, and himself to be her near and most intimate friend.

1. Christ hath made himself our Fellow, by his taking of our Nature upon him. He was from all Eternity God the Father's Fellow; God himself calleth him so, Zech. 13. 7. Awake O Shepherd! Awake O Sword against the Shepherd, and against the man that is my Fellow! Christ applieth that Text to himself, Mat. 26. 31. The wise man telleth us, Prov. 8. 30. that from Eternity, He was by him, as one brought up with him, and was daily his delight. And the Apostle tells us, he thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father. By his Incar­nation he made himself our Fellow, Heb. 2. 14. Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also took part with them, And v. 11. Both he who sanctifieth, and those who are sanctified, are all of one, wherefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren. But I shall not insist on this, which amounteth to no more than a Fellow­ship in one and the same common Nature; and thus, though there be this peculiar in it, that it was for the Spouse's sake, that he took upon him Humane Nature, (for I take that to be a Romantick Fan­cy, for which there is neither any Scripture, or found Reason, That if the World had not been to have been Redeemed, yet God would have sent his Son to be Incarnate;) yet in this sense he is in a sense a Fellow to all the Sons and Daughters of Men. I shall therefore pass over this, and come to shew you how Christ approveth himself as a Fellow or Companion to all those who are true Believers.

You read in holy Writ, of Fellow-Citizens, and Fellow-Heirs, Eph. 2. 19. Eph. 3. 6. of Fellow-helpers, and fellow-labourers, 2 Cor. 8. 23. 1 Thes. 3. 2. of fellow prisoners, and fellow souldiers, Col. 4. 10. Philemon 23. Phil. 2. 25. I think under one of these Heads, I may reduce whatsoever I need say for the opening of this Notion.

1. Christ is with his Saints a Fellow-Citizen in the City of their God. The City of God signifieth either the Church of God, or Hea­ven. Take it in either Notion, Christ is our Fellow-Citizen; he is the Head of the Church, Believers are the Members. The Head of the Body, and the other Members, make up but one Body; they are [Page 688] fellow-members of the same Body. The Mayor of your City, thô the most dignified Citizen, yet is a Fellow-Citizen. The Saints are all Fellow-Citizens, Eph. 3. 6. Christ, though their Head, is their Fellow-Citizen; he calls them Brethren, Heb. 2. 11, 12. saying, I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren; in the midst of the Church, I will sing praise unto thee. Do Fellow-Citizens dwell in a City compacted together? Christ dwells in his Church: He walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks: He dwelleth in the Believing Soul; his dwelling-place is in Zion, in his holy Mountain, Zech. 2. 11. I will dwell in the midst of thee. He saith, He will make his abode with the Soul that loveth him, and keepeth his Commandments; I in you, and you in me, saith he, Joh. 15. He dwelleth in their hearts by Faith, Eph. 3. 17. His Spirit dwells in them, Rom. 8. 9. But the No­tion of a Fellow-Citizen speaketh more than Cohabitation: A Part­nership in the same Rights and Priviledges. So doth a Co-heirship speak a Partnership in the same Enjoyments. Thus Christ is their Fellow-Citizen, their Fellow-Heir; they are Partners with Christ in the same Priviledges, in the same Enjoyments. Of his fulness they re­ceive grace for grace. And for the New Jerusalem, the City of God which is above, he hath willed them a Partnership with him in his glory, Joh. 17. 22. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. Only there is this observable difference, Fellow-Citizens, and Fellow-Heirs amongst men, are Notions which denote an equality in Priviledges and En­joyments, but not so between Christ and us. They are Heirs of the same Grace with Christ, 1 Joh. 16. Of his fulness they receive grace for grace: But with this difference; the People of God have the Spirit given by measure to them. To him the Spirit is not given by measure, Joh. 3. 34. The People of God have different measures, they have different measures of Faith, Rom. 12. 3. There is a mea­sure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Eph. 4. 13. This they ought to aim at, but none in this life attains it; they are Heirs of the same glory with Christ, Joh. 17. 22. but not of the same degrees of glo­ry. His glory shall be the glory of the Sun; their's but as the glory of the Stars; they shall be where he is; they shall Reign with him, but in the Throne he shall be greater than they are; his glory shall be an excelling glory. The Apostle calls them Heirs and Co-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 8. 17. In this sense the Lord approveth himself their Companion, their Fellow.

2. Christ and his Spouse are fellow-servants, fellows in the same [Page 689] work. What is the work of Believers, but to glorifie God? This is their great business. Whether (saith the Apostle) you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, let all be done to the glory of God. What was the work of Christ while he was upon the Earth? Joh. 17. 4. I have glorified thee on the Earth, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do: Christ and his Disciples have in the general one and the same work, to glorifie God. Though, if we come to speak of the particu­lar actions by which God is glorified by the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Believer, there is a great deal of difference. Christ glorified his Father by performance of the acts of our Redemption, accord­ing to his Fathers Will, we by those good works which he hath commanded; yet in the general scope, viz. the glorifying of God, and the more general mean by which this general End is attained, viz. obedience to the Will of God, they are both the same; Christ glori­fied his Father, by obedience to his Will: The Child of God glori­fieth God by obedience to his Will; both of them glorified God by the praedication of his Name, by praising him, &c. Christ took up­on him the form of a Servant, and became obedient, Phil. 2. 7, 8. The Child of God is by Birth a Servant, and by Covenant a Servant; (there is that difference betwixt them) but they are both Servants, both obedient to the Will of God, and both by that obedience serve the great End of glorifying God, which justifieth the Notion, though the Acts of their obedience differ according to their several spheres and stations. In a great Family you know they are all fellow-servants, though some of them have a more, some a less noble Imployment.

3. Christ is their Fellow-worker, their Fellow-helper, not only with reference to the Father, as they both work to the same End, and by the same general Means, viz. obedience to the Will of God, but as he worketh in them, and excites their habits of grace, and strengtheneth them in the exercise of them, Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, Phil. 4. 13. Without me you can do nothing, Joh. 15. 3. His Spirit helpeth our infirmities, Rom. 8. 26. [...], it lifts over against them. The Child of God, without the presence and assistance of Christ, cannot pray a prayer, nor hear a Sermon, nor perform any spiritual duty; so as that Christ is not only to the Believer a Fellow labourer, and Fellow­servant, doing the same work that they do, or at least having done the same work, but he is their Fellow-helper as to all their own spi­ritual Motions and Actions.

4. You in holy Scripture read of a Fellow-Prisoner, Aristarchus, [Page 690] and Epaphras, are both of them called Paul's Fellow-prisoners, Coloss. 4. 14. You read also of a Fellow-Souldier, Philip. 2. v. 25. Philemon 2. This Notion signifieth one that is a Partner and Fellow to another in Conflicts, Combates, &c. a common Part­nership in hazards and sufferings. In this sense our Lord properly calleth his Spouse (the Believing Soul) his Fellow. He fought and overcame the same Enemies with whom they daily fight. The Chri­stian hath three great Enemies; the World, the Flesh, and the De­vil. It is true, Christ had none of the second to incounter; he was born without sin; he lived without sin; he had no body of death. But yet he had to die for our sins; all our sins were set in Battel Array against him; they were those which nailed him to the Cross, but he conquered, and declared his Conquest, by his Resurrection from the dead. The World is our Enemy, one of those Enemies a­gainst which we are to maintain the Spiritual Fight. It was also his Enemy, he fought against it, and overcame it, Joh. 16. 33.— Be of good cheer, I have overcome the World. The Devil is another of our great Enemies, against whom we are commanded to put on the whole Armour of God, Christ overcame him also, Heb. 2. 14, 15. Through death he destroyed him who had the power of death, even the Devil. And the same Apostle in the same Epistle tells us, that he was therefore tempted, that he might be able to succour those that are tempted. The Apostle mentioneth Christ in this Notion, when he calleth him, The Captain of our Salvation. It is long since that he let his People know by his Prophet Isaiah, that In all their affli­ctions he was afflicted. He took himself concerned in the persecution of his Church, and therefore calleth from Heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me. Indeed it is not easie to determine what kind of Sympathy the most perfect Nature of Christ is capable of, but that he is their Fellow-sufferer, the Scripture plainly determineth. Thus you see, that it is not in a complement that Jesus Christ speaking to his Saints, speaks to them in this dialect, Thou that art my Fellow.

But our Translation reads it, O my Love; and the word, as I be­fore shewed you, is also so translated properly enough. A Friend hath this name in the Hebrew, because he is alwaies the companion and associate of his correlated Friend. Hence we translate it, My Loves, and conformably to this our Lord speaketh, Joh. 15. 14. You are my Friends, if you do whatsoever I have commanded you. And again, v. 15. Henceforth I call you not Servants, I call you Friends. Let us a little inquire how Christ approveth himself a Be­lievers Friend. Friendship speaketh 4 things.

[Page 691] 1. Love. 2. Free and ingenuous love. 3. Mutual, and reciprocal Love. 4. Mutual communion and converse each with other. 1. It Speaketh Love. Amicus ab amando. This is so obvious to every one that either understandeth any thing of the Revelation or History of holy, Writ, that it will need very few words to demonstrate. Be­sides the frequent friendly compellations which Christ hath given his People, whoso considereth his conjuction with his Father in the Eternal Purposes for their Salvation, and all those means by which they are made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light; his concern in the Eternal Covenant of Redemption and of Grace, in which he became a Surety for them; his taking upon him humane Nature, walking up and down in our flesh, Dying upon the Cross for us sinners; his resurrection from the dead for their justification; his ascending up into Heaven, and giving Gifts unto men, Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints; his sending his Spirit to convince the World of sin, righteousness and Judgment; his daily influence upon his People, strengthening, quickening, and comfort­ing of them; his being their advocate with the Father, in case both of Sins and duties; his passionate expressions while he was on the Earth for the conversion of Souls; his intreating them by his Ministers, as his Embassadors, that they would be reconciled to God; the charge that he hath given the World against offending them; his declarations of his coming to judge the World, to render tribu­lation to them that trouble them, and to them Rest and Peace: I say he that considereth any of these things, much less, all of them toge­ther, must say that he loved them with an Everlasting, unchangeable Love; alone suted to all the necessities of his poor Creatures, and that he hath willed them good sutable to all their Evils.

2. Secondly, Friendship speaketh free and ingenuous Love. Not the Love of a Child to a Father which is Natural, & to which he is obliged by a filial duty because of his Fathers care of, and provision for him; not the Love of a Servant, which is purchased by a kind usage, and dependance. A friend loveth freely. The Love of true Friends, is ordinarily an inaccountable thing. They love one ano­ther, and can hardly give one another an account of it, further than a goodness, and excellency, a suitableness, and likeness which they discern, or at least think they see each in other. Christs Love to us is free. He healeth our backslidings and loveth us freely. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. The reciprocal Love of the believing Soul is not so free and so ingenuous, as is his beloveds love to him. [Page 692] Yet it is thus far ingenuous, that it is not only for that the Soul hath from Christ, but for that goodness, and excellency which it discern­eth in Christ; this we had before, Because of the Savour of thy good Ointments, therefore do the Virgins Love thee.

3. Love properly doth not make a friend unless it be mutual, and reciprocal. Indeed in a large sense, a man may be said to be a friend to his Enemy: That is, to wish well to him, and to do him some kind Offices. But this is not friendship. All Friendship, implyeth a reciprocation of Love. Christ Loves the believer, and every true be­liever loveth Christ. So they are Friends, in the strictest, and most proper sense. Indeed there is a great difference which is well ex­pressed by one of the Casuists thus: ‘We will good to him, but we Tolet. in Cas. [...]. 4. c. 8. do not bestow that good upon him, which we will him: But he while he willeth good to us, also giveth us that good which he, willeth, and by his loving us maketh us good, and lovely.’ But every Child of God truly loveth Christ; truly I say, that is, sincerely though not with that kind or degree of Love with which Christ loveth him. Lord (saith Peter) thou that knowest all things, know­est that I Love thee. And If any man Loves not the Lord Jesus (saith the Apostle) let him be Anathema Maranatha.

4. Lastly, Love of friendship alwaies speaketh Communion betwixt the two Lovers. We are bound to Love our Enemies, and in every good man there is such a Love, even to those that hate them; but this is no Love of friendship, for the Precept of Love to Enemies, obligeth onely against malice and private Revenge, and to com­mon Offices of kindness, it doth not oblige to intimacy, or to any near fellowship, and Communion with them. We are so far obliged to Love our Enemies, as to bear no malice against them, to take no private Revenge upon them, to be ready to do any acts of kindness for their Souls, and any common offices of love. But I say we are not by it obliged to make them our intimates nor to keep any fel­lowship or communion with them. But in a Love of friendship, there is alwaies Communion, or a mutual Communication of the Parties loving each to others. Christ gives this account of his love of friend­ship to his disciples, John 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not Ser­vants, for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth, but I have called you Friends, for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known to you. Christ Communicates himself to believers, to such as are his disciples indeed, he is in them, they in him, and he is daily Communicating of his life, and strength to them, for, [Page 693] John 15. 4. Without him, they can do nothing. They are daily communicating themselves unto him, making a secret surren­der to him, of their hearts, their wills, their affections. Com­municating their wants and desires to him by Prayer, &c. Thus I have justified the notion of Christs Love, his friend, his Com­panion, to be agreeable, to what the Scripture revealeth con­cerning Christ, and the believing Soul.

Use 1. This in the first place leadeth us into a just admiration, of the Divine Love, and condescension. Who is this that calleth from Heaven to Earth, to the Worms of the Earth, and speaketh in this language, My Love! My Friend! My Fellow! Is it not he who is the Eternal Son of God, God over all blessed for ever, he to whom there is none like, and besides whom there is no God? He whom God calleth his fellow, and who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father. And to whom doth he speak? Is it not to those who must say to corruption, thou art my Mother, and to the Worms, you are my brethren and my Sisters? To those whose Fathers are Amorites, and whose Mothers are Hittites, who by nature are dead in trespasses and sins, unclean Children of unclean Parents. Will the Lord Love such Ethioptans, as we are by nature? Such Enemies, as we have shewed our selves by practice? Will the Lord make himself a companion to the creature, that is but as the dust of his feet? What manner of Love and condescension is this? For him whom the Eternal Father hath proclaimed to be his Son, and that Son in whom he is well pleased in whom the Lord hath set up his rest, he whom Kings and Prophets desired to see, whom Angels and glorified Saints adore, to whom the Father hath given a name above every name, he who hath Heaven for his throne, the Earth for his footstool, and the utmost ends of the Earth for his possession to say to us, My Love, My Friend, My Companion? Certainly these terms ought to ravish our hearts, and to affect them with in expressible admiration; and to whom doth he say thus? Is it only to the Glories and beauties of the World? To the Emperors, Rings, Princes and Nobles thereof? No; he saith thus to every believer, even the meanest that tread­eth upon the Earth, to the most poor, distressed, afflicted crea­ture, to Job that sits upon a dunghill scraping himself with a potsheard, to Lazarus that lyeth at the rich mans gate full of sores, and begging bread, while the Dogs lick his sores, to the [Page 694] poorest believer living in the meanest and dirtiest Gottage, to those whom the World revileth, slighteth, scorneth, to those who have spit in his face, and abused his patience, and despised his goodness, that have hardened their hearts against him, griev­ed his holy Spirit. Yet having repented of these things and be­ing turned to him, to these he calleth, to these he saith, My Love, My Friends, My Companions! He upbraideth them not for their former miscarriages, to these he becometh a fellow Prisoner, in these he becomes a fellow helper, these shall be joint heirs with him. Hear O Heavens! be astonished O Earth, never was Love like this, never such matchless Love. Let all our Souls swallow up themselves in this gulph of unfathomable Love, and while we are sinking let us cry out, O the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the Love of God in Jesus Christ, It is a condescension beyond the grasp of our faith. The great­ness of it causeth in us a difficulty to believe it. Who is a God like our God, a Saviour a Redeemer, an Husband like our Saviour, our Redeemer our Spiritual Husband? When they told David, that he should have Michal the Daughter of Saul to Wife, and persuaded him to it; Seemeth it to you (saith he) a small thing to be a Son-in-law to a King? If there be any of you not affected with this Love, this transcendent Love, give me leave to speak to you in the language of David; Seemeth it to you a small thing, to be the beloved, the friends, the companions of the Lord Jesus Christ? Ah! That I could send you away this day, admiring the divine Love, that he should take the fellow­ship of our nature upon him, that he should make us his fellow Citizens, admit us to a fellowship with him both in grace here, and in glory hereafter, that he should be our Companion in tri­bulation, our Companion in labour, and follow Soldier. But I leave this to be further improved by you in your more private meditations.

Use 2. 2. Secondly, This notion is of wonderful use to relieve, and comfort the People of God under all their present afflictions or fears of greater. The face of things as to Gods People hath been a long time gathering blackness and there is this day a great blackness. Prisons in the Primitive times were more the habitations of Gods People then Palaces, God grant we may not see them to be so again; we have been so used to beds of Feathers & Down, that the thoughts of a bed of straw make us shrink, so wedded to our [Page 695] own Country, that a strange land appeareth to us a strange thing. The Providence of God looketh as if it were prepar­ing Prisons, and Fetters, and banishments for his People and the hearts of Gods People are every where as sad as the times. What a wonderful comfort and relief to the People of God at such a time is it for them, to hear the Lord Jesus Christ calling them his Companions. His Companions in tribulation, and to call himself their fellow Souldier and fellow Prisoner. There are a great many arguments with which the suffering Servants of God may be relieved; Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer (said the Angel to the Church at Smyrna) Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison, that you may be tryed, and you shall have tribulation that you might be tryed, and you shall have tribulation for ten days, Rev. 2. 10. There are several ar­guments, 1. It is the Devil that cast Saints into Prison. He doth it by men as his instruments, but he filleth them with their rage and malice, 2. It is that they may be tryed. God permits it, the Devil could have no power against▪ a believer more then against Christ, if God did not permit it. The Devil and his instru­ments design is to ruin and to destroy them, Gods end is to try them. 3. It shall be but a tribulation for ten days, a short time. The rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the righ­teous. Well, but how shall they hold out these ten days? See Isaiah. 43. 1, 2. Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, for I have Redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou pas­sest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fires thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. In the ten days of tribulation, the Child of God shall not be alone, he that Redeemed them, will be with them. This was made good to the three Children in the fiery fornace in Babylon, Dan. 3. 24. Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? (saith Nebuchadnezzar) lo I see four men loose walking in the middest of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. He was with Daniel, Daniel 9. 22. With Paul and Sil [...]s, Acts. 16. They could never else have sang in the Pri­son at midnight. Let the People of God lift up their heads as Moses, seeing him who is invisible. Only take the caution of Peter, 1. Pet, 4. Let none of you suffer as a Murderer, or as a Thief, or [Page 696] as an Evil doer, or as a busy body in other, mens matters. But if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God one this behalf. Let men look that they suffer for righteous­ness sake, that is, to avoid sinning against God, (all such suffering is for righteousness sake) then they shall never be alone. Saul, Saul why (saith Christ) persecutest thou me, calling out of Hea­ven to Paul, when he was in his full carreer of persecution of the Church. No man can expect, that Christ should be a com­panion to him in his tribulation while he suffereth meetly for his stomach, or out of humour, much less if he suffereth for doing that which is plainly sinful and which he ought not to have done, but if he suffereth to avoid sin against God, to keep him­self unspotted from the World, as he is made a partaker of Christs sufferings, so Christ will be a partaker of his sufferings, his Companion in suffering, and whensoever Christs glory shall be revealed, he shall be glad with exceeding joy. It is a marvelous sweet notion to suffering Christians, to hear that Jesus Christ is, and will be their Companion in suffer­ings; fear not therefore Christians! in despight of evil men, and evil times, to keep a good Conscience, but Jam. 1. 2. Count it all joy, when you fall into diverse temptations. A good Conscience was yet never in Prison alone. Nor will this be strange to us if we consider, that even death it self, though it makes Soul and Body part Company, yet it doth not make Christ and a believer part Company. Our Bodies shall be raised from the Grave, by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, Rom. 8. 11. There are two great arguments amongst others to comfort the Peo­ple of God in all their noons of Afflictions, 1. That even then they are Christs fellows. They then are in the fellowship of his death, Phil. 4. 10, 11. They suffer with him, Rom. 8. 17. They are made conformable to his death, Christ is magnified in their body. They make up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, 2. That Christ will then be their fellow; it is to the Spouse at Noon, that he saith here, O My Love, My Fellow! &c. When the World is spitting their Venom, shewing their utmost Malice and hatred, even then Christ is calling to them and say­ing, My Love. When the World is casting them out as Pesti­lent fellows, then is Christ saying unto them, My Companions! Then will he be with them, and manifest himself as a friendly Companion to them.

[Page 697] In the third place, How should this raise up the hearts of Christi­ans above all discouragements, as to hard and difficult duties. O saith a Christian. This is an hard saying, who can hear it, a diffi­cult duty, how shall I ever perform it? how shall I ever get up my heart to it? Put to thy hand Christian, thou canst do nothing of thy self, but thou mayest do all things through Christ that strengtheneth thee, what cannot Christ and thou do toge­ther? I live, saith Paul, Gal. 2. 20. yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. Remember Christ hath called thee fellow, and why? Because he is thy fellow helper in duty as well as thy fel­low Prisoner, and fellow Souldier in all thy sufferings. Only do not like a Sluggard, lye down, and stand still, and cry, there is a lion in the way. Isa. 41. 10. (Saith God) Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee, with the right hand of my righteousness, v. 13. I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, for I will help thee. It is Christi­ans great fault, they pore upon themselves, and discourage them­selves from their own natural impotencies and insufficiencies, and do not consider that their fruit is found in Christ, and all their strength also laid up and found in him, and to be deri­ved from him.

Use 4. Fourthly, Doth Christ say to us, My Love? And shall not we say to him, My Beloved! shall not we Love the Lord Jesus Christ, and compleat this Love of friendship? It is said that when Christ was going with his disciples to Emaus their hearts burn'd within them, while they heard him talking by the way. Have not your hearts burned within you, while you have heard Jesus Christ speaking to you in this dialect? My, Love, My Fellow, If you Love them that Love you (saith our Lord, Matth. 5.) What re­ward have you? even the Publicans do so. O Love the Lord Jesus Christ all you his Saints, for he loveth you, and that too with the greatest, and most unmeasurable love.

Use 5. Is Christ our Companion? let us not grudg then to be his Compa­nions, and let us behave our selves towards him as towards a Companion, and such a Companion. This learneth us several things.

1. It learneth us what is our constant work and duty, viz! To Glorify God by doing the work which God hath given us to do, by [Page 698] manifesting his name to those whom God hath given us. This was Christs work, he went up and down doing good, saith the Evan­gelist. This was Christs work, this should be our work, we should be thinking every morning, how should I glorify Christ this day? How may I shew my self this day a Companion in labour to my great Lord and Master? this we cannot do by making our selves Companions of fools, nor meer Companions of worldly men, but by being the Companions of those that fear the Lord.

2. It learneth us our duty, to be couragious, valiant in fight, striving against sin, confident of Victory over all our Spiritual Ene­mies. Of these I have spake before. We should also in conside­ration of this use Christ as our Companion, and behave our selves towards him as to our Companion, and as to such a Companion, as he is. I shall direct in that in two or three particulars, 1. Be no Companion to Christs Enemies. David saith, Psal. 119. 63. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee, Psal. 119. 63. Solomon telleth us, That a Companion of fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. Who those fools are you may read, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Revel. 21. 8. All such as shall never enter into the King­dom of God, such as shall be destroyed in the lake that burns with fire, and brimstone, are fools with a witness. No Compa­nion to these can shew himself a Companion to Jesus Christ: Solomon saith, Prov. 28. 7. A Companion of riotous men shameth his Father. He that is a Companion, an ordinary Company, to loose and profane men, Drunkards, Swearers, Blasphemers, profane Swearers, and cursers, and professeth to be a Companion of Christ shameth Christ to whom he pretendeth to be a Companion. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, Eph. 5. 11. If you have see what the same Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship can righteousness and light have with you? The Gentleman abhorreth his Mistriss that makes herself a Compa­nion to ever Tapster and Porter. 2. Be you much in company with Christ. Fellows, and lovers use to be so, they are never well but when they are so. Frequent Communion with God, is like the frequent meetings, and converses of lovers, which ripen things apace for the wedding day. The Soul that is much with Christ in Soliloquies and meditations, much in Prayer, ripeneth apace for glory, for the great marriage of the Lamb. Much commu­nion with God, hath these two eminent advantages. God is by [Page 699] it much indeared to the Soul and the Soul is again reciprocally much endeared to God by it.

2. When thou art in communion with Christ be not Idle. A man may be in his study, and do nothing of moment; a Child may truant in the School: Domitian, may be killing flyes in his Councel-Chamber. A Soul may lose that time that it pretends to spend with Christ. Spend this hallowed part of your time, as Lovers, and Companions use to do.

1. In imparting your secrets unto Christ: Your secret wants, doubts, fears, desires, not concealing your most secret thoughts from the Lord.

2. In wooing of your beloved: Begging his love and favour, crying out to him with the Spouse, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. Draw me, and we will run after thee. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth! where thou feedest, where thou mak­est thy flocks to rest at Noon.

3. In mutual embraces: The embraces of faith and love. I held him (saith the Spouse) and would not let him go. Put the hand of faith about the neck of your beloved, it is a Chain from which he cannot, from which he will not get loose. But I have dwelt long enough upon the compellation in the Text, [my Love or my Fellow] I should now come to the matter of my text, I have compared thee to a company of Horses in Phara­oh's Chariots. But of that hereafter.

Sermon XLVIII.

Canticles 1. 9.
I have likened thee (O my Love!) to a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots.

I Am come to the second Proposition I observed from these words▪ I have done with the first raised from the Compellation.

Prop. Christ hath likened his Spouse to a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots.

[Page 700] I shall speak to this Proposition in my usual method, by way of Explication, Confirmation, and Application. By way of Explication I shall shew you, 1. In what sense that term, I have likened, or I have compared thee, is to be understood. 2. Why Christ hath likened his Spouse to Horses, to a company of Horses, and why to a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots.

As to the first, the only question is, Whether the sense be, I have made thee like, or I have fancied thee like; the Radical word [...] signifieth to be like, or to assimilate. I find it frequently in Scripture used in Pihel, the very Conjugation in which it is used in this Text. From some of those Texts we may possibly gather the sense of it in this Text, Numb. 15. 35. I will do unto them as I thought to do unto them. There it is translated, I thought, Isa. 14. 24. As I have thought, so have I brought it to pass, Judg. 20. 5. The men of Gi­beah— thought to slay me, Psal. 48. 9. We have thought of thy lo­ving kindness, Hos. 12. 10. I have used similitudes, Lam. 2. 13. To what shall I liken thee? The word is in Scripture often used to sig­nifie the making Idea's and Representations of things in our minds. No man does any action but he first makes the Idea and Platform of it in his thoughts: Now this action of the mind informing the Idea or Platform of a thing, is that which is expressed by this word. In short, the word may signifie either; I have made thee like, or I have in my mind fancied, or conceived thee like; so it either denotes a gracious act of Christ terminated in us, or an action of Christ ter­minated in himself. In the first sense it signifies, Christ's induing of his Spouse with some noble and generous qualities, bearing some proportion to those that are found in an Horse. In the second sense it is rather expressive of some duty in the Spouse proceeding from such Endowments. In the Text the latter must include the former. For he who draweth the similitude, is one who cannot err in his Judgment. We may have Fancies that are vain, and our minds may conceive of things otherwise than indeed they are. He cannot conceive his Spouse like to a company of Horses, if indeed she were not so, He could not be deceived with a false Representation of any Object. I think it no vain conjecture of some Interpreters of this Text, that our Saviour addeth these words, with some reference to the Spouse's Petition immediately preceding. She had begg'd to to be directed how in the Noon of her afflicted state, when the Sun of Tryals and Persecutions beated hot on her, she might enjoy, a free, full Communion with him, he had bidden her to go forth by [Page 701] the footsteps of the Flock, to follow the steps of those who before had walked with God under the darker dispensations of his Providence. Now, lest she should shrink at the thoughts of Trials, he goes on, and tells her, he had made her like, and looked upon her as like to an Horse, yea a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots. But,

1. Why doth our Saviour compare his Spouse to Horses? We would in our Age think it a strange Complement for a man to use to the woman whom he loved. But we must remember, that a great deal is to be allowed in the different Dialect of several Nations, in diffe­rent Ages, as we see is to Persons in the same Age living at an hun­dred years distance each from other. There are many Phrases which an hundred or two years ago were good English, and good sense, which in our more Polite and Reformed Age we should now judge very ordinary course Language. Elijah you know was called by the King of Israel, The Chariots of Israel, and the Horsemen thereof; all that was meant, was the honour, and strength, and defence of the Nation. So Zech. 10. 3. It is said, God had visited his Flock, and made them like a goodly Horse in Battel. And Rev. 19. 11, 14. Christ is described as riding upon a white Horse, and his Army on white Horses. The Spouse is here compared to Horses, a company of Horses, only for some eminent quality, or qualities in Horses. Nor is our own Dialect free from such comparisons. We say of a man without disparagement, He is as strong as an Horse. Nor is this similitude improper, whether we consider, 1. The generous quali­ties of that creature: Or, 2. The general repute and value which some of that Species have, especially with some Persons. The Hebrew Doctors reckon up seven Qualities of an Horse, but they reckon good and bad Qualities together. 1. It is a goodly creature. 2. It is a docible creature, easily to be taught several things. 3. It is a mar­tial valiant creature. 4. It is a swift creature. 5. It is a very labo­rious useful creature. I do not think that all these are intended in this Text, because it is not said, I have likened thee to an Horse, but to a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots. There are two or three of them which may be intended, and it is questionable which of them is principally intended.

1. An Horse is a goodly creature. You read of a goodly Horse, Zech. 10. 3. We take a great delight to look upon some Horses whose Limbs are well proportioned, and which have been well man­aged. An Horse is very comely above a Swine, or an Ox, or any neat Cattel: And usually Horses used in Coaches and Chariots, [Page 702] (especially Princes Chariots) are of the most goodly and comely sort. If we should take it in this sense, it signifies Christ's high Opinion of his Church, and every Believing Soul. He had before called her, The fairest amongst Women, here he compareth her to goodly Horses. This is Beza's, and some other Learned Interpreters Notion of the Metaphor in the Text. The stature and talness of the Woman, and just proportion of her Limbs one to another (saith he) addeth much unto her beauty. Horses (upon those accounts) are very lovely, beau­tiful creatures; but besides that, I have discoursed before the beau­ty and comeliness of the Spouse, I must confess I incline with seve­ral other Interpreters rather to another sense of it in this Text.

2. An Horse is a very swift creature. There are indeed other creatures in other Countries that are more swift of foot than an Horse, but none of ordinary use that are swifter of foot. Deodate thus interprets the Metaphor, and there is a truth in it. God puts into his People a Spirit of life and activity, so as they are swift to hear, James 1. 19. ready to every good work. We read in Scripture of Horses swifter than Leopards, Hab. 1. 8. But I do not think this principally intended in this place, and it seemeth too much a strain­ing of the Metaphor.

3. And lastly, Therefore the Horse is a strong and valiant crea­ture. God himself propoundeth the Horse as a pattern of strength, Job 32. 19. Hast thou given unto the Horse his strength? And it is said of God, that he delighteth not in the strength of an Horse, Psal. 147. 10. And as the Horse is a creature of strength, so it is a crea­ture of a great spirit and courage; He rusheth into the Battel, and is not afraid, Jer. 8. 6. God speaking to Job concerning the Horse, giveth an excellent and elegant description of him, Job 39. 19, 20. where God asketh Job, Hast thou clothed his neck with Thunder? Canst thou make him afraid at a Grashopper? The glory of his No­strils is terrible. He paweth in the Valley, and rejoyceth in his strength. He goeth on to meet the armed man, he mocketh at fear, and is not af­frighted, neither turneth he back from the Sword. The Quiverrattleth against him, the glittering Spear, and the Shield, he swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the Trumpet. He saith amongst the Trumpets, Ha, Ha, and he smelleth the Battel afar off, the Thunder of the Captains, and the shout­ings. With respect of this Quality of the Horse I conceive it is, that the Spouse is here compared to Horses; War-like Horses, full of spirit and courage. I have likened thee to a company of Horses; That [Page 703] is, I have made thee bold, couragious, full of resolution, to make a spi­ritual resistance to thy Enemies, to bid a defiance to them, no more to regard the reproaches and revilings, the threats, and rage, and vio­lences of wicked men that oppose thee, and cause thy trouble, than the Horse regardeth the ratlings of the Quiver, or the sound of the Trumpet, or the glittering Spear or Shield. Fear not the rage and mad­ness of thy Enemies. I have made thee like to the Horses in Pha­raoh's Chariots, which are so bred, and so spirited, that they mock at fear; and the more their Enemies rage and make a noise, the more couragiously, and with the more mettle they go on. This I take to be the most proper and likely sense of the Metaphor in this Text; accordingly I shall handle it.

2. But it is not said, To an Horse only, but to a company of Hor­ses: Why to a company of Horses? The term company denotes Multitude and Unity. 1. It denotes Multitude. The Church of Christ consists of many Individual Believers, who in respect of their Innocency, and feeding in the same Pastures, are compared some­times to a Flock of Sheep here in respect of that spirit of valour, courage, and fortitude which animates them all, to a company of Horses.

2. It is a term which denotes Unity, not a numerical Unity, but an Unity in some common work, and in some accidents common to them all. Thus the Apostle saith, We being many are one body. There is, saith the Apostle, Eph. 4. 4, 5. one Body, one Spirit, they are called in one Hope, of their Calling, they have one Lord, one Faith, one Bap­tism, they have one God and Father of all. The Spouse is not com­pared to a company of Horses in a field, or in the streets, but to a company of Horses in a Chariot, where they draw together, run toge­ther upon the Enemy. Every Believer also hath a Company within himself, the several powers and faculties of his Soul armed with the whole Armour of God. These are like a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots.

3. But why in Pharaoh's Chariots. Pharaoh was a common name to the Kings of Egypt, and a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots, signifieth no more than a company of the best Egyptian Horses-Egypt at that time was one of the most famous places for Horses in the world. Hence you read that Solomon had Horses brought out of Egypt, 1 King. 10. 28. And the King of Judah sent his Embassa­dors into Egypt, that they might give him Horses, Ezek. 17. 15. So Isa. 31. 1. Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay on [Page 704] Horses. v. 3. Their Horses are flesh, and not spirit. So as I think they have but a feeble support from this Text, who would make advan­tage of this Text to justify their notion, that this Divine por­tion of holy Writ is no more but a Love-song betwixt Solomon and Pharaohs Daughter.

To all this I might add one thing more, that the Horse by reason of those excellent qualities, which the God of nature hath endued it with, hath in all ages been in a very high esteem with men. The vanity of some Persons in the expression of this hath been very great. Historians tell us, the Persians made solemn funerals for their Horses; in other places they builded Pyramids over their Sepulchers. Alexander the great, built a City to the memory of his Horse. Julius Caesar set up his Horse a marble effigies. The Emperour Commodus, would have his Horse buried in the Vatican. Our age is more rational, then to allow these vanities, but yet it is vain enough, many a man takes more care for the mangery of his Horse then for the Education of his Child, and alloweth his Horses more attendance then his wife. Which lets us see what a value men yet put upon this creature. So as this sense may be put upon the Words of this Text, thou art as dear to me, and in as high esteem with me, as the Horses in Pharaohs Chariots are to, and with him. The Propo­sition then of the Text amounteth to this:

Prop. That the Church of Christ, and every particular believer in it, is in Christs Eyes exceeding lovely, and highly esteemed of by him, and knowing that she is in the midst of Enemies he hath cloathed her with strength for the victory sufficient if she will make use of it; he hath made her like to a Company of Horses in Pharaohs Charrots.

The proof of the Proposition then lyeth in the proof of these two things.

1. That the Spouse of Christ is in his Eyes exceeding goodly, and beautiful, and highly esteemed of by him.

2. That she is cloathed with sufficient strength and might to over­come her Enemies.

For the proof of the former, I shall not insist upon it, for besides the large discourse I have already spent upon that, when I handled that phrase (O thou fairest amongst women) The expressions of Scripture are so obvious to every Eye, where Christ setteth out his Love to, and esteem of his Church, and [Page 705] every particular believer, that I need not spend time in giving you an account of them.

The latter is no less plain, Immediately upon the fall God gave out this promise, Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The seed of the woman was Christ, and his seed, those that believe in him. Conformable to this is that promise, Rom. 16. 20. God shall bruise Sathan under your feet shortly. It was an ancient promise made to Abraham, and in him to all that walk in the steps of his faith, Thy seed shall possess the gates of its Enemies. God saith, Zech. 10. 3. That he made his flock as a goodly Horse in the day of battel, v. 5. And they shall be as mighty men which tread down the Enemies as mire in the streets; in the battel they shall fight, because the Lord is with them. I come to the Application.

Use 1. I shall only apply it by Exhortation to two great duties: Fortitude and unity. I begin with the first, upon which I shall most inlarge, as to which I shall shew you, 1. Wherein it lies, and dis­course it to you as it stands distinguished from a natural Spirit, and stomack. 2. From a moral fortitude. 2. I shall offer you some directions in order to the promoving of it. 3. Lastly I shall press it by some arguments.

It is agreed on all hands that the object of it is dangers and sufferings. That the nature of it lyeth in a bold encountring, and going through them: That the vices opposed to it are. 1 Cow­ardise. 2. Rashness, or fool hardiness, as we call it. There is a courage or fortitude which ariseth only from the natural Spirit and courage of the creature. Now this is to be found in beasts as much as in men, yea and more then in men, the reflections of whose reason makes them less Spiritful then Horses, or Dogs, or Lions, &c. This commendeth no man, for no man hath more of this then many Beasts have. So it removeth not man at any distance from a Brute Creature. Secondly. There is a moral fortitude. Which though it must have some foundation in nature, for none that is naturally fearful, and cowardly, will by reason be im­proved to any degree of valour, yet differeth from the other. As it ariseth from knowledge, and some just improvement of rea­son, and is governed by the dictates of reason, and directed to some noble, and rational end, such now as the preservation of our honour or Country, &c. But now Christian fortitude is quite another thing as it ariseth,

[Page 706] 1. From a threefold principle of grace, 2. As it is direct­ed by the rule of the Word. 3. As it is exercised upon and against sin; As lastly it works for a more noble end, the glory of God, and the Salvation of the Soul, you may take this Description of it:

It is an habit infused into the Soul by the holy Spirit of God in­abling the Soul, from the dread of the Eternal God, a Love to him, and a faith in him, and his promises, to despise the prospect, or pre­sence of any danger, in a resistance and fighting against sin, and all temptations to it, governing it self by the rule of Gods Word, in or­der to the glory of God, and the Salvation of a mans Soul. From hence may easily be gathered, both how it differeth from Natural Spirit and stomackfulness which is under no govern­ment, either of reason or Religion, and is a mere natural quali­ty, and found in beasts, as much, and more then in man.

It also differeth from Moral sortitude, both in the Principle, the rule, and manner of its exercise, and the End. All which I shall open. I shall begin with the first of these.

1. The first Principle of Christian Fortitude is the holy Spirit. Fear not saith God, I will strengthen thee, and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousness. It is indeed God as the God of Nature that puts the natural Spirit and courage into the Horse, or other beasts, Job. 32. 19. Hast thou (saith God) given strength to the Horse; Hast thou clothed his neck with Thunder? But here God acts as the Author of saving grace. The holy Spirit is the Author of all gracious habits, now there is a three­fold Spiritual habit, from which this fortitude or Christian courage proceeds; they are as it were the Parents of it.

1. The first is the fear of God. No man is valiant against sin, when temptations to it lye from great dangers, but he that hath a true dread of God in, and upon his heart. It is said of Moses, Hebr. 11. 27. That by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King, for he indured, as seeing him who is invisible. He for­sook Egypt in obedience to the command of God, he feared not the wrath of the King. When he saw he must either incur the Kings wrath, or Gods displeasure, he feared not the wrath of the King, though (as Solomon saith) The wrath of the King is as the Messenger of death: Yet he feared not the wrath of the King, here now was courage; here was Christian Fortitude: Whence was it that he was so courageous? The Text tells [Page 707] you, He indured, as seeing him who was invisible, he had the dread of the King of Kings upon his Soul, agnovit imperatorem coeli, he knew there was one, that was higher then the highest mor­tal; and this is necessary, and that too in a very good degree to every Soul that is valiant for God. Every Person that feareth not God will be a coward in the Spiritual fight.

2. A Second habit contributing to this fortitude or Christian courage, is The Love of God. The Apostle tells you it constrains; we see in daily experience, the lover will indure no difhonour to be done unto, no affront to be put upon the woman that he loveth. The vain Gentleman is ready to fight upon any such account. The Soul which truly loveth God, will fuffer no affront, no dishonour which he can help, to be done unto, and put upon God, much less can he allow his own Soul in any such thing, what ever be the consequent of it.

3. A third habit from which this Christian courage or forti­tude ariseth is Faith: Faith respecting both the Proposition of the Word, and the promise of the Gospel, and Person of the Mediatour. Faith agreeing to all which the holy Scripture revealeth con­cerning the wrath of God, his power, justice greatness, con­cerning the reward of those who well fight the good fight, who overcome, &c. And also hoping, and trusting in God for the fulfilling of those promises. Natural courage is much from Nature, and derives much from the Blood, Moral Fortitude deriveth much from Education and Reason. Christian Fortitude in encountring dangers ariseth from quite different principles. The Christian is stout and valiant in the resi­stance of sin, because he feareth the great and living God, whose wrath is a thousand times more formidable then the wrath of the greatest man, who when he hath killed the body can do no more; God can cast both body and Soul into Hell-Fire. Because he loveth God, and will suffer any thing, rather than grieve and offend him, and because he believeth, whatsoever God hath revealed in his holy Word concerning the greatness, power, wrath, and justice of God against sin, and concerning those who strive in the resistance of it. Hence you read in that martyrology which you have Heb. 11. 33. That they through faith subdued Kingdoms,—v. 34. quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,—waxed valiant in the fight, v. 35. they were tortured, not accepting deliverance, v. 36. they had Trials of cruel mockings, [Page 708] and Scourgings, yea moreover of bonds, and imprisonment, &c. The principles of the Christian valour, are not meer Natural Spirit and stomackfulness, nor meer principles of honour, and reputation, and reason, which were the principles of the Roman valour, but these which I have shewed you.

2. As to the Acts of it. They are all lawful resistances of sin. He will resist unto blood, but it still is in striving against sin, Heb. 1. 2. 4. And this he doth by a lawful resistance; This in the de­scription I called a governing himself according to the rules of Gods Word, 2 Tim. 2 5. If a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. All sin is a transgression of the law of God. No Christian fortitude can be shewen either in the encountring of a danger, for not doing what he ought to do: Or for the encountring of a danger, rather then doing, what God hath given him a freedom and liberty to do. As to the first a man is not Gods Martyr but the Devils: As to the Second, he cannot be a Martyr for God but for his own humour, God hath left him a liberty, he need not suffer unless he will. But now there may be several actions as to which a good man doth not see his li­berty, but lyeth under apprehensions, that they are unlawful. The Question is what a Christian is to do as to them? And whether a Christian can shew any Christian fortitude in incountring dangers rather then doing them. To which I shortly answer,

1. That it is the duty of every good man as to such actions to use all the means he can, as to a true information of his own conscience. Reading the holy Scriptures, and other good Books, interpre­ting the Scriptures, which may rightly inform him: Keeping his ear open to all arguments on both sides, to all instructions.

2. If by no means he can receive Satisfaction as to the lawfulness of such actions, the doing of them would be sin to him, and he is bound to incounter any danger rather then do them and this is a piece of Christian fortitude. The proximate Rule of our actions must be our own Conscience (by which I mean, our own pra­ctical judgment of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of things to be done, according to the best information we have, or can get concerning the will of God in his word;) the persuasions, com­mands, dictates, or practice of others is no rule to us. We must resist what our own Consciences tell us is sin and contrary to the will of God.

But it must be lawfully. It must be such a resistance only as [Page 709] Gods Word doth allow us. A private Person in the resistance of sin, must not resist the power, which is the Ordinance of God, Rom. 13. 2. It is one thing to do what such powers command, another thing by Arms to resist. God hath not given the Sword into any private hand, and such a Person drawing it shall perish with it; we must strive against sin, but we must strive lawfully, not by ill Language, or boisterous actions, but by meek and pa­tient Suffering.

3. Lastly. The End of Christian fortitude must be, 1. The glory of God. 2. The Salvation of our own Souls. 'Tis no Christian valour, to be valiant for any thing but the truth, the honour and glory of God, the cause and concern of God in the World: and in a matter where the Eternal Salvation of his own Soul is concerned. Thus far I have opened to you the nature of this Christian courage and fortitude, which I am calling to you for. Let me in the next place offer something to you which may promove this excellent habit in your Souls. A Natural courage cannot be given, where any thing of a Moral fortitude may be promoved by rational arguments, education, and a due di­gestion of moral Principles. But there must be some good natural foundation of courage, for the Moralist in the managery of his disciple to build upon, but it is not so as to this Christian fortitude. Persons of the weakest sex, of the low­est, meanest, weakest Spirits by nature, have been made valiant as to the Spiritual fight from the dread of God, the Love of God, by saith in the Word of God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in order to this excellent habit, and so necessary for these times,

1. The first thing which I shall commend unto you in order to it is, a Sound knowledge of the revealed will of God, both con­cerning sin, and concerning duty. Knowledge is the foundation of saith. It is that which giveth boldness to a man both in speak­ing and in acting. A poor ignorant Person may be valiant, but he cannot expect to be so, he is Sometimes made valiant in an extraordinary manner, by some special instinct, and impression of God upon him, as that Woman which told her Judges, She could not dispute, but she could dye for Christ. A just knowledge of what I may, or may not do, of the Nature of God, his promises, and threatnings, is most necessary to a true Christian courage and fortitude. He fighteth more like a madman, then a Christi­an, that is not first fully Satisfyed in the goodness, and justice of his cause.

[Page 710] 2. A knowing man may be cowardly if he be not rooted and grounded in the faith, heartily and firmly believing what he hath the notion of. Faith is the only shield that keepeth off the fiery darts of the wicked. Now this is the gift of God, and the way to obtain it is Prayer. Beg of God his Spiritual armour, and to make you valiant in the Spiritual fight, Math. 26. 41. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.

3. Set as loose to the World and all your concerns, and Rela­tions in it as you can. It is observed of great Cities that they sel­dom hold out long against an Enemy, Their Riches, their Wives and Children make them Cowards. That Man or Woman that hath not learned to deny himself in all his worldly contentments can never be valiant.

4. Lastly look unto Jesus the Author, and the finisher of your saith, who for the joy that was set before him, indured the cross, despised the shame, and is set down on the throne of God; consider him who indured such contradiction of sinners in himself, lest you be weari­ed, and saint in your minds. It is the Apostles advice, Heb. 12. 3. The valour and courage of a General oft times puts mettal, and courage into his Souldiers, & retrieveth a day of battel when it is upon the point lost. The eying of Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith, is of mighty use to us to ingage us to go on to the Spiritual fight without fear or dread. Let me press this upon you by a few arguments.

1. The first shall be from the ton general decay of this gracious habit in the Spirits of Christians. God of 'old complained by his Prophet, Jer. 9. 3. That there was a generation of them who bent their tongues like bows for lies, but there w [...] none valiant for the truth upon the Earth. How few are there this day that are va­liant for the truth? There are many that bend their bows for lies. Papists are full of courage and mettal for an idolatrous wor­ship; wicked men are full of malice & courage to accuse, inform against, and to destroy the People of God, but who is on the Lords side? Who? Where is the courage of Christians for the truths, the waies, the Ordinances of God? They dare not appear for God, but seek all waies to hide, and cover themselves, and to withdraw themselves from the Lords battels. They are not like the warlike horse God speaketh of to Job, that saith amongst the Trumpets, Ha, Ha, that mocketh at fear, is not affrighted, and turneth not his back from the Sword. It is time for some to [Page 711] shew themselves valiant for God, for the truths, and Ordinan­ces of God. We are afraid that true Religion is almost at its last Gaspe in our times. Where is the Spirit, of the Lord God of Elijah? The Spirit of those Antient Worthies that noble Army of Martyrs, that loved not their lives unto Death, but wit­nessed a good confession, they transmitted the true Religion to us sealed with their blood, the Spirits of Christians do not ap­pear as if we were like to add many such seals to it, and pass it also under our Seal to the generation which is like to succeed us. Let this a little move us.

2. Consider how necessary a grace it is for the times in which we live. The whole Life of a Christian upon the Earth is such a war­fare, such a warring with Principalities and Powers, and the Ru­lers of the Darkness of this World, against spiritual wickedness in high places, that he had need be called to, at all times, to put on the whole Armour of God, that he may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil, to withstand, and when he hath done all to stand. But the times wherein we live seem to have a particular malignity against Religion and Godliness above the times we have seen, or the daies of our Forefathers. The Devil is come down with a great rage, we had need of courage, and of patience. The Casuists trouble their Readers with many Questions in order to the Solution of this one Question, When a Christian is obliged to make an explicit Confession of his Faith, and to declare what he is, and what he will stand to, and abide by? They agree generally, that he is bound to do it where the glory of God is eminently concerned. 2. Or where the good of others is in eminent hazard. There are certainly two times when the glory of God is eminently concerned in Christians appearing for him. 1. When his Truths and Ordinances are like to be trodden under foot. 2. When the Name and Things of God are eminently blasphemed. I beseech you consider whether these be not times of great reproach and blas­phemy; were ever the Truths of God more opposed? was ever the holy Name of God to that degree blasphemed? was there ever a greater rage against Religion and Godliness? Is it not now time for Christians to buckle on their Armour, to quit themselves like men, to arm themselves with courage, to shew themselves like a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots, Horses that will not be afraid, like Grashoppers, Horses that paw in the Valley, and rejoyce in their strength, and go on to meet the armed men.

3. Consider, That Christ hath made you like the Horses in Pha­raoh 's Chariots. I will open this in two things.

[Page 712] 1. He hath put of his strength into you. The wise man saith, The Horse is prepared for the day of Battel; he is prepared by Nature, by a great natural Spirit which God hath given him, and he is prepa­red by Art and Managery. God hath prepared every Christian for this Spiritual battel by giving him a New Nature. We use to say, That if the Horse knew its own strength, it would be too hard for the Rider. God in mercy to man hath hidden the Horses strength from him. God in judgment hath hidden Christians strength from them, in these sinful times. The Church hath a strength in it, such a strength, as the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against. Believers have a strength in, and with them, if they would but put it forth; pri­sons, torments, fires, in former times could not prevail against them. How hath God in these sinful times hidden the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent, and the strength of the strong men from them? What a strength was there in Luther when Melancthon was afraid they should perish in their appearing for the Cause of God, and he made answer, Esto, ruamus, ruet Christus una Christus magnus ille regnator mundi; mallem cum Christo ruere, quam cum Caesare stare. Be it so (saith he) Let us perish, Christ must perish with us, Christ, that great Ruler of the World; I had rather fall with Christ, than stand with Caesar. The Horse is not afraid of an Army of armed men; he goeth on to meet the armed men, he mocketh at fear, he is not affrighted, he turneth not his back from the Sword, he feareth not the rattling of the Quiver, nor the glittering of the Spear, and the Shield, he swalloweth up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the Trumpet. Christ hath made his People like to these Horses, only the strength of the Horse is natural, the Believers strength is spiri­tual. Why are we afraid? 2. The Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots had doubtless some Armour to protect them and preserve them. How­ever, he that governed the Chariot took a care of them. Thus also were the Horses prepared for the Battel, by Art, as well as by Na­ture. Thus are Christians also prepared; there is an Armour of God prepared for them, which they are to put on. And Christ who go­verneth his own Chariot, his Church, will take care of them, Psal. 46 5. God is in the midst of the Church, therefore it shall not fall, Isa. 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, last any hurt it, I will keep it night and day, Psal. 125. 2. As the Moun­tains are round about Hierusalem, so the Lord is round about his People; He will create a defence upon their glory, a cloud, and a smoak, [Page 713] and a flaming fire upon her Assemblies, a Tabernacle, a place of Re­fuge, a cover from the storm, and from Rain, Isa, 4. 4, 5.

4. And lastly; Christ expecteth this from you. Thus much me­thinks is signified to us by the phrase, I have compared thee to a com­pany of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots. The Prince expects that his War-horses should serve him in the day of Battel, that they should not be afraid of armed men, of Drums or Trumpets, &c. It is the service we have to do for Christ in the use of the habits of his grace bestowed upon us, and in thankfulness for all the goodness he hath shewed us in more calm and quiet times. That Christian ill requiteth the Lord for all his feeding in green and fat Pastures, who when an Evil day comes, and the Lord by his Providence calleth out to the World, Who is on my side? Who is afraid, or ashamed to appear for God, own his Truths, and sacred Institutions? Christ hath not compared us to Asses, that couch under burdens, but to a more generous sort of creatures, to Horses, to Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots. Look upon your selves as such. Be not like the cowardly Cur, that runs away as soon as a Man takes but up a stone to throw at him. We read of Christians in the Primitive times, that they would expose themselves to their Tormentors, telling them, They were Christians. In Queen Mary's time the Persecutors cursed the People of God, and said, They had a mind to burn. Oh that Chri­stians in these times had such a courage, as the wicked Apostates, and their most furious Adversaries; might think that Christians in the defence of the Gospel, had a mind to suffer whatever their wicked hands durst do against them. Certainly he who hath given Christians the grace of fortitude and courage, expecteth the exer­cise of it.

2. But secondly; This Doctrine calleth aloud to Christians for Unity. Christ hath not compared us to Horses in a Field, but in a Chariot, where they are united. Horses in Chariots draw by couples, and that maketh their draught the more easie. Oh that my head were a fountain of waters, my eyes rivers of tears, that I might weep day and night for the Divisions amongst the People of God. This hath made almost every Horse draw singly, and hath almost mired the Lord's Chariots.

1. I beseech you consider how God's Enemies are united. Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Papists and Atheists are united in their op­position to Truth and Holiness, against every person, and everything which hath any thing of the stamp and impression of God [Page 714] upon it. Is it not time for all Protestants to unite, all such especially as are Christians not in name only, but in deed, and in truth? It may be we cannot unite in every Principle or Ecclesiastical Pra­ctice; we have different apprehensions, and we cannot reconcile them: Can we not forbear one another in love? who hath made us more infallible than our Brethren? 2. I beseech you consider, what already have been the fruits of our breaches, and disunion, and what is likely to be the further issue of them, if not in time prevented. Popery is increased; many absurd and blasphemous Opinions are propaga­ted; what will the end of these things be? Shall we not be made a common prey, pugnant singuli, vincuntur universi; while men fight singly, they are overcome universally. You that have any savour of the things of God upon your Souls, that have sense of things, and how dismal the state of them is, and is like to be, I beseech you lay these things to heart. The whole Ministry of the Gospel, the Ordinances of God are struck at. One Truth of God is cryed down after another. Lay these things to heart, and while you are persuaded that your Brethren own the same common Faith with you, and pursue the same common design of the glory of God, and Holi­ness as the means to it, give an allowance to them in some things wherein you differ; do not arrogate Infallibility to your selves; believe it is possible you also may be mistaken; and though you are bound to live by your own Faith, and walk according to your own Faith, and Persuasion, yet do not pro­nounce an Anathema against all that are not just of your size. Lay aside your heats and animosities, and your differences, which are of far less moment than the whole Interest of Christ and his Gospel is. I shall conclude my Discourse, as the Apostle begins his second Chap­ter to the Philippians; If therefore there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercy: Let me add, If any concern for the honour and glory of God, or the Interest of Christ or Religion in the Nation, fulfil the comparison of my Text, and be you yet at last like a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots, being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind, and do the same thing in bearing a joint Testimony for God.

Sermon XLIX.

Cant. 1. 10.
Thy Cheeks are comely with rows of Jewels. Thy neck with Chains of gold.

THE Blessed Lover in this song goes on yet in the commen­dation of his Spouse. He had before commended her from her more inward beauty, he had called her, The fairest amongst women, he had compared her to a Company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots, those Phrases had respect to her inward indowments. He knoweth not how to leave, he here goes on in her further commendation, thy Cheeks are comely with rows of Jewels, thy Neck with Chains of gold. These Phrases speak Riches, for Jewels and Gold are things of value, and her beauty, her artificial beauty. For these are Ornaments supposed to add to the beauty and comeliness of the Person that wears them. Only there is some­thing looks a little odd according to the guise of our Country, where Women use to wear ropes of Pearl about their Necks or Wrists, or Jewels on their Breasts or in their Ears, but how these should reflect a beauty on her Cheeks is hard to understand, but we understand not the fashions of other Countries. We read, Isa. 3. 21. Of Nose Jewels in use amongst the Jews, which dressers of Women in our times would find hard to put on And if a way could be found for that, we should judge them very strange Ornaments. But let me first open the words. Our translators add some Words here to compleat the sense. In the Hebrew is no more then, Thy Cheeks are comely with rows—and thy Necks with Chains. Our Interpreters not being able to conceive, what rows (except of Jewels) could adorn the face, have added these Words to the former part: Nor able to conceive what Chains should adorn the Neck of a woman except of Gold or Pearls; And having added [...] to the former words, they add here not of Pearl, nor jewels, but of Gold. Neither are other [Page 716] Interpreters agreed about the translation of the other Words, either as to the matter or form. As to the form the Septuagint reads the Word as a question. How comely are thy Cheeks? But most other Interpreters read them positively, and indicatively, as we read them; that difference is not much. But there is yet a greater difference as to the matter of the words, for the Seven­ty read it, How fair are thy Cheeks, [...], as of a Turtle. The Arabick and Vulgar Latin follow them. The Syriack In­terpreters translate it, thy Cheeks are fair in thy locks. Pagnin, Montanus, and most others read it according to the sense our translation puts upon it. Let me at least attempt to reconcile this difference. The Word is [...] which unquestionably derives from the radical Word [...] which in its Original and primary signification, signifieth to make a diligent search and in­quiry. Thence the Noun [...] which signifieth a search, or the order of a search. We translate it estate, 1. Chron. 17. 16. David saith, thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree: That is, according to the rank or order of one that is of an high degree. It is used to express the order in which the Maidens came in to King Ah [...]shuerus, Esther 2. 12, 15. Pag­nin translateth the Noun [...] (which is used both here, and in the next verse) series, ordo, ratio, dispositio, forma, and saith this signification ariseth out of the other; and that it signifieth such a search or inquiry, as is in, and according to order: The Word also signifieth a Turtle. So it is used, Levit. 12. 6. Gen. 15. 9. Cant. 2. 12, Psal. 74. 19. Levit. 14. 22. Levit. 1. 14. But it is hard to put that sense of it upon this Text, though the Septu­agint, and those that follow them, do it. For what sense can we make of this? Thy Cheeks are comely with Turtles. But some of the Hebrew Doctors tell us, that the word signifieth also a kind of Womens Ornaments, and Pagnin tells us that R. David saith it signifieth Pearls or Jewels, set in order; some think it was an Orna­ment that had something of the figure of the Turtle. They say the Turtle hath this name from the mournful noise which it maketh, sounding in our Ears like this Word. Others think the French word Tour (which we have now made English) signifying an Or­nament of the head, and the English word Attire both derive from this Hebrew word. From this discourse you may gather, that the penury of words in the Hebrew tongue, constraining them to signify several things by the same word, is the reason of the [Page 717] difference of Interpreters in the translation of the Hebrew Text both in this, and many other Texts. It is most probable, that Women had some Ornaments in those Countries, which they expressed by this name, and that, [...] in the Greek also did express it (though our Lexicographers give us no such account of [...].) The learned Mercer observes that those Interpreters who translate the words, as the Turtle, are mistaken both in the affix which is not [...] but [...], and in the number, which is Plural. It must be thy Cheeks are comely in the Turtles, which it would be hard to make sense of, if we should interpret the word of the Turtle doves: I conclude therefore, that it is a very diffi­cult Text to give a certain Interpretation of, and that the sense our Interpreters have put upon it bids as fair as any other, and therefore I shall adhere to that. The word certainly signifieth some Ornaments in those times used by Women to adorn their heads with, called by this name because of the order and exceeding neatness of them, or because of their figure, and fa­shion. Our Interpreters have thought fit, to Interpret the word concerning those Ornaments, though we do not exactly know their fashion. So then the sense must be, Thy Cheeks are come­ly or beautiful, in o [...] between the Ornaments of thy head. It follow­eth, Thy Neck with Chains of Gold or Pearls. Two or three things I shall observe to you.

