The best match, or, The souls espousal to Christ opened and improved by Edward Pearse.

The best Match: OR, The Souls Espousal to Christ.

From 2 Cor. 11.2.

I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may pre∣sent you a chast Virgin unto Christ.

CHAP. I. Wherein an Introduction is made into our intended Discourse, the Foun∣dation thereof laid, and the Mat∣ters to be inquired into in our pro∣cedure therein proposed.

ANew Covenant-relation to Christ, is certainly a con∣cern of the greatest weight, and highest importance to the Sons of Men of any in the World: 'tis what lies at the foundation of all true happiness both in Time and Eternity; without it (as a Learned Divine hath well

observed)* 1.1 we are not Christians; we are only the carkasses of Christiants; nor may we ex∣pect any saving advantage by any thing that Christ hath either done or suffered for poor sinners: And this relation, of so much weight and importance to us, the Scripture repre∣sents under various Notions and Expressions to us: 'tis represented to us, sometimes un∣der the notion of a King and Subjects; hence Christ is called King of Saints. Sometimes under the notion of a Father and his Chil∣dren; hence he is called the Everlasting Fa∣ther; and they are his own words unto God the Father: Behold I, and the Children which thou hast given me. Sometimes under the notion of Head and Members; hence Christ is said to be the Head of the Body, the Church: and on the other hand, Believers are said to be the Body of Christ, and Members one of another. And to mention no more; some∣times (as in my Text, and frequently else∣where) 'tis represented to us under the no∣tion of Husband and Wife, Bridegroom and Bride, or the Souls espousal to Christ, as its one and only Husband; and under this notion I shall (God assisting) speak a little of it, and but a little, no more than to make way for a practical Design I have in my eye, which is to woo and allure poor. Souls into an espousal, or Marriage-Covenant with this Blessed Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ.

That then which is before us to be treated of, is the Marriage or Espousal between Christ and Believers; and the better to make

way hereunto, you may observe, that there is a three-fold Marriage, as relating to Christ and us.

1. There is the Personal Marriage, and that is between the Person of the Son of God, the Second Person in the Trinity, and our Nature: This Calvin calls, Verbum In∣carnatum, the Incarnate Word; or, as the Evangelist expresses it, the Word made Flesh, John 1.14. this we generally call the Hypo∣statical Union.

2. There is the Mystical Marriage; and that is between the Person of Christ, God-Man, and the Person of Believers, as Mili∣tant here on Earth; whole Christ, and the whole Believer being made one: this the Apostle calls, A being joyned to the Lord, and being one Spirit with him, 1 Cor. 6.17. and this we usually call the Spiritual Union.

3. There is the Heavenly Marriage; and that is between Christ and the Church Tri∣umphant above; which indeed is the con∣summation of the two former; and this I would call the Glorious Union: and what that is I can't tell, but do hope am going to see, — In the first of these lies the foundation of all our happiness; by the se∣cond, we are brought into an initial par∣ticipation of it; by the third, we are put into the full possession and enjoyment there∣of for ever. Now 'tis neither the first, nor last, but second of these that the Apostle here speaks of, when he saith, I have espoused you to one Husband, even to Christ: Which ac∣cordingly

I shall make the Subject of my ensuing Discourse; which, as also the sum of the Apostles intendment, you may take in this short Position, viz.

That there is a blessed Espousal, or Mar∣riage-relation between Christ and Belie∣vers; or that Believers are married or espoused to Christ, as their only Husband.

I have espoused you, sayes the Apostle, to one Husband: not to many, but to one; and who is that? why Christ, God-man: So the next words declare, I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ. The same is also h••ld forth in other Scriptures, John 3.29. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom, saith John Baptist concerning Christ and his Church: And again, Rev. 21.9. Come hi∣ther, sayes the Angel to John, and I will shew thee the Bride, the Lambs Wife: That is, the Church, which is the Wife and Spouse of Christ; but I forbear.

What this Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is; as also how 'tis made up and accomplisht, are the prin∣cipal things to be enquired into, for the clearing of what lies before us; which there∣fore I shall address my self unto.

CHAP. II The Espousal or Marriage-Relation be∣tween Christ and Believers opened, and the import thereof laid down in sive things.

BUt what is this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers? The Apostle speaking of it, calls it a great Mystery: This (saith he) is a great Myste∣ry; but I speak concerning Christ, and his Church, Ephes. 5.32. I speak of that Spi∣ritual Marriage that is be∣tween Christ and his People;* 1.2 which indeed is a great My∣stery, that is, an hidden secret Thing; a thing hid from hu∣mane reason, and not to be understood but by Divine Re∣velation, and the Light of the Holy Spirit. So far as we apprehend it, you may take this short ac∣count in general of it: 'Tis that spiritual conjunction or relation that is between Christ and Bellevers, between the Person of Christ and the Person of Believers, arising from his inhabitation in them by his Spirit, and their close with him by Faith. Much might be said for the opening of this general Conclu∣sion;

but I shall wave it, and give you the true nature of the thing, under considerati∣on, more particularly, as carrying these five things in it, viz.

• I. Free and cordial Donation.
• II. Near and intimate Union.
• III. Sweet and lasting Communion.
• IV. Strong and ardent Affection.
• V. Mutual rest and complacency for ever.

I. This Espousal or Marriage-relation be∣tween Christ and Believers, carries in it free and cordial Donation; a giving of them∣selves each to other. In Marriages or Espou∣sals, the Parties give themselves each to other; the Husband gives himself unto the Wife, and the Wife, by way of return, gives her self unto the Husband; they consent to take each other in that relation, and accordingly do give up themselves each to other: So in this Spiritual Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and his People, there is a giving of themselves each to other; they consent to take each other, and accordingly do give up themselves each to other. — Christ, on the one hand, gives himself unto the Soul: I will be thine, sayes he, to the Soul; thine to love thee; thine to save thee; thine to make thee happy in me, and with me: I, with all my Riches and Trea∣sures, will be fully and for ever thine: I will be for thee; that is the language of his

Espousing Love unto the Soul, Hos. 3.3. And oh how sweet is this Language! What can Christ give to poor Souls like himself? In giving himself, he gives the best Gift that either Heaven or Earth affords: In giv∣ing himself, he gives Life, he gives Peace, he gives Grace, he gives Righteousness, he gives the favour of God, he gives Heaven, he gives all. Oh sweet Gift! — On the other hand, the Soul by way of return gives himself to Christ: I will be thine, sayes the Soul to Christ, I will be for thee and not for another: Hence 'tis said, They gave themselves to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. they freely and willingly yeelded up themselves to Christ, to be his, and his for ever; Sweet Jesus, such as I am, and have, I give to thee. I am a poor, a sorry Gift (sayes the Soul) infinitely unworthy of thine acceptance; my best is too bad, my All is too little for thee: but seeing 'tis thy pleasure to call for, and accept of such a Gift at my hands, I do with my whole Soul give up my Self, my Strength, my Time, my Talents, my All for ever to thee. And though, the truth is, this be a sorry Gift, yet you little think, how pleasing, how grateful it is to Christ, and what a value he puts upon it. You have the whole of this owned and asserted by the Spouse, Cant. 2.16. My Beloved is mine, and I am his.

II. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it

near and intimate union. In Marriage there is a very near union and conjunction between the Parties: As they give up them∣selves each to other, so they become one each with other; They are no more twain, but one flesh, Mat. 19.6. So in this Espou∣sal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a very near union and conjunction between them; they two are made one; and thus the Apostle sets forth the Marriage between Christ and them, Ephes. 5.31, 32. For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother, and shall be joyned unto his Wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great Mystery; but I spake concern∣ing Christ and the Church, that is, I speak of the Marriage-relation which is between Christ and the Church, which consists in union: Hence also Believers are said to be joyned to the Lord, and to be one Spirit with him, 1 Cor. 6.17. So that espousing to Christ, and being joyned to Christ, are all one. The truth is, herein lies the very soul and sub∣stance of this Spiritual Marriage, viz. in a spiritual union between Christ and the Belie∣ver: though Christ and the Soul were two before; two, that were strangers each to other, yet in this Marriage or Espousal they become one, and so one, as that all the World can never make them two a∣gain, never dissolve this uni∣on.* 1.3 By this usual, but of all others most pleasant Metaphor of a Bridegroom and Bride (as a

learned Man hath observed) is expressed and set forth the Spiritual Ʋnion that is be∣tween Christ and the Church, Christ and every Holy Soul. And this Union is a full Union, an Union between the whole Person of Christ, and the whole Person of the Be∣liever; the whole Person of Christ is united unto the Believer, and the whole Person of the Believer is united unto Christ.* 1.4 Neither is our Soul alone (saith a Learned Man) joyned with the Soul of Christ alone; nor is our flesh alone joyned with the flesh of Christ alone; but the whole Person of every Believer is truly joyned with the whole Person of Christ.

1. On the one hand, the whole Person of Christ is united to the Believer; the Be∣lievers union with Christ, is neither with the Divine nor Humane Nature considered apart; but it is with the whole Person con∣sisting of both Natures; and indeed, else they could not be said to be united to [Christ], for neither of the Natures, con∣sidered apart, is Christ: We cannot say, that the Divine Nature is Christ, or that the Hu∣mane Nature is Christ; but Christ is both the Divine and Humane Nature, God-man, in one Person.* 1.5 Christ (saith a Learned Man) is not a Name of either Nature, but of the Per∣son consisting of both Natures, together with his Office. Besides, were we united only to one Nature, and not to the whole Person of

Christ, what would our Union avail us? Surely it would be vain and ineffectual. Were we united to the Humane Nature only, and not to the Divine, then to be sure our Uni∣on must be ineffectual; For Christ himself tells us, That it is the Spirit which quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, John 6.63. That is (as judicious Interpreters expound it) the flesh or Humane Nature of Christ considered alone, and without the influence of the Di∣vine, availeth nothing to Souls as to their spiritual or eternal good: Nor indeed, can the Humane Nature of Christ, without the Divine, give Grace, or any spiritual good thing. On the other hand, were we united to the Divine Nature alone, and not to the Humane, then our Union would be as in∣effectual: for how full soever the Divine Nature is of Grace and Life in it self, yet nothing can thence be derived and commu∣nicated to us, but by and through the Hu∣manity: And indeed, as the Humanity pro∣fiteth nothing without the Divinity; so I may say, the Divinity will profit us nothing without the Humanity. Hence it is, that Christ so often speaks of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood, and withal asserts the necessity thereof in order to life and happiness by him, John 6.53, 54, 55. What doth eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood signifie, but an Union with his Humanity? And therefore in vers. 56. he addeth, He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him; which is an

expression of Union; and without this we have, we can have no Life, no Grace from him. In a word, as the humanity hath no∣thing to give or communicate to us, no Life, no Grace, no Spiritual Blessing without the Divinity; so the Divinity is incommunica∣ble to us without the Humanity; and there∣fore were our Union with the one only with∣out the other, it must needs he ineffectual. I will close this with the say∣ing of an eminent Divine,* 1.6 Al∣though all Life, all Salvation floweth from the fulness of the Deity that is in Christ, yet not∣withstanding it is not communi∣cated to us but in the flesh, and by the flesh of Christ. For the Deity is as the Fountain whence all good things flow, Life and Salvation; but the flesh, or hu∣manity, is as the Channel, by which all these good things, and all Gifts and Graees are derived unto us; therefore un∣less a man apprehendeth this Channel, and be united to it, he cannot possibly be made a partaker of these Waters which do flow from this Fountain.

2. On the other hand, the whole Person of the Believer is united to Christ; not his Soul onely without his Body, nor yet his Bo∣dy onely without his Soul, but his whole Person consisting of both Soul and Body in conjunction: As Christ is the Saviour, so

he is the Head of the whole Person of every Believer, for he saves none but those whom he is a Head unto: And as Christ is the Head of, so he must have union with the whole Person of every Believer; for his being an Head implies union, and that union must ex∣tend as far as his Headship doth, even to the whole Person: In short, the Believers Soul is united to Christ, therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit; and the Believers Body is united to Christ, and therefore the Bodies of Believers are said to be Members of Christ, 1 Cor. 6.15. thus this union is a full union: And as it is a full, so it is a very near union. Next to those two great Uni∣ons, the essential Union, the Union of the three Persons in One, and the same Divine Essence, and the Personal Union, the Uni∣on of the two Natures, Divine and Hu∣mane, in the Person of Christ; this is the nearest Union. Hence it is expressed, some∣times by their being in each other, John 14.20. Ye shall know, that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you: sometimes by their dwelling in each other; John 6.56. He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. And what can be nearer, than to be and dwell in each other? It is a nearer Union than that between the Husband and the Wife, for that Union may be broken, and is at last, but this never is, never can be broken, (as in its place will be shewn).

III. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it full and lasting communion: In Marriage-relati∣ons there is a full and free communion be∣tween the Parties, both in what they are, and what they have: The Husband admits the sife into a participation in all he is and hath; on the other hand, he communicates with her in all she is and hath; and indeed union is in order to communion: So here, in the Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a full and free communion between them in all they are and have. On the one hand, Christ com∣municates himself unto the Believer, he admits him into a fellowship and participa∣tion with him in all his riches and fulness; hence is, that John 1.16. of his fullness have all we received, and that Grace for Grace: vers. 14. He is said to be full of Grace: And what Grace is that? Why all Grace, Per∣sonal Grace, Purchased Grace, Grace of Pri∣viledge, and Grace of Influence: And here it is said, that of his fulness have all we re∣ceived; not some onely, but all, great and small have received, and that not in a low, poor, scanty measure onely,* 1.7 but in great abundance; there∣fore it's added, and Grace for Grace; or Grace upon Grace, heaps of Grace, Grace in a plentiful manner, all Grace needful for the Soul, Righte∣ousness, Remission of Sins,

Sanctification, Renovation of the Spirit, and the like. Look what-ever Christ is, or hath, which Believers are capable of, it is all theirs, and they all hold communion with him therein: His beauty is theirs; and how black and deformed soever they are in themselves, yet they are fair and comely in him:* 1.8 Hence saith the Spouse, I am black, but comely, Cant. 1.5. that is, black in my self, but comely in Christ; black by Nature, but comely by the Redeemers Grace, comely through the comeliness which he puts upon me, Ezek. 16.14. His Righteousness is theirs; and how guilty and unrighteous soever they are in themselves, yet in him they are Righteous, and do stand perfectly righteous in the sight of God: Hence his Name is said to be, The Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23.6. and they are said to be made the Righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5.21. His Priviledges and Dig∣nities are theirs; and how vile and base so∣ever they are in themselves; yet in him they are highly dignified and advanced. Is he a Son? so are they through him: To as many as received him, to them gave he power to be∣come the Sons of God, to as many as believed in his Name, John 1.12. Is he an Heir, an Heir of God? so are they, they are Heirs, yea coheirs with him of God, Rom. 8.17. Is he beloved by the Father, and that with a choice and singular love? so are they, they are beloved in him, Ephes. 1.6. yea, they are beloved with the same love, wherewith he is beloved by the Father, John 17.23. Is

he a King? so are they, he hath made them, and doth make them all Kings, and they do, and shall reign with him for ever, Rev. 1.6.* 1.9 Is he in Heaven, in possession of happiness and glory? so are they: Hence they are said to sit together with him in heavenly pla∣ces, Ephes. 2.6. What shall I say? his glory is theirs: The glory which thou gavest me (saith he to his Father) I have given them, John 17.22. Yea all his divine ful∣ness is theirs; and how empty and imper∣fect soever they are in themselves, yet they are perfect and compleat in him, and in his fulness, Col. 2.9, 10. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily;* 1.10 bodily, that is, truly, perfectly, unchange∣ably, and not typically only, as in the Temple of old. All the fulness and perfection of the God-head dwelleth truly and perfectly in him:* 1.11 And what then? why it follows, and ye are compleat in him, q.d. You are poor and empty things in your selves, but your Head and Husband hath all the fulness of the God-head in him, and it is alwayes in him; for it dwelleth in him; and it is all yours, and you do communicate with him in all, so far as you are capable of it, to compleat you both in Grace and Glory. Thus Christ communicates himself unto the Believer, and admits him into a partici∣pation

with him in all he is and hath.

On the other hand, Christ partakes and holds communion with Believers in all they are and have: And what is their All? truly a poor All; in and of themselves, they have nothing but sins and sorrows, guilt and afflictions. Indeed in marrying of them, he gives them Gifts, Graces, Comforts, and the like: and having given them these, he holds communion with them in all: their Gifts and Graces, their Joys and Comforts are his: but, I say, in and of themselves they have nothing but sorrows and sins, and he in a sort holdeth communion with them in both: he holds communion with them in their sorrows; hence it is said, that in all their afflictions he is afflicted, Isa. 63.9. He looks upon their sorrows as his, and their sufferings as his. I was an hungry, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, naked, impri∣soned, &c. Mat. 25.35, 36. And often (you know) in Scripture, their Sufferings and Afflictions, are called the Sufferings and Af∣flictions of Christ: And why the Sufferings and Afflictions of Christ? not onely because for the most part they suffer for his sake; but also because he suffereth and is afflicted in them,* 1.12 and with them: He communicates with them in their afflictions: And, as in their sorrows, so also in some sort in their sius too: Hence he calls their sins, as well as their afflictions, his.

Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, Psal. 40.12. Which Luther, and others, under∣stand of Christ speaking of our sins, and cal∣ling them his: Not, my Beloved, that he doth admit of any the least stain or tincture of sinful defilement upon himself; but he so looks upon our sins as his, as to take them off from us, and looks upon himself re∣sponsible to the Fathers justice for them: so he was said to be made sin for us,* 1.13 2 Cor. 5.21. O what Grace is here! I close this head with a great and sweet saying, which I have read in one of the Ancients, sutable to this purpose.† 1.14 The like sweet Names are not to be found, by which the sweet Affections of Christ and the Soul are expres∣sed each to other, as those of the Bridegroom and the Bride, for why, all things are common with thent, nothing proper, hav∣ing nothing separate and apart each from other; they have both one Inheritance, one House, one Table, one Marriage-bed, also one flesh: The sum is, they communicate with each other in all they are and have.

IV. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it strong and ardent Affection. In a Marri∣age-relation, there is the dearest, strongest,

and most intimate Affection that is to be found among the Children of Men: 'Tis a Relation made up of love: Love is not only a concomitant of Marriage, but it is even a part of it, and is essential to it: In Marria∣ges, Hearts must be joyned as well as Hands, or they are not right: So here in this Spiri∣tual-espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a very dear and intimate Affection each to other; their hearts are indeed knit, and do intimately cleave to one another: The Saints (sayes one) are called the Spouse of Christ, Propter amoris magnitudinem; because of that great and unparallel'd love that is between them. And it is a sweet saying, which I have read in one of the Antients to this purpose.* 1.15 Christ (sayes he) calls himself our. Bridegroom, that he might insinuate the greatness of his love to us, which decayes not with time; and he calls us his Spouse, not his Wife, noting that our love to him should be alwayes new, alwayes lively and vigorous. The truth is, no love like that between Christ and his Spouse; Christ loves and espouses, and the Soul loves and is espoused; and both being espoused, do love for ever; and so this relation is both founded in love, and perfected in love; 'tis both made up and managed with love on all hands; Christ sets his love upon the Soul, and in that love espouses him to himself; and

having in this love of his espoused him to himself, then he loves him as his Spouse: of∣ten in the Book of Canticles his Spouse is called his Love; as also he on the other hand is called her Beloved: and what doth this note, but that the whole relation con∣sists mainly in love, and that they are most dearly and intimately beloved by each other? Christ having espoused the Soul to himself, now his love runs out in full streams towards him; he loves him above all the rest of the Creatures, in some respects above the Angels themselves, as standing in a nearer relation to him than they do. On the other hand, the Souls love is drawn out to Christ, and loving him, he is espoused to him, and being espoused to him, he loves him yet more; now Christ is laid between his breasts, in his most intimate Affections, he has the Throne in his heart, Cant. 1.13. yea the Soul by de∣grees comes to be sick of love to him, (as you have it) Cant. 2.5. Stay me with Fla∣gons, (sayes she) comfort me with Apples, for I am sick of love; to whom? to Christ: And truly this (as one of the Antients hath observed) is a sweet sickness, a blessed lan∣guor,* 1.16 a pleasant love: And this love between Christ and his Spouse, is a chast love, a Virgin love, a love that is pitched upon the person of each other; Christ loves the per∣son of the Believer, and the Believer loves the Person of Christ. (Of which more in its place.)

V. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it a mutual rest and complacency for ever. In a Marriage-relation, there is great delight and complacency the Parties have, or should have each in other, especially in the day of Espou∣sals. You know how Solomon speaks, Re∣joyce with the Wife of thy Youth: let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe: let her Breasts satisfie thee at all times, and be thou ravished alwayes with her love, Prov. 5.18, 19. All noting that joy, rest, and complacency, that that relation carries in it, and the Par∣ties have in each other; and we read (you know) of the joy of the Bridegroom, as the highest and purest that is found among the Sons of men:* 1.17 So in this spiritual Espousals between Christ and Believers, there is a mutual rest and complacency which they have in each o∣ther: They are, as it were, the rest, the joy, the satisfaction of each other; the solace of each others Soul. On the one hand, Christ rests and rejoyces in the Believer, as one would do in the Wife of his Youth: This his Spouse is to him, as a loving Hind, and pleasant Roe, and he lives joyfully with her: hence she is called his de∣light, and that as being married to him: Thou shalt be called Hephzi∣bah,* 1.18 (sayes he to her) for the Lord delighteth in thee, thou shalt be the joy and delight of

my Soul, Isa. 62.4. And again, As a young man marryeth a Virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee; and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoyce over thee, vers. 5. The sum of all which amounts to this, That Christ marrying his People to himself, delights in them, and rejoyces over them, and that with the highest and purest delight and complacency of all others, a de∣light and complacency sutable to the relati∣on: The truth is, he speaks as if all his de∣light were in them, as if he had forgotten to delight in the Angels, or in any of the works of his hands, but in them alone. My goodness (sayes he to the Father) extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints, in whom is all my delight, Psalm 16.2. Yea, he declares himself ravished with them, as his Spouse; Cant. 4.9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister my Spouse; thou hast ravished my heart: And he speaks as one ravished indeed. Cant. 7.6. How fair and pleasant art thou, O Love, for delight! and Chap. 6. v. 5. he acknow∣ledges himself captivated by her, Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: Yea, he has declared them to be his Rest, Psal. 132.14. This is my rest for ever, (sayes he) here will I dwell, for I have desired it: It's spoken of Zion, as a Type of the Church, and Spouse of Christ, and his rest in her; and indeed they are his Rest, his Soul is at rest in them, in them is his highest joy: Hence that sweet word, Zeph. 3.17. The Lord thy God, in the midst of thee is mighty;

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he will rejoyce over thee with joy; he will rest in his love upon thee, he will joy over thee with singing; as much as to say, his whole rest, solace, and delight shall be in thee. On the other hand, the Believer rests and rejoyces in Christ, as in his Head and Husband: I sat down under his shadow (sayes the Spouse) with great delight, Cant. 2.3. She did sua∣viter requiescere (as one expresses it) sweetly rest, and repose her Soul in him: Her Soul was at rest, and filled with delight, great de∣light, she had great springings of joy within her, and all this in Christ her Bridegroom; in his Person, in his Presence, in his Pro∣tection, in the fruits of his Grace and Love: And therefore it follows, and his Fruit was sweet to my taste; as if she should say, O with what joy, what solace, what delight and satisfaction of Soul did I converse with him, and feed upon him! Thus in these Espousals there is a mutual delight and fa∣tisfaction between Christ and Believers; and O how sweet is this! this makes this Espou∣sal to relish strongly of Heaven, and to set the Soul down even at the Gate thereof. Thus I have shewen you what this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Be∣lievers is.

CHAP. III. In which the way and means of the ac∣complishment of this Espousal or Mar∣riage-relation between Christ and Be∣lievers is enquired into, and a general account thereof given.

HAving seen somewhat of the nature of the Espousal or Marriage-relation be∣tween Christ and Believers, the next thing to be enquired into is, How this Espousal or Relation is made up and accomplished: To be sure, naturally we are all strangers to it, and unacquainted with it, being (as the A∣postle speaks) without Christ, that is, with∣out union with him, or any spiritual Relati∣on to him, Ephes. 2.12. But how then, and in what way is it brought about? In general, it is from Divine Grace, the Grace of God in Jesus Christ acting and laying out it self for us and upon us; and it is from Divine Grace two wayes; or as that Grace carries a double opposition with it. First, As it stands in opposition to any thing of worth or deservings in us; and so it flows from the riches of Divine Grace, as its onely Spring and Fountain: And, secondly, as that Grace stands in opposition to any thing of power or ability in us; and so it is effected by the

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Power of Divine Grace as its Principle and Esticient: Accordingly take this General in these two Propositions.

I. This Espousal or Marriage-relation be∣tween Christ and Believers, flows from the Riches of Divine Grace, as its onely Spring and Fountain: that any of the Sons of Men are Married or Espoused to Christ, is not from any thing of worth or deservings in them, but purely and entirely from free Grace and Love dwelling and working in the heart of God and Christ towards them; and this account the Scripture gives us of it, Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with in everlasting, love; therefore with loving kindness have I deawn thee: as if he should say, I have drawn thee out of thy sins, out of thy un∣belief, out of all thy carnal rests and refuges, and I have drawn thee to my self, into uni∣on and communion with my self, into a Marriage-covenant and Relation with my, self; and all this from mine own free love, that love, that kindness, that has been in my heart towards thee from everlasting: So a∣gain, Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving, kindness, and in mercies. Mark, It is mercy and loving kindness, which espouses Souls to Christ.* 1.19 God (sayes one upon this place) espouses us to Christ, indu ed thereunto by no merits of ours,

but by his own goodness and mercy. And indeed, my Beloved, what have we, or what have any of the sons of men, that should speak the one or the other worthy of a conjugal-rela∣tion to Christ, or that should invite and in∣duce him to take us into such a relation to himself? Have we Birth or Parentage to in∣duce him? No, alas! as to our state, we are all of the brood of Hell, and thence, as sin∣ners, we all have our descent and original, John 8.44. Have we beauty and arniable∣ness? No, for we are all black and deformed in our selves, we have the spirit of the De∣vil in us, and the image of the Devil upon us: we are blind, and deaf, and dumb, and lame, and crooked: so the Scripture speaks of us in our natural state, we are all in our blood and gore, cast out into the open field to the loathing of our persons, Ezek. 16.5, 6. And as their case is represented, Isa. 1.6. such is ours spiritually, Even from the sole of the foot, to the crown of the head, there is no sound∣ness in us; nothing but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: In a word, we are all sin, and have nothing but sin. Know, O Spouse of Christ,* 1.20 (sayes one of the Ancients) that thou hast nothing of thy self but sins; as for all thy good things, they are the Grace of thy Bridegroom to thee, to whom therefore give the glory of it: I say, we have nothing but sins, and is there any beauty, any comeliness in that to attract an

Holy Jesus? Surely no. Have we Riches and Treasures? No; for indeed we are poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. Treasures, it is true, we have, but they are black ones; treasures of sin and wickedness, treasures of guilt and wrath, which surely cannot render us worthy, but most unworthy of such a Relation. Have we wisdom and parts to invite him? No; we are altogether bruitish and foolish, Jer. 10.8. Wise we are, but it is to do evil; to do good we have no knowledge: Jer. 4.22. Have we love and kindness in us towards him, good∣nature? No; for naturally we love him not; yea, we hate him, and are enemies to him, Luk. 19.14. We hate both him and the Fa∣ther, as he charged the Jews of old: Yea, we are enmity it self to him, Rom. 8.7. We are enemies to his Person, to his Kingdom, to his Grace, to his Righteousness, to his Wayes, and to all acquaintance and commu∣nion with him: Thus we have nothing to induce him to take us into such a Relation: at the best, we are but poor worms, whose Foundation is in the dust: And what can it be, but free and rich Grace in Christ to mar∣ry and espouse such unto himself?

II. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, is wrought and effected by the Power of Divine Grace, as its principle and efficient: When Souls are married and espoused to Christ, 'tis not done by any power or ability of their own, nor

yet by the power and efficacy of means and instruments, but 'tis purely from the power and efficacy of Divine Grace: Indeed, God makes use of Means and Instruments, he makes use of the Gospel and Gospel-Mini∣sters for the espousing of sinners to his Son, and these are the onely ordinary way and means whereby he doth it; therefore sayes the Apostle in my Text, [I] have espoused you to one Husband; that is, I by my Mini∣stry, I by preaching the everlasting Gospel, have been an Instrument in God's hand for your espousing to Christ: but though God thus makes use of means and instruments in this Work, yet still the Work it self is from pure Grace, and to Grace doth Christ attri∣bute it, excluding all other power but this as sufficient hereunto, John 6.44. No man can come to me, or believe on me, close with me in a Marriage-Covenant, except the Fa∣ther which hath sent me, draw him: that is, except the power of Divine Grace be put forth upon him in order hereunto: the draw∣ing here Christ speaks of, is comprehensive of the whole business; it's the enabling of us to come to Christ, to believe on him, and close with him as our Head and Husband.* 1.21 It notes (as one observes) not any vio∣lent coaction or constraint, but a sweet bowing of the Will, which in it self was averse from, and opposite to God and Christ; and withal, a carrying of the Soul to Christ, and

an enabling of him to close with him in this Relation: and this Christ ascribes whol∣ly to the power of Divine Grace: the truth is, in and of our selves we have no power or ability for such a work; we are without strength, Rom. 6.5. Yea, when we are brought into Christ by the power of Divine Grace; yet then, in and of our selves, we can do nothing; So Christ tells us, Joh. 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. Yea, when we are brought into Christ, and have had some communion with him; yet we can't follow after him, nor draw one tittle nearer to him, unless a fresh influence of Divine Grace be put forth upon us, enabling us there∣unto; so much the Spouse was sensible of, and therefore prayes thus, Draw me, and we will run after thee, Cant. 1.4. As if she should say, Lord in my self I can't stir one foot towards thee; but do thou put forth thy Power in drawing of me, and then, and not till then, shall I come nearer to thee: Yea, my Beloved, the espousing of Souls to Christ, is not only the Act or Work of Di∣vine Grace, and the power of it; But 'tis the Act or Work of the mighty Power of that Grace; 'tis not an ordinary power that is and must be put forth therein, but even the greatness of the power of that Grace, a power no less than that which was put forth in raising Christ form the dead: So the Apo∣stle tells us, Ephes. 1.18, 19, 20. That you may know (sayes he) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe,

according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead. So then here is power, mighty power, the mighty power of God, the great∣ness of the mighty power of God, the ex∣ceeding greatness of the mighty power of God, the same exceeding greatness of the mighty power of God which raised Christ from the dead; and all put forth to enable us to believe, and so to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant. Thus this Work is every way from Divine Grace. But here more particularly, the enquiry will be, What those Acts or Works of Divine Grace are, by which poor sinners come to be espoused to Christ? I shall reduce them all to two Heads; they are either, (first) more remote, being Acts of Divine Grace put forth for us and towards us; or (secondly) more near, being Acts of Divine Grace put forth in us and upon us: In the first, the Father and Je∣sus Christ work more immediately by and from themselves: In the second, they work by the influence and ministry of the Blessed Spirit: I'le speak a little of each.

CHAP. IV. Wherein are contained the more remote Acts of Divine Grace, put forth more immediately by the Father and Jesus Christ, for us and towards us, in order to the accomplishment of the Espousal between Christ and us.

THere are some more remote Acts of Grace, Acts of Grace put forth more immediately by the Father and Jesus Christ, for us, and towards us, in order to the making up of this Espousal or Marriage-re∣lation between Christ and us; and of these I shall mention five, all which do necessarily concur, and have their influence into this bu∣siness, and indeed there is much of the My∣stery of God in them: They are those.

I. God the Father marries and espouses our Nature to the Person of his Son, and thereby sits and prepares him to be an Hus∣band for us; this God has done once for all, and the influence thereof concurs unto the accomplishment of the Espousal between Christ and every Believer. I shall illustrate this unto you, from that Parable Matth. 22. beg. where we read of a King who made a

marriage for his Son; by which King we are to understand God the Father; and by his Son, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of that Eternal Father, He, who proceeded from him by eternal generation: God the Father then is here said to make a marriage for his Son: But, pray, who is the Spouse? 'tis observed by Divines, that the Spouse is not here men∣tioned: Who or what then is she? 'tis an∣swered, Christ has a two-fold Spouse; our Nature, and the persons of Believers: Both which may be intended here, though the first chiefly and principally; and so by the Marriage here we are to understand the Per∣sonal Marriage, the Marriage between the Person of the Son of God and our Nature:* 1.22 and so Calvin and others expound it: This primarily, but secondarily, & by consequence, the Spiritual Marriage, the Marriage be∣tween Christ and Believers; and we are to look on the one as laying a foundation and making way for the other: So that the whole resolves into this, that God the Father hath married and espoused our Nature to the Person of his Son in the hypostatical union, and thereby has fitted and prepared him to be an Husband for us; and made way for the marriage of our persons to his Person in the Spiritual Union: And indeed, unless our Nature had been first married to him in the one, our persons could never possibly have been married to him in the other; for pray observe, the glory of Christ considered as the Eternal Son, and so as God, is too bright,

and the distance between him and us too great for us to come to him, and he made one with him in a Marriage-relation: Christ considered in his own naked glory, as God, is too bright an Object for us to look upon, much more to have so near an union to, and communion with; one sight of him thus considered, is enough to swallow us up, and even to overwhelm our Spirits; We cannot thus see him and live: But now our Nature being married and espoused to his Divine Person; that is to say, he hav∣ing assumed our Nature into union with himself, as the eternal Son, which the Evan∣gelist calls his being made flesh, John 1.14. And the Apostle, his partaking of flesh and blood, Heb. 2.14. Hereby the overwhelm∣ing brightness of his Glory is vailed, and the dreadful terror of his greatness, together with the affrighting distance between him and us is taken away: Yea, hereby his glo∣ry is brought down (as one hath it) to our eye, to our beholding: Hereby he has mar∣vellously sweetned and endeared himself to us, and made way for us for a free access to him, and the nearest union and communi∣on with him: Hence Divines give this as one reason of Christs incarnation, that he might thereby become a fit Husband for his People, and they might be capable of union and communion with him:* 1.23 Therefore (as a Learned Man has observed) was the Son of God made Man, that he might

be a true, a fit Bridegroom for the Church, and 'tis rightly observed by Divines, that in strict propriety of speech, neither the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Son, the second Person in Trinity, is the Churches Bride∣groom; and they give this reason for it, be∣cause he only was made Man, he only was incarnate, O, had not the Son of God been incarnate, had he not (as Austin's expression is) married our Nature to himself in the Womb of the Virgin, none of us had ever been ca∣pable of such a priviledge, such an happiness, as a conjugal-union and communion with him. That therefore is the first Act of Grace in this business.

