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 gospels 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 handles / by John Collinges ...

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.

The Spouse of Christ on this side of Heaven, hath her blackness, exposing her to the reproach and obloquy of others, but she is al∣so 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, ex∣posing 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 ob∣loquy 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 suppres∣sed, yet they sometimes break out. The Pride of one, and the ssionate anger and wrath of another, and other lusts in others

often break out unseemly, and make even the best of Gods Peo∣ple 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 righ∣teous 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 scan∣dalous 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 de∣nied 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 e∣ruptions 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 unsancti∣fied hearts, who as Jude tells us, are spots in our feasts of chari∣ty, 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 sub∣jection 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 hu∣miliations, as very black, but this is indeed no real, but an appear∣ing blackness, to such as understand no loveliness in any thing but sensuality.

3. The People of God are often black through afflictions. Job

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 Naza∣rites, Lam. 4. 8. That their visage was more black then a Coal. So that you see Affliction is every where in Scripture called Black∣ness. 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 persecuti∣ons, 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 sub∣ject 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 re∣ligion, and membership in Churches, and living loosely, o••grow∣ing corrupt in their Doctrines, and Principles.

2. The Church becomes black, Through the admission of cor∣ruption in Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline. All deviation from the Divine Rule (where it is a sufficient rule in the case) is the black∣ness 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

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 a∣mongst 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 Wor∣ship, 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 spiri∣tual 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 af∣flicted 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 tran∣quillity, 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

it hath been a state of affliction, and blackness; so most Divines are pretty well agreed, that we are not to expect any other, un∣til 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 infirmi∣mities, 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 diffi∣culty to persuade the Child of God, that God hath any favour for him, as it is to persuade a sinner that God hath any dis∣pleasure to him.

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 a∣bove 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 peo∣ple 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 ca∣lumny, 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 black∣ness.

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 mem∣bers, 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 Ordi∣nances of God in them, that is her comeliness, she may have seve∣ral 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 comeli∣ness;

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 be∣coming obedient to his Fathers will, even unto death, the bitter death upon the Cross, working out the redemption and Salva∣tion of all those whom the Father had given him; this was come∣ly. 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, fol∣lowed 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 Sal∣vation was made perfect (as the Apostle tells us) through suffer∣ing Heb. 2. 10. and so must the Souldiers under this Captain be

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 re∣fining 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 Afflicti∣ons give the Spouse advantage, and opportunities for the more no∣ble and perspicuous exercises of their graces. Faith never shineth so much as in a dark place, and state; now for a season (saith Pe∣ter, 1 Pet. 1. 7.) You are in heaviness through manifold temptati∣ons (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, kis∣sing 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

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 pro∣phecied in the Camp, Num. 11. 29. and the Disciples of John were jealous for their Master; and by mistakes they may be judg∣ed 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 con∣dition, and notwithstanding that partial blackness which appear∣eth 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 judg∣ment? 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 co∣vereth a multitude of faults, and infirmities, it overlooks black∣ness 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 come∣ly, 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▪

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 im∣putation. 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, Wis∣dom, 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 satisfacti∣on 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 e∣very 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

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 o∣thers (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 analo∣gous 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 impu∣tation. 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 blind∣ness, stubborness, and perverseness, in our naturally vile affecti∣ons

turbulent, and impetuous passions, things very far from the Image of God; and hence we are all by nature (saith the A∣postle, 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 Fa∣ther 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 come∣ly. 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 al∣so by that similitude excellently expressed, but it is plain enough from other texts, that our comeliness of righteousness, that righ∣teousness 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

comeliness of Regeneration and Sanctification, which is called the San∣ctification of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ in us, whose fruits Gal. 5. 22. are love, joy, meekness, &c. Indeed whatsoever rend∣reth a soul comely and beautiful in the eye of reason; upon the uni∣on 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 crea∣ture, 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 bodi∣ly, 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 aug∣mentation, 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

comely, in the eyes of judicious Christians, tho black in the Worlds eyes who judg from external accidents, or in the eyes of less judici∣ous 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 particu∣lar motion, any more then from any particular act in our conversa∣tion, 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 re∣ference to the World that the spouse of Christ is under, she is Ni∣gra 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 sen∣suall, 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 de∣ceitful, and vain, and fading, the person that is possessed of it is very often unlovely enough, through a crooked, and froward dis∣position, and badness of humour; the latter maketh the true judg∣ment; 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 ap∣pearance black, Christ looketh upon the heart, the bent and scope of that, its sincerity, and uprightness, its purity and holiness. The

World again judgeth of men by single acts, (tho Philosophy teacheth us, that from them none is to be denominated either vir∣tuous, 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 com∣passion 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 par∣ticulars, yet the Lord overlooketh them and judgeth of the Soul, only from its ••••ope and intention, and the general course of his acti∣ons, 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.

Notes

• Prop. 1.