Qu. 1. 1. Some Interpreters make a question whether in this ex­pression our Saviour hath not a respect to the former compa­rison, he had there compared to his Spouse to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots; it is you see a fashion with us to deck up Horses which we value with Ribbands &c. It might be a custom in those richer places of the World to deck them with Jewels and Chains of Gold. Mercer and other learned Inter­preters think it more probable, that he passed on to a new simi­litude, comparing his Church, or the particular believing Soul to a Beautiful Woman in her Ornaments.

2. This blessed Lover had before commended her for her in­ternal worth, and beauty: For strength and courage she was like to the Horses in Pharaohs Chariots. Here he commendeth her from her external Beauty: Her Cheeks were comely with Rows of Jewels, her Neck with Chains of Gold, or Pearls.

Let me now pass from the explication of terms, to the under­standing of things. I shall only turn the words of the Text into a Proposition.

[Page 718] Prop. The Spouse of Christ, hath her Cheeks comely with Orna­ments and her Neck adorned with Chains.

The Proposition will call to us principally for Explication and Application.

In the Explication we will inquire,

1. What is here to be understood by the Spouses Neck, and Cheeks.

2. What are those Rows, and Chains with which the Spouse of Christ is, and must be adorned.

As to the first of these I shall not trouble you with the seve­ral fancies of Interpreters of Luxuriant fancies but only insist upon what I conceive most proper, and shew you the grounds of it.

1. They are both exteriour parts, and ordinarily exposed to the view of others. Other parts are covered, and not so exposed. Mercer noteth, that amongst Women, if these parts have their just proportion, and beauty, concerning others, there useth to be no inquiry, their Symmetry and comeliness is judged from these. So as doubtless these terms note the Spouses conversati­on before the World in her outward visible appearance; The Spouse of Christ is (as the Psalmist expresseth it) all glorious within; Her chief Ornament is what the Apostle Peter advi­seth Women professing Godliness, the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, 1 Pet. 3. 4. But that is not all her Beauty, her light also shineth before men, that they see her good works, and glorify her Father which is in Heaven, Mat. 5. The Cheeks are the path upon which the penitential tears run, her tears are on her Cheeks, Lam. 1, 2 [...] Her tears of affliction also run down there. Her Cheeks are those parts which are exposed to the violence and injuries of others, Isaiah 50. 6. I gave my Cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, Lam. 3. 30. He giveth his Cheek to him that smiteth him. Micaiah you know was smote on the Cheek by the false Prophet. These Cheeks of the Spouse, exposed to the smiters, bedewed with tears, either be­cause of sin, or sharp sufferings, are in Christ's Eyes very lovely. Thus the words afford us two notions. 1. That the Spouse of Christ is very beautiful not only within but in her more external conver­sation. 2. That even the suffering parts of the Spouse are in the Eyes of Christ very beautiful. It is reported of Constantine the great that he would often kiss the hole of Puphnutius his Eye, that was [Page 719] out for the profession of the Gospel. Christ commendeth the Cheeks of his Saints bedewed with tears, and given to the smi­ters for his sake, how beautiful saith he are thy Cheeks?

2. Secondly the Neck is that part of a man upon which men use (as to beasts) to put ropes and yokes to bring them into Subjection, as also upon which men of labour, Porters and such like, use to carry burdens. Hence we often in holy Scripture read of a stiff neck, to express stubbornness and disobedience, Isaiah 48. 4. Thy neck was as an Iron sinew, Jer. 17. 23. They made their neck stiff, that they might not hear; and the disobedient Israelites are often called a stiffnecked People, Exod. 32. 9. 33. 3, 5. And so in many other places of Scripture. The Freedom, and pliableness of the Neck are also often made use of, to signify the Freedom and obedience of the Person. So Gen. 27. 40. Thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. So Isa. 10. 27. His yoke shall be taken from off thy neck, that is, thou shalt be at liberty from him. The neck is that part of man which the Holy Ghost maketh use of in Scripture to express disobedience by, the stiff necked man, is the man that is stubborn, & disobedient to the Law of God, the man that hardened not his Neck, is the Obedient man: Christ hath Chains for the necks of his People; wicked men put yokes up­on their necks, their yokes are yokes of Iron. God promiseth to break these yokes, but yet they are not without a yoke, Christ hath a yoke, Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy, and my burden is l [...]ht. Christ hath Chains, but they are of Gold, the Enemies Chains are of Iron, they are hard, and grate, but (saith Christ) my yoke is easy. By the Spouses neck, our Saviour doubtless means his Spouses Obedience, whether in doing or in suffering.

Qu. 2. The next Question is what is here to be understood by the Rows of Jewels, and the Chains that are here mentioned; I no­ted to you before that the Word here used signifieth an orderly disposal of things, and from that word the word, [...] (which signifieth the Law of God) cometh; in the Law of God the duties of men and women are orderly disposed. To say nothing of the various [...]fancies of Interpreters, I take the most genuine probable sense to be this, thy external conversation is beautiful and comely, by thy orderly walking according to the rule of my Law. Holiness which lyeth in the ordering, and government of a Christian steps, according to a divine order and rule, is exceed­ing [Page 720] beautiful, comely in the Eyes of Jesus Christ. To this sense the Chaldee Pharaphrast an ancient Interpreter (but applying the whole song to the Jewish Church) carries it, for he thus Para­phraseth upon my Text:

‘How comely is this People, which hath the Words of the Law given to them? That they may be as an ear-ring on their Cheeks, that they may not depart from the right way, as the Horse that hath a bridle in his mouth is kept that he doth not go back. And how beautiful are their necks [or backs] which bear the yoke of my commandments, which are up­on them as a yoke upon the neck of the Ox which ploweth in the field?’

He (as you see) applyeth all to the Jews (and therein he is very fond, and partial) but you see by the rows and Chains he understandeth the Laws and Precepts of God, according to which every good man ordereth his conversation aright. Chains for the most part both for the hands, and necks and feet, use to be made of brass or Iron, or some baser metal; with these Pri­soners in war, or Malefactors in peace use to be bound, and hence the term is made use of to signify the greatest and basest sub­jection and servitude. Chains are also made of Pearls and gold, or some valuable metal, Pro. 1. 9. And these Chains denote greatest liberty, being used and worn by none but by Persons of Quality. The Text is to be understood of the latter, and the most valuable Interpreters interpret the Chains here concern­ing the yoke of Gods Commandments. Solomon counselleth the young man, Pro. 1. 8. to hear the instruction of his Father, and not to forsake the law of his Mother, for faith he v. 9. They shall be an Ornament of grace to thy head; And Chains about thy neck. Certainly the instructions; and the Laws of God are much more so. Holiness is a great Ornament and beauty to a Soul; take Chains in which sense you will, either for Chains of Iron, with which Enemies load the necks of Saints (for I told you those Words [of Gold] are added by our Interpreters;) or for those Chains, which are of gold, and Pearl, and the richest Ornaments, either of them are lovely in the Eyes of Christ; but I rather concur with our own Translators, and the most In­terpreters, who expound the term of the latter sort of Chains, not only because our Saviour seemeth here to allude to the Ornaments of women, but because the Heb. Word here used, [Page 721] [...] is never used to express Chains of Bondage in all those Texts of Scripture where any mention is made of such Chains. And Pagnin assureth us from three of the Hebrew Rabbits that the word properly signifies Chains made of Gold, or precious Stones joined with a thread together.

By this time you may easily understand the Proposition, the sense of which according to this explication is,

The Spouse of Christ, whether by her we understand the Church which is a body made up of several believers, or a particular believer, is not only inwardly comely, and beautiful, in respect of those habits of grace, by which she is made (as the Psalmist expresseth it) all glorious within, but she is also visi­bly comely, in her more external appearance, by her orderly conversation, according to the Laws of God, which is as an Ornament or Chain of well set Jewels unto her, and by her ready submitting her Neck to the yoke of Christs Command­ments, his several Precepts being like a Chain of Gold or pre­cious stones about her neck. This is enough for the explication, the Child of God is not only inwardly, but outwardly holy, and his holiness is a great beauty to him. Here are two things.

1. The Child of God, is not only inwardly, but externally holy.

2. This external holiness is to him a great beauty.

A Child of God hath a good heart, but that's not all; he must live a good life: this is a point exceeding obvious whether we consider, 1. The Rule by which he walketh. Or Secondly, The influence that the heart hath upon the life. Or 3. The example he is to follow. Or 4. The Patterns of holy men upon Scripture record. 5. Or the promises of God to whom they are made, Or 6. The descriptions of good men in holy writ. Or 7. The end which he serveth.

1. If we consider the Divine rule, it reacheth not the heart alone, but the outward man. Let your light so shine before men (saith our Saviour) that they may see your good works. Shew me thy saith by thy works, faith James, Faith without works is dead. It were endless to reckon up the several Texts of Scripture by which God hath directed the Government of our Tongues, our Eyes, our Ears, our Hands, our Feet. In short the several Pre­cepts for good works are all proofs of this.

2. It must be so if we consider what influence the heart, and will, & affections have upon our whole outward man, commanding all the [Page 722] outward members, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, from the dictates of the heart, the Eye look­eth, the hand moveth, the mouth speaketh, the Feet turn this or that way; So that if the Tree be good, the fruit must be good also; the Fig-tree brings not forth thistles, nor the Vine thorns. A naughty tongue, eye, hand, foot, is a certain indication of a cor­rupt, and naughty heart.

3. The [...]liever is made conformable to Christ. He went up and down doing good, finishing the work, which his Father had given him to do, glorifying his Father on Earth, doing his will, manifesting his name, no guile was found in his mouth, no iniquity in his hand. No iniquity towards God, no unrighteous­ness towards men.

4. See the Patterns of holy men upon Scriptural record, Abra­ham, and David, all the holy Servants of God, you will find their holiness did not lye only in the obedience of their heart, but of their whole external converse, a strict walking with God in obedience to his will.

5. Observe the promises of God, they are not onely made to Faith, and Love, and the more inward habits of the mind, but to external acts, such as Prayer, hearing the Word, Sanctification of the Sabbath, shewing mercy to the poor, doing justly, walking righteously,

6. The descriptions of holy men also make out this. They are de­scribed to be men fearing God, and eschewing evil, walking in the Commandments of God. Working righteousness, all which ex­pressions signify that a believer must not only be internally holy, but externally so also.

Lastly the end, which they serve shews also a necessity of it; they are lights to inlighten the World, and therefore they must not be hid under bushels: They are Salt to season the World, and therefore must be exposed to their use, their end is to glorify God before men, which cannot be without an external, as well as an internal holiness; thus the first thing appeareth. I have passed over these things, easy enough to have been extended into a much larger discourse Because it is a point so exceeding obvious and indeed agreed by all men. The 2d thing is that holiness is a believers beauty, it is so in the Eyes of Christ which is here spoken of. Nor is this of any thing more difficult demonstration then the other. What is that which we call beauty but an amiable exter­nal appearance of a Person, arising from a Symmetry of parts, a due [Page 723] mixture, and Proportion of colours, in conformity to some Ori­ginal Pattern or Idea. A Christians Original Pattern is God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ; be you holy at your Heavenly Father is holy: As I am holy, (saith the holy Writ.) What can be a Christians beauty but his conformity to God, and that amia­bleness which ariseth from that. All Spiritual beauty is to be measured, from the symmetry of the Soul to the divine law. That which makes the Soul amiable to God and to all those who are like God. This is holiness. But I shall sum up all in some few Words of application. I shall first observe from hence two or three Corollaries for our instruction, then close all with a few words of exhortation.

Corol. 1. Observe then, That it is not enough for one that owneth the name of a believer, to glory in a good inside. There goeth a good outside, as well as a good inside to make up a good Christian. There are 2 Sorts of hypocrites, and I am at loss with my self to determine which is worst. The first sort glory in appearance but not in reality. The Pharisees were of this Sort, they were paint­ed Sepulchers, they made clean the outside of the platter; of this Sort are men that pretend much to acts of devotion, pray­ing, fasting, hearing, and acts of righteousness toward men, and perhaps charity, but are without any true faith in God, or love to God, full of malice, and envy, and cruelty, and covetousness, these are Pharisaical Hypocrites. The 2d are such as will pretend to a good inside, but they have a bad outside. These men, bite, and devour their brethren lye and cheat, and defraud, and oppress, neglect duties of Religion, &c. And yet tell you they have a good heart, they have faith, in God, Love to God, &c. Thou Hypocrite! shew me thy faith by thy works, thy pretended Love to God by thy keeping his commandments. Truly of the two, these are the worst, they pretend to holiness, but which way will you look for it? What notion of holiness have these men taken up? Will you look for it, in their conscien­tious, constant attendance upon duties of publick Worship, there you see their places empty, or if they be filled, observe their behaviour, they are prating, or sleeping, or sporting, or with their Eyes compassing the whole congregation. Will you look for it in their private families? There it may be you may hear the voice of Cursing, or Swearing, or reviling, but the voice of Praying, of reading the Word, of those that sing praise [Page 724] unto God, is seldom or never heard in their Houses. Will you look for their holiness, in their behaviour toward men, you shall there find neither Justice nor Charity; cheating, defrauding, Oppression, cruelty, hard-hearted behaviour, &c. Yet they will tell you they have good hearts. Either now these men have Souls not like other mens Souls, that have no command of their tongues, and hands, &c. Or else they speak falsely. I say these are of all others the Vilest Hypoerites. 1. Because they have nothing good, the first mentioned do some good things, materially good, they read, fast, pray, walk justly, give alms: But these wretches have nothing, do nothing at all that is good. There is nothing good in their lives, and that assureth us, there's nothing good in their hearts. 2. These men do much more hurt then others do; these are they that cause the name of God to be Bla [...]emed and evil spoken of. Brethren! be not deceived, they are fifty men that you can impose upon, but you cannot impose upon that God who searcheth the heart, & tryeth the reins. Let none be deceived by the pretences of these Hypocrites. The Spouse of Christ hath beautifull Cheeks, and a beautiful Neck, as well as a beautiful inside; her Cheeks are comely be­twixt rows of Jewels; She hath a Chain of gold upon her Neck. The laws and instructions of her Heavenly Father, are an Or­nament to her head, and a Chain upon her Neck. She durst not before men dishonour God. Let this be the first instructive Corol­lary from this discourse.

Corol. 2. Secondly observe. The Laws of Christ, are both rows of Jewels, and also Chains.

1. They are Chains of Restraint; As Chains about creatures necks restrain their natural Liberty, and keep them in due obedi­ence and subjection to their Governours: So doth the Law of the Lord. Man is like an un [...]amed Heifer, which would run wildly this and that way; Christ therefore puts a Chain upon him, when he intendeth any Soul for his use. I will (faith God) write my Laws in their inward parts. (There now is the Chain about the Spouse's Neck.) Joseph had this Chain about his neck: How shall I do this evil (saith he) and sin against God? Do this and live (saith he) for I fear God, and so durst not take any revenge upon you. The Chil­dren of God have in them lust and corruption, but it is chained. The Law of God written in their hearts, is a Chain upon their lusts; and this may mind us to take heed how we abuse that sweet Notion of [Page 725] Christian Liberty. Christians are free, but they must take heed that they use not their Liberty for a Cloak to maliciousness, 1 Pet. 2. 16. that being the Lord's Free-men, they do not make themselves Ser­vants of corraption. It is not a Liberty to the Devil's Chains, but from them; not a Liberty to the Flesh, but to serve the Lord with­out fear. 2. As the Precepts of the Lord are Chains of Restraint, so they are also Chains Indicative of the greatest liberty and honour; they are Chains, but they are Chains of Gold, Chains of Pearl; such Chains speak both the liberty and dignity of those that wear them. The Law is spiritual, and just, and good (saith Paul.) But further yet, the Precepts of God are also Rows of Jewels. It speaks two things:

1. Rows of Jewels are things as to which a great Art is seen in the orderly disposing of them. There is a strange orderliness to be ob­served in the Divine Precepts. Could you imagine a Family, a Church, a Common-wealth, any Society of men, in which the se­veral persons, both in their single, and relative capacities, lived up to the strictness of the Divine Rule, respecting them, how orderly would they appear even in the Eye of humane Reason? All the ugliness and disorder that we see in mens Lives, in Families, Churches, Cities, Kingdoms (if you observe it) arifeth from mens deviations from the Divine Rule, through the impetuousness of un­mortified passions. Hence sinful walking is by the Apostle called properly disorderly walking, 2 Thes. 3. 6, 7, 11. And the holy man is called one who ordereth his conversation aright, in the last verse of the 50th Psalm.

2. Rows of Jewels are Ornaments. There is something of beauty and comeliness resulteth from them, and it resulteth much from the orderly setting and wearing of them. There is a great comeliness in Holiness. But of this more in the third Corollary.

Corol. 3. Observe thirdly; That Holiness is the only Ornament of a man or woman in the Eyes of Christ. The World is at this day full of gawdry, Rings and Jewels, Bracelets, and Necklaces of Pearl, Patches, and Paintings. Solomon hath told us, that favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that seareth the Lord she shall be praised. As a Jewel (saith he) in a Swines Snout: So is a fair woman without descretion, Prov. 11. 21. Christ accounts holiness the only beauty of a man, or woman. Our acts of holiness, are in his Eyes the only ropes of Pearl, and Chains of gold, and rows of Jewels. We live in an age of great vanity, as to Artificial [Page 726] beauty, and it would make the heart of a Christian to bleed, to see even to what excesses of this nature, Persons professing to Religion, and Godliness run. Let me therefore close this dis­course with a word or two of Exhortation. 1. To neglect other beauty. 2. To study this beauty more and more. 3. Not to Satisfy your selves, with mere pretences of inward purity, whiles your more exteriour conversation gives no evidence to it.

1. I say first to neglect other beauty, whether natural (though that be a great gift of God where it is found:) Or Artificial which is borrowed from Gold and Silver, and Precious Stones, and Jewels, and fine Cloaths, and Linnen, &c.

1. Consider, This is not your beauty. That's our beauty which Commends us to our Husband Jesus Christ. He regards not a fine face, nor well proportioned limbs, he regards not Jewels, and Ornaments, nor fine Clothes and Linnen. They are in his Eyes poor vile things. Leave these things to the men and wo­men of the world that have nothing else to Commend them to the wantons of the world. The beauty of a Christian lyeth not in these things, nay they are his shame, and deformity, as I shall by and by shew you.

2. Secondly let me urge the Precept of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2. 9, Let women (saith he) adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety, not with broidered Hair, or Gold, or Pearls, or costly aray but (which becometh women, professing Godliness,) with good works. Mark that phrase (which becometh women prosessing Godliness) as if he should say, these vanities of broidered Hair, Gold, Pearl, costly aray, may become men and women of the world, and commend them to the world, but they do not become men and Women professing Godliness, they are not to approve themselves to the vain Persons of the World, but to Christ alone, these things Commend no Soul to Christ, good works, an holy life and conversation according to the rule of the Gospel, that and nothing but that will Commend a Soul to God, that is the only adorning which becometh wo­men that profess to Godliness. You have the like in Peter, 1 Pet. 3. 3. Speaking of good women whose adorning (saith he) let it not be the outward adorning of playting the hair, and of wear­ing Gold, and putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the Ornament of a meek, and quiet Spirit, which before God is of great price, for [Page 727] after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves, I do know the Common Interpreta­tion which some put upon these Texts, as if the Apostle did not wholly forbid these Ornaments, but only forbad Christians to look upon these things as their only Ornaments, so as to neg­lect the adorning of the hidden man of the heart. Nor indeed do I think these Texts to contain an absolute prohibition of these things to all women that are Christians and at all times. I do know that our Saviour seemeth to allow sost rayment to those that are in Kings houses. Reason alloweth an aray to Persons according to the Station and quality they take up, and are in in the World Religion doth not contradict it. But when I consider, 1. What of men, and womens estates, which God hath given them to Cloth the naked, to feed the hungry &c. (The necessities of their families being first provided for) is spent on these things, 2. The difference between habits for distinction of Persons in ma­gistracy and habits for vanity, where there is no such distinction. 3. The time that is spent in the dressing up worms in this manner. 4. The proneness of our hearts to value our selves upon these accou­trements. I cannot but think that there is more forbidden in those Texts, then that Christians should look upon these as their only or Principal Ornaments. Especially when I also consider that as God in the old Testament forbad his People the habits of Hea­thens: So he hath commanded his People, Rom. 12. 2. Not to be conformed to this World, Rom. 12. 2.

3. Thirdly, Consider the sinfulness of some of these things. Where these adornings are beyond the quality of Persons, and beyond what their estates will bear, in consistency with that Propor­tion of good works which God requireth of them, where they are temptations to draw out the lusts of others: Where they are offences and Scandals to such as fear God, they are doubtless [...]inful. Cyprian in his Book de Virginum disciplina, hath several arguments against the new arts of the World for Ornaments, especially that of painting, God, (saith he) made us after his own Image, it is the Devil who maketh the alteration, O the vile presumption of those, who dare attempt to alter the work­manship of God! Art not thou afraid (saith he) that God in the resurrection should not own thee, and say opus meum hoc non est▪ This is none of my workmanship. Again (saith he) is not this poor wretch alwaies a torment to her self? She [Page 728] hath her Eyes alwaies in her glass and is never pleased with her self.

Consider lastly, how inconsistent these things are with that Ministring to the necessity of Saints: That richness in good works, that mortification. The declaration of our sense of Gods dis­pensations to us, which are the duties of Christians: God re­quires that we should labour with our hands, that we may have to give to him that needeth, Eph. 4. 28. And should not we think you, leave off a Silk garment, or a little Silver or Gold lace, a Ring, a Jewel a costly dress that we might have more abundantly to give to those that need? Are you rich in the World, and will your estate bear such expences, and hath not God charged such, 1 Tim. 6. 18. To do good, to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to Communicate, laying up in store for your selves a good foundation, against the time to come, that you may lay hold on Eternal life. Can you be rich in clothes, and habits, and rich in good works also? If you could doth not the Apostle tell you, That those who are Christs have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof, Gal. 5. 24. Is this your crucifixion of the flesh with its affections and lusts? What is a gratifying and pleasing the flesh, what is a making provision for the affections, and lusts of it, if this be not? To what other use, or end can these things be? Doth adorning our selves with Jewels and Silks, and Ribbands, patchings and paintings, speak a mortified heart to the World? a Crucified heart to the flesh? They speak nothing less then this; surely they speak flesh, that is wanton, and proud, and puffed up. It is the Observation of a learned Author, That heretofore Christians wounded their flesh for mortification, we wound it for pride, folly and vanity; the Ears are boared to hang Jewels in: But how much better is that boaring of the Ear mentioned, Psal. 40. 6. A boaring of the E ars in Testimony that we will be the Lords Servants for ever. Besides, look throughout all the Scripture you shall find Gods People conformed their habits to Gods dispensations towards them. This was done by Gods direction, Exod. 33. 5. I will come up (saith God) into the midst of you in a mo­ment and consume you, therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. They did so v. 6. Accor­dingly you shall observe Gods People all along in holy Writ, under sad dispensations, putting on Sackclot h, throwing ashes on [Page 729] their heads, rending their garments. Behold (faith God to [...]ru [...]h, Jer. 45. 4.) What I have built I will break down, and that which I have planted I will plack up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thy self, seek them not. I beseech you look about, see what God looks as if he were doing with us; doth not he look as if he would come into the midst of us in a moment, and consume us? As if he would strip us all naked, and make us all bare? Is this a time to seek fine and gay things for our selves? How little do we consider what God is about to do in all appearance in the midst of us?

2. Secondly, Study holiness, If you will look after beauty, study the true, the inward beauty, that which commendeth the Soul to God; your labour for the other many times destroys your Souls, it consumes the time which should be spent in reading, in pray­ing, fasting. It devours your estates which should be spent in good works. The beauty vain Persons labour for is but Jezebels beauty; study the beauty of Sarah, of which you read in, 1 Pet. 3. 5. The Ornaments with which holy Women of old, adorned themselves, Ornaments which become such, as do not profess Pride, and vanity, but Godliness. Put Christs Chains about your Necks, his rows upon your Cheeks. The Pharisees prided themselves in their Phylatteries. They did ill to adorn them­selves with those Scrowls of the law in their Skirts, while they lived not up to the rule, and true sense of it in their lives, but there are no such rows of Jewels as those of Gods Precepts.

3. Lastly (with which I shall conclude this discourse) Satisfy not your selves with dreams, and fancies of meer inward, Spiritual beauty. I again tell you it must be a counterfeit. There may be an external appearing beauty, without any inward beauty, but that is but a counterfeit, there can be no inward beauty without an external beauty. Faith and Love too must be shewed by works, where holiness to the Lord is ingraven in any man or Womans heart, it will also be written (to use the phrase of the Prophet Zechariah, Ch. 14. 20.) upon the very bells of the Horses—yea every pot in Hierusalem shall be holiness to the Lord. We have a great cry of Religion, and for Religion in these days. We hear a bundance talking as if there were no Saints in the World but themselves, but wherein doth their Religion lye? In a fine tongue; they can (as Luther said) Crepare Christum make a crack, and boast of Christ. But where are the rows of Jewels upon their Cheeks? The Chains of Gold about their Necks? Where [Page 730] is their strict, and consciencious waiting upon God in Ordinan­ces? Where's the fear of God to be seen in their lives? These times make me often to think of that saying of Hierom, Grande est Christianum esse, non dici. To be a Christian that is a great, and difficult thing, to be called so, that is a poor and mean, and ve­ry easy thing. Look abroad and see how few serious, and uni­form Christians are to be found in the World, how few who in any measure answer that great name by any severity of life, and conversation. If Luxuriousness in meats, and drinks, if excess in apparel and dresses, if griping the poor, if cruelty towards Persons in distress, and oppression, and covetousness, and ad­ding house to house speak Christians, we have too much of these things even amongst Professors: But if a true believer must shew forth his faith, by works of piety towards God, and works of righteousness, and charity towards men, if they must abound in good works, and their light must shine before men so as they may see their good works, and glorify their Father which is in Heaven, how small is the number of Christi­ans in this age wherein there is so much talk of it; We must say of many Professors to Religion as once Isaac said of Jacob, Gen. 27. 22. The voice is Jacobs voice, but the hands are Esaus hands. There are many whose voice indeed is Jacobs voice, they talk like Saints, O but their hands are Esau's hands. Let them come unto you that you may feel them. Their habits are Esau's habit; they eat and drink like Esau, they deal in the World like Esau. They are Virgins upward, beasts downward, monsters in Religion. Oh let not this be any of your Character. Know it to be your duty, as much to abound in Prayer, hearing, fasting, exercises of repentance, and mortification, as others make it their vanity to abound in good words, costly apparel, in Pride and Luxury. You must have Christs rows upon your Cheeks, his Chains about your Necks. I shall conclude with that of the Apostle to the Philippians, Philip. 4. 8. 9.

Finally (Brethren) whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any vertue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

These things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do. And the God of peace shall be with you.

Sermon L.

Canticles 1. 11.
We will make thee Borders of Gold, with Studs of Silver.

THE Chaldee Paraphrast out of his unreasonable fondness to make this whole Song to be nothing else but a discourse betwixt God and the Congregation of Israel, thus glosseth upon these words.

‘It was then said unto Moses go up to the firmament, and I will give thee there two Tables of stone cut out of the Sapphire of the throne of Glory, shining like the best Gold ordered with lines writ­ten with my own Fingers, in which are ingraven the Ten command­ments which are more pure, then Silver purified seven times, &c.’ I should hardly mention this ancient Jewish Paraphrast so often, but to convince the Atheistical Spirits of latter ages, that the Jews did not understand this excellent Song as a meer wanton Love Song, between Solomon and the Daughter of Pharaoh. Nei­ther did Gregory Nyssen, Gregory the great, nor Bernard, who with others of the Ancients have wrote Commentaries upon it, so understand it, though they agreed not with this Paraphrast concerning the Persons in it. The Paraphrast you see makes the law given on mount Sinai to be the Borders of Gold, and studs of Silver.

I am not much satisfied with the translation of the words by our interpreters, because I find no other Interpreters agreeing with them. The 70 interpreters who are followed by those who made the Arabick Version interpret it images, or pictures. The Syriack Interpreters translate it Chains. Arias Montanus, and the Vulgar Latine translate it Collars. Junius and Tremellius, translate it Golden threds. Pagnine translateth it Golden Jewels Besides, the word here used is the same with a small alteration of the form which we had in the foregoing Verse and there we translated it Rows, why we should here translate it Borders I cannot tell. I think the Tigurine Version translateth it best. They translate it Ornament a convenientia, Convenient Ornaments. It [Page 732] is certain the word signifieth some such Ornaments as Women used in those times, and Countries. Ornaments differ both in se­veral Countries, and in several Ages in the same Country, so that it is no wonder if Interpreters are at a loss so many hundreds of years since, exactly to translate words signifying things so variable after such a distance of time, and in another country. The more general translation of Ornaments, suitable Ornaments, is doubtless the best.

I am as little satisfyed with the translation of the other word [studs] others translate it Points, the Sepeuagint [...], marks. It is granted by all that the word is derived from [...] which signifyeth to point. This word is not (that I can find) used any where in holy Writ except in this Text, [...]and Gen. 30. & 31. in those chapters it signifyed [...] the spots which were upon the lambs after the sheep had conceived upon the sight of the pilled and straked rods, which Jacob had laid before them in the troughs. The Dutch translators interpret the Term, Buttons or knobs of Silver, doubtless the truest translation were with Badges, or spots of Silver. Mercer faith, the Phrase doth signify the highest, and most excellent Ornaments. But the difference about the words maketh no difference in Interpreters as to the sense, so that it is but a light difference. The sense is we will give thee yet more and more excellent Ornaments. Let me only note to you four or five things which will much conduce to clear up the sense, and lead us to that Proposition of truth and point in Divinity which the Text holds forth.

1. I conceive (first) That you will all here understand a Me­taphor drawn from Women, who delight much in Ornaments of Gold, and Silver, and other precious things. Christ here speaketh to his Spouse as to a delicate Woman which Loves such Ornaments, and promiseth her such. My Spouse faith Christ shall have her Ornaments too, answerable to, though infinitely excelling Ornaments of Gold and Silver: Most excellent Orna­ments, tho Spiritual, and of a far other Nature.

2. He had before said, That her Cheeks were comely be­tween the Rows of Jewels, and her Neck with Chains of Gold she was richly adorned, but (saith Christ) she shall have more also, Habenti da [...]it [...]. To her that hath shall be given, and she shall have more abundantly. I will not cease to adorn her.

3. Thirdly, He doth not say, Thou shalt buy thee Borders of [Page] Gold with thy mony. No not yet I will give the some mony which thou shalt improve, and with the improvement buy thee more. Grace is not merited. Nor is the first grace given and the further grace of God merited. It is all given. We will (saies Christ) make for thee. The porro esse as well as the esse, the a­boundings as well as the first breathings, and motions of Spiritu­al life, are all from God.

4. Lastly, He speaketh in the Plural Number: We will make. This is either spoken Stylo Regio, in the stile of a Prince, Christ is a great King. Or else as it is said, Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man, to denote the Plurality of Persons in the Divine Being, and the concurrence of the whole Trinity, in the collation of Grace, and more Grace upon believers. It is a rule in Divinity; omnia opera Trinitatis adextra sunt indivisa. All the works of the Trinity, out of itself, and with relation to the creatures, are individed, what is the Act of one Person, is the work of all three Persons. The Father created, the Son createth, and the Holy Ghost createth. So in the works of Providence. The Father work­eth hitherto, and the Son worketh. This is eminently true in that noble work of Providence. The Collation of special grace, John. 14. 23. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Fa­ther will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. The Text being thus opened, you see to what point in Divinity it leadeth us. The Doctrine is this:

Prop. That Christ is ready to give out more grace, more Spiri­tual Ornaments to the Souls of believers, where he seeth the Cheeks of his Saints already comely with Rows of Jewels, and their Necks with Chains of Gold, he will still be preparing for them Chains of Gold, with Spots of Silver.

To this purpose is the promise, Matth. 13. 12. To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have in more abundance. It was the end of his coming into the World, not only that his Peo­ple might have life, but that they might have it more abun­dantly, John 10. 10. And he acteth in the dispensations of his grace according to, and in fulfilling of the end of that his com­ing. He giveth out pardoning grace abundantly, Isaiah. 55. 6, 7. He will abundantly pardon, even according to, and much a­bove the abundings of sin in the creature. As sin hath abounded grace shall much more abound, Rom. 5. And as sin reneweth so his gracious acts of pardoning are renewed also. Sanctifying grace [Page 734] (and that indeed is properly the Ornament of a believer) he giveth abundantly. He fills the Souls of his People with joy, and peace in believing, that their Souls may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. 15. 13. He maketh the Souls of his People to abound in loves; hence the aboundings in this gracious habit are made the matter of the Apostles prayer, 1 Thes. 3. 12. They could not grow in grace if he were not alwaies ready to give out more grace, for all Acts must proceed from habits and a growth, and im­provement in gracious Acts must flow from an increase of the power, and principle of acting. If any one asks the reason of this Liberality of Christ to his Spouse it is not hard to assign it.

1. That fulness of Grace and Love which is in him is the great ground and cause of it; what makes the loving Husband who knoweth that his Wife is already full stockt with Cloaths, and Linnen, and Rings and Jewels, and other Ornaments, that yet he can never go abroad but he must bring her home something to add to her stock in these things, but only first he finds that his purse will hold out to it; He hath wherewithal to do it. 2. His Love and kindness to his Wife is such as constraineth him to it, so as he can never think she hath enough, and he is still giv­ing to her as if she had nothing. Christ is a fountain of fulness, the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, and of his ful­ness (saith John) we receive grace for grace; The full fountain runneth over, neither doth he lose any thing by his communica­tion, while he giveth grace, he is but like unto the Sun which loseth no light by imparting its light to the World: Then his Love to his Saints is infinite & transcendent, he must not be out­vyed by his creatures. Doth therefore a loving Husband when his Wife hath already a competent wardrobe, and a competent num­ber of Ornaments, yet add to her stores, and so much to supply her wants as to shew his own Love and kindness to her? How much more shall the Lord Jesus do it? So that in this reason there are indeed three. The first is that infinite fulness of grace that is in him, which cannot terminate it self in him, without a communication to the creature, the Second is the nature of his communication which is such, that he loseth nothing by it. He saith we will make thee, borders of Gold, men and wo­men are not so forward to give what they have aliunde, from without themselves: As what they have from themselves and [Page 735] are no losers by the communication of. The term make doth not denote a non praeexistence. All the Chains of Gold with which Christ adorneth his Spouse are coaevous with Christ himself, given out in the pursuance of an Eternal purpose, pur­chased with the blood of Christ, but it signifieth that Christ hath them of his own. And then thirdly, His exceeding Love to his Spouse causeth the giving of them out. It is said of Paul, Acts 18. 5. That he was pressed in Spirit and Testified, &c. Christ is pressedin Spirit, with Love to the believing Soul. His heart is ravished as he afterward expresseth it in this song, Thou [...]ast ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse. This love is the great and first moving cause of these communications; as the loving husband that hath an estate which will bear it, and a Wife wherein he greatly delighteth, is alwaies giving her such things as he judgeth will be pleasing and acceptable unto her; so our blessed Lord, having first made his grace acceptable to the Soul, and then loving that Soul that hungreth and thirsteth after him, with a transcendent love cannot but be daily Satisfying such a Soul with his good things.

2. A second Reason of this is the Renewing wants of his Spouse. Love doth not give [...]bare measure, but sheweth it self further than in a bare supply of wants, Ministring also to the pleasure and de­light of the Person beloved, but to wants and desires it cannot be wanting; the Soul of a Christian, through the revival of lusts, and corruptions within itself, and through the repetition of temptations, and in regard of Gods various dispensations to it, stands in need of the daily increase of grace. Nogood Soul hath so much grace, but it still wants. A prudent husband though very loving and tender, may judg his Wife hath Ornaments enough, and therefore may cease to add to her stock, though she may not have some particular Ornament, because though she hath it not yet she may not want it, and it would be to her of no profitable use, only it may be, serve for Pride or ostentation, but no tender husband with-holds from his Wife what he knoweth her to need. But the Child of God never hath so much faith, but he seeth cause to cry out, Lord help my unbe­lief, he is in daily want of Spiritual strength, complaining of weak­ness, and impotency, so as supplies of grace are a daily good to gra­cious Souls, and Christ can withhold no such thing from them. De­sire doth yet more engage the love of a correlate, and the more passionate and vehement the desire of the beloved is, the more he [Page 736] that loves moveth towards her Satisfaction. The Philosopher saith, to Love is to will that which is good to another, though indeed, love rather lyeth in a complacency which one taketh in another, of which the willing of good is but a first fruit, and an effect, good he tells us is that which all desire. The nature of good lyes in a Sutableness and conveniency to our needs, for the supply of some vacuity, or emptiness in us, all the effluxes and emanations of di­vine grace are such, suted to some great wants of our Souls, and not only so, but also to the desires of every gracious man and Wo­man, who is continually crying, give, give and God cannot be wanting either to supply the necessities, or to answer the cravings, and importunities of his Peoples Souls. He hears the desire of the humble, Psal. 10. 17. And giveth them their hearts desire, Psal. 21. 3.

Lastly, The interest of Gods own honour and glory is concerned in his giving of more grace. The loving husband buyeth his Wife Chains, and Jewels. And fine Clothes, and when she hath a good stock he is yet adding to the stock; his love to her, his desire to Sa­tisfy her desires so far as he is able in all things convenient, are the great grounds, but yet he hath also some Eye to his own honour and Reputation, by it he is taken notice of in the World as one that is able to do such things, and also as one to whom his Wife is very dear, this blessed Lover first aimeth at his own honour. Hereby faith Christ is your Father glorified if you bring forth fruit; much fruit of holiness requireth much of the seed of God, much grace, as the Principle productive of it, for without his influence the Soul can do nothing. Further grace is necessary to uphold and maintain what grace he hath already bestowed. It is also necessary to the production of that much fruit by which God is glorified by his People in the World. Grace in its true exercise is a lovely thing in the sight of the World. Men that hate the practice of grace in them­selves, yet love it in another. Hence the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2. 12. com­mandeth Christians to have their conversation honest amongst the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against them as evil doers, they may by their good works, which they shall behold, glorifie God in the day of their visitation. The Children of God are like Stars, which shine from a borrowed light; God hath all the honour of their well do­ing. The man that walketh piously, devoutly, humbly in his con­versation towards God, and in the exercise of justice and righteous­ness, humility and meekness, mercy and charity, and bounty towards men, that is moderate and sober in the use of prosperity, and patient [Page 737] in the time of adversity, doth by this conversation commend himself to all that part of the World, that hath yet any remainder of reason left, whose passions have not out-lawed their reason, and transformed them into Beasts: And look as when the Wife is excellently attired, it draweth the Eyes of all after her, & sets them upon enquiry, whose Wife she is, & the honour redoundeth to the Husband, out of whose Purse her Ornaments are known to come: So when men see Christi­ans abounding in the fear of the Lord, in faith, & love, in meekness, sobriety, liberality to the Poor, love to their Enemies, a doing good to all, the honour doth not only redound to them, but the Name of Christ for their sake is also well spoken of, the grace of God in them is commended and magnified. I come now to the Application.

1 Branch. In the first place I cannot but observe from this Text how Christ condes [...]endeth to our weakness, that he might make himself and his grace desirable to us. Why doth not our Lord speak plainly, I will give them more grace, I will communicate more of my self unto them? He doth so in some other Texts; here he clotheth his discourse with metaphors, and compareth his grace to things which we much desire, and which are very lovely, and admirable in our Eyes. This is observable, there is hardly any thing which, while we live in the World, is either neces­sary for our use, or delightful to our senses, which our fleshly appetite longs for, to which Christ some where or other hath not compared himself and the influences of his grace. Is Bread necessary? I am (saith he) the bread of life, John. 6. Is water necessary? He compares himself, to living water, John. 4. Yea to a fountain of living water. Is meat and drink necessary? My flesh (saith he) is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Is clothing necessary, and fine and rich clothing desirable? Come (saith he) buy of me white rayment, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, Rev. 3. 18. Is Linnen necessary? And fine Linnen desirable, Rev. 21. 8. To the bride (the Lambs Wife) is granted, that she should be arayed in fine Linnen, clean, and white. Is Physick sometimes wanting to us? The whole (saith he, speaking of himself) need not the Physitian but the sick. Is salve necessary sometimes to us? I counsel thee, (saith he, Rev. 3. 18.) To Anoint thee with Eye-salve. Is rest and ease desirable? Come (saith he) to me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Is Gold and Silver, are rows of Silver, and Chains of Gold, borders of Gold, and studs or spots of Silver, desirable? I Counsel thee [Page 738] (saith he) to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and here in my Text, thy Cheeks (saith he) are comely between the rows of Jewels: Thy neck, with Chains of Gold; we will make for thee, borders of Gold, and studs of Silver, Ez. 16. 10, 11, 12. I clothed thee, with b [...]oidered work and shod thee with badgers Skins, and I girded thee about with fine Linnen, and covered thee, with Silk; I also decked thee with Ornaments, and I put Bracelets upon thy hands, and Ear-rings in thine Ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. What is the meaning of all this, but I bestowed my love, my grace upon thee? How doth our blessed Lord humble himself to make himself, his favour, and grace, the object of the most vain and airy Souls de­sire?

2 Branch. Observe Secondly that Christs graces are those Ornaments with which he surnisheth the Souls of his beloved. They are those borders of Gold, and studs of Silver, which are here spoken of. They are the true, and the best Ornaments. Other Ornaments are but the Devils, or at best our own Ornaments. Such Orna­ments as are put on for Pride or lust are the Devils Ornaments. With these Souls are adorned whom he hath by the hand, lead­ing in the broad way which leadeth to destruction. There are indeed other more innocent Ornaments which serve to signify the quality of Persons, and to make them appear more lovely, and amiable, but at the best these are but humane Ornaments, they are not the dresses in which Christ dresseth his Spouse; a pious Soul may be dressed in these, (those that dwell in Kings houses, that are of higher quality, and in an higher station, and greater estates in the World, may wear soft rayment;) but these are none of the Ornaments which Christ puts upon the Soul that he Loves, though he may allow their infirmity in the use of them. There is other bread, and men must use it, but Christ is the bread of life. There are other clothings, but Christs righteousness is the true clothing, and the white Linnen of the Saints. There are other Ornaments of our bodies, but the habits of grace, with which Christ dignifieth and adorneth the Souls of his People, are the only Ornaments of the Souls, which he looks at. Christs Ornaments are, saith, Love, meekness, humility, temperance. The Love and fear of God Heavenly mind­edness. Thus saith the Apostle Peter of old, the holy women who trusted in God did adorn themselves. You have an account of [Page 739] other Ornaments, Isaiah 3. But you find not this sentence at the foot of that account. Thus of old holy women who trusted in God adorned themselves. With some of them you read that Jezebel adorned her self when she looked out at the window. Methinks this should be a mighty humbling consideration to a good man or woman who have adorned themselves (after the manner of the World) that they might not be singular, but go like Persons of their rank in the World, to think; Now I have decked, and adorned my self at the expence of a great deal of mony, and I have spent in the doing of it a great deal of time. None of these things are Christs Ornaments, he hath allowed me to wear them, but these are none of those things which I have received from him as my Saviour, and Redeemer; none of those things which do commend me unto him, or make me at all more lovely in his sight. These are none of his rows of Jewels, or his Chains of Gold. None of that attire, in which I must, if ever I come to Heaven, be brought unto the King of Kings. This is none of that rayment of needlework mentioned, Psal. 45. 14. And would serious Christians but entertain some such thoughts, with what a contempt, and neglect would they look upon their other Ornaments, while their circumstances make it but decent for them to wear them. How would they use them only to put them in mind of those better things by Christ resem­bled by them. This comparison also lets us know, that the Ornaments of grace, are the best, the most valuable most desira­ble Ornaments. Christ compares them to rows of Jewels, to Chains of Gold, to badges and spots of Silver; Jewels Gold and Sil­ver amongst things Ornamental, are the bravest, and amongst men counted above others. Ah! that I could this day but fasten this one nail, this one persuasion in your Souls, That habits of grace, are the best Ornaments; how much wast of mony would be saved? How many good works more would be done? How much more given to the necessities of Saints, how much glory would be more given to God? How much more good done to others? How much more peace would be brought to your own Souls? How much more would the poor creature that upon the account of our vanity, is made more a Servant to corruptions, and groans (as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 8.) for the day of judgment upon that account, be rescued from that bondage? How much more time would be rescued for [Page 740] holy duties, were you but rooted, and grounded in this persuasion that there are no Ornaments like those of the grace of Christ. Hear what Solomon saith, Prov. 1. 7, 8, 9. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge.—My Son hear the instruction of thy Fa­ther, and forsake not the Law of thy Mother, for they shall be an Or­nament of grace unto thy head, and a Chain of Gold about thy neck, Prov. 4. 9. Wisdom shall give to thy head an Ornament of grace, and a crown of glory. It were easy to demonstrate these to be the best and most excellent Ornaments, otherwise, then by the Metaphor of the Text. These adorn the Soul: Others adorn the carkass only. The substance of others is corruptible, they are things beneath us for the most part, in the lowest ranks of creatures. It is a shame to man to be beholden to a stone, or a little Earth, or a Silk-worm or a little flax for his Ornament; they are Ornaments that degrade the creature, and make a man beholden for his Honour and Orna­ment to things he treads upon. Grace is a supernatural thing, a thing that entreth into the substance of the Soul, and makes it sub­stantially beautiful. It is not a Pendent that hangs at the Ear, or a Necklace that hangs about the Neck, but makes no alteration in it; the Neck, the Ear, is the same thing still, with it, and without it, still the same grace makes a real, a lovely change in the dispositions, and the affections of the Soul. Other Ornaments com­mend us but to our earthly Relations, and the vainer part of the World. Grace commends us to Christ, to his Father, to Saints and Angels. The demonstration is easie: But ah! how few are they that believe our Report? How few will believe that Grace is the Best Ornament?

3. Branch. Thirdly; Observe, The Spouses Ornaments are of Christ, and his Fathers preparing & making. We will make thee. Neither is the Soul natively adorned, neither is it in its own power by any act of its own will to adorn it self. It's Righteousness is as raggs, and as a filthy cloth (faith the Prophet) raggs and filthy cloths are no Ornaments, neither can these Ornaments be purchased, Job 28. 15. It cannot be gotten for Gold, neither shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof; Nor can these Ornaments be borrowed. The wife Virgins could lend no Oil to those that were foolish, Matth. 25. To talk of grace under any other notion, than that of a free gift, is indeed no better than Nonsense. There are Ornaments for minds indeed to be got at Athens, and other Schools of Philosophers. But these are not that white Linnen, in which at the great day the Lamb's Wife must be [Page 741] brought to her Husband: Not that Garment of Needle-work, in which the King's Daughter must be brought to the King. There's no Faith in Christ, nor pure Love to God and Christ to be got at Athens. Flesh and Blood will not convey these things into a Soul.

4 Branch. Lastly; Observe how the whole Trinity is concerned in the dispen­sations of grace. It is the note of the Learned Mercer, That the Mystery of the Trinity is here held out to us in the Plural Verb [...]. I touched upon this before, though indeed the works of the Trinity within it self be divided: The Father begetteth, and is not begotten; The Son is begotten, but doth not beget; The Ho­ly Ghost proceedeth from both, and doth neither beget, nor is be­gotten; and although to denote the order of working in the holy Trinity, Creation is made the work of the Father, Redemption the work of the Son, and Sanctification the work of the Holy Spirit; yet it is most certain, that all the works of the Trinity, out of it self, are individed; what one person doth, all do. All that grace of which the Believer is made partaker, floweth from the whole Trinity; it is from the Father, through the merits of the Son, and by the Holy Ghost.

Use 2. In the second place; Will Christ go on in giving to his Saints more grace? Let not then those of little Faith be discouraged. Let not those that are strong, despise the weak, nor those who are weak, be discou­raged and despond in themselves. If the Child of God hath Faith but as a grain of Mustard seed, it shall increase: If it hath but a stock of grace, like the Widdows Meal in the Barrel, and Oil in the Cruise, yet the Meal shall not fail from the Barrel, nor the Oil from the Cruise. If the Child of a rich and indulgent Parent be despised by another that hath finer Clothes, and richer Ornaments, than the Wisdom of its Parent thinks fit at present to allow it; it will com­fort its self, that its Father is able to do as much for it; that he wants no love to prompt him to it; that it hath a large Inheritance that is made sure unto it. Shall not the Child of God thus comfort him­self from its hopes of glory, though it as yet hath but a small earnest of it, from that fulness of grace which is in Christ? He shall be holden up (saith the Apostle, speaking of the weak Brethren) for God is able to make him stand, Rom. 14. 4. And from that readiness that is in Christ, and his Promise to give to him that hath, so that he shall have more abundantly; from the Promise of Christ to the Soul, whose cheeks are already comely with Rows of Jewels, and Chains of Gold, that he will make for it Borders of Gold with [Page 742] spots, or badges, or studs of Silver. Let true grace in the Soul be never so faint and weak, it is the Seed of God, it shall abide, yea it shall grow and increase. Hypocrisie is alwaies withering; the Hypocrite groweth worse and worse, his fair shews and appea­rances daily decay, but true grace is alwaies growing; Christ is alwaies adding to it. And indeed this is one thing which distin­guisheth a sincerity and truth of grace, from all the counterfeits of it. A Child of God is alwaies growing better and better, the Lord is adding to his spiritual habits. Wicked men, and Hypocrites, are growing worse and worse.

Use 3. In the last place, This Notion calls to all the People of God, 1. For an admiration of the Love of God towards them; what a God do we serve! what a Saviour, what a Friend, what a Beloved hath every Soul, whose Soul sincerely loveth the Lord Jesus Christ? The Beloved of your Souls is not like anothers Beloved, in himself he is not, he is the chiefest of ten thousand, he is altogether desires. He is not to you as anothers Beloved, he is unweariable in his acts of grace, and dispensations of goodness. Are there any Souls here whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, whose Souls are regenerated, renewed through the Sanctification of the Spirit, might not these Souls go into their Closets with David, and sit down and say, Who are we, O Lord God! and what were our Souls, that the Lord should bring us hitherto, that God should wash our Souls white in the Blood of the Lamb, and give us another Spirit than we had by Nature, a new Heart, a new Nature, that he should make us partakers of the Divine Nature? But this was yet a small thing in the sight of God; he hath spoken also of his Servants for a great while yet to come; he hath spoken of more grace, of mak­ing for us Borders of Gold, with Badges of Silver. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. The beginnings of saving grace in the Soul, in the Justification of the Soul, and the first change and reno­vation of our Natures, are blessings of that nature, as Eternity will be too short a time to admire the Love of God in, and for; but will the Lord also add to his Servants stock, and increase their heap? will he be still making and preparing new Ornaments for them, and giving further grace to them till all their wants shall be sup­plied, all their emptinesses filled up? what manner of Love is this? Let our Souls be swallowed up in the admiration of this Love; Let our Souls, and all that is within us bless his holy Name.

2. How doth this Notion call to us for all manner of holiness? Holi­ness [Page 743] lyeth in two things, 1. The mortification of lusts and sinful habits with the eschewing and declining of sinful acts, which are the fruit of those trees. 2. The exercises of Godliness. Let me shortly press both, from this notion of out beloved's being pre­paring still, and making for us, Chains of Gold, and spots of Sil­ver. I will begin with the 2d.

1. The exercises of our selves unto Godliness, in all those posi­tive duties which God requireth of us. Whether they may be more internal, such as faith, hope, Love, or more external, in our more external communion with God, in Prayer, reading, hearing his word, receiving his holy Sacrament. Or in our conversation before and towards men: I shall press these from this notion upon a twofold consideration.

1. These exercises are the way to keep Christ still at work, making for us these further Ornaments.

2. They are the wearing, and using of these Ornaments.

I say (first) these exercises will keep our Lords hand continu­ally at work, so as he will never be weary but be still adding to our Ornaments of grace.

I have had occasion often in my former discourses to hint to you, that although God be ingaged by his covenant, and faith­fulness, to bring the Souls of believers to glory, and consequent­ly to give out to them such necessary supplies of grace, as shall make them meet for that inheritance, yet he is at liberty as to the gradual manifestations of his grace, to dispense them ac­cording to his own infinite wisdom, and his Peoples behaviour toward him. And the promises, of that grace, are made to the exercises of grace; Christ will be alwaies giving to those, who are alwaies working out their Salvation with fear and trembling, exercising themselves to Godliness. These exercises are those sacred means, in the use, and not without the use of which he hath promised the influences of further grace. Men mistake the promises of further grace, if they apprehend them made to any who do not their duty as to the fulfilling of them, when God had made those large promises of which you read, Ezek. 36. He concludeth, v. 37. Thus faith the Lord God I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. I will do it faith God, but yet I will be inquired of to do it for them. And for that promise, Matth. 13. 12. Whosoever hath to him it shall be given, and he shall have more abundance, though by the foregoing verse where our Saviour giveth a reason why he [Page 744] soake to his disciples more plainly then to others. Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. It seems to be a promise of further grace to those to whom the first grace is given. Yet in Matth. 25. 29. where the same promise is repeated and annex­ed to the parable of the talents, it is plainly to be understood of those who have and use and improve what they have; so as take those two Texts together, they are a promise indeed of further grace to be given, but to such as make a just improvement of what grace God hath first bestowed upon them.

2. Secondly, Our exercises of Godliness are indeed the wearing of these Jewels. God gives men and women grace for their uses, exercise is the use of the habit, and the end for which the Lord giveth it. What man will be continually buying clothes, and Ornaments for his Wife, who when she hath them will not wear them? They are no Ornaments if they do not adorn us, how shall they adorn us in the sight of the World (which cannot look into our hearts) unless we use and wear them? How can we wear, and exercise our grace, but by works of piety towards God, and goodness towards men? I will add yet one thing more.

3. It is but ingenuity in us when our Lord is never weary of giving out to us, never satisfied, never thinking that he hath done enough for us, to be thinking we have not done, enough, nor can ever do enough for him, when we hear Christ saying to us, I will make them borders of Gold, and Ornaments of Silver. Should not we be saying, We will take some new steps in the ways of God, do some further acts of obedience then we have yet done, forget what is behind, and press on to what is before, unto the price of the high calling. Shall my beloved never think me fine enough? Adorned enough? And shall I ever think my self, holy, and Spiritual enough? Serviceable enough to him in my generation? Shall not I be ever trying some new ways to advance Christ in the World, in my family, in my own Soul? Christ asks his disciples, what do you do more then others, Matth. 5. You receive more, but what do you do more? Every good Christian should ask himself these two questions;

1. What do I more then others? I have more mercy then [Page 745] others, what do I more than they? It is a shame for a Christian to do no more than a Publican, a poor wretch that never tasted how good the Lord is; yea it is a shame for him to do no more than he who hath not received the measures of grace which he hath recei­ved.

The 2d Question I would have him propound to himself is, What do I do more than I was wont to do? Wherein do I go on from strength to strength? Wherein do I exceed my self? Christ is preparing new measures of grace for, giving out new measures of grace to me? What new affections have I for Jesus Christ? What new perfor­mances do I do for him? The second thing in which I told you Holiness lay, was in mortification of lusts, and vitious habits, in eschew­ing evil, &c. Is our Lord making and preparing new Ornaments for Believers? How should they be afraid to grieve and dishonour him? This Notion affords a double Argument, whereby to press this second part of Holiness. 1. From Ingenuity. It is no way in­genous, and becoming Christians, to be pulling Jewels (as it were) out of Christ's Crown, while he is adding Jewels to our Crown, to be spoiling Christ of his Honour and Glory, while he is consulting our honour and satisfaction. O therefore grieve not his holy Spirit!