II. God the Father gives Christ unto the Soul, and the Soul to Christ; he gives Christ for an Head and Husband to the Soul, and he gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ. (First) He gives Christ for an Head and Hus∣band to the Soul, in John 4.10. Christ is called the Gift of God: And how the Gift of God? two wayes, (1st) in that he gave him for us; he gave him to be incarnate, to suffer, to bleed, to dye, to be made sin and a curse for us; he gave him as an Offering and a Sacrifice for us; and (secondly) in that he gives him also to us, he gives him to be an Head and Husband to us: Hence 'tis said, That he gave him to be Head to the Church, and such an Head as has the com∣mand and dispose of all things; He gave him to be Head over all things to the Church,

Ephes. 1.22. both in the Counsel of his Will from Eternity, and also in the Act or Worlt of his Grace here in Time, he thus gives Christ to us: And O how richly and glori∣ously doth his Grace shine forth herein! In giving Christ to us, he gives his best and his dearest; for he has nothing better, nothing dearer to him than his Christ, (as afterwards may be shewn). (Secondly) He gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ: Be∣lievers (you know) are often said to be given by the Father to Jesus Christ; My Fa∣ther which gave them me (sayes Christ con∣cerning Believers) is greater than all, Joh. 10.29. And thine they were, and thou gavest them me, Joh. 17.6. with many other places which might be mentioned. God gives all the E∣lect to Christ to be his Spouse; he gives them to him (first) in the eternal purpose and counsel of his Grace; in the day of ever∣lasting love, when God first set his heart up∣on his chosen on••s, then gave he them to his Son, and will'd their union to him in a Mar∣riage-Covenant; and he gives them to him also (secondly) in the work of Vocation, which makes way for the working of Faith in Christ in the Soul.* 1.24 The Father (sayes one) hath given this Spouse to his Son, (speaking of his Church) and joyns her to him by his Spirit. And, my Beloved, without this Act of Grace put forth by God towards us, the Match would never be made between Christ and any poor Soul; for this indeed is that which brings the Soul to Christ: So much

Christ himself tells us, John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me. Mark, 'tis the Fathers giving us to Christ, that brings us to him; and were we not by the Father given to him, we should never come to him by believing; and if we never came to him by believing, there could never be a Marriage-union and relation between him and us.

III. Christ readily approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift, being willing, yea longingly desirous to espouse them unto him∣self, whom his Father gives him in order thereunto. In the making up of a Marri∣age, 'tis not enough that the Father gives such or such an one to his Son, and his Son to her; but there must also be the consent of the Son; he must approve and accept of the Fathers Gift; and so does Christ here, he approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift: the Father wills his taking such and such poor sinners to Wife, and accordingly gives him to them, and them to him, and the Will of Christ falls in with, and is conformed to the Will of the Father herein, and so the Match goes on: this you have clearly held forth, John 6.37. All that the Father hath given me, cometh unto me; and him that cometh un∣to me, I will in no wise cast out. Mark, Here are among others, two things. 1. Here is the Fathers giving of poor sinners to Christ, and therein his will and consent that they should be espoused to him; that in these

words, All that the Father hath given me. 2. Here is Christs approbation and accepta∣tion of this Gist of the Father, with his will and consent to espouse them to himself; that in these words, And him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out; that is, I will as∣suredly receive him, and accept of him; I will take him into a conjugal union and re∣lation to my self. Christ here plainly declares his acceptance of the Father's Gift, giving poor sinners to him to be his Spouses. 'Tis a great Saying, and sutable to this I am speaking, which I have read in a great Divine,* 1.25 The eternal will and good pleasure of God precedes (sayes he) but Christ the Bridegroom cannot but will the same thing which the Fa∣ther wills; his Will is conformed to the Fathers, and therefore does he accept us as his Spouse. In a word, in this Act of Grace, Christ's Language is such as this; Father, dost thou give such and such poor sinners to me? and is it thy Will, that they should be espoused to me? Content; I do freely accept of them, and am willing to espouse them to my self for ever: 'tis true, they are poor worthless Creatures, altogether unsutable to my dig∣nity and greatness; but Father they are thy Gift, and I accept of them as such: true, there is no beauty in them that I should de∣sire them, but they are thy Gift, and I will marry them and make them beautiful: and Oh what Grace is this!

IV. The Lord Jesus Christ not onely ap∣proves and accepts of the Fathers Gift, but moreover he redeems them thus given to him with the price of his own Blood; he ransoms them from Sin, and Death, and Hell, where∣unto in themselves they were all in bondage, which also necessarily concurs to the ac∣complishment of the espousal between him and them. 'Tis observed by some, that in the Eastern Countries, it was the manner for men to buy their Wives; and indeed so much seems to be intimated in that Message of Saul to David, 1 Sam. 18.25. where when he would perswade David to marry his Daughter, in pretence at least, he sends him word, that he desired not any Dowry, but so and so: It seems then, that it was usual to expect a Dowry. The same also appears by the practice of Shechem, Gen. 34.11, 12. where being in love with Dinah, Ja∣cobs Daughter, he profered to give a Dowry for her; Give me (sayes he) but thy Damosel to Wife, and ask me never so much Dowry and Gift, and I will give it thee. To be sure so 'tis here, Christ buyes all his Spouses, and gives a vast Gift for them; Christ in∣deed is in love with poor sinners, given him by the Father, and desires to marry them to himself; but he must buy them if he means to have them, and buy them he does, and at a dear rate; he gives a great Dowry for them, even his Life, his Blood, his Glory, and all for a time: Hence he is said to give himself for us, Ephes. 5.25. and to purchase

us by his Blood, Acts 20.28. H••n••e we are said to be bought by him with a price, with a great price, a price of inestimable value, even his own most precious Blood, 1 Cor. 6.20. The case lies thus, the Elect, as well as o∣thers, were all gone into captivity, sold un∣der sin and Satan, in bondage to Death, and Hell, and Wrath, which is the condition of all by Nature; and if Christ will have them as his Spouse, he must ransom and redeem them from all; which accordingly he does: he bleeds, he dies, he gives himself a ransom for them, in order to the marrying of them to himself: He had indeed a mind to a Spouse among the Children of Men, and was in love with them from all eternity, as he himself tells us, Prov. 8.31. and so in love with them, as that he does in effect say unto the Father, as Schechem did to Jacob, Ask me never so much Dowry, and I will give it. Why, my Son, sayes the Father, if thou wilt have them, and marry them to thy self, thou must give thy Blood, thy Life for them; thou must redeem them from Sin, and Death, and Hell, whereunto they are in bondage; which can't be done by less than thy giving thy self a ransom for them: all which Christ assents unto, and complies with, and that with delight, freely giving himself for them. And oh what Grace is this! Oh to give such a price for such a Spouse! a price so great, for a Spouse so black and unworthy; this is glorious Grace indeed!

V. Christ makes love to them, tenders himself unto their embraces, and withal wooeth them for their acceptance of him, and that with the greatest and most affecti∣onate importunity: How much soever it has cost Christ to redeem poor sinners, and how great a Dowry soever he has given for them, yet they are unwilling to close with him, they have no mind, no heart Christward, and so the Match is not like to be made up unless something further be done; therefore after all, Christ (as one phrases it) comes a wooing to them, he makes love, offering himself to them, and earnestly follicites them for their love and acceptance: he importunes them, and that in such a way, as if he were resolved to take no denyal; in Ezek. 16.8. we read of a time of love, a time (that is) of Christ's making love to sinners lying in their blood and gore. And indeed, Christ has his times of love, times when he makes love, and offers himself with all his Riches and Treasures to poor sinners: when his language to them is, Behold me, behold me; Isa. 65.1. and look unto me, and be ye sa∣ved all ye ends of the earth, Isa. 45.22. Now he comes, and tells over the stories of his love to them, how much he has done and suffered for them, how much his desire is towards them, what great things he will be∣llow upon them, and instate them into, and all to win and allure them to himself, to gain their love and consent to accept of him, and to be his in a Marriage Covenant. Time

was when Christ came and did this himself in person; when he stood, and cryed, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, John 7.37. Time was, when in his own Person he importuned poor sinners from day to day, he made love to them time after time, as he did (you know) to Jerusalem, Matth. 23.37. for some years together he woo••d them, and offered himself and his grace to them in his own person; and though he does not now come in person, yet as David sent his Servants to Abigail, to commune with her, and to acquaint her with his pur∣pose and desire to take her to Wife, 1 Sam. 25.39. so Christ sends us his Servants, his Ministers to poor sinners to commune with them, and to declare the love and purposes of his heart towards them, and to woo them for him; yea, and as Ambassadors for Christ, we do woo poor Souls; and as in Christ's stead, beseech them to be reconciled to God, to give up their Names and Souls to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant, 2 Cor. 5.20. And because we can prevail nothing by and of our selves upon the spirits of men in this great Matter, Christ over and above, sends his own blessed Spirit to woo them, and gain upon them, making them willing in the day of his power, Psal. 110.3. And this leads me to the consideration of those other Acts of Grace in this business, wherein the Father and Jesus Christ work by the Spirit in us and upon us, for the making up of the Match between Christ and us: Only, by the

way, let us still see and admire the Grace of Jesus Christ to poor sinners. O that he should woo such poor vile Creatures as we are, and make love to us! Should you see a King, a great King, wooing a Begger, com∣ing now himself in person, and then send∣ing his Servants to her to sollicite and impor∣tune her love; you would look on this to be great Grace: but oh this is nothing to the Grace of Christ, in condescending to woo such as we are, sinners lying in our Blood.

CHAP. V. Which gives an account of those (which I call) more near Acts of Grace, which the Father and Jesus Christ by the Spirit do put forth in us and upon us for the effecting of the Espousals be∣tween Christ and us.

DIvine Grace has not yet done its work; no, there are other Acts which it does, and must put forth, if ever the Marriage be made up between Christ and us; and these I call more near, because they are wrought in us and upon us, and do more immediately conduce to the tying of the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul: And as in the

former, the Father and Jesus Christ wrought more immediately of and by themselves; so in these the blessed Spirits influence comes in, and his Grace shews its self, they in these acting by him; and the truth is, the Match is all this while but half made: but now God comes, and by his Spirit working in and upon the Soul, carries on and compleats it; which he does by these five Acts of Grace.

I. The Soul is, by the Spirit of God, di∣vorced from its old Husband, the Law, and thereby is fitted and prepared for an espousal to Christ: Naturally we are all married to another Husband, even to the Law, and we must be divorced from that, or we can never be married and espoused to Christ: So much the Apostle clearly holds forth, Rom. 7.4. Wherefore, my Brethren, ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Pray mark, marryed to another; the Law then was their Husband, to which they were married, and that they must be dead to, and divorced from, if ever they would be married to Jesus Christ. Look, sayes he, (for 'tis his own Argument and Allusion in vers. 2 and 3) as a Woman can't be the Wife of two Husbands at once; but her present Husband must be dead before she can be married to another; so neither can a Soul be espoused to these two Husbands at

once, the Law and Christ, but he must be dead to, or divorced from the one, e're ho can be married to the other: Observe, ye are dead to the Law: What is it to be dead to the Law, or divorced from the Law? To be dead to the Law, is to have no hope, no expectation of Life and Righteousness by the Law: 'tis to be sensible, that the Law cannot save us; yea, there is more in it than so, To be dead to the Law, is to see our selves dead by the Law; 'tis to see our selves lost and condemned by the Law, for sin as the transgression thereof; and thus we must all be dead to the Law, or divorced from the Law, or we cannot be married to Christ. Now this the Spirit of God effects by a work of the Law upon the Conscience: He di∣vorces the Soul from the Law by the Law, i. e. by bringing home the Law to the Con∣science: This the Apostle felt in his own Soul, I through the Law (sayes he) that is, the Spi∣rit of God bringing home the Law to my Conscience, am dead to the Law, Gal. 2.19, So again, Rom. 7.9. I was alive without the Law once, but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I dyed. I was alive with∣out the Law once, that is, I thought my self to be alive, I apprehended my state to be good and happy; but this was without the Law, i. e. before the Spirit of God, by the ministry of the Law, convinced me of my sin and misery; therefore it follows, when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I dyed; i. e. when the Law came in its con∣vincing

power through the Spirit upon my Soul, then I saw my sinful, dead, and mi∣serable state: thus was he himself divorced from the Law, that he might be married to Christ: the sum is this, the Spirit of God comes and shews the Soul the strictness and holi∣ness, the purity and spirituality of the Law, and makes him sensible how large the Duty is that it requires; how impossible it is for him to keep it, and how many wayes he has broken it; he withal lets him see the dread∣fulness of that curse and condemnation it has justly laid him under for the breach thereof; and thus he is divorced from it: and this is all one with the Spirits convincing us of sin, and our lost and miserable condition by rea∣son thereof; which is (you know) his first work in order to Faith, and so to our espou∣sing to Christ, John 16.8. Thus by the Spirit of God the Soul is divorced from the Law, he is taken off from all expectations of life and happiness by that, and is made to see his own sinfulness, and so his infinite need of Christ, whereby he is fitted for this other and better Husband.

II. The Soul being thus divorced from the Law, and so fitted and prepared for Christ, then the Spirit of God reveals and offers the Lord Jesus Christ in the promise of the Gospel, as a better Husband to him: Now the blessed Spirit comes, and does as Abrahants Servant did, who was sent to take a Wife for Isaac; he told Rebecca of his Ma∣sters

Greatness, of his Flocks, and his Herds; his Silver and his Gold, his men servants and his maid-servants, and withal, that he had given all to Isaac, Gen. 24.35, 36. So the Spirit of God now sets before the Soul the riches and the greatness, the beauty and the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ: he tells him, what a full, what a sweet, what a rich, what an amiable one he is, and withal, ten∣ders him to his embraces: he reveals and offers him to him, as one full of Grace and Truth, as one that has all fulness dwelling in him, all fulness of Life and Peace, or Righteousness and Salvation: as one every way able to save him to the very utmost, which is that which Christ calls his convin∣cing the World of Righteousness, John 16.9. he reveals and offers him to him in the trans∣cendent Beauty, Excellency, and Amiableness of his Person on the one hand; as also in the glorious fulness, largeness, & sufficiency of his Grace and Righteousness on the other hand: Thus (I say) he reveals and offers Christ un∣to the Soul, and withal, opens his Glory, and causes it to shine forth before him; so that now the Soul sees that in Christ, that fulness, that beauty, that love, that amia∣bleness, that sweetness, which he never saw before; Christ is now another thing in the Souls eye than ever before he was: Now the Soul, as those John 1.14. Beholds his glory, as the glory of the onely begotten Son, full of grace and truth: Yea, not only does he thus reveal Christ unto the Soul, but withal fixes

the Souls eye upon him: He makes him to pore and gaze upon Christ, as the most ex∣cellent and amiable Object, and as one infi∣nitely needful for him; and this is called a seeing of the Son, and that in order to be∣lieving; whosoever seeth the Son, and be∣lieveth on him, shall have everlasting life; Joh. 6.40. The blessed Spirit deals by the Soul herein, as God by the Angels did with Ha∣gar, Gen. 21.19. where 'tis said, He opened her eyes, and she saw a Well of Water for her relief: She was in a very distressed condition, as you may see vers. 15, 16. full of bitterness, she and her Child both in a perishing condi∣tion, being in the Wilderness, and her Wa∣ter in the Bottle being spent: Now God shews her a Well of Wate, whence she fetches a full supply. So here, the poor Soul having been under the convincing power of the Law, sees himself in a woful, miserable, distessed condition; whereupon he is full of bitterness, crying out with Hagar, How shall I see the Child die? How can I bear it to pe∣rish eternally? But now the Spirit of God comes, and opens his eyes, and shews him Christ, and Christ as infinitely sutable to him: Look, sayes the Spirit to the Soul, be∣ing now desolate and undone, look, here is a Saviour for thee, a Husband for thee, ano∣ther and a better Husband than the Law could ever have been, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who is infinitely able to pay all thy Debts, to supply all thy Wants, to heal all thy Wounds, to relive all thy Distresses, to

pardon all thy Sins, to satisfie all thy Desires, to answer all thy Love, and to give thee per∣fect happiness and satisfaction in and with himself for ever: Look, here he is, here he is in the Promise, here he is in the Covenant, here he is in the Tender & Invitation of the Gospel; here he is at the very door of thy heart, knocking and calling for admission thereunto, Rev. 3.20. Here he is with his Arms wide open to receive and embrace thee; and that notwithstanding all thy vile∣ness, finfulness, and unworthiness: Look therefore to him and be saved.

III. With this Tender and Revelation of Christ unto the Soul, the Spirit of God comes and works a secret love and longing in the Soul after Christ; he does not make a naked ender and revelation of Christ onely to the Soul; for that were not enough, but he withal gives him a secret touch, whereby he is made to breath and long after Christ, to move a little Christward; He drops a lit∣tle Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock, as it were, whereby he is drawn out in holy Longings and Breathings after sweet Jesus; as you know the case sometimes was with the Spouse, Cant. 5. beg. and this the Scrip∣ture calls an hungring and thirsting after Christ, and has a blessedness annext to it, Mat. 5.6. and frequently else-where. Yea, such is that secret touch, which in and with those tenders and revelations of Christ, the Spirit of God gives the Soul, as that (like

that of the Loadstone to the Needle) which sets it a trembling, and will not suffer it to rest, till it stands fully pointed Christward, yea, till it finds it self in the very bosom and imbraces of that Beloved; 'tis indeed such as by degrees makes the Soul sick of love and longings after Christ, Cant. 5.8. and he cries out for Christ, as Rachel sometimes did for Children; Give me Children (said she) or else I die: So give me Christ, sayes the Soul, or else I die, I perish, and that for ever: In a word, nothing but Christ will satisfie him; send him to the Creatures, send him to his own duties and services, send him to his highest accomplishments and attain∣ments, and without Christ they will not do; yea, all these he accounts but as dung, as dogs∣meat, that he may win Christ, Phil. 3.8. In∣deed, Heaven and Earth, with all the fulness of both, are nothing to him without Christ, and an union with Christ: his language now is, O Christ, Christ above ten thousand Worlds! O that Christ were mine! O that I had union with him! Oh that I were in his imbraces! Oh how happy are they that are married to him! and how happy should I be could I call him mine! This I say is his language, and when once it comes to this, then things work well indeed, then the Match is in a good forwardness, there being but an hairs breadth, as it were, between Christ and the Soul. Therefore,

IV. The Soul being thus inclined Christ∣ward, and drawn forth in holy Longings after Union and Communion with him;* 1.26 the Spirit of God comes and enables him to believe, he carries the Soul to Christ in a way of believing, where∣by he actually closes with him, and is espous∣ed unto him: For, my Beloved, 'tis Faith which ties the Marriage-Knot, and makes up the Marriage-Union between Christ and us: Hence Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith, Ephes. 3.17. Christ's dwelling in our hearts, notes the nearest Union and Communion between him and us: And how comes he thus to dwell in our hearts? why, by Faith, by our believing on him:* 1.27 Hence also Christ tells us, That he that eateth his flesh, and drinketh his blood, dwelleth in him, and he in him, Joh. 6.56. By eating Christs Flesh, and drinking his Blood, is meant, our believing on him, and so he himself ex∣pounds it, for he makes eating and drinking of him, and believing on him, all one through∣out that Chapter: Now (sayes he) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwel∣leth in me, and I in him; that is, he has the nearest Union and Communion with me: 'tis Faith then (you see) that unites, and so espouses us to Christ: Faith gives Christ an inlet into the Soul, and it gives the Soul an inlet into Christ, and so they are made one and married together. By believing, we consent to take Christ, and actually do take

him for our onely Head and Husband for ever; and so the Match is made up between him and us:* 1.28 We by Faith (says a learned Man) wrought in us by the holy Spirit, do con∣sent unto this marriage with Christ; Christ, as you heard before, consents thereunto; as God he consented hereunto from all eternity, and as Man he consents hereunto in time. For,* 1.29 as Divines observe, Christ hath a double Will, his Di∣vine and Humane; with the first, he consented to this E∣spousal from eternity; with the second, he consents hereunto in Time, and never changes therein. Now as Christ gives his consent, so we also must give ours; which we do by believing in him; by which therefore the Match is made up between him and us. Now there is a three-fold Act of Faith, which the Spirit of God works in the Soul, whereby he more especially closes with Christ, and is espoused unto him, made one with him in a Marriage-Covenant.

• I. An Act of Choice or Election.
• II. An Act of Trust or Dependance.
• III. An Act of Resignation or Sub∣jection.

I. An Act of Choice or Election: In the

Act or Work of Believing, the Soul is by the Spirit of God made solemnly and deliberate∣ly to chuse Christ as his only Head and Hus∣band, his Lord and Saviour, being thus offered to him in the Gospel. Choice or E∣lection, as the School-men tell us, is an Act of the Will, whereby it pitches upon some one thing, and prefers that before all others in order to such or such an end: Accordingly we may conceive of this Act of Faith we are speaking of: It lies thus, the Will is by the Spirit of God sweetly and powerfully de∣termined upon Christ, preferring him for an Head and Husband, a Lord and Saviour be∣fore all others: It singles him out, as it were, from all others, whether persons or things, in Heaven and Earth, and imbraces him as the best Husband, the best Saviour, the best Lord: There are others which make love to him, and tender themselves to his embraces, as Sin, Self, the Law, the World with its intice∣ments; but he passes by all, yea, rejects all with loathing and indignation, and pitches upon Christ as infinitely best, saying to him, I will have none in Heaven but thee; and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee. This the Scripture calls sometimes a laying hold upon Christ, Prov. 3.18. Some∣times a receiving or imbracing of Christ, Joh. 1.12. 'Tis true, in the Work of Faith, Christ is and must be received into the un∣derstanding; but he is most properly said to be received into our Will and Affections: Christ in the Gospel is revealed and offered

to the Soul with all his Riches, Fulness, and Perfections; he is tendered to him, as a full, a mighty, and uttermost Saviour, as one who has not onely an infinite fulness and sufficiency in him to redeem and save, but also an infinite sutableness and amiableness in him to indear and delight the Soul; and accordingly the Soul accepts and imbraces him, he cleaves to him, and fastens upon him, resolving to have none but him alone: his language of him now is, There is none like Christ, no head like this Head, no hus∣band like this Husband, no saviour like this Saviour for my Soul: This is the Head, the Husband, the Saviour that I need, and that indeed my Soul defires: No love like his Love, no beauty like his Beauty, no blood like his Blood, no righteousness like his Righteousness, no fulness like his Fulness; He therefore, and he alone shall be my Head, my Husband, my Saviour, and my All for ever. Sweet Jesus (sayes he) dost thou tender thy self for an Head and Husband to me, and art thou willing to be imbraced by me? Lo then I do with my whole Soul ac∣cept of thee, and that for all times and in all conditions, with all thine Holiness as well as thy Love, with all thine Inconveniences as well as thy Priviledges; to suffer for thee, as well as to reign with thee; and this the Soul does upon the deepest counsel, and most ma∣ture deliberation; and accordingly he abides by his choice for ever.

II. An Act of Trust or Dependance: As in the Work of Faith the Soul is, by the Spi∣rit of God, made to chuse Christ; so also to trust and depend upon him for all Grace, Righteousness, and Salvation: Now it bot∣toms upon Christ, anchors upon Christ, rests and relies upon Christ for all Life and Peace, for all Grace on Earth, and Glory in Hea∣ven: He layes the whole weight and stress of his Salvation upon him: He commits all to him, ventures all upon him, expects all from him: This the Scripture calls some∣times a trusting in Christ, Ephes. 1.13. some∣times a leaning upon Christ, Cant. 8.5. some∣times a hoping in Christ, 1 Cor. 15.19. And in this respect Christ is called our Hope, 1 Tim. 1.1. our Hope, that is, the Object of our Hope and Trust as to Life and Salva∣tion. The Soul has no hope in himself, no hope in the Creature, no hope in the Law or first Covenant, no hope in any thing in Hea∣ven or Earth on this side Christ: He looks here and there, to this and that, but he can find no solid ground of hope, no bottom to build or rest upon for Life and Salvation; but then he turns his eye upon Christ, and there he sees abundant ground of hope; he beholds him upon the Cross, and there's hope; he beholds him upon the Throne, and there's hope; he looks upon him dying, and there's hope; he looks upon him rising, as∣cending, sitting at the Father's right Hand, making intercession for us, and there's hope: He looks upon the infinite vertue of his

Blood, the infinite efficacy of his Spirit, the infinite fulness of his Grace, the infinite di∣mensions of his Love, the infinite freeness and faithfulness of his Promise; and in these he sees infinite ground of hope and trust; and accordingly he rolls and ventures all upon him: Here I'le build, (sayes he) here I'le bottom, here I'le rest, here I'le hang and depend, here I'le live; yea, and if die I must, here I'le die. His language to Christ now is like that of the Psalmist to God in another case, Psalm 39.7. Now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. This is to cast anchor within the Vail, Heb. 9.6. And indeed, 'tis with poor Souls many times, as with persons at Sea; the Storm arises, the Waves lift up themselves, which beating up∣on them, they are ready to sink every mo∣ment, and their very Soul is melted because of heaviness; but anon they sound bottom, cast anchor, and are at rest: So poor Souls are under storms of sin, guilt, and wrath, perishing in their own apprehension every moment; but anon they drop an anchor of hope upon Christ, and do rest upon him: or 'tis with them in this case, as 'twas with the Dove when she was first sent out of the Ark, she found no resting place abroad for the sole of her foot; but at length returned to the Ark, and there found rest, Gen. 8.8, 9. So the poor guilty Soul finds no rest any where else but in Christ. His language in this Act of Faith is such as this, I am a poor, lost, sinful, distressed Creature, and there is but

one door I can expect relief from, and that is Christ, and at this door I'le lie and wait; I know he is able to help me, for he can save to the uttermost: and surely he hath bow∣els, great bowels towards poor sinners; he is a merciful High-Priest: He sayes concern∣ing him, as they sometimes did concerning the King of Israel; Behold, we have heard, that the King of Israel is a merciful King, peradventure he will save us: yea, he has bid me look to him and be saved; and he invites all that are weary and heavy-laden, to come to him, and promises them rest: Why then should I not rest and rely upon him? 'Tis true, I am a mighty sinner, but he is a more mighty Saviour: Have I sinned to the ut∣most? He has satisfied to the utmost: What shall I say? True, I am Death, but Christ is Life: I am Darkness, but Christ is Light; I am Sin, but Christ is Holiness; I am Guilt, but Christ is Righteousness; I am Empti∣ness and Nothingness, but Christ is Fulness and Sufficiency; I have broken the Law, but Christ has fulfilled the Law; and his Life is infinitely able to swallow up my Death; his Light, my Darkness; his Holiness, my Sin; his Righteousness, my Guilt; his Fulness, my Emptiness; on him therefore I'le lean, and live, and hope. 'Tis true, I am utterly unworthy of any Life, any Grace, any Fa∣vour; but Christ does all for sinners free∣ly, he loves freely, he pardons freely, he saves freely, how vile therefore and unworthy so∣ever I am, yet I will rest and depend upon

him: Who knows but he may cast an eye of love upon me? This is that Act of Faith which is held forth, Isa. 45.24. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. I have neither strength nor righ∣teousness of my own, but I have all righte∣ousness and strength in Christ; all righte∣ousness for Pardon and Justification, and all strength for Holiness and Sanctification; this is that the Apostle calls a rejoycing in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh, Phil. 3.3.

To draw towards a conclusion of this Head: Which way soever the Soul looks on this side Christ, he meets with nothing but discouragement: If he looks to himself, there he sees nothing but sin and guilt, black∣ness and deformity; in his heart he sees a Fountain of sin, an Abysse of sin, a very Hell of sin and wickedness; in his life he finds innumerable evils, sins of a crimson-die and scarlet-tincture staring him in the face; yea, his very Duties are not without sin, even in these there is abundance of pride, for∣mality, unbelief, and the like: his very righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa. 64.4. If he looks unto the Law, there he reads his doom and condemnation in every line there∣of; there he finds himself under the Curse; there he sees nothing but fear, and blackness, and darkness, and tempests, Heb. 12.18. If he looks to justice, that he finds as a flaming Sword keeping him from the Tree of Life, from all happiness: That appears with an

angry frowning countenance demanding sa∣tisfaction, as being infinitely wronged: But now in the midst of all these discourage∣ments, the poor Soul at length gets a sight of Christ, in whom he sees encouragement after all: He discovers land in a storm, as it were, and finds in him a bottom to rest his weary Spirit upon; in him he sees that which can atone God, satisfie Justice, answer all the demands of the Law, fully deliver him from sin and guilt, and make him both holy and happy for ever; and accordingly he rests and rolls himself upon him, resolving that if he dies, he will die thus leaning upon this Beloved.

III. An Act of Resignation or Subjecti∣on: As in the Work of Faith the Soul thus chuses Christ and depends upon him; so al∣so he is by the Spirit of God made cordially and unreservedly to resign up himself unto him, to be ruled, governed, and disposed of by him in his own way: The Soul now puts himself out of his own power and possession, he passes himself away from himself, and he gives up himself into the power and possessi∣on of Jesus Christ to be ruled, governed, and saved by him as he sees good: which is pro∣perly that Act of Faith which we call Resig∣nation; and this the Scripture often menti∣ons, One shall say I am the Lords, Isa. 44.5. that is, he shall give or resign up himself to the Lord to be for ever his, and at his dis∣pose: so 2 Cor. 8.5. They gave themselves

unto the Lord; and Ephes. 5.24. the Church is said to be subject to Christ: The Case seems to be this, there having many Treaties past in order to a Match between Christ and the Soul, the Soul at length, through the help of the Divine Spirit, is made freely to con∣sent to take Christ for his onely Head and Husband, and to be subject to him in all things, to be perfectly and eternally at his dispose: His language now to Christ is like that of Ahab to Benhadad, 1 Kings 20.4. Behold I am thine, and all that I have is thine: Sweet Lord Jesus, sayes the Soul, I have been my own, and have lived too much in mine own will, and to mine own ends and interests; but now I desire to be thine, and to live in thy Will, and to thine Ends; take possession of me, save me, rule me, lead me, dispose of me as thou pleasest; do all thy pleasure in me, pull down and set up what thou wilt, I'le be, and do, and suffer what thou wilt have me to be, and do, and suffer. And this is properly that Act of Faith, whereby we close with Christ as a Lord and King, and is indeed the evidence of the Truth of the two former; for you must know, that though Faith's first Aspect be to Christ as a Saviour, yet it comes to eye him as a Lord and King also: As Faith fully bottoms upon the satisfaction of Christ, so it freely bows to the Scepter of Christ; yea, when Faith can't challenge Christ as a Savi∣our, yet it will own Christ as a Lord: You know how Laban spake to Abraham's Ser∣vant

upon the sight of the Ear-rings and Bracelets which he had given his Sister Re∣bekah, and upon his hearing a Relation from her of his Discourse with her, Come in thou blessed of the Lord, why standest thou without? I have room for thee, Gen. 24.31. In like manner does the Soul speak to Christ upon the sight of that worth that is in him, and that need which he has of him, Come in thou blessed of the Lord, come in thou bles∣sed Lord, why standest thou without? I have room for thee; I have room for thee in my Understanding, and I have room for thee in my Will and Affections; and I would have thee possess all, and command all: In a word, the Soul freely gives up himself to Christ's Holy and Spiritual Government. Thou art an Holy Christ, (says he) he who is to reign, and I resign up my self to thee, I'le have no Lord but thee; take the whole Throne to thy self within me; I know thy Yoke is an easie Yoke, and I desire to bear it; thy Scepter is a Righteous Scepter, and I de∣sire to bow to it; thy Kingdom is a King∣dom of Rightcousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, and I heartily desire to come under the power of it. I would be Sancti∣fied as well as Justified; I desire thy Spirit to subdue my corruptions for me, and to make me Holy, as well as thy Blood to wash away my guilt for me, and ingratiate me with thy self: and this is what the Scripture calls an opening of the Gates, and a lifting up of the everlasting Doors, to let Christ the

King of Glory in, Psal 24.7. Thus by these three, which indeed are the great uniting Acts of Faith, the Spirit of God enables the Soul to close with Christ in a Marriage-Co∣venant and Relation.