2. There will by it arise a disadvantage to your Immortal Souls. What Husband will still be bringing new Ornaments to a froward and disobedient Wife, that taketh no care to please him? Duty may oblige him to see that she shall not want necessaries, but he will certainly cut her short of superfluities. God in this, as I have shewed you, deals after the manner of men. God's Cove nant, his Truth and Faithfulness to that, will oblige him, notwithstanding his Peoples frowardness, to give them what grace is necessary to bring them to Heaven, but they must look to be cut short of that more grace, which they otherwise might receive from him. The Soul of a Christian, who giveth himself too much liberty, may be saved, but it will be as through fire. When David had fallen into those two great sins of Adultery and Murder, I remember God sent Na­than to him with this Message, 2. Sam. 12. 7, 8. I anointed thee King over Israel, and delivered thee out of the hands of Saul, and I gave thee thy Masters Houses, and thy Masters Wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the House of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things; wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight, &c. God there aggrava [...]eth [...] not only [Page 746] from those mercies which he had already received from God, but from that Love which was yet in his heart for him, and his readiness to do much more for him than he had yet done. Think when you have any temptations to sin against the Lord, that you hear Christ saying to you, I died upon the Cross for you, I washed you in my Blood, I have pardoned thy sins, clothed thee with my Righteous­ness, changed thy heart, put my [...] into thee; and if that had been too little, I was ready to do for thee such and such things, to make for thee Borders of Gold, and Studs of Silver, and shouldst thou now favour thy lusts, which are the Enemies of Christ? shouldst thou now despise the Commandments of the Lord, and do evil in his sight? Let this ingage all of us to fulfil the Precept of the Apostle, 2 [...]et. 1. 5. Giving all diligence, To add to our faith vertue, to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to our tempe­rance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to our brotherly kindness charity; for if these things be in us and abound, they will make us that we shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I may add; If these things be in us and abound, our gracious Lord will be still adding to us, making for us Borders of Gold, and Studs of Silver.

I have now finished my Discourse upon this Text, and all I have to say upon the return which this blessed Lover makes to his Spouse's Petitions.

It now comes to her turn to speak, which she doth in the next words, While the King sitteth at his Table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. But of these words hereafter.

Sermon LI.

Cant. 1. 12.
While the King sitteth at his Table, my Spikenard send­eth forth the smell thereof.

IN the close of my last Discourse, I told you I had finished what I intended to speak upon Christ's Answer to the Petitions of his [Page 747] Spouse. We are now to attend to her Reply to him, which is con­tained in v. 12, 13, 14. While the King sitteth at his Table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my Breasts. My Be­loved is unto me as a cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi, I begin with the first of these. Let us first inquire into the sense of the words. Concerning the Grammatical sense, there is little diffe­rence amongst Interpreters. We read it, While the King, some read it, So long as the King sitteth at his Table. The sense is the same, and the Hebrew particle signifieth both. In the next word, which we translate the King, there is something extraordinary, the Hebr. is [...]. There are two praefixes, [...] and [...] before the word which alone signifieth The King. I find Interpreters taking little or no notice of them; but I am willing to allow as few redundancies in holy Writ as may be. I find the same prefix, Psal. 146. 5. There it is prefixed to [...] God. Ar. Mont. translateth it, The God of whom. Others, Because the God of Jacob is his help. If we may be allowed to interpret it so here, it runs thus, whiles, and because the King sitteth at his Table, and learns us that our Spikenards smell dependeth upon Christ's presence with us. The King, [...] is demon­strative, or emphatical; I should judge it so here: As much as That King; Christ is a King above all Kings; he is that King, The King of Kings, the most noble, the most excellent King. The Spouse in these three verses giveth her Beloved two Names; she calls him King, in this verse, her Beloved twice, v. 13, 14. Christ's familia­rity with the Souls which he loveth, and the freedom and boldness which he alloweth them with himself, ought not to breed in them low and mean thoughts of him. He is a King, and that King, whiles he is the poor Soul's Beloved. [Sitteth at his Table.] The Dutch and French translate it, at his Round Table. Arias Montanus, in cir­cuitu suo, in his Round. The LXX Interpreters, who are followed by the Syriack, the Vulgar Lat. and Tremellius, in his Lying down. That we may the better judge which is the rightest, we must know the Hebrew word [...] comes from [...] which signifieth, he hath compassed about: Thence comes the Noun [...] which signifi­eth a circuit, a compassing about, and that is the word here used; and (except in this Text) I can find it but four times in Scripture, 1 King. 6. 29. He carved all the walls of the House round about, 2 King. 23. 5. The places round about, Job 37. 12. It is turned round about by his Counsels, Psal. 140. 9. Those that compass me about. [Page 748] So as the most literal Translation is, While the King is in his Round, whiles the King is round about. But by those that are Criticks in the Hebrew Language, it is observed, that it is a word which signi­fieth the form of their sitting, or rather lying down to eat meat (for so was the fashion of those Countries.) The use of Tables and Stools was not then known, but they were wont to sit or lie down, lean­ing upon their Elbows, and so to eat their meat. Samuel, 1 Sam. 16. 11. (speaking of their sitting down to eat) saith, We will not sit down until he come, that is, David's Jesse's youngest Son. In the Hebrew it is [...] we will not round it. Their meat was set on the ground, and their manner in eating was, to lie down round about their meat, and so eat, leaning on their Elbows, with their hand raising their head from the ground. The word only denotes to us their fashion of sitting, or lying in a round figure when they did eat, as we now sit about Tables. Hence our Translation is good enough to express the sense; While the King sitteth at his Table▪ and the Dutch and French▪ yet a little better, at his round Table. And the Translation of those who translate it [...], accubitu, recubitu, circuitu, is also proper, because those words signifie the posture in which they did eat in those Countries. But there's no foundation for their Translation, who understand it of a lying in Bed, it doubtless signifies, While the King sitteth or lyeth at meat. It followeth [My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.] The word translated Spikenard is [...] from whence comes the Greek word [...], the Lat. Nardus, and our Spikenard. In holy Writ it signifieth two things.

1. A Plant, Cant. 4. 13. 14. The Plants are an Orchard of Pomegrantes with pleasant fruits, Camphire, with Spikenard, Spikenard, and Saffron, Calamus, and Cinnamon with all trees of Frankincense, &c.

2. An Ointment made (in a great part at least) of that herb, and plant, and made liquid, that it might be poured out, Mary used it to anoint the feet of Jesus, John 12. 3. And the Wo­man, Mar. 14. 3. The Ointment is probably meant in this place, It may easily be gathered from those two Texts in the Gospel which mention it, that in those Countries it was a piece of their entertainment of their friends to bring sweet Oil, and to anoint their friends with it. Thence Christ checked Simon, Luke 7. v. 46. Mine head with Oyl thou didst not anoint, but this wo­man hath anointed my feet with Ointment. This expression plainly alludeth to that usage. I shall not trouble you with [Page 749] the various fancies of Naturalists, or their various stories a­bout this herb or Ointment.

My Spikenard gives it smell.] Smells you know are of two sorts▪ either more grateful, or more ingrateful which we call stenches. The Jewish Doctors generally understand this of an ill savour, strangely interpreting this Text of the Golden Calf which the Is­raelites made soon after they came out of Egypt, after the com­mission of which Idolatry, they say the name of the Israe­lites, which before was exceeding sweet in the nostrils of God, stank and had an ill savour. But all of the most valu­able interpreters of this Text, understand it of a sweet and fragrant smell which alone▪ is proper to Spikenard. Thus far we have inquired out the Grammatical sense of the words.

Let us further inquire, 1. What is meant by the King sitting at his table.

2. What is meant by the Spouses Spikenard sending or giving out the smell thereof.

By the King, that King, is doubtless meant the same Person whom the Spouse in the two next verses calleth her Beloved, by whom we have all along understood the Lord Jesus Christ; the only question here is what is meant by his sitting at his table Some by it understand his Incarnation, the time during which he tabled with us; others his glorifyed estate (so Tremellius.) I think Genebrard hitteth the sense right, who saith, the phrase De­notat praesentiam Christi cum Ecclesia, signifyeth the presence of Christ with his Church. Thus also Mercer interpreteth it, while Christ (saith he) is present with his Church, feeding it with his Word, the Church sendeth forth the sweet smells of Faith, grace, and good works, as Paul saith, we are a sweet savour unto God. And what he saith of the presence of Christ with the Church, is as true concerning his presence with the particular Soul that believeth in him; he who fitteth with another at the table hath a fellowship and communion with him while Christ vouchsafeth me his presence. That I take to be the sense of this Phrase. You read in the Gospel of a Marriage Supper which the King provided for his Son. And Rev. 19. 9. You read of the Marriage Super of the Lamb, and God promiseth, Rev. 3. 20. That if any man opens to him while he standeth at the door and knocketh, he will come in, and sup with him. Which phrases only note Gods nearness of presence, intimacy of fellowship, and mmunion with his People.

[Page 750] The next question is what is here meant by the smell thereof. Tremellius translates it Nardinum, that which is of spikenard, taking the Suffix▪ not as a Pronoun, but as forming a Noun adjective. So it should be read thus, while the King sitteth at his Table, that which is of Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof, as if the smell related to the fulness of Grace which is in Christ. But I shall rather follow our own translation. To send forth its Smell (saith Mr. Durham on the Text) is to be in lively exercise: Grace without smell or lively exercise being like flowers somewhat withered, that savour not, nor like unbeaten spice that s [...]nds not forth its savour. My grace is in exercise, that is his Sense. But 2dly. The smell of a thing is that which discovers a thing, & that both to our selves, and to others. Not only the motions, and vigorous actings and exercises of grace, but the Notifications and discoveries of it, both to our selves and others, depends upon Christs presence with, and influence upon the Soul, that is possessed of it. Two Propositions of Doctrine arise from the words thus opened.

1. Prop. That true grace will give its proper smell.

2. Prop. The smell of the Saints grace doth much depend up­on Christs influence upon them and communion with them.

I cannot but observe the connexion of this verse with the two former. Her beloved had told her that her Cheeks were comely with Rowsrof Jewels, her Neck with Chains of Gold, he had been com­mending her for her grace & holy conversation in the World. Ay (saith she) while my beloved, whiles the King sitteth at his Table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. So long as it pleaseth the Lord to keep my Soul company, to vouchsafe me his gra­cious influence, so long I can do something, those habits of grace with which he hath blessed me, so long send forth their smell, but if he hath withdrawn himself from me, if he with­holdeth his blessed influences, my grace moveth not, smelleth not. But before I can reach that, I would willingly speak something to the first Proposition concerning the nature of true grace, to send forth a smell, a peculiar smell.

1. Prop. True grace where it is will send forth a proper smell.

The Philosopher tells us that a smell is a quality of a mixed body which is drawn out by heat, arising from a due temperament of things in it which are hot and moist. But I have nothing to do with the Philosophical notion of a smell, it is here without que­stion taken Metaphorically, and (as I before hinted) signifieth [Page 751] Motion, and discovery. In all smells, that arise from things, there is. 1. Something of motion, the thing giving out the smell mov­eth, and sends some quality into the air. The smell of grace signifies the motion and exercise of it, 2. There is in smells some­thing of discovery. By the smell of a thing we both discover the place of the thing, and know where it is, and also the nature of things in a great measure. I will open my meaning to you in this proposition in three conclusions shortly.

1 Conclus. Where a truth of grace is in the Soul it will not lye hid, but dis­cover it self both to him that hath it, and to others, or at least to one of them. A man may carry dust in his pocket, and nei­ther himself, nor others with whom he converseth know it, but he cannot so carry Musk or any odoriferous thing, if it be open; grace is a glorious light which God kindleth in the Soul and must not be hid, the Kingdom of Heaven which is within us as well as that without us is like unto leaven which cannot lye long hid in the meal. The Romans faith was spoken of through­out the World, Rom. 1. 8. The elders obtained a good report, Heb. 11. 2. Grace where it is will be heard of, Eph. 1. 15. After I had heard of your faith, and your love to all the Saints. The like he saith to the Colossians, Colos. 1. 4. It is a thing to be seen in its fruits and effects. Shew me thy faith by thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works, James 2. 18. The grace that dwelleth in Christ hath a favour; so we had it before, Because of the Savour of thy good Ointments therefore do the Vir­gins love thee. Grace is the salt of the Soul. Have salt in your selves (saith our Saviour) and sale must not be without a Savour. It is compared to light, to fire, neither of which will be restrained.

2 Conclus. Secondly grace doth not send forth a Savour only, but a sweet savour, like the Savour of Spikenard which is very grateful to the exterior senses. Corruption, and lust hath a savour. The Savour of the body of death is like the Savour of the dead body when putrefied. Lusts are like Solomons dead flyes which send forth a stinking Savour, Eccles. 10. 1. The Drunkard hath a smell of drink. The unclean Person hath a smell, but it is a stinking Savour; the Covetous Worlding, hath an earthy Savour and smell. But the Savour of the Saints grace is a sweet smel­ling Savour; his garments smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cassia, His smell is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blest (as [Page 752] Isaac said of his Son, Gen. 27. 27. like the smell of Labanon, men­tioned, Hosea 14. 6. All the Children of Gods garments smell of Myrrh, Psal. 45. 8. The Lord smelleth a sweet Savour from them. He tells us he will not smell in the assemblies of wicked men, Amos 5. 1. But Paul was a sweet Savour to God, 2. Cor. 2. 15. And the Apostle calls the alms of the Saints, an odor of a sweet smell, a Sacrifice acceptable unto God, Eph. 4. 18. Their grace sends forth a sweet smell amongst the People of God who are partakers of the same grace, yea even into the World, that even those who know little of God, or of the mysteries of his King­dom yet many times will speak well of them and stand up in their defence.

Conclus. Though grace at all times sends forth a smell, yet it doth not give a like smell, in all times and in all Persons. Things (you know) that are most odoriferous, give out a smell according to the quantity of them, and according to the heat which com­eth to them, a dram of Musk doth not give out such a smell as a pound giveth, nor doth the most Aromatick Ointment in the Winter, or when it is kept in the cold, give out such a smell, as when it is kept in a warm hand, or influenced by the warm beams of the Sun, or brought near to a warm fire, it is so with our habits of grace they have in them a sweet smelling Savour, but exert it variously.

1. According to the different degrees of grace in the Soul. Every Child of God hath his [...], his measure of grace, but every one hath not a like measure the faith of one is weak and little like a grane of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds, yet groweth up to a great tree, the faith of another may be so strong as to remove mountains; according to the degrees of our infused habits of grace so will the smell of them be.

2. According to the influence of Christ (who is the Sun of Righteousness) so also will the smell of our grace be weaker or stronger. Three things contribute much to the smell of any odoriferous thing, 1. Heat, 2. Air, 3. Motion. Heat eliciteth and draweth out the odoriferous quality, air conveyeth it to the sense, motion rarifieth the parts. Three things also much con­tribute to the sweet smell of the Saints grace.

1. The influence of the Sun of righteousness upon the Soul. Therefore our Spouse here saith, Whiles the King▪ sitteth at his table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 2. The Breath­ings [Page 753] of the holy Spirit which our Saviour compareth to the wind blowing where it listeth, 3. Motion, the exercise of grace. As the Ointment doth not smell so sweet in the box as when it is poured out, so it is grace in motion and exercise that caus­eth the sweet smell thereof. When Mary poured out her Oint­ment, the house was filled with the Odour of it, John. 12. 3. and Christs name is compared in this Chapter to Ointment pour­ed out, which is exceeding sweet.

Doth any now further ask whence it is that true grace where­ever it resides will send forth its smell? I answer,

1. It is from the Nature of it. It is some peculiar quality in the nature of a thing which makes it to send forth a pleasant smell, what that is in natural things is not easy to determine. The Philosopher faith it is a quality which ariseth from a due temperament of something that is dry, and Savoury, and some­thing which is moist; (It is an account of it which will hardly bear a strict Examen) that it is a peculiar quality is most certain: So it is from the peculiar quality of gracious habits that they send forth their pleasant smell, and of that I think a more easy and certain account may be given what it is. 1. Its conformity to the Holy Nature of God. 2. Its proportion and conformity to the reason of man. 3. Its life and activity. 1. In gracious habits there is a conformity to the Holy Nature of God. Hence gracious Souls are said to be partakers of the Divine Nature, conforma­ble to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. The light of Na­ture shews the greatest part of mankind, that there is a God, Reason tells us, this God must be the Supreme, first, and most perfect Being, from hence it followeth, that the excellency of every thing lyeth in a conformity to God, who himself is the most perfect Being, and the Pattern of all perfection. This must make it the most amiable flower in the creation, and causeth it to give out a sweet smell to all who have not lost their smel­ling, debauching their reason by their most sordid lusts, and passions. 2. In all gracious habits and exercises, there is also a conformity to humane reason. There are in man some reliques of that reason in which much of the Original image of God where­in man was created lay, for Right reason (which Socinians so much talk of) it existeth in no man or Woman perfectly by nature, but some judgment remains of what is good and filthy, some notions of good and Evil, though very imperfect; now all [Page 754] gracious habits will approve themselves, and all gracious acts do approve themselves to these notions, Hence all truly moral acts, are materially gracious acts: That is, the same acts which grace teacheth the good man to do, though from noble [...] Prin­ciples, in a better manner, and to a more pure, and noble End. So that so long as there are any men in the World, who have not outlawed their natural reason, and almost extinguished it by their brutish lusts, and passions, grace will give a smell, and a good report. And the great hatred which good and holy men meet with from the men of the World, is from this, that grace carrieth out the Saint beyond the measures of the man of reason: So that in some acts, especially of Religion, he cannot be bounded by his limits. The man of the World commendeth the Child of God, for his justice, and Charity, for his Sobriety, and temperance, his readiness to forgive his Enemies, his meekness, humility, his serving of God, &c. He is only angry at him, that he will offer up to God more and more excellent Sacrifices, that his measures of praying, hearing, fasting, &c. Will not serve his turn, &c.

3. Lastly Grace is of a nimble, active nature. It is the Fire with which the Holy Ghost baptizeth the Soul, and it cannot lye hid in the Soul.

2. It is from the Ordination of God that grace sendeth forth its smell. We may say this of every created Quality, which pro­duceth any effect. It is from the Law of God in creation laid upon that Plant, Gum or Oil, known to the Eastern People, by this name of Spikenard, and the Law of God laid upon Musk, and sweet Flowers amongst us, that they or any of them, send forth a pleasant smell, the powerful hand of God in creation hath crea­ted such vertues, and qualities in these things, and God hath ordained that they should emit, or send forth their savour; and there is a daily influence of the providence of God upon them, by which these natural powers, and faculties in them are upheld, by which they do produce these grateful effects to our senses, and daily affect the Air which we suck in, by which that grateful­ness is conveyed to us: The like may be said of grace which is but a savoury, sweet smelling quality in the rational creature, cor­respondent to the other savory, sweet smelling qualities in vegetative and sensitive creatures: It is Gods creation in the Soul, and it is from Gods Ordination, that it sendeth forth this smell. [Page 755] This is true, whether by the Sending forth the smell thereof, we understand the exercise thereof; Or the gratifying the Spiritual sen­ses of others by such exercise: Both of them do proceed from the Ordination of God, which is the Law of God upon the New creature.

There is a double Ordination of God in the case. The exercise of a believers grace is from a divine Ordination, Joh. 15. 16. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and obtained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit. We are chosen in him before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love, Eph. 1. 4. Predestinated to be to the praise of his glory, v. 11. He hath also ordained the acceptableness of the savour of grace, both in his own nostrils, and in the nostrils of others, those especially, that are made partakers of the divine nature, And from hence it is that grace, and the actings and exercises of it, send forth a sweet smell to some: And others revile them, and speak ill of them. As it is in natural things, savours which are to some exceedingly grate­ful, and delicious, are to other creatures as ingrateful and abo­minable, which proceedeth from a different nature or different qualities in several creatures; all which are Originated in the Creation and Ordination of God: So it is with grace, the exer­cise of which is a sweet smelling savour in the nostrils of God, let me hear thy voice (saith the beloved in this song) for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely, and a sweet smelling savour, in the nostrils of such as are made partakers of the same divine nature: It is a stench in the nostrils of debaucht and profane men, and the lively and vigorous exercise of it is so in the nostrils of Hypocrites; all this proceeds from their different nature and the Ordination of God, whose Ordination it is, That wisdom should be justified of her Children. God hath ordained that where habits of grace are, they should sprout forth in acts; there is a Principle of life in the seed of God, as in natural seeds, which being committed to a fitting soil sheweth it self. Nor is this without the concurrence of a daily providence of God, upholding this Spiritual, vertue.

Use 1. Let us then observe, that true grace is neither a dead and in­sipid thing, nor yet an ingrateful thing in its exercise, to any that have any acquaintance with God, or fellowship in the divine nature. The name of grace is an excellent name and every one would [Page 756] be called by it. Amongst Christians the name of an ungracious man is a name of such reproach, as every one is offended at. But alas! How dead, and insipid a thing must grace be, if all had it who would pretend to it, in the age wherein God hath cast our lot? Men would be thought to have grace in whom we cannot discern one good work. They pretend to spikenard, but where is the smell thereof? Shew me thy saith (saith the Apostle) by thy works. Nay how many are there in the World, whose lusts, and corruptions send forth an ill savour? It is ob­served in nature, that unless the four Elements, there are no things but sent out some favour, some smell. Thence the Philosopher makes a smell the affection of a compounded body; all compound­ed bodies send forth a smell, little, or much, grateful, or in­grateful to us. The most of men and women send from their conversations some scent, some smell abroad in the World, but alas! The smell of the most is not like the smell of a field of a Soul that the Lord hath blessed, with the blessing of his grace, but like the smell of Souls which the Lord hath cursed, and will curse. One man smells of drunkenness, another smells of the lusts of uncleanness, a third smells of covetousness, a fourth of Pride and haughtiness of mind, a Fifth of earthly mindedness, and cove­tousness, a Sixth of Levity and airiness. Another smells of cruelty and unmercifulness, another of lyes and perjuries, breaking all oaths, covenants, promises, &c. These are not the smells of Lebanon, but of Topheth. God said of old, he would not smell in the Israelites assemblies, Amos 5. 21. I hate, I despise your feast dayes, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer me your burnt offerings, and your meat offerings I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your sat beasts. There are some whose smells are such in the nostrils of God, with respect to their ordinary conversation, that nothing they do, or can do, will smell sweet in Gods nostrils. As some ill Savours are so strong as they drown the sweet smell of any perfumes which the Person hath about him. So some sinners smell so odiously, so abominably in the nostrils of God, that no good act they can do, is or can be acceptable to God; this was the case of these Israelites: They did some good things, the keeping of solemn feasts, the offering, of burnt offerings were things which God had commanded, and else where he calleth them a sweet savour. But such was the stench, the ill savour [Page 757] of the lives of these degenerated Israelites, that it had drowned the sweet smell in Gods nostrils which these acts had sent forth, had they been done by better men. What was the matter? v. 5. They sought to Bethel. They were Idolaters. Jeroboam had set up Calves, at Dan and Bethel, and thither they went to Worship the true God, but by, and before the Calves. They were full of unrighteousness, they turned Judgment to wormwood, and left off righteousness, v. 7. They trode upon the poor, and took from them burdens of wheat, v. 11. They were haters of Gods faithful Servants, v. 10. They hated him that rebuk d in the gate, and abhorred him that spake sprightly. v. 12. They afflicted the just. They took Bribes and turned aside the poor in the gate from their right. These are they of whom God saith, I will not smell in your Solemn assemblies. To the same pur­pose God speaks, Jer. 6. 20. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet Cane from a far Country. Your burnt offerings are not acceptable nor your Sacrifices sweet unto me. And, Isaiah 2. 11, 12, 13, 14. Look as it is with some very strong natural ill savours, they do not only themselves offend our nostrils, but they so infect the whole air, which should bring the sweeter savour of some other things which we have about us to our nostrils, that nothing smells sweet; we smell nothing but the Castoreum or other stinking thing; so it is with rampant lusts and corruptions, with notorious Scandalous sins, whether the acts of impiety towards God, such are Idolatry, &c. Or acts of injustice, and uncharitableness towards men, they send forth such a strong, and ill savour in the nostrils of God, that the Lord can smell a sweet savour of nothing they do that live in such sins, he will not smell in their Solemn assemblies, their Sacrifice are abomination to God. God cannot away with the calling of their assemblies. Ah how many are there whose smells are of this nature.

2. Neither are these smells only offensive to God, but to the Church of God. The Protestant Religion may speak to these Simeons and Levies. You have troubled us, you have made me to stink amongst Papists and Atheists, and God grant that these spots in the assemblies of Protestants in our time cause not the latter part of Jacobs Words to be verifyed upon us, That our Ene­mies gather not together against us and slay us, and we be destroy­ed.

[Page 758] Use 2. 2. We may learn from hence, That a true Child of God need not set a Trumpet to his own mouth to blazon and proclaim his vertues. The Wise man saith, Let anothers mouth praise thee, and not thy own. The Child of God needs not that his own mouth should praise him. His Spikenard will send forth the smell thereof, and that is alwaies a pleasant smell. Good Wine needeth no Bush, we say. We have a saying, That Virgins should be seen and not heard. God's Virgins should be so, they should be seen acting and exercising their gracious habits, not heard admiring themselves for them. It is the Pedler that goeth about the Country, proclaiming his Pins, Points, and Laces. The rich Merchant, though better furnished, leaves himself to the report that others shall give of his Warehouse. The naughty woman praedicates her own vertues, whiles the woman that is truly vertuous, trusts her reputation to those who see and observe her to speak of her as they find her. You need not write upon a Box of Spikenard, This is Spikenard; the smell will tell you what it is.

Use 3. From what you have heard, you may observe, That every one is not to be condemned whose Spikenard sends not forth so strong a smell as anothers. There is no Child of God but hath his Spikenard, his Box of Spikenard, his measure of grace, but every one hath not the same measure. The least of the Believer's Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. But I have shewed you before, that in the People of God there are differences in degrees of grace. None can lay claim to the name of a Believer, or a Child of God, but he must have some faith, some love, some gracious habits, and must bring forth some fruits of holiness proportionable to his measure of grace. One Christian hath not the like measures of grace as another, nor the like influence of heat from the Sun of Righteousness to elicit the smell of those good habits. But of the necessity of that I shall speak more under the next Proposition. If a Christian's Soul be kept from scandalous and presumptuous sins, if he liveth up to those measures of knowledge and light which God hath given him, if [...], as we say, in the generality of his conversation, he walks close with God, though in some things his foot slippeth, a Christian is not to be condemned, if his Spikenard sends forth the smell thereof, though larger quantities in others, and under more incouraging and glister­ing circumstances, send forth a greater and stronger smell.

Use 4. 4. A Christian may hence take some comfort, who doth not see his own grace It is the case of many a good Christian, yea, almost of eve­ry [Page 759] good▪ Christian, at one time or another, he cannot see his own Faith, or Love, or it may be any other habit of grace with which the Lord hath blessed him. Others possibly can see much good, much of God in him; he can see nothing in himself. This often perplex­eth a Christian who thinks that he should know himself best. But the judgment of others is not alwaies to be despised as no founda­tion of comfort. Grace casts its smell, and there may be a time when a Christian's grace and Spiritual life may be more discernable to o­thers than to himself. Nay, there are several such times; times of natural disturbances from Melancholy, times of Divine Desertion, times of great Temptation. In all such times, others are better Judges of the People of God's grace and sincerity, than themselves are; these things cast a mist before their Eyes.

Use 5. 5. I shall conclude this Discourse with a word of Exhortation; To do what in us lies that our Spikenard may send forth the smell thereof. It amounteth to that of our Saviour, Let your Light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. I shall press it with two Arguments.

1. It is no Spikenard that sendeth forth no smell, no pleasant smell. James tells us, that Faith without works is dead, that is, it is no true Faith. John calleth pretended love to God without love to the Brethren, no love. Tantum es, quantum agis, a man is so much, and no more a Christian than he acts, and liveth like a Christian.

2. There is nothing so scandalous in the World, so dishonourable to God, so dangerous and infignificant to our selves, as the name of Saints, without the smell of Saints. The World expects that things and persons should in some measure answer their names; hence it is that the falls and slips of Christians make a greater noise, and give a greater offence to the World, than the grosser actions of persons who make no pretences to Religion and Godliness. For Branches in Christ, which bring forth no fruit, Christ tells us, the Husbandman, his Father will cut them off. These are they who bring up an evil report upon the waies of God, and make them to be abhorred. Nor can an empty name be of any significancy to our selves.

I shall shut up this Discourse with a few Directions.

1. Would you have your Spikenard send forth the smell thereof? Take heed then of Dead Flies. The Wise man tells us, That one Dead Fly will make the Apothecary's whole Box of Ointment to stink. What are Dead Flies in this case but scandalous sips, pro­ceeding from our extravagant lusts and passions? One open scanda­lous [Page 760] sin, will make a Christian's whole Box of Spikenard cast forth an unpleasant smell in the World. One sinful act will not lose us Heaven, but it will in a great measure spoil our scent. How many have we known, who, I hope, are gone to Heaven, who yet by their scandalous actions, (like David) made the Enemies of God to blaspheme. I hope they are some of them gone with Spikenard, I mean, with a truth of grace to their graves, but their Spikenard had wofully lost its scent. It's a sad thing when a man, of whom we can hardly presume, that he was in favour with God, and in a state of Grace, yet leaves the World, with a better report for justice and charity, for mercy, and bounty, and liberality, than one who pro­fessed higher, and went for a Child of God.

2. Take heed of exposing thy conversation to too much Air (I speak in this Dialect, to keep to the Metaphor a little.) Too much of Air spoileth the scent of the most precious Ointment. Take heed of too much needless converse with the World. Things that keep their scent must be kept close. It is true at all times, much more in such debauched times as we live in, the more recluse and private from the World a Christian keepeth himself, the better he will keep his scent.

3. Keep thy self from actions, as to which, though thou art satisfied thou mayest do them, but they are not of good report, either amongst Christians, or men of the World. It is too much the Errour of Christians, that in matters of offence and scandal, they only have a respect to Brethren. It is true, we ought to have a first and princi­pal respect to them; I am sure our Rule is more extensive, 1 Cor. 10. 32. Give none offence, either to the Jews or Gentiles, or to the Churches of Christ. The Apostle puts the Churches of Christ last, as if it ought to be the least of our care not to offend the Churches of Christ. I know no such thing can be concluded from the order of the Apostle's words: Yet one would think, if in actions of this nature any might be neglected, it should be Believers, whom we might presume to be of more knowledge and judgment, than to take any such offences; and if they did, so as they should reprove us for it, yet to have more love for God, than for any such actions in any persons to cause Religion, and the holy Name of God to be evil spoken of, our great care should be to have a good report of those who are without, and Christians carelesness as to this, is without doubt their great Errour, we ought not only to follow things that are just, and honest, and pure, but things also that are lovely, and [Page 761] of a good report, Phil. 4. 8. and to provide things honest in the sight of all men, Rom. 12. 17.

4. You must live in the practice and exercise of Grace, if you will have it send forth the smell thereof. It is the rubbed Pomander that is sweet. The Ointment poured out, which sendeth out a savour. It is not Grace talked of, but acted, and in its full exercise that send­eth forth its pleasant smell.

5. Lastly; Be as much in communion with Christ as thou canst. The King must be at his Table, when our Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. Be much with him in Prayer, Meditation, Hear­ing the Word. The Preaching of the Gospel is the feast of fat things upon the Mountains; and here, because it is a time when some of you are preparing for your duty of communion with Christ in the Ordinance of his Supper, let me mind you of your duty as to that, the rather, because I find our own Annotators, and divers other Expositors of my Text touching upon it in their Notes. That Table is the King's Table: It is called the Lord's Table, he is the Master of that Feast, as well as the Provision. It is an Ordinance which the Lord hath instituted for our Soul's fellowship and communion with him; Our Souls draw out from the Fountain of his Fulness, by this Conduit-pipe. Neglect not that sacred Ordinance, that your Spike­nard may send forth the smell thereof; And Remember while you sit there, that you do not restrain your Souls from God, but give out your Souls in the exercise of the graces of Faith, Love, Repentance, Thanks­giving proper for that holy communion with this King of Glory.

Sermon LII.

Cant. 1. 12.
While the King sitteth at his Table, my Spikenard send­eth forth the smell thereof.

I Proceed to the 2d Proposition which in my last discourse I ob­served from these words.

Prop. That the smell of the Spouses Spikenard, doth much depend upon Christs presence with her, and influence upon her.

[Page 762] I have already told you, that the believers gracious habits are the Spikenard here mentioned. That the sending forth the smell thereof signifieth the exercise of these habits, to the pleasing of God, and the honour of God in the sight, and face of the World. This I say doth very much depend upon Christs presence with, and influence upon the Souls which is the thing here expressed, by the Kings sitting at his table. I shall prove this proposition by proving these four things.

1. That all exercise of gracious habits dependeth upon Christs influence upon, and communion with, the Soul.

2. That degrees of gracious exercises, depend upon degrees of such communion, and influence.

3. That as is the exercise of grace, So is the smell thereof.

4. That in deserted Souls, grace doth not give out its smell. Or at least very little.

Conclus. 1. 1. I say, 1. All exercise of gracious habits dependeth upon Christs influence upon, and communion with the Soul. God doth not only infuse habits of grace, but he also eliciteth the acts of grace. Hence our Saviour tells us, Joh. 15. 3. That without him we can do nothing. And the Apostle tells us, That he giveth to will, and to do of his own good pleasure. It is Musculus his observation upon Joh. 15. 3. our Saviour doth not say, that without me you can do no great thing, or without me you cannot do any great thing but without me you can do nothing. And the Apostle calleth Christ not only the author but the finisher of our saith, Heb. 12▪ [...] and 1 Phil. 29. It is given to you on the behalf of Christ to be­lieve, a power to believe, that is the habit, but the Lord doth not only give us a power to believe, but to believe actually. Acts of faith, and holiness, are our fruit; The habits of either are the seed, the Acts are the fruit, and so are often called in holy writ, Joh. 15. 2, 3, 4. Rom. 7. 4. In me (saith God) is thy fruit found; hence a life of Holiness is called a walking in, and after the Spirit, Gal. 5. 25. Rom. 8. 1. I live (saith the Apostle, Galat. 2. 20.) but yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and again Phil. 4. v. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me. To every good act there is not required only a first exciting grace, and a working grace, quickening, and determining the will unto the act: But a further exciting, assisting, and cooperating grace, Thus that ancient Councel (Concil. Araus. Can. 9.) determined, As often as we do that which is good God work­eth [Page 763] sn us and with us that we may work. Hence the Apostle saith, of himself, 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am, and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain, but I la­boured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. In every good action of a regenerate Soul The renewed Soul acts, and God acts. Thus I remember August. asserted of Old. Some (saith he) may say, Then holy men are acted, and do not act; Respondeo (saith he) Immo agis, & ageris & [...]unc bene agis si ab eo agaris; that is, I answer, yes, thou both actest and also art acted and then thou actest well, if thou beest acted by him; For the Spirit of God which acteth thee helpeth thee in acting; he hath stiled himself thy helper, because thou thy self dost something; only here is to be observed a double difference.

1. The first is the difference between Gods influence upon our natu­ral powers to their natural acts and our Spiritual habits & powers as to their Spiritual acts. God influenceth our bodily members, as to their natural acts. Without his influence we could not move, nor speak, nor do any natural act; but how doth he influ­ence us as to them? By upholding our natural powers: And by keeping off those things which would hinder their natural exercises. God hath given unto man a Soul, indued with the powers both of the Vegetative Soul in plants, and of the Sensitive Soul in brute creatures, besides some more noble powers, which are proper to the reasonable Soul. Now these Souls act from this natural power in them, which being upheld in them, & not hindred by any forraign, or intrinsick cause, produce the acts that are proper to them: This is but an influence of common providence, and is com­mon to all men. But the influence I am speaking of is an influ­ence of Special grace: Not an influence common to men, but pe­culiar to the People of God who have experienced this grace.

2. The Second difference I desire you to observe is, The dif­ference betwixt Divine influences, as to the first and this further grace. No man cometh unto the Son unless the Father draweth him. In the first grace the Soul is meerly passive; that change is wrought by working grace; this by cooperative, and assisting grace; the renewed Soul moves and acts from it self: It is only quickened and assisted by Divine influences. To speak therefore clearly, and distinctly, we say God hath a double influence upon our wills as to any good actions done by us.

[Page 764] 1. He influenceth our wills as the cause, Exciting our wills to the Acts. Our wills are the cause of all good actions done by us, (the proximate cause;) we first will the thing which we do, sed ille fa­cit ut velimus, it is he who influenceth our wills, and makes us willing, and then excites our wills.

2. God together with our wills (as the proximate cause) hath an influence upon the effect. It is universally granted by sober men, That there is a concurse of Divine providence, to the production of every effect; nor doth this concurse of the first cause hinder the liberty of the Second Cause. No Natural agent produceth any effect without a concurse of the Divine power, and a simultaneous motion of the Divine power. Some will have this influence of God upon us, as to Spiritual acts, to be no more then an ordinary concurrence of Providence. But I think the contrary will appear to every one who shall diligently con­sider two things.

1. The imperfect state of the will of man even after regeneration. Before Regeneration man hath servum arbitriun: A meer servile will. Augustine tells us that in the state of Innocency, mans happiness lay in a posse non peccare, a power which he had in that state, if he would, not to sin against God. The happiness of the state of the Souls in glory will lie in a non posse peccare, in this that they shall have no power more to sin. They shall be like the Angels in Heaven, confirmed in a state of purity, and holiness. The state of a Man or Woman not regenerated is that he cannot but sin. Now though the Regeneratedman be by regeneration freed from the servitude of the last mentioned state, yet it is much short either of the more perfect state of the will of the glorified Saints, or of the state of Adam in inno­cency, we cannot say that their will is so stated through Grace, that they have a power not to sin. Even the best of men sin­neth 7 times a day, and who can tell how oft he offendeth. We know but in part, and so may sin through ignorance, and oft times do so. We are men full of passions, and live in a World that is full of temptations, and are often over-born. Our will is indeed manumised, and to will is present with us, but our free­dom is imperfect.

2. Yea I cannot understand, but that we should have need of a Divine influence exciting, and assisting us to our Spiritual acts, supposing that upon our regeneration we had been per­fectly [Page 765] restored unto that indifferency in which Adam was created. For admit the will of man indifferently free to move to good or evil, what but the Influence of Divine Grace should incline and deter­mine it rather to that which is good, than to that which is evil. But that which makes it much stronger, is the consideration that we are not restored to such a perfect liberty or indifferency, but there is remaining even in the best the body of death, passions, impetuous passions, which strongly Incline us to that which is evil, and often prevail against us. David complaineth, That iniquities prevailed against him. Paul complained, That he was sometimes brought into captivity to the Law of his Members. Besides, if we could imagine that the will of man (though renewed) could be the first Principle of any spiritual action, it must be a First Cause, and man would be a God to himself.

But it may be some will say, though it be true, that the will of man cannot move it self to a Spiritual Act, but it must have a first mover, yet God's Influence upon it may be no more than the ordi­nary concurse of his Providence, such as he allows to all his crea­tures upholding their Beings, and their natural powers and facul­ties. I therefore add,

3. That this may seem plausible to those who either do not consider, or will not allow those two contrary Principles which are in every re­newed Soul, but to those who believe and consider this, it cannot, Gal. 3. 17. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things which you would; especially when we con­sider also the advantage which the Flesh hath in us against the Spi­rit. Vicious habits and inclinations are natural to the soil of our hearts. It is a common observation, Quod sponte prodit laetius pro­dit, what a soil naturally brings forth, it brings forth more vigo­rously and certainly, than what it is made to bring forth by Art and Cultivation. The heart of every man naturally inclines to mo­tions and actions, contrary to the Will of God. Hence Self-denial is the first thing necessary to Christ's Disciple; this makes more than a concurse of common Providence necessary to a spiritual act. Now in our natural motions there is no opposition, and therefore an ordinary conservative power of common Providence is sufficient to their production, Nature giving no opposition to them; but this reason differeth very little from the first, therefore I shall not further inlarge upon this head.

[Page 766] 4. Lastly; If we could exercise gracious habits without any su­pernatural influence exciting and quickening, and also assisting and cooperating; Then we might from our selves begin, and carry on a supernatural act: For suppose one indued with the habits of grace, he is only by these furnished with a power to believe, to love God, &c. The Question is, Whence he acts and exerciseth these powers? If this be from himself, then the supernatural act begins, and is carried on from himself, and God should give only to will, but not to do. The Apostle tells us, in 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves, but our suf­ficiency is from God. If it be answered, That as in natural actions God upholdeth the natural powers and faculties of the Soul; so in the renewed Nature, he upholdeth the Spiritual Powers. This is too short; for the Question is, Whence a Christian is inclined to this or that individual good action, and why more at one time than another; for there is a never-ceasing influence of God up­holding the principles and powers of the renewed Nature; yet ex­perience tells us there is not at all times the same power and vigour to act. Besides, in all God's influences and concurses of Providence with his creatures, his influence is according to the nature of the second Cause with which he concurreth. But when God concur­reth with a spiritual habit or power in the Soul, he concurreth with a Second Cause which is supernatural, not a native quality in the rational Soul, but adventitious, superinduced qualities, therefore an ordinary concurse of Providence is not sufficient; and as the Se­cond Cause with which he concurreth is supernatural, so the Effect to be produced is of that nature also. To all this might be added, the mention so often made in Scripture of the Spirit dwelling in us, helping our infirmities, working in us: And St. Paul's telling us, that he lived, yet not he, but saith he, Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2. 2 [...]. and that, 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet NOT I, but the grace of God that was with me. But I have spoken enough to the first Con­clusion I laid down, proving that our exercise of grace depends upon the Influence of Christ, and that considering him not as God only granting his ordinary concurse of Providence, to all his creatures motions and actions, but considering him as Mediator, and from whom the Spirit of Grace proceedeth. There must be a double In­fluence of Christ to a Spiritual Act. 1. The first exciting, moving, [Page 767] quickening, and stirring up the Soul unto it. 2. Assisting the Soul in it.

2. 2 Conclus. Degrees of exercises of Grace depend upon the degrees of those Influences. Christ tells us, That he came into the World, that his People might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly, Joh. 10. 10. The aboundings of gracious acts depend upon the aboundings of Spiritual Life. This is so obvious to every man's common reason, that I need not inlarge in a Discourse to prove it. Every one will conclude, That if without Christ we can do nothing, we cannot without him do great things, if we cannot think a good thought, we cannot pray a good prayer, nor do an act which must speak a great self-denial, and mortification of our members.

3. 3 Conclus. As is the exercise of Grace, so is the smell of it. I have before told you, that some Divines say, the exercise of Grace is the smell of it. I had rather by it understand the Acceptation of such exercise of Grace with God, and the report of it amongst men, which indeed dependeth upon the exercise, and is more or less according to the exercise of it. The more a Soul liveth in the improvement and ex­ercise of those blessed habits with which God hath endued it, the more it glorifieth God, Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my Disciples. Abraham be­ing strong in the Faith, gave glory to God; and the greater is the sweet savour which the Soul gives in the World. There is nothing in the exercise of gracious habits, that is unlovely, or unsavoury to that part of the World, that hath not through malice out-lawed its reason; they are not the exercises of Grace, but the breakings out of sin and corruption which give the Souls of Christians any ill re­port amongst the generality of the men of the World. Some few persons indeed there are, who have such a perfect rooted hatred of God in them, that as they say of the Basilisk, that it hath such an hatred and antipathy to man, that it will flie upon the Picture of a man; so they will flie upon the Image of God where-ever they see it, or think they see it; but the number of these (though in it self too great, yet) comparatively is but small. The generality of men and women in the World are not so bad, but a good man living uniformly up to his Principles, hath a fairer quarter amongst them. But amongst the People of God, those who excel in vertue, the ex­ercises of Grace alwaies smell very sweet, and amongst all men un­der the conduct of reason; as is the exercise of these spiritual habits, so is the Christian's smell more or less. The Ointment poured forth [Page 768] is that which perfumes the house, the reason is, because that odo­riferous quality is by the Air, (as its vehicle) conveyed to our senses. So for men and women in the World; the habits of Grace in the Soul are not discerned but by the exercise. Indeed as to our ac­ceptation with God, the reason is different; he seeth the hearts of men in their internal change and renovation, but he hath given them their gracious habits for this very end, that they should exer­cise them; he hath commanded the exercise of them; Let me hear thy voice (saith he) for sweet is thy voice. By the exercise of them he is glorified; a great deal of honour redoundeth to him from others. So as it must needs be true, that as is the exercise of Grace, so must be the smell thereof, whether you by smell understand ex­ercise (as the smell of the odoriferous Ointment or Plant is the product of its odoriferous quality) or the acceptation of it with God, and acceptableness of it unto man. Where there is no exercise of Grace, there can be no smell; where the exercise of it is weak, the smell of it must bear a proportion; where there are the highest and strongest exercises, there is the sweetest and strongest smell.

4. 4 Conclus. Where the King is withdrawn from his Table, the Soul's Spike­nard sendeth forth little or no smell. This is my last Conclusion, in proof of the Proposition. God sometimes hideth himself from the Souls of his People. The presence of God with Churches, Nations, and particular Souls (of which you so often read in holy Writ) is to be understood not of his Essential Presence, for so he is never ab­sent from any of us; Enter, praesenter Deus est, & ubique potenter (according to the old barbarous verse) he filleth Heaven and Earth, & infinitum ultrà spatium, an infinite space beyond what we can comprehend under these two terms. It must be therefore understood of his Providential Presence respecting his goodness, and such grate­ful dispensations as from thence flow to poor creatures. Now the goodness of God respecting our outward or inward man, God is said to be present or absent, with or from his creatures, as he dis­penseth out good unto them, or with-holdeth them from them. Hence you read in Scripture so often of God's presence with his People in going out with their Armies, blessing them with succes­ses, &c. And on the contrary, of God's hiding his face, and depar­tures from his People, by his giving them up to their Enemies, his cur­sing them in their baskets and store, &c. As to their inward man, God is said to be present with them when he upholdeth their Souls to their spiritual operations, gives them quiet, and peace in their [Page 769] Spirits, &c. to be absent, and to hide his face from them when he with-holdeth these Influences. God indeed doth never wholly for­sake a living man, for he must then die and return to his dust; nor as to his Spiritual Influences doth he ever wholly withdraw himself from the Believer's Soul, for then his Spiritual Life must be wholly extinguished, the Union betwixt the Soul and Christ, and his Spirit wholly dissolved, but he oftentimes doth gradually withdraw him­self; this is what we call Desertion. Take a Soul under these cir­cumstances which enjoyeth not the presence of Christ with it as at other times, this Soul at this time hath its Spikenard, for the Seed of God abideth in it; but (alas!) it sendeth not forth the smell thereof, at least not so as at other times; the deserted Soul acts its Grace weakly, falls under many corruptions, and into many temptations: It is like a Flower in Winter, whose Root is kept in the Earth alive, but it doth not bud and blossom as at other times. It is true, God at such a time loveth the Soul, (for whom he loveth, he loveth to the end, but many of its actions in this state are not so pleasing to him; it crieth out, I think upon him, and I am troubled; I am so troubled, that I cannot speak, I cannot pray, I cannot sing prai­ses, &c. Nor can its conversation be so sweet to men; it walks de­jectedly, and troubled, &c. It is true, Desertions are of several sorts and degrees, and that Soul from whom God hideth himself as to consolatory Influences, may yet enjoy his presence as to strengthen­ing and quickening Influences, but the actions of a deserted Soul, so far as it is deserted, are far from sending forth a pleasant smell. These four things are sufficient to make good the Proposition. viz. That the presence of Christ with, and his supernatural Influences upon the Soul, are highly necessary to the Spouse's Spikenard sending forth the smell thereof. I come now to the Application.

Use 1. Observe from hence (in the first place) how little room is left for any creature's boasting, and how just reason the best of Souls have to walk humbly before their God. We are naturally proud, and have hearts exceedingly prone to be lifted up above measure. God knoweth our infirmity, and hath so ordered the whole business of our Salvation, that all boasting is excluded. There are but two things as to our Spiritual concerns that we can boast or glory in: The dignity of our state, or the change of our hearts manifested in our holy dispositions, or vertuous and pious actions. As to the former God hath (as the Apostle hath determined) excluded boasting, by the Law of Faith, Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then? (saith he) [Page 770] he answereth himself, It is excluded; By what Law? Of Works? nay, but by the Law of Faith. Would any man glory that his Soul is in a state of righteousness, and favour with God? What reason is there for that, if he be justified through Grace, and righteous only through the imputed righteousness of another? If he be only compleat in Christ, all glorying of that Nature is excluded. What is then left for a man to glory in, will he glory in his habits of grace, the renovation of his nature, &c. So indeed he might if this change had proceeded from himself, if he had been born again of the will of man, or of bloods, but if it be of the will of God, if it be of water, and of the Spirit, which worketh as a most free agent, blowing where it listeth, where is there any room for boasting? Will he boast of his good acts? If it be not he that liveth, but Christ that liveth in him, if all things which he doth be through Christ that strengtheneth him, where is there any room for boasting? God hath not left us a Feather to boast of: Will a man boast that he hath a power to will what is spiritually good? He boasts beyond his Line, and of a Lye. For it is God who giveth both to will and to do. This is gratia operans, working Grace; it is working, effica­cious Grace that giveth man any spiritual power; he cannot make his own Spikenard; it is indeed his, but ex dono, of God's free gift: But it may be when he hath it, he can exercise it without any fur­ther assistance; no, as he must first receive the Spirit before he hath in him any thing of Spiritual Life, so he must be led by the Spirit. If God did not excite the Grace bestowed on him, it would be choaked by that body of death, that lust and corruption which is in the best mens hearts. What can the creature do, when the Holy Spirit hath quickened his habits of Grace? he cannot act and exer­cise them, and put forth spiritual acts; but doth he no more need the Influence of the Holy Spirit? yes, without Christ he can do nothing; he must still have the Grace of God with him, 1 Cor. 15. 10. Not I (saith Paul) but the Grace of God which was with me. This is now cooperative and assisting Grace. He cannot make the Wheel which must carry him in the waies of God, (working Grace must do that) when it is made, he cannot set it upon motion. Exciting Grace must oil it; Assisting Grace must keep it up, move with it, or he will never come to issue any good action. A Believer indeed acteth, for the habits of Grace from which he acteth are inhe­rent in him; he is not moved like a Machine, or dead Engine, but yet he is acted, that is, assisted and helped in his action: He is no­thing [Page 771] but what he hath received; he doth nothing but while he is re­ceiving. Let not then the Natural man glory in the power and good inclinations of his own will; he neither hath, nor can have any power to do that which in a spiritual sense is good, until it be given him from above. Let not the renewed man glory in his infused habits of Grace; for as he did not merit it, nor any way purchase them, so of himself he cannot use or exercise them: But let him who glorieth, glory in this, that to him Christ is all in all, that he liveth, he acteth, and bringeth a good action to an issue, but yet not he, but Christ that liveth in him, acteth with him, and worketh in him what he accepteth from him. It is Christ who layeth the foundation­stone, and then layeth the corner-stone, who is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith; we have nothing to do but to cry Grace, Grace, when we see the work done. In the mean time, nothing hin­dereth but that the Soul may rejoyce, and boast in the Lord, while it walketh humbly with God, mourning over the infirmity of its lapsed Nature; for certainly man did not come out of God's hands in the day of Creation in this impotent state. Let no man therefore despise those that labour under greater degrees of this impotency than he possibly doth, but let him bless the Lord who hath further excited, strengthened and assisted him to the operations of his Spi­ritual Life.

Use 2. I shall shut up this discourse, with a word or two of Exhor­tation to every Child of God to use his utmost diligence to keep the King sitting at his Table, I mean to keep the presence of Christ, as much as he can, in and with his Soul, that so his Spikenard may send forth the smell thereof. I shall urge this by one argu­ment, and then offer you my advice in the case, and so sh [...] up this discourse.

1. My argument shall be drawn from the high concerns of the Soul in its Spikenard sending forth its smell; every Soul is concern­ed in it three ways. 1. In point of duty as God thereby is glorifyed. 2. In point of comfort as it will evidence its Spike­nard to be such indeed. 3. In point of honour, as it brings the Soul to a repute in the World.

1. I say first in point of duty, as God is thereby glorifyed. For this cause we are born, for this cause is every man come into the World, that he may bring honour and glory to his great Creator. Herein (saith our Saviour, John 15.) Is my Father glorifyed, if you bring forth mach fruit, and as the Lord [Page 772] is glorifyed by the vigorous exercise of its grace: So is he also honoured, by the predication of his grace, by the sweet smell which our habits and exercises of grace have in the World. That they may see your good works saith our Saviour, Matth. 5. And glorify your Father which is in Heaven. That they may see your good works saith the Apostle, and glorify God in the day of their visitation; no man so glorifyeth God as he who vigorously exerciseth his habits of grace. The barren field is not that field which crediteth the husbandman, the barren and unfruitful Soul is not that Soul which bringeth honour, and glory to God. It is the fruitful Soul, whose smell is like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed, that bringeth honour to God, and so eminently serveth the great end of his Crea­tion.

2. The Soul is not only concerned in it in point of duty, but also as to its peace and comfort. Indeed it cannot be, but that comfort should result from the Souls performance of its duty for the fruit of righteousness shall be peace; but yet first, as he, or she that hath a box of Spikenard, or any other odoriferous un­guent, or perfume, which casteth out a sweet savour to delight, or refresh others, doth first partake of it him or her self, so it is with the Spouses Spikenard, ordinarily, its fruits of righteousness do not only affect others, but first affect the Soul in which they are found, hereby (saith St. John) we know that we are tra [...]sla­ted from death to life, because we love the brethren. Hez [...]kiah upon a message of death sent by God to him was refreshed with the smell of his own Spikenard, 2 Kings 20. 3. I beseech thee, O Lord (saith he) remember now, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done what is right in thy fight. When a Christian comes to lye upon a sick bed, or a death-bed, it will be no grief of heart unto him, but a great pleasure and Satisfaction, to consider, that he hath with his Spirit served God, and indeavoured by holiness in all manner of conversation to shew forth the grace of God bestowed on him, not to have been received in vain.

3. Lastly a Christian is concerned in point of honour. A true Christian is an honourable Person, born of God, and he is bound to consult his honour, and repute in the World. It is the smell of a Christians grace, that giveth him a name and honour, a re­pute before men? The World taketh no notice of our habits of [Page 773] grace, while they lye dormant in the Soul, but when they shew themselves in our conversations in the exercises of faith, humi­lity, patience, meekness obedience then hath a Christian honour before men. Thus you see how a Christian is concerned to have his Spikenard send forth the smell thereof. Now seeing so much dependeth upon this, that a Christian should keep this glorious. King sitting at his Table, it followeth that this is of high concernment to every Soul.

But you will say what can we do toward it, is not the Spirit of Christ free, as the wind, which bloweth where it listeth? May not the King sit or rise up from his Table when he plea­seth?

I answer, It is true, that our God (as to his manifestative presence with the Souls of his People) governeth himself accor­ding to the good pleasure of his will, and his own infinite, and unsearchable wisdom: The King oft-times riseth up from his Table when the Soul of his Child is able to give it self no ac­count what distaste he hath taken, nor what hath made him to go away from it, and not to give out his influence as at other times, but yet it is as true that at other times, he withdraw­eth for the punishment of his Peoples sins, either of Omission or Commission, and there are some means to be used in order to the keeping of his presence with us, upon the Omission, or neg­lect of which he withdraweth, and hideth his face, and he ordinarily departech not from the Soul but upon some distast given to him; I shall therefore conclude this discourse, with a few directions given in order to the keeping ofhis presence with us. To keep to the Metaphor here used, there are four or five things, which will make a serious and ingenuous Person make hast from a Table, or depart from a place, where he might have made a longer stay, or abode. 1. The frowardness or ill hu­mour of his host, 2. A discerned want of love or attendance, 3. An ill intertainment, 4. The dulness or unpleasantness of the company, 5. A discerned slight or carelesness of his pre­sence. To avoid these,

1. Take heed of grieving his holy Spirit, quenching the motions of it, Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man will open, I will come in, and sup with him, and he shall sup with me. O Christs coming in, and sup­ping [Page 774] with the Soul, and allowing the Soul to sup with him, sig­nifies what is here in the Text expressed, by the Kings sitting at his Table. And the Spouses Spikenard, sending forth the smell thereof; now this dependeth upon the Souls opening; when Christ stands at the door, and knocketh, he knocketh by the mo­tions of his holy Spirit, the Soul openeth, by its willingness to re­ceive, imbrace and obey such motions; the reason why this great King, riseth up from his Table, is, because when he knocketh the Soul is not obedient to his motions, he pipeth to the Soul, and it doth not dance. He mourneth to it and it doth not weep, it doth not answer his motions to it, according to the nature of them, but denyeth, delayeth or disputeth. God telleth the presumptuous sinner, Prov. 1. 24. That, Because he hath call­ed and he refused, because he stretcheth out his hand, and he doth not regard, but he sets at nought all his Counsel, and would none of his reproof, he would laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear cometh, &c. As a Child of God cannot be guilty of sinning to such a degree, as setting at nought all the Lords Coun­sel, and refusing all his reproof: So he cannot be under such a severe threatning as is there mentioned. But as the Child of God may in some degrees be guilty of such sinning, not hearken­ing to, and obeying all the motions of Gods holy Spirit, not re­ceiving all its reproof; So for this he may be punished in his measure, by Gods withdrawings of his manifestative presence, take therefore the Apostles Counsel, Eph. 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of Redemp­tion.

2. Let this great King want no love, no attendance, no reverence nor obedience, while he sits with you. When Christ was at meat in the house of Simon the leper, Mary brought a box of Spike­nard, and poured it on his head, Mar. 14. 3. Christ sits still while the Ointment was poured out, it was not the smell of the Spikenard but the love of her that brought it, which made the room pleasant to him. He stirred not from the Table at Marthas house, so long as Mary sate at his feet and Martha served him. Hear what he saith, Job 14▪ 23 If any man love me he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Say you to all the powers and faculties of your Souls to all the members of your bodies as the Virgin Mary, said to the Servants at the wedding [Page 775] in Cana of Galilee where Christ was present, Joh. 2. 5. Whatsoever he saith unto you do it. That is the way to keep him still sitting at his Table in your Soul.

3. Take heed there come nothing to your Table that shall distast him. Every ill smell of lnsts and corruptions will disturb him; this made him to hate the Jewish feast days, and not to smell in their Solemn assemblies, Amos 5. 21. If you look into Isaiah 1. 11, 12, 13. Ch. 66. v. 3. Jer. 7. 8, 9, 10. You will see what sins will make him to rise up from his Table: All for­mality, and hypocrisy in your behaviour toward him, all gross, and Scandalous sinnings, &c. When in stead of wine he meets with the poison of Dragons instead of sweet grapes, he meet­eth with grapes of gall, and clusters of wormwood, he will not long sit at his Table in that Soul.

4. Not only the apparent badness, and rudeness, but the dulness, and unpleasantness of a company, makes an ingenuous man rise up from his Table. Take heed of heaviness, and dulness, inactivity, and want of delight in your communion with God.

5. Lastly, As a discerned carelesness, and slighting of a friends Company, makes the stay of an ingenuous Person with his friend, much shorter, then it otherwise would have been: So any careless slighty behaviour toward this great King, may make his stay, and abode with your Souls, in the sensible manifestations of his love, much shorter then it otherwise might have been. He will be a welcome guest where-ever he abideth; on the other side, he doth not easi­ly rise up, or depart from a Table where the Soul inlargeth it self in testifying the gratefulness of his presence to it, by offer­ing him all the entertainment it can afford him, giving up of it self to him, daily importuning him not to leave him. Thus you shall find our Spouse doing, Cant. 3. 4.—I found him whom my Soul loveth, I held him, and would not let him go, untill I had brought him into my Mothers house, and into the Chamber of her that conceived me.

Sermon LIII.

Canticles 1. 12.
A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me, he shall lie all night betwixt my Breasts.

YOU may by the Language spoken, understand who it is that speaks, it is the Spouse, for she talks of her breasts. Our business is to consider what she saith: She hath already exprest her grateful sense of her beloveds presence with her, and the advantage she had by it, her graces cast a precious savour. By the advantage of his company, and influence. She goes on still in the Language of one that loveth, under further Metaphors expressing her sense of her Saviours company. And she doth it in the Text,

1. By an elegant Metaphor; comparing her beloved to a bun­dle of Myrrh.

2. By an affectionatt resolution, to give up her self to him for an intertaintment; He shall stay, or he shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts.

I find Interpreters exceedingly well agreed in the rendring of the Heb. words, according to their several Languages. On­ly, Montanus, Pagnine and some others translate the verb, He shall stay, not, he shall lodge all night (as we do) the word will bear both: Let me therefore shortly run over the words.

My beloved.] [...] The Septuagint and Arabick [my Ne­phew] the difference is slighty, for it was usual in those Coun­tries, for Lovers to call each other by names of relation (as it is not wholly out of use with us.) So in this Song, chap. 8. 1 ch. 4 9. The Heb. word in Scripture signifies 3 things. 1. In the first and proper signification, it signifies a friend, a beloved, an Ʋncle or Aunt, Lev. 10. 4. the Ʋncle of Aaron, Esth. 2. 5. The Ʋncle of Mordecai; and elsewhere it is used to express a friend or beloved, not less then 30 times in this Song, so also Isa. 5. 1. [Page 777] and often to fignify Love it self as in the 2d v. Of this Chap and elsewhere, it doth also in Scripture signify a Caldron and a Mandrake. But those significations cannot be proper here. Whether therefore we translate it, My Beloved, or My Friend, or my Nephew or Kinsman, the sense is still the same. For My Beloved, is that which is understood: [Is a bundle of Myrrh] [...] Upon a survey of the several Texts of Scripture, which make mention of Myrrh, and the use of it, and a consi­deration of what learned men say of it, I do not think it easy to determine what it was; If I mistake not, the Scripture makes mention of Myrrh under a threefold Notion.

Plinius Nat. hist. l. 12. cap. 15. 1. Ʋnder the Notion of a Plant. So in the fourth chap. of this Song, v. 14. Thy plants are—Myrrh and Aloes, and Pli­ny tells us of such a Plant, that groweth in Arabia both wild and in Orchards about five Cubits high, and reckons di­vers kinds of it.

Prov. 7. 17. Exod. 30. 23. Psal. 45. 9. Cant. 5. 1. 2. Under the notion of a Spice, or dry perfume, Prov. 7. 17. I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh. It is reckoned amongst the principal Spices for the holy anointing Oil, Exod. 30. 23. Thy gar­ments smell of Myrrh. Psal. 45. So also, Gen. 37. 25. Gen. 43. 11. Though indeed the word there used be [...] not [...].

3. Under the Notion of an Oil or Gum, or wet Per­fume, Cant. 5. 5. My hands dropped with Myrrh. v. 13. His lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrh; Esth. 2. 12. It was one of the Oils with which the Virgins were perfumed. There are two other Texts in the Old Testament, where there is mention of Myrrh. Which may indifferently be understood of it as a Plant, or Spice, or Gum, or Oil, Cant. 4. 6. You read of Cant. 4. 6. the mountain of Myrrh. And Cant. 3. 6. Who is this cometh up— perfumed with Myrrh? In the New Testament you find it 3. 6. Matth. 2. 11. Mark 15. 23. John 19. 33. mentioned in three Texts. Mat. 2. 11. Where the three wise men offered to Christ Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. So, Mar. 15. 23. Joh. 19. 39. Where you read of Myrrh used in the bu­rial of our Saviour. I am not hard to believe, that Myrrh is nothing else then a Plant which might bear, the Spice as a fruit. And whose Gum was that Oil of Myrrh or liquid Myrrh which we read of, to which purpose Pliny tells us that they were wont Plinius loc. praed. to slit the rind of it at certain times of the year, and from those slits dropped that which the Greks called [...] doubtless both the plant, and fruit and Gum, were all exceedingly sweet; upon [Page 778] which account the Spouse here compareth Christ to Myrrh. Grotius in Matth. Plinius loc. praed. Nieremb. histor. Nat. p. 105. Grotius says the plant was good for little but for the smell, and only grew in Arabia; but Pliny reckons many other Physical qualities it had. Nierembergius observes that it grows no where but in very Southern Countries. It is granted on all hands that it was a great Enemy to putrefaction which was the cause that the Jews (who some think learned it from the Egyptians) used it to embalm their dead bodies. Certain it is it was an exceeding Gen. 43. 11. precious commodity, for Jacob calls it one of the best things of the land. And it was one of the 3 Choice things which the wise­men coming from the East brought with them for a present to Nomen aroma­tis K. M. Na­than. Est ex specie­bus Germinum, ib. him whom they looked upon as the King of the Jews. Those four things we have learned by this discourse of Myrrh. 1. That it was exceeding sweet. 2. That it was a great preservative against putre­saction. 3. That it was very medicinal. 4. That it was exceeding pretious. But the Spouse compares her beloved here, not to Myrrh only but to a bundle of Myrrh, [...] Some question whe­ther it were not properly translated a box of Myrrh, supposing the Myrrh a Gum, or a bag of Myrrh; Supposing it a spice. Others think a bundle or posy is well enough, understanding it of the herb. The truth is any of them all is well enough. [...] The word comes from the Heb. verb [...] which signifies to bind, and it properly signifies, any heap or quantity of things, Hag. 1. 6. Job 13. 17. Prov. 7. 20. 1 Sam. 25. 29. Gen. 42. 35. & 40. 35. that are or may be bound up: It is translated a bag, Hag. 1. 6. Job. 13. 17. a bundle; you read of the bundle of lives, 1 Sam. 25. 29. A bundle of money, Gen. 42. 35. Gen. 40. 35. Once in Scripture it is translated a stone, 2 Sam 17. 35. But it is to be meant of an heap of stones, and once Corn, Amos 9. 9. But meant of an heap of Corn. Christ is compared to a bundle of Myrrh. 1. A bundle of Myrrh is more sweet then a single drop, or grain; Christ is an heap of sweets. 2. Men tye up things in bundles or boxes, for their better preservation: Christ saith the Spouse is a bundle of Myrrh, intimating that she would be very careful to preserve the sweet influences of grace. But of this more a­non. It follows [...]]. To me: I do not think this particle is re­dundant, but exclusive. Others have no value for my Beloved; they have no sense of his sweetness: But to me Christ is infi­nitely [...] sweet, a bundle of sweets, [...]] he shall lie all night, or, he he shall stay. The word in the Heb. signifies two things; 1. Ei­ther to stay, and lodge, and spend nights in a place: Or, 2. To [Page 779] murmur, and clamour, and make a noise; so 'tis used, Exod. 15. 25. The former must be the sense here; and it is not material whether we translate it (as in our Translation) he shall lodge all night, as it is often used in Scripture, Gen. 19. 2, &c. or he shall stay, as others chuse to read it.

[...]] Between my Breasts; this term hath no difficulty. The Metaphor is either drawn from Lovers, which delight to lodge in each others Arms, or else (as our own Annotations) from Mothers, giving suck to their Infants, who use to give them their Breasts, and to lodge them betwixt their Breasts; or from Women who use to wear Posies, and sweet smelling things upon, or betwixt their Breasts; for the words [all night] are not in the Heb. but put in by our Interpreters. The mean­ing is, Christ shall have of me what he pleaseth. I will do what I can to get him to stay, and make his abode with me. Some lay some stress upon the term night, as if her sense should be in the time of persecution, I will keep my communion with the Lord Jesus Christ close. But in regard the word [...] doth not necessarily import the abode of a night only but a stay for some time, I cannot lay any stress upon it. Some by the breasts, un­derstand V. Mercerum ad loc. the heart. Whose place is under the left breast. The Hebrews understand by the Spouses breasts, the two bars of the Ark, or the 2 Cherubims. Others, the 2 Testaments. But in Mam­mis amoris signum. There is nothing else meant then that the Spouse would entertain her beloved, with the most cordial, affectionate expressions and demonstrations of Love, that she might keep him the longer with her.

Mercer observes. That the Spouse had before commended her Spikenard for a sweet smell, but she here riseth up higher: Though saith she my grace be sweet, yet my Christ is more sweet, for he is as a bundle of Myrrh, &c. You have by the Apostle Peter a succinct, and plain exposition of this Text— To you therefore who 1 Pet. 2. 7. believe he is precious.

The Propositions of the Text are plainly these.

1. Prop. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Church's and the be­lieving Souls beloved.

2. Prop. That the Lord Jesus Christ is to his Spouse a hundle of Myrrh.

3. Prop. That the Spouse of Christ will be very covetons that Christ shall abide with her.

[Page 780] 4. Prop. That in order to Christs abiding with the gracious Soul, it will allow him a Room betwixt its breasts.

1. Prop. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the beloved of the be­lieving Soul.

I do not intend to dwell upon this Proposition, because I spake to what must be the substance of this discourse, when I opened the 7th verse, where the Spouse had spake the same thing, though by another term. There she called him, O thou whom my Soul loveth. Here she calleth him [...] My beloved. I will only note to you two or three things about this term which learned Interpteters have observed before me.

Ainsworth ad loc. 1. That the same letters in the Heb. make up David. My David. Davids name signifieth beloved, and Christ himself was Davids Antitype. He was the Son of David, Matth. 13. 2. Da­vid was a type of Christ. 3. Christ is called David, Hos. 3. 5, &c.

2. As the word it self is a term of Love, so the Affix makes Eng. Annotat. Ainsworth. it to be Vox Fidei, the Language of Faith; My Beloved. The believing Soul fiducially applies Christ, and cries with Thomas, My Lord, My God. The natural man upon the common Illumi­nation of the Gospel, may discern Christ a lovely Object, but the Believer only can call him, My Beloved. Faith only gives an Interest in Christ.

3. I noted to you, that the word also signifies a near natural Heb. 2. 14. Relation, as that of an Uncle or Aunt, &c. Christ is near akin to the believing Soul; he is flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bone; he took flesh, that he might take part with them; he loves them as natural Relations, but by nature he is not akin to them; he is the Well-beloved of God; they are Children Heb. 2. 11. Hos. 2. 18, 19. of wrath, but by the Grace of Redemption they are of kin: The Kindred arose from the Marriage of the Divine Nature to the Humane Nature; and from their marriage to him in Justifica­tion. Both he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified are all one, wherefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren. But I shall con­clude all I shall say to this Proposition with that of the Apostle; If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. I proceed to the second.

Prop. 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ is to his Spouse a bundle of Myrrh. I shall speak to this Proposition, 1. By Explication of the term, and Confirmation; 2. By Application.

Qu. 1. In what sense is Christ to his Spouse a bundle of Myrrh?

[Page 781] I noted to you four things concerning Myrrh, and two con­cerning a bundle of Myrrh: I shall pursue them alittle, and by them give you the sense of the Proposition.

1. I told you Myrrh, true Myrrh, was an exceeding scarce thing, and therefore very precious, and of great value; it grows but in some Countries, few have it, it is the best thing of the Country, a Present for a Prince. I proved this; Christ is of great value to a poor Soul; 1. Not easily procured. 2. When procured, of inflnite worth. He is the Gist of God, and God giveth as a King. No man comes to the Son, but he whom the Father draws. In the Country where Myrrh grew, but few got it. In a Country where Christ is Preached, but few get a portion in him: One of a City, and two of a Tribe God brings to Sion. Judas sate under the Myrrh-tree, and yet got no Myrrh. Many are called, but few are chosen. If they did not make their Incision into the Myrrh-tree, and that in a seasonable time of the year too, even the inhabitants of Arabia got no Myrrh. Even those that live where Christ is preacht, without laying hold upon him and receiving the drops of his blood, and that in a seasonable time too, in the accepta­ble time (as the Holy Ghost terms it) while he may be sound (as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh) they get no part in Christ. The foolish Virgins may come when the Door is shut: And our Sa­viour saith, Many shall seek and shall not enter. 2. Myrrh when procured was of high value. Especially a great quantity, a bundle of Myrrh. So is Christ; Witness the Apostle, who counts all things dross, and dung that he may win Christ, who desires to have nothing but Christ, to know nothing but Christ to be Phil. 3. 7, 8. nothing but interested in Christ. Nay let the Evidence of the thing witness. By his name alone we can be saved, Acts 4. 12. By him we have remission of sins, justification, peace with God, indeed all spiritual blessings, Eph. 1. 3. He is All in all. Thus, you see in the first sense he is a bundle of Myrrh.

2. I told you Myrrh was very medicinal, of this the Scripture speaks nothing, but Dioscorides and Pliny, and other Naturalists, Plinii Nat. hist. l. 24. c. 26. tell us large stories of its usefulness. They tell us it is whole­some against insection, helpeth women in travel, cureth consumpti­ons, quickeneth the appetite, &c. I shall not dwell upon this, be­cause I do not think it chiefly intended: But Christ in this sense is to the believing Soul a bundle of Myrrh, healing all the Soul's diseases, Ps. 103. 3. He is that tree, Rev. 22. 2. Whose leaves [Page 782] are for the healing of the Nations. He heal [...]th the broken in heart, Psal. 147. 3. What he did while he was upon the Earth, by his miraculous power as to mens bodies, Mat. 4. 23. Healing all man­ner of Sickness, that he doth now in Heaven for the Soul, by his saving efficacy.

3. Myrrh is (as I told you) a great preservative against putresaction. Which was the cause of their using of it about dead bodies, either putting it into the body (after the Egyptian Method) or outwardly anointing, or embalming the body with it (after the Jewish Method.) Christ is the same to the Soul where he dwells, he preserveth the Soul against the putrifacti­on of lusts and corruptions. The Apostle speaks this, Rom. 6. 3. Rom. 6. 3. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein. Where he argues that the Souls Interest in Christ arising from its justification, preserveth the Soul against putrifying lusts, that sin cannot have dominion over it, because it is not under the law, but under grace. But I hasten to the 4th which in the Judg­ment of Interpreters is chiefly intended here.

4. Myrrh, whether in the Herb, Spice, or Gum, is exceeding sweet. Hence you read of beds, and garments persumed with Myrrh: Now the greater quantity there is, the stronger the odour must be: Christ is a heap of sweets, exceeding sweet to Cant. 5. 13, 16 the Soul; his mouth is most sweet, Cant. 5. 16. his Cheeks are as sweet Flowers, his lips drop sweet smelling Myrrh, Cant. 5. 13. Sweetness to the nostrils is nothing else but a smell that arising from some hidden quality in the thing that emits it, and conveyed to the nostrils by the air, gratifies that outward sense. There is a sweetness, that is mental too. A Notion is as sweet to the Prov. 13. 19. Scholar, as a perfume is to a Lady, Prov. 13. 19. Desire ac­complished is sweet to the Soul. Christs sweetness is mental sweet­ness, he is sweetness not to the nostrils, but to the Soul, and so he is a bundle of sweets: Let me unty this bundle of Myrrh a little. And shew you how Christ is sweet: I will open it to you in three things.

1. He is exceeding sweet in his actions as our Redeemer. As to these he is a bundle of Myrrh, there were many of them: His Ʋniting of the Divine nature to the Humane nature, in his Incarnation, his fulfilling the law, his death upon the cross; His re­surrection, ascending, sitting at his Fathers right hand, making intercession for us: The Soul smells of all these by Meditation and [Page 783] faith, and the smell is like that of a bundle of Myrrh; shall I shew you how? 1. For his Incarnation, with the manner of it, he unit­ed the divine, and humane nature, by an hypostatical union, was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the womb of a Virgin without the help of man. Mr. Ainsworth and others think this Text, hath a special referenee to this; this is Christ now considered, as wrapt in swadling clothes, and laid in a manger. The Soul smells of this by a firm and stedfast divine faith, be­lieving the thing because God hath said it in his word, though it cannot see it by the evidence of reason and sense. And the Souls smells of it continually by meditation. And O how sweet it is to a believing Soul! Then saith the Soul (first) he that San­ctifieth, and I that am Sanctified are both one. I see Christ is not ashamed to call me Brother. 2. Then faith the Soul, I see I have a merciful high-Priest, that knoweth how to pity a poor piece of flesh, hungring, and thirsting, and full of infirmities.

3. Again here's comfort saith the poor Soul to me, I was born a leper, under the imputed guilt of Adams sin, I was conceiv­ed in sin, and brought forth in iniquity; But my Saviour was born without sin, the vessel was made pure, by the overshadow­ings of the Holy Ghost and no impure hand contributed to his conveyance into the World. I was born a Child of wrath, indebted to justice before I knew what I did, but he was born a Child of Love: He was born with a knowledge of humane infirmities to know how to pity me, but without sinful infirmities; That he might be in a capacity, to save, and help me. Again saith the Soul, Then I see a perfect and sufficient Saviour. One me [...]r­ly God (considering the justice of God that could give no remis­sion without blood,) could not have saved me because he could not have died for me, and so have destroyed him that had the power of death. One meerly man could not have saved me, for he could not have merited. But a Person that was God, and man; God, and man in one Person, must needs be in a per­fect capacity; as man he died, as God he merited, nay the Per­son that was God-man both died, and merited. How sweet is this to the Soul, torturing it self with thoughts for the fil­thiness of its nature, troubled with humane infirmities, perplex­ed with thoughts how Christ should be able to save it, &c. This is but one of his actions,

2. He fulfilled the law for us. I am not of their mind that [Page 784] think that Christs active obedience is not imputed, I think the Apostle speaks plain enough to the contrary, Rom. 8. 3, 4. And if not he, yet the Prophet; By his knowledge he shall justifie many. You read that he was made righteousness for us: And doubt­less (whatever some may fancy) the obedience of the Person which was God-man, could not be an homage due from the humane nature of Christ (which was indeed but a crea­ture;) Christ fulfilling the Law is exceeding sweet to the graci­cious Soul. This poor Soul when renewed is but renewed in part, & in many things offendeth, and the sense of its daily back­slidings makes it tremble. How sweet is it now to the Soul, to be able to conclude thus to its self: Though there be much guile found in my heart, and in my mouth, yet in his mouth there was no guile found, though I have been an Absolom, rebel­ling against my Heavenly Father, from my youth upward, yet he was an Adonijah, a Son that never displeased his Father, 3. Look upon him in the laying down of his life. How sweet is the meditation of it to a poor Soul? Christ crucified is a bundle of Myrrh; indeed from hence the Soul draweth many pretious smells, hence it is that the Soul smelis Spiritual life, with all the consequences and dependencies upon it; Hence it smells Spiritual liberty, with all the sweet fruits of it: I say from hence it smells Spiritual life to itself, when it is almost suffocated, with the apprehension of the guilt of sin, and cries out, if I pine away in my iniquities how can I then live? And faints at the appre­hension of the wrath of God due to it, for every single sin, and much more for the numberless number of the sins which it Isa. 53. 5, 6. hath committed; It smells that of the Prophet, Isa. Ch. 53. v. 5, 6. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities: the Chastisement of our peace lay upon him, and with his Gal. 3. 13. stripes we are healed, v. 10. His Soul was made an offering for sin. Or that of the Apostle, Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, and this re­fresheth it; I have deserved to dye (saith the Soul) but Christ hath died for me. I have deserved to tread the wine press of my Fathers wrath; but he hath trode the winepress of his Fa­thers wrath alone. I was born a slave to lusts and corruptions, but Christ by dying hath made me free. Ah! what a bundle of Myrrh is a crucified Christ to the Soul? Hence it smells Spiritu­al life, even from his death for we have Remission of sins through [Page 785] his blood. It smells Spiritual peace; Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? it is Christ that died, Ro. 8. 38. It smells an access unto God: The holy of holies being Sprinkled with his blood, and Heaven itself by it Sanctified, and made accessible. It smells Spiritual liberty. For the blood of Christ, saith the Heb. 9. 14. Apostle, purgeth the Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. It smells Spiritual strength. For through the cross of Christ (saith the Apostle) my heart is crucified to the World. Thus you see that in this action (or suffering rather) Christ is to the Soul a bundle of Myrrh. 4. Look upon Christ as ri­sing up from the dead. He is a bundle of Myrrh there too, the Soul from hence again smells Spiritual life, Rom. 4. 25. He rose again for our justification. Spiritual peace, Rom. 8. 38. It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again; Spiritual strength, and quick­ening, Rom. 6. 4. 5. We shall rise with him to newness of life, Col. 3. 1. If you be risen with Christ seek the things that are above. It smells life from the dead. This the Apostle proves, 1 Cor. 15, Rom. 8. 11. He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quick­en your mortal bodies. Nay it smells Eternal life from hence, Joh. 14. 19. Because I live you shall live also. 5. Look upon Christ (as the men of Galilee, Acts 1. 11.) Ascending up to Heaven. Thus he is also a bundle of Myrrh, he lives, and from hence Job smelt, that he should see him with his Eyes, the An­gels, that stood to wait upon his ascension, told the men of Gali­lee, so much, that as they had seen him ascend, so they should see him coming again. Hence the believing Soul smells, that he shall ascend too, for where Christ is there he must be. The body is there, the Eagles shall flee to it one day. He is lifted up, and every believer shall be drawn after him. Our flesh and blood shall inherit the Kingdom of God. For 'tis in part there already. Heb. 6. 20. Heaven is the place whither our forerunner is entred. Heaven was an open City before the fall, Adam and all his Posterity might have entred presently; upon the fall, it's gates were lockt up, the flaming sword of divine Vengeance kept it, but the Captain of our Salvation hath now entred, and he keeps the gates from shutting any more, till every believer be come In, 6. Look upon Christ as sitting one the right hand of the Majesty on high: So he is a bundle of Myrrh, too. Is it so saith the Soul? Then he hath favour with God, and power with God, and what need I any more then for my God, my Saviour, he [Page 786] in whom I have believed, to be in favour with the King of Kings, and to have power with the Almighty. Nay saith the Soul, then I am half in Heaven. For, Eph. 2. 6. We sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Christ and I are one, if he sits there, I sit there too; For he is flesh of my flesh. 7. Lastly, look upon Christ as interceding for us, Rom. 8. Heb. 7. He is not there Idle, his work is to plead for us, to sollicit our business, to act our part, to do our work. And thus he is a bundle of Myrrh to every believing Soul. When the poor Soul sinks in the thoughts of its sins renewing after justification: Christ is a bundle of Myrrh to it, 1 Joh. 2, 1. If we sin we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. When the Soul again sinks at the thoughts of its imperfect duties, to think that it cannot do a duty, but with so many faults, that it may fear the wrath of God for it. What a bundle of Myrrh it is to the Soul, to think, well, Christ is in Heaven, and he will pick out every fault out of this Prayer, this duty, &c. And so pre­sent it in the golden censer. Incensed with his merits: Thus now I have shewed you, how Christ is to the believing Soul, a bun­dle of Myrrh. Considered as to his actions as our Redeemer. It remains further to shew you, that he is so also, as to his Spiri­tual influeuces. And Lastly in his Gospel institutions and Ordinan­ces: And then I shall come to the Application.

Sermon LIV.

Canticles 1. 13.
A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me, he shall lie all night betwixt my Breasts.

I Proceed, in opening the bundle or bag, or box of Myrrh, which makes my Text give a fragrant smell. I have shewed that it is Christ, who is thus resembled, and have propounded to shew you the aptness of the comparison in five things: I am yet upon the 4th: He is to the believing Soul a bundle of Myrrh for sweetness: I proposed to open this in three particulars: [Page 787] shewing you, that Christ is so, 1. In his mediatory actions. 2. In his Spiritual influences. 3. In his Gospel Institutions, and Or­dinances. I have done with the first and now proceed to the se­cond: To shew you the sweetness of Christ to the believing Soul.

2. In his Spiritual influences. When he ascended upon high (saith the Apostle, Eph. 4.) he gave gifts unto men: he gave gifts to his Church: his Ordinances. (Of those the Apostle speaks:) but he gives other gifts likewise, gifts even to the Rebellious, Psal. 68. All these are summed up under one head: The gift of the Spirit. This is that which he calls the promise of the Father. He was the promise of the Father of old, Ezek. 36. 27. It was his promise, John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another [...], Comforter, and he shall a­bide with you for ever: Even the Spirit of truth. He is sent in Christs name. 26. v. he is called the Spirit of Christ: hence the influences of the Spirit are the influences of Christ. I shall instance in a sixfold influence, of the Spirit of Christ, upon the Soul, as to all which he is a bundle of Myrrh to his be­loved.

1. The first is his convincing influence, Joh. 16. 8. When he is come, he will reprove the World of sin; In respect of this influ­ence the Spirit of Christ is called the Spirit of bondage, Rom. 8. 15. They say of Myrrh, that in the gathering, it makes the hands of the gatherers exceeding bitter, but gathered, it be­comes incomparably sweet: Thus it is with the Lord Christ as to this influence of the Spirit upon us, the Soul, for the time that it is under this influence, is full of bitterness: but it turneth to an exceeding great sweetness. The Book which St. John did Eat, was in the Mouth as sweet as hony, but in the belly more bitter than wormwood. A fit emblem of sin. The con­victions of the Spirit of Christ are of a quite contrary nature, in the mouth they are as bitter as wormwood: but in the belly they are exceeding sweet; the Soul in the hour of conviction, is exceedingly sad, and troubled, but when convinced how it blesseth God, who was pleased to convince it of sin? Like the woman, who in an hard labour is full of pain, and wisheth she had never bred a Child: but being once delivered forgets her pain, and remembers her throws with pleasure.

2. A second influence of the Spirit of Christ is Illumination. [Page 788] The Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, Isaiah 11. 2. It teacheth us all things, Joh. 14. 26. 1. Joh. 2. 27. That is, all things necessary to Salvation. The things which Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive; even these things are revealed to us by the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 9, 10. Concerning the manner of the Spirits teaching, how con­sistent with the teachings of Ordinances, and yet distinct from it, I have else where shewed you: my business now is to shew you that Christ in this influence is a bundle of Myrrh. Light is sweet to the Eye (saith Solomon) knowledge is that about which the understanding (which is the Eye of the mind) is exercised, and is every whit as pleasant unto the Soul as light is unto the bodily Eye. Now as all knowledge is sweet to the Soul, so espe­cially the knowledge, 1. Of things hidden from others. 2. Of such things as are of nearest concernment to us: especially, if the knowledge be certain.

1. I say, the knowledge of such things as are hidden from others: such knowledge we upon experience find to be very sweet, and such a knowledge the Spirit of Christ gives to the Soul. The Gospel of Christ, is it self called a mystery, a thing hidden from ages, and hidden from the wise and prudent. This indeed is more generally revealed to all, but more especially and fully, and clearly to the believing Souls. But further the Spirit of God reveals the secrets of God to the Souls of the Saints, 1 Cor. 2. 9, 10. Even the deep things of God, its parti­cular election and the truth of its graces, &c. Now this know­ledge is sweet to the Soul.

2. The knowledge of such things as are of nearest concernment to us, is most sweet. Such is the teaching of the Spirit it teacheth us to cry abba Father, it teacheth us to see the things that are free­ly given us of God. Add to this, that by how much any know­ledge is more certain, by so much it is more sweet, the under­standing is not so pleased, with probable notions, as what is matter of demonstration, and assured to the Soul; such is the teaching of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 4. It teacheth by demonstration, leaving no doubting in the Soul. This is a second influence of the Spirit of Christ upon the Soul in respect of which he is a bundle of Myrrh unto the Soul.

3. A third influence of the Spirit of Christ, is its Sanctifying influence, Rom. 15. 16.— being Sanctified by the Holy Ghost: [Page 789] It is Christ that Sanctifieth, Heb. 2. 11. Sanctification is expres­sed under the Notion of being conformed to the Image of Christ. Now as to this influence of grace, Christ is a bundle of Myrrh to the believing Soul. The unbeliever hates holiness, but the Child of God Loves it, and desires further degrees of it, Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man (saith Paul, Rom. 7. 22.) He his highly pleased, when he finds the power of grace in his heart, overpowering lusts, and corrup­tions, and his Soul every day growing more and more like God, and like Christ, more full of Spiritual desires, Spiritual affections, his heart more willing to deny it self, to be under the plenary power, and Command of Jesus Christ when he finds, that it is not he that liveth, but it is Christ that liveth in him; Christ in respect of this influence, is to the Souls of his Saints as a bundle of Myrrh.

4. A fourth influence of Christ upon the Soul, is his strength­ening influence, Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. He strengtheneth the Soul, 1. In doing Spiritual duties. 2. In resisting Corruptions. 3. In suffering sharpest trials. Rom. 8. 26. The Lord stood by me (saith Paul.) But it is not my present business, to discourse either of the several sorts of Spiritual strengthening influences: Nor yet of the ways and methods, by and in which Christ meeteth the Soul with strength, and Communicates strength unto it. My work is only to shew you that this influence of his is as a bundle of Myrrh to the Soul. Now that Christ in this influence is exceeding sweet to the Soul, needs no other proof, then the daily experience of the Souls of Gods People, how refreshed do they rise up from Prayer, when they have found the Spirit of Christ in it, helping their infirmities, with strong cryes, and groans? It is said of Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. That she rose up, and her Countenance was no more sad. This was that which made the holy Martyrs take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, the burning of their bodies. And made them feel no more pain (to use the expression of one of them) then if they had been upon a bed of Roses. So that their Persecutors cursed them, saying they had a delight to burn.

5, A fifth sort of influences are the Quickening influences of the Spirit of Christ. I have formerly told you that the Scripture mentioneth a threefold quickening: All of them from Christ, and by the Spirit. 1. The quickening of the dead body, mention­ed [Page 790] Rom. 8. 11. This will be as a bundle of Myrrh, exceeding sweet when it comes, when in the resurrection we shall be like Angels. And the thoughts of this are exceeding sweet, while we live here. 2. The quickening of the dead Soul, mentioned Eph. 2. 1. This is exceeding sweet to the Soul (when done;) Oh how pleasant it is to a Soul to remember his conversion, the time, the Sermon when, and by which God was pleased at first to work upon it, and work a change in it. 3. The quicken­ing of a dull Soul, labouring under any Spiritual deadness, hea­viness, or inactivity; of this David often Speaks, and prays for it, Psal. 119. Quicken me in thy precepts, &c. The knockings and motions of the holy Spirit, are tiresome and tedious, and exceed­ing grievous to a carnal heart, they disturb its sweet sleeps, in its bed of idelness, Security, and lust, but they are exceeding sweet to a gracious heart. The renewed Soul prays for them, thirsts after them, delights in them, and is never more pleased then when it feels itself most alarumed, and awakened, and spur­red on by them.

6. The last sort of influences are the comforting influences of Christ by his Spirit. The Spirit is called the comforter often, John ch. 14. & 16. It is a piece of its office, to seal, and to witness; It witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God. It sealeth us up to the day of Redemption. I shall not need stand to prove, that Christ in these is as a bundle of Myrrh; The very name comforter imports sweetness, and is of it self a bundle of Myrrh to the Soul. Now all our Consolations come from Christ, Phil. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 5. He was called the Conso­lation of Israel. And the Jewish believers waited for him under that Notion, Luk. 2. 25. I have now opened to you the 2d thing, and shewed you how Christ in his influences is a bundle of Myrrh. One thing yet remains.

3. Christ in his Ordinances, and Gospel Institutions, is a bun­dle of Myrrh. Christ is in his Ordinances. We preach Christ cru­cified, (saith the Apostle) and we are Baptized into Christ, Rom. 6. And for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 10. 10. It is the Communion of the Body, and Blood of Christ. Christ in these is a bundle of Myrrh to the Souls of believers. But in­deed, Christ in these is only sweet upon the former account, viz. in respect of his influences, which he is pleased to convey in and through these Organs, and separated from these, Ordinan­ces [Page 791] signify little but burthen to the Soul. Ordinances are sweet to the Soul two waies. 1. As God is pleased in, and by them actually to convey the influences of Christ, and his grace to the Soul. Thus they are only sweet to the Soul, when it sees the power and glory of God in his Sanctuary, 2. As they are under a divine appointment in order to that End. Thus Ordinances are sweet to the gracious Soul, though at present, the Soul doth not meet with, and enjoy God in them: yet saith the Soul, they are those appointments, wherein God hath said he will be found, and instituted of God, in order to that end, and it may be my lot, as well as others, to meet with God in them, there­fore the Soul prizeth them; how precious Ordinances (even those which were carnal (as the Apostle calls them) under the Jewish Oeconomy) were to the Servants of God who liv­ed in those times, appears by the eminent instances of David in Psal. 84. Psal. 63. Psal. 42, &c. The Psalmist speaks of the Body of Jews, Psal. 84. v. 6. That they passed through the val­ley of Bacah and went from strength to strength, until they all ap­peared before God in Zion. And thus I have opened to you the fourth thing in this similitude, shewing you how aptly Christ is compared to a bundle of Myrrh, viz. For sweetness: but I also noted two things hinted in the term of bundle; a bundle, or bag notes a quantity of sweets. 2. Men use to bind up things in bundles, for their better preservation. Hence two things more.

5. Christ is a bundle of Myrrh. He is an heap of sweetnesses, exceeding sweet to the gracious Soul. The Apostle saith, (Col. 2. 3.) That all the treasures of wisdom are in Christ. All the treasures of Soul sweetness are in Christ also. There are other things that are sweet to the Worldling, and him that is a stran­ger to Christ. Stollen waters are sweet to the Thief, Prov. 9. 17. The bread of deceit is sweet to the deceiver, Prov. 20. 17. Lust is sweet to the unclean Person: yea and to the exterior senses of a gracious Soul other things may be sweet to the Child of God. But to the Soul of the Saint (considered as a Saint) nothing is sweet but Christ, he is its bundle of Myrrh, all the pleasure, and sweetness, and delight that it hath in the World on this side of Heaven, is either in the meditation of Christ or application of him, fiducially, or assuredly; all his hopes of good are in Christ. Christ in him the hopes of glory. All his injoyments, which he valu­eth, are the enjoyments of Christ, and his grace, he is a bundle of Myrrh unto it.

[Page 792] 6. Lastly. Christ is to it as a bundle of Myrrh, In regard of of its great care and diligence to preserve and keep alive its sense, and enjoyments of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gracious Soul is very careful to keep its view of Christ. Observe the next words. He shall lye all night betwixt my breasts (of which hereafter.) Observe again this Spouses carriage, Cant. 3. 4. Upon her re­covery of Christ when he had absented himself, I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my Mothers house: into the Chamber, of her that conceived me. See also, Cant. 8. v. 1. The Soul that hath had any experiences of Christ and of the influences of his grace, binds them up as it were in a bun­dle. The memory of that Soul is the bag and the string too. Thus the Psalmist Psal. 77. 5. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my Song in the night, v. 11. I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy works, and talk of all thy doings. And indeed this needeth no further proof then what my former discourse hath given it, for it is very connatural to us, to be careful in the preserving, and keeping [...]lose, and safe what­soever is precious to us. The Worldling ties up his mony in bags, and is very careful to keep safely what he hath got with care; the Lady keeps her perfumes, and Jewels safe; so doth the Scholar his Books; indeed so doth every one, whatsoever he accounteth sweet and pretious: Now nothing being more sweet and precious to the Soul then Jesus Christ and his influ­ences, it is as natural to him to indeavour the preservation of them. But I have spake enough to the explication, and con­firmation of the point.

Use 1. Have you heard, that Christ is to the Soul, as a bundle of Myrrh? How sottish then is the generality of the World, that either despise, or neglect their interest in him. If ever a People despised their own mercies, and set light by the rock of their Sal­vation; If ever a People forsook the fountain of living Waters to dig up to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that will hold no Wa­ter: Certainly those are they who sit under the tenders of Christ in the Gospel, and yet do despite to the Covenant of grace, and neglect so great Salvation. Christ is calling aloud every day as in the fifth of this Song, v. 1. I am come unto my Garden, poor creatures! I have gathered my Myrrh with my Spice; I have eaten my Hony Comb with my Hony, I have drank my Wine [Page 793] with my Milk; Eat (O friends!) Drink, yea, drink abundantly O you beloved. Christ incarnate, crucified, ascended up to Hea­ven, sitting at Gods right Hand, is daily preached to poor crea­tures. And what is their language, other then that of the Pro­phet, Isa. 53. 3. He hath no form, no comeliness: There is no beau­ty that we should desire him? People that live in these lightsome parts of the World, dwell upon the mountain of Myrrh, upon the hill of frankincense (to use the expression, Cant. 4. 6.) and yet how few are those that look after and discern any sweetness in Jesus Christ? What is the reason? Are not these men rational persons as well as believers? How comes it that the Lord Jesus Christ is as a bundle of Myrrh to a be­lieving Soul, and not at all pretious unto others? I will assign a double reason.

1. The first is their want of Spiritual senses. There are but few that have senses exercised to discern between Good and Evil. Heb. 5. ult.) the Carnal man is said to be dead in sin, life and sense go together, the dead man smells nothing. The Natural Soul is a dead Soul. He hath Natural senses, he discerns the sweetness of Hony to his tast, Musick to his Ear, fair and beauti­ful objects to his Eye, Perfumes to his Nostrils, the sweetness of notions to his understanding, but he discerns no sweetness in spi­ritual things, he savours not the things of the Spirit.

2. But Secondly, His Nostrils are choked with other Smells. The vitiated pallat tasts not the sweetness of the best meat, the Nostrils suffocated with stinks discern not the sweetness of the best Perfumes; the Souls of unbelievers, are filled and suffoca­ted with the smells of the World: One with the smell of unjust gain, Dulcis odor lucri, he cannot smell the sweetness of Christ, who commands him to leave the gain of injustice, to distribute and give to the poor, to avoid covetousness which is Idolatry; another is suffocated with the savour of Worldly business and imployments, he smells the smell of a field which the Lord hath blest, the smell of his Worldly business puts out the smell of Christs sweetness, he is cumbred about many things, and he smells no sweetness in the One thing necessary. A third hath his smell adulterated with sordid lusts, the smell of a drunken cup, of a fordid wanton, spoils him for smel­ling this bundle of Myrrh, which is infinitely more sweet. But give me leave to turn this complaint and reproof into an Exhortation.

[Page 794] Use 2. In the first place. O you fools, when will you be wise? You that are creatures of pleasure, and are not satisfied with­out a ransacking of the whole Creation for objects of de­light, Turn in hither I beseech you, and tell me if there be any sweetness like this bundle of Myrrh. Your Eye engageth your Tongue to call the comely face sweet; Alas! A fit of sick­ness spoils the beauty of it, the Small-Pox spoileth that glory; how ever when death hath taken possession of it, you see no more sweetness in it. You hear the voice of a singing man or Woman, & you think it sweet, but that voice will one day grow hoarse, or you may be in a state, that it will grate upon your Ears, and be offensive to you. You smell a powder or perfume, and you must have it and wear it about you, because it is sweet: But what are all these to one Christ, who is sweetest to the Soul in an evil day, who doth not refresh the outward man so much as the inward man; whose sweetness ravisheth every soul that is possessed of it, never corrupts nor decaies, nor sail­eth, Imagine all the lines of beauty, which adorn all sublunary faces, to be brought into one face, that face must be very love­ly: But all nothing to the face of Christ, in the Eye of a believ­ing Soul. If you could rifle Arabia, and from all the sweet Plants and Gums, and Spices, which abound there, distil one sweet Wa­ter, or make one aromatical compound or perfume, that should have in it united, whatsoever is scattered in them, of plea­sure to the senses, they would all be nothing to one Sprig of this bundle of Myrrh, to one beam of Christs counte­nance, the least breathings of his Love upon the Soul of his Saint.

Ob. Ah! But saies a poor Soul, you told us that Myrrh. Is not every ones portion, it only grows in Arabia, and every one there gets it not, you told us there was a season in which it must be got, and if that were lost, or if during the season, due means were not used, People got no Gum; I am afraid my sea­son is gone, and know not what course to take to get it.

Sol. 1. What the Country of Arabia was for Myrrh, that is every place (where the Gospel is preached) as to the gaining of Christ. It is true there are many Countries where the Gospel of Christ is not preached, but England is a mountain of Myrrh, and it drops every day amongst you.

2. I told you that in the Country where the Myrrh grew e­very [Page 795] one gathered it not: But I told you it was their own fault, either despising through ignorance, or through laziness neglect­ing their opportunity; in the Country where Christ is Preach'd, every one receives him not, but it is their own fault. I do not think it is true, in every sense, that every man may be saved that will; This phrase implies a power in our selves to Spiri­tual actions: but it is unquestionably true that if any Soul sitting under the Gospel perish, it is because it will not be saved. You will not come to me saith our Saviour, that you may have life.

3. I told you indeed that there is a season, (as there was for gathering Myrrh) which if neglected, we get no share in Christ. The foolish Virgins came when the gate was shut. Many shall seek and shall not enter. There is a season of grace. And some Divines think that this season is oft times finished while our life yet lasteth, and the means of grace continue: Whether it be so or no I cannot determine; sure I am, thou hast no suffici­ent reason to conclude thy season past, whiles yet thy life lasts, and the means are continued, especially if God yet at last give thee an heart to come unto Christ.

4. Doest thou ask what thou shouldest do? Remember what I told you, concerning the procuring of the dropping of Myrrh. 1. They made an incision into the tree. 2. They set something to receive it. The incision is made already. The Souldiers made that when they pierced thy Saviours side.

There is nothing left for thee to do, but to open thy heart to receive those influences of grace which freely drop from a crucified Christ: yea God must do that too. The truth is, thou hast nothing to do more then to go up to the mountain of Myrrh, to wait upon God in his Ordinances, to sit under Gos­pel dispensations and to look up to Heaven for further grace. Only remember the full Soul loaths the Hony-Comb, the full dish receives not the most precious liquor; and while thy Soul is full of the love of the World and love of lusts, it re­ceives no Myrrh, while it is full of the love of pleasures, wan­tonness, froth and idleness, it is like the riven dish, that holds nothing. But to come to a conclusion,

Use 3. Is Christ to the Believers as a bundle of Myrrh? Then hear me O you Children of the most high! I will urge but two things up­on you as an improvement of this Notion.

1. Ʋse him as a bundle of Myrrh. I will press this in three [Page 796] things. 1. Be often taking the savour of him: The woman that hath a rare smelling flower, or perfume, wears it in her bosom she suffers not the first to dye in her Garden, nor the latter to evaporate in her cabinet, but she is often smelling of it. Oh that the Children of God would make as much use of Christ, that they would not let his sweetness in a Gospel ordinance evapo­rate into the Air, nor the sweetness of his mediatory actions re­vealed in the Gospel die in sheets of Paper, but that they would study the Scriptures, meditate on the Word, think over Gospel Sermons when they have heard them! Oh that they would wear, the remembrance of Christs actions upon their hearts e­very day, how sweet would it be to their Souls? How pleasant to their thoughts! the lazy student loseth the sweetness of those thousand notions, that are in his Books, because he never reads his Books, nor spends time in studying them: The negli­gent Christian loseth much of that infinite sweetness that his Soul might have by reflecting upon the Gospel story, and Gos­pel truths, for want of meditating upon them.

2. Be exceeding careful to preserve the influences of Christ up­on your Souls and your experiences of his love. Shall the woman bind up her sweet flowers in a posy, and the Lady carefully tye up her perfumes in bags and glasses, that they might not lose their scent, and she the sweetness of them? And shall a Christian possessed of the sweet influences of grace, possessed of the presence of Jesus Christ do nothing to preserve it. Say with the Spouse here, he shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts; do as the Spouse, Cant. 3. When she had found him whom her Soul loved, she held him, she would not let him go, till she had carried him to her Mothers house, to the house of her that con­ceived her. Bind up your experiences of the Love of Christ in so many bundles, and do what in you lyes to preserve his influ­ences in the Vigour of them, would you know how you might preserve them? There is no better way then for you to keep up in your Souls, an high value and esteem of them; it is ordi­narily for want of love, that the Beloved withdraws himself.

3. You are communicative, of your sweet perfumes. The Lady cannot wear her strong perfumes, but others whom she com­eth near will partake of her sweetness. It is of the Nature of the perfume to season the whole Air. She will hardly have a perfume, bat out of a desire to have it taken notice of, she will [Page 797] be holding it to the Nostrils of others. Oh that you who are possessed of the Lord Jesus Christ, this bundle of Myrrh, would be as communicative of that also: That you would be com­mending Christ (as the Woman of Samaria did, John. 4.) to your Neighbours, Kindred, Children, Friends, Acquaintance, that they also might follow after him in the savour of his precious ointments. This is a piece of Christians duty. When thou art converted (saith our Saviour to Peter) strengthen thy Brethren. Thus to do good, and to distribute forget not, for with such service God is well pleased: But to come to a con­clusion,

2. Is Christ to the believers a bundle of Myrrh? Let not them be as bundles of Nettles to him. The Bundle of Myrrh gives a pleasant smell, cheereth the senses. The bundle of Nettles Prick­eth, and offendeth, and grieveth the Nostrils; It is the Apostles exhortation Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit by which you are sealed to the day of redemption. The Exhortation is to holiness of Conversation: The Argument is from the love of Christ to you. The love of God constraineth (saith the Apo­stle.) There are many arguments to press holiness from, none so ingenuous, none so constraining to an ingenuous Soul, as the sweetness of Jesus Christ to it. It breaks the heart of an ingenuous Child to remember its frowardness to an indulgent Father, and a tender Mother. Love worketh much upon a good Nature. Study this Argument and the force of it upon your Souls to make you perfect holi­ness in the Lords fear.

Sermon LV.

Cant. 1. 13.
He shall lye all night betwixt my Breasts.

I Have united the bundle of Myrrh in my Text, that I might give you the fuller smell thereof. Christ is the Posie of his Saints; we must now find him a convenient place; the Text assigns him a Posies place, about, or betwixt the breasts, not upon her shoulders, as if he were her burthen, nor behind her back, where she could not view him, but in her breast, where she may be alwaies pleasing her senses with him. The Psalmist, Psal. 16. 8. says, I have set the Lord alwaies before me, he is at my right hand, therefore I shall not be moved. De Ponte notes, that the believing Soul in the time of spiritual Combate, setteth Christ at her right hand, but in the time of Peace she lodgeth him betwixt her breasts. It was an old usage, saith Atheneus, to anoint the breast with Myrrh, because of its vertue to strengthen the heart; here our Spouse placeth her bundle of Myrrh.

Not to trouble you with the strained fancies of Interpreters, con­cerning the Spouse's breasts; In mammis signum amoris: the place betwixt the breasts is near to the heart, and the seat of the beloved Object; it is the beloved Husband, and the Beloved Babe that is allowed to lodge betwixt the breasts. She might have said he shall lodge near my heart, but she rather chuseth to say, betwixt my breasts, (which are an outward part, nigh to the heart) intimating that she would not only bear Christ upon her heart, but express her love, by living to Christ in her outward conversation. But not to overstrain the Metaphor, she doth not say, he shall come, but he shall lodge, or lodge all night betwixt my breasts. There are two Propositions which I named from these words, and which yet re­main to be discoursed:

1. That the believing Soul is wonderfully desirous of Christ's abiding with it.

2. That to engage him to such an abode, she will allow him a room betwixt her breasts. The latter will be a proof to the former, & come in collaterally, while I handle the former.

[Page 799] Prop. That a gracious heart will be exceeding desirous of Christ's abiding with it.

I shall speak to this Proposition in this Method: 1. Shewing you what are those lodgings and abidings of Christ with, and upon the Soul, of which the gracious heart is so exceedingly desirous. 2. How it doth appear that a believing Soul is so fond of Christ's abidings with it: 3, Whence it is that she is thus exceeding fond of Christ's lodgings and abidings with it. 4. I shall apply the whole.

Qu. 1. What is to be understood by the lodging or abiding of Christ with the Soul?

You read in Scripture of Christ's abiding with the Soul, and the Soul's abiding with Christ. The first is mentioned as our priviledge, the second as our duty. Of the first you read, John 14. 23. My Fa­ther and I will come unto him, and we will make our abode with him. Of the second, John 15. 6. If a man a [...]ide not in me, he is cut off, &c. So again, v. 6. each depending upon the other; for it is God's Covenant: I will never depart from you to do you good, and I will put my fear into your hearts, that you shall never depart from me. Abiding, or lodging in the primary Notion, signifieth the continuance of some corporeal presence transferred to spiritual things, it signifies The continuance of a priviledge, or perseverance in a duty. Christ's abode with us signifies the first; our abiding with him signifies the latter, each of them expressed in Scripture, by various expressions. Christ's abiding with us, is expressed, John 14. 16. By the abidings of the Comforter, by the abiding of the anointing Oil, 1 Joh. 2. 26. It is opposed to the momentany, and short refreshings of grace, when to use that other phrase of Scripture, God is to the Soul but as a wayfaring man, that tarries but for a night. Our abidings with, and in Christ, are also variously expressed, by the abidings of that in us which we have received, 1. Joh. 2. 24. by abiding in light, 1 Joh. 2. 10. and the Word of God abiding in us, v. 14. by abiding in the Doctrine of Christ, Joh. 2. ep. v. 9. But I have nothing to do save only with the former Notion. In short, The abidings of Christ with the Soul import two things.

1. The permanency of his Union with the Soul, continuing the state of Justification, 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given to us.

2. The constancy of his gracious Influences upon us, which Joh. 14. v. 21. he calls A manifesting of himself unto us; and v. 22. his abode with us. This is also the abiding of the [...], the Com­forter [Page 800] mentioned, v. 16. This is the lodging of Christ betwixt the Soul's breasts. This it is of which the gracious Soul is so exceeding fond and covetous: And so much shall serve for the first Question. I come to the second.

Qu. 2. How doth it appear that a gracious Soul is so desirous of Christ's abidings with it?

There are three waies by which the Earnest desire of our friends abode with us are discernable to others: 1. By Verbal Expressions. 2. Real Actions. 3. Vehement Passions. By all these the believing Soul's desires that Christ should lodge with it, have been, and are discernable.

1. Verbal Expressions (before the World was so far debaucht as now, that none knows by the Index of the Tongue what the Clock strikes in the heart) were sufficient Evidences of cordial desires. The Children of God cannot lye unto him, we may therefore from their words conclude still. If you look upon the Saints or Church in former times, see what the Church saith, Jer. 14. 8. O thou hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in times of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land, as a wayfaring man, that turneth aside to tarry for a night? The expressions of David in the Psalms this way are very many; this is it which he means by the lifting up of God's Countenance upon him, which he so passionately desires above Corn, Wine, and Oil, Psal. 4. for which he prefers the place of a door­keeper in the house of God, before dwelling in the Tents of wickedness, Psal. 84. Indeed, if you look upon the whole sum of the desires both of David, and other Saints, who stand upon sacred Record, you will find that as to spiritual things, all their desires are compre­hended in this one, that God would abide with them, lodge all night betwixt their breasts. And the same Spirit yet breatheth in the Souls of all that fear the Lord. I need do no more for the proof of this, than appeal to the experience of all such who have in the least degree tasted how good the Lord is; what's the sum of all their prayers? what's their language to one another, and to all the Mini­sters of God, to whom at any time they address themselves? but oh that they might find the Abidings of the Comforter with their Souls, the abidings of the strengthening and quickening Spirit of God with them! Oh that Christ would not be as a stranger in their Souls, nor as a wayfaring man that turneth in to their Souls for a night!

2. The Earnest desires of gracious Souls for the abidings of Christ with them, are evident also upon the consideration of what they [Page 801] will be ready to do for the continuance of them: This is in part hinted in the Text: He shall lodge, or stay, or lie all night betwixt my breasts, which metaphorical expression signifies (by interpreta­tion) these two things:

1. I will deny him nothing which he shall desire of me, so I may but keep his company.

2. I will entertain him with the highest demonstrations of cordial Affection.

1. I will deny him nothing which he shall desire of me. The Mo­ther will deny nothing to that Child, nor the Wife to that Hus­band, which either of them allow to lodge betwixt their breasts. The believing Soul will deny Christ nothing, so it may keep his presence with her. Will he have the man do for him? Lord, saith Paul, Act. 9. 6. What wilt thou have me to do? Will he have the Acts 9. 6. Acts 21. 11. man to die for him? I am ready (saith Paul, Act. 21. 11.) not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jė­sus. Will he have it deny it self, distribute and give to the poor, make satisfaction where he hath done injury? No sooner is Zacheus told that Christ was come to his house, but he cries, Luk. 19. 5, 8. Lord, the half of my goods I give to the Poor, and if I have taken anything from any by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Will he have Peter gird himself, and come to him upon the waters? Peter will do it immediately. Doth he call Simon and Andrew from their Nets to follow him, upon a promise that they shall be made Fishers of men? and doth he by and by require James and Zebedee to do the like? they immediately leave their Father, forsake their Nets, and follow him, Mark 1. 16, 17, 18.

2. The phrase signifies as much as, I will entertain him with the highest Evidences of most cordial Affection. I have more than once noted, that the heart lies under the left breast; however, the breasts are the place of love. It were endless to enlarge upon those several Scriptures expressing the satisfaction of gracious Souls, upon the presence of Christ with them, or his returns of presence to them. One or two of them shall suffice. The first shall be that of David, Psal. 146. You will discern upon the reading of that Psalm, that God had returned to his Soul in Influences of mercy, testifying his gracious presence, he had heard his supplication, v. 1. Inclined his Ear unto him, v. 2. helped him, v. 6. Mark with what a satisfaction his Soul receiveth these Influences; v. 2. I will call upon him as long as I live; v. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul; v. 12. What [Page 802] shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits; I will take the cup of Salvation, &c. v. 16. Oh Lord, truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant, and the Son of thy handmaid, &c. How welcome is the presence of God to Davids Soul? Do you use to say to your friend? Sir, what shall I provide for you? I think my self much beholden to you, I am much your Servant for this kind­ness, rejoiced to see you, &c. Observe if David here speaketh not much the same language. The other instance shall be that of the Spouse, Cant. 3. 4. when she had recovered her belov­ed, I found him whom my Soul Loveth, I held him and would not let him go, untill I had brought him into my Mothers house, and into the Chamber of her that canceived me. The Child knoweth not how to express its love to its friend better then by bring­ing him or her home to its Mothers, or Fathers house. What need any further evidence then that exuberance of joy which is found in every gracious Soul, upon any return of divine love which may evidence Christa abiding with it?

3. Vehement passions will also discover a gracious Souls de­sires to the Enjoyment of Christ, and his abidings with the Soul. When they saw our Saviour weep over Lazarus his grave, Joh. 11. They cry out, How he loved him! He that seeth a Friend mourn when his Friend is gone from him, or perhaps but go­ing; the woman jealous of any, whom she but suspects would draw away her husband from her, falling into fits of passion whes;he doth but fear such a thing, will easily conclude, that this friend, this Wife is eagerly desirous of the presence and abiding of his friend, or her husband with her; and Secondly he that observes the jealousy of a gracious Soul, over the Lord its Saviour, and of every sin of Omission, or Commission which it suspecteth as that which may probably separate be­twixt his Soul and it. He that observeth what slavish fear the Christian (yet living in the enjoyments of God) is often tormented with left he should lose his beloved presence, o [...] takes notice of his weepings even till he can weep no more when he lies but under a (perhaps) false apprehension that he hath withdrawen himself in displeasure, how his Eye oft-times con­someth with grief, how he makes his bed to swim, and water­oth his Couch with tears, must needs conclude, that the abid­ings of Christ with the Soul are great objects of its desire. And no wonder though they be so as we shall see by enquiring upon the third question.

Qu. 3. Whence it is that a gracious Soul is so desirous of Christ's lodgings and abidings with it?

To make a thing the object of a reasonable Soul's desire, it is re­quired, That the understanding conceive it under the Notion of good, and some good which it wanteth, and may possibly obtain, and accord­ing to the degree of goodness apprehended in an object proposed, so is the motion of a reasonable Soul's desire more or less towards it. Now that which appears to us as good, appears so, 1. Under the notion of profitable and advantageous; Or, 2. Under the notion of sweet and pleasant, or under the notion of vertaous and honourable. It is almost impossible to conceive, but that the spiritually enlighten­ed Soul should apprehend the abidings of Christ with it transcen­dently good upon all these accounts.

1. Under the notion of Vertuous and Honourable. What greater honour can betide a poor creature than to have the Almighty pitch his Tents in and with it? for the Lord of Heaven and Earth to make his abode with a Worm? the Eternal Son of God to dwell with Dust and Ashes, yea and delight to dwell and continue with it? Such honour have all the Saints, and no wonder if they be so fond of it. Doth Abigail think it an honour to be but a Servant to an Earthly David? and Mephibosheth judge it an honour to be ad­mitted to eat Bread at his Table? What is it then to have the Son of God in the Arms of our Souls, and to have him dwell in our hearts, and make his abode there?

2. Nor certainly can any thing be more sweet to a gracious Soul. The joy and peace (that peace which passeth all understanding) which is the issue of believing, ebbs and flows according to the abidings of Christ with the Soul: His presence makes an Heaven, and his absence makes an Hell there. There are two Passions, which are like overflowing Floods, and drown a Soul's beauty and com­fort; Fear and Grief; the presence of Christ with the Soul keeps them both under. The Soul of the Saint cannot fear, when it knows that it is He that saveth it, and upholdeth it with the hand of his Righteousness, and the Children of the Bride-Chamber (himself told us) cannot mourn while the Bridegroom is with them.