5. The Soul being thus enabled to believe, and so close with Christ in a Marriage-Co∣venant; then, as the Crown and perfection of all, the blessed Spirit of God takes up his abode, and dwells for ever in that Soul, as the Pledge and everlasting Bond of this Marriage-union and Relation between them. The sweet Spirit does not onely come, as a Friend, to treat about the Match, and also to tie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and us; but moreover, this being done, he re∣mains himself in the Soul, as a Love-Token from Christ to him, as the Pawn and Pledge of this Espousal, and as the everlasting Bond and Confirmation of this Marriage-Union and Relation: Hence that of the Apostle, He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. one Spirit with the Lord he is joyned to; that Spirit which did joyn him to Christ, does remain in him and in Christ both: Christ leaves his own Spirit in his Spouses, as the Pledge and Bond of that Mar∣riage-Union that is between him and them; so that he and they have the same Spirit dwelling in them; yet with this difference, he dwells in Christ without measure, in us by measure; in Christ immediately, by ver∣tue of the personal Union, in us by his

Gifts and Graces; in Christ, as an Head, in us as members; and he with these are the Love-Tokens, the Pawns and Pledges of this Marriage-Troth plighted between Christ and us; and this indeed is that which makes this Union so strong and inviolable, as that it can never be broken: Yea, not onely does he remain in the Soul as the Pledge and Bond of this Union, but also to deck and adorn the Soul with Grace, and to make him ready for the consummation of the Marriage above: you know, when Abra∣ham's Servant saw that Rebekah consented to be Isaac's Wife, he then gave her Jewels of Silver, and Jewels of Gold, and rich Ray∣ment, Gen. 24.53. So the blessed Spirit of God, having gained the Souls consent to be espoused to Christ, and the Marriage-Knot being tyed between them, now he dwells in the Soul to deck and adorn him; now he gives him Jewels of Gold and Silver, fur∣nishes and beautifies him with all Divine and Heavenly Graces; He dwells in him as an indeficient Spring and Fountain of all Grace and gracious dispositions, till he has lodged him safe in the Arms and Bosom of his sweet Husband above. Thus at length the Espou∣sal or Marriage-Relation is made up between Christ and the Soul; And oh how blessed is the Soul that is thus espoused to him! I must say to such a Soul, Blessed be the day that ever thou wert born; blessed the Womb that bear thee, and blessed the Paps which gave thee suck; blessed Gospel which revealed

this sweet Christ to thee, and blessed Spirit that has tyed this happy Knot between him and thee.

CHAP. VI. Being a Call to and Treaty with Souls, in order to an Espousal between Christ and them.

WEll, and what is the meaning of all this? Surely it should have a migh∣ty influence upon the Spirits of men to draw and allure them to Christ, to induce them at least to look after an acquaintance with this blessed espousal to him; and indeed I would take occasion hence to treat with eternal Souls in order to a Match between Christ and them: And oh that I could do it effectu∣ally! Look, my Beloved, as David sent his Servants to Abigail to commune with her, in order to his taking of her to Wife, 1 Sam. 25.39, 40. so has the Lord Jesus sent me, his poor unworthy Servant, to you this day to commune with you in order to the espousing of you to himself; and oh that you would do in this case as she did in that; for she hasted ('tis said) and arose, and went to Da∣vid, and became his Wife, vers. 42. Oh that you would all arise, arise out of your sins, arise out of your unbelief, arise out of your

carnal security, and go to Christ, and be∣come his Spouse: And not only so, but, as she did make haste in the business, close speedily with him in a Marriage-Covenant, even to day: O blessed day, might I succeed as they did! How happy would it be for you? how comfortable for me? and how joyful for us all in the day of the Bridegrooms coming! Sirs, let me say, Oh that I might say of you, at least some of you, as Paul of his Corinthi∣ans here, I have espoused you to one Husband, even to Christ: And why should it not be thus? Why should you not arise, and go with me to sweet Jesus, and be espoused un∣to him? Can you make light of all that Love, that Comfort, that Sweetness, that Happiness, that blessed Union and Commu∣nion, that Delight, Solace, and Complacen∣cy of Soul which this Espousal carries in it? Or, is there any thing can make up the loss of these? Can Sin and the Creature afford any thing comparable hereunto? Surely there is more sweetness, more happiness, in one kiss of the mouth of this blessed Lord, in one imbrace in his Bosom, one moments com∣munion with him, than in all the delights of Sin and the Creature: If you doubt it, come and see, experienced Souls will tell you, that one descent of love from Christ, one beam of the light of his Countenance, one turn with him in his Galleries, is infinitely beyond all earthly delights whatsoever. Again, can you be content to die, and perish eternally, rather than live, and be made happy in such a

sweet and desirable way as this of being espoused to Christ is? A more sweet and de∣sirable way of being made happy than this of an espousal to Christ, surely neither Men nor Angels could ever have thought on: And can you, O eternal Souls, be content to die, to perish, to be damned and miserable for ever, rather than be saved and made happy this way? If you get not Union with, and a Marriage-Relation to this sweet Lord, you must die and perish for ever; Know you not (sayes the Apostle) that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates, 2 Cor. 13.5. If Christ be not in us we are certainly repro∣bates, we are rejected of God, and out of his favour, and then surely we must perish. Naturally we are all dead, all lost, all con∣demned; Judgment is come upon all men to condemnation, Rom. 5.18. and we are all the children of wrath by nature, Ephes. 2.3. And if ever we be justified and saved, it must be by a Marriage-Union and Relation to Christ. There is no condemnation, (sayes the Apostle) or as the words are, nothing of condemna∣tion to them that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8.1. But, as is there implyed, there is nothing but condemnation to them that are out of Christ Jesus. Once more, can you be con∣tent to be shut out from the Marriage at last for ever? Think of that Scripture, and bear the dread of it if you can, Matth. 25.10. And they that were ready went into the Marri∣age, and the door was shut, shut against o∣thers who then would fain enter: To be

shut out from the Marriage-Supper at last, is to be shut out from God, from Christ, from the Comforter, from all the Saints and An∣gels, from all happiness, yea, and from all hopes of happiness for ever: and thus you must expect to be shut out from the Marri∣age at last, if you come not into an espou∣sal to him here: And can you bear it, think you? Can you be content to hear Christ say unto you at last, Depart from me, depart? You would have none of me on earth, though I wooed and besought you with tears; and therefore now you shall have none of me in Heaven: you might have been happy in a union and communion with me, and the arms of my love were open to have received you; but you would not, therefore now depart from me, I know you not: And can you bear this? Besides, what is it that keeps your Soul from a close with Christ in this Marriage-Relation? A vain World, a filthy Lust, a painted perishing Pleasure, a sensual Appetite: And are these better than Christ? Are these indeed things to be laid in the Ballance by you against Christ, yea, and to down-weigh him in your values? O monstrous stupidity! In short, Sirs, the Matter I am treating with you about is no trifle, 'tis of no less moment and importance to you, than eternal Life or Death, eternal Salvation or Damnation comes to; your eternal All depends upon it, for you must live or die, be saved or damned eternally, ac∣cording as you do, or do not close in with

Christ in a Marriage-Union and Relation here: Why then should you stand off from him? Yea, why should not this be the day of espousals between him and you? Oh, be not shie, be not coy to Christ, but embrace his love: surely his Arms are wide open to receive you, his Heart is upon you, and his desire is towards you; Lift up therefore the everlasting Doors, and let this King of Glory in: Give up your Names and Souls unto him for ever. Some of you are young, and have your Affections green and fresh: Oh that you would now go with me to sweet Jesus, and become his Spouse; you cannot love him, nor be married to him too soon: Oh, let him have your hearts before this World hath defiled and debauched them: Others of you are older, and have outstood the Calls and Offers of Christ long; yet loe, he once more tenders himself to you: Oh now close with him, and all will be well yet. But for the better succeeding of this Treaty, I shall, in the managing of it, speak to three things. (1.) I'le shew you what manner of Husband the Lord Jesus Christ is, and how he is qualified to render him desirable in that Relation. (2.) I'le shew you what great things he does for all his Spouses. (3.) I'le shew you how much his heart is upon a Match with you. And now as Abraham's Servant, when he was to get a Wife for Isaac, Prayed saying, O Lord God of my Master Abraham, send me good speed this day, Gen. 2.12. So would I, up∣on

the bended knees of my Soul pray, O Lord God, the God and Father of my Royal Master, Jesus Christ, send me good speed this day, that I may win, through thy Grace, a Spouse for him.

CHAP. VII. Which shews what manner of Husband Christ is, and how qualified for the endearing of him to Souls, and ren∣dering him desirable in a Conjugal-Relation.

WHat is thy Beloved more than ano∣ther Beloved, that thou dost so charge us? So the Daughters of Jerusalem spake unto the Spouse, Cant. 5.9. In like man∣ner may some say to me; Who, or what is this Christ, that you do so press us to an espousal with him? What is there in him to render him desirable to us? Who, or what is he? Truly I can't tell, nor could I, had I the tongue of Men and Angels; and I am almost afraid to speak of him, lest I should darken his Glory instead of displaying it: This I am sure of, He is (as one speaks of him) Earths Wonder, and Heavens Wonder both; and has all that in him, and that in infinite eminency and perfection, that should render him grateful and desirable to Souls

in a Conjugal-Relation: Look therefore up∣on him, and view him a little, and see if there be any thing you can desire in such a Relation, that is wanting in him. I'le lay this more fully before you in these following Particulars.

1. Are you for Dignity and Greatness? This goes far among men, and makes many a Match: for this, none like Christ, none so great, so glorious, so honourable as he: pray view him a little: As to his descent, He came forth from God, viz. by eternal Generation, and is the eternal Son of the Eternal Father, John 16.28. View him in his Person, and there you will see nothing but greatness; for he is no other than God-Man, and has all the excellencies of both Natures in one Person: He is Emmanuel, God with us, God in our Nature, Mat. 1.23. He is God, Heb. 1.8. The true God, John 5.20. The great God, Titus 2.13. The mighty God, Isa. 9.6. God over all, or the most high God, Rom. 9.5. God equal with the Father, having the same Di∣vine Essence,* 1.30 and Essential Perfections in him, that the Father hath in him, Phil. 2.6. He is the brightness of his Fa∣thers Glory, and the express Character of his Person; one, in whom the whole Majesty, Luster, and Glory of the Father shines forth; one, on whom the Father has engraven all his eter∣val Excellencies, Heb. 1.3. Some small

Beams and Rayes of God's Glory do shine forth in the Saints and Angels;* 1.31 but in Christ the Fulness, Lustre, and Brightness of it appears. View him in his Office and Relation, with the Dignity that even here he is advanced unto: He is a King, a great King, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19.6. King of Saints, Rev. 15.3. King of Nations, Jer. 10.7. King of Glory, Psal. 24.7. He is the head of all Principalities and Powers; and 'tis their glory that they have such an Head, Col. 2.10. He is the Fellow of the Lord of Hosts, Zech. 13.7. He is the first∣born of God, higher than the Kings of the Earth, Psal. 89.27. He is set down at Gods own right hand in heavenly places, far above all Principalities, and Powers, and Might, and Dominion, Ephes. 1.20. He is made higher than the Heavens, Heb. 7.26. Among all Persons, and in all Things, whether in Hea∣ven or Earth, he has the preheminence, Col. 1.18. Such is his greatness, that the whole Creation is bound to perform Homage and Worship to him, the Angels themselves not excepted: Let all the Angels of God worship him, says the Father, Heb. 1.6. & Phil. 2.9, 10. God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things on Earth, and things under the Earth; i. e. Angels as well as Men must per∣form

worship to him: And indeed, a refusal so to do, would turn Angels into Devils: He is to be loved, feared, believed on, obey∣ed, prayed unto, praised, admired, and de∣lighted in by all: He is to have equal honour from all with the Father; All must honour the Son, as they honour the Father, Joh. 5.23. What shall I say? He has the sovereign Lord∣ship and disposal both of Grace and Glory in his hand; The Son quickeneth whom he will, John 5.21. He sayes unto one, Live, and he lives; and to another, Live, and he lives, and the rest of the dead live not: He has the Keys of Death and Hell, Rev. 1.18. He has the Government of the whole World in his hand; His Kingdom ruleth over all, Psalm. 103.19. He is in full possession of a King∣dom over the whole Creation, all Judgment being committed to him, John 5.22. And O how glorious is he in the whole of it!

Glo∣rious in his Throne, which is at the right hand of God, Heb. 1.3. Glorious in his Commission, which is all power in Heaven and Earth, Matth. 28.18. Glorious in his Scepter, which is a Scepter of Righte∣ousness, Psal. 45.6. Glorious in his At∣tendants, ten thousand times ten thousand of his Holy Ones, even thousands of An∣gels, Dan. 7.10. Glorious in his way of Rule, full of Grace and sweetness towards his People, full of terror and majesty to∣wards his Enemies, his Arrows being sharp in their hearts, Psal. 45.5.

And as he governs all now, so he will judge all at last;

and all must stand or fall, live or die, be sa∣ved or damned for ever, according to what Sentence he shall pass upon them, Acts 17.31. Rom. 14.10. O how great is this Lord! and how worthy to be imbraced by us! O Sirs, will you deny so great, so glorious a Person, when he makes love to you? Should you see some great Prince wooing a Beggar in Rags upon the Dunghil, you would won∣der to see her slight him, and make him wait time after time upon her: Why there is an infinitely greater Person than the greatest of Kings, that wooes you and sollicites you for your love: And will you yet be shie of him, and make him wait? Will you refuse him? Then wonder at your own sordid ingrati∣tude.

II. Are you for Riches and Treasures? This swayes with most: for this none like Christ, he has Riches as well as Greatness to recommend him to you; Riches and Honour are with me, Prov. 8.18. Yea, and his Riches are the best sort; his are Spiritual Riches, Treasures in Heaven, Matth. 6.20. Riches of Life and Love, Peace and Pardon, Grace and Glory, Righteousness and Salva∣tion, Riches of Glory, and Riches in Glo∣ry: And O what poor things are the Riches of this World to these? His are true Riches, Luke 16.11. The riches of this World are but painted riches, his are substantial Riches; I will cause them that love me, to inherit Sub∣stance, Prov. 8.21. The riches of this World

are vain, they are not, Prov. 23.5. But the Riches of Christ have a reality in them; His are lasting and durable Riches; Riches and Honour are with me, yea durable Riches and Righteousness, Prov. 8.18. Worldly riches are perishing and uncertain things, 1 Tim. 6.17. Now we enjoy them, but all of a sud∣dain they are gone and disappear; but Christs are eternal Riches for an eternal Soul: And as his Riches are thus of the best sort, so he has great abundance of them; his Riches are boundless and unsearchable: To me (sayes Paul) it is given to preach the unsearchable Riches of Christ, Ephes. 3.8. He is Heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. All the Treasures of Heaven and Earth are his: He has all fulness dwelling in him, Col. 1.19 even all the ful∣ness of the God-head, whole God dwells in him; He has enough to supply all our wants, and to answer all our desires: Do we want Grace? He is full of Grace, John 1.14. Do we want Life? With him is the Fountain of Life, Psal. 36.9. Do we want Redemption, redemption from Sin, from Death, from Hell, from Wrath? With him is plenteous Redemp∣tion, Psal. 130.7. Do we want Peace? He gives peace; My Peace I give unto you, Joh. 14.27. Do we want Righteousness; He has fulfilled all Righteousness, he is become the Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23.6. Now will you reject this rich Lord? You are poor, and miserable, and naked; and will you not embrace this Christ, tendering himself with all these Riches to you? O how justly then

will you perish for ever! O that there were some covetous Soul here this day, that would be taken with the Riches of Christ.

III. Are you for Bounty, for a noble and generous Spirit? That's desirable in such a Relation, and takes much with many, for this also, none like Christ: He is a bountiful Lord, of a noble and generous Spirit, as well as Rich: Many a Man has riches enough, but has a base, narrow, covetous Spirit; and so his Wife has little of them; but Christ has a noble, generous, bountiful heart: He is not only rich, but he is also willing to lay out all his Riches & Treasures upon his Spouses: All the Treasures of his Love and Grace, all the Treasures of his Righteousness and Con∣solation: He would have them abundantly filled, abundantly comforted, abundantly en∣riched for ever: What a generous Spirit to∣wards them does he express, Cant. 5.1. Eat, O Friends; Drink, yea drink abundantly, O Beloved: As if he should say, I have enough, infinitely enough for you, and I would have you to have enough, I would have you to have your Souls full of all Good: He would have them to have full Graces, full Joyes, full Comforts, and full Happiness for ever; These things speak I unto you, (sayes he) that your joy may be full, John 15.11. And again, Ask, that you may receive, that your joy may be full, John 16.24. He wills them like happiness with himself: Like love and em∣braces in the Fathers Bosom, Joh. 17.24, 26.

Like Grace and Holiness, John 17.22. O what a noble, generous, bountiful heart has this sweet Lord towards his Spouse! Soul, shall it not draw and allure thee to him? Nothing will satisfie him less than their par∣ticipating with him in his own blessedness: Soul, if thou rejectest this bountiful Lord, know, that he has Treasures of Wrath and Vengeance also, which he will plentifully pour out upon thee for ever.

IV. Are you for Wisdom and Knowledge? Wisdom and Knowledge render a person lovely and desirable; 'tis indeed one of a persons highest excellencies and perfections: for this also none like Christ; He is the Wis∣dom of God, and the Power of God, 1 Cor. 1.24. The infinite Wisdom of the Eternal God does shine forth in him and through him: Yea, in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge, Col. 2.3. Which may be understood Actively as well as Pas∣sively, he knowing all, as well as having all that is worth knowing in him; He is the only wise God, Jude 25. There is no true wisdom but in him, and there is no true wisdom to be had but by him and from him; he is of∣ten in Scripture called Wisdom, to note that infinite wisdom that is in him: He knows all Persons and all Things; he knows the Fa∣ther, and that, as he is known of him, Joh. 10.15. He knows the Mind and Will of the Father; hence said to be in his Bosom, which is the place of Secrets, as well as Love, Joh.

1.18. He knows all his Fathers Counsels and Decrees, which have been of old touch∣ing the Salvation and Damnation of Man: Hence we read of the Lambs Book of Life, and Names written therein, Rev. 13.8. He knows all the Works of God the Father; The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him what∣soever he doth, John 5.20. He knows the Attributes and Perfections of God, and he only, Matth. 11.27. John 4.56. He knows the whole Word of God, being himself the Word, Joh. 1.1. 'Tis observed by one, that the Angels themselves do not know all the Word of God, but Christ does: And as he thus knows God, and the Things of God, so he also knows Man, and the Things of Man; He knows all men, and what is in them, John 2.24, 25. He knows the State, the Spirits, the Frames, the Thoughts, the Ends, the Counsels, the Wayes, the Wants, the Burthens, the Temptations of all: In a word, he is infinite in Wisdom and Counsel, and he knows perfectly, as how to promote his own Glory, so how to defend, save, and comfort his Spouses, and carry on their hap∣piness in the best way: O who would not have such an Husband! Soul, if thou reject him, know, that his Wisdom will fight a∣gainst thee; and he does know how to damn and destroy for ever.

V. Are you for Beauty? That takes with most; for this none like Christ: For Beauty and Comeliness, he infinitely surpasses both

Men and Angels. We read of Moses, that he was exceeding fair; and of David, that he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance; and Josephus reports of the one of them, that all that saw him, were amazed at, and ena∣moured on his beauty. O but what was their beauty to Christs? Were their beauty, and with theirs, the beauty of Men and Angels put together, it would all be nothing to the Beauty of Christ: Not so much as the light of a Farthing-Candle is to the light of the Sun at noon-day: He is Beautiful and Glo∣rious, Isa. 4.2. Was Moses fair? Christ is infinitely more fair: He is fairer than the Children of Men, Psal. 45.2. And had you an eye to behold his Beauty, you could not but be amazed at it, and enamoured on it: Was David ruddy, and of a beautiful Coun∣tenance? See what the Spouse says of Christ, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand: which notes the perfection of his Beauty; and therefore she concludes all with this, (having spoken of the Beauty of his several parts) He is altoge∣ther lovely, vers. 16. or he is all loveliness: as if she should say, What do I do? there is no end of his beauty and amiableness; there is nothing in him but what is lovely, and there is nothing lovely but what is in him; neither is there any thing in the whole Crea∣tion, that has beauty and amiableness enough in it to be a shadow and resemblance of his beauty and amiableness. O fair Sun (sayes Rutherford) and fair Moon, and fair

Stars, and fair Flowers, and fair Roses, and fair Lillies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas, I have wronged him (sayes he) in making the comparison this way: O black Sun and Moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black Flowers, and black Lillies and Roses! but O fair, fair, ever fair Lord Jesus! O black Heaven! but O fair Christ! O black Angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! In short, Divines observe that there is somewhat in Christ more amia∣ble than Salvation; and indeed there are those Heart-indearing Beauties, those Soul-ravishing excellencies in the person of this Beloved, that are unspeakably beyond Salva∣tion it self: He is the brightness, the lu∣stre, the shining forth of his Fathers Glory, Heb. 1.2. O who would not be ravished with, and enamoured on his Beauty? A small sight and report thereof set the Daugh∣ters of Jerusalem a seeking after him, Cant. 6.1. And shall it have no influence upon you to draw and allure you to him? Does one so fair and beautiful make love to such black and deformed Creatures as you and I are, and shall we refuse him? Shall we re∣ject this lovely Lord? O that his Beauty might enamour us!

VI. Are you for Love, as well as Love∣liness? for a sweet, kind, loving Dispositi∣on? This is desirable to all, for this also none like Christ: He is of a most sweet, loving, tender, affable Disposition: He in∣deed

is love it self, kindness it self,* 1.32 tenderness and com∣passion it self: God is love, 1 Joh. 4.16. His love to his Spouses has all dimensions, heights, breadths, depths, lengths in it; Yea, it passes Knowledg,* 1.33 Ephes. 3.18, 19. which shews the immensity and unmeasu∣rableness of his love; as if he should say of it, 'tis higher than Heaven, and deeper than the Sea; 'tis broader than the Orb of the Earth, and longer than all Time, during throughout Eternity; yea, and it passes Knowledge. There are two things which exceed our knowledge; our Sins, and Christs Love; the one is almost, the other is altoge∣ther boundless, and bottomless. Though a man has never so many accomplishments to commend him, yet if he be of a rough, crabbed, soure disposition, this renders him unacceptable for such a Relation: But to all his other perfections, Christ has this added, That he is infinitely loving as well as love∣ly, and of a most kind, tender disposition to his Spouses. Hence we read in Scripture of his Love, his Kindness, his Meekness, his Gentleness, and the like; all noting the ad∣mirable sweetness and amiableness of his Disposition: he wept over his very enemies, even them that finally refused him, Luk. 19.41, 42. Yea, he had a kindness for his Murtherers, and prayed for them, and that whilst they

were murthering of him; yea, and his Pray∣er carried many of them to Heaven, Luke 23.34. O what love, what kindness their must he have for his Spouses? He that has love for Enemies, and such love, what must he have for his Friends? 'Tis a sweet gloss which one of the Ancients has upon the place last quoted,* 1.34 Father forgive them, they know not what they do: This (sayes he) is a Word becoming the eternal Word, the Word of the eternal Father; he prayes not onely for his Per∣secutors and Reproachers, but even for his Murtherers, im∣proving all his interest in his Father for them; saying, in effect, Father I intreat thee, by that fatherly love thou hast for me, and by which we are one, hear me for these my Murtherers in forgiving of them, own the love of thy Son, that thou mayest pardon his enemies. O what kind∣ness does this argue? In a word, his love is as an Ocean, which has neither brim nor bottom; neither can he but be kind to his: The Law, indeed, of kindness (as 'tis said of the good Wife, Prov. 31.26.) is in his lips; yea, and in his heart and carriages too, all being full of love: Oh! that his love might draw you: Surely no love like his love, none so full, none so free, none so sweet, none so fruitful, none so ravishing, none so last∣ing; his love, where he loves, never fails,

nor can it ever be broken off; Who shall se∣parate us (sayes the Apostle) from the love of Christ? That is, nothing can separate us from his love, Neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things pre∣sent, nor Things to come, nor Heighth, nor Depth, nor any thing else can do it, Rom. 8. 35, 38, 39. And I think, sayes an Holy Man, his unchangable love hath said unto me, I defie thee to break me or change me: Oh sirs, experienced Souls will tell you, how sweet, and good, and rich Christ's love is: They will tell you, one sight, one taste of it, makes Heaven in the Soul; that 'tis better than Wine, Cant. 1.2. And will you reject him and his love too? Will you pour con∣tempt upon so much kindness? O how just∣ly then will you perish under his wrath? He has wrath in him, as well as love; wrath for Enemies, as well as love for his Spouses; and his wrath is as hot and terrible, as his love is sweet and comfortable; yea, his love will, if rejected by you, turn into wrath, and no wrath like that that is the result of abused love: Oh therefore close, close with Christ this day.

VII. Are you for a Person of esteem, one that is much valued and beloved? An inge∣nious Soul would desire this: and for this none like Christ: As there is none so kind and loving as he, so there is none so much valued and beloved as he: He is beloved by all whose love is worth the having; He is

highly valued and beloved by all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth; the Saints in Heaven they admire and adore him; 'tis a part of their happiness to love him, and de∣light in him for ever: and the Saints on Earth, they love and value him above all others whatever; he is the dearly Beloved of their Souls: How often does the Spouse call him her Beloved, and her Well-Beloved? And once and again, she declares her self sick of love to him; she is enamoured on him; he is indeed the desire of all Nations, Hag. 2.7. That is to say, He whom all the faithful in all Nations do love, desire, and delight in: Hence also that of the Apostle, to you that believe he is precious, 1 Pet. 2.7. The Saints love and value Christ above all their Natural or Creature-Enjoyments, above Father, and Mother, Husband, and Wife, and Children, and Houses, and Lands, and the like: So much is intimated Mat. 10.37. & 19.29. they love and value him above all their Spiritual Attainments, accounting them but Dung for Christ, Phil. 3.8. They love and value him above their lives, being ready to die for him, Acts 21.13. Rev. 12.11. Oh how dear is Christ to Saints? He is also highly valued and beloved by all the Holy Angels: He is the great object of their Love and Admirati∣on: Hence he is said to be seen of Angels, that is, to be beloved and delighted in by Angels, 1 Tim. 3.16. The blessed Angels do see that in Christ, which does enamour them on him, and fill them with love to

him, and delight in him; yea, which does fill them with perpetual admirings and ado∣rings of him, Rev. 5.12. Yea, which is more than all this, He is infinitely valued and beloved by God the Father also: The blessed God sees that in Christ that renders him infi∣nitely amiable and desireable in his Eye, and to his Soul; both as Son, and also as Media∣tor, he is even infinitely dear and precious to the Father: As he is the Son of God, the Son of the Father, as the Apostles expression is, so is he the Darling and Delight of the Fathers Soul, and was so from all eternity; so much he himself tells us, Prov. 8.30. So he is the infinite and eternal Favorite of the infinite and eternal Father; so he is one in essence with the Father, and accordingly must be infinitely dear to the Father: Hence he is said to be in the Fathers bosom,* 1.35 and as Son, he was so from eternity, John 1.18. Now the Bosom is the seat of Love, and his being in his Fathers Bosom, notes that strong, ardent, intimate love which the Father has for him; yea, even as Mediator the Father loves him, John 3.35. Yea, he loves him with a choice, a signal, and an eminent love, with a love of the highest strain, the choicest ex∣cellency, the sweetest influence; a love that has a stamp of special glory upon it: Hence he is called the Beloved, Ephes. 1.6. He hath

made us accepted in the Beloved,* 1.36 that is, in Christ, who is most dear to God: Hence God calls him his beloved Son, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Mat. 3.17.* 1.37 Yea, he is called the Son of his Love; he hath translated us in∣to the Kingdom of his dear Son, the Greek is the Son of his Love, Col. 1.13. Yea, the Father proclaims him to be the de∣light of his Soul: Behold (saith he) my Ser∣vant whom I have chosen, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth, Isa. 42.1. What shall I say? God loves himself in∣finitely,* 1.38 and next to himself he loves Christ and delights in him: 'tis true, he loves all the works of his hands as such, especially rational Crea∣tures; and among them, he has a peculiar love for his Saints and the Holy Angels, but he loves Christ unspeakably more than all: He indeed is first Beloved, and most Beloved, and best Beloved by him of all others.* 1.39 God, as the School-men ob∣serve, does love the very flesh or Humane Nature of Christ more than all the Angels: In a word, he loves him so, as that he is even ravished with him, and he can't but love all that are in him, or related by Covenant to him; and that though alto∣gether

unlovely in themselves. Now, Sirs, will you not love and embrace this beloved one, one that is thus valued and beloved by Saints, by Angels, and by God the Father? And let me say, one that is hated and despised by none but Devils and devilish ones: Soul, if thou reject him, whom all the Saints and Angels love, admire, and adore; then ne∣ver expect to live with them in the fruition of him, But reckon upon living with Devils and damned spirits in Hell for ever: If thou reject him whom the Father loves and de∣lights in, then expect to be rejected both by him and the Father for ever; but, Soul, ra∣ther be prevailed with to love him too.

VIII. Are you for Immortality, for one that lives for ever? This added to the rest is desirable; and for this none like Christ: Yea, none but Christ, he and he alone is a never-dying Husband; the best Husband here below is mortal, and may leave you in a moment; but Christ is immortal, he is the King immortal, eternal, 1 Tim. 1.17. and he only hath immortality, 1 Tim. 6.16. He, and he onely lives for evermore: Behold! I live for evermore, (sayes he) Rev. 1.18. He will never leave you in the desolate state of Widdow-hood; yea, not onely does he live for ever himself, but moreover he makes all his Spouses to live for ever too: So you find John 11.25, 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life, (sayes he) he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and

whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Oh what an Husband is this! an Hus∣band that lives for ever himself, and that makes his Spouses live for ever too; he gives all his Spouses such a life as never dies, an immortal life. In a word, close with him, and as he will live for ever, as thy Husband, so thou shalt live for ever as his Spouse: Oh who would not accept of such a Person? Soul, if thou receivest him, know, he lives for ever, to love thee, to comfort thee, to delight thee, to make thee happy in and with himself; but if thou rejectest him, know, that he lives for ever to punish thee, to inflict wrath and vengance upon thee, and to make thee compleatly miserable; but oh reject him not. Thus I have shewn you a little what an Husbund Christ is to his Spouses; and up∣on the whole, I would say to you as the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. 5.16. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend; this is he that offers himself to your embraces, surely he is no mean, no de∣spicable Person, but one infinitely desireable. Now, what do you say? will you have him, or will you not? possibly this is the last ten∣der he will ever make of himself to you; possibly the Match must be made now or ne∣ver; therefore now close with him, accept him upon his own terms, who surely is wor∣thy of all acceptation.

CHAP. VIII. Which shews what great things Christ does for all his Spouses.

TRue, may some say, Christ's Person is desirable; but what will he do for his Spouses? What may our Souls expect from him, in case we should close up with him in a Marriage-Covenant? What will he do? What will he not do for you? Surely he acts like himself, and does great things for all his Spouses: And oh happy, happy they that are indeed espoused unto him! I shall, for the more effectual drawing of poor Souls to him, shew you what he does for his Spouses in these following Particulars.

• I. He payes all their Debts.
• II. He supplies all their Wants.
• III. He heals all their Maladies.
• IV. He bears all their Burthens.
• V. He sweetens all their Afflictions.
• VI. He subdues all their Enemies.
• VII. He minds and manages all their Concerns.
• VIII. He enjoynters them in eternal Life and Glory.

I. He payes all their Debts, fully dis∣charging

their Souls from all Sin and Guilt. No sooner is a Woman married to an Hus∣band, but presently all her Debts become his; he payes all, at least is lyable so to do; In like manner, no sooner is a Soul espoused to Christ, but all his Debts to Law and Ju∣stice become Christs, and he pays all: And O how great a thing is this! Friends, we are all in debt, deeply in debt to the Law and Justice of God: We owe each one of us more than our ten thousand Talents, Matth. 18.24. We lie under whole Mountains of Sin and Guilt: The truth is, our first Father left us and all his Posterity in debt; we brought Sin and Guilt into the World with us, and the first day we were born, Divine Justice might have arrested us, and have cast us into the dismal Prison of utter darkness.* 1.40 I came of those Parents (sayes one of the An∣cients) who made me damned before I was born; they sinners begot me a sinner in their sin. And to the same purpose ano∣ther of them speaks,* 1.41 No man is free from sin (sayes he) in the sight of God, no not an In∣fant of a day old. And to give you a greater authority than these, the Holy Apostle asserts the same thing, Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entered in∣to the World, and death by sin; and death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Adam sinned, and we all sinned in him,

we all being in him, as in a common Head; and the guilt of the act of his sin is as truly ours, as if we had each one of us acted it in our own persons; and we all stand justly condemned for it. Hence also, vers. 18. he tells us, That by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem∣nation. Besides, we have all contracted a vast Debt upon our selves, and do lie under much actual guilt, and that of a scarlet-dye and crimson-tincture: Alas, we have done little but sin'd ever since we came into the World; and indeed, as long as we are out of Christ, either all we do is sin, or at least we sin in all we do: We are every day run∣ning upon new Scores, adding sin to sin, and guilt to guilt: And O how great then must our Debts to Law and Justice needs be? You look upon that man to be deeply in debt in∣deed, whose Debts are so many and great, as that he can neither know nor count them: And thus it is with us, so many and so great are our Sins, and consequently our Debts to Law and Justice, that we can neither know nor count them. David, though an holy Man, cries out, Who can understand his er∣rors? Psal. 19.12. Alas, who of us can count the sins of one day? they pass our knowledge: And which is worse still, we are under a necessity, whilst in our natural state, of encreasing our sin and guilt every day and hour. Now how shall all this Debt be paid, this Sin and Guilt be expiated and done away? Why only by Christ, close with

him in a Marriage-Covenant, and your Souls are discharged from all. Justice, that stands upon Satisfaction, it calls for full payment; its language is, Pay, or perish; pay, or be damned; and nothing have we of our own to pay the least of all our Debts, nor can we possibly right God for the wrong we have done him by the least fin; and, which adds to our misery, we are every day in danger of Arrests, nor know we how soon Justice will by the hand of that grim Sergeant, Death, clap an Arrest upon us, and cast us into Pri∣son, whence there is no redemption, until we have paid the utmost farthing, which can never be, Matth. 5.26. Now sinner wouldst thou have thy Debts paid, thy Sins Pardon∣ed, and thy Soul freed from the danger of those Arrests? then give up thy self to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant: O this is the only way to discharge all. Christ sayes to Justice concerning all his Spouscs, as Paul some∣times did to Philemon concerning Onesimus; If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee any thing, put that upon my account: So sayes Christ to God concerning thee immediately upon thy close with him; Father, if this Soul hath wronged thee, and oweth thee any thing, place it on my account, I have taken all his Debts upon me, I'le be respon∣sible to thee for all: Father, this Soul I bled and dyed for, this Soul I was made sin and a curse for, whereby thy Justice is fully sa∣tisfied; let him therefore be discharged. O Soul, how should this draw thee to Christ?

Canst thou be content to lie under so great a Debt? And is it a small thing to thee to be in danger of so terrible an Arrest as that of Ju∣stice, which we have spoken of, is? Suppose a man owed ten thousand pounds, and had nothing wherewith to pay, and he saw him∣self in danger every moment of being cast into Prison; how sad wouldst thou look up∣on his case to be? and how gladly, thinkest thou, would he embrace an offer from any to discharge him from all? Soul, thy case is ten thousand times more sad, and how glad∣ly shouldst thou embrace the Lord Jesus, who would, and who alone can discharge all for thee: In short, we read of Spirits already in Prison, 1 Pet. 3.19. Justice has already clapt its Arrest upon thousands and ten thou∣sands, and lodg'd them in the Prison of eter∣nal darkness; and what canst thou expect from it, but to be dealt with in the like man∣ner speedily, unless thou closest with Christ, as thy Righteousness, to make satisfaction for thee? His Righteousness is such, as makes a full satisfaction, and is every way answera∣ble to the strictest demands of Law and Ju∣stice; and by it, he being closed withal by thee, all thy Debts are paid at once.

II. He supplies all their Wants, and makes blessed provision for them: 'Tis the part of an Husband to supply the wants of his Wife, and to make provision for her: And this Christ does for all his Spouses; he supplies all their needs according to his riches in glory:

They have Wants, and he has Fulness; they have Needs, and he has Riches; and he brings his Fuiness to their Wants, and freely communicates of the one to the other: Tru∣ly we are full of Wants of all sorts, Wants in the Soul, and Wants in the Body, We are poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. Yea, our Wants are such, and so prinching upon us, that with the Prodigal, we are even perishing with hunger. Luke 15.17. Even the Saints themselves are a poor and needy people, full of wants, Isa. 40.17. Now how shall these Wants be supplyed? Only by Christ, and do but close with him, and he will supply all plentifully: Liet it be but a day of Espousals between Christ and you, and all your Wants are supplyed for ever. The truth is, Christ is all; He is the great All, (as one calls him) Heaven, and Earth, Time and Eternity, Grace and Colo∣ry are all in one Christ: He supplies the Spi∣ritual Wants of his Sp••••ses: Do you want Life? He that hath the Son, bath Life, 1 Joh. 5.12. Do you want Gr••oe? Close with Christ and he will give you Grace, abundance of Grace, John 1.16. Do you want Peace? Close with C••wisti and he will give you Peace, John 14.27. Do you want Strength and Righteousness, Rightteousness for Justi∣fication, and Strength for Sanctification and Obedience? Close with Christ and he will supply you with abundance of both, Isa. 45.24. Do you want Joy and Consolation? Close with Christ, and he will in due season

fill you with joy and consolation, he will comfort your hearts, 1 Thes. 2.16, 17. He supplies all the outward Wants also of his Spouses, and that so as that they want no good thing, Psal. 34.10. They want no outward good thing; but what the want thereof is better for them, than the enjoy∣ment of it would be: True, they may, and often have but a little of outward Comforts; but yet then they have much in a little, much Love, much Blessing, much of Christ and the Covenant: And therefore a little which they have, is said to be better than the riches of many wicked, Psalm 37.16. Besides, wherein they are cut short in Temporals, Christ often makes it up to them in Spiritu∣als: They are poor in this World, but rich in Faith, Jam. 2.5. They have not much of the Streams, it may be, but they have the more of the Fountain; more love, and the sweeter communion with Christ: In a word, what-ever either Heaven or Earth affords, so far as they need it, they shall have it: The Lord will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk up∣rightly, Psal. 84.9. O who would not close with this Christ? Soul, why standest thou off from him? Is there any can supply thy Wants but he? Is there any can give thee Life, and Peace, and Pardon, and Righte∣ousness, and Salvation, but he? Or hadst thou rather die in thy Wants, than come to this Fountain to be supplyed? Hadst thou ra∣ther

perish in thine own poverty, than come to this Treasury to be enriched?

III. He heals all their Wounds, and cures all their Maladies: He is a Physician to his Spouses, and such a Physician; as that though the Wound be never so deep, and the Disease never so desperate, yet he never fails to work the Cure for them: O how should this allure us to him? We, my Beloved, have our Wounds as well as our Wants; we are full of Maladies and Diseases of Soul: The truth is, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, there is no soundness in us, Isa. 1.6. The Saints themselves have their Wounds, yea wounds many times, that stink, and are corrupt, (as David speaks) Psal. 38.5. Indeed, they are apt to get fresh Wounds every day, Wounds in their Grace, and Wounds in their Peace; Wounds in their Comforts, and Wounds in their Consciences; Wounds that smart sorely, and which many times bleed, as if they should bleed to death of them: Well, but Christ heals all their Wounds, and do but close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and he will heal all thine too, who ever thou art: He is that good Samaritan that has Oyl and Wine, his Blood and Spirit to pour into the Wounds of his People for the healing of them: By his stripes we are healed, Isa. 53.5. His Blood and Spirit are a sovereign Balm, which can heal the deepest Wounds and deadliest Dis∣cases: His Spouses find it so, He restoreth my

Soul, sayes David, Psal. 23.3. His Soul was subject to many ails and infirmities; but Christ restored him under all: Need we say, Is there no Balm in Gilead? is there no Physici∣an there? Surely there is. Indeed there is none but Christ and his Blood that can heal our Wounds. O Soul, why shouldest thou not close with him that thou mayest be heal∣ed? Do not thy Wounds stink? and are they not ready to rankle and gangreen? And unless Christ heals them for thee, must thou not unavoidably die of them and perish for ever? Must thou not suffer a cutting off, a cutting off from God, a cutting off from Christ, a cutting off from Heaven and all happiness for ever? and wilt thou suffer such a cutting off? Wilt thou be content to die and perish eternally, rather than come to Christ for healing?

IV. He bears all their Burthens: We are commanded to bear one anothers Burthens; especially Husbands should bear the burthens of their Wives: And this Christ does, he bears all the Burthens of his Spouses. Sirs, we all have our Burthens, many and great Burthens, which we labour under, Bur∣thens within, and Burthens without; Bur∣thens in the Flesh, and Burthens in the Spi∣rit; Burthens that make us groan under them: Being burthened, we groan, sayes the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.4. Burthens that are too heavy for us to bear, as David complained his were, Psal. 38.4. Burthens sometimes that

make us a burthen to our selves, as Job com∣plains of himself, Job 7.20. Yea, Burthens that make our very lives a burthen to us: My Soul is weary of my life, sayes Job, chap. 10.1. Now how shall all these Burthens be born? Why Christ will bear them all, he bears all the Burthens of all his Spouses; and if we will close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, there shall not that Burthen lie upon us, that he will not bear for us. He bears all his Peoples Burthens two wayes.

1. In a way of Sympathy and Compassi∣on: He weeps with all their tears, and sighs with all their groans: If they are troubled, he grieves; if they are wounded, he bleeds: in all things he bears the other end of the burthen; In all their afflictions he is afflicted, Isa. 63.9. He does 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, suffer to∣gether with us; or (as the Apostle renders it) he is touched with the feeling of our infir∣mities, Heb. 4.15. He is deeply sensible of all our Burthens, all our Sorrows: Such sometimes is the case with the Saints, that among men they have none to pitty them, and sympathize with them under their Bur∣thens; as was David's Case, Psal. 69.20. But even then Christ bears the other end of the Burthen, he pitties them, and sympa∣thizes with them, and that according to the weight of their Burthen. And O how sweet is that? No matter, sayes an Holy Man, how heavy the burthen be, so long as Christ bears the other end of it.

2. In a way of Succour and Corroborati∣on: He does not onely bear with them, but also he gives them strength to bear, and stand up under the burthen: He puts his everlasting arms underneath them, Deut. 33.27. And with the promise of this he en∣courages them to cast their Burthens upon him; Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and be shall sustain thee; succour, and support thee, Psal. 55.22. He strengthens and succours them, and that answerable to the weight of their Burthen: He gives them great strength for great Burthens, great succours for great Temptations, and so makes good his Pro∣mise to them, not to suffer them to be tempted above what they are enabled to bear, 1 Cor. 10.13. The poor Soul many times cries out, Oh, I shall sink under the Burthen, 'tis too heavy for me to bear: But, Soul, though it be too heavy for thee; yet 'tis not too heavy for Christ to bear, and he bears with thee and for thee: yea, he does not only bear, but in due time he bears away all their Burthens for them: There is not that burthen lies up∣on any of his Spouses, but he so bears it, as at last to bear it utterly away for them, so as they shall never need to groan under it more. He has already born the heaviest burthen of all for them, even the guilt and punishment of their sins; He bare our sins in his body up∣on the Tree, 1 Pet. 2.24. And again, He bare the sin of many, Isa. 53.12. And 'tis well for us that he hath born this Burthen; for otherwise it must necessarily have sunk

and crusht us for ever: We could never have stood under it, and as he has born this, so he bears, and in due time will bear away all for them: Are their sins, the iniquities of their holy Things, a burthen to them? These he bears away for them, Exod. 28.38. Are the reinainders of original Corruption a bur∣then to them? These make them groan in∣deed; these in due time he bears away for them, Rom. 7.24, 25. Are their conflicts and temptations a burthen to them? These lie heavy upon some; in due time he bears these away also: He turns their Conflicts into Triumphs: Oh how should this comfort the hearts of Saints? And how should it draw and allure sinners to him? O, Sirs, will you sink under your burthens, rather than have Christ to bear them for you? Oh be not so cruel to your own Souls!

V. He sweetens all their Afflictions for them: Afflictions they may, and often do meet withal, many and great Afflictions. Christ tells us, That in the World we shall have tribulation, John 16.33. But he sweetens all for them; he turns their Wormwood into Wine, and therefore at the same time, with the same breath he sayes, In me ye shall have peace: As if he should say, I will sweeten all your tribulations to you. Christ sweetens his Peoples Afflictions to them two wayes.

1. By his presence with them, and the communications of his love to them under their Afflictions: Christ has promised to be with his People, and to minister comforts to

them in their afflictions, Isa. 43.2. When thou passest through the Waters, I'l be with thee; and through the Fire, it shall not burn thee: that is, I'le be with thee in all the sharpest Afflictions thou meetest withal: They meet with many Afflictions, Sick∣ness, Poverty, Reproach, Persecution, and the like; but Christ is with them in all, and shews them his love; and this sweetens all to them. The truth is, Christ is never more with his People, and he usually never com∣municates more of his Love and Consolati∣ons to them than when in Affliction: Then usually 'tis that they have the sweetest em∣braces of his Bosom, then they have the clearest sights, the fullest tasts, the choicest and most ominent sealings of his love to them: Then he leads them into his Banqueting-house, and displayes the Banner of his Love over them; he stayes them with Flaggons, and comforts them with Apples: his lest hand is under their h••al, and his right hand doth embrace them, Cant. 2.4, 5, 6. Then he ministers his strongest Consolations to them, comforting them in all their tribulations, 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. The truth is, their sharpest Afflictions are but to prepare them for his sweetest Consolations; and in∣deed he therefore oftentimes afflicts them, that he may manifest his Love, and minister Consolations to them; according to that of Hosea 2.14. I will allure her into the Wilder∣ness, and there will I speak comfortably to her: and indeed, as strong Consolations often times prepare for great Afflictions; so great Afflicti∣ons

usually make way for strong Consolati∣ons. Afflictions (sayes a worthy Divine) is the Air, in which Christs love especially breaths; and Christ and the Cross (sayes he) are sweet company: This, viz. Christs love and pre∣sence with his People in their Afflictions, is what turns their night into day, their dark∣ness into light, their pains into ease, their sor∣rows into joys, their losses into gains; yea, and Death it self into Life: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet will I fear no evil, because thou art with me, Psal. 23.4. It turns a Prison into a pleasant Pallace; yea, it turns a fiery Furnace into a delightful Walk; as in the case of the three Children, and this experienced Souls find: O how sweet are Afflictions when Christ and his love come with them!

2. By sanctifying their Afflictions to them, and working good to their Souls out of all: Sanctifyed Afflictions are sweet Afflictions; they meet with Afflictions, but Christ gives them the sweet Fruit, and a blessed issue of them; makes them all work together for good to them, according to that great Ora∣cle, Rom. 8.23. All things shall work toge∣ther for good to them that love God. By these he proves their Graces, and improves their Experiences; he makes them all to be, as the Gibeonites sometimes were to the Congre∣gation of God, as so many hewers of Wood and drawers of Water to their Faith, to their Comforts, to their Holiness on Earth, and Happiness in Heaven: The Faith of this

sweetned all Jobs great and heavy Afflictions to him: When I am tryed, (sayes he) I shall come forth as Gold, Job 23.10. Hereby he tryes their Faith, which is better than Gold, 1 Pet. 1.7. Hereby he refines them, and purges away their dross from them, Behold, I have refined thee, but not with Silver; I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction: Or, as you may read it, I have made a choice one of thee in the Furnace of Affliction, Isa. 48.10. Hereby he makes them partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12.10. By this he purgeth away their iniquity, and taketh away their sin, Isa. 27.9. In short, hereby he humbles them, and seals instruction to them; hereby he weans them from the World, draws them nearer to himself, quickens their hearts in his good wayes, and raises them up to higher strains of Grace and pitches in Holiness, then they were got up to before: Yea, hereby he increases their Revenue of Glory, and adds to their Crown in Eternity. Our light Afflicti∣ons, which are but for a moment, (sayes the Apostle) work out for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Thus he sanctisies all; and O how doth this sweeten all? Here is a Cross, 'tis true, may the Soul say, but by this Cross Christ does crucifie me to Sin and the World, he weans me from the Creature, sets me a longing after Heaven; and so long welcome Cross, how heavy soever: Here is an Affliction, 'tis true, and 'tis an heavy one, but by it Christ proves and brightens my Graces, and that sweetens

all: O what owe I (sayes Rutherford) to the File and Hammer of my sweet Lord Jesus? He hath taught me more (sayes he) by my six months imprisonment, then ever I learnt in my nine years past Ministry. Luther was wont to say, three things made a good Minister; Temptation, Affliction, Supplication: The same also conduce much to the making of a good Christian: And indeed, 'tis seldom that ever a Soul comes to any eminency in Grace, un∣til he has been exercised with sanctified Af∣flictions and Temptations: And doubtless, there is many a Soul who may and must say, That next to Christ, his Afflictions have, through his Grace and Blessing, been his best Mercies. O how should this draw Souls to Christ, and allure them into a Marriage-Co∣venant with him? Poor Soul, it may be that which keeps thee from Christ, is the fear of what Afflictions thou mayest meet with in his wayes: But know, (1.) thou mayest meet with Affliction, yea, first or last thou wilt assuredly meet with Affliction, though thou never closest with Christ: Alas, wicked men and unbelievers meet with Troubles and Afflictions, and that even in this World oft∣times: However, to be sure at last, they will have a full Cup, yea, the very dregs of God's Wrath ponred out unto them: They will meet with, and fall under soret and more dreadful Afflictions, then any thou canst meet withal in the way, and for the sake of Christ; for pray consider, is there any Trouble, any Affliction thou canst meet withal for Christ

like to this, for a man to die in his sins, to be separated from God for ever, to have infinite∣ness and eternity combined against thee? Is there any Trouble or Affliction like to the torments of the Infernal Pit, and being the object of infinite Wrath for ever? and yet this will be the lot at last of all that close not with Christ in a Marriage-relation. (2.) What ever Afflictions thou mayest meet withal in the way of Christ, closing with him, he sweet∣ens all for thee; and that so as that thou wouldest not have been without them for a World: Oh scare not at the Cross, but close in with Christ.

VI. He subdues all their enemies for them: True, the poor Saints and Spouses of Christ are beset with Enemies on all hands; they have many Enemies, and mighty Enemies, Enemies within, and Enemies without, and all in a confederacy against them to destroy them, to destroy their Lives, to destroy their Graces, to destroy their Peace and Comforts, to destroy their Souls and Happiness for ever; all like so many roaring Lyons seeking to devour them: Well, but Christ, who is their Captain as well as their Husband, subdues and conquers all for them; and, first or last, makes them to set their feet upon their necks, and triumph over them: He makes them Conquerors, yea more than Conquerors over all, Rom. 8.37. He makes them so to conquer them, as sooner or later to gain by all their conflicts and oppositions: Indeed Christ has

already conquered all his Peoples Enemies for them. The Saints have five great Enemies, Sin, Self, the World, the Devil, and Death; and Christ has long since conquered them all for them, and by degrees brings them into the joyful triumph of that conquest.

1. He has conquered Sin for them: He by being made Sin, hath obtained an eternal vi∣ctory over Sin for all his People: Sin is the Saints great Enemy; 'tis that which wars against their Souls, Rom. 7.23. 1 Pet. 2.11. And indeed this is that which gives all the rest an advantage against them; but even this greatest Enemy Christ has conquered for them: Hence he is said to have condemned sin in the flesh; he for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, Rom. 8.3. i. e. He by being made a Sa∣crifice for Sin, hath killed and subdued Sin, past a sentence of Death and Condemnation upon Sin for ever: Hence also our old Man is said to be crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, Rom. 6.6. Hence also he is said to destroy sin, to take away sin, and the like: And how? Why as to the Reign and Power, as well as the Guilt and Curse of it: And this Paul, acted by the Spirit of Faith, could triumph in, even whilst he was in the sharpest conflicts with sin, Rom. 7.23, 24, 25. I thank God through Christ, (sayes he); For what? why, for victory over, and delive∣rance from that Law of Sin he was now con∣flicting with.

2. He has conquered Self for them: Self, as well as Sin, is our deadly Enemy: This

indeed is a near close Enemy, and most diffi∣cult to be slain; This is an Enemy that we are too too loth many times to have destroy∣ed, and yet an Enemy which makes woful spoyl upon us and our happiness: I often think of the Speech of an Holy and Learned Divine; Oh, sayes he, if I could be Master of that House-Idol, my Self, my own, my own Will, Wit, Credit, and case, how blessed were I! O but we have need, sayes he, to be redeemed from our selves, rather than from the Devil and the World! And presently again he cries out, O wretched Idol, my Self! When shall I see the wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy room? And who that have any ac∣quaintance with themselves, do not find cause to cry out in like manner? Oh this Self, this wretched Self, how great an Enemy is it! Well, but this Christ hath conquered, and closing with him, thou shalt by degrees find it to die and fall under thee. Paul did so, I am crucified with Christ, sayes he, nevertheless I live, yet not I, Gal. 2.20. He had an I, a Self which ruled in him; but by Christ 'twas cru∣cified and slain for him, and he was a conque∣rer over it.

3. He has conquered the World for them: Take the World in what notion you will, and 'tis in one respect or other an Enemy to the Saints; the Men of the World, the Things of the World, the Frowns of the World, the Flatteries of the World, they all one way or other fight against them, and are Enemies to them. The World, as well as Sin and Self,

is a mortal Enemy to them: But this Enemy also Christ has subdued and conquered for them, and he has told them so much for their comfort, under the oppositions they meet with from it; Job. 16.23. Be of good chear, I have overcome the World, (sayes he) q. d. the World is your Enemy, but 'tis a conquered Enemy; 'twill moless and op∣pose you, but it shall not be able to hurt you, for, have conquered it for you. And as he has conquered it for us, so he will enable us, closing with him, by Faith to conquer it: so 1 John 5.4. This is the victory which o∣vercometh the World, even our Faith: The World shall not alwayes annoy and infest the Saints.

4. He has conquered the Devil, yea all the Devils in Hell for them: The Devil is the Enemy of the Saints, and indeed he is a for∣midable one; an Adversary that goes about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may de∣vour, 1 Pet. 5.8. He is a subtil, a potent, a malicious, a cruel, and an indefatigable Ene∣my: But so formidable an Enemy as he is, Christ hath conquered him for them; hence he is said to have destroyed the Devil; he par∣took of flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death; that is, the Devil, Heb. 2.14. and to have spoiled Principalities and Powers, and to have made a shew of them openly on his Cross, try∣umphing over them, Col. 2.15. dragging them at his Charriot-Wheels; as was the manner sometimes for Conquerers to deal by their

vanquished Enemies: The sum is, that he hath made a compleat and glorious conquest over all the Devils in Hell for Believers: He has conquered them even to triumph: Christ has conquered the Devil for his Spouses, as to his ruling, reigning, and commanding power, and he will, and does conquer him at last, yea speedily, as to his tempting, vexing, and seducing power; The God of Peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly, Rom. 16.20. Shortly, Soul, the Devil shall vex thee no more, molest thee no more, infest and an∣noy thee by his temptations no more.

5. He has conquered Death for them: Death is an Enemy. and 'tis the last Enemy that is to be destroyed, so the Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 15.26. and in it self considered, a ter∣rible Enemy 'tis, 'tis the King of terrors, Job 18.14. But this Enemy hath Christ conquer∣ed for all his; He has taken away all its kil∣ling power, its sting and curse, in so much that they may holily triumph over it, and re∣joyce in its approach; the Apostle did so, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. Death (sayes he) is swal∣lowed up in victory, O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? The sting of Death is Sin, the strength of Sin is the Law, but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. O what a triumph does he here act over Death through the conquest Christ has gotten over it for him? Truly, this Enemy is so far con∣quered by him for them, that 'tis become in∣deed a friend to them; and they can, when

in a right spirit, embrace it as such, and long for it as such: Christ by Death has unstung Death, and in a sort undeatht it: Thus Christ has conquered all his Peoples Enemies, and they being made one with him in a Marri∣age-Covenant, all his Victories are theirs, and his Conquests theirs, and they are conquerers over all in him; and oh how sweet, how in∣couraging is this! and how should it win Souls to a close with him! poor Soul, thou seest thy self environed with Enemies, thou art hard beset on all hands, legions of Lusts and Devils, attended with Self, Death, and the World, oppose themselves against thee; and thou art often crying out as David in a∣nother case, 2 Sam. 3.19. I am weak, and these men, the Sons of Zerviah, are too strong for me: yea, thou art ready to say of them, as he sometimes in his unbelief did of Saul, 1 Sam. 27.1. I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul: Alas, I am a weak, nothing-Creature, and am unable to grapple with the least of all mine Enemies; and how then shall I stand up a∣gainst them all? surely I shall perish by them at last: Well Soul, but know for thy en∣couragement, that all thine Enemies are conquered by Christ, and though they are too strong for thee, yet they are not too strong for Christ to grapple with, and make thee a conquerer over. When the Prophets Servant saw what a great and formidable Host com∣passed the City, he cryed out, Alas! my Ma∣ster, what shall we do? And what did his Ma∣ster answer him? Fear not (said he) for they

that be with us, be more than they that be with them, 2 King. 6.15, 16. So poor Soul, when thou considerest what great and formidable Enemies do compass thee about, thou cryest out to one and another; Alas, Sir, what shall I do? But I would say to thee as the Prophet to his Servant; Fear not, there is more with thee than with them; thou hast Christ with thee, to sight and overcome all for thee; there∣fore chear up, give up thy self unto him; and the victory over Sin, Self, World, Death, De∣vil, and all is thine for ever. Oh, who would not have such an Husband?

VII. He minds and manages all their Concerns for them: 'Tis the part of an Hus∣band to mind and manage the Concerns of his Wife, and to have a natural care both of her and them: And thus 'tis with Christ, He manages all his Peoples Concerns, and that in Heaven, on Earth, and in their own Souls.

1. He minds and manages all their Con∣cerns in Heaven for them: Their Affairs lie much in Heaven, their Business there is great; and Christ their Husband minds all, and transacts all for them, and that faithfully; Indeed he went thither on purpose to trans∣act their Affairs for them: Hence he is said to have entered not into the holy place made with hands, but into Heaven it-self, there to appear in the presence of God for them, Heb. 9.24. Hence also he is said to be an Advocate with the Father for them, 1 Joh. 2.1. He pleads with the Father for them: Have they a Peti∣tion

to present to the Father for this or the other Mercy? He presents and prefers it for them: He takes all their Prayers, and sprin∣kles them with his own Blood persumes them with the odours of his own incense, and then tenders them to the Father with his own hand, Rev. 8. beg. We pray very brokenly, but he mends our Prayers; yea oftentimes, when we can't pray, when we can't speak for our selves, he speaks for us, and prefers our Petitions for us: Are there Charges and Ac∣cusations brought in against them, either by Satan the Accuser of the Brethren on the one hand, or by the Law and Justice of God, which are daily wronged and violated on the other hand? Why Christ interposes for them, he answers all, and invalidates all, he rebukes Satan, Zach. 3.2. In the first verse we find Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist (or accuse) him; and in the second verse we have Christ sharply rebuking Satan for his accusation; The Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: And as he rebukes Satan, so he satisfies the Law and Ju∣stice of the Father: Hence he is said to make intercession for them, and that to the over∣throwing of all those counterpleas, which Law or Justice can put in against them, Rom. 8.33, 34. Have they sinned, and do they need a new pardon, need to have things set right and even between God and them afresh? This also Christ does for them; If any man

sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the Righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. While they through weakness and temptation are sinning on Earth, he out of his Grace and Love is plead∣ing with the Father for them in Heaven: Thus he minds all their Concerns in Heaven for them.

2. He minds and manages all their Con∣cerns on Earth for them: The Saints have their Assairs and Concerns on Earth among men, as well as in Heaven with the Father, and Christ their Husband minds and trans∣acts all these likewise for them. Indeed he is ever mindful of them, and at work for them, viz. to do them good, and to promote their interest: Hence, sayes he, the Father worketh hitherto, and I work, Joh. 5.17. I am al∣wayes at work for your good. Are they wronged and oppressed by Enemies? He a∣venges all their wrongs: Hence he is said to reprove Kings for their sakes, Psal. 105.14. and elsewhere, to plead their cause against their Enemies, and the like. Do they need de∣liverance and salvation out of troubles and distresses? He brings salvation to them, Isa. 63.9. Do they need conduct and guidance through their dissiculties and temptations in the Wilderness of the World? He leads and guides them, He leads Joseph, like a flock, Psal. 80.1. and elsewhere, I will guide thee with mine eye: He carries them through all their straits, and all their difficulties, and even when he seems most to forget them, even then

he is ever mindful of them, and of their concerns: For he hath graven th•••• upon the palms of his hands, and their walls are continually before him; and though they often say, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me; yet he never forsakes or for∣gets them, nor can he, No, a Woman may sooner for∣get her sucking Child, and not have compassion upon the Son of her Womb, then he can forget his people, Isa. 49.14, 15, 16.

3. He minds and manages all their concerns for them in their own Souls: The Saints have many and great Concerns to be minded within them, concerns of great moment and importance; and, were they to be minded and managed onely by themselves, they would make but poor work: O! but Christ their Husband minds and manages all these likewise for them; and to be sure they can't miscarry in his hand: He gives them his Spirit to work all their works in them and for them: He observes what Grace, what Strength, what Coun∣sel, what Comfort they stand in need of, and by his Spi∣rit Ministers all to them: Hence he is said to give them Grace and Mercy to help in a time of need, seasonable supplies, Heb. 4.16. and to be both the Author and Finisher of their Faith, Heb. 12.2. He minds and ob∣serves, how the great Work goes on in their Souls, and he takes care for the prospering and persecting of it: O how should this draw us to Christ, and encourage us to accept of the offers of hs love?

VIII. He injoynters them in eternal Life and Glo∣ry: Husbands use to make Joynters to their Wives, they entitle them to such or such Lands and Inheritan∣ces: So Christ injoynters all his Spouses in no less than eternal Life and Blessedness: He makes over a great Joynter to them, Glory, a weight of Glory, an ex∣ceeding and an eternal weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. An Inheritance in Light, Col. 1.12. An Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. 1.4. A Kingdom, an everlasting Kingdom, an everlasting Kingdom prepared for them before the foun∣dation of the World, Matth. 25.34. A Crown of Life, Rev. 2.10. A Crown of Righteousness, 2 Tim. 4.8. A Crown of Glory, which never fades, never, withers,

1 Pet. 5.4. The truth is, he endows them with all his Riches, with all his Treasures, with all his Dignities, with all the Priviledges of ••••s House, with all the Purchases of his Blood, with all the Blessings of his Love, with all the Treasures of Heaven, with all the Glories of Eternity: Look, whatever is in the Promise, whatever is in the Covenant, whatever is in the glorious Counsel of Election: Look, whatever the Presence of God; the Face of God, the Bosom of God can afford: Look, whatever the heart of God could give, the Wisdom of God contrive, the Power of God produce, or the Blood of God purchase; that, all that does Christ injoynter his People in. O Sirs, how should this draw and allure us to Christ! Is Heaven and eternal Life worth nothing? Are all the Glories of Eternity of no value? O who are you, that Christ should be willing to instate you into all this? In your selves you are lying in the lap and bosom of Hell, Heirs of Wrath and Condemnation, in danger every moment of sinking into the infernal Pit: But loe! Christ comes and makes love to you, and if you will accept of him, he will entitle you unto Life and Blessedness, to such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of, 1 Cor. 2.9. Take him therefore, I be∣seech you, into your most intimate embraces. Thus you see in part, what great things Christ does for his Spouses: Now will you accept of him, or will you not? May I not say to you, as Saul sometimes did to his Servants? Hear now, will the Son of Jesse give to every one of you Fields and Vineyards, and make you Cap∣tains of thousands? 1 Sam. 22.7. So will Sin, or the World, or the Law, to which you are naturally wed∣ded, do such great things for you as Christ will? Will these pay your Debts for you, supply your Wants for you, heal your Wounds for you, and the like? Will these secure your eternal Interest for you, and make you happy in the other World as Christ would? Alas! they can do none of all this: O close, close there for •• with Christ, who can and will do all.

CHAP. IX. Which opens a little the heart of Christ, and shews how much he is Jet upon an Espou∣sal with Sinners.

SUrely Christ is the best Husband, and none can do such great things as he for his Spouses, which renders an Espousal to him very desirable: but will he take such as we are into so near a Relation with him? has he any mind, any heart to the busi∣ness? any mind, any heart? his heart is set upon nothing more, then an Espousal with Sinners; he is not only content to admit Sinners coming to him, but his Soul longs after them: never did the most pas∣sionate Lover more long for an Espousal between him and his Beloved, than Christ does for an Espousal between himself and Sinners; and because Love is the Load∣stone of Love, and the most powerful attractive; in order to the more effectual drawing and alluring of your Souls to Christ, I shall a little in a few particulars open my sweet Lords heart to you in this business: And O that the reports of his Love to you, and his willingness to Espouse you to himself, might draw your hearts out a little in Love to him, and work you into a willingness to be Espoused.

1. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set

upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he willingly became incarnate, bled, and dyed in order hereunto; and oh, how should this draw us to him? Should you see a Man do some great Act of self-deny∣al and abasement, and withal freely ven∣ture his Life in order to his obtaining such or such an one to his Wife, you would easily conclude, that his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her: Lo then! Christ has greatly denyed and abated him∣self, he became incarnate, and not only freely ventured, but laid down his Life in order to an Espousal between himself and Sinners; and how much then must his heart be in the business?

1. He became incarnate in order here∣unto; had not Christ been incarnate we could never possibly have been Espoused unto him, nor have enjoyed conjugal Communion with him: but that we might be capable of, and arrive unto such an hap∣piness, he who in himself was the Eter∣nal Son, freely became incarnate, assumed humane Nature into Union with his Di∣vine Person: hence 'tis said, that the Word was made flesh:* 1.42 Joh. 1.14. not that there was a transmu∣tation of God into Flesh; but the Word, that is, God the Son, the Second Person in Trinity,* 1.43 assumed Flesh, humane Nature into Uni∣on with himself; and so

near is that Union into which the humane Nature is assumed with the Person of the Son of God,* 1.44 as that that Nature hath no subsistence but what it has in his Divine Person, and for that end, umong others (as a Learn∣ed Divine hath observed) its so exprest; the Word was made Flesh, namely, to note the infinite nearness of that Union which our Na∣ture is taken into with the Divine Person, it being so near, as that it hath no subsistence of its own, but is, as it were, wholly melted into the Personality of the Son of God: hence also he is said to partake of Flesh and Blood, to be manifested in the Flesh, and the like: and oh! what an Act of self-denyal and abase∣ment was this! and how great was Christ's condescention herein? in Phil. 2.6, 7. the Apostle speaks of it as the greatest abase∣ment he could-stoop unto: who (sayes he, speaking of Christ) being in the form of God, thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of Men: pray, mark, he was in the form of God; that is, he was truly and really God, as the Father was; and he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God; i. e. he had all those Di∣vine Excellencies and perfections in him, which the Father had in him; and yet (sayes he) he took upon him the form

of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of Men: that is, he became incarnate, he became Man: Well, and what does this argue? Even infini••e condescention; therefore he tells us, that herein he be∣came of no Beputation, or,* 1.45 as the Greek is, he emptied himself, to wit, of his glory; his glory was veiled and clouded hereby; the glory of his God-head was Eclipsed; 'tis true indeed, his God∣head was not hereby lost, or laid aside; no, he was as much, and as truly God after his Incarnation, as he was before: he did not cease to be God, by becoming Man; but (as one of the Ancients expresses it) he was made that which he was not; and yet re∣mained that which he was: he was made Man, yet so as that he still remained to be God: but though his God-head was not lost, or laid aside hereby;* 1.46 yet hereby was the glory of it veiled and lost for a time, and he was not con∣tent to have it so; oh! how great a con∣descention was this? oh! for him that was God, God equal with the Father, to become Man, to cover himself with the course Veil of our Flesh, and be content for so long a time to lose the glory of his Deity which was infinitely dear to him; and all this to make way for an Espousal

between himself and poor Sinners; what self-abasement was this? and how should it encourage Souls to look after an Espou∣sal to him!