3. For the advantage which accrews to the Soul by the abidings of christ with it; besides that already mentioned, in the quiet and ho­ly security which it hath by his company, which is infinitely above the value of all other concernments; I say, besides that, the advan­tage is exceeding great. I will mention but two things.

[Page 804] 1. Its enemies are still; when the Captain of our Salvation is in our quarters, there's no great fear that the enemy will beat them up. The tempter hath nothing to say, whiles he that suc­cours the tempted is speaking peace to the Soul, God must first say to the Devil, behold this Soul is in thy hands, before he can meddle with it. And our own inbred enemies, those of our own house (our innate lusts and Corruptions I mean) are as still as our grand Adversary: The very waters of Marah themselves turned sweet when this Tree of life is in them. Our hearts lose much of their bitterness by the presence of Christ in them, it is when the Sun is down, that the Frogs and Toads croak and the Dors and Bats fly. It is in the night when the Thief steals. The time of Christs withdrawings from the Soul is the time when Sathan molests, and lusts are most busy.

2. The Souls Spikenard then sends forth its pleasant smell. You had it in the former verse. I shewed you there what dependence the exercise of our grace hath upon Christs presence with us, both in respect of his exciting and assisting influence. Christ speaks it plain in that excellent parable of the vine, and the branches, Joh. 15. 5. He that abidath in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth fruit, for without me you can do nothing—v. 6. The same bringeth forth much fruit. Otherwise the Soul wither­eth, v. 6. Naturalists say that in those Countries which abounded with Myrrh, they were wont to bind bundles of it to the heart, or to anoint it with the Gum; the use of it was to strengthen the heart against what was noxious, and unto a due discharge of its natural operations. It is Gregories observation, (or similitude rather) that the Soul that applies Christ to its heart, and which findeth his influence will find it like a bundle or an anointing of Myrrh strengthening the Soul against the prevailings of cor­ruptions, and filling it with a Spiritual heat, and fitness for Hea­venly operations. And thus I have shewed you just reason, why the lodgings or abidings of Christ with a gracious Soul are so desirable to it.

Obj. But will some poor Soul say? Can Christ not abide with that Soul which he hath once owned, is his love mutable, is he not the God that changeth not, but loveth to the end whom he once loveth?

I answer, The Love of Christ is an abiding love, he is not yea and nay with the Soul, upon which he hath once fixed his heart, whom he loveth he loveth to the end.

[Page 805] 1. His union with the Soul abideth. Christ once in us and ever in us, is a truth to which we must adhere, that corrupti­on which could not at first prevent it, shall never he of force to dissolve it; but the sense of this union may fail. The indwelling Spirit shall not be disseised, but the Spirit as a comforter may fail the Souls of the Saints. When wilt thou comfort me? (saith the man after Gods own heart.) Besides that our state of justifi­cation is to be maintained by the performance of our Spiritual duty, and there can be no justified Soul, that doth not earnestly desire its own continuance in that state.

2. His necessary influences upon the Soul abide too. The pro­mise must stand good, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, nor can it be imagined that so noble and vertual an head as the Lord Jesus Christ can be united to any member of his Spiritual body without a proportionable influence upon it: or that the seed of God in the Soul should be wholly inactive. But Spiritual desires are also the sacred means, which God hath ap­pointed for the preservation of these.

3. But Gradual abidings of Christ in the Soul may fail. He may not abide with the Soul in such proportions of Spiritual in­fluence, at all times. Now the degrees of Spiritual influence from Christ are highly desirable to a gracious Soul. But I have spake enough to the explication and confirmation of the point. I come now to the Application.

Use 1. In the first place, Let us from this try our selves whether we indeed be the true Spouses of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he our beloved yea or no? Can we say, and say it, cordially, he shall lodge betwixt our breasts?

1. There are many that say he shall sit upon my tongue, I will talk to Christ, and take his name into my mouth, concerning whom we may say, as the Prophet sometimes said of the Jews, The Lord was nigh in their mouths and far from their reins, the woman dandles many a Child in her arms, that never lodgeth betwixt her breasts in the night, she talks of many a man in the day time, whom she will not allow to lodg in her bosom at night: there's many a wretch that talks of Christ that yet will not let him come [...]igh his heart.

2. There are many that say they shall lodg to eternity betwixt his breasts, that yet cannot, will not say this; going to Heaven is grown market talk, and every one is a pretender to that jour­neys [Page 806] end that yet will not set one foot before another in the way. Balaam wisheth vainly, and many a one concludeth as vainly, that he shall dye the death of the righteous, and his lat­ter end shall be like his; those mentioned, Mat. 7. 24. said they should lodge the long night of eternity betwixt Christs breasts, but he saith unto them, depart from me I know you not; there are too many that build Castles in the air, and houses up­on the sand, and dream of golden mountains, but every one is not wife to another that saith she shall one day have him, nor is every Soul a Spouse to Christ that promiseth to it self eternal content in him.

3. A man may say, Oh that Christ would come betwixt my breasts, that yet is not the Spouse of Christ. There's scarce a wretch living but at one time or other wisheth Christ would speak to his Soul pardon and peace; 'tis one thing for a woman to desire the Physitian may make applications to her breasts, when full of pain, that yet will not say he shall lodge betwixt her breasts, you see there may be a great many mistakes in this point, but plainly let me ask you two or three questions.

1. Are you willing to open the secrets of your Souls to Jesus Christ? There's many a one is willing that Christ should come so near him as his Ear, but not into his heart; canst thou say that thy Soul cleaveth to the Lord Jesus Christ, that thou desi­rest he should enter into its secrets, not only to tip thy tongue, regulate thy Countenance, but to Command in thy heart?

2. Art thou willing that Christ should lodge all night with thy Soul? Not serve thee only by fits to cure thy heart akings, but that he should lodge and dwell with thee; make an abode with thy Soul.

3. Art thou willing that a perfect Christ should lodge with thee? Not only Christ as an High-Priest to expiate for thee and make an atonement for thy sins, but as a Prophet to guide & instruct thee, as a King to rule over thee, and govern thee. The Wife de­sires not an Husband only as her Companion, but as her head.

By this, O Christian I shalt thou know if indeed thou beest the Spouse of the Lord Jesus, and not an harlot. I might have further added. That the Soul that is so, says so of no [...]e else, [...] and none but be, shall lodg betwixt my breasts. She is an harlot that speaks it in any sense less then exclusive. If thou can [...]t truly say of the Lord Jesus Christ, be shall lodge betwixt my breasts. [Page 807] Thou also sayest, He shall, and none else shall; not the sweetest lust I have, nor the loveliest piece that the World can afford me, not any thing contrary unto him, nor any thing besides him. That Earthly Object comes too nigh a Christian, that comes between its breasts. The heart is reserved for the Beloved. Deal faithfully I beseech you with your own Souls; the World is full of pretenders, but I fear me exceeding thin of such as can say, and say it in truth, and say it cordially, That Christ is he, and he alone whom they desire should lodge and stay betwixt their breasts. But enough for this Use. I hasten to conclude.

Use 2. Let us in the next place see what this Doctrine will afford us, for the promoving our comfort, or our holiness, by way of Con­solation or Exhortation; and first for Consolation. The term or Verb in the Text speaketh certainty, but futuriety, and the phrase de­notes, 1. The Spouse's leave, 2. Desire, 3. Confidence; He shall lodge: And thus considered (to say nothing of the too Critical note that some make upon the term night, as fignifying here a time of affli­ction, in which Christ is an especial comfort to the Soul; I say, to say nothing of that, because the word in the Text doth not neces­sarily imply a night, yet the phrase thus considered) the Text and Doctrine offer a great deal of refreshings to those appearingly for­gotten Souls, who cannot obtain the sensible abidings of Christ with them, and are therefore ready to pronounce sadly against their Souls, that God is not with them, nor they with him: As Gideon said, If the Lord be with us, why are we thus? forgetting that God sometimes hideth himself even from the House of Jacob. Let such a Soul observe, That the Spouse here doth not say, He doth lie al­waies betwixt my breasts, though it be true that Christ doth truly and constantly dwell in the heart of his Saints, yet 'tis often indis­cernably to it; but she saith, He shall lie, which imports, 1. I will give him leave; I will not drive him from my Soul; my breasts shall be free and open to him. 2. The Spouse's defire, it is Vox cupi­entis. 3. It speaks confidence; it is Vox fidei, the language of Faith, which when it speaks properly, alwaies speaks in the future tense; for hope which is seen is no hope, unless when it calls the things which are not in present fruition, as if they were, because of its be­ing an evidence of things not seen. Look, as the true Wife is not [...]l­wa [...]es known by having her beloved Husband in her Arms, but first, By her readiness so to receive him; Secondly, By her desire of it, as her happiness▪ So is the true Believer not alwaies known by his or her [Page 808] sensible Enjoyments of the Lord Jesus Christ, but by the openness of her heart to receive him. 2. By the longing; of the Soul after him. 3. By the confidence of the Soul in him.

Use 3. But lastly; Oh that the same frame of spirit might be found in you (even in every one of you who profess to have tasted how good the Lord is) which was here found in the Spouse towards the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would all say, He shall lodge all night betwixt our breasts. I but now told you it imported three things; 1. Leave, 2. Desire, 3. Confidence. 1. Lift up your heads, O you gates, stand ope you everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Stand open, O my Soul, to the Lord Jesus Christ, keep your hearts free to the entertainment of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Make it the busi­ness of your desire and prayer. 3. Be confident that he will make his abode with you. These might be three distinct branches, but I have not time to speak fully to each of them. For the two first, I have prevented my self as to the Arguments which I should use to urge them. Consider what I spake to the third Question in the Explica­tion, how honourable a thing it is to you, how sweet and pleasant, how infinitely advantagious and profitable; thereis only to be added a word of Direction: Will the poor Soul say, How should I pro­cure the abidings of Christ with me, (I mean) his abidings as to his gradual Influences? For your direction, I will only turn you to that one Text, Joh. 14. 22. where you shall be resolved from our Saviour's own mouth; If any man love me, he will keep my words, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Christ is ready enough to stay where he finds love, but it must be real love, such as is joyned with keeping of his words. Be expressive then of your love to Christ; 1. By voiding from your heart what­ever may be offensive to his Majesty. 2. By heightening in your heart a great esteem of him. 3. By doing whatsoever he commands you. Do you abide with him in a way of duty, and he shall abide with you in a way of mercy; according to that of the Prophet in the Book of Chronicles to the King; God is with you, if you be with Chron. 15. him; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you; if you be incer­tain and unconstant with him, he will be so with you, as to the gradual Influences of his Love; With the froward he will shew him­self froward.

2. I told you it is the Language of Faith. He shall lie. Faith is the sacred Instrument by which Christ is united to the Soul, and it is that by which Communion with Christ is maintained and pre­served. [Page 809] According to a Christian's Faith it ordinarily is unto it (as to Divine Dispensations;) Faith merits nothing of Christ, but it applieth much. Believe, and the abidings of Christ shall be established upon your Souls; but you must know, that this Faith must not be a dead Faith, but such as works by love. Though Faith and Holiness must not be confounded, yet (un­less as to Instrumental efficacy in Justification in the act of ju­stifying) they can never be separated. But thus much shall serve for this Verse.

Sermon LVI.

Canticles 1. 14.
My Beloved is unto me as a Cluster of Camphire in the Vine­yards of Engedi.

IT is agreed on all hands, that it is the Spouse, which yet speaketh, and the term [...] which we met with from her in the former verse is enough to prove it, and to let us know that she is yet speaking concerning her beloved. It is also as well a­greed that what she saith in this verse amounts to little more then what she had said in the 13. v. Only she expresseth the same thing under a new resemblance, but it is not so easy to give you a just account of her expression, and to set out the apt­ness of the Metaphor which she here used: The difficulty of which ariseth, from this that the plant, to which or to the Gum of which she here resembleth her Beloved, is an exotick plant, not known to us in these countries neither in the kind, nor in the qualities, we having no perfect account given us by any, of the Natures of those several plants which grew in those Ea­stern Countries: Which hath made that great diversity of In­terpreters in translating the Heb. word [...] which we (and it is but a conjecture) translate Camphire; The Vulg. Lat. Sept. and Tremellius & the Dutch Translators translate it Cypress; Castalio, the Cyprian Grapes; the Arabick, a cluster of Flowers; Pagnine and [Page 810] Montanus translate it not at all, but put in Copher; the Heb. word. The Tig. Version Caphurd, Camphire. Let us indeavour as far as we may to find out the truth, by way of Explication of the Text; we will therefore enquire,

1. Qu. What were these Vineyards of Engedi. 2. What is this Cluster of Copher or Camphire growing in these Vineyards, to which the Spouse here resembleth her beloved. 3. Why she resembleth him in this manner, to a Cluster of Copher, in the Vineyards of Engedi.

1. Qu What were these Vineyards of Engedi?

The name Engedi signifieth Oculus hoedi, a kids Eye. It was a City, the same with Hazazon Tamar, 2 Chron. 20. 2. Now Ha­zazon Tamar was a City of the Amorites, Gen. 14. 7. called by them Hazazon Tamar, taken in by Josuah, in the con­quest of Canaan, and by him set out to the tribe of Judah, for a part of their portion, Jos. 15. 62. From which place you may observe, it was a City, and in or near the Wilderness, it was a place at or near which were strong bolds, David fled thither from Saul, 1 Sam. 23. 29. & 1. 24. where you read of the wilderness and of the strong holds of Engedi. But of the Vineyards at Engedi, you read no where else in holy Writ. Some tell us that the Queen of Sheba brought with her out of [...]Sonat palmam. Mer cer. in Gen. 14. Nieremb. de Mirac. Naturae terrae promissae, cap. 12. her Country, some choice and odoriferous Plants, which Solo­mon planted here, and that they thrave exceedingly. Hazazon Tamar signifies a City of Palms, and speaks it anciently fa­mous for rare plants, for it was called by that name in Abra­hams time, Nierembergius tells us, it was a place of old fa­mous for a multitude of sweet smelling plants, especially Bal­sams which it brought forth in great plenty. Which balsams say he and others, were certain shrubby plants, which if an incision were made into them with a sharp stone, or a knife of bone, or Glass, a sweet smelling juice dropped from them, and they say that Engedi continued such a place, till Herods time, when Cleo­patra, transplanted them into Egypt, they say there are still in Engaddi some remainders of those plants, but of no value. But they say there is yet in Egypt a great Garden full of them, be­twixt Heliopolis and Babylon, which Saligniacus saith he saw, and many strange stories he and others tell of Christ when he was in Egypt, being washed in a fountain nigh this Gar­den, &c. But they are Apocryphal, and I shall not trouble you with them. But,

Qu. 2. What is meant here by [...] which we translate a Cluster of Camphire. We translate it Camphire. It is no easy thing to give a just account of it. The word in the Heb. according to R. Mordecay Nathan hath 7 distinct signi­fications. Forsterus in Heb. Dict. reckons six significations, 1 Pitch. Gen. 6. 16. 2 A Village, 1 Sam. 6. 19. 3 A price set upon ano­thers life for his Redemp­tion, Exod. 21. 30. 30. 12. Num. 35. 31. 4 Any gift given to ap­pease a Judg. 1 S [...]m 12. 3. 5 An Expia­tion, Prov. 6, &c. 6 The name of a Tree bearing Clu­sters, which the Latines call Cyperus. V. part, ibid. So also Cant. 4. 13. I shall not need insist upon them all, but one or two of them are possibly applicable here, for those significations of the word where it signifies the frost, or the dew [...] as Exod. 16. 13. A standing cup, or a flesh hook, as in. 1 Paral, 18. v. 17. A Village, as in 1 Sam. 6. 19. A young Lion as in Judg. 14. 5. It is not in this Text capable of any of these senses, by rea­son of what goes before [...] a Cluster, or branch, &c. But besides these, there are 3 other significations: You read the word Gen. 6. 16. Thou shalt pitch it over with pitch. The Heb. is [...] with Copher. I think Avenarius his conjecture is good, who thinks it hath obtained this Signification from its likeness to Gopher which signifies a Pine tree from whence came pitch, with which the Ark was covered; from this Original signification of the word according to which it signifiesa Cover­ing, it hath obtained another; it signified, the Mercy seat, Exod. 25. 17. & 37. 6. Either because the Mercy seat was covered with the Cherubims, or it self was a kind of covering to the Ark being over it. And hence this word also signifies an expiation of sin, and is translated Redemption, Psal. 49. 8. God in pardoning sin provides a covering for it, Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. And I find expositors that think there is in this Text, a great respect had to that signification of the word: But what ever allusion the Spouse may be thought to make to that signification, cer­tain it is, that she here understands by it a plant which the Jews knew by that name. But now what Plant that was is very hard to determine. I hinted to you before the various senses of Interpreters; some translate it Cypress, some Camphire, some Cyparis, some the Cyprian Grapes: Others at a pure loss re­tain the Heb. word Copher. There are three more eminent op­nions.

1. Some think the sense this, As a Cluster of Cyprian Grapes is my Beloved to me. Thus Castalio, and some others, who have observed out of Plin [...], that the Cyprian Grapes were famous for sweetness. But they did not duly consider the distance between the Isle of Cyprus. And Engaddi (a City in Juda) [Page 812] as Mercer well observes, therefore although the Vineyards of Engaddi be mentioned, yet [...] was no Vine as some think but some other plant which grew with the Vines (as was usual.)

2. Others think that it is that which we call Privet. The La­tines Alba ligustra cadunt, &c. Virgil. Ligustrum. The Gr. [...]. Which in those Countries was of a better Kind then ours, and Pliny tells us, bare a White Flower, with a kind of Seed in Clusters like Grapes, and that of this Plant the Ʋnguentum Cyprinum was made which had a rare smell.

3. Others again think that Cypress is meant, as a Cluster of Cy­press is my well Beloved unto me. Now this Cypress they tell us was a plant, which flowed with a sweet Gum. It was a rare sweet smelling Balsam and the Best of it grew in the Vineyards of Engaddi.

You see how much Interpreters are in their sense di­vided, See a story about this Plant in For­ster; Heb Dict. in verbo, [...] concerning the nature of this Plant from which the Metaphor of the Text is drawn. And no wonder then if it be hard to determine the third thing, viz. why the Spouse here compareth her Beloved to a Cluster of Copher.

Yet in that I find them most reasonably well agreed; That whatever, Plant it was, either the Herb of it, or the Juice of it was exceeding sweet, and the Spouse here compareth Christ to it, to denote that exceeding and abundant sweetness which her Soul had tasted in him. And so this Text speaketh but the same in another phrase, which she had said before. A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved to me; she means the samething when she here saith, A cluster of Camphire or Copher is my Be­loved to me, that is, exceeding sweet and precious. When I spake to the other expression, I spake so fully to that point, of the infinite Sweetness that is in Christ, that I have nothing to add upon that Subject; only I remember that I then took notice, that I did not judge the term [...] redundant, but exclusive; My Beloved is not sweet to others, they smell no sweetness in him, but to Me he is a cluster of Camphire, as a bundle of Myrrh, sweet, infinitely sweet, above all other sweet things most sweet. The Proposition which I shall only insist upon is this;

Prop. That the true believing Soul sees peculiar Excellencies, and tasts a peculiar Sweetness in Christ which others do not see nor tast. This Doctrine supposeth,

[Page 813] 1. That there is such an overflowing Fountain of goodness and sweetness in Jesus Christ, that even those who are not Believers may discern some sweetness and excellency in him. 2. It asserts,

That there is a peculiar excellency and sweetness in him discernable to the Believer, which others do not discern. The former is a truth. As a good woman may so far approve her self to all that see her, or hear of her, that they may in heart admire her, and praise her, and have a general love for her; but yet this woman may to her Hus­band, in respect of her peculiar suitableness to him, and more immediate and intimate converse with him, be ten thousand times more precious in his Eyes, than unto others: So it is with the Lord Jesus Christ; a wicked man, who is far enough from saving Faith, or any special Interest in Christ, may yet have a general love for him. Give me leave alittle to enlarge upon this supposed part of the Proposition. 1. By enquiring upon what bottom this general love can stand. 2. By making some Inferences from it. The grounds of it may be, 1. Real, or 2. Supposed and mistaken. The truth is, such is the Lord Jesus Christ, such a Fountain of sweetness, that there is real ground for all the Sons of men to love him. I will hint you two or three.

1. The first shall be, his humbling himself for the good of man­kind. The Evangelist saith, Joh. 3. 16. That God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. Arminians cannot un­derstand what the greatest part in the World (as to the matter of Redemption) have to thank God for, if Christ were not given with equal respect to one as to another, or at least (as others qualifie) to purchase a possibility for all: But certainly if one should say, such a one so loved such a Family, that he gave his whole Estate to a Child of it, we might understand it▪ though every Member of the Family neither had, nor were in possibility to have part, and part like. It is very questionable whether the Angels ever shared in the death of Christ any way; yet I believe they love Christ for his dy­ing for men: And to that end, Eph. 3. 10. the manifold Wisdom of God is by the Church made known to them. Beneficence, or do­ing good to others, especially such as are in misery, is a thing so com­mends it self to the reason of man, that we cannot but have a love for such as are bountiful, though we never tast of their bounty. We see it in ordinary experience, if we that live here (be rational and ingenuous) hear that one who lives in the furthest parts of England hath given all his Estate to good uses, though we have no share in [Page 814] them, yet we love the man for it. And certainly, if you could sup­pose a reasonable creature, who should but hear that Christ, the Eternal Son of God, came down from Heaven, and died upon the Cross, for some men, though he knew he were none of them, yet it would be a ground of love to him considered as a reasonable crea­ture.

But secondly, a ground of it may be, The certain apprehension of 2 Reason. some good which even the Unbeliever enjoyeth from Christ. It is said by many, and those too such as can by no means agree, that Christ died equally for all, or that he purchased a possibility of Salvation for all; that yet there is none who lives, but is for his life and pre­servation beholden to the death of Christ; and that all receive this good from him, which may to rational men evidence a ground of Love. I must confess I cannot too boldly strike this string, for I much doubt whether the standing of the World, and the common preservation of men, flows from the Death of Christ as the Issue of his purchase; I should rather ascribe it to the gracious Providence of God, of which even the Death of Christ also is an Issue.

3. Certain it is, that whatever the intention of Christ in dying was, such is the Wisdom of Divine Providence, That the Gospel is held forth indefinitely; Whosoever believeth shall be saved. So that there is no ground for any Soul to conclude, I was none of those considered in the purchase of Christ, and there is ground sufficient in the intrinsecal value and sufficiency of the Death of Christ, con­sidered together with the indefinite Proposal of the Covenant of Grace, to encourage every man under hope of finding mercy with him, to come unto him. Now, which is there of us, that should hear of a liberal man worth many thousands of pounds, that should have freely determined with himself to spend it all upon our Fami­ly, and should make a general offer to us, that to so many of us as would come to him, he would give a share sufficient, would not (as a reasonable creature) judge himself engaged to love him, even be­fore we should so go to him and receiveour share? Give me leave only to infer two things from this Discourse.

That there is sufficient ground for God to condemn those for want of Corol. 1. love to Christ, who yet never had a saving sight of him.? All men deserve to be Anathema Maranatha, whose hearts yern not toward Christ, whether ever they had any saving experience of the Love of Christ to their Souls, or no. I speak but as a reasonable creature. If I were sure that I were shut out of Christ's thoughts when he [Page 815] died upon the cross, and that he would never save my Soul; yet I see reason enough why I ought to hate my self, and con­demn my self if I should not love him: I remember what the Jews said for their Centurion: He hath loved our Nation and built us a Synagogue; this I am sure of, Christ hath loved man­kind, he hath purchased salvation for some of them. O my Soul (if thou beest forgotten of God) yet love him, who would so far humble himself as to pity dust and ashes.

Corol. 2. 2. Hence secondly, No wonder if there be some love to Christ appearing in those who have no share nor interest in him. It hath been the assertion of some, that Common grace and special grace differ not specifically but gradually. I think the assertion, amongst understanding men but a contest of Logical terms; I no way doubt of the truth of this, That an unbeliever may love Christ in a sense: But the Love of the Child of God vastly dif­fers, being an infused habit and of another species. Whatsoever is presented to us under the Notion of good, whether so really or apparently, is plainly the proper object of our love: Now such may Christ appear even to an unbeliever, who is far from having tasted how good the Lord is; hence even in a carnal man there may be desires after Christ, good wishes to the in­terest of Christ upon the Earth, yea and he may do much for the Service of Christ; either from a general Notion of Christs excellency, or 2dly (which I should have mentioned before) from a supposal that he hath as good a share, and interest in Christ, as any other, though in this (possibly) he may be mistaken. And this is very useful for us to consider, that we may not build too great confidences, from such desires, which we find in our Souls, or any such external actions, without a due in­quiry after their Principle. But enough of this, I come to the positive part of the Proposition.

2. That there is a peculiar excellency in Christ, which the be­lieving Soul sees and savours, and is not discernable to others. My beloved (saith the Spouse) is a Cluster of Camphire unto me. They said to her in 5th of this Song, v. 9. What is thy be­loved Cant. 5. 9. more then another beloved, O thou fairest amongst women? what is thy beloved more then anothers beloved that thou so strictly chargest us? She answers, v. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, &c. For the opening of this, I will propound two questions,

[Page 816] 1. What are those peculiar excellencies, which the believer sees in Christ, more then another sees.

2. How comes the believing Soul to be more eagle eyed then his neighbour.

To the first

1. The believer sees further into the heighths, and depths of re­deeming love (in the general) then another man doth. The heighth of redeeming love is too great for a reasonable man to take, the Astronomer is lost at taking the heighth of this Star, Eph. 3. 16, 17. we must be strengthned with might by the Spirit in the inward man, Christ must dwell in our hearts by saith, and we must be rooted, and grounded in love, before we shall be able with all Saints to comprehend, what is the breadth, length, and depth, and heighth, and know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge. The unbe­liever living under the light of the Gospel is like the blind man, whose Eyes Christ hath once touched, and he seeth something of he excellency of Christ, but alas! he seeth men like trees; Christ must touch him again before he sees things clearly; the be­liever seeth Christ as another thing to what the unbeliever seeth.

2. The believer discerns a particular respect of Christ, to his Soul. Ah this, this is it which makes Christ as a Cluster of Camphire, it is sweet to a rational Soul, to see a Saviour: Bu [...] infinitly sweet for it to see him, as its Saviour, to cry out, my Lord, my God: Propriety in a good sweetens it infinitly unto a Soul, the be­liever sees Christ as his Christ, his Saviour. It is sweet to poor Creatures, who are so far enlightened, as to see the World lyeth in darkness, to know that he is the true light enlightning all that come into the World; but infinitly more sweet to the Soul, when it sees that he hath enlightened it in particular. A good woman (to a reasonable man) is p [...]etious and he loves her quatenus good, and vertuous, but if she becomes his Wife, that strangely indears her to him, and shews her a peculiar ex­cellency in him. 'Tis sweet to a reasonable man, that is enligh­tened to see that all the Sons of Adam are by nature under mise­ry, to see that Christ came to Redeem them from this misery and Curse; but how sweet must it be for this Soul to apprehend▪ that he hath redeemed it in particular from this misery? I shall not need to enlarge further upon this which in so plain. Doth any ask,

Qu. 2. Whence it is that the believing Soul seeth such a pecu­liar sweetness and excellency in Christ.

I answer. 1. From that special illumination which attends re­generation. There is a Common illumination and there is a spe­cial illumination; the Common illumination is the work of Gods Spirit concurring with the Preaching of the Gospel, inabling men to understand, and give some general assent to what is there revealed: but when the Lord comes to deal savingly with the Soul, it opens the Eyes of the Soul, to a fuller, clearer and more certain sight of Gospel mysteries, 1 Cor. 2. 10. God revealeth to his Saints by his Spirit, those things, which the Prin­ces of the World (though they heard the Gospel) never knew, what things Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart to conceive. A Commonly enlightned Soul, upon the Preaching of the Gospel, may see the same things that a believer sees, that Christ died, &c. But it sees them not so ful­ly and clearly, as upon special saving illuminations, when the Spirit dealeth with the Soul, as it were by demonstration, and gives it to see a Christ crucified as it were before its Eyes. There are two things especially, which the Soul (upon con­version) doth doubtless see after a quite other manner then it saw them before conversion. 1. The sinfulness and mischief of sin. A man meerly reasonable may see the ugliness, and sinfulness of some sins, (such as are contrary to the light of nature, &c.) A man Commonly enlightned may see more of the sinfulness, and danger, both of these and of other sins: but when the Spirit of God cometh savingly to work in the Soul, it seeth the sinfulness, and danger even of these sins, after another manner; sin then becomes exceeding sinful, Rom. 7. 13. It then thinks it sees Hell fire before it, and is dropping into it, and so hath a clearer sight of the danger of it. 2. The excellency of Christ, is doubtless seen by it too after another manner. Of this there needs no greater evidence than the Souls strange workings of affections towards him, its groanings after him, longings for an interest in him, &c.

2. This proceeds also from the Souls union to Christ, and experi­ences of him. There are three waies by which the mind of man is united to its object, every one of which makes it more sweet, then when it meerly contemplates it, and hath it in speculation: one or all of which waies every believer is uni­ted to Christ.

[Page 818] 1. The first is by hope. Suppose a man, hath in his Eye a beau­tiful, and vertuous Woman: there's such a proportion to his reasonable nature, in her goodness and vertue, that she is preti­ous to him, and he puts a value upon her, though he never hopes to make her his Wife, but if he hath any such grounded hope she is much more precious to him: there's no gracious Soul, but is at least thus far united to Christ, not only behold­ing him as an excelling object, but possessed of a good hope through grace that this Christ is his Christ; now this must make him more sweet then to another, who hath no such hope.

2. But secondly: Suppose this man hath some assurance, that this vertuous Woman shall be his Wife, though it may be as yet they be only man and Wife before God, yet this union makes her more sweet and precious to him: now this is the portion of many of Gods Children, they can say, my Beloved is mine and I am his; I am sure the death of Christ is mine, the grace of Christ is mine, and the glory of Christ shall be mine, I shall see my Redeemer with these Eyes (as Job said) how much more sweet, must this assurance make Christ to his Soul, then to anothers, that can only say, there is a Saviour given to the World, but whether for my Soul, or no, I cannot tell.

3. Lastly (to keep my similitude still) Suppose now the man that hath taken notice of a good and vertuous Woman in the World and hath formerly had hopes, to obtain her for his Wife, and promises, hath at last come to the enjoyment of her, and to experience the fruit of her vertues, in her good conversation with him, you will certainly say that to this man, this Woman is more sweet then to all the World besides, this is the case of every believing Soul. It hath had some experiences or other of the warmings, quickenings, strengthenings, comfortings of his grace, and hence it is that Christ to this Soul, I say to this Soul more then to another, is a bundle of Myrrh, and a Cluster of Copher. But I have insisted too long upon a truth, so far expe­rienced by every gracious Soul.

Use 1. By way of application. No wonder then, to see the excessive Triumphs of a gracious Soul for a present Christ, or the exorbitant passions of it for an absent Christ. Or its excessive fondness of what may conduce to its further enjoyments of him: these three things the silly World stands and wonders at.

1. The excessive Triumphs of a Soul for a present Christ, [Page 819] to hear a David call come and I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul: Or a Spouse cry out, I will hold him, I will not let him go, he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts: I charge you O you daughters of Hierusalem, that you stir not up nor awake my love untill he please: Oh that thou wert as my Brother who sucked the, breasts of my Mother, when I should find thee without I would kiss thee, &c. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my Mo­thers house, when I should find thee, without I would kiss thee, &c. Cant. 8. 1, 2▪ I would lead thee, and bring thee into my Mothers house, &c. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, &c. The World won­ders to see a broken spirited Hannah rise up from Prayer, and her Countenance be no more sad: but 'tis no wonder. As a Cluster of Copher is Christ to the Soul, Christ by his influence puts more gladness into a gracious Soul, then the increase of corn, wine, and oil creates in a Worldlings heart, 'tis no more to be wondred at, then the drunkards shouting for new wine, or the farmers joy in harvest.

2. The World wonders too at the exorbitant passions of a gracious heart for an absent Christ; to see a gracious Soul weep­ing and refusing to be comforted, alas her beloved hath with­drawn himself, and she knows not whither he is gone, and as a Cluster of Copher her beloved is to her, nothing so sweet, so precious as Christ is, pardon her trouble, she cannot help it.

3. Nor lastly, is she more to be wondred at for her fondness of any Ordinance where she thinks she may meet her beloved, or injoy ought of his presence, or obtain further influences of grace from him. Wonder not then my friends to see believers going from Ordinance to Ordinance, from duty to duty, 'tis Christ they seek in every Ordinance, in every duty: and as a Cluster of Copher in the Vineyards of Engedi, so is their beloved un­to them.

Use 2 2. Let this engage you, then to prove your selves Christians in­deed by exceeding others in duty to Christ. By this you shall know if you be the Spouses of Christ, if you discern more of the ex­cellency, and sweetness of Christ then others do, and if you do, it will be evident by your further motions towards him, and actings for him: what our Saviour therefore said to his disciples give me leave to say to you Tì [...], What do you more for him then others. I will conclude this [Page 820] discourse by offering you two questions to inquire upon in se­cret.

1. Qu. What more frequent, and precious thoughts hast thou of Christ then others? supposing the Lord Jesus Christ, a bundle of Myrrh or a Cluster of Camphire. The art of smelling lies much in meditation, and by how much the more sweet Christ is to thy Soul, by so much the oftner wilt thou be smelling his sweetness: How are thy leisurable thoughts busied, I remem­ber what David said, When I am awake I am with thee, Canst thou say, Lord when my thoughts are at leisure from my Worldly disturbances, they are with thee: when I am awake in the night I am with thee, when the sinner is thinking how to dishonor thee, and to defile himself, I am thinking, Ah! what shall I render unto thee? This is an excellent sign. Thou hast a truth of grace, where the treasure is, there the heart will be. Hearken to David, Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet. See Psal. 119. 97, 99. Canst thou say, Lord I remem­ber thee in the night season, &c. Will some poor Soul say, I do remember God and Christ, but I cannot say 'tis sweet to me to meditate on him, Psal. 77. I remember God and am troubled? Sol. Judge not thy self from this, if the act of meditation be sweet to thy Soul (it is well with thee) although the fruit be bit­ter. The Woman, shews her self her Husbands Wife, as well by the passions which her meditations of him cause in her, when he is absent: as in the pleasure she hath by the thoughts of him when he is present.

Qu. 2. What diligence doest thou use to preserve the sweet sa­vour of Christ unto and upon thy Soul. Christ considered in himself, is not like a flower that may lose its scent and sweetness; no, he cannot lose that sweetness which is essential to him, he would cease to be Christ, if he could cease to be sweet, to a lost and and undone Soul, but although he retains his sweetness, yet thou mayest lose thy savour of it. He may not be sweet to thee. There are two sorts of Souls who savour very little of Christs sweetness. 1. The Soul that lies under guilt of sin; the thoughts of Christ to that Soul are ordinarily ve­ry terrible. 2. The Soul that is choaked with Worldly Incumbran­ces. The freer the Soul can keep it self, from distracting cares for the World, or from the renewing guilt of sin, the sweeter will the thoughts of Christ be unto it. Now if Christ be as a [Page 821] Cluster of Copher to the Soul. It will be very careful to pre­serve the sweet savour that it hath of him. And by this thou shalt know if Christ be indeed to thee, as a Bundle of Myrrh, or a Cluster of Copher. But thus much shall serve to have spoken to this verse.

Sermon LVII.

Cant. 1. 15.
Behold thou art fair, Behold thou at fair, thou hast Doves Eyes.

THere is a great harmony of Interpreters in the version of the words of this Text, out of the Heb. into their seve­ral Languages, excepting only that what we (according to our dialect) translate My Love, they translate sometimes, My Neighbour, or My Kinswoman, or My Companion (for which you also perceive our Margents give an allowance, and that some translate a Dove, some Doves Eyes, and the Arabick differing from all, thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves. There is no other difference. And this is so inconsiderable, that I shall spend no time in indeavouring to reconcile it.

All Interpreters agree, that it is the Bridegroom which now speak­eth. He who acteth that part I mean in this Song. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Person he speaketh to and of is the believing Soul which he calls [...] My beloved, or My Campanion, &c. It is of the Foeminine form in the Hebrew, which is that which leads Interpreters to conclude, that it is the Spouses speech. It is a word often used in this form in this Song, and I think no where else so in all the Scripture. In the sentence you have considerable, 1. The matter of it in two Propositions, Thou art fair, thou hast Doves Eyes. 2. The manner of expressing it; 1. The words are doubled. Thou art fair, Thou art fair, 2. Here is a double Ecce Prefixed. Behold! Behold! There are in the Text 2. Propositions, 1. The Spouse of Christ is fair, 2. The Spouse of Christ hath Doves Eyes.

[Page 822] 1. Prop. The Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ is fair.

The believing Soul is a beautiful Soul; to the main of this Pro­position, I have very lately spoken, when I spake to the compel­lation, v. 8. where Christ had called her the fairest among Women. I then discoursed the Nature of her beauty, and shewed you, 1. That it was not a corporeal but a Spiritual beauty, 2. Not a visible but an invisible beauty, 3. Not a Native but an adventitious beau­ty, 4. Not an artificial, but a created beauty, 5. Not an adherent beauty only but an inherent beauty also, 6. A desirable beauty, 7. A durable beauty, 8. Not a perfect beauty. And having spoken so fully to it there (where also the same word is used) I intend not to repeat it here, only I shall take notice of some cir­cumstances, by which the Proposition is advantaged in this Text. And

They are four or five, 1. He had told her before, She was the fairest amongst Women. Not satisfied with that he repeat­eth his Love to her again, and telleth her she is fair, she is fair.

2. The Soul had been commending Christ, that he was as a bundle of Myrrh, as a Cluster of Camphire to her; Christ upon her expressing affection to him replies, Behold thou art fair, &c.

3. When he calls her Fair he adds, My Love; Thou art fair my Love.

4. It is not barely exprest, Thou art fair, but here is an Ecce prefixed; Behold thou art fair.

5. Lastly, He doth not speak it singly; But he doubles his words; Thou art fair, Thou art fair, and the term Be­hold, is repeated too, Behold! thou art fair; Behold! Thou art fair.

Here is none of these five circumstances, but will afford us a meditation, which will be either informative, or sweet, or profitable to us. Give me leave therefore to speak a word to each of them.

1. Circum. He had told the Spouse before, she was [...] the fairest amongst Women. But not Satisfied with that he tells her Obs. again, Thou art fair my Love, Thou art fair. Christ doth not only speak peace, but he repeats peace to the believers Soul. God often appears to Abraham, and Jacob to assure them that he was their God. Once have I spoken, and twice have I heard [Page 823] it, (saith the Psalmist) that Power belongs unto God. There is many a Soul that can say, Once hath God spoken, yea twice have I heard it, that the Love of God belongs to me. There is many a Christian that can say, In such an Or­dinance I heard God speaking peace, at such a time I found this Spirit witnessing with my Spirit that I was his Child. Christ in this consulteth, 1. His Peoples infirmities; 2. His own glory.

1. Christ I say in this thing consulteth, 1. His Peoples infir­mities. They are many which make them need this; two chiefly.

1. The Believers Soul is dull of hearing. The Apostle charg­eth the Hebrews, Heb. 5. 11. That they were dull of hearing, which made the repeating fundamental truths necessary for them—There's nothing in the World, that a gracious heart would more gladly hear then this, that it is fair in the Eyes of Jesus Christ, and yet nothing that it is more dull to hear: the reason is because it so eagerly desires it, and prizeth it so highly, that it cries out, It is too good news to be true. You shall ob­serve in the World a double disposition in men: some are dis­posed almost wholly to fear, others to over much confidence. Hence at such a time of changes in the state as this is, one man (be a thing never so true, and to his mind, yet) he hardly be­lieves, he is naturally disposed to fear the worst. Other men, let things be never so improbable yet they will hope, and talk as confidently as if the thing they would have were done. It is much from their natural temper, they are disposed to confi­dence, &c. Take now an unbelieving natural man, and he is dispo­sed to bless himself and hope well of his condition, you have his copy, Deut. 29. 19, 20. He saith, I shall have peace, though I walk according to the imagination of my heart, &c. But now take a believing Soul, and he is very dull of hearing words of peace. Tell him news of the wrath of God revealing against the Children of disobedience he easily believes it, and tells you he feels it in his Conscience, he is one of them designed to this wrath. The terrors of God have been upon his Soul and (like an affrighted man) he is very prone to shake, at any represen­tation of what he hath found so terrible to him. But let a Mini­ster of Christ tell him, thy iniquities are pardoned, Christ is at the door of thy Soul, it is Such improbable news to his affright­ed Soul, such a strange thing, that he should be pardoned, and [Page 824] such a sinner received to mercy, that he is like the Christians met, Acts 12. to pray for Peter, when the Maid brought in word that Peter was at the gate, they say unto her, thou art mad: And when she stands to her word, they will believe no more then that it was his Angel.

A gracious Soul especially when it comes first to believe, is ready to say to it self, Surely I am mad to think that Christ should account me fair, pardon my sins, &c. Now Christ in re­peating peace, consulteth this infirmity in us: as I remember Judg. 12. 3. he did with Manoah, Jud. 12. Manoah's Wife had been barren, God sends an Angel to her to tell her she should conceive a Son, &c. v. 6, 7. Manoah's Wife tells her Husband (you must think there was nothing in the World these two desired more then a Son.) But it seemed too good news to be true and therefore, v. 6. Manoah, goes and Prays, O Lord let the man of God which thou didst send to us come again to us, indeed the reason of his desire which he assigns is to direct him how to order his Son: but certainly Manoah thought the news too good to be true: and God so far yeilds to Manoah's infirmity, as to send his An­gel the second time,

2. As the believing Soul is dull of hearing Christ at first speak­ing 1 Sam. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7. peace to it, and is like to Samuel when Eli called, and cannot apprehend Gods voice: So it is also very prone to forget the words of peace which God speaketh to it. Of all the joys which we are in this life capable of, these are the greatest, and none so soon lost as these are, so incertain is the state of the Children of God. In many things we offend, and even the righteous man sin­neth seven times in a day, and who can tell how often he offend­eth? Now every sin in its own nature is a breach of our peace with God, and gives the watchful Soul occasion of doubting, whether it did not at first mistake the voice of God, or whether God hath not changed his mind towards it: and hence in the second place God highly consults our infirmities, in doubling his words of peace upon us and repeating them unto us. Christ had told Peter, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church, but when Peter had denied his Master Christ easily fore­seeing, that Peters thoughts would be much troubled, and that he would be ready to forget all his former evidences of his fa­vour: Mark 16. 7. orders his Angel, Mar. 16. 7. To bid the woman go tell his disciples and Peter, that he went before them into Ga [...]ilee, and there they should see him.

[Page 825] But secondly; As the Lord Jesus Christ doth by it consult his Peoples infirmity, so he also highly consulteth his own Glory. Reitera­tions of Divine Love to the Soul, command reduplications of duty. Love is of an obliging nature, and there is no Soul that puts on so lively for God, as that Soul that hath the most fresh and frequent manifestations of Divine Love to it. David's Instance in the 118 Psalm, is a full Evidence of this. And this is the account that may be given why it pleaseth the Lord Jesus Christ to repeat his Love so frequently unto the Souls of Believers.

Obj. But I hear some gracious Souls saying, Blessed are they that are in such a case, who hear God speaking Love to their Souls, and often repeating his Love to them: But alas! we are so far from this, that we could never yet hear Christ speaking any such thing to our Souls; we could never yet hear Christ so much asonce say­ing, Behold thou art fair my Love, &c. What will you say to us? Shall we hope that we are the Spouses of Christ, who never yet could obtain one good look from him? I answer;

Sol. 1. As it is not the Husband's fond and affectionate expres­sions to his Wife, which make, or alone evidence her to be his Wife, but the Marriage-covenant is that which doth it; her consent to have him to be her wedded Husband, and his consent to have her to be his Wife So, it is not a word of peace, sealed to the Soul which maketh the Soul, or which alone evidenceth the Soul to be the Spouse of Christ: No, it is the Marriage-covenant, it is the Soul's consent to have Christ for its Saviour, for its Husband. Though Christ hath not said it in thy hearing, Thou art fair my Love, thou art fair, yet if the Soul can say, and say it in truth, that it hath accepted Christ as its Saviour, and consented to Christ as its Husband, there's no cause of despondency, 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith, not by sight.

2. Though the Lord be pleased thus to speak his Love in the hear­ing of some Souls, and again to repeat it to them; yet he is pleased to reserve himself more from some who are equally dear to him. It may be the indulgent Father loves every Child he hath with a dear and tender love, and doth design to give them all due proportions of his Estate, yet he may carry himself more strangely and reservedly to some than unto others: Possibly he may do it out of prudence, as knowing it the best way in order to their good: Possibly no other account can be given of it, than a meer [...], a meer delight that he takes in one more than another, which he exerciseth by Prero­gative: It may be God out of a depth of Wisdom shines not upon [Page 826] thy Soul so clearly as upon anothers: Possibly no other account can be given of it, but because he will do it.

3. Take heed thy loose walking with God be not the cause of it. When ever Christ speaks to the Soul, he will speak truth, if thou beest all foul, and spotted, he will not say to the, behold thou art fair my Love, behold thou art fair. The Soul may have many fail­ings, many spots upon its face, and yet be fair in the Eyes of Christ, fair as to its Justification: But Christ will not say to such a Soul, Behold thou art fair. The Father or prudent Mother, may dearly love a disingenuous and rebellious Child. But their prudence will keep them from commending such a Child, and from expres­sing exuberant affection to it, lest the Child by it take advantage to go on in courses of disobedience. Christ dearly loves many a poor Soul that hath its wanton tricks, and is full of failings, but he will not say to such a Soul, Behold thou art fair my Love. I will add but one thing more.

4. Lastly; Possibly Christ hath spoke, and spoke it to thee often, Behold thou art fair my Love, Behold thou art fair, but thou hast not heard him. I have already told you that many of God's People are very deaf of that Ear. I was about to say, there is no better sign of a gracious Soul, than not to be too ready to hear such messages of peace. God sometimes speaks so as the Soul cannot but hear, when he pleaseth to set the Broad Seal of his Spirit unto the poor Soul; this indeed is an audible voice, and distinguishable enough. But God in every Sermon speaks to the Believer, Thou art fair my Love, thou art fair. We never Preach those great Truths of God, That whosoever believes shall be saved, and whosoever is justified by Faith, hath peace with God, and such like; but God to every Believer that hears us speak, Thou art fair my Love, thou art fair. But alas! not one of many hath an Ear to hear, no not those who truly believe. It is in this case as with Samuel, 1 Sam. 3. 4, 5. Samuel was young, and had not been used to the voice of God; God calls him once, away he goes to Eli; the Lord calls a second time, Sa­muel runs to Eli again, and so a third time, till Eli instructed and assured him it was the voice of God. Till the Spirit of God brings the voice of God in the Gospel to the Ear, to the inward Ear of a Christian, he will not understand God speaking peace to him, when indeed he doth speak it. In very deed it is for want of Spiritual Logick. The Word of God hath the Proposition. He that believes is fair: Though a man hath been a Thief, a Drunkard, a Co­vetous [Page 827] person, &c. yet, if he be washed, if he be justified, if he be san­ctified in the Name of our God, and through the Spirit of our Lord Je­sus Christ, he is fair. Thus much is plain in the Word, 1 Cor. 6. 11. But now when the Soul should come to assume,— But I am washed, I am justified, I am sanctified; there it fails; and these may be the Reasons of a gracious Soul's complaint in this case. But I have spoke enough to the first of the five Circumstances which I mentioned, I proceed now to a second.

2 Circumst. The Spouse had been admiring Christ, comparing him to a bundle of Myrrh, to a cluster of Camphire, or Copher. Now Christ adds, Behold thou art fair my Love; Behold thou art fair.

Obs. High out-goings of a Soul toward Christ; are ordinarily pro­ductive of great returns of the Love of Christ upon the Soul.

Duty in us is not the Father of Grace, for who hath given first unto God, and it shall be repaid to him again? but extraordinary influences of Grace, are commonly the wages of great duty. It is very seldom that any Soul lets Christ know that he is exceeding dear to it, but (by the next Post) the Soul shall know that it is ve­ry dear to Christ. Doth God hear Ephraim bemoaning himself thus? Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a Bullock unac­customed Jer. 31. 18, 20. to the yoke, turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God, &c. Ephraim shall presently hear God saying, Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleasant Child? for since I spake a­gainst him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Is the Spouse sick of love? Cant. 5. 8. Doth she indeed think Cant. 5. 8. ch. 6. 4, 5. her Beloved the chiefest amongst ten thousand, &c. She shall presently hear him saying, Thou art beautiful O my Love as Tirzah, &c. Turn away thine Eyes from me, &c. ch. 6. v. 4, 5. I might instance in many Texts of Scripture, but I forbear. Will you know the reason of this? Take it. 1. Negatively, 2. Positively.

1. Negatively; It is not because there's any merit in duty. Christ is no Merchant of Grace, he gives it, but he sells it not. Indeed it is a contradiction to speak of meritorious duty; if it be duty, it is the payment of a debt on our part, and can be no purchase-mony. The compass of that Commandment, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy Soul, and with all thy strength, is of an exceeding latitude; there's no finishing of it by any creature in this life. It was from the jejune Interpretation that the Pharisees of old, and the Papists of late, have put upon the Law of God, that [Page 828] they ever dreamt that man was able to perform it, much less do any thing of supererogation. The foundation-stone of man's Salvation is laid in Grace, and the top-stone is Grace too: To the whole Building you must cry, Grace, Grace. But Positively

2. It is from the overflowings of Divine Grace in him who is our Fountain-head the Lord Jesus Christ. The Eye that weeps for its sin, till it can weep no more, doth not by its tears make it self an Handkerchief to dry its Eyes, but a tender-hearted Saviour moved from his own bowels cannot but afford it one, and say unto it why weepest thou? The Soul, that for Christs sake parts with Father Mother, Children, Brethren, Sisters, all, doth not by this purchase to it self peace of Conscience or eternal life (Alas! what proportion is there betwixt things temporal, and such as are Spiritual and eter­nal?) But he who hath both these to give, gives them upon the Souls performing its duty in this particular, Matth. 19. 29. The Soul that casts up many a long look to the Lord Jesus Christ, and earnestly wisheth for his presence with it, and valueth it above the World, and seeks for it more then for Gold, or hid treasure, doth not by this earn Christs Love to it, but Christ from the fulness of his grace makes choice of this Soul, to reveal himself unto. The Isa. 30. 18. Prophet, Isaiah Ch. 30. v. 18. hath such an expression as this; The Lord will wait that he may be gracious unto you: Christ is a fountain of Grace; a full fountain: now when the fountain is brim full of water, the water waiteth for an opportunity to diffuse it self: it may be there is a bank that hinders the full river, that it cannot diffuse its water, the water therefore works secretly and softens the bank first till a breach be made, and then it emptieth it self by it. Christ is a sea, a full sea of Grace, but sinful man casts up a bank, against this sea, a bank of unbelief: A bank of stone (hardning his heart) a bank of earth, (favouring an earthly mind) a bank of mud, delights in sensual lusts and objects; Christ now cannot shew his grace to such a Soul, the bank hinders; where he pleaseth indeed he worketh secretly, takes away the heart of stone, and makes it an heart of flesh, takes away unbelief, vanity, earthly mindedness, sensual affections, and then he emptyeth the treasuries of grace upon the Soul. In a word, to apply this,

Use 1. No wonder then, to hear many a poor wretch complain, that God never yet spake peace to his Soul: others indeed have heard their beloved hath said to others behold thou art fair my love, behold thou art fair, but they never yet heard such a voice. Let me ask [Page 829] thee, who thus complainest this question, Did Christ ever yet hear thee say, as a bundle of Myrrh is my beloved unto me, he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts? Hast thou served Christ with Ordinary expressions of duty? How canst thou expect to be feasted by him with extraordinary returns of mercy? If thy breathings after him have been faint, and short, what reason hast thou to expect, that his breathings should be so full upon thee? He is indeed a full ocean of free grace, but it may be thou hast cast up a bank against him: it may be thou hast clogg'd him with an hard heart, and unbelie­ving heart, a vain heart, a filthy sensual heart: Wonder not, O Chri­stian! that he is so little towards thee in a way of mercy, if thou beest scant towards him in thy way of duty. There is a generation of men and women in the world, who are taken notice of to behave themselves as if they thought that all the World were made to serve them, and they not made to serve any (but they are an unrea­sonable generation, and sober persons so account of them, and ac­cordingly slight them.) Oh that there might not be such an un­reasonable Christian found in the World, who should so much as think in his heart, that Christ stands concerned to open all his Trea­suries of Love upon his Soul, which in the mean time hath scarce a thought of doing any thing more than ordinary for the Lord Je­sus Christ; if thou findest thy heart cold in duty, frozen in affections toward Christ, wonder not at all if thou findest the bowels of thy Saviour which yern upon others tied up towards thee. And I fear me Psal. 22. 1, 2, 3, 4. this is the cause of most complaints of this nature, although it may be possible, that this is not the case of every such complaining Soul; witness David, Psal. 22. 1, 2, 3, 4.

2. Use 2. What an ingagement doth this Notion of Truth lay upon the Sons and Daughters of men, to stretch out their Souls for and towards God. Certainly if there be any thing in the World of force to open a Soul for Christ, this will do it; to hear that Divine Grace keeps pace with our duty, and that the proper way to have Christ speak to us and say, Thou art fair my Love, Thou art fair, is for us to get up our hearts in a readiness, to say, and say it in truth; As a bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved to me. The Psalmist cries out, Psal. 34. 12. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days that he may see good? Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace, and pursue it. Give me leave to speak to all you who fear the Lord, in the same dialect: What man is there amongst you, who would not gladly have Christ speak peace unto your Souls, and whisper the words of my Text in your Ears; Thou art fair my Love, thou art fair. O let [Page 830] Christ be yet more and more precious to you; let him have the strength of your Love, that you may have the seal of his Love; let the World know, and let him know, that he is dear in your Eyes, that you may know that you are fair in his Eyes. But this is enough for the second Circumstance which I observed; I pass to a third.

3 Circumst. Thou art fair my Love, thou art fair. It is not said, thou O man! or thou O woman art fair! but thou my Love art fair. It is both the observation of our own Annotators, and some others.

Obs. The Spouse of Christ is fair as she is His Love.

I observed to you before, that the word signifies Amica, & Socia, [...] a Friend, and a Companion, the Object of ones love, and the Com­panion of ones life. This is not after the manner of the Children of men, amongst them Beauty raiseth Love, but with Christ it is Love that raiseth Beauty. Locutio verbi infusio Doni; Christ in cal­ling her fair, makes her fair, Ezek. 16. 14. Thy Beauty was per­fect through my comeliness which was put upon thee, saith the Lord God. A good complexion, with a lovely air of the countenance, and a due proportion of bodily parts, makes the Children of men fair to a sensual Eye. An head well furnished with Notions of Learning, and a mind indued with vertuous, generous dispositions, makes a man fair and beautiful to a rational Eye: But it is Grace alone that can make the Soul fair to the Divine Eye.

1. Nature doth it not; for all are by Nature Children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. like the Infant, not cut, not washed, not swadled, Ezek. 16. We are by Nature all Blackamores in the Eyes of God, our Father an Amorite, our Mother an Hittite. 2. Art will not do it; Though thou wash thee with Nitre, and take thee much Sope, yet thine iniquity is marked before me (saith the Lord,) Jer. 2. 22. The Pha­risees were men who used as much Art as others, yet their Beauty (to our Saviour's Eye) rose no higher than to the Beauty of a Painted Sep [...]lchre, that outwardly is beautiful, but within full of rottenness; so little, that our Saviour saith, Publicans and Harlots should (as to the Kingdom of Heaven) have the preheminence be­fore them.

3. Grace then alone must do it. Those who are Christ's Love, are fair only so far forth as they are his Love, his Companions. There is a double Grace; the first of Justification, the second of Sanotifi­cation; according to the first, the Believer is Christ's Love, accord­ing to the second the Believer is Christ's Companion.

1. I say first, the Grace of Justification; this is gratia gratum fa­ciens, that Grace by which the Soul is accepted of God. It is the [Page 831] free Love of God shewn to the humbled Soul upon its exercise of Faith, pardoning its sins, reckoning over the Righteousness of Christ unto it, and accepting it as righteous in and through Christ; this changeth the Soul's state; this is it which taketh away its filthy gar­ments, and covereth the Soul with Christ's Robes; with this is con­joined the Grace of Regeneration, by which God changeth the Soul's nature and disposition; old things pass away with it, and all things become new; this is no quality infused into us, or inherent in us, but the free and pure love and good will of Christ imbra­cing us.

2. The second is the Grace of Sanctification; this makes the Be­liever the Companion of Christ, having both a fellowship with the death of Christ, in dying to sin, and with the life of Christ, in living unto newness of life: Upon these accounts, and these only is the Be­lieving Soul fair in the Eyes of Christ. Before I part with this Ob­servation,

Use. Let every gracious Soul make a stand upon it, and consider what it affords him for Consolation, while he looks over his Soul, and sees it full of spots, and taking a review of his life, he can find no ground of hope to his Soul, that Christ should cast an Eye of love and pity upon him, he sees there's no proportion between his duties, or any actions of his conversation, and the holy Law of God. Well, yet the comfort lies here, that the Lord hath not said, Blessed is the man that hath no sin, for who liveth and sinneth not against God? but Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, Psal. 32. 1. and to whom the Lord imputeth no sin, Psal. 32. 1. If we once lose this great Truth, of the Justification of a poor Soul, by the Righte­ousness of Christ, we have cut up a Bridge which we shall see a need of to go over, as often as we enter into any serious thoughts of our own state, the weight of all our Souls, and all the comfort of them, hangs upon this one pin. That what the law could not do, because Rom. 8. [...]. it was weak through our flesh, that God hath done sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for fin condemning fin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. We have lost all that day that we forsake that desire of St. Paul to be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of God: Even the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ.