2. He not only became Incarnate, but also freely bled, and dyed in order here∣unto, which is a further discovery of his heart herein, being (sayes the Apostle) found in fashion as a Man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the Cross, i. e. to the most formi∣dable Death, a Death of pain, a Death of shame, an accursed Death, P••il. 2.8. Hence also 'tis said, that he gave himself an Of∣fering and a Sacrifice to God for us, Eph. 5. 2. Yea, not only did he bleed, and suffer, and dye; but he did all freely, and with much readiness, and enlargedness of Soul: hence he is said to have powred out his Soul unto Death, Isa. 53.12.* 1.47 He seemed in an holy manner prodigal of his Life in the case; he thought neither Blood, nor Life, nor any thing too much for them: Oh! how much does this argue his heart to be upon the business? It spake Jacob's heart to be much set upon Rachel to have her to Wife, that he could be content to undergo so much hard Service for her as he did, even seven years Service. Jacob ('tis said) served seven years for Rachel, yea, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the Love he had to her, Gen. 29.20. So surely it argues Christs heart to be much set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he was con∣tent,

not only to serve, but even bleed, and dye for them in order hereunto. Oh, Sirs, behold, and wonder; Christ comes from Heaven, quits his Throne, leaves the bosome of his Father, in which he had with insinite delight lain from Eternity! behold and wonder, the Lord of Life dyes, the God of Blessing was made a Curse. The infinitely beloved Son treads the Wine-press of the Father's wrath, Heaven descends into Hell, glory veils and Eclipses it self under shame and ignominy, the infinitely holy one is made sin; and all this to redeem, and redeeming, Espouse poor Sinners to himself! and is not his heart upon the business think you? And has he not Love for them? Oh, be not saithless, but believing.

2. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he condescends sweetly to woo them, and solicit them for their Love and acceptance of him: Should you see a Man with all carnestness and importunity wooing a Vir∣gin; and making Love to her, following her from day to day with renewed offers and sollicitations, you would conclude his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her: And is it not thus with the Lord Je∣sus towards poor Sinners? Does he not woo them, and make Love to them, and that with all earnestness and pressing im∣portunity, following them with renewed offers and sollicitations from day to day?

Now he meets them in this Ordinance, and there he woos them, and makes Love to them; anon he meets them in that Ordi∣nance, and there woos them, and makes Love to them: now he sends his Ministers, and by them woos them, and makes Love to them; anon he sends his Spirit: and by him woos them, and makes Love to them: thus he is every way, and upon all occasi∣ons wooing them, and in his wooing of them.

How earnestly does he call, and invite them to himself; 'tis not a cold offer or a slight motion onely, that he makes to them, but he moves, and offers, calls, and in∣vites with all earnestness and importunity: Hoe, every one, that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters, come ye, yea, come, Isa. 55: 1. and again, the Spirit and the Bride say, come; and let him, that is a thirst, come, Rev. 22.17.

How vigorously does he plead and ex∣postulate the business with them? Christ does not onely call, and invite; but he also pleades, and expostulates with sinners in the case; and that in the most winning way, and with the most weighty arguments, that possibly may be: H••e•• every one that thirsteth, come unto the waters, wherefore do you spend your Money for that which is not bread, And your labour for that which satis∣sieth not? incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live, and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant, even

the sure mercies of David, Isa. 55.2, 3. And again, turn ye, turn ye, wh•• will ye d••••, O house of ••srael; Ezek. 33.11. I have no pleasure in your damnation; but had rather, that you would come unto me, and live: why will you dye? is not lise better then death? is not Heaven better then Hell? is not my love better then a Lust? are not the Pleasures of any Presence, and at my right hand, which are for evermore, better then the pleasures of sin, which are but for a seasor, a short season? why will you dye? is there ••o••b 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Gil••ed, is there no Physsitian there? am not I able to save you to the uttermost? and are not my Arms wide open to receive you? have not I dyed for that very end, that you might live? look, here's my Blood, here are my Wounds; behold me in the Garden, and see me bleeding there for you: behold me up∣on the Cross, and see me bleeding, yea, bleeding to death there for you; and then see, if you can find in your hearts to refuse me any longer? In short, would you not lose all your cost and all your labour? would you enjoy good, the best good, the most sat is sying good? have you any mind to life and would you have your souls live for ever? have you any mind to my Covenant, and all the riches and treasures of that? then accept of me and my love, in whom you shall have all.

How sweetly do he melt, and how tenderly do his Bowels yearn towards them, and over them? he comes to them

not onely with invitations in his Lips, but also with tears in his eyes, and tender com∣passions in his heart, strongly working to∣wards them: now he weeps, and then he groans; now he drops a sigh, and then a tear; and all to melt their hard and unbe∣lieving hearts, to draw, and allure them to himself. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem (says he) how often would I have gathered thee? Math. 23.37.* 1.48 the repetition of the name shews the depth of his love and commiseration towards them: And indeed, methinks I see how the tender heart of my dear Lord melts, and even bleeds over this unbeliev∣ing City, and in them all unbelieving sin∣ners to whom he offers himself; he is melt∣ed into tears towards them: so you have it, Lukt 19.41, 42. in Mat. he groans on∣ly, but in Luke he both Weeps and Groans: loe then! here is sweet Jesus weeping and groaning: here's the joy of the whole Earth weeping and groaning; and that over Jerusalem, a bloody City, a City embroiled in the blood of his Saints, and a City thirsty of his own blood, a City full of wickedness, full of the contempt of his Gospel, his Grace, his Salvation.

How freely and openly does he reveal and offer himself to them? The offer Christ makes is not a Limited offer; but general and extensive to all; nor is it an offer made upon hard and severe terms; but upon terms of Grace & Love: Look unto me, and be saved, all ye ends of the Earth, Isa. 45.22. Hot, every

one that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat, yea, come buy Wine, and Milk without money, and without price, Isa. 55.1. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Mat. 11.28. Whoever is a thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, Joh. 7.37. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, if any Man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, Rev. 3.20. And again, Whoever will, let him come, and take of the Water of Life freely, Rev. 22.17. Mark, all, every one, whoever will, though ne∣ver so vile, and sinful; never so black, and deform'd, though he has been never so des∣perate an Enemy to me and my glory: Surely, were not his heart much in the bu∣siness, he would not thus freely, and un∣limitedly offer himself.

How affectionately does he beseech, and intreat them? The tender trembling Child cannot more affectionately intreat and be∣seech his offended Father to spare him, and be reconciled unto him, then Christ does intreat and beseech offending Sinners to be Espoused to him, and be made happy by him for ever: Now then, we are Embassadors for Christ (sayes the Apostle) as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God: 2 Cor. 5.20. Pray mark, here is praying, and be∣seeching; the Lord of Glory, as it were, upon his knees to poor Sinners, begging them to accept of him, and his Love: We

pray you in Christ's stead: h. e. 'tis not we, but Christ by us, that prays, and beseeches you: O, what condescension is this! once more.

How sweetly does he draw and allure them? draw me (sayes the Spouse) and we will run after thee, Cant. 1.4. And in∣deed he does draw and allure Souls, and that with admirable sweetness: I drew them with Cords of Love, with the bands of a man (sayes he) Hos. 11.4. Now he sets his Beauty, Riches, and Glory before them, thereby to draw and allure them, anon he drops a little Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock; he gives them some little taste and feeling of his Grace and Love, there∣by to draw and allure them: Now he sweetly insinuates his Love to them; he tells them, how much his heart is upon them, what great things he has done and suffered for them, and how that he has no design upon them, but to make them hap∣py for ever: anon he lets them see how in∣finitely happy a Marriage-Union and Com∣munion with him would make them; he lets in some small glimpses of Heaven and Glory upon them; he opens the Treasures of his Covenant and Kingdome to them: And all this to draw and allure them to himself; and over, and above all this, he ever and anon comes, and, as it were, takes the Soul aside, and by the still voyce of his Spirit, makes love to him: Come, poor Soul (says he) look upon thy bleeding, dying

Saviour; come, see, what I have done, and see what I have prepared for thee, see what Treasures of Life, and Love, of Grace, and Glory there are in me: look, here is my Love, taste and see, if it be not better than Wine: here is my Bosome, make thy Bed in it, and see if it be not a warm Bosome: Come, Soul, though thou hast no Love for me, yet I have Love for thee, and would fain have thee happy for ever: why therefore should'st thou stand at such a distance from me? Thus he sweetly woos and sollicits them for their Love and ac∣ceptance of him: Now, Soul, does he thus woo thee? And wilt thou refuse him? If so, know, that the time of Love will not alwayes last: yea, and the time will come, when, though thou callest, and cryest, yet he will not hear: let me therefore say to thee, as Paul to his Corinthians: Receive not the Grace of God in vain; for behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salva∣tion.

3. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he not only thus woos them, but also waits long upon them, often renews the offers of his Love to them, and puts up many horrid affronts and provocations at their hands; if at last he may prevail with them. Suppose a Man should not only make Love to a Person, but he should also wait long upon her in the tenders of his Love, and that though he met with many

affronts and unkindnesses from her; this you would say, would argue his heart to be much set upon her: and is it not thus with Christ towards poor Sinners? O, how long does he wait upon them? how often does he renew the offers of his Love to them? And what affronts, indignities, and unkindnesses does he bear with at their hands? Behold, I stand at the door and knock (sayes he) Rev. 3.20. standing is a waiting posture: Christ does not give a call or a knock at the door of the Sinners heart, and away; no, he stands knocking: he gives call after call, and knock after knock, being ever ready to enter, if the Soul will at all open to him: so again, all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying People; a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face, Isa. 65.2, 3. Rom. 10.21.* 1.49 all the day Ion••; Christ waits day after day, and week after week, and moneth after moneth, and year after year upon Sinners: yea, and many affronts and indignities does he put up, and pass by from them; all the day long have I stretched forth my hands, opened the Arms and Bosome of my Love, and that to a gain-saying and rebellious People, an opposing, refusing, resisting People, a people that provoketh me to my face continnally every day; a People that are daily loading me with their sins and provocations, a People that will not let me go one day without affronting me, and that to my

face; a People that are every day daring me to damn them: O, what patience is this? So, Mat. 23.37. O, Jerusalem, Je∣rusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldest not? How often? not once, or twice, or ten times; but very often: it notes, that he waited long upon them, and strove long with them, and that after many and often repeated af∣fronts and refusals on their part; he still tender'd himself and his love to them, and thus he deals by Sinners still, he tenders himself and his Love to them, but they will have none of him; he renews his offers, and they renew their refusals: they spurn at his Love, yet he makes love still: he tells them, what great prepara∣tions he has made, and how all things are ready, and how welcome they shall be to the Marriage-Feast; but they make light of all, preferring a Worldly interest before him and it, Mat. 22. beginning. Well, however he leaves them not, but sends again, and calls again, notwithstanding all. They do in effect tell him, they desire neither him nor his Grace, that they had rather enjoy their Lusts, then his Love: they abuse his Grace, they despise his cor∣rections, they slight his calls, they resist his Spirit: O, what affronts are these! And after all this, it may be, he renews his suit, laying himself and his Love at their feet, if yet he may win them to him: Oh, how much must his heart be upon an Espousal

with them? Soul, let it melt thee into Love to him: Oh, who would withstand such a Lord, such a Lover, What, woo, and wait so long too, put up such, and so many affronts, and still make Love! Was ever Love like this, and patience like this?

4. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with sinners; as that he has laid himself under Bonds to receive them, and accept of them, in case they are willing to be Espoused to him; and what greater Discovery of his heart then this? Should a young man lay himself under Bonds to Mar∣ry such or such a Woman, though as yet she hated him, and were utterly averse from him; you would surely conclude, that his heart was much set upon a Match with her: and truly this is no more then Christ the Lord of Glory hath done: he is become bound to Marry poor Sinners to himself, yea though at present they hate him, and are al∣together averse from him; yet in case they shall at last be willing to close with him, he is become bound to receive them: he is be∣come bound both to the Father, & to them.

1. He is bound to the Father to receive Sinners & Espouse them to himself, in case they come to him, so much is held forth in Jo. 6.27: Labour not for the Meat that perisheth, but for that which endures unto Ever∣lasting life, which the Son of man shall, [mark] shall give unto you; for him hath God the Fa∣ther Sealed: That is, God the Father hath or∣dained and appointed Christ, he has laid a

Law upon him to give Eternal Life; and therefore himself, to Sinners, coming to him; and we may therefore rest assured that he will do it: yea, Christ looks upon himself as under a law from the Father to do it, and therefore Sayes, ••h. Law is with∣in my heart; ••••al. 40.8. thy Law: what Law? why, the Law of his Mediatorship, which commands him as to dy for Sinners, so to accept of Sinners when they come unto him, and surely he that so freely ful∣filled it in the one, will not be disobedient to it in the other: in a word, in that Cove∣nant (by Divines called the Covenant of Redemption) which past between the Fa∣ther and Jesus Christ from Eternity con∣cerning the Salvation of Sinners, Christ be∣came bound to the Father to receive all that should come to him, and he will be faithful.

2. He is bound to Sinners themselves in the case: he has indeed given them his Bond, he has given them his promise, which is his Bond, and a strong one too, an in∣vincible obligation, and the soul may look on it as such: but where is his promise? truly the whole Gospel is but as it were one general promise made by him to this pur∣pose: but take one for all the rest, Jo. 6.36. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out; i.e. I will most assuredly receive him, and bestow my self and eter∣nal life upon him; and how often has he

renewed this Bond of his? yea, and that it might be Firm and valid to our Faith as well as in it self, he hath hereunto ad∣ded his Seal, and that such a Seal as ren∣ders it altogether unquestionable: for 'tis the Seal of his own Blood: Hence the Gospel is called the new Testament in his Blood, that is, Seal'd and ratisied in his Blood, L••ke. 22.20. And his Blood is cal∣ed the Blood of the Covenant; because the Covenant and promises thereof are Seal'd with that Blood, ••el. 9. Latter end. Yea, more yet, if his promise and his Seal be not enough, they shall have more, for to both these he has added his Oath for their further security in the case; Verily, verily (sayes he) he that believe•••• on me; hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, and again, verily, ve••il, he hour coweth, and now is, when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that bear shall live, Joh 5.24, 25. As I live, was the form of God's Oath in the oll Testament, & he there Swears he hath no pleasure in the death of Sinners, but had rather they would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and live, Ezek. 33.11. and verily, verily is the form of Christs Oath in the new Testament, and he there (you see) Swears that Souls shall live coming to him.* 1.50 O happr we (as one of the Antients Cryes out) for whose sakes God doth Swear, but O unbelieving we, if we

do not believe him swearing. Thus Christ hath given us his Bond, his promise, and that feal'd with his Blood, and to all added his Oath for the further incourage∣ment of our Faith; and what can we desire more? If you have a mans promise to you for the performance of this or that, you think you are well: you judging him to be both able and Faithful: but if you have his Seal added to his promise, then you look upon your selves secure of the business indeed: but if to both these you have his Oath added, then you look on the business past all doubt, and you dare not question it: why lo! Christ has given poor Sinners all this to assure them that he will imbrace and accept them coming to him; and Oh how firm may their Faith stand upon all this? and what horred wickedness must it be so much as once to question it? true neither his seal nor his Oath addes any thing to the truth and certainty of the promise in it self;* 1.51 but to our sense and apprehension it does; and meerly out of indulgence to us & our weakness is the one and the other added, so the Apostle tells us, Heb. 6.17, 18. God wil∣ling more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his Councell confirmed it by an Oath, that by

two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lye, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us. Mark, 'twas not to confirm, or add any thing to the truth and certainty of God's councell or Covenant, that his Oath was added; but 'twas to confirm, and incourage our Faith: Thus you see Christ is under Bonds to receive and ac∣cept of sinners, if they come to him, and are willing of an Espousal with him: and how much does this argue his heart to be in the business? O let none ever say, will Christ accept and receive me coming to him? for indeed Bonds bind him so to do: The truth is, were he under no bonds, we need not question it; for his bow∣els would constrain him, and had he no Bowels, we need not to doubt it; for Bonds would bind him to it. Christ must deny his Word, Promise, Seal, Oath and all; if he refuse any soul that indeed comes to him, and desires to close in a Marriage-Covenant with him: Oh what encouragement is this?

5. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with sinners; as that he has given them a full and unquesti∣onable assurance that nothing what ever shall stand between him and them, nor prejudice their acceptance with him, in care they be willing to be Espoused unto him: should a man not onely make love to a person, wait long upon her in the

tenders thereof, and the like, but also given full assurance that nothing shall stand be∣tween him and her to hinder the Match; in case she be willing to accept of him, this would argue his heart to be much upon het indeed: Now his also Christ hath done. He hath given sinners a full and firm a urance that nothing shall pre∣judice their acceptance with him, nor hin∣der the Match between him & their souls in case they be willing of it: and is not his heart then much upon the business? this is no other then what he himself de∣clares, J••l. 6.37. And certainly he doth not delude souls with vain words. Him that cometh an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, (Sa•••• he) i.e. He that believe••h on me he that is willing to be mine, him I will i•• no wise cost out: in no wise, or by no means, upon no ac∣counts whatever: Nothing shall obstruct his acceptance with me; but I will receive him with a notwithstanding; notwith∣standing all his Vileness, all his unworthi∣ness, all his un••indness, all his unsuitable∣ness: Notwithstanding all that, either Men, or Devils, Law, or Conscience can charge upon him, yea, or that unbelief its self can pre••end or alledge; be it what it will, notwithstanding all I'le receive him into the Bosome of my love. Christ language to poor sinners in this promise of his, and many more of like import is such as this: come, poor souls, be not afraid of me, what ever your condition

be, and how ever things stand, and are stated with you, yet if you have a mind to me, and an Espousal with me, assure your selves, that nothing shall obstruct your ac∣ceptance with me, nothing shall shut up my Bosome against you; but I will betroth you ••o my self for ever. Oh, what encourage∣ment is here? Come to Christ, and close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant, who would not do that, may some say? but alas there are a thousand things that will hinder the Match, and stand between him and me, should I go to him: poor soul, this is apparently the plea and Language of unbelief, and let it be silenced for ever, Christ having (as thou seest) fully assured us of the contrary: But besides, what is it that thou fearest, (or that any soul can fear) will stand between Christ and thee, to hin∣der an Espousal with him? Bring forth thy strong pleas, and see if they will bear any weight in the Sanctuary-ballance.

1. Is it outward meanness and baseness? possibly thou art low and mean, and base in the World; thou art a poor, forlorn, despicable Creature; and this thou think∣est will stand between Christ and thee; surely (sayest thou) Christ will never take such a Contemptible Worm, as I am, into such a Relation with himself: But sin∣ner, this shall not hinder in the least; for Christ is no respecter of Persons; High, and Low, Rich, and Poor, Bond and free, are all one in Christ, and to Christ, Gal. 3.28. Yea,

does not the word tell us, that he chooses the poor of this World, Heires of the Kingdom, and rich in Faith? Jam. 2.5. And again, ye see your calling, Brethren (Says the Apostle) how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many Noble are called; but God chooses Foolish, and weak, and baseone••, 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28. As greatness is no furtherance, so mean∣ness and baseness is no hinderance in this case: Men indeed mind Honour and greatness, they will have such as are su∣table to themselves: But 'tis otherwise with Christ: Poor sinner, though thou beest never so low, and mean, and base in the World; though thou shouldst be cloathed with Rags; yet if thou hast a mind to Christ, he will accept thee, and Marry thee to himself; yea, and thy soul will be as dear to him, and as precious in his sight, as the soul of the greatest Prince or Monarch in the World.

2. Is it inward Blackness and desormi∣ty? perhaps, sinner, if thou art not outwardly mean and base; yet thou seest thy self inwardly Black and deformed; thou lyest in thy Blood and gore, wallow∣ing in thy sin and Filth; neither is there any worth, any Beauty in thee for which Christ should desire thee; and therefore sayest thou, surely Christ will have no∣thing to do with me, nor so much as cast an eye or look of love upon me; but, soul, this shall not stand between Christ and

thee neither; but if thou hast a mind to him he will Marry thee to himself not∣withstanding: For indeed Christ Marries not any for their Beauty; but those whom he Marries, he Marries to make them Beautiful: He Marries them not for any worth of theirs; but to put a worth upon them, & indeed there are none that he Es∣pouses to himself, but he finds them Black and deformed, in their Blood and Gore, as well as thee; and so they are, till he puts his Beauty upon them; how sweet is that word Ezek, 16.6, 7, 8. When I pas∣sed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy Blood, i. e. in thy sin and filth. I said unto thee, live, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy Blood, live, yea, when thou wast in thy Blood, live, Mark, three times he mentions it, in thy Blood, in thy Blood, in thy Blood. To note the depth of that defilement we are all under; well, and what then? will Christ have any thing to do with such? yes, he makes love to them: Behold thy time was the time of love, he Marries them to himself in an Everlasting Covenant, I spread my Skirt over thee (sayes he) and covered thy makedness, yea, I swear unto thee, and entred into Covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine: Yea, not only so, but he puts a Beau∣ty, yea, his own Beauty and comliness upon them, hou art come to Excellent Ornaments, and art comely through my comliness which I have put upon thee, as Verse 14. O soul, be not discouraged, Christ will turn thy black∣ness

into Beauty, and not cast thee off be∣cause of it.

3. Is it the greatness and Hainousness of thy sin and guilt? O my sins, my sins (sayes the poor foul) they are exceeding many, and exceeding great, they are many and great in themselves and they are cloathed with many and great aggravati∣ons: Few in the World ever sinned at that rate that I have done; therefore I fear, that Christ will never own me so as to take me into such a Relation with himself: Well, be it so, yet know; that this shall not stand between Christ, and thee, if thou art willing to be Espoused to him: He has promised to pardon great sins, and to accept notwithstanding great sins, in case the soul be but willing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 non (says he) And let us Reason together, though your sins are as Scar••e••, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall he white as Snow; though they are red like Crimson, they shall he as Hool, Isa. 1.18.* 1.52 Though your Sins are as Scarlet. and as Crims••••, i. e. Though they are great, foul, enormous Sins; Sins of a hainous and crying nature, and cloathed with the greatest aggravations, yet they shall be White as Snow and Wool: i. e. They shall be fully done away and pardon'd; so fully done away and pardon'd, as if they had never been: So again, Isa 43.24, 25. in the 24 v. He speaks to some, who had made

him to serve with their Sins, and wearied him with their iniquities: These surely were great Sinners, and their sins of a hainous crying nature, and yet at the 25 v. what a full promise of pardon does he make to them? I even 1, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy Sins. Poor Soul, what shall I say? Hast thou abundantly sinned? Hast thou multiplied sins? He has promised a∣bandantly to pardon, and to nothing p••••dons, Isa. 55.7. Art thou guilty of all manner of sins, and to thy other sins hast thou added Blasphemy? He has promised, that all man∣ner of sin and Bl••••phemy shall be for given, ex∣cept that against the holy Ghost, (which thy complaining of the greatness of thy sins ar∣gues thou art not guilty of) Mat. 12.31. O Soul, be not discouraged because of the greatness of thy sins: Christ marries souls, not because they are not sinners, great sinners; but he Marries them to take away their sins, and to discharge them from them for even: And the greater thy sins are, the greater will be the Glory of Christ's grace (which is what he Aims at) in receiving of thee into so near and Glorious a Relati∣on with himself, as this is: Besides, what wilt thou do with thy great sins, unless thou goest with them to Christ? Great sins argue a great need of Christ, and call for great hastening unto Christ.

4. Is it any former neglects or refusals of thine? Possibly not onely are thy sins

many and great, but there is this added to all the rest, long and frequent refusals of Christ and his love: He has often called, but thou hast given gim no answer, he has long woo'd thee, but thou hast not com∣plied with him: O the many sweet calls, Gracious offers, loving tenders, which he has made to thee, and thou hast Despised? And this makes thee fear, that he will now have nothing to do with thee: And truly soul, this is sad, very sad, hereby Christ has lost much Glory, which thou mightest have brought him; hereby thou hast lost much sweet communion, which thou might. est have enjoyed; hereby Christ's heart has been much grieved, which might have been prevented; and hereby the work is made much more difficult, then at first it was, thy heart being grown more hard, and Corruptions more strong: Thus 'tis every way very sad, that thou hast thus neglect∣ed and refused Christ, but yet neither shall this stand between him and thee in case thou art willing to be Espoused to him: For this see, Prov. 1.20, 21, 22, 23. Wisdom Cryeth without, she uttereth her voice in the Streets, she cryeth in the chief place of con∣course, in the openings of the gates, in the City she uttereth her words, saying: How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity? And the Sconners delight in their Scorning, and Fools hate Knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Pray

observe, Christ had offered himself, and his love to them, but they had refused him and it, yea, they had refused long, and refused with much contempt: How long ye Simple ones will ye love Simplicity? &c. They scorn'd the offers of Christ and, his Love, and yet here he renewes those of∣fers to them, wherein he tells them, that none of all their refusals should prejudice their acceptance with him, in case they are willing to be his: Turn ye at my reproof, behold I will pour out my Spirit, &c. And soul, do not the most refuse long; and stand it out long against the offers of Christ and his grace, e're they close with him, who yet are received & embraced by him? Be not therefore discouraged, poor soul, because of thy former neglects and refusals of Christ, but throw thy self into the Arms of his love, which thou wilt certainly find wide open to receive, and Embrace thee.

5. Is it any revolting or Back-sli••ing of thine from him: Possibly thou hast soure∣times been on thy way towards Christ, thou hast had some workings, some good Resolutions and affections within thee for him, I, and thou hast made some profession of him, thou hast sometimes been even upon the turning point, the point of close∣ing with Christ, and the Match has been near made up between him and thee: And yet after all this, thou hast revolted and Back-sliden from him, Playing the Harlot

with many lovers, which makes thee fear, that he will now reject thee, shouldest thou goe to him: And the truth is, this also is very sad: For hereby Christ has been eminently Dishonoured, and thy Soul has been eminently endangered: But yet be not discouraged; for this shall not stand between Christ and thee, if yet thou art but willing to be Espoused to him: Christ offers himself and his grace to such, as these; he promises to heal Back-slidings, Jer. 3.1. Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers; yet return unto me, saith the Lord and ••. 12. Return thou Backsliding Israel, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: For I am merciful, so Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea, I will betroth thee unto me: Thee, who? Why as re∣volting and Backsliding a People, as ever were in the World; so you will find in the beginning of the Chap. There is hope then (you see) for revolters and Back∣sliders; therefore be not discouraged, but go to him, and he will not cast thee out: Well soul, Here's encouragement enough for thee notwithstanding all thy Vileness, Sinfulness, and unworthiness; and to add to thy encouragment, yet, know, Christ has received multitudes that were every way as vile, sinful, and unworthy as thou art: What dost thou think of Manasseth, who was a Sorcerer, and an Idolater? What dost thou think of Paul, who was a Per∣secuter and a Blasphemer? What dost

thou think of Mary Magdalen, who had seven Devils in her? What dost thou think of Rahab, who was an Harlot? What dost thou think of multitudes of those, who Crucified Christ, but afterwards be∣lieved? These were all great Sinners, and yet Christ received them into the Arms of his Love: What dost thou think of the black List and Catalogue of Sinners among the Corinthians, mentioned, 1 Cor. 6.9. & 10. who were Drunkards, Thieves, Murderers, Adulterers, Idolaters, abusers of themselves with Mankind, and the like? What dost thou think of them? Titus 3.3. who were Foolish, Disobedient, Living in Envy, Hateful, and h••••eing one another, serving divers Lusts and pleasures? Surely these were as vile, as sinful, as worthless as thou art, and had as much to stand be∣tween Christ and them; and yet they found grace in Christ's sight upon their looking to him. Indeed there is never a Soul now in Heaven, but was by Nature every way as vile, sinful, and unworthy of Christ, as thou: they lay under the same pollution, they wallowed in the same Blood, they were filled with the same Spirit of opposition against God and his wayes, that thou dost, and art; yea, and multitudes of them were as vile and sinful by practice also, as thou; they Acted out the sin and enmity of their Natures as highly against God and Christ, as thou hast done; and yet these Christ received,

else they had not been in Heaven. In a word, Heaven (as one observes) is an House full of the Miracles of Christ's free Grace: There's Idolatrous Manisseth among the true Worshippers of God: There's oppressing Zacheus among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect: There's Blasphemous Paul among the Host of An∣gels, Lauding, Praising, and singing Halelu∣jahs to God and the Lamb; and there is Mary Magdalen, that had seven Devils among the Saints of the most High, who are filled even to overflowing with the seven Spirits of God. O, who then would be discouraged? Yea, Soul, all thy vileness, sinfulness, and unworthiness does, but as it were, qualifie thee for Christ and his free Grace: My sinful wants and unworthiness (sayes Rutherford) have qualified me for Christ and his grace: Cast thy self therefore fully upon him not∣withstanding all, not doubting thine ac∣ceptance with him.

6. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with sinners, as that, he delights and rejoyces in nothing more hardly, then in the Nuptials between him and them; and oh, how should this draw and allure us to him? Should you see a Young Man rejoycing in the sense of an Espousal between himself, and such, or such an one whom he Loved, you might well conclude, that his heart was much upon her: and is it not thus here? Christ

rejoyces in the sight and sense of an Espou∣sal between himself and sinners, and how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business? This I will give you in three propositions.

1. This is what he rejoyced and de∣lighted himself in the thoughts of from all Eternity: thus much he himself tells us, Pro••. 8.30, 31. Then, namely, from Ever∣lasting, was I by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoycing alwayes before him, rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth, and my delights were with the Sons of Men: These are Christ's words, and in them he tells you where he was, and what he had been doing from Eternity, he was with the Father, and re∣joyced before him; but what did he re∣joyce in? truly, next to his Father and himself, his rejoycing was in the habitable parts of the Earth, and his delights were with the Sons of Men: He delighted himself in the thoughts of saving poor sinners, and Espousing them unto him∣self in order thereunto: Oh, how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business?

2. As he thus delighted and rejoyced in the thoughts of it before hand; so when at any time a poor Soul is Actually Espoused to him, then he rejoyces afresh, and is delighted afresh: Hence the day of Espousals is called the day of the glad∣ness of his heart, Cant. 3.11. the

day of Espousals between Christ and a poor Sinner, is a day of gladness and rejoyce∣ing to the Father, a day of gladness and rejoycing to the blessed Spirit, a day of gladness and rejoycing to the Holy An∣gels, and Spirits of just men made perfect: For there is joy in Heaver, at this, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 15.7. But 'tis especially a day of gladness and re∣joycing to Christ the Bridegroom: O to see poor Sinners come in and give up themselves to him in a Marriage-Coven∣ant; this is the joy, the rest, the sat is facti∣on of his soul: Hence 'its said, he shall see of the travel of his soul, ••nd be sarisfied, Isa. 53.11. 'Tis a great grief and trouble to Christ, that which wounds his very soul, when having wooed poor Sinners, and time af∣ter time made Love to them, they not∣withstanding are Shy of him, and will not close with them in a Marriage-Cove∣nant: Hence he complains, as he doe; Jo. 5.41. You will not come to me that you might have life, and Mat. 23.37. O Je∣rusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldst not: He speaks complainingly, & as one grieved at heart, at their neglects of him, yea this was that which made him Weep as he did over Jerusalem ••uks. 19.41, 42. Behold the joy of the whole Earth weeping! And why? Because of their refusals of him, and his Grace, and the woful Destructions that for these refusals were coming upon them: Indeed this is what reflects great

Dishonour upon his name, poures great contempt upon his Grace, and is directly contrary to the whole design of his under∣takings, as mediator, and so cannot but be grievous to him: So on the contrary, when souls come freely in, and give up them∣selves in a Marriage-Relation to him, this glads and rejoyces his heart; Oh how should this draw souls to him? Sinner, why may not this day be made the day of the gladness of Christ's heart, by being a day of Espousals between him and thee? He has seen many a day of grief of heart, and trouble of heart, because of thy standing out against him, and refusing the offers of his Love: Oh now let him see one day of joy of heart and gladness of heart by thy closing up with him in a Marriage-Covenant!

3. As Christ delights and rejoyces when souls are Espoused to him; so being Es∣poused to him, he delights and rejoyces in this Espousal for ever: Men Marry such or such, and they rejoyce therein at present, but their joy does not last: 'Tis otherwise with Christ, he did rejoyce in the thoughts of it from all Eternity, he does rejoyce in the being and accomplishment of it here in time, and he will rejoyce in the consummation of it in Heaven for ever; the truth is, his joy is not compleat, till the Marriage be compleat; nor will his joy ever end, till that end, which will never be (as in its place may be shewn)

Thus you see a little what Christ's lieart is, and how much set upon this Business; as well as what manner of Husband he is, and what great things he does for all his Espouses; and now after all what do you say? Art thou for Christ or no? Shall the nuptiall go on between him and your souls, or shall it not? Soul, what answer must I give my Lord and Master that sent me to thee? 'Tis but a little while and he will call both thee and me to an account concerning these things, and I must say, Lord, I woo'd that soul for thee; I be∣sought him to be Espoused unto thee; and so far as I was able I displayed thy Beauty, thy Riches, thy Glory before him; I open∣ed thine heart to him, shewed him thy Love and thy willingness to be Espoused to him, hoping that the cords of thy Love would draw him, and with my whole strength entreated him to give up himself in a Marriage Covenant to thee: Well, and what was the Issue? Lord thou know∣est: But, soul, what answer must I re∣turn. Must I be put to say? Lord, I labour∣ed in vain, and spent my strength in vain, for he made light of all, and would have none either of thee or thy Love: O put me not to make this Dismal answer; rather let me have cause to say; Behold, I and the Children which God hath given me, Behold, this soul, and that soul, and many souls were won over to thee. Amen.

CHAP. X. Which Directs Souls, and shews them the way, how to Attain unto this sweet and Blessed Espousal with Jesus Christ.

AN Espousal with Christ, what more sweet? what more desirable? And who that understands himself, would not covet it, before any thing this World affords? no Husband like Christ, and no happiness like to an Espousal to him, but the question is, how we may attain hereunto: Truly, soul, the work is great, and 'tis the Divine Spirit alone that does and can tie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and thee; but he works in this, as well as in other cases, in and by the use of means; and there are several things highly incumbent upon thee, and which must be attended by thee, as ever thou wouldst attain to an acquain∣tance with this Blessed Espousal.

1. Would'st thou be Espoused to Christ? Then labour to be deeply Sensible of thine utter estrangement from him by nature, as also of thy woful misery by reason of that estrangement. A deep sense of our Est∣rangement from Christ, and of our misery by reason of that estrangement, is one good step towards a conjugal-Union and relation to him, and without the one, we are never

like to attain unto the other. Labour, therefore for this.

1. Labour to be deeply sensible of your estrangment from Christ by nature: Na∣turally we are all strangers to Christ, stran∣gers to all conjugal-Union & Communion with him: We know not what any such thing means: As 'twas with the Ephesians, so 'tis with us all by nature, they were and we are without Christ in the World, Eph. 2.12. And not onely without him, but also far from him as it followes, &. 13. I may truly say to every natural man and woman in this, as Peter did to Simon in another case, Acts. 8.••1. Thou hast neither part nor Lot in this matter; Thou knowest not what Union and Communion which this sweet Lord means: Yea, not onely are we by nature estranged from Christ; but more∣over we are at Enmity with him, and fill'd with hatred and opposition against him; we, as those mentioned, Lu. 19.14. Do hate him, and would not have him to reign over us: Naturally we are at Enmity with Christ, and with every thing that is his, with his Person, with his Presence, with his Spirit, with his Kingdome, with his Lawes and Ordinances, with his Graces, with his Righteousness, and the like: His person is too holy for us, his presence, too pure, his Spirit too convin∣cing, his Kingdom to Spiritual, his Laws and Ordinances too strict, his Graces too bright, his Righteousness to opposite to

self; and so we hate all, and are at Enmity with all: Yea, we are at Enmity with the very way of Life and Salvation by him: Touching the Gospel they are Enemies, sayes the Apostle, which is spoken of the Jews, but true of all by nature, Rom. 11.28. We would live, but not by Christ: We would be Saved, but not by Christ: Thus naturally we are all estranged from him; and thus high does our estrangment rise, which we must be deeply sensible of, if ever we get Union and Communion in a conjugal way with him: Therefore work this a little upon your thoughts, till you find your heart begin to bleed and relent over it.

2. Labour to be deeply sensible of your exceeding great misery by reason of this estrangment: As we are all naturally with out Christ; so our misery herein is exceed∣ing great: So much the Apostle holds forth, in the place before quoted, Ephe. 2.12. Where he speakes of our being without Christ, as our misery; yea, as the spring and Foundation of all our misery; and therefore that is first mentioned: the Ephe∣sians were, and we are (as he there tells us) without the Covenant, without hope, and without God in the World; misery enough for any Soul to lye under; and the inlet and Foundation of all is, their and our be∣ing without Christ: As to have Christ (says a learned Interpreter upon this place) is the Foundation of all good; so, to be

without Christ is the beginning and foun∣dation of all evil; an inlet into all woe and misery, and what leaves us in a most deplored state for ever: Take a taste, and but a taste of this your misery, and then work the sense of it upon your own Souls.

1. Being without Christ, you are desti∣tute of all good, you are without Life, without Grace, without Peace without Pardon, without Comfort, without Righ∣teousness, without Heaven, without Sal∣vation, without Hope, and without God (as you have it in the same place) Eph. 2.2. without the Favour of God, without the Presence of God, without the Life of God, without the Image of God, without the Spirit of God, and being thus without God, you are without all true good, and true happiness: According to the old and true Maxim ••ine Summo bono nihil honum: Without the chief good there is nothing good.

2. Being without Christ, you are in Bondage to sin and Satan, which is the worst Bondage in the World. Naturally all are the Slaves and Vassalls of these cruell Lords: Hence we are said to fulfill the De∣vils lusts, Je. 8, 44. and as the lusts of the Devil, so the wills and lusts of the slesh, Epe. 2.2. to be the servants of sin, to serve divers lusts, and pleasures, and the like: And as natu∣rally all are thus in Bondage to sin and the Devil; so there is no redemption from this Bondage but by Christ, and that in a way

of Union with him: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, saith he himself to the Jews, Je. 8.36. They were Glorying in their privilidge, that they were Obrahams seed, and never were in Bondage to any man: True, sayes Christ, but ye are in a worse Bondage then a Bon∣dage to man, in Bondage to sin, in Bon∣dage to your lusts: For he that committeth sin is the servant of sin: and this Bondage none but the Son can free you from; and therefore, untill freed by him, you re∣main under it. O how sore a Bondage is this? To be under the command of sin, to be at the beck of every base, unclean lust, and to be carried Captive by the Devil at his will: This is such a Bondage as that the Bondage of Israel under their task-makers in Egypt, and the bondage of Turkish slaves, who are kept at the Oar and Galley is freedom to it: as to serve Christ is the greatest liberty, so to serve sin is the cruel∣lest Bondage.

3. Being without Christ, and Union with Christ, you are rejected of God: Know ye not (sayes the Apostle:) that ex∣cept Christ be in you, ye are Reprohates; 2 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not? As if he should say, 'tis a most clear, manifest, and evi∣dent truth, that unless you have Union with Christ, you are Reprobates; i. e. you are unapproved of God, you are out of his Favour, both your persons and services are rejected by him: To the same purpose

is that, Gal. 4.22. Where we read, of 2 Mothers, and 2 Sons: The two Mo∣thers were types of the 2 Covenants, the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace, as appears by v. 24. The 2 Sons are types of 2 sorts of persons living in the Church; one born after the flesh, the other by promise; one belonging to the first, the other to the second Covenant: Well, what's the condition of these? Why, the one is in a state of rejection, and the other of acceptation: They, that belong to the second Covenant are owned, and em∣braced in the arms of Love; the other are cast out (as you may see in the sequel of the Chap:) Besides, all our acceptation with God is in Christ, and through Christ, Eph. 1.6. Out of him therefore we are in a state of rejection: O, how sad does this speak your condition to be? for men, yea, for good men to reject, and disown us, is what may be born, especially when God ownes, and smiles: But for God to disown, and reject us, this is terrible in∣deed, though all the World should own us, and smile upon us: How terrible is that word? Reprobate silver shall men call them: for the Lord hath rejected them, Jer. 6.30— If God ownes, and smiles, 'tis no matter who frowns; but if he frowns, and rejects, who can own or smile to the relief of the Soul?

4. Being without Christ, you are under the Law, and so under the curse; and how

sad is this? as there are but 2 Covenants, the old, and the new; and but 2 heads of those Covenants; the first, or the se∣cond Adam; so all men do belong to, and are found in the one or the other of these: Whilst therefore you are strangers to Christ, you are under the Law, and being under the Law you are under the curse: For, sayes the Apostle, As many as are un∣der the Law are under the curse: For it is Written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are Written in the Book of the Law to do them, Gal. 3, 10. The Law has no pitty, no sparing for offenders; But for every breach thereof lays the Soul under the curse: Now, we have all broken the Law, we all broke it in Adam, being in him as in an head; and we have all broken it 10. Thousand times over in our own persons; and by both are fallen under the curse thereof: And, Soul, dost thou know what the curse of the Law means? It carries in it Death and con∣demnation for ever: Being under the Law, we are cursed in our persons, and cursed in our comforts: The wrath of God lies upon our souls, and the curse of God is in all our enjoyments, our very. Blessings are accur'st to us, Mal. 2.2. We read in Scripture of the people of God's curse; and thou art one of them, Soul, who ever thou art, that art out of Christ: O how woeful, how deplorable a condition is this!

5. Being without Christ, and estranged from Christ, you lie under the guilt of in∣numerable sins, which you alone must bear for ever? 'tis in, and by Christ alone, that Souls are Discharg'd from the guilt of sin: And who are they, whom he discharges from guilt; but such as are found in him, are under a Marriage-Covenant with him? those his Blood cleanses from all sin, 1 Jo. 1.7. and in him have they redemption through his Blood, even the for giveness of sin, Eph. 1.7. As for others, he tells them plainly they shall die in their sins, Jo. 8.24. O, how sad a condition is this? Soul, thou art guilty of multitudes of sins, the least of which has evil enough in it to damn thee eternally: Thou hast thousands, & 10 thou∣sands of Scarlet, Crimson sins, sins cloath∣ed with black and crying aggravations, lying upon thee; and to have all these in the full weight of the guilt and punish∣ment of them charged upon thee by the great God for ever, how miserable does this speak thy condition to be.

6. Being estranged from Christ, you are under a necessity of sinning, and so of great'ning your own damnation daily: A man out of Christ does do, can do nothing but sin; for he is not subject to the Law of God, nor can he be, Rom. 8.8. And as he is ever sinning, so he is ever treasuring up wrath unto himself, Ro. 2.5. O, how sad a condition is this? This is Dura ne∣cessitas (as Austin calls it) and speaks a

mans condition to be very doleful: To be always sinning against God, and alwayes treasuring up wrath to a man's own Soul, this is next to Hell, in some sort worse. To give you thee Sum of all,

Being estranged from Christ, you have nothing to satisfie Divine justice, which is ready to seize upon you; nothing to pacifie Divine wrath, which is ready to break forth against you; nothing to stand between Di∣vin revenges and your sinful souls: What shall I say? you have many accusers, and by them many heavy charges brought in against you, and being without Christ, you have no Advocate to plead your cause, none to speak a good word in Heaven for you: and is not that sad? you are deeply in debt, you owe your 10 thousand tal∣lents to Divine justice, and being without Christ, you have nothing to pay, but are in danger of being cast into the Prison of eternal darkness, whence there is no re∣demption: And is not that sad? you are under an obligation to much Duty, and being without Christ, you are under an utter impossibility of performing any of it acceptably: You are under a judgment of condemnation, and being without Christ you have nothing that can secure you one day, one hour, one moment more on this side everlasting Burnings: and O how sad, and miserable is this! Thus you see, both your estrangment from Christ, and also your misery (in part) by reason of

that estrangment. Now, as ever you would get Union and Communion with him, labour to be deeply sensible of both these.

2. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ? Then labour to be soundly con∣vinced, and deeply sensible of the great∣ness, and Hainousness of the sin of refusing Christ, and the offers of his Love; poor Soul, thou standest it out against Christ, he wooes, and calls, and invites thee to himself; but thou slightest, and refusest all, and this thou thinkest a small matter; but let me tell thee, this is a most hain∣ous and crying sin: To Swear, to Mur∣der, to Steal, to be Drunk, to be Un∣clean, and the like, these thou look'st up∣on as black and horred things: Indeed well thou mai'st; for they are sins of a more then ordinary hainous and abomina∣ble nature: But yet know, that thy sin in rejecting Christ, and the offers of his Love, is greater, and more provoking then all these: This indeed is the great sin, and the sin thou must in a especial manner be sensible of; if ever thou art United to Christ; so much Christ himself tells us, in that known place, Joh. 16.8, 9. he, sayes he (speaking of the Spirit, whom he promised to send) shall convince the World of sin, because they believe not in me: unbe∣lief then is the great sin that the Spirit convinces souls of: And what's unbelief, but the neglect and refusal of Christ, and

the offers of his Love made to us in the Cospel? He shall convince the World of sin; because they believe not in me; i.e. de illo magno & grandi incredulitatis peccato: He shall convince them of that grand sin of unbelief (as a learned man expounds it) as if Christ should say, he shall make men see the black and hainous nature of the sin of rejecting me, and my Love: He shall humble them for it, and set them a bleeding over it: This sin of rejecting Christ, some of the Shcool-men have called Maximum peccatum, the greatest sin of all: And in∣deed, next to the unpardonable sin, what greater? This is a sin most directly, and immediately against Christ and the Gos∣pel: O for a vile wretched sinner to shut the door of his soul against Christ, the King of Glory, and deny him entertain∣ment, to refuse and reject the free and frequent offers of him and his Love, how great a sin must this be? And soul, to con∣vince thee the better of it, and make thee the more afraid of it, I shall suggest a few considerations to thee, holding forth a little of its black and horred evil.

1 Consider, that the neglect and refusal of Christ & his Love is a sin against a special & eminent command, and therefore a great & crying sin: The greater and more eminent: the command is, which we transgress and sin against; the greater our sin and guilt is in transgressing that command: Now, God does not onely command us to receive

and embrace Christ and his Love; but this command of his is a great, signal, and eminent command: So St John tells us, 1 Joh. 3.23. This is his commandment, that we believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ whom he hath sent: What is it to believe on the name of Jesus Christ; but to receive and embrace Christ offering himself in the Gos∣pel to us, and to live upon him, having so received and embraced him? Now (sayes he) this is his commandment, his great, his special commandment, his commandment in a most signal, & eminent manner; and Christ himself asserts the same thing, Joh. 6.28, 29. In the 28 v. They ask him, what shall we do, that we may works the Work of God? His an∣swer in the 29. v. is, This is the Work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent: i. e. That ye receive and embrace me, and live upon me, by believing: This is [the] Work of God, the great work which he commands you, and expects from you: Believing (as Calvin observes upon this place) is not called the Work of God;* 1.53 because 'tis of Gods operation (as you have it else where) or that which God works in us; but because 'tis the great thing which he commands, and requires of us. To reject, and refuse Christ then, is a sin against a signal and emenient com∣mand; indeed against the great command of the Gospel; and therefore must needs be a great, and crying sin: more parti∣cularly.

1. The neglect and refusal of Christ, and his love, is a sin against a clear and express command of God, a command wherein the authority of God does peculiarly and eminently shine forth: So much is held forth in the place mentioned before 1 Joh. 3.28. this is his commandment (says he speak∣ing of the commandment of Faith) his ex∣press Commandment, a Commandment wherein his authority is evidently and pe∣culiarly seen; the authority of God shines forth in all his commands, but especially in this above the rest: Therefore this you see has an emphasie put upon it: This is his commandment: Now the more clearly and eminently the authority of God shines forth in any command, the greater our sin and guilt is in transgressing that com∣mand.

2. The neglect and refusal of Christ and his love, is a sin against a command, where∣in the heart of God and Christ does much lye; and is therefore a great sin: This is a true Rule: That the more the mind or heart of the Law-Giver is in any law or command, the greater is our sin and guilt in the breach and transgression of that law or command: Now God's command to us to receive Christ by believing, is a com∣mand wherein his own heart, as well as the heart of Christ, does much lye: indeed there is nothing in all the World, that the heart of God and Christ is more set upon, or desirous of, then this; that Souls should

embrace Christ by believing, and become one with him in a Marriage-Covenant: Witness the freeness of their offers, the frequency of their calls, the importunate∣ness of their pleas, the patientness of their waitings, the affectionateness of their en∣treaties, the friendliness of their upbraid∣ings, the patheticalness of their lamentings, the sweetness of their wooings, the un∣weariedness of their drawings, and the graciousness of their dealings in reference hereunto: But you have already seen, how much the heart of Christ, and in him the heart of the Father is in this business: now to transgress such a command, a command wherein the heart of God and Christ does so much lye, and to run coun∣ter to that, which they so much desire, O what a sin must this needs be?

The neglect and refusal of Christ, is a sin against a command which has vertually all the commands of God in it, and so in the breach and transgression thereof we break and transgress all; and O how great a sin then must this be? to believe on Christ is comprehensive of all that God com∣mands and requires of us; this is so his Commandment, as that in obeying this we obey all; And in violating this we violate all; and so he esteems and ac∣counts it: This is evident from Joh. 6.28, 29. What shall we do (say they) that we may work the works of God? This is the work of God (sayes Christ) to believe on

him whom he hath sent: Pray, mark, they speak of [works] in the plural Number: They would know what all those works were which God requir'd,* 1.54 and what the extent of the com∣mand was: And Christ in his Answer reduces all to one, and that is Faith; by which he shews that as all is vain without Faith, so Faith is vertually all that God re∣quires: This is the Work of God: (says he) as if he should say, here's all in one, to believe on, and receive me is comprehensive of all; and accordingly, my beloved, to re∣ject Christ and his love is to break all at once, and to violate all at once? 'Tis to rebel against and poure contempt upon the whole mind and will of God at once,* 1.55 and in effect to renounce all duty and allegiance to him: Suitable where∣unto is the observations of a learned Man upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9. Christ here (says he) calls unbelief [Sin] Simply and absolutly because that sin comprehends all sin in it: O how great a sin then must this be?

4. The neglect and refusal of Christ, is a sin against a command of much love: All Gods commands have love in them: They are design'd by him for our good (as the Scripture tells us) but especially

this command of his, that we should re∣ceive and embrace his Son: For what is this command, but a command to us, to be saved, a command to us, to be happy? What is this, but a commanding of us, to Live for ever more, to be eternally bles∣sed, in and with himself? And O how great a sin must the transgression of such a command be? Did God command us any hard or severe thing, something that tended to our prejudice, and not our hap∣piness, that were somewhat; but when he commands us nothing but to be happy, and to be happy in the best way: O how great a sin must it be to transgress such a command?

2. Consider, the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which in a peculiar man∣ner derogates from him, and poures great contempt upon him, and therefore a great sin: The more contempt any sin poures upon Christ, and the more it derogates from him, the greater that sin is: Now what sin derogates more from Christ, or poures greater contempt upon him, then the neglect and refusal of him, offering himself to us, does? This is a sin which takes the Crown off from Christ's head, and throwes it in the Dust: It every way, and in all resects poures great contempt upon him.

First, this sin vilifies and poures con∣tempt upon the Person of Christ: Christ's Person is infinitely excellent, and infinitely

amiable, and accordingly to vilifie and con∣temn his Person must be a great sin, and contract great guilt, and this the refusal of him, does: Hence, call'd a treading under foot of the Son of God (which Argues the high∣est contempt imaginable) Heb. 10.29. Every refusal of Christ carries that Lan∣guage concerning him in it, Isa. 53.2. When we see him, there is no Beauty in him, for which we should desire him: He has nei∣ther form, nor comliness in him: He is a person of no worth, no desireableness: O what contempt is this to be cast upon Christ, and how much does it derogate from him?

2. This sin vilifies, and poures contempt upon the work, office, and undertaking of Christ, as Mediator; upon all that he has done, and suffer'd, withall the riches of his Grace, and Love, manifested therein: Hence 'tis call'd, as a treading of the Son of God under foot, so an accounting his Blood a common and an unholy thing, a thing of no worth, no use, no value, no excellency, Heb. 10.29. Great, my Beloved,* 1.56 was the work, and undertaking of Christ, as our Mediator, and great were the things, which he both did and suffer'd in the dis∣charge of that work and undertaking; great also was his Grace, and Love to∣wards us in all, and accordingly, great must our sin and guilt be, in pouring con∣tempt thereon, which we do by our refusing of him: Hereby we pour contempt upon

all his acts and all his offices, as Mediator, upon all his Merits, and all his Purchases, upon all his Grace and Love in bleeding and Dying for us: We do hereby in effect say, that neither Christ, nor any thing which he has purchas'd, is worth accept∣ing and embracing: That we had rather, that he had never 〈◊〉〈◊〉 never become a days-man between God and us; that he might have keept his Blood to himself, and we will not thank him for shedding of it; that we need neither him, nor any thing that is his: Hereby we do in effect say, that the whole Gospel is a Cheat, a lie, a meer Delusion: That Christ is an hard Master, and rules with Rigour; that Sal∣vation is little worth, and the like. O what horred contempt of Christ is this?

3. This sin plainly preferrs a poor, Base, Vile lust before Christ, and all the Glorious Riches and Treasures of Christ: and O what contempt of him is this? Why do men refuse Christ, and the offers of his Love? Surely 'tis for the sake, and from the Love of some lust or other, ei∣ther the lust of the Flesh, the lust of the Eye, or the pride of Life; and if so, then by refu∣sing of him they do really prefer this Lust before him, and all the Treasures of his Grace and Love: And thus indeed you find it to be, Mat. 22. Reginning as also Luke. 14.18, 19, 20. Where Christ of∣fers himself, withall his Treasures, to poor Sinners, who yet slight and refuse both

him and them: And why so? The one hath a farm, the other a Merchandize, and all have some carnal concern, to mind: the Sum is, they have a lust to be satisfied; and therefore Christ, and all the Treasures of his Love, must be rejected; By refu∣sing of Christ we do in effect say, that there is more good, more sweetness, more hap∣piness in a lust, in a little carnall, worldly pleasure and advantage, then there is in Christ, and all that is his: Hereby we do in effect say, that men are deceiv'd in Christ, that the Word of God makes a false report of him, that he is not such a Saviour, nor is his Salvation so great as the one, and the other is represented to be: O what contempt is this to be cast upon Christ? Esau (yow know) is said to despise his Birth right; and how? By preferring a mess of pottage or a morsel of Meat before it, Gen. 25.34. But O how much more do we contemn Christ and his Love by pre∣ferring a base, vile lust before him and it? Surely greater contempt of Christ than this can't well be found: And how great then must the sin of the refusal of Christ be, and how much should we tremble at it?

3. Consider, that the neglect and re∣fusal of Christ is a sin which in an eminent manner darkens and opposes the Glory of God, and reflects the highest Dishonour upon him of all others; and therefore a great sin: The more any sin darkens and

opposes the Glory of God, the greater the guilt of that sin is: For (first) the more any sin opposes the Glory of God, and re∣flects Dishonour upon him, the more contrary it is to the highest good; and the more contrary any sin is to the highest good, the greater the guilt of it must needs be: And Secondly, the more any sin op∣poses the Glory of God, and reflects Dis∣honour upon him, the more it thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man; and the more any sin thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man, the greater the guilt of that sin is:

Now the neglect and refusal of Christ is what eminently opposes the Glory of God, and reflects Dishonour upon him: The reception and entertainment of Christ puts an honour upon the Father: Indeed eve∣ry act of Faith honours God, Rom. 4.20. And especially this great and Fundamental act of Faith, in embracing Christ: So on the other hand, the neglect and refusal of Christ is what reflects Dishonour upon God, it throws his Glory in the dust; and hence 'tis, that this sin is so exceeding provoking to him, as in the Scripture it is represented to be: Particularly take here two things.

1. This sin of refusing Christ is what slights and contemns all the Glorious ex∣cellencies and perfections of God at once; and so can't but cast very great Dishonour upon him, and be very opposite to his Glory: In Christ, my Beloved, all the

Glorious excellencies and perfections of God are eminently manifested and dis∣played: In him do all the Glorious counsels of his Grace and Love meet, and in re∣fusing him we despise and poure contempt upon all. In him does his love eminently shine forth, and the fulness of it rest, 1 Jol. 4.9, 10.* 1.57 In him is his Justice, Righ∣teousness, and Holiness eminently manifested and displayed, Rom. 3.25, 26. In him does his wisdom, yea, his manifold wisdom, ap∣pear and reveal its self: In a word, whole God is manifested and revealed in him, and withall tender'd to the embraces of our Faith and Love: In every offer of Christ made to us in the Gospel, God does in effect say to us, what ever I am, or can do, as God, that Il'e be to, and do for you, to make you happy for ever: accordingly to refuse Christ must needs poure contempt upon all: It slights and poures contempt upon the Grace of God, the wisdom of God, the power of God, the justice of God, the Holiness of God, the Fulness and All-sufficiency of God, and all the Ancient Glorious counsels of his Love concerning Souls: to refuse Christ is in effect to say, that the Grace of God is no Grace, at least not worthy of our acceptance: That his justice and ho∣liness are not to be regarded, and that we value them not: That his wisdom is folly,

and his power weakness; that his fulness has little in it, and is no way able to sa∣tisfie us, and make us happy: that a bro∣ken Cistern is as good, as that Fountain of living waters: And hereby we down-right deny his Faithfulness, and put the lie upon him, 1 Joh. 5.10. We do in effect say, that the God of truth is a liar, that his witness and testimony is not to be credited, that his word of promise is a meer delusion, and for no other use, then to beguile Souls: O what contempt, what Dishonour must all this cast upon the blessed God, and what horrible wickedness must it be? to make God a liar (sayes a Learned Man) is an horrible and exe∣crable impiety:* 1.58 thereby we take that from him which is most dear and proper to him. O tremble, Soul, tremble at the Blackness and hellishness of this sin.

2. This sin of refusing Christ is what is directly opposite to the highest design of God for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is most dear to him: what, my Beloved, was the highest de∣sign that ever God laid and carried on for his own Glory? Verily 'twas Christ, and the Salvation of sinners by Christ: He de∣sign'd himself a revenue of Glory in making the World, and he does design himself a revenue of Glory in all he does in govern∣ing the World: But that wherein he has design'd the highest revenue of Glory to

himself, is the mistery of Christ, and Salva∣tion by Christ: So much is evident from Epe. 1.11, 12, 14. In whom sayes he speaking of Christ) We have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things ac∣cording to the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his Glory; And again, v. 14. unto the praise of his Glory: The sum is this, that God's Glory was his great end in the dispensation of Christ, and our Sal∣vation by him; and also that in and by that dispensation he did design the highest re∣venue of Glory to himself: For pray ob∣serve, first he calls it the praise of his Glory, the splendor, and highest emanation of his Glory: (Secondly) he repeats this design of God to the praise of his Glory, and again, to the praise of his Glory; which notes this to be his grand design for his Glory. Again, what is that Glory that is most dear to God? Verily 'tis the Glory of his Grace: Grace is his darling attribute, and the Glory of his Grace is most dear to him: Hence this has been peculiarly his design in the whole of the mistery of Christ: So the same Apostle tells us, Eph. 1.6. Who having before spoken of the great misteries of predestination and redemption by Christ; here in the 6. v. tells you, what was God's great design in all, viz: The praise of the Glory of his Grace: 'Tis the crowning of Grace, and the enthroning of Grace, which God in a peculiar manner delights

in: Now if the highest design of God for his own Glory be by the mistery of Christ, and our Salvation by Christ, and the Glory of his Grace be most dear to him; then 'tis clear, that our refusing of Christ is most opposite to the highest design that God ever carried on for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is most dear to him: For alas! This is in effect to say, that God has laid out no Grace upon sin∣ners in the dispensation of Christ, and that he deserves no Glory upon the account of that dispensation: This is in effect to tell him, that neither his Christ, nor his Grace in him, is worth minding, worth recei∣ving; and that we are no wayes beholding to him for the one, or the other: And O what Dishonour must this reflect upon God, and how darkening to his Glory? And accordingly, Soul, let thee and I trem∣ble at it, and at the Blackness and horrid∣ness of that sin, that has such a dreadful effect.

4. Consider, that the neglect and re∣fusal of Christ, is a sin which directly and immediatly murders the soul, and damns it eternally; and therefore must needs be a great sin: That sin that does most direct∣ly and immediatly murder the Soul, and destroy it eternally, that must needs be a great sin, and should be greatly dreaded by us: And what sin is it that does this, but our neglect and refusal of Christ? And, Soul, that thou may'st be the more deeply

convinced of this, seriously weigh these following propositions.

First, that the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which rejects the onely remedy of sinful souls: Poor Sinners are in themselves dead, lost, undone, and perishing for ever: They are sick, and sick to death; they are sinful, and sinful to damnation; and there is one, and but one remedy for them, and that's Christ; Christ and his Blood, Christ and his Grace, Christ and his fulness; Besides this, there is no Balm in Gilead, no Physitian there for them; neither is there Salvation in any other, Acts. 4.14. Therefore by refusing and rejecting him, they refuse and reject the onely remedy: He indeed is a Com∣pleat, as well as an onely, remedy: He is able, and as willing, as he is able, to save to the very uttermost, as the Scripture tells us: But they by rejecting of him exclude themselves from his saving efficacy, and so thereby do directly murder their own souls.

2. That the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which bindes all a mans other sins fast to him: 'Tis a great and weighty say∣ing which a worthy Divine has. Unbelief, sayes he (which is properly the neglect and refusal of Christ) bindes all a mans sins fast to his Soul, and Damnation fast to his sins: 'Tis indeed the Bond of all our guilt, and all our misery; that which makes the curse cleave close to us for ever: And while a man remains in this sin, 'tis impossi∣ble,

that he should be acquitted and dis∣charged from the guilt of any one of all his sins: 'Tis (I remember) Austin's obser∣vation upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9.* 1.59 Where Christ tells us, That his Spirit shall convince the World of Sin, because they believe not in him: Christ (sayes he) in∣stances in the sin of infidelity in a special man∣ner, because that sin remaining, all our other sins remain: But that being taken away, all others are forgiven: Faith (as one of the Ancients expresses it) delet omnia pec∣cata, blots out all sins; but unbelief that bindes all fast upon us: Hence that word of Christ, If ye betieve not, ye shall dye in your sins: i. e. your sins shall cleave close to you to the very death, Jo. 8.24. This will be further evident in the next propo∣sition: Therefore

3. That though all sin be killing and damning, yet no sin shall ever damn or destroy us, unless we add thereunto the sin of the neglect and refusal of Christ: 'Tis true, every sin is damning; sin within, sin without: The wages of sin is death, Rom. 6. last. And the Apostle tells us, there is a just recompence of reward due to every trans∣gression and disobedience, Heb. 1.2. But though every sin be damning, yet what ever a mans sins are, though never so many, never so great; they shall, they can never damn him, in case he receives, and em∣braces

Christ: Nor indeed can any of all a mans sins be said to be the immediate cause of his damnation, but his refusing of Christ: Indeed under the Law the im∣mediate cause of mens perishing was sin in general: But under the Gospel the onely immediate cause of mens perishing is the rejection of Christ and his Grace through unbelief: So much Christ himself tells us in that known place, Joh. 3.18. He that believeth on the Son is not condemned,* 1.60 but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the onely begotten Son of God: He that believeth on Christ is not condemned: And why so? Is it because he has no sins to condemn him? No, but because believing on Christ all his sins are done away: But he that believeth not on him is condemn'd already: And why? Is it because he is a sinner in general, or because his sins are many and great sins? No, but because he hath not believed on the name of the onely begotten Son of God: The sum of all is this: The immediate cause of mens condemnation is not this sin or that sin, but their refusing of Christ by unbe∣lief: Hence you have it so frequently up and down the Gospel: He that believeth shall be saved: He that believeth not shall be damned, and the like; Well then, if our vefusing of Christ be the rejecting of the onely remedy of sinful Souls; if it be what

bindes all a mans sins fast upon him; and if none of all a mans other sins, though many and great, should or could ever damn him, were not this sin of refusing Christ added to them; then certainly this is that sin which does most directly and immediatly murder the Soul: O how great a sin then does this speak it to be? Murder is a great sin; an iniquity to be punished by the judge; nor do we look upon a murderee fit to live: But no murder like to Soul∣murder, nor should we suffer this Soul∣murderer to live one moment.

4. Consider, that the neglect and refu∣sal of Christ is a sin which argues you to be really in Love with your sins, which truly and indeed chooses Death rather then Life, loves Darkness more then Light, and which leaves you without the least colour of excuse or room of appeal for ever: And O what a black and horrid sin must this then be? A little of each.

1. This sin of neglecting and refusing Christ, is, what really argues you to be in Love with your sins, and to have slight thoughts of them: For men to act sin is bad; but to have slight thoughts of sin, and to be in Love with it, is much worse; sin being against an infinite good, even in∣finitly contrary to the blessed God, has in a sort an infinite evil in it; and to be in love with that which has an infinite evil in it, O how dreadful a thing is this? Yet this your refusal of Christ carries in it: For

pray, mark, had you not slight thoughts of sin, you would not refuse the pardon of sin, when offer'd you; but would account it worthy of all acceptation; and were you not in Love with your sins, yea, greatly in Love with them, you would not choose and desire to continue in your sins; much less would you refuse and re∣ject so great a good, as Christ is, for the sake of your sins: Should a condemn'd Malefactor refuse the Kings free pardon, would not this argue him to have slight thoughts of Death; yea, to be in Love with it, and to prefer it before life? As clearly does your refusing of Christ argue you to have slight thoughts of sin, and to be in Love with it: O were you not in Love with your sins, you would be glad of a discharge and deliverance from them, and would withall readiness and joyfulness embrace it, when freely offer'd to you, as in Christ it is.