But you will say, How shall we know that Christ hath thus loved us? That must be known by our loving him, and so the matter will return to the same point. We freely grant that our Justification [Page 832] is to be evidenced for our Sanctification, and that even the wit­ness of Gods Spirit is not a single, but a joint Testimony, toge­ther with our Spirits. But yet there is a great difference (as to Christians comfort) in these things. That Soul that looks to be made fair with his own works (if he rightly understand himself) shall never be Satisfied concerning his Spiritual beauty: because his works must necessarily be compleatly perfect, otherwise the law accuseth, and curseth him. But he who acknowledgeth that his beauty is meerly from grace, freely justifying, but yet his re­ceiving of this grace is to be evidenced by his works, stands concerned no further to enquire concerning the perfection of his works in order to this end, then only to see if they be per­fect according to Gospel allowances, not according to law­strictness. And such are the Gospel terms, that if there be a willing mind, a presence to will, a delight in the Law of God as to the inward man, it is accepted of God. Here's a bottom for him.

4 Circumst. I proceed to the 4th Circumstance, which I observed relat­ing to the first Proposition of the Text, and that was the term, Behold, which is prefixed, Behold! thou art fair, and doub­led, Behold, Behold. There is a threefold use of this particle in Scripture: it denotes 1. presence of a thing. 2. Certainty. 3. Eminency. It may in this Text denote all three.

1. It may denote the present state of a believing Soul to be a beautiful state. Behold thou art fair, now in this life, while thou art black with infirmities, and corruptions, black through affli­ctions, and temptations, yet even now thou art fair, 1 Joh 3. 2. 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved, Now we are the Sons of God. It doth not yet appear what we shall be. This particle is often thus used in holy Writ. Gen. 29. 2, 25. and it is capable enough of this sense in this Text. Behold thou art fair, thou shalt not only be hereafter beautiful, when the Crown of glory shall be set upon thy head, but thou art now beautiful, thou doest not apprehend thy self so, thou art bewailing thy spots, and thy infirmities, but I look upon thee as fair, with all thy spots, I look upon thee as beautiful even now.

2. It denotes the certainty of a thing. Behold is a particle of Demonstration, and is often so used in Scripture. There is nothing more certain, then what we can behold. Thus the particle is used, Gen. 16. 2. Behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing (they are the words of Sarah) that is, the Lord hath [Page 833] certainly restrained me; see Gen. 18. 27. The believing Soul is (certainly) a beauteous Soul. The Beauty of that Soul which truly believes in Jesus Christ is not an imaginary thing, it is a true, and real thing, it is a certainty's Behold thou art fair, &c.

3. Lastly this particle Behold doth very often denote eminen­cy, and excellency. When something is wonderful in Nature or otherwise, the Scripture useth to make mention of it, by pre­fixing this particle Behold to it. So James 3. 3, 4. It is a won­derful thing, that the strength of an Horse should be ruled by a bit, and that so great a bulk as a ship, driven about with fierce winds, should be turned about with a very small helm; and thus it is a very often used in Scripture, and it may have that use here. Behold thou art fair (My Love!) Behold thou art fair; and so it may hint to us these two things.

1. That the beauty of a believer is no ordinary beauty, but a rare, and eminent, beauty, not like the beauty of Woman, not like that vain thing which we call beauty in a natural fense which is only the object of the lust of the Eye: no, it is a Spiri­tual beauty, which age will not deface, diseases will not spoil, no outward accidents will hurt; a beauty that is not exposed to wind, and weather. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within▪ and yet so great is her glory, that the King of Kings desires her beauty. Or secondly it may denote this,

2. That it is a wonderful thing, that Christ should account a Child of Adam, a poor believing Soul beauteous. When David considered the Heavens and the Earth, he cries out, What is man (O Lord!) that thou shouldest remember him; or the Son of man that thou shouldest be mindful of him? It is a matter of high admiration to any ingenuous Soul to sit down and think, that Jesus Christ should account it beautiful. But I hasten to the last Circumstance.

5 Circumst. I observed to you that the phrase is doubled: Christ doth not only say, thou art fair (my Love) but he doubles the phrase, Thou art fair, thou art fair. There is doubtless nothing superfluous in holy Writ, though possibly there may be some­thing both in the matter, and stile, of which we can give no Sa­tisfactory account: almost in all languages these repetitions and reduplications of words and phrases are usual. The Hebr. is very full of them; they are of several uses. I shall note such of them as may be properly applied to this Text.

[Page 834] 1. Sometimes the doubling of a word or phrase denotes the cer­tainty of the thing, or action, Gen. 15. 13. Know of a surety, thy seed shall be a stranger, &c. In the Heb. it is, knowing thou mayest know. And thus frequently in the new Testament, verily verily, denotes the exceeding certainty of the Proposition spoken, and thus it may do in this Text, thou art fair my Love, thou art fair: That is, thou art certainly very fair.

2. Sometimes it is to note the exceeding earnestness and intention of him who speaketh. Bis dictum magis dicitur. Thus it is often used in Scripture, Gen. 14. 10. The valley of Siddim was full of slimepits, (so we translate it) in the Hebr. A valley of pits of pits. So in many Texts: other Writers, amongst whom Julius Scaliger, &c. much Commend this form of speaking, as having in it a great kind of force and vehemency: accord­ing to this usage, the sense is, thou art exceeding sair my Love, which comporteth, with what he had said before, v. 8. where he had called the Spouse, thou sairest amongst Women. Christ hath his delight amongst the Sons of men. He takes no such de­light in the Angels as in believers.

3. Repetitions (thirdly) of the same word or phrase, in Numb. 1. Exod. 26. Scripture sometimes note a distribution. And so the sense may be this, thou art fair my Love, thou art fair; Thou art justified by my grace, and so thou art fair; thou art Sanctified in my name, so thou art fair; thou art fair without and thou art fair within, thou art fair in this part, and fair in that part, fair in every part.

4. Lastly (to mention no more) Repetltions are often used by Orators not only to express a vehemency of intention, in him that speaketh, and the certainty of the thing that is spoken, but to beget a vehemency, and earnestness of attention in him that hear­eth, and Interpreters of holy Writ do assign this as one reason of the use of them in several places of Scripture, when the Holy-Ghost designeth earnestly to inculcate the thing spoken, and to beget in us a belief of it: hence now we may learn these things which I will but name, and conclude what I have to say from the consideration of the Circumstances of the first Propo­sition of the Text.

1. The beauty of a believing Soul is unquestionable, it is not in a complement that Christ saith the believing Soul is beautiful: it is not a seeming beauty, but a certain beauty.

[Page 835] 2. The beauty which grace gives the Soul is an eminent beauty, not an ordinary, but an eminent beauty. The phrase is doubled to denote eminency.

3. The Beauty of a believing Soul is a manifold beauty: A beauty in every part.

4. It is the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, that a believing Soul should know, and believe it self to be a beauteous Soul. A Gracious Soul may debase it self too much, and often err as much in having too mean thoughts of it self, as the hypocrite doth in having too high thoughts of himself, thinking of himself above what be ought to think.

But I intend not to enlarge a discourse upon these things, having spoken to them, or at least to some of them before, thus much is sufficient to have noted concerning the Circumstances; I proceed to the second part of the Text, Thou hast Doves Eyes.

Prop. The Proposition of this Text is plain enough. The true Spouse of Christ hath▪ Doves Eyes. I before observed to you, that some read it, thy Eyes are like the Eyes of a Dove: others thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves: but as the difference is not much, so I see no reason to deviate from our English translation. For the explication and confirmation of the Proposition (for I will join both together) we will enquire these three things.

1. Qu. Why Our Saviour in commending his Spouse begins with her Eyes, and only Commends her for them?

2. Qu. What is here meant by the Spouses Eyes?

3. Qu. Why the Spouse is said to have the Eyes of Doves rather then of any other creature?

1. Qu. Why doth our Saviour, here Commend the Spouse only for her Eyes?

1. The general account which Interpreters give of it, is this; That it is a Synechdoche, and by a figure, according to which a considerable part is often put for the whole; our Saviour doth here speak his whole Spouse to be like a Dove, like a Doves Eye. Indeed we are commanded to be harmless as Doves, Matth. 10. 16. And the Church is called Gods Turtle Dove, Psal. 74. 19. And David wisheth that he had the wings of a Dove, Psal. 55. 6. The shape of a Dove was that shape which the Spirit of God chose, when it descended upon Christ: And the coming in of the Gentiles to Christ is set out by the flockings of Doves [Page 836] to the Windows, Isa. 60. 8. And the Eye (of all the members) is the most considerable as to beauty, a good Eye much com­mendeth an ill complexion, and a bad Eye much blemisheth any other Symmetry of parts. And this may be allowed for one reason. But,

2. The Soul doth much discover it self at the Eye. It is the casement at which it shews it self: many of the Vertues, and Vices of the mind are read in the Eye; wantonness discovers it self at the Eye: hence you read in Scripture of Eyes full of adul­tery, 2. Pet. 2. 14. So doth rage, pride, malice, envy and ma­ny other vices, and as the evil, so the good dispositions and vertues of the Soul, are much discovered by the Eye too: so that indeed when our Saviour commendeth his Spouse for her Eyes, he commendeth her whole Soul, and it is but a proof of what he had before said, Thou art fair my beloved, thou art fair. Thou hast Doves Eyes, proves that.

2. Qu. What is here meant by the Spouses Eyes?

After such a resolution, as I gave to the first question, this might seem needless, if Interpreters had not led me the way, who are in doubt whether our Saviours design here be to com­mend those bodily parts of his Spouse: or some inward parts, cal­led Eyes by a Metaphor; the difference is not much, for supposing him to resemble the Eyes of her body to Doves Eyes, the rea­son is because of those gracious dispositions in her Soul, which by her Eyes discover themselves, and are like the natural incli­nations of Doves; if he speaks of the Eyes of her mind, and his meaning be that his Spouses understanding (which is the Eye of the Soul) is like a Doves Eyes, the thing is much the same, Unquestionably, that which our Saviour here designs to Commend believers for is, the gracious dispositions of their Souls discovered in their outward conversation, much resem­bling, the natural dispositions and behaviours of Doves. But the chief thing we have to enquire into for the full understand­ing of our Saviours meaning in this Text, is,

3 Qu. What these rare and remarkable properties are in Doves, or in the Eyes of Doves more then in other creatures, for which our Saviour resembleth his Spouse to them, either to shew us what true believers are, or ought to be?

The Dove is a creature sufficiently known to us; a creature which of old God made use of in Sacrifices, rejecting others. [Page 837] It was the creature sent out of the Ark by Noah, which brought the olive branch. Naturalists observe many remarkable things of the Dove. Give me leave to open to you, the aptness of the similitude in nine or ten particulars.

1. The Doves Eyes are meek and harmless Eyes. Hence Natu­ralists observe that the Dove presently forgets an injury, and builds her nest and lays her eggs, and hatcheth her young, where her nest was newly destroyed, and her young ones taken away, Matth. 10. 16. Be harmless as Doves. The cruelty and revenge of the mind is much seen in the Eye, Prov. 23. 6. you read of him that hath an evil Eye: there is a bewitching Eye and a flaming sparkling Eye; in which you may see the sparks of that rage, and envy, and anger, which flame in the Soul, you may read rapine, and cruelty, and mischief, in an Hawks Eye, but in a Doves Eye nothing but meekness: the old verse saith,

Felle Columba caret, rostro non-laedit, & ungues
Possidet innocuos—

A Dove wants gall, and though it hath nails and claws, yet it gripes none with them. The Dove doth not wholly want gall, but Naturalists say, it hath but very little (compared with other creatures;) and hence it is, that it is very gentle, peaceable, fearful, and doth no other bird hurt: Believers are compared to Sheep, and to Doves. Sheep have horns, but they hurt none with them: Doves have claws, but they hurt none with them: and (as I faid before) this may be read in their Eyes in which you do not see such a sharpness, and sparkling as it were of fire, as in the Eyes of birds of prey: Believers Mat. 10. 16. have, or should have Doves Eyes: Samuel is able to stand up and say, whose Ox have I taken? Or whose Ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded: Our Saviour commands us that we should 1 Cor. 14. 20. be innocent as Doves; in malice they are Children, 1 Cor. 14. it is the Apostles Command, Eph. 4 31. Let all bitterness, and Eph. 4. 31. wrath, & anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Believers when unregenerate lived in malice, and Titus 3. 3. envy, hateful, and hating one another, Tit. 3. 3. But, Col. 3. 8. Col. 3. 8. They have put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, &c. And it is their business to be still laying them aside: every true Believer hath something of a Doves Eye, and it is his work to be daily getting his heart up to it more and more.

[Page 838] 2. A Doves Eye secondly, is a satisfied Eye. The satisfaction of the sensible and reasonable Soul, is much discerned in the Eye. You shall discern a greediness in the Eye of an Hawk, to let you know, that if it were loose it would be tearing: And you shall ordinarily know a man of a covetous spirit, and a discontented spirit by his Prov. 28. 22. Eye, Prov. 28. 22. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil Eye. You shall discern a gladness in a Doves Eye, which speaks it a contented, satisfied creature. Such should a Believer be; such is a true Belie­ver, Heb. 13. 5. Heb. 13. 5. Let your conve [...]sation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. I have learned (saith Saint Paul) in all estates to be content. Faith teacheth a Soul to cast its care upon God, believing that he careth for it: Faith teacheth him to depend upon the Promise, which Godliness hath; to trust to a Pro­videbit 1 Tim. 6. 8. Deus: This now is a Doves Eye, an Eye which is not greedy of gain, which doth not covet its Neighbours House, nor Ground, nor Wife, nor Oxe, nor Ass, nor any thing which is his.

3. The Dove's Eye is a Benign Eye. You do not only not discern any thing of rage and fury, or cruelty, and greediness in a Dove's Eye; but you discern a certain kindness, and (as it were) a good will in it: Hence it is very friendly amongst its fellows, and it loves an habitation near dwelling-houses of men. Doves Eyes are Benign Eyes. Believers have, and should have Doves Eyes, Eph. 4. 32. Be you kind one to another; they are commanded to Godliness to add Brotherly kindness; and Col. 3. 12. to put on kindness. What Solo­mon saith of the good woman, Prov. 31. 26. is true of a Believer; in a Believer's Tongue is the Law of kindness; they know the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the great kindness of their Saviour to them. Grace takes away that currishness and doggedness, which makes men rugged in their speeches and behaviour, and churlish in their spirits; and if ought of this remains upon their hearts, it is because their Faith is but in part, and they have yet a body of death, some unmortified corruption that yet remains in them, which is in the fault; for Grace is of a benign, kind nature; the Believer hath Doves Eyes. Look as it is with a Dove; let a Cock be feeding, that's a churlish creature, and will endure none to be near it: The Dove is kind, and allows room to all commers; such a kindness there is now in a Believer's heart, where Grace hath taken its full hold.

4. Doves Eyes are lowly Eyes. The pride and haughtiness of the Natural disposition, both in sensible and rational creatures, is much seen in the Eyes: You discern a proud and lofty Bird by the surli­ness [Page 839] of its Eye; and so it is in a reasonable creature. Hence you read of a proud look, Prov. 6. 17. (one of the things which God hateth; and Prov. 21. 4. an high look, and a proud heart are put together. And in brute creatures, the height of the Natural disposi­tion is seen in the scornful Eye of Lions, Hawks, Parrots, &c. But a Dove hath lowly Eyes. Now a Believer hath Doves Eyes. Take carnal, natural men, they are proud and scornful; they are some­times in Scripture described under the Notion of the scornful, Psal. 1. 1. Isa. 28. 14. But the believing Soul is an humble Soul. It is the Law of their Profession, Micah 6. 8. They must walk humbly with their God. They cannot serve the Lord but with all humility of mind, Acts 20. 19. It is their clothing, 1 Pet. 5. 5. and they du­ly put it on, Col. 3. 12. They talk not high things, they affect not, they seek not high things, (that is, of this World;) indeed they se [...]k the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; but this they do with all humility of mind, confessing with the Prodigal, that they are not worthy to be called the Sons of God.

5. Doves Eyes are simple Eyes. As other vertues or vices of the mind, so truth and falshood, simplicity and craft, or doubleness of mind, are much discerned in the Eye. There are some brute crea­tures, that discover far more natural sagacity and craftiness than others in their looks; and so there are also some men, that you say of them, they look as if they were false-hearted, and oft-times you do not take your mark amiss. But now amongst brute creatures, the Dove's Eye is simple, you see no deceitfulness, no craft or sub­t [...]lty in that, Matth. 10. 16. Be you wise as Serpents, and [...], Mat. 10. 16. we translate it, harmless, as Doves; but there is a doubt upon it whether [...] be compounded of [...] & [...], a horn (then it signifies without an Horn, as Doves, and we translate it well enough harmless) or whether it be not compounded of [...] & [...], which signifies to make a mixture. Such should the Saints be, simple, without mixture; Christ was so, there was no guile in his mouth, Phil. 1. 10. without deceit in their hearts; they should not have an heart, and an heart. It was Paul's glorying, 2 Cor. 1. 12. That he had his conversation in godly sincerity.

6. Doves Eyes are clean Eyes. Hence it feeds upon pure grains, drinks no other than pure water, delights most in houses of a pure white colour, which the Poet observed of old, Aspicis ut veniant ad candida tecta columbae. And many other things are reported by Naturalists of the cleanliness of this Bird. The Believer is one of a [Page 840] pure heart, Joh. 15. 3. You are clean (saith our Saviour) through the word I have spoken to you; he is one of clean hands, and a pure heart, Psal. 24. 4. of a clean heart, Psal. 73. 1. clean every whit, Joh. 15. 10. his heart is purified by Faith, Acts 15. 9. he hath pu­rified his Soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit; and he delights in pure company, his delight is in the excellent, Psal. 16. 3. The wicked shall not tarry in his sight, Psal. 101. he hath Doves Eyes.

7. Doves Eyes are fearful, tender Eyes; this experience teacheth, and Naturalists say, That it is caused by the little proportion of Gall that is in them: There is not in them indeed such a shiness and fearfulness as is in some other Birds, because they are (many of them) nursed up near to houses, and made familiar to men, but it is evident they are trembling creatures. The Spouse of Christ hath (upon this account) Doves Eyes. It is true, he hath not the fear of a reprobate upon him; he is more acquainted with God, and hath been bred up in nigher communion with God; yet he is very sub­ject to fear; he fears sinning against God, and God cannot lay an hand upon him, but he is ready to tremble; he cannot cast an Eye upon any Judgment of God, but he shakes at the apprehension of an angry God in it: He hath Doves Eyes.

8. The Dove's Eye is a mournful Eye. Hence in Scripture the mourning of Doves is made use of to express sad mournings, Isa. 38. v. 14, I did mourn like a Dove, Isa. 59. 11. We mourn sore like Doves. I conceive it chiefly relates to the mourning of Turtles. The Saints Eyes too are mourning Eyes; they are persons of sorrowful spirits, broken and contrite spirits; and look as it is with Turtles, they never mourn so bitterly, as when they have lost their Compa­nion; so it is with the Believer; he never so mourneth, as under the withdrawings of Divine Love. It is not proper for the Children of the Bridechamber to mourn while the Bridegroom is with them, but when he is gone, Then they shall mourn.

9. The Doves Eyes are exceeding chast Eyes. I noted to you be­fore, that the uncleanness and wantonness of the heart much ap­pears in the Eye. Hence the Apostle Peter mentions Eyes full of Adultery. There are large stories told of the Doves Chastity, espe­cially Turtle Doves, and Stock Doves. Hence possibly it was, Lev. 12. 6. that a Turtle Dove was the Sacrifice which God appointed for the Woman after Child-birth. The Dove keeps to its Mate, and to him alone. The Saint too hath Doves Eyes, he cries out, None but Christ! None but Christ! he cleaves to Christ alone for [Page 841] Justification, for Sanctification, for Salvation. Christ is his all in all, Isa. 17. 7, 8. At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his Eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel, and he shall not look to the Altars, the work of mens hands: Neither shall he respect that which his fingers hath made: Either the Groves or the Images. No, he hath Doves Eyes.

10. The Doves Eyes are quick Eyes. Naturalists observe, that the flight of the Dove is very swift, so swift, that when they flie direct­ly forward, no Hawk can take it; and for this quickness of flight, quickness of the Eye is necessary. The Spouse of Christ is quick­sighted too; its Eye immediately pierceth through a mist of diffi­culties and dangers; he believeth in hope against hope: When he doth not see by the Eye of Sense, yet he believeth: He hath Doves Eyes.

11. The Dove hath Circumspect Eyes. You shall observe this in it, that it seldom or never takes its flight toward the Earth, but it looks this way, and that way, and every way; and when it is alighted you shall discern it thrusting out it's Neck first on one side, then on another, to see that all be safe. The believer hath also circumspect Eyes. He should have, Eph. 5. 15. See then that you walk circum­spectly, Eph. 5. 15. Psal. 39. 1. Psal. 39. v. 1. I said I will take heed to my waies. The Child of God should be like the Dove, not move a step in the World without casting its Eye of consideration upon its way first, considering whether the action which it is about to do, be like to bring glory to God: Whether it be consonant to a Divine rule.

12. In the last place. The Dove hath very observing Eyes. hence let its flight be never so far, and remote from home, yet it finds its way thither again directly. Hence Historians tell us, that the Romans Varre. made great use of Doves; when they were absent a great way from home, they would by Doves which they carried with them, send home directions to their Servants, for the management of their business; and by the help of Doves, they would in their Wars keep intelligence with their Friends in their Enemies quarters: The Christian should likewise have Observing Eyes, to observe his own motions and actions, and to observe Divine Providences, Prov. 23. v. 26. Let thine Eyes observe my waies, &c. But I have inlarged enough in the Explication of the Metaphor; it is time that I should come to the Application; and so the Proposition may be useful to us: 1. By way of Discovery. 2. By way of Exhortation.

[Page 842] Use 1. This Notion discovers to us these two things; 1. That there are but few in the World that can be allowed to be the Spouses of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. That those who indeed are so, yet while they are here, are in a very imperfect estate, very short of what they ought to be.

In the first place we may learn, That there are but very few in the World that can be allowed to be the Spouse of Christ; but a few to whom he can say, You have Doves Eyes. This Notion will separate divers, five or six sorts of persons (more especially) from having any relation to the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Such who have malicious, wrathful Eyes, sparkling with no­thing but revenge and fury. How many such Professors is this Age full of, whose Eyes sparkle like a flaming fire? they breathe out no­thing but malice, and revenge, and cruelty, Prov. 30. 14. There is a generation whose Teeth are Swords, and their Jaw-teeth as Knives, Psal. 74. 19, 20. the least they can talk is of doing unto others as they have done to them, it may be seven times more. O! how contrary is this to the Spouse of Christ! Psal. 74. 19, 20. v. 19. The Church of Christ is called a Turtle Dove; what are her Enemies? v. 20. The dark places of the Earth are full of the habita­tions of cruelty. There's no reliques of cruelty in a Dove house, if you go in there, you will find no blood, no limbs of Birds; but if you find an Hawk's Nest, 'tis there you find the blood, and limbs of other Birds, better than it self. The tender Christian hath not his hand in the blood and ruine of his Brethren; you find not in his Habitations the Instruments of cruelty, nor any prey taken from the Widow and Fatherless: He hath Doves Eyes. I know no more certain character of one that is a stranger to Christ than this; Let me see one that is full of cruelty, (wanting tenderness of heart) malice, and revenge, &c. I shall easily conclude him to be one who never digested that Gospel Precept well, Matth. 5. 44, 45. The Whelps of the roaring Lion are continually crying for blood, and rapine, and plunder, but the Spouse of Christ hath learned from him (con­cerning her Enemies) to say, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

2. Set aside those also whose Eyes are never satisfied, Prov. 27. v. 20. Covetous greedy worldlings; these have Hawks Eyes, and not Doves Eyes: And ah! how full is the World of these Birds of prey too? those that are like the Grave, and like to Hell, that never say, There is enough, but their whole business is to look about for more [Page 843] still, and to cry with the Horsleaches Daughter, Give, Give, Prov. 30. 15, 16, 17. The Horsleach hath two Daughters crying, Give, Give. Nor doth any thing come amiss to them; they never consult Conscience in it, whether they can enjoy their desires without sin­ning against God, or doing injury to others, or no. The Dove takes the meat which is thrown to it, and is satisfied; however, it feeds not it self to the prejudice of any other Bird (as the Hawk doth.) A good Christian hath learned in all estates to be content, and is satisfied with the portion God allots to him; he seeks no­thing to the injury of another in his right; he covets not what is his neighbours; the World is a wide Sea, he fisheth with his neigh­bour, but he robs not his neighbours Net, nor suffereth his heart to covet what he hath in it. The covetous man is none of Christ's Spouse. That's the second.

3. Hence also the Proud man is shut out from any true Relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. Give me leave still to go on with the Wise man, Prov. 30. 13. There is a generation, Oh! how lofty are Prov. 30. 13. their Eyes! and their Eye-lids are lifted up! But what are they? Are they the Spouse of Christ? David saith, Psal. 131. 1. Lord, Psal. 131. 1. mine Heart is not haughty, nor my Eyes lofty. They are such as God shall humble, Isa. 5. 15. Isa. 2. 11. The Psalmist brings it in as an Evidence, that men were corrupt because they spake loftily, Psal. Psal. 73. 8. 73. 8. The pride and haughtiness of many speaks it unto their faces, that they have not Doves Eyes.

4. Hence fourthly; Unclean persons are shut out from the King­dom of God. Such as (to use St. Peter's expression, 1 Pet. 2. 14.) 1 Pet. 2. 14. have Eyes full of Adultery, that have wanton Eyes, as the Prophet Isaiah expresseth it, Isa. 3. 16. But I shall not need inlarge upon Isa. 3. 16. this, 1 Cor. 6. 9 These (continuing such) are shut out of the King­dom of God: And every one who understandeth any thing of the mind of God, will agree in this, and even Reason it self will allow the Sentence.

5. Hypocrites are also, by this, shut out of the number of those who are Spouses to Christ. You have heard there is a great deal of simplicity in the Dove, which discovers its self at the Eye. The de­ceitful Eye is not the Eye of a Saint: Such are those mentioned in the aforementioned Text of Prov. 30. 12. There is a generation t [...]at is pure in their own Eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthi­ness. It is said of Jacob, Gen. 25. 27. that he was a plain man. This Gen. 25. 27. is a great commendation of a Christian; a true Christian is a plain [Page 844] man; an Hypocrite lies in folts, there is many an hole in an Hy­pocrite, but that it is hid under plaits of seeming Sanctity, but the Child of God hath no doublings in his heart, he hath Doves Eyes.

2. Br. But in the second place, you may observe from what you have heard, that even the Children of God in this life are very imperfect. There is none of them but have something of a Doves Eye; something of all these habits of graces which I have noted to you under this comparison: yea and so much as may distinguish them from others, but yet where's the Soul that hath a perfect Doves Eye, either for quickness, or cleanness, or circumspection. But I had rather press these under the Notion of an use of

Use 2. Exhortation. The Proposition in that latitude according to which I have expounded it, indeed doth rather speak what e­very Child of God should be, then what he is. Every Child of God hath the habits of these graces, but they are in all im­perfect, the things which we should press after, although who can say he hath attained. Give me leave therefore to press you all, who hear me this day,

1. Those of you, (if there be any such) who are prejudiced against the waies of God, to a good Opinion of the waies, and People of God, because the walkers therein have, or should have Doves Eyes.

2. Those of you who are entred into them, to shew it forth in your conversation that you have Doves Eyes.

1. 1. Branch. In the first place. Let me take the advantage of my Text to make an Apology for my Master, and those who take upon them the profession of his Gospel in sincerity. Christs Friends are not the Persons the World takes them for, They have Doves Eyes. Our Luk. 17. 1. Luk. 7. 23. Saviour hath of old told us, Luk. 17. 1. That it is impossible but that offences must come. And Lu. 7. 23. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. The World is peevish to the Lord Jesus Christ, and seeketh occasions against that sect, which followeth him most closely. 'Tis every where spoken against. Christians were so of old, and I fear me much of the rancor lies still in mens hearts, though it be more bit in through policy. There are two things, that as in all times, so in our times, have highly contributed to the Scandal and reproach of Religion.

[Page 845] 1. The intruding of many false friends into that honourable profes­sion. The flock of Christ would be much more lovely in the World, if we could remove out of them all those that are ringstraked, spotted, and speckled, all Hypocrites, I mean, but it is Gods will the tares and wheat should grow together tell the harvest.

2. The 2d is, The imperfect state of the very best of Gods Peo­ple. Which makes them subject to many failings. And what you have in the English Proverb, It is safer for one to steal an Horse then for another to look over the hedge, is eminently true of the Child of God, and the man of the World. The worldling may cut a Purse, and not make so much a noise, as if the Child of God shall drop one Penny of unjust gain into it. But methinks (were the World but rational) it were not an hard matter to recon­cile them to a better Opinion of the waies of God, by an easy distinction, betwixt the fault of a rule or way, and the Miscarri­age of a Person pretending to walk by that rule. The Saint hath or should have Doves Eyes; doest thou therefore see any Chal­lenging to himself the honourable name of a Christian, and yet cruel, revengeful, full of malice, deceitful, hypocritical, unchast, or the like, how unreasonable a thing is it for thee to say present­ly, see what these Puritans are, these are the Saints; and how much more reasonable and just were it for thee to say, Either these men are not what they seem to be, or if they have any root of goodness, they have foul failings, and make work for repen­tance. A man may justly be offended at a professor, for his Sins, and unsutable walking to his Profession, but wo to that man that is offended at Christ! Blessed is that man who is not offended in Christ. Religion teacheth none rapine, and plunder, and cru­elty, and unmerciful dealings, it teacheth none covetousness, and un­just gains, &c. Their lusts teach them this. Charge it not up­on Christ, nor upon the Gospel to which they make a Profes­sion charge these things upon the lusts and corruptions of profes­sors, and upon their temptations; so you shall do no wrong. In the second place,

2 Branch. Let this engage you all, who own the honourable name of Christians, to labour to answer this Metaphor, to shew by your conversations, that you have Doves Eyes. Labour for harm­less dispositions; when Christ sent out his disciples, Lu. 10. 4. Luk. 10. 4. he saith, behold I send you as Lambs amongst Wolves. The Christi­an must expect to meet with Wolves in the World but he is to [Page 846] Prov. 20. 22. be as a Lamb amongst Wolves, as a I illy amongst thorns, Prov. 20. 22. say not thou I will recompense evil, but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. 2. Labour for contentedness of Spirit. 3. For a benign kind temper to others, for humility, for plainness of heart, and so for those other graces which I have instanced in, let them shine forth in you. I shall not enlarge upon each of them, but only press them upon you by some general argu­ments, by general, I mean such as will sute every of them. They shall be four.

1 Motive. Thus shall you fulfil the will of Christ concerning you. The Apo­stle pressing Sanctification makes use of this, argument, For you know what Commandment we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your Sanctification, 1 Thess. 4. 2, 3. Certainly no higher argument can be used. I know nothing that a Christian (as to the practick part of his duty) hath to do, but to inquire what is the will of God concerning him. Thus others would have me do, thus my own corrupt heart would have me do, but what would God have me do? What would Christ have me be? Doest thou like an ingenuous Soul ask what Christ would have thee be? Much of the will of God concern­ing thee, is wrapt up in this, it is his will that thou shouldst have Doves Eyes, it is the will of God that thou shouldest have harmless Eyes, and clean Eyes, and chast Eyes, &c. These are the expectations of Christ upon thy Soul. The Devil would have thee have an Hawks Eye, that when he shews thee where thou mayst execute malice revenge, cruelty safely, thou mightest fall upon it, that when he sheweth thee a wedg of Gold, and a Babylonish garment thou mayest take it without scruple, but this is the will of Christ that thou shouldest have a Doves Eye and do injury to none: the Devil would have thee have want on Eyes, Eyes full of Adultery, that when thou seest a beautiful strumpet, thou mightest run after her, but Christ would have thee to have a Doves Eye. The Devil would have thee have a lofty Eye, that when he shews thee an object of am bition, thou mightest wound thy Conscience in straining for it: but Christ would have thee to have a Doves Eye, to be meek and lowly. And methinks to a Christian (whose very denomi­nation sounds a man subjected to the will and Law of Christ,) this argument should be sufficient to him, to ingage him to la­bour towards this perfection, and to endeavour after these Doves Eyes mentioned in the Text.

[Page 847] But Secondly, Thus you shall be like unto the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Motive. Christ is the unquestionable Idea of all perfection, and there is nothing more worthy of a Christian, then to labour after a conformity to Christ, to make Christ his Archetypon, In many sciences, in order to a mans perfection imitation is as much his concernment, as his following the rules, and Precepts of Art. I am sure it is so in the great Mystery of Godliness: it is the bu­siness which God is doing with us by his Providences, Rom. 8. 29. and which we ought to endeavour in our practice, Phil. 3. 10. to be made conformable unto the Image of the Son of God He hath given us an example, John 13. 15. and he hath left us an example, 1 Pet. 2. 21. now what were Christs Eyes? Cant. 5. 12. His Eyes are as the Eyes of Doves. It were an easy matter here to run through all the aforementioned particu­lars. He had harmless Eyes. Whose Oxe did he ever take? Whom did he ever defraud? To whom did he do wrong? Up­pon whom did he ever revenge himself? Nay when he was re­viled (saith Peter) he reviled not again, but suffered quietly, &c. He had satisfied Eyes. What Covetousness was he ever guilty of? he had a bag indeed, but it was for the poor, he had not an hole where to hide his head. Yet he neither coveted the holes of the Fox, nor the Nests of the Birds. He had Benign Eyes, upon whom did not he look kindly? To whom was he not ready to do good? He had meek and lowly Eyes, he says of himself, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. He had simple Eyes, no guile was found in his mouth, no deceit in his heart, no doubleness in his actions, &c. He had clean Eyes, he delighted not in filthy con­versation, not in filthy company or places, if he came at a pub­licanes and sinners house, it was to make it clean and a fit ha­bitation for his holiness. He had mournful Eyes, he wept over Hierusalem as truly as a Turtle that hath lost its mate. He hath chast Eyes, not only in a carnal but a Spiritual sense, all his de­light is in the Sons of men, in the Souls of his People. By Doves Eyes Christians! you shall be like the Lord Jesus Christ whose Eyes you see were such, and like the holy Spirit, which des­cended in the form of a Dove; and what more honourable for a Christian then to be like Christ; for a godly man, then to be like God?

[...] Thus (Thirdly) you shall distinguish your selves, from those who only glory in appearance. The Apostle tells us of some that [Page 848] glory in appearance, only but not in heart, 2. Cor. 5. 12. Now it should be the great business of a Christian, to distinguish him­self from these. Christ tells his disciples, (Joh. 8. 31.) that if they would continue in his word then they should be his disciples in­deed, [...], there are many in the World that are so but [...] in shew and appearance. The Doves Eye is a certain note of a disciple of Christ; many have the countenance of Doves, and the voice of Doves but they have not the Eye of Doves; an Hypocrite may groan like a Dove, and may look like a Dove in some part of his conversation, but yet want the Eye of a Dove. The Eye is a noble part of the body, it discovers a man much, and it serves him much. Our Saviour saith, the Mat. 6. 22. light of the body is the Eye, Matth. 6. 22. if therefore thine Eye be single, thy whole body is full of light. But if thine Eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. He speaks (chiefly) of the danger of an evil Eye, and its unprofitableness to the body. It is true concerning the Soul, an evil Eye discovers an evil Soul (in a great measure.) O labour therefore for Doves Eyes, that you may have an evidence to your own Souls, and that you may by them evidence unto others, that you are such as glory not in appearance only, but in deed.

4 Motive. My last argument, shall be from the honour & repute which by them you will gain to your Master & to his Gospel in the World. It is one of the great things, that a Christian hath to take care of, that the name of God for his sake be not Blasphemed in the World, and on the contrary, it should be his great care so to order his conversation, as that by the ordering of it he may in the World gain a name, and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to his Gospel, and bring up a good report of the land of Canaan, and the Inhabitants thereof. Now could we find a Christian, that were harmless and innocent, doing injury to none, slow to conceive wrath, ready to forgive, free from greediness of the World, and covetousness after that to which he hath no right, kind, and courteous, meek, and lowly, simple in heart, and of a single Eye, tender spirited, of a clean conversation. chast, and sober, of a broken Spirit, observing his waies, and circumspect in his walking, how lovely would this Christian, appear even in an evil World? How likely were a company of such Christians to recover the honour which others have lost to Religion in the World? Oh! let the honour of the Gospel [Page 849] move you, that the report of your faith may spread, and o­thers may see that Religion is not an empty thing; and glorify God in the day of their visitation.

Obj. But you will say, are these things in our power? Can we create to our selves Doves Eyes? If not, why do you persuade us? And why do you not rather spend your time in praying to God for us?

Sol. I answer, that for the habits of these graces (the exercise of which I call to you for) they are the gift of God. The Creator gives the Dove its Eye, and the God of grace must create in men Doves Eyes. But yet,

1. As to the outward exercise of these things (some of them at least) much lyes in a mans power, in the use of that Common grace, which the Lord denies to none, till by their abuse of it they have provoked him to deal so with them; they may doubtless, restrain their hands, and tongues from acts of cruelty, revenge, and malice, their bodies from unchast acts, &c. it is true these acts as done by them cannot please God, because not done from a right Principle, to a right manner, nor to a right End nor are they able to mortify their inward lusts, but the outward acts are their duty, and would take off much of the reproach cast upon Religion.

2. For those who have received the habits of regenerating grace, 'tis true the Lord must excite them to action. And the Lord by the influence of his Spirit must also assist us in the exer­cise or we shall do nothing, but these are such influences of graces, as he. 1. Grants to use, in the use of our indeavours. And such influences. 2. as he (ordinarily) doth not deny to his Children, putting forth themselves to what they can in the performance of their duty. So that (asserting yet those great truths of God. That it is the Lord that gives to will and to do. The first by the infusion of the habit of the grace of regeneration, the se­cond, by the influence of his grace upon his People, exciting those habits, to exercise, and assisting them in their exercise) yet there is room enough for exhortations of this Nature.

Sermon LVIII.

Canticles 1. 16.
Behold thou art fair (my Beloved) yea pleasant; also our Bed is green.

IT is generally agreed, that the person spoken to in this verse, is he who is in this Song represented under the notion of a Belo­ved, by which I have told you, that we understand the Lord Jesus Christ; and the person speaking is she whom he calls his Love, the fairest amongst women, &c. By her the Caldee Paraphrast all along understands the Congregation of Israel, which by that antient Inter­preter is brought in thus speaking; How beautiful is the glory of thy Holiness, while thou dwellest amongst us, and freely hearest our prayers; whiles thou abidest in our beloved Bed, our Children are mul­tiplied upon the Earth, we increase and multiply, like a Tree planted by the Rivers of water, whose Leaf is beautiful, and its Fruit much. But I have all along observed too great a fondness in that Reverend Interpreter, to apply all spoken in this Song to the Jewish Syna­gogue, because once she was the only Beloved of God, not attend­ing this as a Prophecy, concerning also such as should be received into Divine favour, when God should have said to his Antient People, Loammi, you are not my People. We have therefore by the Spouse here all along understood the Church of God in all times, and more particularly, believing Souls, which are here brought in thus speaking to Christ; Behold thou art fair my Beloved, yea pleasant: Also our Bed is green. The words in our English Translation, are punctually translated: Nor is there any considerable difference amongst Interpreters, rendring them in their several Versions. We shall therefore fall (immediately to consider the sense of the words, as they lie before us, which are a Reply unto what Christ had said, v. 15. He had told the believing Soul, that she was fair, she was was fair, she had Doves Eyes. She now replys in the words of the Text, Behold thou art fair (my Beloved) yea pleasant; also our Bed is green. Where you have,

1. Her usual friendly Compellation, [...] My Beloved, my [Page 851] Love, my Nephew, my Uncle, my Kinsman. I gave you an ac­count of the significancy of that word before.

2. A note of Attention or Admiration [...] Behold. I shewed you in my Discourses on the 16th verse; the usage of that particle in Scripture.

3. A double Assertion; 1. Thou art fair; to which she adds, yea pleasant, [...] 2. The second in those words, Our Bed is green.

He had told the Spouse, v. 16. that she was fair; she now re­plies, Behold! thou art fair my Beloved; Pulchritudo ejus dilectio ejus (saith Bernard) His love to his Spouse is his beauty, Et ideo Bernardus ad loc. major quia praeveniens, which is so much the greater, because it pre­vents us. And (saith he) she therefore loves more, because she dis­cerns her self prevented, and overcome in Love. It is as much as if she had said, Doth my dearest Saviour say, I am fair, who am by Birth an Ethiopian, black with original corruption, and upon whom the Sun hath lookt? Nay, My Beloved, thou art much more fair: Let the World be invited to behold thy Beauty; Behold thou art fair my Love. Observe,

Prop. 1. The Beauty of our Saviour doth infinitely transcend the Beauty of his Saints.

Prop. 2. The sense of the value which Christ puts upon his Saints, will, and ought to engage them to put an high value upon him.

Give me leave to speak something to the first of these Proposi­tions, before I pass on to the other words of the Text. I begin with the first.

Prop. 1. Christ's Beauty doth infinitely transcend the Beauty of his Saints. The Saints are Stars, and there is not the least Star, but hath its lustre and glory; but yet there is a difference of Stars in glory, and the glory of the Sun of Righteousness, of the Star that came out of Jacob, is far more eminent than the Beauty of other Stars, which are set in inferiour Orbs. Pulchritudo est qualitas per quam aliquid Martinius, Psal. 45. 2. seems to fa­vour this no­tion of Beau­ty.—Thou art fairer than the Children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips. pulchrum est. Beauty is a quality from which any thing is made beautiful. That is beautiful which is lovely. Pulcher quasi [...], or quod pollet charitate. There is a corporeal Beauty, and there is a mental Beauty; the corporeal Beauty is nothing else besides a cer­tain loveliness that ariseth from a due proportion of bodily parts, and due temperament of humours, and a comely bodily figure. The mental Beauty is a loveliness which ariseth from a well tempered Soul, adorned with good natural dispositions, moral habits, or spiri­tual [Page 852] infused habits of Graces. When I speak of the Saints Beauty, and of Christ's Beauty, I understand it of a spiritual loveliness in them arising from that Grace which dwelled in Christ essentially, as God, and was poured out upon-him without measure, as Mediator, and is derived from him to all that truly believe in him. Now I say, this Beauty in Christ doth infinitely transcend that of the Saints. I will shew it you in some few particulars, which you may gather from what I said before concerning the Saints Beauty. I shewed you that the Saints Beauty was not native, and primitive, but derivative, not essential, but accidental, not perfect, but imperfect. I told you that it was indeed durable, but yet the degrees of it might fade. Let me now open to you the transcendent Excellencies of Christ's Beauty.

1. And more generally: It is a glorious, incomprehensible, and most incomparable Beauty; When the Word was made flesh, and came and dwelt amongst the Sons of men, they beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, Joh. 1. 14. In all created Beauties, there is not equality: There are some faces more beautiful, and some minds more beautiful and lovely than others, which yet have their loveliness too. (Beauty is a quality which is capable of degrees.) There is a glory in Christ's Beauty, which is not to be found in the Beauty of any Saint. The Apostle tells us, that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. And the Evangelist, that his glory was like the glory of the only begotten Son Col. 2. 9. of God; he was full of Grace and Truth. Now, if you ask me what this glory is, what Tongue is able to express it? Every one sees a glory in the Sun's Light excelling the glory of the Stars; but where­in the Excellency is more than in the fulness of the Light, none is able to determine. Here it is true which the Vulgar Latine makes the sense of Prov. 25. 27. Qui scrutatur Majestatem opprimetur à gloria: While the Soul sets it self to fathom the transcendent Di­vine Excellencies that are in Christ, it is overcome with glory, as the Eye is with the Light of the Sun, that looks too wistly upon it; as the Boy that appeared to the Auncient, (who had promised his People to open to them the Doctrine of the Trinity,) unlading water out of the Sea into a little hole with a Spoon, and told him that he should sooner have done that work, than he would have opened the Doctrine of the Trinity: So I may say in this case: Christ is every way wonderful. The Prophet (concerning his Birth) cries out, Who shall declare his Generation? I may here cry out, Who Isa. 53. 8. shall declare his glory? Thus much we can say, that his Beauty is [Page 853] extensively and intensively more than that of the most eminent Saint in the World, that it is incomparable, and incomprehensible, but it is impossible fully to delineate his glory to you; yet some­thing we may speak more particularly.

2. Therefore Christs Beauty is a Primitive Beauty. The Beauty of the most eminent Saint is no more than a derivative Beauty; we are clean through Christ's cleanness, and we are comely through Christ's comeliness. Take the Saint out of Christ he hath nothing in him but blackness, ugliness, and deformity, all his Beauty is derived from Christ; he is but like the Star, that hath its Light from the Sun, being of it self but a thicker part of coelestial matter; yea he is in a lower degree than a Star, which the Philosopher saith hath some (though a ve­ry small) Light of his own. The Child of God of himself is not only dark, but darkness: You were once darkness (saith the Apostle) Eph. 5. 8. John 1. 9. 8. 12. but now you are light in the Lord. But now Christ is not only light­som, but light it self: I am the true Light, Job. 1. 9. Joh. 8. 12. Yea, and his Light, his Beauty is from himself. Consider him as God equal with the Father, and coaevous with him; all the Divine Per­fections were in him. The whole Beauty of the Godhead was in Christ. Consider him indeed as to his Humane Nature, so his Beauty was derivative; the Spirit was given to him (though not by mea­sure) John 3. 34. Col. 1. 19. Joh. 3. 34 Col. 1. 19.) It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. But consider now the Lord Jesus Christ per­sonally, as God and Man, and so all his Beauty was Primitive, and from himself: His Divine Nature being the Fountain of all Perfe­ctions, and his Humane Nature receiving the fulness of the God­head from that Nature to which it was joyned, in the fellowship of the same Person: Now look what difference there is betwixt the Original Light of the Sun, and the borrowed Light of a Star, be­twixt the Primitive Light of the Fire, and the Derivative Light of a Taper, such a transcendent difference there is between the Beau­ty of Christ, and the Beauty of a Christian.

3. Christ's Beauty is an Essential Beauty. When I discoursed to you concerning the Beauty of Christians, I told you that their Beauty was accidental and adventitious; all those gracious dispositions which are found in the Souls of Saints, which make them lovely and beautiful, either in the Eyes of Christ, or of their Brethren, are but adventitious qualities, and accidents, no part of their Es­sence; But Christ's Beauty is Essential to him. It is certainly true, that there are no accidents in God; all that love, and goodness, and [Page 854] mercy, which is in Jesus Christ, that slowness to conceive a wrath, and readiness to forgive, it is all Essential unto him.— Essentia Di­vina identificat sibi omnia quae sunt in Divinis (say the Schoolmen) Christ is from his Essence wise, good, gracious, holy, &c. Now every ones Reason will easily apprehend a transcendent difference between Essential and Substantial Beauty, and Adventitious and Accidental Beauty. But

4. Christ's Beauty is a spotless Beauty; He is called the Sun of Righteousness. The Sun hath no spots in it, it is all beautiful, all glorious. The Saints Beauty is a spotted Beauty, or at least a Beau­ty attended with spots; it is like the Beauty of the Moon; the Moon is a glorious creature, but the Moon hath its spots. Take the fairest Saint in the World, he hath some blemishes, much grace, but some corruption, much rectitude, but some crookedness; yea, he is in nothing perfect. He believeth, but crieth out, Lord help my unbelief. He loveth God, this is his Beauty: Oh! but he wants some degrees of love, he bewails his want of love to God, and begs of God to teach him to love him; there's his spot in his Beauty. He doth direct his waies towards God; there's his Beauty: But he Psal. 119. 5. cries out, Oh that my waies were directed to keep thy Statutes! there's his spot, there's his deformity. But now look upon Christ, there was no spot found in him, no defect of Beauty, no mixture of deformity; no guile was found in his mouth, no deceit in his heart, no crookedness in his actions.

5. Christ's Beauty is a never fading Beauty. I remember that I told you concerning the Beauty of the Saints, that it is a durable Beauty, it is never wholly lost, and it is true in the Eyes of Christ, but what's the reason? because the Providence of God continually upholds that state of Beauty which is once conferred: Nor hath God so ordered the upholding of the Saints Beauty, but that it may fade and decay as to degrees, yea and be wholly lost (as to hu­mane Judgment.) 'Tis true, the Beauty of Justification can never be lost, can never decay, but the Beauty of Holiness may. Now, Holiness is a great part of the Saints Beauty, both in the Eyes of God, and also of men: But Christ's Beauty can never fade, the Rose of Sharon cannot wither; this is proved from the third thing. If Beauty could fail from Christ, the Divine Essence might be extinguished.

6. In the last place; Christs beauty is a communicative Beau­ty; The loveliest face in the World, cannot procreate such ano­ther, [Page 855] the most vertuous ingenuous mind, cannot communicate its vertue, and ingenuity so as to possess another Soul with it You have many a Child of God, that is exceeding beautiful, both by justifying, and regenerating grace, but what they have is to themselves. The wisest Virgins can lend no Oil to the foolish; if they do, there will not be enough for them both. But now Christs Beauty is communicative, he is in himself comely, and he can put his comeliness upon others, yea (which is more) he can com­municate, without loss to himself, as the Fire gives heat to all in the Room, and yet hath no less heat in itself, or as the Sun inlightneth the Moon, and all the Stars, yea and all the World, and yet hath as much light still as it had before that commu­nication. So doth the Lord Jesus Christ, he hath communicat­ed Beauty to ten thousand thousand Saints even to all that have lived since Adams fall to this day. They were all comely through his comeliness put upon them, yet hath he in himself the same Beauty he ever had. But I have spoke enough to the opening of this point. I come to the application in three or four words.

Use 1. 1. In the first place, This calleth to all the Children of God, for that great duty mentioned, Rom. 12. 3. Not to think of himself Rom. 12. 3. more highly then he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. The want of this Spiritual Sobriety, hath been one great cause of the Drunkenness of this later age.

1. Professors have been too apt to think of themselves above others, forgetting that of the Apostle in that Chap. v. 10. In honour preferring one before another; ah how vile have Brethren seem­ed in one anothers Eyes? How ready have the followers of Paul been to despise the followers of Cephas, and those that fol­lowed Apollo to despise those that followed Paul? How sub­ject have we been to contemn those not of our own form, though possibly better Scholars in Christs School then we! (for Scholarship in Religion is not to be judged by forms in the Church?) Certainly it had been much better for those self conceited Christians, that looking upon their own beauty have so scorned others, as low, legal Christians, to have thought with themselves. Ah! but what is my Beauty to Christs Beauty? And why do I despise, who my self have not attained.

2. A 2d sort of professors have erred by thinking of themselves a­bove [Page 856] the measure of faith given to them. I know nothing hath con­tributed so much, to the miserable distempers of our Church as this, that our professors have looked their faces in a multi­tiplying glass, there they have beheld their parts above what indeed they were, yea and their graces too. But alas (Friends) Suppose them what you would have them, there is no cause of glorying, for if thou hast received it, why doest thou glory, as if thou hadst not received. And let the parts and graces that make thee beautiful be what they will, certainly they are short of Christs still (who is thy great Example.)

3. But most abominable are those, who dream that they are as holy as Christ, as perfect as he is, yea that they are Christed and Godded. They may be Devilled, and Sathanized, with pride and self conceit, but certainly, when the Saint is grown to the high­est pitch, Christ must be higher by the head, and shoulders. Did these poor worms, ever drink of that cup of which he drank? Or were they ever baptized with the Baptism where­with he was baptized? If not, how come they to sit at his right hand? were they the onely begotten Sons of God, full of grace and truth? How then come they (if they were not so) to be sharers with him in his glory? Away then with this blasphe­mous pride; and if thou (O thou worm of the Earth!) knowest not how to difference Christs Beauty from thine, go to the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, and consider if the imperfect twink­ling light of the latter bear any Proportion to the triumphing light of the former; go and learn, how the heat of thy hand (made hot by the Fire) can possibly be proportionable to the heat of the Fire, which gave thy hand what heat it hath. But no more of this. It is a thing not fit to be named amongst Chri­stians. This is the first Use.

Use 2. In the 2d place; Let this Caution you against that which the Apostle Jude complains of, Jude 16. Having mens per­sons in admiration. Under the former branch of Application I took notice of one great cause, of the sad miscarriages of pro­fessors in our age; I shall here touch upon another, It is This having mens persons in admiration, Christians have had such a one in their Eye, whom they have looked upon as an holy and eminent person, full of Spiritual Beauty, and him they have fol­lowed over hedge and ditch, never looking at Christ all the way. It is good to behold the workings of Grace upon those [Page 857] who are made the subjects of it; but to what end? What? that we might admire them, and follow them? no, but that we might admire God in them, and that Grace of Christ by which they are so holy, so humble, so meek, so eminent in any Grace. I am afraid many have made another use of Professors seeming Beauty in these times, and the Lord hath let them see, that their Beauty was vain, and their appearing Favour deceitful. Certainly Brethren, if that which you have heard be true, Christ alone is to be admired by you; he is the chiefest of ten thousand. Do you hear any one say­ing, such a Minister, such a Christian is fair, O! he, or she is fair, they have Doves Eyes, look thou up to Heaven, and say, Nay, (my dear Saviour!) thou art fair; these are derivative Beauties, thine is a primitive Beauty; the Beauty of these is but an accidental, ad­ventitious Beauty, thine is an essential, substantial Beauty; these are mixed Beauties, thine is a perfect Beauty. We have hearts that are exceeding carnal. Men are very prone to admire their fellows ra­ther for Outward Advantages, than for Spiritual Perfections; more for outward parts, than for Grace; and when they take notice of Grace in any, to admire them rather than Christ for the Grace of God bestowed upon them. The Woman, Luk. 11. 27. was guilty of the first, that hearing Christ speak, lift up her voice and said, Blessed is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps which thou hast sucked. Christ reforms her wish, v. 28. yea rather, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. The Corinthians were guilty of the second, who much admired those amongst them that had parts, and extraordinary gifts: The Apostle endeavours to reform that, 1 Cor. 12. 31.— I shew unto you a more excellent way; that was Grace. Grace is better than all the gifts in the World. Chri­stians are also subject to a third Errour, where they see, or at least think they see eminent Grace in any, they are prone to admire them, and follow them. But Christians! I shew unto you a more excellent object; do you see eminent grace in any, admire Christ in them, and the eminency of Grace in Christ, who hath given them such a proportion. But let Christ still be greater in the Throne than the greatest Saint upon the Earth; admire him, and follow him. But that will be a third branch of Application.

Use 3. What you have heard, methinks, should send you all away filled with the admiration of Christ, panting with desires after Christ, and filled with the love of him.

1. I say first, Filled with the admiration of Christ. Have you at [Page] any time seen an eminent Christian abounding with love to God, zeal for him, clothed with humility, buried in self-denial, adorned with any Graces which have made him acceptable to all with whom he hath conversed, and have you admired such a one, how he could abridge himself of the sweets and contentments of this life, and satisfie himself with being any thing, or nothing, so he might but attain to the Resurrection of the Dead, win Christ, be found in him, and win others to him? and will you not admire that Fountain from whence all these streams are derived? Is he a rea­sonable creature that gazeth upon a twinkling Star, and admires the lustre of it, and looks upon the Sun without any admiration at all. Oh! admire Christ, to whom all created Perfections are no more than so many drops of Water to the Ocean, so many grains of Sand to a Mountain, so many slender Beams to the body of Light in the Sun.

2. Shall not this send you away panting after Union, and the seal of Union with Christ? Man as a sensual creature, desires corpo­real Beauty, and 'tis hard for him to see it in a Woman free for him, and not to desire her for it. Man as a rational creature desires mental Beauty, and it is hard for him to know of any adorned with moral Vertues, and with a pleasing and ingenuous disposition, and not to desire friendship and acquaintance with him or her that is so qualified. Man as regenerate and a spiritual new creature, desires spiritual Beauty; and 'tis ordinary for Christians, seeing others more eminent in Grace than themselves, to desire fellowship with them, and to be made partakers of their Grace. But lo here Christians, a beautiful Object excelling all created Beauties; Lo here one that is the fairest amongst the Sons of Men; Lo here one to whom all the Lillies of the Field, yea even Solomon himself in all his glory, was never like; shall not your hearts pant after Union with him? Shall none say, Oh that this Christ were mine, his Grace mine, his Beau­ty mine, his Glory mine! Shall not every Soul which hath had a glimpse of his Glory, desire that he would kiss it with the kisses of his mouth, that it might have further confirmations of its Interest in him?

3. And thirdly; Shall not all your hearts, who have this day heard of his Beauty, burn with further love to him? Doth the Wo­mans heart leap when she hears her Husband magnified? Doth she pride her self in secret thoughts, saying, This is my Beloved, This is my Husband? and doth the commendation which others give him [Page 859] blow the Coals of Love in her heart, and make them burn unto a flame? Oh that this Discourse might have such an influence upon you this day! Have not your hearts burned within you, while I have discoursed in your Ears concerning Christ's loveliness? O go home now and love him more! But our Saviour hath said. If you love me, keep my Commandments.

4. Lastly; Therefore seeing that the Beauty of Christ is so trans­cendent a Beauty, let all the Children of God do that one thing, (which St. Paul saith he did) viz. Not think that he hath attained, but forgetting that which is behind, press on forward to that which is before, unto the price of the High Calling. Christ is our mark; we are to learn of him to be lowly, and meek, to be holy and separate from sin. Let no man therefore set up himself a stand short of this mark, and let every one see, that there is room for him yet to be more and more holy; thou mayest be as holy as thy Neighbour, but thou art not yet as holy as Christ; that's that thou shouldest study; that's it which thou shouldst labour after. But this is enough to have spoken to the first Observation. The second follow: That the sense of that Value and Estimate which Jesus Christ puts upon our Souls, should make us put an high value upon him. The Spouse's saying, Thou art fair (my Love!) Thou art fair, made her reply Thou art fair my Beloved.

Sermon LIX.

Cant. 1. 16.
—Yea pleasant.

IN my last Exercise I discoursed to you the transcendent Beauty of Christ above the creatures Beauty, which is but a Beam from that Sun, a Drop from that Fountain, the Shadow of that Sub­stance. Our Spouse here adds, [...] yea pleasant; not only fair, but pleasant; not only [...] It is a word often made use of in Scripture, signifying (sometimes) that which gives satisfaction to the outward Senses; sometimes that which gives [Page 860] satisfaction to the mind. You read of the pleasant harp, Psal. 81. 3. of pleasant riehes, Prov. 24. 3. of the sweet Psalmist, 2 Sam. 23. 1. in all which Texts, this word is used: it some­times denotes the Satisfaction of the mind in an object, thus it is said to be a pleasant thing to praise God, Psal. 135. 3. Psal. 147. 1. and a pleasant thing to keep Gods Commandments, Prov. 22. 18. and to see brethren dwelling together in unity; Psal. 133. 1. in all which Texts also this Word is used. The Spouse here useth the word by way of auxesis adding something to what she had said before; Thou art fair: Yea pleasant. The Proposition is plainly this:

Prop. Jesus Christ is not only beautiful, but pleasant.