2. This sin of refusing Christ is what truly and indeed speaks you to love dark∣ness more then light, and to chose death rather then life: 'Tis what prefers sin and death before Christ, and life, and Grace; O what a black sin then must it be? This Christ himself asserts concern∣ing it, and that as an high aggravation of it, and what makes it doubly damning, Joh. 3.19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the World, and men love darkness rather then light. Christ and the good

things of Christ are here call'd light; on the other hand sin and death, sin and the miseries that attend it, are call'd dark∣ness: Now (sayes Christ) men by unbelief and refusing of me do declare, that they love this darkness before this Light: Men by refusing of me do in effect love, choose, prefer sin, and death, and dark∣ness before me, and my Grace, me and that eternal life which I would give them: O what a sin is this? Christ may truly say to Sinners, as Moses to them of old, Deut. 30.19. I call Heaven, and Earth to record this day, that I have set before you, Life and Death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that ye may live: Now, for them to choose death and reject life, to choose the curse and reject the blessing: This is a dreadful sin indeed and the more dread∣ful: On the one hand, because the light is so lovely and amiable; and on the other hand, the darkness is so odious & terrible: as also because the obligations which lie upon us to love, choose, and prefer the light before darkness, are so weighty and forcible: For Christ earnestly desires it, he graciously counsells it, he strictly com∣mands it, and no less then a whole eterni∣ty of Glorious and unspeakable happiness depends upon it: O think of these things.

3. This sin of refusing Christ is a sin which leaves you without the least colour of excuse, or room of appeal for ever;

which must argue it to be a great sin indeed: First, it leaves you without the least colour of excuse, without the least coulour of ex∣cuse for sin, and without the least colour of excuse why you should not die for sin: This Christ himself is express in, Joh. 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no Cloak for their sin: If I had not come, and spoken to them (viz. in the Gospel) revealing my Father's will; and offering my self and my Grace to them; They had not had sin. i. e. Not so great sin: But now they have no Cloak, no excuse for their sin: Now they have no pretence to make, nothing wherewith to colour or extenuate their sin: The neglect and refusal of Christ leaves men altogether in∣excusable, and it will do so to be sure in the last day: O when God in the day of his righteous judgment shall demand of men that have liv'd under the Gospel; why they sin'd, and having sin'd, why they are found in their sins, and being found in their sins, why they should not die for ever: what will they have to say by way of excuse or apology for themselves? Verily nothing; but will be Speechless, as he is said to be, Mat. 22.12. They can't say, they were not warned of the evil of sin: They can't say, that pardon and Sal∣vation were not offer'd them: They can't say, that the offer was not full, and free, and clear: They can't say, they had to do with an hard Master; nor can they say,

that sin is not worthy of death: They will have nothing to say. Secondly, it leaves you without the least room or place of ap∣peal for ever: I may say here, as 'tis said in anorher case, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall in∣treat for him? So if a man sin against the Law by transgressing of it, he may appeal to the Gospel, and the grace of Christ there: But if a man sin against Christ and his Grace offer'd in the Gospel, where then shall he appeal? Verily there is no appeal to be made, no relief to be found for him. If a man be condemn'd at the seat of justice, as having sinn'd against the Law, he may appeal unto the mercy-seat, the throne of Grace, and sind sweet relief; but if he sin against the mercy-seat, and the throne of Grace, then he has nothing to appaal to, that may administer relief to him: Now by refusing of Christ we sin against the Throne of Grace, we pull down, what in us lies, the mercy-seat: and where then shall we appeal? O consider these things, and learn by them to dread this sin of refusing Christ: I might say much more to convince you of the hainous evil of it; but let this suffice: Sure I am, 'tis enough to; and had we the due sense of it upon our Spirits, it would, make us tremble at it for ever.

3. Wouldest thou indeed be Espoused to Christ? Then give not way to the dis∣couragements of sense; but bear up thy Soul

upon the encouragements of Faith, upon such Gospel-principles & considerations, as do tend to draw sinners to Faith in Christ: Possibly, upon reading and considering the woeful misery of thy condition without Christ, and the dreadful hainousness of thy sin and guilt, in thy long and frequent re∣fusing of him, discouragements not a few may arise within; and indeed no sooner usually does a poor Soul look towards Christ, or think of closing with him in a Marriage-Covenant; but presently mul∣titudes of discouragements arise to deter him there from: O, says he, what a mon∣strous sinner am I? How have I despised Christ and his grace? How long have I stood it out against him? I have serv'd my lusts all my dayes, and rejected his calls: To what purpose do I now talk of closing with him? These, and multitudes such like discouragements do arise in the Soul, which being given way to, do effectually keep him from Christ: But if ever, Soul, thou wouldest attain to Union and com∣munion with him, thou must shut thine eyes and heart too against all discourage∣ments of this nature; and though they press in upon thee again and again; yet thrust them out fixing thine eye and heart upon the encouragements of Faith; dwell much in the thoughts of them, and bear up thy soul upon such Gospel principles and considerations, as do tend to weaken unbelief, & beget Faith in the soul; and for

thy help herein I shal mention some of these encouragements of Faith, or Gospel-prin∣ciples, which I would have thee to be se∣rious and frequent in the contemplation of.

1. The first Gospel-principle, or en∣couragement of Faith, which thou shouldst bear up thy Soul upon, and be fre∣quent in the contemplation of, is this; that there is a rich, a glorious, and an over∣flowing fulness of all good treasured up in Christ for poor Sinners; and that his Grace does abundantly exceed both our wants and sins: 'Tis the work and nature of unbelief, to little and limit the ful∣ness of Christ in the eye of the soul: It shews the soul the multitude of his sins and wants; but it conceals and Locks up Christs treasures and fulness: And, what∣ever we pretend, the ground of our not closing with Christ, at least one principal one, is this, that we doubt of his fulness, we do not see enough in Christ to supply our wants, and relieve our distresses: Un∣belief perswading us, that Christ is not the Christ, the Scripture represents him to be: But, Soul, away with all such ap∣prehensions, and dwell thou in the con∣templation of Christ's infinite fulness: Look to him, as one infinitly able to supply thy wants, to pardon thy sins, to healthy maladies, to subdue thy lusts, to sanctifie thy heart, and to save thy Soul eternally: Look upon him, as the Scrip∣ture represents him: The Scripture tells

thee, That it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, Col. 1.19. All fulness of Grace and life, all fulness of peace and pardon, all fulness of Righ∣teousness and Salvation: There is in Christ not onely a fulness of abundance, but of redundance, an over-flowing ful∣ness; a fulness infinitly superabounding our sins and wants: The Scripture tells us, That he is able to save unto the very uttermost, all that come unto God by him, Heb. 7.25. Save, able to save, able to save to the ut∣termost; and that not one or two, but all that come unto God by him: The Scrip∣ture speaks of Christs unsearchable riches, Eph. 3.8. The Ocean of his Grace is not to be sounded by the longest line of the largest created understanding: Paul ex∣perienced the superabounding fulness of his Grace, and has left it upon record for our encouragement, 1 Tim. 1.14. The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant; it was more then enough: I found more Grace in Christ (as one expresses it) then I knew what to do withall; and yet what was this Paul? Himself tells you in the very v. before and after, he was a Blasphemer, a Per∣secutor, and the chief of Sinners, a man every way of as many sins and wants, as thou art: Accordingly view him, and bear up thy Soul in the face of all discourage∣ments: Reason thus with thy self: True, my condition is sad, my wants are exceed∣ing many, and my sins exceeding great: But

what then? Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Physitian there? Is not Christ able to save me, and that to the utmost notwith∣standing all: Look, O my soul, yonder is sweet Jesus upon the Throne at the Fa∣thers Right Hand, full of Grace and truth; look upon him, and consider: What are all thy wants to his Riches and fulness? What are all thy miseries and distresses to his Bowels of Mercy? What are all thy sins to the merit of his Blood, thy pro∣vocations to his fatisfaction? Were thy wants more and greater then they are, his fulness could supply them all; were thy sins greater and more hainous then they are, his Blood could cleanse thee from all: The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, 1 Jo. 1.7. There is infinitly more worth in his merits to pardon and justifie thee, then there is evil in thy sins to damn & destroy thee: True, I have a Fountain of sin, and guilt, and death in me: But here's a deeper Fountain of Grace, and life, & righteousness in him: see, O my Soul, see how vast and large his treasures of Grace and Glory are, and bear up thy self upon them: O did Sin∣ners dwell more in the view of the Glo∣rious fulness of Christ, they would be more in love with him; and hereby would coun∣ter-work and undermine unbelief in one of its greatest artifices, whereby it keeps souls from him. I shall here for thy encou∣ragement onely subjoyn the saying of a worthy Divine. Christ (sayes he) can, and

it becometh him well to give more then my narrow soul can receive. If there were ten thousand thousand millions of worlds, and as many heavens full of men and Angels, Christ would not be pinched to supply all their wants, and to fill them all. Christ is a Well of Life, but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom?

2. The second Gospel-principle or en∣couragement of Faith which thou should'st bear up thy soul upon, and be frequent in the contemplation of, is this: That as there is such a Glorious and in-exhaustible fulness in Christ, so this fulness is in him, not for himself, but to be dispensed and communicated to poor Souls coming to him: True (may the Soul say) here's fulness enough, riches and treasures e∣nough of all good in Christ; but what's this to me, or wherein does it concern me? Wherein does it concern thee? Why, 'tis wholly thy concern, and the concern of such, as thou art: For what ever fulness he has in him, 'tis treasur'd up in him for Souls, for Sinners, yea, for the worst of Sinners: How sweet is that word? Psa. 68.18. where, speaking of Christ, the holy Ghost tells us, that he hath received gifts for men: He hath received gifts. i. e. He has a fulness of all good in his hand, and at his dispose, and this for men: I but I am a devil (sayes the soul) a rebel, & what's this to me? observe, what follows, and thou wilt find it concerns thee, yea,

thee especially: He hath received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also: Hence also 'tis, that he is said to be made Head over all things to the Church, Eph. 1.22. He has all fulness dwelling in him, but 'tis as an head, and so 'tis all for the use and ser∣vice of the body, for every poor soul that comes to him: And therefore 'tis added, Head over all things to the Church. i▪e. For the Churches use and service of which he is Head: Take a view of all that fulness that is in Christ, and 'tis all as much and as really for the use and service of such as come to him, and are made members of his body, as the treasures and endowments of the natural head are for the use and ser∣vice of the natural body, and the members thereof: And O what an encouragement is this to Faith? 'Tis the observation of a learned man upon the place last quoted. Lest (sayes he) we should think this great glory of Christ to be a thing that does not concern us,* 1.61 he is here de∣clar'd to be constituted and appointed by the Father to be Head of the whole Church. Well then, soul, bear up thy self upon this encouragement: Say, look, O my soul, look unto sweet Jesus, who hath received Gifts for men: View him as one that has received a fulness of all Grace from the Father on purpose to be dispens'd and communicated to thee, and

to such as thou art: He has life in him, and he has it for thee; he has peace and pardon in him, and he has it for thee: He has wisdom, and righteousness, Grace, and Glory in him, and he has it for thee, and for such as thou art; and therefore go to him, expect all from him, cast all upon him.

3. The third Gospel-principle or en∣couragement of Faith, which thou shouldst bear up thy soul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this, that there is a perfect freedom and willingness in Christ, yea, 'tis even genuine and naturall to him to bestow himself, with all his Glo∣rious riches and fulness, upon poor souls coming to him: Christ (as you heard) has all this fulness in him as an head; so you have it expresly, Col. 1.18, 19. Now as 'tis genuine and naturall to the head to mini∣ster influence to the members: So 'tis even genuine and naturall to Christ to communicate his Grace to poor souls: Besides, all that fulness that is in Christ, 'tis in him not as God onely, but as man: 'Tis deposited and treasured up in his human nature: It pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, Col. 1.19. In him i. e. (as a learned man ex∣pounds it (in the man Christ, or in that hu∣man nature in which he dyed and transacted the business of our Salvati∣on:* 1.62 'Tis true, the God-head or Divine nature is the first

spring or Fountain of all Graee; but the human nature of Christ is as it were a se∣cond spring and Fountain of Grace: That is as a treasury or Store-house, wherein all Grace is laid up for us: Hence 'tis said, that as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son to have life in himself; because he is the Son of man, Joh, 5.26, 27. Christ as God hath life, i.e. all Grace ori∣ginally and independently in him, as the Father hath: Indeed as God he is the same infinite and independent Fountain of Life and Grace with the Father: but 'tis as man that he is said to have Life and Grace given to him: The sum then is, That that Glorious fulness of Grace that is in Christ for Sinners, is Fountain'd up in his human nature, and being Fountain'd up in his human nature it will, and can't but slow, yea, overflow to, and upon poor souls, that cast themselves upon him: The truth is, 'Tis to charge Christ with unkindness and unsaithfulness both at once, to suppose him unwilling to communicate himself and his fulness to Sinners coming to him; and, soul, canst thou find in thy heart to lay so blacka charge upon so sweet and good a Christ? 'Tis the way and work of the de∣vil and unbelief to perswade Souls, that Christ will not receive them, nor commu∣nicate his Grace and fulness to them; though they should come to him, which they endeavour to do from the considera∣tion of his greatness and holiness, together

with their vileness and sinfulness: Christ, say they, is choice and peculiar in his Love and respects, as great Persons use to be: He will know his distance, and he will make Sinners know theirs: But, Soul, deal with this, as from the devil and un∣belief, reject it as a reproach thrown up∣on Christ, and dwell much in the con∣templation of his infinite willingness to receive and save the worst of Sinners that come to him: Reason it a little with thy self: Why did he become incarnate? Why did he bleed, and die? Why does he woo, and wait, and offer, and call, and strive with poor Sinners to win them to himself? Does it not all argue a willingness and rea∣diness in him to give forth both himself and his fulness to them?

4. The Fourth Gospel-principle or en∣couragement of Faith, which thou should∣est bear up thy soul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That the onely spring and principle of all that ever Christ does for poor Sinners from first to last is his own Soverain Grace and Love: 'Twas his Love that brought him down from Heaven, and that led him out to Bleed and die for them: Hence Eph. 5.25. he is said to Love his Church, and give himself for it: 'Tis his Love, his free Love, that first draws them to himself, and allures them into Covenant with him: I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn

thee, Jer. 31.3. 'Tis his Love that re∣ceives them, that pardons them, that bestows life and Salvation upon them: Hence all is said to be of Grace, even the whole of our Salvation, Eph. 2.8. Hence he is represented to us as sitting upon a Throne of Grace, and there 'tis that he in∣vites us to come to him, and from thence give out all to us, Heb. 4.16. and therefore to that Throne we, though Sinners, may come boldly: He is upon a Throne; and therefore we may assure our selves, that he will do great things for Sinners coming to him; he will act like a King, pardon like a King, save like a King, do all with Kingly greatness and magnificence: And 'tis a Throne of Grace, a Throne that reigns Grace, a Throne whereon Grace sits in imperial Majesty, and decrees all for poor Sinners coming to it; and so does all freely, all in a way of Soverain Grace and Love: Hence that Language, I will have mercy, because I will have mercy, I will par∣don, because I will pardon, and I will save, because I will save: Now what an en∣couragement is this to Faith, and how, if rightly weighed and consider'd, would it dash all the pleas of unbelief to pieces, and sweetly draw the Soul on to a close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant? For pray consider, what is the nature of Soverain Grace and Love? The nature of it is to act from it self to itself without any con∣sideration of any thing in us, without re∣specting

either the worthiness or the un∣worthiness of the creature at all: The na∣ture of it is such, that 'tis neither con∣strain'd to, nor restrain'd from doing good to souls by any thing either of good or evil in them; but all runs freely: And therefore no matter what I am, though never so vile and wretched in my self, while I have to do with such love, and such love is the spring of all Christ's deal∣ings with me, and Carriages towards me.

5. The Fifth Gospel-principle or en∣couragement of Faith, which thou shouldest bear up thy self upon, and dwell much in the contemptation of, is this: That the great design of Christ in all his underta∣kings for, and dispensation towards Sin∣ners, is the illustrating and enthroning of his own Grace; and the more vile, sinful, and forlorn a wretch thou art, the more will his Grace be enthroned and illustrated in thine acceptance with him. Christ in his dealings with and for Sinners does not onely act from a principle of Soverain Grace, but in all he carrie on a design to enthrone that Grace of his, and to make it Glorious for ever; yea, and he acts, and will act sutably to such a design: 'Tis not what such and such Sinners do or do not deserve (says Christ) that I am to mind, but what my Grace can do for them, and what will make most for the Glory of that Grace, what will set the brightest Crown upon its Head: This is evident,

Eph. 1.6.12.14. Which was open'd be∣fore upon another occasion: Hence those whom he saves, he saves in such a way, as may most lift up his own Grace, his design therein being, that Grace might reigh, as you have it, Rom. 5.21. Hence you read of his justifying the ungodly, Rom. 4.5. He will have his Grace triumph over every Soul, whom he saves. Now what an encouragement is this to Faith? Christ not onely sits upon a Throne of Grace, but also his design in dealing with Sinners is to set his Grace upon the Throne. Sin∣ner, the more vile and sinful thou art, the more sutable it is to Christ's design to save thee; for the more vile and sinful thou art, the greater name and Glory will his Grace get in thine acceptation and Sal∣vation by him: The more vile and sinful thou art, the greater will be the declara∣tion of Grace on Christ's part in thine acceptance and Salvation: O when Christ shall pardon a soul so guilty, receive a soul so sinful, reconcile a soul that is such an enemy, as thou art, how will this de∣clare the Glorious riches of his Grace in the view both of men & Angels? This will shew forth the exceeding riches of his Grace, as the the Expression is, Eph. 2.7. And the morevile and sinful thou art, the greater will be the admiration of Grace for ever on thy patt; Where much is forgiven, there will be the return of much Love, much praise, Luk. 7.47. O, who am I (sayes

the soul, when once received to mercy, though more then ordinary vile and sin∣ful) who am I, that I should find Grace in Christ's sight? What, such a rebell, and yet pardon'd? Such an enemy, and yet reconcil'd? Such a Black devil, and yet washt, and made white in the Blood of the Lamb? Such a Fiend of Hell, and yet made a Favourite of Heaven? Such a filthy, deformed wretch, and yet taken into the pure and Lovely Bosome of sweet Jesus? O Grace, Grace! How rich and free is Grace? And O what praise and Hallelujahs will there be tuned upon the Tongues and spirits of such to God and the Lamb for ever? When therefore thou wouldst go to Christ, and discouragements arise to keep thee back from him, thou shouldst dwell in the thoughts of and bear up thy soul upon this consideration, reasoning thus with thy self: True I am a vile wretch, the chief of Sinners, one on all accounts worthy to be abhor'd, and cast off by Christ: But what then? Christ acts to∣wards Sinners purely from a principle of Grace and Love, he regards neither wor∣thiness nor unworthiness; whether a great sinner or a little sinner, 'tis all one to him, as to his accepting of me: Moreover his design is to Crown his Grace, and render that Glorious; and the more vile I am, the more that design of his will take in mine acceptation and Salvation: How vile there∣fore soever I am, I will cast my self upon

him, and put in for an Espousal with him.

6. The sixth Gospel-principle or en∣couragement of Faith, which thou should∣est bear up thy self upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That 'tis the Glory and perfection of Christ as Mediator to receive Sinners, and to give out himself and his fulness to them, when they come to him: This, if rightly weigh∣ed, will mightily help on Faith, and list the poor soul over his discouragements in∣to the Bosome and embraces of Jesus Christ: To understand it aright you must know, that Chist has a two-fold Glory and perfection: The Glory and perfection of his Person, as he is the Son of God; and the Glory and perfection of his office, as he is Mediator and head of the second Cove∣nant: the Glory and perfection of his per∣son, as the Son of God, that is infinitly compleat and full, that admits neither of diminution nor augmentation, being unchangeably the same for ever: But the Glory and pefection of his Office, as Me∣diator, that in a great measure arises from his receiving Sinners, and bestowing him∣self and his Grace upon them, when they come to him; and the more Sinners he receives, and the more Grace he gives out to them, the greater his Glory and per∣fection in this respect is: and it may be truly said, that Christ in receiving, and giving our Grace to Sinners, when they

come to him, does increase the revenue of his own Glory, and more and more com∣pleat and perfect himself, as head and Me∣diator: Hence the Church is called his ful∣nes, Eph. 1.13. God gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his Body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all: Now if the Church is Christs fulness, then the more that is filled and compleated by his recei∣ving Sinners to himself, and giving out Grace to them; the more full and com∣pleat he himself, as to his Mediatorie ho∣nour and perfection growes: Hence also Saints are said to be the Glory of Christ, 2 Cor. 8.23. As Christ alone is their glory, so they also are his glory: And how his glory? Not onely because they do, or should actually glorifie him; but also because he has received them, and laid out his grace upon them; and 'tis his grace onely that shines forth in them: Hence that observation of Galvin upon the place. They (sayes he) that excell most in grace and holiness,* 1.63 they peculiarly are the glory of Christ; because they have nothing but by free gift from Christ: Hence also Christ tells us, that he is Glorified in them, Jo. 17.10. And he sayes Expresly that the Spirit shall Glorifie him, because he shall receive of his, and give it unto us, Jo. 16.14. By all which it ap∣pears, that 'tis the glory and perfection of Christ, as Mediator, to receive Sinners,

coming to him, and to bestow himself and his grace upon them: In short, my be∣loved, all that ever Christ has done for, and is made of God to, poor Sinners; all his acts, and all his offices, as Mediator, do receive their ultimate perfection in their sull influences on us and our Salvation: And as Christ receives his name and Deno∣mination of a Saviour from his Relation to, and acting for poor Sinners to redeem and save them; so the perfection of this office, and those acts of his do lye in the full ac∣complishment of our Salvation: And in∣deed they would all be but vain and weak acts, should he not fully save us, com∣ing to him. O what encouragement is here to Faith, and how must unbelief sink, and die before this consideration, if rightly improv'd? True (may the soul say) I am vile, sinful, and unworthy; but 'tis the honour of Christ to receive me; 'tis his glory to bestow himself and his grace upon me; 'tis his prefection, as Mediator, to accept and save me, and such, as I am; and therefore why should I be discouraged? I will go to him, and cast my self upon him: Thus bear up your souls upon, and encourage your Faith with these Gospel∣principles, which is greatly necessary, and will not a little conduce to an Espousal be∣tween Christ and you.

4. Would'st thou indeed be Espous'd to Christ? Then take heed of all jealousies of him, and prejudices against him; and

be sure ever to maintain right thoughts of him. One of the great designs of Satan, and one of the most cursed workings of unbelief, is to prejudice souls against Christ, and to fill them with hard, jealous thoughts of him; which if they can pre∣vail in, they infallibly keep the soul from closing with him in a Marriage-Cove∣nant. If a woman has jealousies and hard thoughts of a man, and be filled with prejudices against him, she is never like to enter into a Marriage-Covenant with him: And no more will a soul close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant, as long as he is filled with hard thoughts of him, and pre∣judices against him: Watch therefore against this: The Devil, together with the unbelief of our own hearts, will frame up a thousand strange Notions and repre∣sentations of Christ in the soul, thereby to prejudice us against Christ; but take heed of all these, and be sure to maintain right thoughts and apprehensions of him; particularly here take onely two things.

1. Be sure to maintain honorable thoughts of his Person: Look upon him as a Person of glory, and as having all ex∣cellencies in him: 'Tis the work, and na∣ture of unbelief to darken and obscure the Person of Christ, to make that appear vile and contemptible in the eye of the soul, whereby it does effectually strengthen it self with in him; and indeed there is no∣thing

more prevalent to keep the soul from Christ, then an ignorance of, or prejudice against his Personal worth and excellen∣cies: This was that which made the Jewes so generally reject him: They saw no Beau∣ty in him for which they should desire him, nor did they discern form or comliness in him; and therefore rejected him, Isa. 53.1, 2. They Look't no surther then the outward form, the veil of his flesh; they saw not his Divine Beauty and glory; and so despised him: And, my beloved, unless we look within this veil, and come to view and contemplate him, as a Person of glory, we also shall reject him to our eternal perdition. Pray, observe, 'tis the Person of Christ that puts worth and ve••t••e into all his doings, and all his sufferings; all his offices, and all his promises: 'Tis the worth and excellency of his Person, that makes his Blood so preci∣ous, his Promises so sweet, his Righteous∣ness so glorious, his Grace so efficacious, his Love so endearing: 'tis the worth and excellency of his Person, that gives Au∣thority to all the commands of Faith, and does aw the heart to obedience; and 'tis the worth and excellency of his Person, that is one of the most powerful at∣tractives to draw and allure the hearts of the sons of men to him; if there∣fore his Person be undervalued, if the dig∣nity and glory of that be not seen, we are never like to enter into a Marriage-Cove∣nant with him: Therefore, soul, if ever thou would'st be Espous'd to this Christ,

always maintain honorable thoughts of his Person: Behold his glory, as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father, and beg him more and more to reveal his Personal worth, and excellencies to thee.

2. Be sure always to maintain good thoughts of his ways, Kingdom, and Go∣vernment: Admit not of one jealousie of Christ, as if he were an hard, severe Hus∣band; as if he carried it with rigour and severity towards his spouses: If the Devil and unbelief fail in their other at∣tempts, then they endeavour to prejudice souls against Christ, perswading them, that he is an hard Master, an austere Hus∣band, that rules with intolerable rigour and severity: I know, sayes he in the Gos∣pel, that thou wast an austere man, Mat. 25.24. And hereby the soul is seared off from Christ: But, soul, as ever thou would'st be Espous'd to him, take heed of any such jealousie of him, or prejudice against him, keeping up good thoughts of him and his ways, him and his govern∣ment; and be much in contemplating the sweetness both of him and his wayes: Is he severe? Pray, where lies his severity? Does he call you to bear his Yoak? He does, but 'tis an easie yoak: Does he enjoin you to bear his Burthen? He does, but 'tis a light Burthen: My yoak is easie, and my Burthen is light, Mat. 11.29.30. Does he expect you should take up the Crosse? He does, but 'tis a sweet Cross, a gainful Crosse, an honorable Crosse, a

Crosse that is inlaid with love, and over∣laid with Divine sweetness, a Cross that has a Crown annext to it, even a ••rown of Life, Rev. 2.10. A Cross that is a Crown here; for 'tis an honour to suffer for Christ, Asts 5.41. And a Cross that will greaten and brighten your Crown hereafter, Mat. 5.11, 12. blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you; for great is your reward in Heaven: Does he call you to per∣form such and such services? He does, but withall he gives you strength to perform them, hetping your infirmities by his good Spirit, Rom. 8.26. and in case you sail, and come short in and of what he calls for, what then? Why then he pities and spares you, and Father doth his Son that serveth him; he over-looks your failings and de∣fects, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 3.17. Can you do nothing, onely you have a mind to serve him? Why then he accepts of that willing mind according to what you have, and not according to what you have not, 2 Cor. 8.12. when you can't pour out a prayer, a sigh, a groan is accepted by him: Will he have the throne in you, and rule in your souls? He will, but his way of rule is most sweet; for he rules with love, and he rewards with life; and he gives a throne for a throne, a throne in glory for a throne in your souls: What shall I say? his wayes are all wayes of pleasantness, and his pathes are all peace, Prov. 3.17. and O what pleasure, what delight, what so∣lace and satisfaction of soul is there to be found in walking in them? In a word, his

whole service is perfect freedom, and there is no true sreedom but in his wayes and service:* 1.64 'Tis a great saying which I have read in one of the Antionts, who (sayes he) would not reign? But wot last thou reign happily? Serve kind Jesus, and thou shalt reign, because to serve him is true reign∣ing. Thus you see, there is no just rea∣son for hard thoughts of Christ in this respect, but rather the contrary: Ac∣cordingly answer, and throw off all those black reproaches, which the devil and unbelief cast upon this good Lord; and be sure to maintain good thoughts of him, and his wayes, which will not a little con∣duce to the promoting of an Espousal be∣tween him and thee.

5. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ? Then study and contemplate much, how infinitly grateful and accepta∣ble Christ is: Sinners know not, or if they know, they consider not, who, or what Christ is; they mind not, how ac∣ceptable a good he is to souls; and there∣fore they slight him: Had'st thou known, sayes Christ to the woman, the gift of God, and who it is that speaketh ••o thee, thou would have askt of him, and he would have given thee living waters, Jo. 4.10. Truly did men know Christ, and his infinite acepta∣bleness, they would run to him, and close with him in a Marriage-Covenant: Study therefore and contemplate this much, thereby possessing thy soul with a deep sense of it. The Apostle speaking but

of one truth concerning Christ, tells us 'tis worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1.16. And if so, what acceptation must Christ himself, yea Christ, withall his truths, and all his treasures both, be worthy of? And how should our souls cleave to him, & take him into our embraces? There are among others five things which speak a good to be eminently grateful and acceptable: worth and excellency: usefulness and serviceableness: sutableness and conveni∣ency: Sweetness and delight: Durable∣ness and unchangableness in all; all which are sound in Christ, who tenders himself and his Love to us.

1. There is worth and excellency in Christ, yea, incomparable worth and excel∣lency: The Apostle speaks of an excelling excellency that there is in the knowledge of Christ, Phil. 3.8. Now the knowledge of Christ is so excellent, because Christ is excellent: Christ indeed is all worth, all excellency: He is an infinite Ocean of Beauty and glory; he is the chiefest among ten Thousand, and all together lovely. Cant. 5.10 16. All excellencies dwell in him, as in their proper Fountain, and they all meet, and are united in him, as lines in their proper center: Some beauty, some ex∣cellencies you find scatter'd up and down among the creatures; the Saints, and An∣gels, the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, and the like: But alas! Tis scatter'd, and 'tis scatter'd but here and there a drop; but in Christ you have all Beauty, all

worth, all excellency in a blessed Union and conjunction: You have all in one, and that unchangeably. O what a portion is Christ (sayes one) O that the Saints would dig deeper into the treasures of his wisdom and excellencies: Truly 'tis sweet digging there, and there, in some sort, there will be room for digging to all eternity; for even through eternity new wonders of glory will arise, new Beauties and excellen∣cies will appear, and shine forth in Christ: What shall I say? He has in him all the ex∣cellencies of both worlds; and is indeed de∣servedly the wonder of both: In him there is a confluence of all the lovely properties, the drawing attributes, the ravishing Beau∣ties, the Bright-shining and glorious per∣fections of the infinitely blessed Deity: Hence, sayes he, all that the Father hath is mine; which may be understood of his Di∣vine perfections, Joh. 16.15. Hence also he is said to be equal with God,* 1.65 Phil. 2.6. i▪e. Look, what ever Di∣vine perfections there are in God the Father, they all are found in Christ: in him is exprest the whole Person of the Father, the whole Essence, Being, and Feauty of the Father: And (as a Learned man has observed) Christ the Son is in all things like the Father, this only excepted, that he is not the person of the Father:* 1.66 Hence also he is said to be the brightness of his Father's Glory, and

the express image of his Person, Heb. 1.3. All the Fathers glories and excellencies do shine forth in him, and he perfectly represents the Father to us: Thus Christ is a person of excellency; and so most acceptable: And O who would not ac∣cept and embrace such a Christ? And how great a wickedness is it to reject him? I can't but here take up the complaint of an holy man: O pity, pity for evermore (sayes he) that there should be such an one, as Christ Jesus, so boundless, so bot∣tomless, so incomparable, so infinite in ex∣cellency and sweetness, and so few that will take him: they miserably lose their love (sayes he) who will not bestow it upon this lovely one.

2. There is usefulness and serviceable∣ness in Christ: As Christ is a person of the highest excellency, so of the greatest and most absolute need, use, and service to poor souls: Indeed he is the one needful good, Lu. 10.42. Christ is so much need∣ed by, and of so much use and service to poor souls, that they can't possibly do well, and be happy without him: Pray, con∣sider, we provoke God, and he is angry with us; and by Christ alone 'tis, that we receive the attonement. Rom. 5.11. We sin, and load our selves with guilt; and by Christ alone 'tis, that we are or can be discharged from it: In him have we redemption through his Blood, even the for giveness of sins, Eph. 1.7. We have an hard and impeni∣tent heart, an heart that cannot repent;

and by Christ, and Christ alone 'tis, that we can obtain repentance, he being exalted to give repentance unto Isratl, as well as re∣mission of sins, Act. 5.31. We are at a dreadsul distance from God, afar off (as the Scripture speaks) and by Christ and him alone 'tis, that we are made nigh: What shall I say? The best of Saints, as well as the worst of Sinners, have an absolute need of Christ, and he is of daily use and service to them; neither can they live one day or one hour without him: Indeed he is their life, and without him therefore they are dead and undone, as well as others: with∣out him they can do nothing, Jo. 15.5. Without him every duty will be too hard, every burthen will be too heavy, every temptation will be too strong, every lust will be too mighty for them: without him they would yet sall short of the eternal rest, and would make ship-wrack of Faith, souls, and all for ever. Without him nei∣ther Saints, nor Sinners can have any ac∣cess to God, any intercourse or com∣munion with him, in which notwithstand∣ing the whole of our happiness both in time and eternity lies. I am the way (says he) and no man cometh to the Father, but by m, Jo. 14.6. And through him, says the Apostle, we have access unto the Father by one Spirit, Eph, 2.18. Without him we could have no peace with God; for he alone is our peace, Eph. 2.14. And having peace with God, without him we could not maintain our peace one hour, it being he alone that

is our advocate and propitiation with the Fa∣ther, 1 Jo. 2.1, 2. Thus he is every way most needful, and most useful to eternal souls: O how grateful, how acceptable then is he, or ought he to be to us?