I shall speak to this Proposition by way of Explication, and Application. By way of Explication, I shall enquire, what is meant by pleasant?

2. How the Lord Jesus Christ is not only fair, but also pleasant? I shall there subjoin the confirmation.

1. Qu. What doth the Spouse mean, when she says Christ is pleasant?

The word translated pleasant, is sometimes used to signify what is grateful to the sensual Eye, and so may be conceived Synonymous, to the term fair, but I conceive the Spouse here intendeth something more, (as I hinted to you before.) A­mongst men, beauty properly relates to the complexion, plea­santness to the conversation, a man may be fair and yet not plea­sant, he may have a fair face, and a false heart, a sweet coun­tenance, and a sour Soul. But yet this difference will not serve us here. For Christs beauty is not a corporeal, sensual beauty, but an inward Spiritual beauty, and it is yet harder to distin­guish, fair, and pleasant, as they relate to Christ: Bernard Bernard. super Cant. Ser. 45. gives a double guess in the case— Eminentiam decoris illâ repe­titione designat. Aut certe in utrâque Christi substantiâ dignam expressit omni admiratione decorem: in alterâ naturâ, in alterâ gratid: That is, the Spouse by this repetition signifies that eminency of beauty, which is in Christ, or else by this double term, signifieth the beauty of Christs two Natures; the first, i. e. His Divine Nature being beautiful by Nature; the second by Grace: Thou art fair considered as to thy Divine Nature, as thou wert from all eternity, existing in the form of God, God blessed for ever, the bright Character of thy Fathers substance, [Page 861] and the express Image of his glory. Yea pleasant, in thy form Pulcher & de­corus dilectus dicitur qui in divinitate & humanitateom­ni amanti sementi sinè maculà repre­hensionis aspi­citur. Gregor. ad loc. Zech. 11. 10. as a Servant, when thou didst make thy self of no reputation for my sake, &c. Gregory agrees, in the same Notion.

2. There are others, who by the pleasantness (which the Spouse here entituleth her Beloved unto) understand his pleasant administration of his Covenant, Doctrines, reproofs, &c. indeed the Lords staff (which denotes his Covenant) is called [...] Beauty. And David useth this word to express the Satis­faction he took, in the Ordinances of God, Psal. 27. 4. Psal. 90. 17. And our own Annotations expound this Text by Psal. 84. v. 1. The sense then is this: Thou art sair (O my Saviour!) transcendently fair, and beautiful, adorned with all Grace. Yea pleasant, in all thy administrations, and dealings out of thy self, in thine Ordinances, thou art pleasant. Thou sweetly dispensest grace, (from the fountain which is in thee,) by the Ordinances of the Gospel which are so many conduit pipes.

3. I shall offer you a third Notion of the term. As amongst men, we may easily distinguish betwixt beauty, and pleasant­ness, whether you take beauty, for the comeliness of the out­ward man, or the Ornament of the inward man. A man or wo­man may have a sweet complexion, a lovely Countenance, a beautiful personage, and yet have a debauched Soul, and so be far from pleasantness, yea a man may have a mental beauty, and yet not pleasant, no good Companion for ones life. There are many men who are wise, and just, and learned, and yet pos­sibly, through pride, morosity, or surliness, or reservedness, not pleasant: Pleasantness doth much refer to the conver­sation: and if we allow this sense of the term; by which (As our own Annotators observe) the Spouse doth elegantly correct, and raise the sense of what she had before said: Then this is that which the Spouse saith: My Dear Saviour, is not only beautiful in the Eye of my mind, both in respect of his Maj sty, and glory, and of that Grace, which was poured forth upon his lips, in respect of the eminent perfections, both of his Divine, and humane Nature, but he is also lovely, and amiable, and so I have sound him in all his dispensations to me and also in all my converse with him. Thus it denoteth the pleasantness of the Souls Commu­nion with Christ, and may comprehend both his Communi­cation of himself to the Souls of his People in and through his Ordinances, and also, his Communication of himself to them, [Page 862] by way of more immediate, Spiritual influences; and it im­porteth thus much, That a Christians walking with God, is a pleasant walking, you know that the life of a Child of God in Scripture is expressed under several Notions; it is sometimes called, a walking with God. It is said of Enoch, he walked with God, Gen. 5. 22. 24. the like of Noah, Gen. 6. 9. it is called, a walking in Gods ways: And after Gods Commandments. A walk­ing with Christ, Col. 2. 6. A walking in the Spirit, Gal. 5. 16. 25. Christ is he who maintaineth, and influenceth, and upholdeth, a Christians life, he is the Companion of his life, now that which the Spouse asserts is, that Christ is not a sour Compani­on, to make use of the similitude of the Text. Many a Wo­man hath an Husband, who it may be is a comely Person learn­ed, sober, wise, but yet possibly of a morose reserved temper, or of a proud, and surly disposition, he is fair but he is not pleasant, Jesus Christ the Husband to a gracious heart, is not only beautiful, so as a Soul may please it self in beholding of him, and looking upon him, but he is also pleasant: all his deal­ings and converse with the Souls of his People are sweet, and delightful. And thus much may serve to have spoken to the first question, and for the more general explication of the term; the second follows, viz.

2. Qu. How is the Lord Jesus Christ pleasant? And in what particulars doth his pleasantness appear?

1. Pleasantness implies a general sweetness, and loveliness in conversation, 2 Sam. 1. 26. I am distressed for thee, (my Brother Jonathan) very pleasant wert thou to me. David apprehended a loveliness in his converse with Jonathan: as a man delights to be in the Company of his friend, and hath much Satisfaction in it, so it is with the gracious Soul. The life of a Christian is a pleasant life, because Christ is pleasant to it. I told you be­fore that a Christian hath in this life a double converse with Christ.

1. In Ordinances and duties.

2. By the immediate influences of his Spirit in all his conversa­tion. As to both Christ is pleasant.

1. It is a pleasant thing for the Soul of a Christian, to enjoy Christ in his Ordinances, Psal. 84. 1, 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts, my Soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the Courts of the Lord: it is a pleasant thing to a Christian, [Page 863] to hear of Christ in a Sermon, to look up to Christ in Prayer: to praise the name of God. David upon this argument engag­eth the Children of God to praise him, for it is pleasant, Psal. 135. 3. Psal. 147. 1.

2. It is a pleasant thing, to a gracious Soul, from the influences of the Spirit of grace to direct his life according to the rule of Gods Word. As it was the meat and drink of our Saviour, to do the will of his Heavenly Father: so it is the meat of a disciple, of Christ to do the will of Christ especially when he findeth his Soul advantaged to it from the influences of the Spirit of Christ, Rom, 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God, after the inward man. Observe two things, St. Paul doth not say I delight in the Love of God; who could do otherwise then so? But I delight in the Law of God: an holy heart delights in the Law of God: but secondly, Observe the restriction, as to the inward man. This may prevent an objection. Will some poor Soul say, I cannot say that I delight in strictness, the Lord Pardon it to me, I even force my self upon any close walking: But doost thou not delight in the Law of God as to thy inward man? If thou doest, Christ is pleasant to thee, he is not pleasant to thy flesh, but he is pleasant to thy Spirit.

2. you will further understand how Christ is pleasant to the Soul, and receive a further confirmation of it, if you but con­sider, what is requisite to make one pleasant, as a pleasant Hus­band, or a pleasant Companion, of ones life, &c. I conceive there are three things.

1. Some real positive worth. A man or woman that hath no worth, is pleasant to none, but such as are fools, or sots, Christ hath an infinite worth in him, nay you will observe, that al­though a man have much worth in him, yet he is pleasant to none but such, as may have an advantage from his worth: the most learned man in the World hath no pleasantness in him, to the apprehension of a Clown, that is not in a capacity to partake of his worth: so that to make a man pleasant, he must not only have a real worth in him, but a worth of such a Nature, as he to whom he is pleasant may be advantaged; such is Christ, such are the excellencies of Christ.

2. To make a Person pleasant (besides a real worth,) there is required some sutableness of nature, and disposition, to the par­ty which so judgeth of him: take now an eminently learned [Page 864] man in any science, though he hath a worth in him, and such a worth, as might to a novice be advantageous, yet all this doth not make him pleasant that which makes the Husband plea­sant to the Wife, and the Superior pleasant to the inferiour, is some congruity of disposition. And such a congruity there is betwixt Christ and a believing Soul. Christ notwithstanding all that perfection of grace, and excellency which is in him, and notwithstanding, the aptitude, and fitness of his grace to the wants of a Soul, yet is not pleasant to a natural man: he is not beautiful to him, because he wanteth Spiritual Eyes to discern, he is not pleasant to him, because he wants that congruity of disposition which is necessary: Christ is holy, he is unholy. But now the believer is made partaker of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. He is a partaker of Christ, Heb. 3. 14. And indeed hence ariseth, that particular pleasantness, which the believing Soul doth above any other Soul discern in Christ; even from that congruity.

3. To make any one, not only fair, but pleasant, there will be required of him a Freedom from those things, which spoil all pleasantness in converse, and a presence and exercise of those disposi­tions, which are in themselves grateful to humane Nature. I will instance in two on three, and shew you how Christ is freed from the former and possessed of the latter.

1. The pleasant man must not be reserved, but Communica­tive. A man that is of a reserved close temper, may be a wor­thy Person and have much real worth in him, but yet he is not pleasant: it is the Communicative man, who is the pleasant man. Christ (upon this account) is pleasant, he is not reserved from the Souls of his Saints, Look now as it is with a man, if he be one that hath real worth and abilities to do good to his friend, and of a free temper, that if his friend speaks to him he presently hears and answers, if he asks him a question, he presently resolves, this man now is a pleasant man. Christ is pleasant, as he is furnished, with a sufficiency of power, and ability, for the comforting, resolving, advantaging his Peoples Souls any way, so he is not reserved from them. How free, was he with his disciples while he was upon the Earth, how ready if they doubted to resolve them, if they asked any thing of him to answer them, if he saw them troubled to resolve them, &c. Christ hath removed the place of his residence, [Page 865] but he hath not changed his disposition. How free is Christ still with the Souls of his People? How ordinarily doth he resolve their doubts, speak peace to their Souls, answer their Prayers? Doth any Soul object against this in the words of David, Psal. 22. 3. I cry in the day time, and thou hearest not, and in the night time I am not silent? That Soul should do well to inquire, whether some reser­vedness found in it towards Christ, hath not caused Christ's reser­vedness to it; whether he doth not restrain Faith. He should do well also to enquire, whether he be not mistaken. Christ oft-times gives Answers which we do not understand. Finally; Let him wait, and he will see that Christ reserves himself only that he might hereafter be more pleasant to the Soul. But this is enough to have spoken to this first particular.

2. He that is pleasant, is not morose, but courteous; a man may be communicative enough, and yet not pleasant; he that is of a churlish, dogged temper, morose in all his behaviour, is never plea­sant: He that is of a gentle behaviour, is pleasant. Oh how gentle is the Lord Jesus Christ! How tenderly he deals with his Peoples Souls! A bruised Reed he will not break, a smoaking Flax he will not quench, Mat. 12. 20. It was prophesied of him of old, Isa. 40. v. 11. that he should gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. If he speaks to a poor laden sinner, mark how tenderly he speaks, Mat. 11. 29. Come unto me you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you. I appeal to the Souls of you that fear God, Hath not Christ dealt tenderly with you? Hath he pleaded against you with his great Power? Have you at any time found him churlish to your Souls? Nay, who is there amongst you but hath admired his ex­pressions in his Word, and the manner of his dispensations unto your Souls? and can (from experience) say, He is pleasant. If any Soul from its own experience object against this Notion, I shall only advise it to consider, whether it hath not put a false interpretation upon Christ's dispensations to it: Or secondly, To distinguish be­twixt Christ's ordinary dealings with the Souls of the People, and his carriage to it, upon some eminent provocations.

3. A third thing which makes a man pleasant, is humility. The proud person is grateful to none, no not to him who is as proud as himself, but he who is full of humility, of a condescending spi­rit, &c. is ordinarily pleasant to his Companion. Upon this account also Christ is pleasant; he condescendeth to us who are of low degree. [Page 866] Nothing more indears a Person of Honour, and makes him plea­sant to his Companion, than when there is discerned in him a rea­diness to stoop and be serviceable to those who are beneath him: Oh how pleasant is Christ upon this score to every honest heart! From the time that he Nothing'd himself, and humbled himself to a death upon the Cross, unto this day, he hath been, and still is thus pleasant to every gracious Soul. Every dispensation of special grace makes him thus more and more pleasant to his Peoples Souls. But I have spoken enough to the Doctrinal part. I come now to the Ap­plication.

Use 1. By way of inference in the first place, let me conclude from hence, That a Christian's Life must needs be a pleasant Life. To me, saith Col. 3. 3. Eph. 2. 1. Cant. 2. 3. St. Paul, to live is Christ, Phil. 1. 21. And again, Col. 3. 3. Our life is hid with Christ in God. A Believer lives from Christ, Eph. 2. v. 1. You hath he quickened, and he lives in Christ, and Christ lives in him: Now Christ is pleasant. Hearken to our Sponse in this Song, chap. 2. 3.▪ I sate down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my tast. It is one great discouragement that keeps off men from following the Lord Jesus Christ: They have taken up a fancy, that Christ is an hard Master; reaping where he hath not sown, and gathering where he hath not strawed. They fancy the life of a Christian a moping life, burthened with cares, troubled with sorrows, &c. and think all their friends good daies are gone when once they turn Puritan [...]s, and begin to follow after God. And in very deed, then, and not before, do they begin to live, and to understand what true contentment is. Oh! let not this prejudice take hold of any of your Souls; come but tast land see how good the Lord is. Might but this prevail with any of you to embrace the offers of Christ, and to fall in with the waies of God, let my Soul go for yours, if when once you have truly experienced the Contentment of a Christian's life you do not with David chuse to be a Door-keeper in the House of God, rather than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness, if you prefer not one day in the Lord's Courts before a thousand elsewhere. Let not the deceitful pleasures of the World seduce you▪ if the Earth affords any satisfaction, that Soul hath it that walks with God, and hath a fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. By way of Argument, let me but plead with you,

1. To observe the difference between sensual and intellectual plea­sures: And again, betwixt rational and spiritual pleasures. Who is [Page 867] there that observes not how much the satisfaction of the mind, in the possession of Learning and Vertue, excels all that satisfaction which the Eye hath in seeing, or the Ear in hearing? Christ is pleasant to the Soul, not to the outward, but to the inward man. The pleasures of the mind are rational or spiritual. The proportion which know­ledge beareth to the understanding of man, and which moral Ver­tue bears to his Reason, makes them pleasant, and creates an intel­lectual rational pleasure. But alas! it must be imperfect; for as the Eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the Ear with hearing, so nei­ther is it possible that the Soul should be satisfied with knowledge, or moral accomplishments, especially when it is awakened to consi­der Eternity. Hence the Learned man, that before took pleasure in his knowledge, being awakened, cries out, I with my Learning may go to Hell, when one that knows much less may go to Heaven; where's the pleasure? But now the Soul that is possessed of Christ, hath its heart perfectly at rest, because it sees its eternal Interest pro­vided for, and cannot discern it self in danger of future misery. Furthermore, the things in which it takes pleasure, are above the rank of all sublimary contentments, even such things as Eye hath not seen, nor hath Ear heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive. Besides, Conscience is quiet. Conscience is that which spoils much of the Worlds pleasure; for as a good Conscience is a continual feast, so an evil Conscience is (more or less) a continual torment. Now Christ is he alone that quieteth the Conscience. Ma­ny a poor Christless Soul drinks Wine in Bowls, and boast in their outwardly happy condition, but by and by a finger of a mans hand appears; their Conscience begins to stir, and to tell them they are damned undone sinners; what becomes of their pleasure? But now the Soul that is in Christ, his Conscience speaks peace to him, he hath peace without trouble. And to give you a demonstration of this pleasantness of a Christian's life, as I remember Christ said of the Lillies, they neither spin, nor sow, yet Solomon in all his glory is not like one of them: So give me leave to say; Step unto the poor Cottages of Christians, who have searce Bread to eat, no Silken Rayments to put on, no Musick to make them merry, no Money to spend, no Orchards or Gardens to delight them; and yet there's many a Nobleman, many a Gentleman who have all these in abun­dance, & yet in all their glory are not like one of these Lillies; these poor Souls have more true content and pleasure in one day, than they have in all their life, nor would they change conditions with [Page 868] them. So true is that of Solomon, Prov. 15. 16, 17. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great Treasures, and trouble there­with. Better is a dinner of Herbs where love is, than a stalled Oxe, and hatred therewith. I dare warrant you, that the Philosopher could have dined more sweetly at home with Bread and Water, than at the Tyrants Table of Dainties in view of a sharp Sword hang­ing over his head by a thred. There's many a poor Christian in this like a true spiritual Diogenes, that satisfieth himself with the in­fluence of the Sun upon his Tub, better than an Alexander could do himself with a whole World subdued to his feet.

Use 2. 2. Observe from hence the difference between Christ and lusts, Christ and the World. The Soul of man cannot be alone, it is either espoused to lusts, and to the World, or else to the Lord Jesus. There's many a one whose Soul is united to it's lusts. Lust is its beloved. Can this Soul say, Behold thou art fair my Beloved, yea pleasant? Doubtless nothing less. Reason tells the Drunkard, that his Drun­kenness is a foul thing, and Reason tells the Unclean person, that his Soul is united to a filthy thing. Take him that is united to the World, to the Riches of it, or to the Honours of it, Reason tells him they have no beauty in them; nor are they more pleasant than beautiful. Ah! what racks of Conscience have prophane sinners oft-times? The Wine tickles the throat as it passeth, but it maketh the stomach sick: The lusts of the flesh leave a Thorn in the Con­science, which abides, when the pleasure of them is vanished. The World pleaseth the Eye, while the figure of it passeth before it, but it is no more than [...], a great fancy, and vexation of spi­rit, spoils the pleasure of it. But Christ is pleasant; never any Soul that followed him, repented of it; yea those that follow him weep­ing, never repent of their repentings. Bring me that Soul which ever said I would I had never known, or never walkt with Christ.

Use 3. Let this therefore prevail with every Soul that hears me this day, to get acquaintance with Christ; And 2. With those who have in­terest in him, to labour to grow up in him. 1. The former; Because he is pleasant. 2. The latter; Because they have not tasted the bot­tom of that pleasantness which attends him, and the full Enjoyment of him Pleasantness is an alluring thing. When Eve saw that the Apple was pleasant to the Eye, she took it, Gen. 3. 6. When Issachar (in Jacob's Prophecy, Gen. 49. 15.) saw that the Land was plea­sant, he bowed his shoulder to bear. Were you but possessed of this one Truth, that Christ is pleasant, that the way of Christ is a way [Page 869] of pleasantness, it would go a great way to persuade men into it. Hearken to the Wise man speaking of Wisdom, (of Christ indeed, and his Grace under the notion of Wisdom) Prov. 3. 17. Her waies are waies of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her. Hearken you that are at ease in Zion, that drink away care, and spend your time in singing away the Evil day, you that lie upon Beds of Ivory, and stretch your selves upon Couches, and eat the Lambs out of the Flock, and Calves out of the midst of the stall; you that chant to the sound of the Viol, and in­vent to your selves Instruments of Musick; you that drink Wine in Bowls, and fare deliciously every day, and dress your selves in gor­geous Apparel, I tell you, there's many a poor Soul that hath Christ, and is clothed with Rags, and feeds upon Roots, and drinks Water, whose Soul is more at ease, and enjoys more pleasure than yours doth. O! therefore return you Shulamites, return, and understand aright the waies of true pleasure from those things that are meer empty shadows of vanity. 2. Let this engage you that have re­ceived Christ, to grow up in him, to study him more, to converse with him more, to keep to closer communion with Christ; you yet know not the pleasantness that is in him; there is a breadth of sweetness, you have not measured, and a depth of pleasure which you have not fathomed.

Use 4. In the last place; Is Christ not only fair, but pleasant? not only beautiful through Grace, but pleasant, lovely, gentle, sweet in his con­verse with the Souls of his Saints? Let this commend pleasantness to every true Christian. Labour not only to be gracious, but to be plea­sant. I will name but two Arguments in the case.

1. Consider, Thus you shall be like unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Thus shall you honour your Profession. An unpleasant Conversa­tion in a Christian dishonours the Lord Christ; it makes men think that he is an hard Master, that Christianity is an odd thing, which metamorphoseth men and women into strange kind of creatures, un­fit any longer for converse with the World. Take off this scandal from the Gospel: You may be pleasant, yet not profane; your conversation toward the World may be winning, though you do not give your selves up to such a liberty, as to hazard the ruine and loss of your own Souls. It was a piece of Paul's pleasantness; He became all things to all men, that he might win some, 1 Cor. 9. v. 22. 2 Cor. 10. 33.

Sermon LX.

Canticles 1. 16.
—Our Bed is Green.

I Am come to the Second Proposition of the Text, in those words, Our bed is Green. The Chaldee Paraphrast making the Congregation of Israel the Spouse in this Song, thus glos­seth upon these words, In the time, when thou dwellest in our Be­loved Bed, our Children are many, and multiplyed upon the Earth, we grow, and multiply, like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Wa­ters, whose leaf is beautiful, and whose fruit is much. Possibly that antient Interpretation hath led the generality of Interpre­ters to expound the Text concerning the flourishing condition of the Soul, and of the Church, while it is in Spiritual conjunction with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is not My Bed, but Our Bed, is Green, and flourishing, for so the word may be translated. So that not to enlarge in further discourses about the Expo­sition of the Text; taking it for granted that the Holy Ghost in this Text respecteth the Bed, as it is the place for pro­creation, or as it was the place where they did eat their meat in those Countries, we may from it observe this plain Proposi­tion.

Prop. That the fruitfulness of the Soul, and of the Church, doth de­pend upon Christs conjunction with them.

I shall speak to this Proposition by way of Explication, confir­mation, and Application. By way of Explication, we will only en­quire what is the gracious Souls fruitfulness, or the Gospel Churches fruitfulness.

1. The particular Souls fruitfulness lyes in its bringing forth Deut. 28. 4. 7. 13. of good works. You read in Scripture of the fruit of the Body. Deut. 28. 4. And of the fruit of the Land, Deut. 7. 13. The Children of God, are said to be Married unto Christ. And as the fruit of the Womb is the consequent of carnall Marriage, [Page 871] so the fruit of holiness is the consequent of Spiritual Marriage, Rom. 7. 4. You are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ, Rom. 7. 4. that you should be married to another, even to him who is rai­sed from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God. This fruit unto God is called fruit unto holiness, Rom. 6. 22. Christ is also compared unto a vine, John 15. 2. We are the Branches, and John 15. 2. 5. 6. therefore purged that we may bring forth fruit, ib. 5. 16. Whe­ther therefore the gracious Soul be looked upon as the Spouse of Christ, and Married to him, by faith, its fruit is holiness, or whether it be looked upon as a branch in Christ, still its fruit is holiness; our works (considering us as men) are our fruit. Now look, as several Plants, according to their different natures bring forth different fruit, some bring forth pleasant, some bit­ter fruit, some wholsom, some again noxious fruit: so it is with men and women, who are the Plants of the World; by Nature they are all wild Plants, and are corrupt, and bring forth cor­rupt fruit, called by the Apostle, the fruit of sin unto death: But having a new Nature given them by God, they Rom. 6. 22. Eph. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 22. bring forth fruit unto life, the fruits of righteousness, which are also called the fruits of the Spirit, Eph. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 22. the fruit of righteousness, to shew the species, or kind of them, fruit unto life, shewing the consequent of them, the fruit of the Spirit, shewing the more external cause of them: Now as these fruits more or less abound in the Soul, the Soul is more or less fruitful. This is the particular Saints fruit.

2. The Churches fruitfulness is its bringing forth many Sons unto God. Children are the fruit of the body, caused by genera­tion. Gods Children are the fruit of the Church, caused by Re­generation; Conversion is called a begetting, 2 Pet. 1. 3. We are said to be begotten of God, 1 Job. 5. 1. God is our Father, 2 Pet. 1. 3. but the Church is our Mother: It is the Church which bears us, which travels, and brings forth Children unto God: And the Saints are called the Churches Children, Isa. 54. 13. All thy Isa. 54. 13. Children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy Children. The thriving of the Church lies in this when ma­ny Souls are in it converted, and brought home unto God. This is the Souls fruitfulness and thriving, and this is also the Chur­ches fruitfulness, and thriving. This is that which my Doctrine speaketh of and saith, that i t dependeth upon Christs conjun­cton [Page 872] with the Soul and with the Church. Look as the fruitfulness of the Woman depends upon the conjunction of her Husband with her, as the fruitfulness of the plant depends upon its con­junction with the Earth; as the thriving of the Body by its meat, dependeth upon the blessing of God. Man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God: And as the thriving of the plant dependeth upon the influence of the Heavens, the shinings of the Sun, and the distillations of the Clouds; so, yea much more then so, doth the thriving of a Church and of a Soul, depend upon the influence of Christs grace. I will prove it first concerning the particular Soul. 2. Concerning the Church, 1. Concerning the particular Soul.

1. It is Christ that giveth the Soul a prolifick vertue. The fruitful Woman must have a prolifick vertue, so must the plant of the field, otherwise the Woman is barren, and the plant is barren. That power which is in any Soul, to bring forth the fruit of holiness, that is its prolifick vertue, and this is from the Lord; this is that which the Apostle calleth to will in Phi­lip. Phil. 2. 13. 2. 13. The will is the root of all humane actions, and the power in the Soul to do them lies in its ability to will them. This is from the Lord, yea and from the Lord in a way of spe­cial providence too. The God of Nature hath put into the creature a prolisick vertue that (supposing the particular con­currence of Ordinary Providence) the woman brings forth the fruit of the Body, in a Natural course. And so concern­ing the plants of the field, (supposing the concurrence of Ordinary Providence) the plant brings forth fruit in its kind. But it is not thus with men, and women, as to the fruit of grace and of holiness. It was thus indeed with Adam; Adam in the day of his creation (as to the fruit of holiness) was like the plant of the field, indued with a proli­fick vertue, he had not only Natural faculties, understanding, will, &c. but he had a power, and disposition in these faculties, to that which was good, this was connatural to him in the day of his creation; but as it is with the woman, created at first with this prolifick vertue, yet by accident this or that particular wo­man, may want it, and so is barren: So it is with all the Chil­dren of Adam, though in him created in statu integro, with [Page 873] a posse velle, a power to will that which is well pleasing in the sight of God, yet by that sad accident of the first mans transgres­sion we are all become barren, and without any power to will that which is good. A will indeed is left to us, but an indisposi­tion in that will unto that which is good; we are reprobate unto every good work. And that not only, by wicked works, as men are by them hardened in sin, and accustomed to Evil (and custom we say is a second Nature,) but even by Nature we are so. Now it is from Christ, that the Soul hath its first power, and ability so much as to move to a good action, 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not of our selves sufficient to think one good thought, Eph. 2. 5. When we were dead in sin, he hath quickened us together by Christ. Life is the Principle of all operation, we are by Nature dead, it is the Lord that quickeneth us. Look as the Child moves not till it be quickened, so neither doth the Soul move unto any thing that is good until grace at first quickeneth it.

2. As Christ gives the prolifick vertue to the Soul, so it is he also that doth excite this vertue to act. God hath given unto the plant a prolifick vertue from whence it is that it brings forth fruit; God hath given Bread-Corn a Power, and faculty to nou­rish the Body, and it is from hence that it nourisheth, but withal God by a daily Providence doth both uphold the faculties of the plant, and of the bread, and excite them to their exercise, other­wise neither would the bread nourish, nor the plant bring forth its fruit in its season. So it is with the Soul. Supposing the Soul possessed, of a power to will that which is good, (the will being renewed through grace) yet it is God that excites this power, Phil. 2. 13. He giveth to do. Not only to will, but also to do. And indeed this must be granted, or else grace shall have the least share in any good action that is done by us, for the Act is more Noble then a meer Power, It is Christ that gives a Power to will, and it is Christ that gives the Act of willing. disposing and quickening the Soul to the exercise of the Power which himself hath bestowed upon it. For let us consider whence it should come: The Lord in the change of the heart, doth not change the Nature of man, but man hath a liberty in his will, I mean a liberty opposed to coaction, his will is not compelled to that which is good; he hath indeed a power, but not com­pelling him: now when the will of man is in that state that he [Page 874] can will that which is good, or that which is evil, tell me what is it which inclineth him to the one rather then the other, save only the influence of Divine grace.

3. Nay, Thirdly, It is Christ that must assist in every good a­ction; not only excite to it, but assist in it, or it will never be per­sected. Even in natural productions, besides the prolifick ver­tue, which the fruitful woman must have, and must be suppo­sed to her conception of a Child in her womb; and besides the influence of Providence, which must be supposed to excite this vertue, which first causeth the conception (as to the Divine causation) there must also be a daily influence, and concurse of Providence, preserving and upholding the womans natural fa­culties, &c. or she miscarrieth, and the fruit of her body thri­veth not; and as it is with a Plant, notwithstanding its proli­fick vertue, and the influence of Providence exciting this ver­tue in the Spring time to put forth it self, there must be a dai­ly influence of Providence upholding the natural vertues of the Plant, and assisting them to the perfecting of the fruit; and with­out this, though the Plant hath such a vertue, and hath put it out, yet the fruit dwindleth away, and comes to nothing: So it is with a Soul: Supposing the Soul quickened, born again, dis­posed unto that which is good; and supposing it to have begun a good action, yet without the continuance of the same grace with the Soul, and in the Soul, it brings nothing to perfection. Hence Heb. 12. 2. Christ is faid to be the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Hence saith St. Paul, Gal. 2. 20. I live, but yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God. And 1 Cor. 15. 10. Saint Paul saith, He laboured, yet not he, but the grace of God which was with me. To be short then; To a particular Soul's fruitfulness in good works, there is required, 1. The Grace of God upon the Soul, giving it a power to act. 2. The Grace of God in the Soul, exciting it to its spiritual operations. 3. The Grace of God with the Soul, assisting it in its operations. This not supposed, the Soul either wants a power to will, or wants a power to move, to do, &c. The Reason of this lies not only in that general necessary influx upon the creature, which is ne­cessary to all its motions and actions, and which God hath re­served to himself, to grant or withhold as he pleaseth. But in this, that through the Fall of Adam, the Nature of Man is so [Page 875] lapsed, that it requireth a more particular eminent influx of Providence upon it, to inable it unto that which is spiritually good, its spiritually prolifick vertue, being by the fall quite ex­tinct, and the Soul of every man and woman dead in crespasses and sins. But thus much shall serve for the first. I come to the second, to prove it.

2. Concerning the Church; That neither can it be fruitful with­out conjuuction with Christ. I told you, that the fruitfulness of the Church lies in its bringing forth many Sons unto God. The more Souls are converted, the more fruitful the Church is; but without Christ's conjunction with it, it bringeth forth none. If Christ's presence be in his Church, it brings forth many Souls. If he be not present, it brings forth no Children. This will easily appear by considering how the Church of God is Instrumental to the conversion of Souls; and by making it appear to you that these causes are not principally efficient sole causes; nor can be so, but are only instrumental causes. 2. That upon experi­ence it is made evident, that where Christ doth not concur, they do nothing. For the first,

1. The Church is to be considered as to its parts, and as to its priviledges; as to what God hath planted in it, and what God hath betrusted to it.

As to its parts; So it is made up of Officers, and members. As to its priviledges, so there is committed to it the Oracles of God; the Mysteries of God; the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: there is none of all these, but have or may have, (for ought I know) an instrumental causation, in bringing forth Children unto God, or in bringing of them up, but none of them have a Principal efficiency none of them have a sole efficiency, nor can produce the effect without Christs conjunction; let us look upon them severally.

1. Look first upon the Officers of the Church: these were ex­traordinary, such as Apostles Evangelists Prophets: Ordinary, Pastors, and Teachers. That these have an instrumental causa­tion, in the conversion of Souls is plain, they were set in the Church, for the perfecting of the Saints, Eph. 4. 12. for the perfecting their number, and for the perfecting of their graces, Paul calls them Fathers, 1 Cor. 4. 15. and saith he begat the Corinthians. He saith the same of Onesimus: but alas, as the A­postles of old, so Ministers now, have no more then an instrumen­tality [Page 876] in this production: Paul planted, and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase, 1 Cor. 3. 6. God was all, he that plant­ed nothing, he that watered was nothing, but God that gave the increase was all, v. 7. v. 9: They are but waterers together with God, workers together with him. Hence though Paul Preached the same Doctrine to all, yet he was to some, the savour of life unto life, to others, the savour of death unto death. And though his earnest desire was to convert his own Nation, it was his hearts desire, and Prayer to God that they might be saved, Rom. 10. 1. yet he could not effect it. And if the Officers of the Church, who are under a special ordination of God for the great end of conversion, could do no more, it will easily be granted of private members, whose indeavours in quickening others, though they may be sometimes blessed, of God to such an end, yet doubtless are not more efficient to it then the labours of Ministers, nor yet in an equal tendency with their's unto so great an end.

2. As to the priviledges granted to the Church. The Oracles of God, are committed to the Church, Rom. 3. 2. it is the pillar and ground of truth, 1 Tim. 3. 15. the mysteries of God are com­mitted to it, 1 Cor. 4. 1. The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are Committed to it. Mat. 16. 19. I understand ever by the first term, the Word of God, and the dispensation of it in the Preaching of the Gospel: by the second, the Sacraments of the Gospel, by the third, the Censures of the Church. I know the terms are more generical, and not so to be restrained (I only for distinction sake so restrain them at present) nor do I med­dle here with the disputes, whether the dispensation of these or any of these, belong to the whole Church, or only to Offi­cers, nor yet to which of the Officers: I shall only assert two things.

1. That the Scripture seemeth to assign to all these, some instru­mentality as to the bringing forth of Children unto God: this is plain. 1. Concerning the Word, 1 Cor. 4. 15. I have begotten you through the Gospel, James 1. 18. of his own will be­gat he us by the word of truth: As to the Sacraments, for the Sacrament of Baptism, we are said to be Baptized into Christ, Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. and again, Acts 2. 38. to be Baptized for the Remission of sins. For the Sacrament of the Lords Sup­per; though I dare not assert it a converting Ordinance yet un­questionably [Page 877] it hath its instrumentality to the Salvation of Souls. For Censures they have also their instrumentality, 1 Cor. 5. 5. the end of their administration is for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of Christ. But now.

2. It is as plain, that they have but an instrumental causation, and separated from the influences of Christ, and his concurrence with them; they do nothing, hence, James 2. 18. of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, John 1. 13. we are born again not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh: nor of the will of man: but of the will of God, John 3. 5. except you be born again, of water and of the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Thus the truth is evidenced from Scripture. And Scriptural rea­son.

2. In the second place? Consider all experience, where-ever the Word of God hath been Preached, the Sacraments administred, Church Censures duly executed, so long as Christ hath granted his presence with the administrations; they have been made mighty in order to the bringing home of Souls unto God. Where the Lord hath withdrawn his presence, either as to the generality of Persons under the external administrations or as to any particu­lar Souls they have signified nothing. Isaiah doth but make the heart of the People fat, and their Ears heavy, and shuts their Eyes, Ch. 6. 10. he complains, that he laboureth in vain and spendeth his strength for nothing and in vain. Saint Pauls Gospel is to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness, 3000 are converted at St. Peters Sermon, while Christ is in his Bed with his Church, but few or none, of the Jews in their Synagogues, Acts 19. they were hardened. Christ was gone out of his Bed, and it was now no longer green and flourished no more. But this is enough to have spoken as to the proof of the Doctrine, come we now to the Application.

The Proposition might be applied variously.

1. For the confutation of the errors of those who either de­ny the necessity, of any conjunction of Christ with the Soul, as to the production of the fruits of grace, or at least of such a conjunction, as is unquestionably necessary; and of those who think, that there is a power in mans will, ad bonum Spirituale, to produce that which is Spiritually good, and that a moral suasion is sufficient to the conversion of a Soul.

2. We might from hence observe the reason, why the Word [Page 878] and Ordinances of God are so ineffectual as to some, however effectual unto others, but I have not time to enlarge so far. I shall therefore close up all with one Branch of Applica­tion,—

Use Beseeching every Soul that heareth me this day to labour, that Christ may yet be kept in his Bed, in our Bed. The Bed is the resting place, while Christ remaineth and resteth amongst his People, The Bed is green. The Soul in which Christ resteth, is a flourishing Soul, the Church in which Christ resteth, and in which he dwells, is a flourishing Church: whiles he walketh in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks, they are full of light. If he withdraweth himself their light will be darkness. Give me leave a little to improve this argument with you to the quick­ening up of your indeavours to the utmost, for the keeping of Christ in our Bed. I am the rather ingaged to it from the fears, that the experiences of late years, and the present juncture of affairs have created in me, that Christ is risen up out of his Bed amongst us. It was said of old, That when the Church had wooden Challices, she had golden Priests; but after she came to golden Challices, she had wooden Priests, I cannot say so for our late times. The Church of God amongst us hath had golden Priests, I believe there was no Nation under Heaven, that in such a space of time enjoyed more of the Ordinances of God, more able Preachers, more powerful and Spiritual admini­strations. The Bed hath been lovely: or the Bedstead rather, hath been so, but hath it been flourishing? how few Children have been all this time brought forth, unto God? The Lord help us. Thousands have been perverted but how few have been converted? Thousands carried off from the waies of God not so many tens brought into Christ? Where are the Souls have been convinced of fin, or converted to Christ? The con­version of our daies hath been to opinions, and factions, not to Jesus Christ. Yet blessed be God it hath fared with us as with trees withering, which bring forth some small proportions of fruit, though dwingling, as to the proportion, and not in so great plenty as formerly, but I am afraid we are yet growing worse and worse, sure I am if the Lord withdraws his presence from his Ordinances, it must be so, seeing you may see, and not perceive, hearing you may hear, and not understand. Me­thinks I see our Saviour (though now exalted at the right [Page 879] hand of his Father) weeping over England, (as once over Hie­rusalem) and saying, O England! England! thou that hast de­spised the Ordinances of God, and despised those that have been sent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thee, as an hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings: but thou would'st not. Be­hold my house shall now be lest desolate. You may have Ministers, and you may have Ordinances, but you shall not see me hence­forth till you say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. The pulse of the Spirit in Ordinances, hath for many years, beaten faintly, now and then a stroke (like the pulse of a dying man) I am afraid lest the last stroke should be nigh at hand. Where's the power, and presence of God in our assem­blies? Where's the taking of Heaven by force, which former times experienced? Oh that the consideration of the uneom­fortableness of a desolate sanctuary, or dead Ordinanees in an open sanctuary, might awaken you while yet you have hope to do what in you lies that Christ may be kept in his bed with you: it is true, the wind blows where it listeth, and who can command the breathings of it? But yet, let there be nothing wanting in your indeavours, That if God shall measure out such a dispensation, your Consciences may not rebuke you; as wilful occasioners of it. To this end give me leave to advise,

1. That you do not first go out of the bed from him. The Pro­phet told the King, that God would be with him and his People, if they were with God. God is not ready to rise up from his Bed of Love, he never forsook a People that kept clofe to him. The Jews would not be gathered, then Christ hid the things from them that concerned their peace. Christ in the last day of the feast cried. You would not come to me that you might have life. First they would not, then he would not, you have had a Gos­pel feast, possibly this may be the last day of it; this day Christ cries to you: Oh let him not go away with this dreadful word, you will not come to me that you may have life. Take heed of despising Ordinances, of slighting Christ and the means of grace: Take heed of shunning Christs Bed. How many are there that shy the Bedstead, refuse the Sanctuary, how dreadfully do these poor creatures despise their own mercies? Your daies of grace (for ought I know) may be very few, you had not need neglect them. The woman that will not come nigh the Chamber where her husband lodgeth, is not like to have a flourishing Bed.

[Page 880] 2. But secondly. Take heed also, of making Christs Bed un­quiet to him. The unquiet wife often loseth her husbands Company, nothing makes Christs Bed so unquiet to him, as sin doth. The Soul, that resisteth convictions, quencheth the moti­ons of the Spirit of God thrusteth Christ out of his Bed: while you have the light, do not only come unto it, but walk in it. Sanctu­ary sins make God abhor his Sanctuary and loath his dwelling place. Take heed of quenching private motions of the Spirit, or of resisting the more publick convictions of the word.

3. Give up your selves to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle to the Corinthians saith, 2. Cor. 8. 5. that they gave themselves to the Lord, and then to them. Do what in you lies to give up your selves to the Word of God, allow not in your hearts any rebel­lious thoughts against it. Audite verbum Dei & tacete: Some­thing of this you may do, when you hear the Word of God, convincing you of sin, hold your peace to it, suffer the convicti­on to take hold upon your hearts, and to have its operation But alas! man hath a vain, a stubborn, an unquiet, ungospellized heart. What therefore remains but that we should

4. Pray that the Lord would keep us in his Bed, and not him­self rise up from us, let us therefore take unto our selves the words of the Prophet, Jeremiah, Jer 14. 7, 8, 9.

O Lord though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy names sake, for our back slidings are many, we have sinned a­gainst thee.

O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why should'st thou be as a stranger in the land? And as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?

Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished? As a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; O leave us not.

Sermon LXI.

Cant. 1. 17.
The Beams of our house are Cedar: and our Rafters of Fir.

THe same Person speaks still, which spake in the former verse, she had there Commended her beloved: and Commended her Bed, ever since he came into it: she now comes to Commend her, and her beloveds house, in the words of the Text, The Beams of our house are Cedar and our rafters of Fir. The Chaldee Paraph▪ thus glosseth: Solomon the Prophet said, how beautiful is the house of Lords Sanctuary, builded by my hands, of Cedar wood. But the house of the Lords Sanctuary, which is to be builded in the days of the Messias is more beautiful, whose Beams are of those Cedars, which are in the Paradise of pleasure, and the Galleries thereof shall be of Fir, Pine, &c. There are some diffi­cult terms in the Text, I must therefore halt a little, in the ex­plication of the letter.

[...] The Beams of our houses. The word is used two Kings, 6. 2. 5. 2 Chron. 3. 7. where it is translated also a Beam, Gen. 19. 8. it is translated a roof, it comes from [...] which in Pihel signifies to lay the Beams of an house: the Beams of an house are properly those pieces of timber which bear the whole weight of the building. The Beams of our house are, [...] Cedar. The word properly so signifies. It is a word of­ten used in Scripture to express that kind of wood which is called Cedar, which with us is very rare, with them very fre­quent, and ordinary in building, we shall by and by further in­quire the nature of it. The Common usage of the word in Scrip­ture to express Cedars, makes me a little wonder at Montanus his translation of it Larices, which signifies a certain tree, not known (saith Vitruvius,) but to those that dwelt near the Adriatick sea, a kind of wood very useful in buildings because [Page 882] in regard of the great bitterness of the sap, it was neither subject Isiod. l. 17. Dioscor. l. 1. c. 74. to worms, nor putrefaction, nor to be burnt with fire? but I know not whether it was known to the Jews or no: nor can see any reason to depart from our translation.—It follows,

[...] Our Rafters of fire, some read our Galleries: of Cypress, some of Fir, some of Pine. The word translated raf­ters, is used only in this sense in this place, it is also used, Gen. 30. 38. v. 41. Exod. 2. 16. but in those Texts it is translated gutters, and wells. And Cant. 7. 5. where it is translated Galle­ries. Pagnine, thinks it signifies the little Beams, or pieces of timber in buildings. These Rafters, saith the Text, are [...] a word which is no where used in Scripture (saving only in this Text) which hath given Interpreters a liberty to abound in several senses: Hierom, makes it Cypress, so the LXX—Vulg. Lat. Syr. Arab. Others Ash, Others Fir. Aben Ezra Thinks it the same with [...] Fir; our translators seem to follow that so, doth Montanus, and Pagnine. The Caldee Pa­raph, makes it to be the wood of the Brutine tree, of which tree Pliny speaks, and tells us that it is like a Cypress tree. The boughs white, the smell sweet. And a great enemy to Poyson, having thus far enquired the literal meaning of the terms, let us enquire for the real sense: we will first enquire

1. Qu. What is here meant by the house mentioned.

2. What the Beams, and Rafters of this house are.

3. What the excellencies of these sorts of woods were.

Which maketh the Spouse chuse to compare her and her beloveds house, to an house builded of these forts of wood.

1. Qu. What is here meant, by the house, mentioned in the Text, Our house?

Whoso considereth that the Beloved here mentioned is the King of glory, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, who dwells not in houses made with hands, will easily conclude, it is no fabrick of wood and stone, (Christ when he was upon the Earth had no such-place where to hide his head, and now the Heaven of Hea­vens contain him) that is here meant. True it is, that the Lord of old, chose a particular house in which he was pleased more eminently to manifest his gracious presence, in allusion to which, his mystical Spiritual habitation may possibly be called his house. But this is not it which is here intended. The Chaldee Para­phrast makes Solomon in this a Prophet for foretelling an house [Page 883] of God, to which Solomons in all its glory was not like. The new Testament mentions a double house of God. The first more See Heb. 3. 6. publick, viz. The Church, 1. Tim. 3. 15. The second more private, The Souls and bodies of believers. The Apostle tells the Ephesians, that they were become an habitation of God through the Spirit: and the Apostle dissuades from the Sin of Fornicati­on, upon this argument, because their bodies were the temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6. 19. By the house here I find Interpreters generally understanding the aggregate body of Christians, which we call the Church: properly enough called the Lords house, because as a man dwelleth in his house, so the Lord is said to dwell in his Church, 2 Cor. 6. 16. God hath said he will dwell amongst his People, that he is in the midst amongst them, that he walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks, &c. So that by our house in the Text the Church is meant, in which Christ dwells, and the Saints dwell.

The 2d Question is, What is here meant by the Beams and Rafters?

The Beams of a building you know, are those Principal parts which sustain, and uphold the building. We must therefore in­quire what those things or Persons are which do as it were up­hold, and bear up the Church: some understand by these terms V. Bernard. hom. Persons, others understand things: those who understand Per­sons, understand by the Beams the several sorts of Officers in the Church of God. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers. By the rafters they understand particular Christians. So Gregory. Per tignacedrina praedicatores designamus, per laque­aria V. Greg. Mag. ad loc. Cedrus—sublimiores significat San­ctos, Cypressus simpliciores. cupressina ipsos populos figuramus. This seems to be con­form to that of the Apostle, Eph. 2. 20. you are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. But Protestant Writers observe, that the Apostle, there doth not make the Apostles, and Prophets the foundation, but Christ Preached by them, and their Doctrine. And thus they interpret, Chrysostom Oecume­nius, Theophylact, & Tertullian, concluding that the Apostles and Prophets, could not be called the foundation upon any other account then with respect to their Ministry, and the Doctrine of the Gospel, Preached by them. For other foundation can none lay, then what is already laid, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Non enim respexit rei nomen sed rem nominis (saith Chamier;) others therefore by the Beams and rafters, [Page 884] of Christs house (mentioned in the Text) understand rather Si ad Ecclesias haec referas quasi tigna [...]a­rum sunt Divi­na Praecepta. Lud. de Ponte. things then Persons: yet here again they are divided: some un­derstanding by the Beams and Rafters, The Word and Ordinances of God. Thus the Dutch Annotat. By the Beams is understood the Doctrine of the Prophets & Apostles. 2. Others understand the grace of the holy Spirit of God. There are other particular fan­cies. But I shall chuse to follow those who interpret the Raf­ters and Beams to be the Word and Ordinances of God: for these like the Beams of an house keep up the Church, and are as it were the Common Soul, that running through the whole Church keeps it together and indeed makes it one, and so much shall serve for the second question: the third follows.

3. Qu. Why the Spouse, here compares the Word and Or­dinances to Cedar and Fir, or Cypress, or Brutine.

There are four or five things which these trees, and sorts of wood are more famous for, viz. 1. Duration. 2. Beauty. 3. strength. 4. Talness. 5. Smell.

1. It is observed, of the Cedar, that it is a beautiful, goodly tree, I shall add the 4th. Talness; indeed its talness is a great part of its beauty: hence you read of the goodly Cedar, Ezech. Can [...]. 5. 15. 17. 23. Psal. 80. 10. and the tall Cedar, Isa. 37. 24.

2. As these are tall trees, so they are strong, and therefore ordinarily used in buildings, strong and yet light. Hence when the Holy Ghost sometimes would express the great power of God, he expresseth it under this Notion, The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars in Lebanon, Psal. 29. v. 5. Firs and Cedars are apt to bear great weights and yet without any great loading of the building.

3. It is observed of them that they are very durable. Na­turalists, say, that they are not as other wood subject to worms, Pliny Nat. Hist. l. 16. cap. 40. nor (so soon) to rottenness and decay, as other wood is. Pliny saith that it is commonly thought they will never decay: and gives an instance of the Temple of Diana, whose Beams, Raf­ters and Spars were made of Cedar: The leaves and doors of Cypress. And after 400 years, they not only continued sound, but (the doors especially) shining and as it were polished. They report of the Temple of Apollo, (whose Beams and main pieces were made of Numidian Cedars) that it continued entire and sound 1188 years. How true these stories are I cannot assert, but certain it is, these sorts of wood were very durable.

[Page 885] 4. A 4th thing observed of the Cedar and Cypress trees, is their odoriferous smell.

According to this interpretation of the Text, the scope of it is to Commend unto us, the Word of God, and the Gospel Ordinances. 1. For their Beauty. 2. Continuance. 3. Power and and Efficacy. 4. And lastly, For their exceeding sweetness. From the Text thus far opened, you may observe three Propositi­ons.

1. Prop. That the Church of God is the house of God.

2. Prop. That the word, and Ordinances of God, are the Beams and Rafters of this house.

3. Prop. That there is a Beauty, sweetness, power and efficacy, and an incorruptible nature in the Word of God, and Ordi­nances of the Gospel: I begin with these in their order.

1. Prop. The Church of God is Jesus Christ's and the believers house. Our house (saith the Text.) We will first enquire

1. What is meant by the Church. 2. How it appears, that the Church is the house of the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. How it is the believers house. 4. What may be inferred from hence for our profit, in matter of knowledge and holiness.

1. Qu. What is meant by the Church.

This hath in this latter age of the World been found an hard matter to agree amongst Persons of different Notions. That the term Church, is a name of multitude, and that a Church, must be an aggregate body, is generally agreed; that it is a body of People called by God out of the World, is also as freely consented to. But whether only called by a general call, outwardly accept­ed by them so far at least, that they do own the Doctrine of the Gospel, or by a more special and effectual calling, not only out of the Pagan World, but also out of the unbelieving World: These things have been matters of great dispute amongst us: yet all acknowledge the distribution of the Church into that which is Triumphant and that which is militant. The Trium­phant part of the Church, is that part of it, who (God having in the time of their life called them out of the Paganish and un­believing World and they afterward finished their course) are called also by God out of this sensible, sinful, elementary World to the enjoyment of himself in glory. These are thrice called. 1. Out of the Pagan World, to the acknowledgment of the Do­ctrine of the Gospel. 2. Out of the unbelieving World, to par­take [Page 886] of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Grace by true and lively Faith. 3. Out of the sensible sinful World, to the Inheritance of glory. The other part of the Church, is that which is usually called Mili­tant, and is the whole number of those whom God hath called out of the Paganish World, to the acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine of the Gospel. This is again distinguished into that which is Invisible, and that which is Visible. The Invi­sible part is that whole number of men and women in the World, which the Lord by his Gospel hath called out of darkness into mar­velous light, out of a state of Nature, into a state of Grace. The Matter of this Church are men and women; the Form their Union in and with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Visible Church is that about which the great quarrels have been: Some agreeing it to be the whole number of People over the face of the whole Earth, called out from a state of Paganism, to the embracing of the Doctrine of the Gospel. The Matter of it are men and women professing to Christ Jesus; the Form is their Union in the same Profession, acknowledg­ment of the same Truth, and Waies, and Means of Worship. Now, as the Sea is but one, though as it passeth by several Coasts it re­ceives several denominations, as the Irish Sea, the English Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltick Sea, &c. so as this great body is di­vided into several Countries, it receives several denominations, as The Church of England, Scotland, France, &c. And as again in a particular Nation (suppose England) it is impossible that the whole body of Professors should meet in one place; and therefore there are several places of Publick Worship, and several Precincts of People who meet together in several places to worship God, (yet Upon which account you read in Scrip­ture of Churches, and the word in the Text is plural, our houses. all agreeing in the same Doctrine of Faith, and order of serving God) so there are in the World thousands of such Bodies which are called particular Churches, and are under the inspection of seve­ral Officers; all which yet together make but one Church of God. For their Notion who think that the Church of God must needs be such an even number as can meet together in the same numerical acts of Worship, in one place▪ we conceive it stands upon no such bottom, that it deserves any pains in the confutation of it; it may be a good Notion of a particular Church, but not an exclusive of the Application of the term to more. Now this Visible Church of God, is that which is Christ's House. The Invisible Church is so, and the Visible Church is so. He walketh in the midst of the gol­den Candlesticks.

[Page 887] 2. That this is Christ's House, appears,

1. From the letter of Scripture, 1 Tim. 3. 15. That thou mayess know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God. Timothy's charge was not the Invi­sible Church, but the Visible Church; this is called the House of God, Heb. 3. 6. Christ is said to be faithful as a Son over his own house, whose house, saith he, we are, &c. I shall not here dispute the Question, whether the hypocritical part of the Visible Church be aequivocal or univocal Members; sure I am, take those together with the sincere Professors, and they make up but one Church, which is his House.

Quoad Domi­nium. But secondly; Look which way you will upon the Church, it is Christ's House, he hath the dominion of it, and he useth it as his House; he hath bought it, Act. 20. 28. he hath redeemed it with his own precious blood: It is given him: It is his House by right of donation. The Members of it are given him by his Father. The Stones of it are his; the Saints are the lively Stones, built up into this Spiritual House, 1 Pet. 2. 5. and they are built upon the foundation of his Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Cor­ner Stone; they are sanctified in and through Jesus Christ; his blood is as the Mortar and Cement, by that they are united to God, and made one each with other: The Builder is his Spirit, Eph. 2. 22. Consider an House as to the use of it; and upon that account they are also his House. Is an House the place where a man abideth and Quoad Ʋsum. dwelleth? so is the Church to the Lord Jesus Christ; that's the place where he dwelleth: He dwelt of old in Mount Zion, Isa. 8. 18. there he abideth. Is the House a man's resting place? so is Zion to God, 2 Chron. 6. 41. Psal. 132. 8, 13, 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Is the House a man's feeding place, where he dineth, and suppeth, and feedeth? so is the Church, Cant. 2. 16. He feedeth amongst the Lillies. When the Spouse de­sired to be informed where Christ fed, her answer was, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flock, Cant. 1. 7. Is that a man's House where he keeps his Wife, his Children, his Servants? such is the Church, there Christ keeps his Children, his Servants, his Spouse. Is a man's House the place where he spends what he hath? such is the Church, there it is that Christ gives out grace and glory, yea and every good thing. Lastly; Is a man's House the place where he is protected and defended? such is the Church to Christ, there he ex­pe [...]s protection for his great Name, his Ordinances, &c. But this is [Page 888] enough to have shewed you the propriety of the Metaphor. But,

3. The Church is not only Christ's House, but it is the Belie­ver's House too; not the Believer's House as to dominion and title, but as to use. No man but Jesus Christ alone hath a dominion and Lordship over the Church of God; even the Apostles themselves were but Ministers to it. But yet I say, The Church is the Belie­ver's House; it is the place where he dwells: He chuseth rather to be a Door-keeper in the House of the Lord, than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness, Psal. 84. 10. Hear David expressing himself, Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple. A man cannot be a Believer, but he must forthwith be a Member of the Church Invisible. None is a true Believer, but he immediately, by his Profession of that Faith, makes himself a Member of the Catho­lick Visible Church; and he will desire to unite himself to the parti­cular Assemblies, which are parts of that Catholick Body. No sooner were the three thousand converted, at St. Peter's Sermon, Act. 2. 41. But they added to the Church, and there they dwell, v. 42. They continue stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship, and in breaking of bread and prayers. No sooner was Paul converted, Act. 9. 26. but he assayeth to joyn himself unto the Disciples. And v. 28. he was with them going out and coming in at Hierusalem. But this is enough to have spoken to the Explication of the Point. I come to the Application, which shall be in four words. This Notion speaks the Churches 1. Dignity, 2. Duty, 3. Security, 4. Proba­bility of Reformation.

Use 1. In the first place; This Notion speaks the Church's Dignity. It is the Habitation of the King of Kings. When Jacob in his Journey to Padan-Aram, had had that notable Vision, he breaketh out in the morning into this expression, v. 17. How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the House of God; this is the Gate of Heaven. I am not speaking of the Church in a local notion, but of the true Church. The number of true Believers, or the number of Visible Professors, let the World vilifie them as much as they please, they are a Noble Society. Those who have clean hands, and pure hearts, who have not lift up their Souls unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, they shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of their Salvation. This is the generation of them that seek thy face, O Jacob, Psal. 24. 4, 5, 6. Believers may have their infirmities, and a Professing▪ People may have their great failings, [Page 889] (the Lord be merciful to the Professors of England for theirs) but yet take them (notwithstanding all) and they are the best People in the World; they are the Lord's Habitation, he hath pitched his Tents among them, and manifests his presence with them.

Use 2. Secondly; As it speaks the Dignity of the Church; so it speaks the Duty of those who are the Members of the Church, Psal. 93. 5. Holiness becomes thine House, O Lord. The Wise man commands us to keep our feet when we go into the House of God, Eccles. 5. And God bid Moses put off the shoes from off his feet, upon this account, because he was upon holy ground, (he was near the burning Bush) where God made himself a temporary Habitation. Those that take upon them the Profession of Religion, stand concerned to be holy; and those that are entred into the Profession of it stand concerned to be holy; they are in the House of God, and God is an holy God. There is in this Notion a double Argument for this, from 1. God's Holiness, 2. God's Jealousie.

1. God is an holy God: Hence those who are unholy, are not like to please him, nor he likely to continue long with them. Look as it is with a Neat man, who hath a large House, the filth and nasti­ness of this or that Room, will not make him leave his whole House, but it may make him leave this or that part of it, and sel­dom or never be seen in this or that Room; the dirty filthy Room shall not be his Lodging-chamber, nor the place where he will rest or feed: So it is betwixt God and the Church. The prophane­ness or looseness of a particular Church, or particular Person in the Church, shall not make God forsake his whole Church; but it may cause God to leave this or that Church, or this or that Member of the Church.

2. God's Jealousie engageth Members of his Church to be holy: Hence it is that he is more severe to a Professing People living con­trary to their Profession, than to any others. Judgment begins at the House of God. Hence that in Jer. 7. 9, 10. Will you steal, mur­ther 1 Pet. 4. 17. and commit Adultery, and swear falsly, and burn Incense to Baal, and walk after other Gods whom you know not, and come and Jer. 7. 9, 10. stand before me in this House which is called by my Name?—Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers, &c. And that, Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth; therefor I will punish you for all your iniquities. O therefore, you that profess to God, be holy, for he is an holy God, and a jea­lous God, and you are his House.

[Page 890] 3. I may add a third Argument, it is that of the Apostle, Heb. 3. 6.— Whose House we are, if we hold fast the confidence and re­joycing of hope firm to the end. The unholy man disclaims God, and God disclaims him; he hath but the name of a stone in the Lord's House, if he be not a lively stone.

Use 3. Thirdly; This Notion of the Church's being the House of God, speaks protection and security to it. Every man stands obliged to de­fend his House. God stands obliged by his Nature, and by his Word, to protect and defend his Church: Hence those many Promises for its protection, Psal. 46. 5. God is in the midst of her, therefore she shall not fall, Psal. 125. 2. As the Mountains are round about Hieru­salem, so the Lord is round about his People. The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, Matth. 16. 18. with many others of the like nature, particular Churches may be destroyed and rooted out. But God will have a dwelling place upon the Earth, let Satan and his Instruments do what they can.

Use 4. Fourthly, It speaks to us hopes of Reformation. No man will suffer his House to fall down, but will repair it, if there be any breaches, and if he be able, he will make it his business to adorn and beautifie it, and make it fit for him to dwell in it. God will not let his House run to ruine, but will seasonably repair it, and make it a dwelling-place fit for his Holiness.

Use 5. Lastly; Is the Church Christ's House, and the Saints House? what cause have we to bless God who hath cast our Lot within the Pales of the Church? And how do we all stand concerned not to forsake her Assemblies. But I shall not inlarge further upon this first Proposition.

Sermon LXII.

Cantieles 1. 17.
The Beams of our House are Cedar, and our Rafters are of Fir.

I Come to the second Proposition, which I have observed out of these words.

Prop. 2. That the Word and Ordinances of God are the Beams and Rafters of his House, which is his Church.

[Page 891] So I chose rather to interpret these metaphorical terms than (as some) concerning Persons. I shall shew you the propriety of the Me­taphor in a few particulars.

1. Beams and Rafters are integral parts of an House, indeed part of the substance of it, without which there can be no House. An House may want a due proportion of Beams and Rafters, and yet be an House; but some there must be, some more principal Beams and Rafters, or there can be no House; Without the Word and Or­dinances of God, there can be no Church of God. Every company of men make not a Church, but a company owning the Word of God, and walking in the Fellowship of Ordinances; these make an House of God. A Church may for a time (it may be for some long time) want some particular Ordinances, and yet be a true Church of God, but its state must be lame and imperfect. But if it want all the Or­dinances, if it wants the Word and Sacraments, which are the Church's Beams, it cannot be a Church of God. It is lame if it wants any Ordinance of God, but it loseth the nature of a Church if it wants all Ordinances. That which makes a Church to be a Church, is Union and Fellowship; now the Word of God, and the Doctrine of Faith contained in the Word and the Ordinances for Worship and Order, are those things in which the Church hath its Fellowship, by which the Members of the Church have Fellow­ship both with God, and also one with another.

2. The House is built upon Beams and Rafters, and they bear up the weight of the other materials. The weight of every Tile in the House lies upon the Rafters, and the whole Building is laid up­on the groundsel and dormans, and wall plates, and studds; all which come under these two Notions of Beams and Rafters. The Church of God also is builded upon the Word of God; this is that which the Apostle, Eph. 2. 20. calls the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets; the Faith and Obedience of every particular Member of the Church is builded upon the Word of Promise, and the Word of Precept. Our Faith is built upon the Promises of the Word; our Obedience upon the Precepts, they are the Foundations, and Rule of all Holiness. The whole weight of every particular Soul is laid upon the Word, and the weight of the whole Church lies upon the Word of God. Look as it is in an earthly house builded with the hands of men, if the Beams prove false or untrusty, or the Foun­dations prove unsure, the whole Building either sinks and falls, or at least sways this or that way: So it is with the Church as to the [Page 892] Word of God; yea so it is as to every particular Soul; the secu­rity of the particular Soul, and the whole Fabrick of the Church, depends upon the truth, and sureness, and permanency of the Word of God. If the Word of God should not hold sure, if the Truth of God could be found a Lye, all our Faith and Hope is in vain. The very notion of a Church is a Chimaera, and the greatest concernments of it are buried up in ruines. It is the Word of God that is the Basis of the Church, and the Basis of every individual Soul, that is a Mem­ber of that Church.

3. The Beams and Rafters of an House, as they support the burthen, and bear the weight of the Building: so they also unite the parts and sides of it; they are the Mediums of Union to it; so is the Word and Ordinances to the Church: The Word is the Foundation upon which the Church, and every particular Soul is builded; and the Doctrine of Faith, and the Ordinances of God, are the means of Union in it. I do not think that an Explicit Covenant-Union, is ne­cessary to the constitution of a Church: I think that Union which the whole Church hath in the Profession of the same Doctrine of Faith, and in the practice of the same Ordinances & Rules of Wor­ship, is sufficient to make up such an Union amongst all Gospel Professors, as may justifie the denomination of a Catholick Church. And again, an agreement in the Profession of the same Faith, and the practice of the same Ordinances in the same place, is enough to make up a particular Church of God. Look as in a Building, let the walls be at never so many foot distance one from another, yet the beams or dormans that go across the Building, unite them together, and make them all but one and the same Building: So it is with the whole number of Professors, scattered over the face of the whole Earth, though part of them be in England, part in France, part in Germany, part in other parts of the World, yet the same Doctrine and Profession of Faith, and the practice of the same Ordinances of Worship running through them all, makes the whole but one Body, one Church, the House of the Living God.

4. Look as it is with the Beams and Rafters; the purer, and stronger, and more substantial they are, and the more intire and homo­geneous they are, the stronger the House is: So it is as to the Word and Ordinances of God; the purer the Doctrine of Faith, and Ordi­nances for Worship are, the stronger and better the Church is. If the Beams of an House be sappy, or rotten, or patched up of seve­ral heterogeneous pieces, the weaker the House is, and more subject [Page 893] to fall, and to decay: So it is with the Church, which is the House of the Living God. If the Doctrine of Faith, owned and professed in it, be as it were heart of Oke, pure Doctrine, taken out of the heart of the Written Word, not sappy through the additions of Humane Inventions, nor heterogeneous, part of it the pure Word of God, part of it the meer Fancies and Doctrines of men; if the Ordinances for Worship practised in it, be pure Ordinances, if the Tabernacle be according to the Pattern of the Mount, according to the form of sound words, and pure Rule of the Gospel, the Church is fair, and glorious, and strong, the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it; but if otherwise, if the Doctrine of Faith professed in it be mingled with the Clay of Humane Fancies and Errours; if the Ordinances of Worship practised in it, be full of the sap of Traditions and Ceremonies, the Church is a declining, decaying Church, and hath no strength in her. The reason is, because God will not continue with such a Church. The Psalmist saith of the Church, God is in the midst of her, therefore she shall not fall; now they must be golden Candlesticks in the midst of which God walk­eth. But thus much may be sufficient to shew you the propriety of the Metaphor. Let me shortly Apply this before I pass on to the other Proposition.

Use 1. This (in the first place) commends unto us the Excellency of the Word of God, and the Doctrine of Faith contained in it, and the Ex­cellency of Gospel Ordinances; they are the Beams and Rafters of the House of God, hewed out, framed and fitted to the Building, by him who was the Master-builder, the Lord Jesus Christ, and laid by him. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 3. 10, 11. saith, that as a wise Master­builder 1 Cor. 3. 10, 11. he had laid the Foundation, and another builded thereon—v. 11. Other Foundation could no man lay, than that already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Christ is called the Church's Fundamentum, its Foun­dation, and he is the lapis angularis, the corner stone, as is contain­ed in the Scripture. Saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in 1 Pet. 2. 6. Zion a chief corner stone, ele [...]t and precious; the head of the body, Col. 1. 18. Col. 1. 18. He from whom the whole body fitly joyned together, and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth, according to the effe­ctual Eph. 4. 16. working in the measure of every part, Eph. 4. 16. Our Divines say, that Christ is the Foundation of the Church in a double sense. 1. He is Fundamentum Salutis, the Foundation of Salvation in the Church: The Salvation of every Soul lieth upon his shoulders, Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other. 2. He is Fun­damentum [Page 894] Acts 4. 1 [...]. Fidei, & Cultus, the Foundation of Faith, and Doctrine of Worship and Order, the Foundation of Doctrine and Ordinances, I say: And as no man can lay any other Foundation of Salvation than Christ; so neither can any lay any other Beams of Doctrine or Institutions for Worship, but what Jesus Christ hath laid. Christ, by himself, and by his Apostles, laid these Foundations and Beams of Doctrine and Worship; from the Gospel of Christ, and the Writings of the Apostles must be drawn, the Articles for the first, and the Canons for the latter: And the whole Building of the Church de­pends upon these Foundations and Beams. Let the Word of Faith, or the Purity of Worship fail from the Church, or any part there­of, it presently ceaseth to be a Church of God, and turns into an Antichristian Synagogue. Now I say, this commends to every Chri­stian, the Doctrine of Faith, and the Ordinances of God. There is an Excellency in Entity or Being: Hence whatsoever it be which gives Being to a thing, and without which it would not be (at least not such) hath a great Excellency in it; and the more noble the thing is, to which Being is given, the more Excellent is the Form by which it hath such Being. The Soul of man gives Being to a man: The Body without the Soul is but a lump of flesh, a piece of Clay; the Soul informeth, and inliveneth, and giveth an Humane Being to it; separate that from it, and the man is no more. Some Philosophers have vainly dreamed of an Amma Mundi, a general Soul of the World, which should give Form, Life, Motion to every part of the World. Now as the Soul of a man is more excellent than any Souls of Beasts, because it is the Principle of a more Noble Being, so (doubtless) if there were any such Universal Soul, which gave Life, Being, Motion, Form, Union, to all the World, it would be a more excellent substance than any particular Soul is. But God himself supplieth that place. Now The Word and Ordinances of the Gospel, though they be not Anima Mundi, the Soul of the World. Yet they are Anima E [...]clesiae, as it were the Soul of the Church of God, without which the Church would be no such thing as the Church of the Living God: They are those things which make the Church to be a Church; and the whole Church to be but one Church. Let this therefore engage every Christian to prize the Word, and to prize the Ordinances of the Gospel. That's the first Branch.

Use 2. Hence in the second place you may observe, what is a sad Symp­tom of a decaying Church, and by this you may also discern a lame [Page 895] and imperfect Church. Look as in a Building there are some more principal Beams and pieces of Timber, without which there can be no House, no Building: Others that are integral parts, without which the Building is not compleat, yet the House may be an House, though lame and imperfect. So it is in this case, without the Doctrine of Faith, and some Ordinances of Worship, the Church is no Church. If any part of the Doctrine of Faith be wanting, or corrupted in a Church, the Church is (however true) yet lame and imperfect. Suppose a Church wholly want some Ordinances, (as some do the Ordinances of Ecclesiastical Censures) yet they are not by this made no Church, if they have the Doctrine of Faith, and some Ordinances of Worship; much less ought a Church to be so cen­sured, for the temporary want or suspension of the Exercise of some Ordinances, (which was the case of the Jewish Church in the Wil­derness as to Circumcision) but yet the Church that wanteth such Ordinances is imperfect and lame. And again I say, this is a sad Symptom of a decaying Church, when either the Doctrine of Faith, or Ordinances of Worship, are denied, or corrupted in it; for these are the Beams and Rafters of the House; and every one grants that House to be a decaying, declining House, where the Beams and Rafters are rotten. We need no further Evidence of this than what we have in God's Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, recorded by St. John in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation. The Church of Smyrna was a decaying Church: The Doctrine of Balaam, and of the Nicolaitans was holden in it. The Church of Thyatira was a decaying Church, for the Woman Jezebel taught, and seduced the Servants of God in it. And but a while after, (these Rafters and Beams being decayed) these Houses of God fell, and to this very day lie in their rubbish. From that time that Jeroboam set up the Calves at Dan and Bethel, and the Kings of Judah set up Altars in Groves, the Church of the Jews was a de­clining, decaying Church, and the Rulers of it, and Members of it having no heart timely to repair, and reform it, the House fell. It is true, God raised it again after the Captivity, but it decaying the second time, fell, and lies buried in its Ruines this day.

Thirdly. From this Notion, may be drawn a great argument both for unity, and uniformity. Ʋnity in matters of faith. Ʋnifor­mity in matters of practice. The Doctrine of unity in the Church of the Gospel is exceedingly pressed in Scripture, scarce is there any one of the Epistles of the Apostles, in which, it is not again [Page 896] and again pressed; Be of one mind: there is a double union, which is our duty to labour after. The first is unit as fidei: the unity of faith, as to the understanding. The second is unit as Charit at is quoad affectum, the unity of Love, and Charity as to the affecti­ons. The latter of these hath been highly pleaded for in these sinful, and wofully divided times: and indeed never more need of it, but it hath not been duly considered, that considering the corrupt state of man, The former union must be the Mother of the latter. For as all love is founded in some similitude, so this love and affection where it hath any where grown up to its due heighth, we shall find, hath been founded in the similitude of understanding, and de facto it is evi­dent, that amongst Christians of different persuasions in the things of God, there hath seldom been an intireness of cor­dial affection. Indeed these things ought not to be: there­fore I do not Commend them, nor yet blame the exhorta­tion of brethren of divided Principles to an union in affection, forbearing one another where all things have not been alike revealed to all; but such is the corruption of our natures, that 1 Cor. 1. 10. this is rather optandum, then sperandum, to be wished for rather than hoped, for if there could be unity in Judgment and unifor­mity in practice, (which the Apostle calls a thinking and a speak­ing the same things) the other union of affection would follow more readily: O let us labour for this. There is but one truth; but one true rule of Worship. This Doctrine, these rules are contained in the Word of God: these are the Beams and Rafters of the Church, and if the same Beams and Rafters run through the whole Church, and be upon every part of the roof, we may expect that the building should be strong, and durable; on the other side, the difference of these Beams and Rafters, whiles one Church holds one thing in ma [...]ter of faith, another Church holdeth another thing; nay, whiles one particular Chri­stian believes one thing, another Christian believes another thing, whiles this Church, or this Christian Worships God af­ter one way and order, another Church, or other Christians, they Worship God after another way: though indeed it is possible their differences may not be so great, but they may yet agree in one and the same head, the Lord Jesus Christ, and so both parties differing may at lest be saved, yea it may be their differences are not so great, but there may be a just for­bearing [Page 897] one of another (provided all Christians were of equal understandings, or that they rightly understood each other;) yet doubtless, this breach of unity, as to matters of Judgment, in things relating to the Doctrine of Faith, and breach of Ʋnifor­mity as to matters of practice, is a great weakening of the Church of God, and much spoileth the beauty, and glory of it: O there­fore study unity, and study uniformity: you strengthen the build­ing by both these, you weaken it, by dividing or disagreeing (at least to open notice.) It is to me very remarkable that St. Paul almost in every Epistle presseth these things, and Phil. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 2. when but two women dissented, he thought it worthy of his pains to persuade them to it: I beseech Euodias, and I beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Doest thou therefore O Christian, differ from other Christians amongst whom thou livest, in any matter of faith, or in any matter of pra­ctice, as to fellowship in Ordinances? sit not down Satisfied, but labour for this unity, for this uniformity. And as means to it, let me but offer you my thoughts.

1. I would have Christians open hearted and free in the dis­covery of their dissents. It is one of the great plagues of our times, that Christians are not free one with another, but lock up their private opinions, and make it a great piece of their art to conceal themselves and to lurk under ambiguous phrases, &c. It is true some are too open: the Apostle Commands him that in an indifferent thing hath a particular faith, to have it to himself before God, Rom. 14. 22. that is to be understood as to the open publishing of it to the disturbance of others, and the offence of the weak: but in the mean time (doubtless) a prudent discovery of such dissents, to able and faithful Persons of a differing Judgment, would much contribute to the unity of Christians.

2. Especially 2dly, If they would be willing to be convinced, and to hear arguments against themselves, to bring forth their strong reasons and to hear others bring forth theirs also: I know not how it comes to pass, that Christians who have Spiri­tual sores, in their understandings and Judgments, are very loth to discover them, and are impatient of having them touch­ed (at least) at first, would Christians be willing to take Satis­faction, and give Satisfaction each to other, many of our dif­ferences in Doctrine and practice would easily be composed; [Page 898] especially if to their mutual discourses to this purpose they would but bring humble hearts, and pietatem discendi rather then discutiendi acumen, a pious mind to learn rather then a de­fire to shew their quaintness in arguing their own cause (which Augustine lamented that he did not do in his reading the Scrip­tures whiles he was a young man.)

3. And 3dly, If to all this Christians would add Prayer unto that God who revealeth truth to his People, it would highly con­tribute to this unity I am pleading for, it is a piece of Christs intercession for us that we might be one.

4. And lastly, Would Christians (as becomes such as are humble) if after all due means used for mutual Satisfaction, and attaining to this happiness, but learn that piety and prudence which the Apostle Commands and reason dictateth, viz. To keep the things wherein they dissent to themselves and walk together so far forth, as they have mutually attained, and are mutually agreed: certainly this would go very far, and if this course did not ful­ly contribute to preserve the strength and beauty of the Beams, and Rafters, of Gods house amongst us; yet the weakness of them, or rather indeed our weakness would not be so manifest to our enemies nor our nakedness so much discovered unto them that hate us.

Use 4. Is the Doctrine of faith? And are the Ordinances of God, the Beams, and Rafters of the Church? How much are we then all concerned to keep them in their strength, and purity, and beauty. We are Commanded to contend earnestly for the faith, which was delivered once to the Saints, Jude. 3. and to strive to­gether for the faith of the Gospel, Phil. 2. 7. there is a striving about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers, which the Apostle warns Timothy against, 2 Tim. 2. 14. and there is a striving about things that are indifferent and it may be grant­ed on both sides to be so. These are vain janglings and unpro­fitable strivings. But there is a striving for the Doctrine of faith, against Haereticks, and erroneous Persons, and there is a striv­ing for a true Worship of God, and a pure administration of Or­dinances, according to the rule of the word, without the mix­ture of Ceremonies and humane Inventions. In these things Christians that are members of the Church, stand highly con­cerned to strive: To strive to maintain, the Word of God, and the Doctrines of faith contained in them, that they be not cor­rupted [Page 899] with the leaven of errour. And to maintain the Worship of God in its perfection, that no part of it be loft: and in its purity, that the administration of it be not mixed up with hu­mane inventions: now to strive for these things is a noble striv­ing, and worthy of Christians: for the Ordinances of God and the Word of God they are the Beams and Rafters of the house of God, and what man is there that doth not take himself con­cerned to take care of the Beams and Rafters of hishouse, that nothing comes to them which may expose them to a sudden putrefaction and rotenness, and indanger the whole building to fall? If a Church defends the Doctrine of the Word, and the Ordinances of God, and maintains them in their strength, beauty, purity, they will defend it. There can be no instance given of Gods leaving any Church, so long as the Doctrine of faith re­mained in it incorrupted, and the Ordinances of God abode in it and were administred in their power, strength and purity. But this is enough to have spoken to the 2d Proposition: the 3d yet remains.

Sermon LXIII.

Cant. 1. 17.
The Beams of our house are Cedar: and our Rafters are of Fir.

I Am now come to the last Proposition which I observed out of these Words, with which I shall close my discourses, both upon this verse, and upon this whole Chapter. The point is this:

Prop. 3. There is a Beauty, Sweetness, Power and Efficacy, and an incorruptible nature in the Word and Ordinances of God.

These four things I noted to you concerning these two sorts of wood to which the Spouse here likeneth the Beams, and Rafters of the Church which is her, and her beloveds house: [Page 900] Here are four things (in the Proposition) praedicated of these Spiritual Rafters

1. The first is Beauty▪ Cedars, and Fir trees, are tall, and goodly trees, the latter lose not their beauty in the Winter time. Zion of old was called the perfection of beauty, Psal. 50. 2. strength and beauty were said to be in the Sanctuary, Psal. Psal. 50. 2. 96. 6. Rom. 10. 15. 96. 6. the feet of them who bring glad tidings of peace are called beautiful, Rom. 10. 15. the Sanctuary indeed of old had an external beauty, it was full of Gold, and of rare work, which much pleased the carnal Eyes of the beholders. This beauty is ceased with the Jewish Worship. But there is a greater beau­ty still remaining, the beauty of Solomons Temple in all its glo­ry, was not like the beauty of Gospel administration.

1. Beauty is a pleasing thing. That which Satisfieth the lust of the Eye, is that which we call carnal beauty: the orderly administration of Gospel institutions is a comely thing in the Eyes of a Spiritual Soul, the simplicity of the Gospel administrations hinders not the beauty at all. The sober, grown Person, thinks a suit of plain Spanish cloth, as beautiful, as the Child thinks its gay coat, whose colours it may be are more diverse and the rib­bands about it of several colours, but the substance of it not of half so much value. 'Tis true the legal administrations were more gay, but though the trimming were more costly the cloth was not so good: They were all but shadows of things to come. The substance is ours. What sober Person lives in a Congregati­on, where the Sabbaths of God are strictly observed: where the Pastor powerfully, plainly, clearly, gravely, Preacheth the wholesome Doctrines of the Gospel, Prays powerfully and Spiritually, where the Word of God is read, and the Sacraments duly and orderly administred, where Psalms are daily sung in a Spiritual manner; and the Ordinances of discipline, are prudent­ly and faithfully executed, and doth not see a great comeliness in them, at which his Soul is pleased, and with which it is de­lighted?

2. As they are exceeding pleasing to a Spiritual heart, so there is a lovely Majesty in them, and also a great Symmetry and proportion. God hath stamped a certain secret Majesty upon every holy institution of his, which Commandeth love and re­verence for it, from all sober Persons, who have not outlawed both their reason and Religion too, and here again the plainness, [Page 901] and simplicity of the Gospel administrations gives advantage to them: besides there is a great Symmetry in them: the word Preached is verbum audible, an audible word, the Sacrament is verbum visible, a visible word. When the Gospel is Preached▪ what is Preached but Christ crucified, and what is that which is represented in the Sacrament but a Christ crucified? The whole Gospel administration is a goodly thing, and doth shine nativa luca in a certain native light of its own: and hath such a loveliness attends the pure dispensation of it, that the superad­ding of any humane inventions, is but like adding black patches to a lovely face, without which it was far more beautiful.

3. But lastly the Beauty of the Word and Ordinances, of the Gospel lies in this that the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ is up­on them. This is that which gives them lustre. Observe holy David, Psal. 27. v. 4. one thing have I desired of the Lord: that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, & to enquire in his holy Temple. The gracious Soul sees the Face of God in his Word, and the Image of Christ in Ordinances, this makes them lovely. Look as it is with the body; let it be never so good­ly a structure, the lineaments of it never so proportioned, yet if the Soul informs it not, there is no beauty in it: So it is with Ordinances. Christ is the Soul of Ordinances, and it is only his stamp upon them, his presence in them, which makes them lovely, and beautiful. Take the Word of God, as Christ is wrapt up in it, the Ordinances of God, as they are the institutions of Christ and sacred conduit pipes, and means, by which Christ conveys himself, and the influences of his grace, unto Peoples Souls; so they are exceeding beautiful: they are those perfor­mances in which the Soul seeth Christ, and meets with Christ; and this makes them goodly things.

2. The 2d thing which the Proposition praedicates concern­ing the word and Ordinances, is power and Efficacy, and usefulness, I observed to you concerning Cedars, that as they had much beauty and goodliness in them: so they had much strength in them, which made them very useful for Beams and Rafters, fit to bear the weight of materials in building laid upon them and to uphold the building. There is a wonderful power and vertue in the Word and Ordinances of God.

[Page 902] 1. There is a supporting power in them.

2. There is a working power in them.

1. There is in them a supporting power: They support a Church. The Apostle saith that the Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Eph. 2. the Church cannot stand with­out them: they support a particular Soul. The weight of poor Souls all lies upon the Word of God: how often doth holy David speak to this in that excellent Psalm, Psal. 119. v. 49. Remember thy Word into thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope, v. 15. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me, 81. My Soul fainteth for thy Salvation: but I hope in thy word, v. 92. unless thy love had been my delight I should have perished in my affliction. Nay herein doth the won­derful power of the Word of God appear above the strength of Cedars, you must Imagine a Cedar Beam of some proportiona­ble bigness to bear the great weight of a building, every stick of Cedar will not do it. But now not the whole Word of God on­ly, but a particular promise, will strangely support and bear up the whole weight of a Soul sinking into despair, I have here­tofore given you strange instances in this case, and I doubt not but many of your Souls can verify this from a particular ex­perience.

2. But further, there is a working power likewise, in the Word, and Ordinances; this is now more than is in a Cedar beam, that hath in it a great strength, but it hath no life, it is an inanimate thing, and so worketh nothing, it beareth much, but hath no activity in it. The words which I speak (saith our Saviour) are Spirit, and life. Indeed the life and Spirit which they have, is Christs life, Christs Spirit; without which they are but dead letters, and weak things, but from Christs concurrence with them, they have not only the forementioned power to uphold, and bear up a sinking Soul, but they have an active, working power, to cast down the strong holds of the Soul (according to that of the Apostle 2. Cor. 10. 4) The Weapons of our warfare, are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God, and bringing into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ. But I shall not inlarge upon this being something beyond my Metaphor.

3. The third thing which my Proposition predicateth of the [Page 903] Word & Ordinances of God is sweetness. This is one thing which I observed to you concerning the C [...]dar wood, and the pine Tree they were of a grateful and delightful smell. The sweetness of the Cedar is a gratefulness to the exterior senses: But the sweetness of the Word and Ordinances of God is intellectual, they are sweet to the inward man. Which intellectual sweetness is yet set out by similitudes of sensible things, Psal. 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my tast. What is sweeter then honey saith Sampson; Judg. 14. 18. Holy David [...]elleth him, Psal. 19. 10. The word of God is sweeter then the hony or the hony comb, and Psal. 119. 104. He doubleth the Expression for the further confirmation of it. They are the words of God, that are the pleasant words, of which Solomon saith, Prov. 16. 24. Pleasant words are as an hony comb: Sweet to the Soul and health to the bones. The sweet­ness, that resulteth to the Spiritual sense, from the word of God, ariseth from two things.

1. The first is that sweet joy and peace, which God Ordinarily brings into the Soul from them. God will speak peace to his People (saith the Psalmist) and he creates the fruit of the lips peace, peace, (saith the Prophet;) this joy is indeed of different degrees, there is the rejoicing of hope, for hope growing from a true Root bringeth forth some fruit of joy in the Soul, though it indeed be not so fair and pleasant a fruit as that joy which is the fruit of assurance, because the Union which hope gives the Soul with its beloved object, is of the lowest fort. But yet even this joy hath a great deal of sweetness, but Oh! How great is that sweetness which is the riper fruit of assurance, that peace which passeth all understanding; A sweetness which oft times overcomes the Soul and is too great for it to bear. Both which the Soul reaps from the word of God and from the Ordinances of God.

2. But secondly this sweetness in the Word and Ordinances of God ariseth not from this alone, but from other usefulness of them to the Soul. That is not only sweet: but that also which is profitable, David saies, that the Law of the Lord doth convert the Soul, makes wise the simple, enlightens the Eyes, that they are useful to warn us, and that in keeping them there is great reward. By the word and the Ordinances of God the Soul hath wherewithal to answer the tempter, in that it finds ar­guments to help it in repelling a secret motion to sin, &c. [Page 904] This makes the Word and Ordinances of God exceeding sweet to gracious Souls as they are those things by which the Soul is profited.

3. But thirdly, there is a further sweetness, that the Word, and Ordinances of God have to a gracious Soul, as they are pure and holy, Psal. 119. v. 140. Thy word is very pure, there­fore doth thy servant love it. The heart of man (naturally) doth not love purity, but the Spiritual heart that is conformed to the image of God loves it▪ It is turned into the likeness of the word, and made to love whatsoever is holy and Spiritual and pure. This makes the Rafters, and beams of the Church, to the true Christian to be like Cedar and Fir, sweet smelling, because of that purity, and holiness which cleaveth to them.

4. A fourth thing which the Proposition predicateth of the Word and Ordinances of God, is their duration, they are of an incorruptible Nature, as Cedar and Fir, or Pine: Not subject to corruption, and putrefaction as other sorts of wood are, Isa. 40. v. 8. The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the Word of God shall stand for ever. Our Saviour speaketh to this purpose, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but one jot or tittle of the Law shall not pass away until all these be fulfilled. I will open this a little.

1. The Ordinances of the Gospel endure for ever. Herein the excellency of the Gospel dispensation appeareth, above the le­gal dispensation. The Law brought nothing to perfection (faith the Apostle to the H [...]brews) the Ordinances of worship under the Law were but shadows and types which ceased, when Christ who was the substance of those shadows, and the Antitype to those types once appeared in the World, or at least when he dyed, but the Ordinances which are as the beams and Rafters of the Gospel Church are durable and do not pass away. The Jewish Priesthood ceased; But the Gospel Ministry continues, Christ hath promised to be with them to the End of the World, Eph. 4 11, 12. God hath given Apastles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Tea­chers, for the perfecting of the Saints until we all come in the Uni­ty of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a per­fect man▪ unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The passover was but for a time, until the▪ Messiah (who was the true paschal Lamb▪) should he slain for the sins of his People, but the Ordinance of the Lords [Page 905] Supper (which comes instead of this) is an Ordinance by which we shew the death of Christ until his coming again, 1 Cor. 11.

2. The word of God in particular indureth for ever. I will open this in two things,

1. The Propositions of the word indure for ever. They are Pro­positions of Eternal truth, whether they be Dogmatical Propositi­ons, which assert the truth of God, concerning the Nature or will of God, or concerning the state of man, or any thing re­lating to his duty, or whether they be such as are promisory, they are of an immortal Nature, the reason is, because God is a God that changeth not, he is not Yea, and Nay, but Yea and A­men, a God that cannot lye to his People, nor repent of what he hath said unto them. The truth of the word abideth for ever.

2. The vertue of the word abideth, and is immortal. The same vertue which the word of God ever had in it to convince, con­vert, to enlighten, quicken support, comfort, the same is in it still, and indeed the proof of this dependeth partly upon the former, for the vertue of the word, whether it be the word of precept, or the word of promise, doth much depend upon the truth of it. Now the truth of it being perpetual, the vertue of it must also be so, supposing the same concurrence of that holy Spirit which must be to make the Word of any use or vertue at any time, I have spoken enough to the Explication of the point; I come now to the Application of it; which I shall dispatch, by drawing some speculative and practical Inferences from what you have heard.

Use 1. Hence (in the first place) you may observe a great diffe­rence betwixt the Legal and the Gospel Ministry; And (con­sequently) the excellency of the latter above the former. The Apostle to the Hebrews insisteth much upon this, and by this argument proves the excellency of the Gospel above the Law. The Beams and Rafters of the Church under the law they were not of Cedar, they lasted no longer then until the timeof refor­mation. The Evangelist St. John saith. The law was given by [...] Joh. 17. Moses, but grace, and truth came by Jesus Christ. Two things commend the Gospel above the law. Grace came by it, truth came by it▪. The law brought wrath, the Doctrine of it tended to curse men and women, and to conclude all under wrath, but the [Page 906] Doctrine of the Gospel, brought grace, the news of the free pardon, and remission of sins, through the blood of Christ, & the acceptance of the Soul upon the account of his merits. Truth al­so came by Christ. Whether you take Truth for Substance and Realities, opposed to types and shadows, that came by Christ who was the End of the Law: Or whether you take Trut [...] for Certain­ty, and that which hath in it porpetuity and dur [...]bleness; that also came by Christ, who put an end to the Ce [...]emonial law, which consisted of temporary Ordinances for worship, &c. It is true, the Doctrine of the Law and Gospel, the Propositions of truth, contained in both are much one and the same. The moral pre­cepts the same, and the promises the same, &c. Yet that great Proposition of truth De M [...]ssia venturo, concerning the star that should come forth out of Jacob, the coming of Shiloh. The raising of the great Prophet like to Moses, &c. This Proposi­tion, was perfected in the Gospel, and turned into another of far more comfort to us, viz. That Christ is come, and hath dyed for our si [...]s, &c. But all the Propositions of the Gospel are of eternal truth, and all the Ordinances of the Gospel are like Beams of Cedar that shall never decay. That's the first Inference.

Use 2. 2. Observe from hence▪ The blindness of many Peoples Eyes, and the hardness of our hearts, together with the unreasonableness of unbelief. You have heard that there is a Beauty and a sweet­ness in the Word and Ordinances of God, they are beautiful to the Eye, and they are sweet unto the tast and to the smell; the lips of Christ drop sweet smelling Myrrh; what is the reason then that the most of People can tast no sweetness in them, nor see any beauty in them? Alas, the most men and women in the World have no more savour of a Sermon or Sacrament then in the white of an Egg: They see more beauty in a play-book, or an history, then they can see in the holy Word of God, the reason is this, they are void of Spiritudl senses, they have their exteriour carnal senses, they can tast sweetness in an Hony-Comb, but they have not any Spiritual sense, they can tast no sweetness in the Word of God, which to Davids tast was sweeter then the Hony-comb. They must needs want Spiritual sense, for they want Spi­ritual life, they are dead in trespasses and sins: no sooner doth the Lord quicken a dead Soul, but it savoureth the things of God, and tasts that sweetness, and sees that beauty in the Word of God, and in the Ordinances of God of which I have been dis­coursing.

[Page 907] 2. As it discovers the want of Spiritual sense, in an unbelie­vers Soul, so it also discovers the hardness of mens hearts. The Word and Ordinances of God, have a power and Efficacy in them, but alas! how few do they make any impression upon? But I shall not insist upon this as not so proper to the resemblance of the Text. Let me rather,

3. Infer the unreasonableness of unbelief, from what you have heard, of the supporting power of the Word of God. The Word of God, is the greet supporter of Souls, under all afflictions, tem­tations, in all distresses and agonies, &c. God is indeed pleased as to some of his People to give them in sensible evidences of his love, sealing them up, (by way of assurance of his love) un­to the day of redemption: and blessed are they who are in such a case, but this is not the portion of all the People of God, the most of Christians have nothing but the royal Word of God to trust to, and upon this all their hopes hang as to Eternity. And we are so carnal, that we find it an hard thing oft-times to keep up the building of grace, faith and hope, upon this foundation, but are ready to sway, and sink through distrust and doubt­ings, through unbelief, and anxiety of thoughts, &c. This is that which we call unbelief. The unreasonableness of which is sufficiently evidenced from the stability of the Word of God, it is a Beam of Cedar. Thou that thinkest it an hard thing, to have nothing but a bare Word of God to trust to, unless thou hast some sensible evidence, that canst not believe without a sign, consider,

1. That the Word is the Beam of the Church. The whole Church of God is built upon the Word; it is that which God hath judged sufficient at all times for his People: God the Father had no more than Christ's word for the price of all the Souls that were saved, from the beginning of the World, until the time of Christ's Death and Passion, (when the price was actually paid into God's hand.) All the Believers that were saved, from Adam till Christ's coming in the Flesh, had no more to trust to for their Sal­vation, than the Royal Word of God; That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head: That a Messiah should come and be slain to make reconciliation for iniquity, &c. They all trusted on these words of God, and were saved.

2. Consi [...]er, This Beam is a Beam of Cedar; it is an incorrup­tible thing. The Apostle calls the Word and Oath of God two [Page 908] immutable things: It must needs be so, because of the immutable Nature of God; he is a God that cannot lye, that cannot speak that which is false; he is a God that cannot repent; he cannot, like man, eat his word, or recede from it. David saith, That the Word of the Lord is settled in the Heavens. The Grass may wither, and the Flower may fade, but the Word of the Lord must stand for ever. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but one jot or tittle thereof cannot fail. Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken it, and shall not he bring it to pass? The Apostle calls the word of Prophecy a sure Word. The word of Prophecy is sure, and the word of Promise is sure, therefore trust to it.

3. It is a Beam that never yet brake; never Soul miscarried that trusted its whole weight upon it. What greater Arguments can any have to persuade his Soul to trust to the Word of God, than these two.

First; That the Nature of the word is such that it cannot fail. The truth of God cannot be turned into a lye.

Secondly; That no instance can be produced of any Soul that miscar­ried in its confidence. Look over all the Book of God, and find me Gods Word given to any Soul, for anything, whether temporal, or spiritual, and it was not made good unto him: indeed the Visi­ons have sometime tarried beyond the patience of God's People, but they have alwaies been fulfilled in their seasons.

4. Consider how unreasonable a thing it is, that thou shouldest trust to the word of a man, and distrust the Word of a God? You think your selves concerned to trust in the Royal word of a King, in the serious word of a Noble Person, in the word of an ordinary Friend who is but accounted morally honest, how unreasonable a thing then is it, that thou shouldest not take the word of a God, the word of him who cannot lye? To sum up this then Chri­stian, what though thou hast nothing but the word of God to trust to, either for those things which concern thee as to this Life, or for those things which concern thee as to another Life; yet the Word of God is enough; it is the Beam of Christ's House, and it is a Beam of Cedar, which cannot corrupt or putrifie, nor fail for ever. Nor indeed

5. Is that Assurance (of things not seen) which God gives to any Soul, any thing more than the sealing, and particular appli­cation of the Word. In the mean time, it is the Word that sup­ports and upholds the Soul. The sealing of the Spirit adds no new [Page 909] strength to the Word, only helps me to bear my self upon it.

3. Is there such a Beauty, Sweetness, Strength and Power; and such an incorruptible and immortal Nature in the Word of God, and in the Ordinances of God? Oh that these things might com­mend them more to all you that hear me this day! Under this head let me plead with you for these things.

1. For a knowledge and understanding of, and an acquaintance with the Word of God. Let the beauty of an Object be never so perfect, it pleaseth not me, if I look not upon it, or looking upon it, do not observe and understand it! Let the sweetness of an Ob­ject be never so great, it affords me no pleasure unless I tast it. Let the power and efficacy of a thing be never so much, it is no­thing to me if I make no application of my self to it, or it to me. And in very deed this is the reason why the most poor Souls see no beauty, understand no sweetness in the Word of God, why they feel nothing of the power and strength of it, because they seldom look into it; or if they read in it, and attend upon it, they observe not what they read and hear; they understand not the Mysteries of the Gospel; they make no appplications of the Word of God to their Souls, nor of their Souls to the Word, and try not the strength of it: Oh let the Word of God be precious to you! Read it, and read it over and over again, thou wilt every time discern some sweetness in it, which before thou didst not discern; hear it; and hear it often; observe what thou readest, and what thou hearest; get understanding in the Lord's Statutes; make ap­plication of the Word to thy Soul, and of thy Soul to the Word. When thou art in straights as to thy outward condition, or as to thy spiritual condition, thou wilt then find this sweetness, beauty, power and efficacy in the Word, which till that time affords but matter of discourse to thee.

2. Let this plead with you for a due Attendance upon Ordinan­ces. The Word, the Sacraments, every Ordinance of the Gospel, they are the Beams and Rafters of the Church, which deserve all your care and diligence to uphold and maintain, and to keep up in their perfect strength glory and beauty: They are Beams of Ce­dar, and Raferes of Fir; they have a sweetness, beauty and excel­lency in them; and this beauty and excellency which is in them, will not be discerned by the Soul that neglects its Attendance upon them.

FINIS.

A Catalogue of Books Printed for, or to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich, near the Mar­ket-place.

SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence.

A Word in Season. Denfensative Armour against four of Satan's most fiery Darts.

Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Can­ticles. All Published by John Collinges, D. D.

Allen's Way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ.

The Glories of Christ set forth, with the Necessity of Faith, in several Sermons: By Mr. Thomas Allen late Minister in Norwich.

Several Sermons of Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister in Nor­wich.

Lougher's Precious Promises, the Portion of Overcommers.

The Saint's Ebenezer: By Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich.

Directions for Learners to Spell English right.

The History of the Protestant Reformation, as it was begun by Luther.

The Dead Saints Speaking. Being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomen.

English Presbytery.

The Ordinary matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and An­swers.

Good Reader;

THough the Printer hath acquitted himself in the Printing this Book, as well as we can reasonably expect in a Book of this bulk, yet the Author must beg thy charity, as for some misplacing of stops, or letters, which might be the Au­thors fault as well as the Printers; so for correcting the following Errata's, which if not all, are yet the most considerable that will trouble thee.

Page 9. line 13. read should me, p. 18. l. 26. r. we call, p. 29. l. 26. r. quarrel the▪ p. 31. l. 34. r. Christ by that of, p. 47. l. 18. r. such subitam, &c p. 74. l. 2. r. nothing more than that, p. 79. l. 1. r. can find, p. 85. l 23. r. from us, by, p. 87. l. 40. r. keep them, p. 88. l. 1. r of themselves, and l. 22 r. expose us, p. 105. l. 9. r. excuse. For, p. 116. l. 9. r. room left, p. 117. l. 7. r. chapter or, p. 129. l. 24. r. when that is, p. 130. l. 28. after himself, add, can promise himself to meet him, p. 144. l. 3. r. to such, p 147. l. 1. r. only so far, p. 154. l. 32. r. it fareth, l. 35. r more hated, p. 150. l. 26. r. you that, l. 39. r. to you, p. 169. l. 13. r. abate a cup, p. 185. l. 24. r. It is desire, p. 136. l. 19 r. is the use, l. 36. r. is observable, p. 248. l. 22. r. exult p. 268 l. 34. r. out of God, p. 289. l. 12. blot out, For altho, p. 307. l 7. r. make peace, p. 341. l. 20. r. they are, p 351. l. 4. r. not know, p. 438. l. 36. r. signifie, p. 472. l. 29. r. the Rod of God, p. 479. l. 33 r. the fruit, p. 487. l. 7. r. is much, p. 491. l. 21. r. Ez [...]k. 16 8. p. 498. l. 4. r. he must not tell a lye to cover his own, p. 506. l. 4. r. in it, lyes, p. 513 l. 36, 37. blot out, For one to come to him, p. 516. l. 16. r. a Christian to consider his, p. 550. l. 27. r. it getteth, p. 566. l. 31. r. its ends p. 614. l. 6. r. their ordinary, p. 618. l. 11. r. then others, p. 626. l. 1. r. understand, p. 628. l. 2. r. God cannot, p. 629. l. 13. r. command. On, l. 16. r. not lawful, l. 32. r. St. Paul saith, l. 33. r. But I observe p. 630. l. 17. r. every good Soul, p. 631. l. 10. r. aedificans, l. 14. r. not lay, p. 636. l. 18. r. of such, p. 657. l. 28. r. is so, is evident, p. 659. l. 39. r. Ezek. 16. 30. p. 680. l. 40 r. we must own, p. 734. l. 31. r. not so much, p. 768. l. 29. r. respecteth, p. 780. l. 27. r. as men love natural, p. 802. l. 23. r. or a woman, l. 27. r. and so, p. 812. l. 21. r. them reasonably, p. 813. l. 38. r. being rational, p. 816 l 8. r. meerly reasonable, p. 832. l. 1. r. evidenced from, p. 841. l. 9. r. take them, p. 849. l. 27. r. to us, p. 871. l 23. r. internal cause. p 873. l. 39. r. a power upon him: but, p. 882. l. 40. r. Prophet, foretelling, p. 886. l. 36. r. not exclusive, p. 888. l. 19. r. were added, p. 901. l. 3. r. verbum audibile, p. 903. l. 34. r. which is pleasant.

AN Alphabetical TABLE, Containing Directions to find the Principal things, opened and discoursed in the Book.

A.
  • A Biding of Christ with the Soul, and the Soul with Christ, what it signifies, 799, 800. The Souls advantages by it, 804, 805. How Christs abidings with the Soul may fail, 805, 806. How to know if we be willing that Christ should abide with us, 806, 807.
  • Adam's state, and ours, how different, what power he had, 276, 277.
  • Afflictions the lot of Christ, and of the believing Soul, 536, 537. Whence they are so: How they make Christs Spouse black, 539, 540, 541. What use we ought to make of it, 542, 543.
  • Arminians Opinion of grace, with the absurdities of it, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268.
B.
  • BEauty of believers of what Nature, 638, 639, 640. Whence it is, 657, 658. How it renders them to Christ lovely, 642, 643. what use to make of it 648, 649, 650.
  • Beauty of Christ in what it excelleth the beauty of Saints, 852, 853, 854.
  • Beams and rafters, of Christs house what, why of Cedar and fir, 890, 892, 893.
  • Bed, of Christ what, 870, 871.
  • Behold, what it signifieth, 832, 833.
  • [Page] Believers, thirst after distinguis [...]ing [...]ercies, 59. Whence it is, 61, 62, 63. Arguments to [...] it, 64, 65, 66. Their thirst after all manifestations of grace, and [...]hy, 83, 84. Arguments persuading [...]ach a th [...]st, 90, 91. [...] 93, 94. Their thirst after Christ, in his word and Ordinances, especially in the Gospel, and the teachings of his Spirit, 95, 96, 97. Their earnest desire after communion with Christ, 136, 137, 138. Why, 138, 139. Their duty in the Noon of trials, 618, 619, 620. Their more special need of the presence of Christ at such a time, and why, 622, 623. What use they should make of that, 624, 625. They may be at loss sometimes how to maintain Communion with Christ, 653, 654, 655, 656.
  • Blackness of Christs Spouse, what and whence, 465, 466.
  • Breasts of Christ what they import or signifie, 47. 48.
C.
  • CAmphire, or Copher what 811, 812.
  • Causes of Persons not coming to Christ 285, 286, 287.
  • Chambers of Christ what, 172, 173, 174.
  • Chains about the Spouses neck what, 721.
  • Christ the Souls beloved, 598, 599. What are his feeding and resting places for his flock at noon, 615, 616, 617. How the Spouses companion, fellow, and friend, 687, 688, 689. 691, 692▪ What duty ariseth from those notions of Christ, 698, 6 [...]9. How he is beautiful transcendently, 852, 853. How he is to be used as a bundle of myrrh, 79 [...], 796, 797. Why he is the peculiar object of the Spouses love, 816, 817, 818. How he is fair, 852, 853. How he is pleasant, 861, 862, 863. How he is the cause of the Spouses fruitfulness, 870, 871.
  • Cheeks of the Spouse what they sign sie, 717, 718.
  • Cedar, or Cypress, famous for what 884.
  • Church of Christ, what, how it is Christs, and the believers house, 885, 886, 887; What this speaks of dignity, or duty, 888, 889, 890.
  • Communion with God what, 106, 107. In his word, how many ways, 94. why desirable by believers, 97, 98, 99. The nature of more external communion with God in his word, and of more internal communion with God by his word and Spirit, 107, 108, 109, Why believers cannot be satisfied in a more exter­nal communion with God, 118, 119, 120. What Ch [...]istians should [Page] do, that they may have, such communion, 129, 130, 131. Where Christians may have the freest communion with Christ, 606, 607. In what the Julness and freedom of a Souls communion with God lyeth, 609, 610. What may be done by us to obtain or maintain it, 612, 613, 666, 667.
  • Comeliness of the Spouse what, 470. How she is comely in her black­ness, and in whose Eyes she is so, 472, 473. Whence it is, 473, 474, 475.
  • Confession of sins to be made, to whom and in what cases, 494, 495. Before men in what cases, 497, 498. Whence the Spouse is so free to it, 501, 502, 503. Directions as to it, 504, 405, 506.
  • Conflicts of Christians with their lusts, 550, 551. Of the Church with corr [...]pt members make Christians appear black, 552, 553. Reasons of it, 553, 554, 555.
  • Conversation of Christians must be holy, 721, 722.
D.
  • DAnger of thinking we have our life in our hands, 305, 306.
  • Defires the true object of them, 176, 177. What desires will evidence a truth of grace, 182, 183, 184. Of Christs abid­ing with us how manifested, 800.
  • Drawing, what it signifieth, how many ways God draweth us, 251, 252, 253. A powerful drawing necessary to conversion, 255, 256, 257. The Nature of Gods drawing, 257, 258. Why necessary, 260, 261, 262. The absurdity of those who deny any need of such powerful influence of God, 265, 266, 267, 268. How such powerful influences, may be promoved or hindred, 311, 312, 313. What may draw men to some degrees of reformation who yet are not drawn to Christ, 313, 314. Gods drawing of some is a means to make others run 333, 334, 335, 336.
  • Drunkards reflected on, as preferring wine before Christs Loves.
  • Doubting a term, or phrase, what it signifieth, 834, 835.
  • Doves Eyes, What the commendable qualities of them are, 837, 838, 839. why the Spouse is said to have them, 839, 840. Per­sons persuaded to get Dovos Eyes, 845, 846 847.
E.
  • ENgedi, what it signifies, 810, 811.
  • Eyes of the Spouse of Christ why they are commended, 835, 836.
F.
  • [Page] FAith saving what, 292, 293. How it worketh in Prayer, 349, 350.
  • Flock, why the Church is compared to it, what that flock of Christ which the Spouse of Christ is obliged to follow the footsteps of, 671, 672, 673, 668, 669.
  • Folly of resisting, vexing, or quenching or grieving the holy Spirit, 271, 272, 273.
  • Fortitude in Christians, how distinguishable, from a natural sto­mack, and a moral courage, 705, 706. Means to promove it, 709. Arguments to persuade it, 710, 711, 712.
  • Fruitfulness of a Church, or a particular Soul floweth from Christs conjunction with and influence upon it, proved, 871, 872, 873. what use to make of it 879, 880.
G.
  • GRace of God what, various, several distinctions of it, 81, 82, 83. All the Emanations of it desired by believers, 83, 84. why 85, 86. Graces of Christ what, and in what respects like to good Ointments, 201, 202, 203. The Nature of special sav­ing grace as in its operation powerful, and yet sweet, 280, 281. Grace to be owned to others and in what cases, and to whom, and in what cases, 508, 509, 510. The reasonableness of it, 512, 513. Christians persuaded to it, directed in it, 514, 515, 516, 517. more grace, to whom given, 732, 733, 734. Grace in the Soul gives a smell, what contributes to its smell, 750, 751, 75 [...], 753. Its smell much dependeth upon Christs presence with the Soul, 761, 762.
  • Greenness of Christs bed what it signifieth, 874, 875.
H.
  • HIerusalem, what, 456, 457.
  • Holiness, mistakes about it, 297, 298. How distinguished from mere moral vertue, 298. and from formality, 300. it is the Christians Ornament, 725, 726. Arguments to persuade it, 726, 727.
  • Horses, why believers are compared to them, to a company of them in Pharaohs Charrets, 701, 702, 703, 704.
I.
  • [Page] JEsuits Notion of Grace, 269, 270.
  • Influence of God upon our natural, and upon our Spiritual acts how different, 763, 764, 765.
  • Joy, the Nature of it, 398, 399. The special Nature of Spiritual Joy, 399, 400. Christ the peculiar object of the believers Joy, 404, 405, 406. The reasonableness of rejoicing in Christ, 407, 408, 409.
K.
  • KIsses various, used as various Indications, 41, 42. Kisses of Christs mouth what, 44. 45.
  • Knowledge, the various degrees of it, 178, 179.
  • The Kings sitting at his Table what it signifieth, 761, 762. What we are to do, that we may keep Christ sitting at his Table, 772, 773.
L.
  • LEast tokens of Christs distinguishing love what, 67, 68. desira­ble to believers, and why, 69, 70, 71. all persuaded to va­lue them, 75, 76.
  • Looking, on the Spouses blackness, how far our duty, how our sin, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528. Ʋnkind lookings upon the Spouse, because she is black, reproved, 529, 530.
  • Love, to Christ, in what seen, 443, 444. by what it may be disco­vered, 450, 451, 452, 601, 602, 603. How far it may be in an unbeliever, 813, 814. Love to Christ persuaded from his love to us, 157, 158, 159, 160.
  • Loves of Christ what, 148, 149. proved better then wine, 162, 163, 164.
  • Love of God to man whether more commended from the Doctrine of Common, or special grace, 282, 283, 284.
M.
  • MErcies of several sorts, distinguishing mercies what, 58, 59.
  • Ministers of the Gospel, how necessary, 662, 663.
  • Murmurings for God's inequal distributions of special grace, un­reasonable, why, 386, 387, 388, 389.
  • Myrrh, the several acceptations of it, 777, 778. A bundle of Myrrh what, 778, 779. Why Christ is compared to it, 781, 782, 783.
N.
  • [Page]NAme of Christ what, 54, 216, 217, 218. How sweet, 212, 213, 214. Whence its sweetness is, 219, 220.
  • Neck of the Spouse, what it signifieth, 719.
O.
  • OYL, its sacred, and civil use, 51, 52, 53. the met aphorical sense of it, 52, 53. pouring forth, what it imports, 54.
  • Ordinance of the ministry, how necessary, 662, 663.
  • Ordinances the Beams and Rafters of Christs house, 890, 891. how properly so called, 892. Why compared to Beams of Cedar, 903, 904. their beauty power, durableness, 900. what to con­clude from hence, 905.
  • Ornaments of believers what, 726. Excess in other Ornaments dissuaded, 727, 728.
P.
  • PErfection, of Christians threefold, 481, 482.
  • Pleasant, what it signifies, 861. How Christ is not only fair, but pleasant, 861, 862, 863. What rendreth him so, 865, 866.
  • Prayer, rightly ordered, what, 146, 147, 148. it is a mean of our communion with God, 140, 141, 142. Sometimes presently an­swered, 345, 346, 347. What Prayers usually meet with such answers, 348, 349. Prayers of faith what, 349, 350, 351. what to be done when we have not a present answer of our Pra­yers, 368, 369, 370. Prayers heard a cause of joy and rejoycing in Christ, 410, 411. How to discern an answer of Prayer, 420. 421, 422.
  • Special Presence, of God, what, 375, 376, 377.
  • Presumption, no saith, 296.
R.
  • REsisting, divine grace how far there may be, or not be, 258, 259, the great danger of such resistance, 308, 309, 310.
  • Rejoycing in Christ, our duty, how to be discerned, 413, 414. Persuaded by Arguments, 416, 417.
  • Remembrance, of Christ, and his loves what it importeth, 424, 425, 426, 427. Why our duty, 428. Who come short of it, 429, 430, 431, 432. The duty persuaded, 433, 434. Directed, 435, 436.
  • [Page] Repetitions of Christs Love to Souls, why used, 823, 824. Why not to all Souls alike, 825, 826.
  • Returns, of Prayer sometimes very quick, 345, 346. In what cases usually, 348, 349.
  • Rows of Jewels, and Chains about the Spouse, what they signify, 719, 720.
  • Running, after Christ what it implies, 242, 243, 244. 318, 319, 320. Many run not, 327, 328.
S.
  • SCripture rule compared with other rules, 675, 676.
  • Scandal, and sin, the two great objects of believers fears, 627, 628. The Nature and difference of Scandals, 628, 629. why to be feared, 630, 631.
  • Shepherds Tents, what they signify, 670, 671. By what Shepherds Tents we are to feed our kids, 673, 674. How to know the true Shepherds Tents, 680, 681, 682, 683.
  • Smell of grace, what, and whence, 752, 753. How to be promo­ved, 759, 760. Smells of wicked men what, 754 755.
  • Solomon, what he was, 18, 19. whether he sinned in marrying Pharaohs Daughter, 19, 20. whether his Apostacy was total and final, Opinions, and Arguments on either side, 21, 22, 23, 24. That it was not total nor final, proved, 22, 23, 24. In what or­der he wrote his books, 27.
  • Song of Solomon of Divine Authority. Objections answered, 28, 29, 30. The Nature of the Song, 32. Why called the Song of Songs.
  • Spirit, how it teacheth, and how by it we have communion with God, 108, 109, 110, 111.
  • Special favours of God, what, 172, 173.
  • Sweetness of Christ to a Believer, 785, 786, 787, 788, 789.
T.
  • TIme for mercy set, how to know God's set time, 353, 354 355.
V.
  • VAriety of Divine Grace, 81, 82.
  • Valuing of Christ's Loves, an excellent Argument when it can be used in truth in our Applications to God, 188, 189. None but Believers can use it, 193, 194, 195. Means to bring our Souls to a due value of Christ, 196, 197.
  • [Page] Vineyard, what the Church's Vineyard is, 580, 581. What the particular Christian's Vineyard is, 578. How Both are to be kept, 581. Not duly keeping our own Vineyards the cause of our blackness, 585. Tht due keeping them pers [...]aded, 587, 588, 589.
  • Virgins, who, 55, 223. Why Believers so called, 223, 224, 225. Whence it is that they love Christ, 445, 446.
  • Upright, who, 439, 440, 441. Those who are so, love Christ, they cannot but love him, why, 445, 446.
  • Unity persuaded, 713, 714. In what, 895, 896. Means to it, 897, 898.
W.
  • VVAnts of men, what the principal, 162, 163, 164.
  • Willingness to a communion with God, if true, how to be judged, 141, 142. Arguments to persuade it, 143, 144.
  • Wine in no notion to be compared with the Loves of Christ, 165, 166, 167. How to know whether we do not prefer Wine to the Loves of Christ, 170, 171, 172.
  • Word of God, its several parts, 95. Communion with God in it, three waies, 94. Why desirable, 97, 98, 99. Those who de­spise it reflected on, 101, 102, 103. In what sense the Word of God is as the Beams and Rafters of the Church, 893. The Beauty, Power, and Duration of the Word, 904.
  • Worldly Imployment a cause of the Spouses blackness, why, 571, 572.
  • Worship, the Nature of it, several Propositions about it, 564, 565. The sinfulness of corruptions in it, 567, 568, 569.
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