3 There is sutableness and conve∣niency also in Christ to the souls of men: The sutableness and conveniency of any good renders it acceptable to us: How acceptable is bread to an hungry man, be∣cause a good sutable to him? How ac∣ceptable is drink to a thirsty man, because a good suitable to him? Now there is an admirable sutableness and conveniency in Christ to the souls of men, and that in all the cases of them: Why then should he not be acceptable to them? One (I re∣member) represents the sutableness of Christ to the souls and wants of Sinners thus, the whole person, nature, and offices of Christ (sayes he) are so suited and proportioned to all the varity of needs in us, that they are as a key for a lock, there is ward for ward, every thing done in the key sutable to the lock: and indeed so 'tis here, Christ and his fulness being exactly suited to us and our wants: We are sick, and sick to death, and Christ is a Physitian, Mat. 9.12. And what more sutable to the sick then a Physitian? We are sinful, and sinful to damnation, we are lost Sinners, and Christ is a Saviour; and who or what more sutable to lost Sin∣ners then a Saviour? We are poor cap∣tives,

the captives of sin and Sathan, in bondage to death and the curse; and Christ is a Redeemer; and who or what more sutable to Captives then a Redeem∣er? Weare under the Tyranny and Usurpa∣tion of many mighty, powerful Lusts, Lusts that are imposing upon us every hour, and we are no way able to deal with them: But Christ is a great and puissant King, who can subdue all, and whose Arrows shall be sharp in the hearts of all his and our Enemies; and what more sutable to Persons in such a circumstance then such a King? We are dead, and Christ is Life; and what more sutable for the Dead then Life? We are poor, and mise∣rable; and Christ is gold to enrich us. Are we naked? Chirst is Cloathing for us: Are we blind? He is Eye-salve for us: Are we in Prison? He is Liberty: Are we Hungry? He is Bread: Are we Thirsty? He is the Water of Life, which those that drink of shall never thirst: Are we trou∣bled? He is Rest: Are we drooping and desponding? He is the consolation of Israel: Are we bewilder'd? He is a Guide: Are we born down in our spiritual con∣flicts? He is the Captain of our Salvation, who will fight for us: O how sutable every way is Christ to souls, and being so sutable, why should he not be acceptable to us? Poor sinner, is there any in Heaven or Earth that will so suit and answer the various wants and cases of thy soul, as

Christ does and will? Why then shouldst thou not account him worthy of all ac∣ceptation?

4. There is sweetness and delight in Christ: Trahit sua quem{que} voluptas (says the Poet) every one is drawn and allur'd by pleasure and delight: What is it that makes sin, that cursed thing sin pleasing and grateful to so many? Surely one great thing is that pleasure and delight which they find, at least promise them∣selves to find, in it: and indeed generally the more sweet and delightful things are, the more readily and greedily they are embraced by the Sons of Men: Why then should not Christ be grateful and accep∣table to us? Is there any so sweet, so pleasant, so delightful, as he? He is a Fountain of sweetness, as well as Excel∣lency: I find him so sweet (sayes an holy Man speaking of Christ) that my Love, suppose I would charge it to re∣move from him, it would not obey me. How sweet is his Love? Thy Love is better thon Wine, sayes the Spouse, Cant. 1.2. This is that best Wine which goeth down sweetly, causing the Lips of those that are asleep to speak, Cant. 7.9. Yea, this is that will cause a dead Man to speak and Live, as an holy Man speaks concerning it. Experienced Souls will tell you, that there is more sweetness in one descent of Love from Christ, then in all the delights of sin and the Creature: This is that

which sweetens the sharpest affliction; yea, this is that, and that alone, which sweetens Death it self, and enables the soul truly to triumph over it, Rom. 8. latter end. O the sweet bathing that there is in the Fountain of Christ's Love! How sweet are his Fruits? I sat down under his shadow, sayes the Spouse, with great de∣light, and his Fruits were sweet to my taste, Cant. 2.3. By Fruits I understand the purchases of his Blood, and the effects of his Love, Peace, Pardon, Righteousness, Justification, Sanctification, and Holiness, Acceptation with God, and the like: And O how sweet are these? How pleasant are these? With what solace and satisfaction may a believing soul feed and feast himself upon these? How sweet is his presence, entercourse, and communion with him? This made the Spouse to be plad, and re∣joyce in him, Cant. 1.4. This indeed sets the soul down at the very Gate of Heaven, where he sayes, 'tis good to be here: 'Tis a blessed exclamation which I find one of the Ancients breaks out into. O how good, and how sweet, O how good,* 1.67 and how pleasant is it, to dwell with thee, most sweet Jesus, te converse with thee, to reveal the concerns of our souls to thee, and to enjoy thy con∣solations! And again elsewhere, O thou most

sweet and most loving Jesus, how sweet is it to think of thee! for while we are speaking and thinking of thee, thou art sweetly present with us, and our souls are fill'd with delight in the odours of thine Oyntments:* 1.68 And yet once more, O Lord, when at any time I partake in this joy (speak∣ing of the joy of Communion with him)

I cry out, Lord, 'tis good to be here,* 1.69 les us build three Tabernacles here, me for Faith, one for Hope, one for Love. And in∣deed who is there that knows what Commu∣nion with Christ means, that does not find an incomparable sweetness, solace, and sa∣tisfaction in it? This is that which fills some with joy unspeakable and full of glory, even here; and this is that which will be the joy and delight of Heaven for ever; Every way Christ is a very Field of plea∣sure, a very Paradice of Joys, and a very Fountain of delights: O why, why then should he not be more grateful and accep∣table to us?

5. There is durableness and unchange∣ableness in Christ; which being added to all the former, renders him even infinitely the more grateful and acceptable: Possibly some worth, some usefulness, some suta∣bleness, some sweetness and delight there

may be found in the Creature, and Creature Enjoyments; but alas! this allayes the ac∣ceptableness of all, that 'tis all fading, dy∣ing, and changing: and indeed whatever is short, and but for a season, can't challenge any great acceptation: But now Christ he is lasting, durable, and unchang∣able;* 1.70 He is the same yester∣day, to day, and for ever, Heb. 13.8. What he was, he is; and what he is, he alwayes will be: He was most excellent, most use∣ful, most sutable, most sweet and delightful to Souls; and so he is, and alwayes will be: He (as one of the Ancients speaks of him) is immutable,* 1.71 he changes all things, but is him∣self unchangable, never new, never old. Hence also Christ himself tells us, That he is the Alpha and Omega, he that was, and is, and is to come, Rev. 1.8. He is ever the same in love, in beauty, in fulness, in faithfulness, and in all his desirablenesses: And O how grateful and acceptable does this render him! All our enjoynments here below fade and change; yea, we ourselves change: Changes and War are upon us, as Job speaks; yea, some of us are daily waiting for our last and great change: But O! blessed be God, Christ fades not, Christ changes not: What he was to, and what he has done for Souls formerly, that he is to, and that he can do for souls now; yea, and that he will be to, and will be able to do for Souls hereafter:

For he is still to come; as he was, and is, so he is to come, which is a sweet word. Poor Soul, hitherto, it may be, thou hast gone a∣long through thy work and warfare with some comfort and courage; but that which damps and terrifies thee, is the apprehension of what may be to come. O, sayest thou, the Tryals that are to come, the Difficulties that are to come, the Temptations that are to come, the Storms and Tempests that are to come! Well, Soul, for thy encourage∣ment under all, know, that whatever is to come, Christ is to come too: Are there Try∣als to come? Christ is to come too: Are there Difficulties and Temptations to come? Christ is to come too: Are there Storms and Tempests to come? Christ is to come too: And while Christ is to come, fear not, only close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and make him thine; then come what will come, come what can come, all will be well. Thus Christ is every way acceptable, and infinitely acceptable; and as ever, Soul, thou wouldst be indeed espoused to him, dwell much in the study and contemplation of his accepta∣bleness: Labour to be possest with a deep and daily renewed sense of it, which will sweetly draw and allure thy Soul to him.

VI. Wouldst thou indeed be espoused to Christ? then be sure that thou pitchest thy Faith aright upon him, and closest in effectu∣ally with him in a way of believing: 'Tis Faith that is both the great uniting, and the

great interesting Grace; it unites us to Christ, and interests us in Christ: 'Tis that, as has been formerly declared and evinced, that puts Christ and the Soul into the bosom and embraces of each others love, and by which the Marriage-Knot is tyed between them. If ever therefore thou wouldst be in∣deed espoused unto him, look well to thy Faith, see that thou dost pitch that aright upon him, closing with him, and embracing of him; not by halves, but throughly; not feignedly, but intimately and cordially. But here some may say, How may we do to pitch our Faith aright upon Christ, so as to get conjugal Union and Communion with him? Three things must be done in order hereun∣to, which I desire you to look well to.

• I. See that you wholly quit and re∣nounce your selves.
• II. Labour to get a right notion and apprehension of Christ.
• III. Be sure to make a right choice of him, being so apprehended.

I. Would you pitch your Faith aright up∣on Christ, and be indeed espoused to him? Then see that you wholly quit and renounce your selves. Self and believing are at the utmost distance from, and enmity with each other that is imaginable; they are irrecon∣cilably opposit each to other; and where Faith takes place, there Self vanishes and dies away, and that in all its notions, and with all its

accomplishments: Hence, sayes Christ, If any man will come after me, believe on me, be espoused to me, let him deny himself, Mat. 16.24. Let him deny himself, renounce him∣self, go out of himself, let Self become no∣thing with him: And indeed, the Soul that believes in Christ, does go quite out of him∣self, he sees and feels himself to be a poor empty Nothing in all respects, he sees and finds his Strength to be Weakness, his Wis∣dom Folly, his Beauty Blackness, his Righ∣teousness Sin, his All Nothing: And thus must we, if ever we indeed believe and get Union with Christ. O, my Beloved, one of the great things which stands between Faith and us, Christ and us, is Self: This indeed is the Souls Darling, the first Born (as one calls it) of his Love and Delights, and he is loth to part with it; but part with it he must, and renounce it he must, or he can never believe aright, nor is he ever like to have any part or lot in Christ: Every step out of Self is a step towards Christ, and Faith in Christ; and we must be divorced from the one, if ever we be married to the other: particularly you must quit and renounce Self, especially in this three-fold Notion; Self-Will, Self-Worth, Self-Interest.

1. You must quit and renounce Self-Will: He that indeed believes, must in a sort have no Will of his own, but his Will must be wholly melted and resigned up into the Will of Christ: Hence the Church is said to be subject unto Christ, Ephes. 5.24. We are apt

to live in our own Wills, and are exceeding fond of, and set upon having our Wills, and that how cross and contrary soever they be to the Will of Christ: But if ever we be∣lieve so as to get union with Christ, our stub∣born Wills must bow, our proud Wills must down, and must in all things, as much as is possible, be refer'd and resign'd into Christ's Will: and good reason, for his Will is the rule of goodness, as well as the first cause of all things: We must not think to say, we are Lords, but we must bow to Christ as the great and only Lord.

2. You must quit and renounce Self-Worth, Self-Rightcousness; you must re∣nounce all Worth and Righteousness of your own in point of justification and acceptation with God. 'Tis a great word which I shall speak, Mens duties, living under the Gospel, keep almost as many from Christ and believ∣ing, as their sins do: My meaning is, as the love of sin keeps some, so confidence in Du∣ties, a confidence in Self-Worth, Self-Righ∣teousness, keeps multitudes of others from Christ and believing: And the truth is; my Beloved, this piece of Self is the great Idol of the Soul, and that which men are mar∣vellously loth to quit and renounce; and indeed 'tis oftentimes so painted, and, as it were, spiritualliz'd, acted with so much state, and set out with so many ornaments, that it would make any one in love with it: but yet this Idol, so dear as 'tis to the Soul, must be denyed and renounced, this Darling

must be cast off, and that with loathing and abomination in respect of Soul-saving, if ever you believe, and are united to Christ: And the Soul that indeed does believe, looks upon himself to be the poorest, despicablest, and undonest Creature in the World not∣withstanding all; he throws away not only his Rags, but his Robes too, all his Privi∣ledges, all his Performances, all his moral Excellencies and Attainments, as to a de∣pendance upon them for Life and Salvation; as you know Paul did Phil. 3.8, 9. of which more hereafter. The Soul's language in the Work of believing is such as this; I am a poor, vile, empty nothing in my self; I am nothing, I can do nothing, and I deserve nothing; I am nothing but sin, I can do nothing but offend and provoke God, and I deserve nothing but frowns and death from him: If ever I be saved, 'tis Free Grace must save me; if ever I find favour in Gods sight, it must be purely from Grace in Christ: Alas! I have walked contrary to God all my dayes; my heart and life both have been full of eumity and provocation against him, and my very Duties are damning, my best Righ∣teousness being as filthy Rags, Isa. 64.6. And indeed, till it comes to this with us, we are like to remain strangers to Christ, and Faith in Christ. I shall only say this further as to this particular, That no men in the World are further off from Christ, and uni∣on with him through believing, then such as trust in their own Worth, their own Righte∣ousness:

Christ himself tells us, That Pub∣licans and Harlots do enter the Kingdom of Heaven before such, Mat. 21.31.

3. You must quit and renounce Self-In∣terest; that is to say, you must be at a part∣ing point with all, you must be willing to forgo all your outward interests and concerns for Christ, when he calls you to it, thinking nothing too much or too good for him: this Christ is express in, Matth. 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. And again, Luke 14.33. Whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, he can∣not be my Disciple. In a word, the meaning is not, that all that come to Christ must actu∣ally forsake all those things, and deny them∣selves as to the enjoyment of them; but the meaning is, (first) that we must have a very diminutive love for these in comparison of Christ. And (secondly) that we must be at a parting point with all for Christ's sake, and at Christ's call. And truly, 'tis but rea∣son we should be so; he that actually par∣ted with so much for us, does highly deserve that we should be in a readiness to part with our little All for him: Thus we must whol∣ly quit and renounce our selves, if we would indeed believe and have union with Christ.

II. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, and be indeed espoused to him? then labour to get a right notion and appre∣hension

of him, as the great object of Faith. One great reason why many fail and miscar∣ry in their Faith, and so fall short of Christ, is their ignorance of him; they have not a right notion and apprehension of Christ, as the great object of Faith; and indeed, un∣less Christ be rightly known and apprehend∣ed by us, we are never like to pitch our Faith aright upon him: How shall they believe (sayes the Apostle) in him, of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe? i. e. Men cannot believe aright on one that has not been reveal'd and made known to them: a blind, ignorant Faith, is never like to reach union and communion with Christ; and, my Beloved, if we would believe aright on Christ, we must know him aright, and apprehend him a∣right.* 1.72 Faith, in Scripture, is sometimes exprest by know∣ledge, John 17.3. Not that knowledge alone is all that is requisite to Faith; but it notes thus much to us, that the knowledge of Christ is such a requisite to believing, that there can be no true believing without it: Hence also Christ speaks of seeing the Son, and believing on him; seeing be∣fore believing, and seeing in order to believing: This is the will of him that sent me, That* 1.73 whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him, should

have everlasting life, John 6.40. By seeing the Son, here we are to understand the true Knowledge of Christ: Hence also they that come to Christ, and believe savingly on him, are said, in order thereunto, to be taught of God, and to have heard, and learn't of the Father, John 6.45. And, pray, what have they been taught of God? what have they learn't of him, but the knowledge of Christ, as the great object of Faith? at least this is one great lesson, which all that believe do and must learn. As ever therefore you would pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, labour to know and apprehend him aright; labour to know and apprehend him, as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel. Particularly,

1. View and apprehend him in his God∣head and Divine Nature: The Gospel re∣veals him in his Divinity, it propounds him to our Faith, as God, the true God, the great God, the mighty God, God over all; and thus should Faith eye and appre∣hend him:* 1.74 Thus Thomas his Faith apprehended him, when he said, My Lord, and my God, John 20.28. And indeed no∣thing but a God-head, an in∣finite, eternal, unchangable God-head is a Foundation strong enough for Faith to build upon.

2. View and apprehend him in his Perso∣nal-Relation; not only as God, but also as God the Son, and so as distinguish't from the Father: Thus the Gospel reveals and pro∣pounds

him to our Faith, and thus also should our Faith view and apprehend him: Thus Peter's Faith, with the rest in whose name he spake, did eye and apprehend him, John 6.69. We believe, and are sure (said he) that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God: There is a distinct honour due to every Person in the Sacred Trinity; and the more distinctly our Faith eyes and appre∣hends Christ in his Personal Relation, as Son, the more compleat it is, and the more it gives him the honour of that Relation.

3. View and apprehend him in his Huma∣nity, or as the Son of God incarnate: The Gospel reveals and propounds Christ as the object of Faith, to us, not simply as God, and as God the Son, but as God the Son in∣carnate, as the Word made Flesh, John 1.14. or as God manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. As having taken humane nature into perso∣nal union with himself, and so is both God and Man in one person; and thus also should Faith eye and apprehend him: You believe in God, sayes he, believe also in me, Joh. 1.14. Hence also he speaks so often of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood, and of giving his Flesh for the life of the World; and with∣all tells us,* 1.75 that his Flesh is Meat indeed, and his Blood Drink indeed, Joh. 6.51, 53, 54, 55, 56. By all which he signifies to us, that our Faith must respect and apprehend him as Man, as well as God;

as the Son incamate; and indeed thus he is the next and most immediate object of Faith: The God-head or Divinity is the ul∣timate object of Faith; but Christ, the Son incarnate, is the next and most immediate object of Faith: Hence we are faid by him to believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.* 1.76 Faith first eyes Christ as Man, or the Son incarnate, and by him comes ultimately to object it self upon God: The humanity is janua ad Divinitatem, (as one speaks of it) a Gate to the Divinity, that by which our Faith passes to the God-head:* 1.77 And (as a great Divine speaks) he that comes not to Christ as man, shall never come to him as God: The truth is, Faith cannot deal with God immediately, but as God cloath'd with our nature.

4. View and apprehend him in his office of Mediatorship: The Gospel reveals and propounds Christ to our Faith in his Office, it propounds and reveals him as Christ, as the true Messiah and Saviour of the World, as one seal'd, sent, and anointed by the Fa∣ther for the redemption of lost Souls, and thus also should Faith eye and apprehend him: So also did Peter's Faith apprehend him: Thou art Christ (sayes he) the Son of the living God, Mat. 16.16. Hence we read of believing that Jesus is the Christ, 1 John 5.1. Hence also Christ tells the Jews, If ye believe not, that I am he, ye shall die in

your sins, John 8.24. If ye believe not, that I am he, i. e. that I am the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour that was promised. O! Faith is short of that notion it should have of Christ, unless it thus eyes him in his Office.

5. View and apprehend him in his infinite ability and sufficiency for the discharge of his Office: The Gospel reveals and propounds him to our Faith, as one able to save to the very uttermost; and accordingly should our Faith eye and apprehend him, Heb. 7.25. It reveals him indeed both as an onely and alsufficient Saviour: as an onely Saviour; Look unto me, and be saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none be∣sides me, Isa. 45.22. Neither is there Salva∣tion in any other; nor is there any other Name given under Heaven, wherby we may be saved, but his only, Acts 4.12. And as an alsuf∣ficient Saviour; My Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed, (sayes he) and he that eateth me, even he shall live by me, John 6.55, 57. It reveals him in the infi∣nite vertue of his Blood, the inexhaustible fulness of his Grace, the compleatness of his Obedience, the excellency of his Righ∣teousness, the perfection of his Satisfaction, and the like; and thus should our Faith eye and apprehend him. O labour for such a notion and apprehension of Christ as this is: as ever you would believe aright, and be indeed espoused to Christ, labour for a found, clear, distinct knowledge of him, as the great object of Faith: Pray much for a

Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the know∣ledge of him; that was the Apostles prayer for the Ephesians in this case, Ephes. 1.7. and let it be yours for your selves.

III. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, and be indeed espoused to him? Then be sure to make a right choice or ele∣ction of him, being thus known and appre∣hended. To have a right notion and appre∣hension of Christ, is good and necessary, in order to union with him by believing but 'tis not enough; no, Christ being known and apprehended, must also be chosen and embraced by us, and that as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel. To know and apprehend Christ, is an act of the Mind or Understanding; but to chuse and embrace Christ, is an act of the Will and Affections; and though Faith has its rise and inchoation in the mind, yet its complement and per∣fection it has in the Will and Affections; these liking, chusing, and embracing of him, and that in a way sutable to what the mind sees and apprehends concerning him; and this must be added to the former, or there is no right believing, and so no conjugal union and communion with Christ:* 1.78 Hence that of the Apostle, With the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness, Rom. 10.10. True believing then is with the Heart; now by the Heart here, as also generally else∣where

in Scripture, is meant the Will and Assections; accordingly to believe with the Heart, is for the Will and Affections to chuse and embrace Christ, as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel; this is called a receiv∣ing of Christ, John 1.12. We receive Christ into our Wills, when we chuse him, and adhere to him for Life and Salvation; and we receive him into our affections, when we love him, desire him, and delight in him; and this is believing: To believe, sayes Cal∣vin, is nothing else but to chuse and embrace Christ with a sincere affection of mind, as he is reveal'd and offer'd in the Gospel: And this indeed is the great vital act of Faith, and that whereby our Conjugal-Union and Communion with Christ is more especially brought about: This is that which makes Christ ours, and puts us into the possession of him: Mary, sayes Christ, has chosen the better part, which shall never be taken from her, Luke 10.42. She had chosen Christ, and her choice of him had made him her own, and so her own, as that she could ne∣ver lose him, never be deprived of him: Indeed a right choice of Christ makes him ours, it unites us to him, and interests us in him for ever. A little further to help you in this business, know that a right choice of Christ is accomplish't by these three steps.

1. The Soul apprehending Christ (as before) likes him, and approves of him, as the best and most sutable Saviour, the most lovely and desirable object in Heaven or

Earth: The Soul sayes of Christ, as they did of the Land of Canaan, Numb. 14.7. The Land (say they) is an exceeding good Land: So this Christ, sayes the Soul, is an exceeding good Christ, this Saviour is an exceeding good Saviour; there's none like him, there's no beauty like his Beauty, no blood like his Blood, no fulness like his Ful∣ness, no love like his Love.

2. The Soul desires him, and longs after him, and that with a strong, ardent, and vigorous affection: This is call'd hungring and thirsting after Christ, Matth. 5.6. The Soul seeing Christ, and approving of him, longingly cries out; O a Christ, a Christ! O that this good Christ were mine!

3. The Soul is by Grace sweetly and pow∣erfully determined upon Christ; so as actu∣ally to make a solemn and deliberate choice of him, singling him out from all other things in Heaven and Earth, as the best and most desirable good, and most worthy of his dearest and most intimate embraces: The Soul now pitches his choice upon Christ to be his Head and Husband, his Lord, and Saviour, his rest, his treasure, his happiness, his all for ever: Now by these steps, see that you come up to make a right choice of Christ; be sure that you like him, and ap∣prove of him, as the best and most desirable object in Heaven or Earth: Truly if you view him aright, you can't but like him, and approve of him as such: See that the desire of your Souls be indeed towards him above

all others: View him, till you fall in love with him, yea, till you fall sick of love for him; and be sure not to rest, till you get your Wills sweetly and powerfully determin∣ed upon him, so determined upon him, as to make a free, solemn, deliberate choice of him, passing by all other Lovers, and taking him alone into the bosom and embraces of your Faith and Love. Now that you may be sure to make a right choice of Christ, such a choice of Christ as may make him yours; and tie the Marriage Knot between him and you, observe herein these five or six great Rules.

1. Be sure that, you chuse and embrace Christ himself, and not somewhat else in∣stead of him. 'Tis a great and awakening saying which a worthy Divine has; Many now, sayes he, take Christ by guess; but be sure that it be he, and onely he whom ye em∣brace: his sweet Smell, his lovely Voice, his fair Face, his gracious working in the Soul will soon tell if it be he or no. So say I, be sure that it be he; many mistake the Object, they close with somewhat else instead of Christ; at best, they chuse Christ's Portion, his Benefits, his Priviledges, his Purchases, but not his Person: But my advice, to you is, pitch on nothing short of the Person of Christ, then is our Raith beyond all doubt rightly pitch't upon Christ, when Christ him∣self, not his Benefits and Priviledges onely, are chosen and embraced by us. A Marri∣age, if right, is between Person and Person,

not between Person and Portion, Person and Estate, that being a resulting thing: So here in this Spiritual-Marriage, Faith does not marry the Soul to the Portion, Benefits, and Priviledges of Christ, but to Christ himself. True, I don't say (first) but that true Faith gives the Soul an interest in all the Bene∣fits, Priviledges, and Purchases of Christ: Nor (secondly) do I say, that the Soul may not have an eye to these, and a respect to these in his choice of, and close with Christ; yea, usually these are the first thing that Faith has in its eye: The first thing the Soul looks at, and is taken with, when he is drawn to Christ, usually is that Peace, that Pardon, that Righteousness, that deliverance from Sin, Death, and Hell, which he sees is found and treasured up in Christ for Souls: But though these things be so, yet the Soul does, and must go higher, he must look at, and pitch upon the Person of Christ, or his Faith is not so right and compleat as it ought to be. Alas! 'tis the Person of Christ that is the great Fountain of all Grace, and all Manifestations from God to us; and Faith accordingly does close in with his Person: The Spouses Faith seems so to do, Cant. 5.10. She had her eye upon the personal Beauty and Glory of Christ, and accordingly em∣braced him with her Faith and Love: Hence also you have so often those expressions; I sought him whom my Soul loved; and saw you him whom my Soul loveth? Her love, and so her Faith was fixt upon Christ himself: and

thus do you fix your Faith and Love upon him; so shall you be sure not to miss of a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him.

2. Be sure that you chuse a whole Christ, and not a part of him only: My meaning is, see that you chuse and embrace Christ in all his Offices, as a King as well as a Priest, as a Lord as well as a Saviour; and as in all his Offices, so for all those ends and uses for which God has designed him, and the Gospel revealed him to us; for Holiness, as well as Righteousness; for Sanctification, as well as Justification. I need not tell you, that Christ is a Lord and King as well as a Savi∣our, and that as such he is revealed and offered in the Gospel to our Faith: Him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour to give re∣pentance unto Israel, and remission of sins, Acts 5.31. and they that will have him, as a Saviour to give them pardon, must have him as a Prince to give them repentance: And you know Christ's Rest and his Yoke go together in the Gospel-Offer, Mat. 11.28, 29. Nor need I tell you, that God has appointed him, and the Gospel reveals him to be our Sanctification as well as our Justification: So you have it expresly, 1 Cor. 1.30. Accord∣ingly, then do we chuse Christ, and embrace him aright, when we chuse and embrace him under each notion; when we chuse and em∣brace him not as a Saviour only, but as a Lord too; not onely as a Priest to procure pardon and reconciliation for us, but also as a Prince, to rule, govern, and command

us; not only as our Righteousness to justifie us, but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy; and thus true Faith does chuse and embrace him, Isa. 45.24. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: Mark, Faith chuses Christ not on∣ly for Righteousness, but for Strength too, Righteousness for Justification, Strength for Holiness and Sanctification. Christ's lan∣guage to the Soul, in the tender of himself, is such as this; Poor Soul, thou art in a dead, lost, undone condition, God is wroth with thee, Hell gapes for thee, Justice calls aloud for vengeance against thee, and there is no hope, no help, no salvation for thee, but in and by me, and union with me: And loe! I am willing to bestow my self, with all my fulness upon thee: But remember this, that I'le rule and command thee: If I be thy Saviour, I'le be thy Lord and King too: If thou wilt share in my Redemption, thou must be content to bear my Yoke, to bow to my Scepter, to submit to my Laws and King∣dom: Accordingly, Faith's answer, if right, is this; Content, Lord, 'tis but fit, that he that Saves should rule and reign, that he that Redeems should be bowed and submitted to; and I do willingly give up my self to thy holy and spiritual Government, thy Yoke is easie, thy Scepter is Righteouss, thy King∣dom is full of Peace and Joy, and I desire to come under them: I would have thee to make me holy, as well as righteous; to sub∣due this rebellious heart of mine, and to rule

in me by thy pure Spirit, as well as to save me by thy perfect obedience: O see, that thus you chuse and embrace whole Christ, else your Faith is not right, nor are you like to attain unto a Conjugal-Union and Commu∣nion with him.

3. Be sure that you chuse Christ singly and alone, and not joyn somewhat else with him: Some are for compounding with Christ, they would joyn somewhat else in Partnership with him; but as Christ must not be divided, so neither will he be com∣pounded, he will be all, or nothing at all to Souls; and so true Faith closes with him: Hence with the new Creature Christ is said to be all, and in all, Col. 3.11. The Patri∣archs (as one observes) had many of them a Wife and a Concubine, but it is not so here; no, as Faith chuses a whole Christ, so it chuses a naked Christ, Christ singly and a∣lone, without joyning any thing else in Part∣nership with him: It matches the Soul to Christ with an absolute exclusion of all other Matches: Indeed Faith sees enough in a sin∣gle Christ, a naked Christ, without the help of any thing else, and accordingly chuses and embraces him: And so must your Faith chuse and embrace him, or you are like to miss of Conjugal-Union and Communion with him: You must chuse him singly and alone, joyning nothing with him, and that especially in the great business of Righteous∣ness and Acceptation with God: Some would fain compound with Christ in this business;

they would have Christ, but they would have their own Duties too; they would have his Righteousness, but they would have their own Righteousness too; they would have theirs bear a share with his in the point of Righteousness and Justification before God. Thus 'twas with the Jews of old, Rom. 9.31, 32. with Ch. 10. beg. 'Tis said, They followed after the Law of Righteousness, but attained not to the Law of Righteousness: And why? Because, sayes the Apostle, they sought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law: and Chap. 10.3. They went about, 'tis said, to establish their own Righteousness, and submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God. Pray observe, (first) they were ad∣dicted to, and look't for Salvation by their own Righteousness. (Secondly), Though they were addicted to their own Righteous∣ness, and would fain live by it, yet they seemed not to cleave wholly to that, but would have Christ's and theirs joyned toge∣ther; therefore 'tis said, They sought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law, i. e. They were neither wholly for Christ, nor wholly for Self, but partly for the one, and partly for the other, joyning Self with Christ. And (thirdly) this left them short of Righteousness, Life, Salvati∣on, and all: For 'tis said, that upon this account they attained not unto the Law of Righ∣teousness. To joyn Self with Christ in this Point, is as dangerous and destructive, as to set up Self against Christ. Thus (I say)

'twas with the Jews of old, and thus 'tis with the Papists now: But, my Beloved, if ever you would pitch your Faith aright up∣on Christ, you must not once think of thus compounding the business between Him and Self; but Christ must be all in all: We must shut our eyes against all other things in Point of Justification, and must go forth singly and nakedly to Christ, venturing our eternal All upon the alone bottom of his everlasting Righteousness.* 1.79 'Tis Calvin's observation upon the place last quoted, That the foundation of, or first step towards our obtaining an interest in the Righteousness of God, is for a man to renounce and go out of his own Righteousness. Thus, I am sure, Paul's Faith chose and embraced Christ, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. Those things which were gain to me, (sayes he) those I counted loss for Christ; yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. Pray mark, his Faith here chuses and embraces Christ for his Righteousness and Justification, and herein he joyns nothing with him; he pitches singly and nakedly up∣on Christ alone, renouncing all other things whatever; he had as much of his own to

have lean't & depended upon in this point, as any meer man that ever lived, since sin enter∣ed the World; for, in Priviledges, in Graces, in Services, and in Sufferings for Christ, (I am apt to think) he excelled all meer men; but yet he rests on none of these, no nor so much as joyns any thing of it with Christ,* 1.80 but rejects and renounces all, and that with the greatest loathing and de∣testation in the point of Justi∣fication, cleaving singly and nakedly to Christ alone: sayes he, I account all but loss, yea dung, that is, as the most vile and loathsome thing; and I would not be found in it for a thousand Worlds. The truth is, to joyn any thing of our own with Christ in this business, is what excludes us from any share in Christ, or any benefit by Christ; so much the Apostle is express in Gal. 5.2, 3, 4. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; for I testifie again to every man that is circum∣cised, that he is a debtor to do the whole Law: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whoever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace. The sum of the Apostles design is to shew, that to joyn any thing of our own with Christ in the business of Righte∣ousness and Justification, and not rest purely and entirely upon him, is what shuts us out from any part and lot in Christ, or any benefit

and advantage by him; for pray observe, there were among the Galatians, some who did miscere Christum cum Lege, as Calvin's expression is, they did joyn the Law with Christ, pressing and taking up Circumcision as a part of that Righteousness whereby they expected to be justified and saved: They were not so gross in their minds, (as that great Divine there observes) as to expect Salvation meerly by the observation of the Law, and their own Obedience; but they were for sharing the business between this and Christ: Now what sayes Paul to them, and by what does he labour to antidote the Believers among them against this great er∣ror? Why, (first) he tells them plainly, that if they will joyn either Circumcision, or any thing else of their own with Christ in this matter, then Christ shall profit them nothing, vers. 2. And he asserts the same thing, vers. 4. Christ, sayes he, is become of no effect to you; i. e. You shall have no part in Christ, no be∣nefit by Christ; Christ is of no use, no be∣nefit, no advantage to you no more than if he had never been:* 1.81 And indeed, as one ob∣serves upon the place, Whoever is but for an half Christ in this business loses all of Christ. (Secondly); He tells them, that if they will have any thing of their own to bear share with Christ in the matter of their Salvation, they are Debtors to do the whole Law: If they will have their obedi∣ence to the Law, to have any share in their acceptation with God, then they must keep

the whole Law, for else all were nothing; 'Tis a great Speech of a Learned Interpre∣ter upon these words;* 1.82 Who∣ever, sayes he, is a Debtor to do the whole Law, can never escape death, because he will alwayes remain under guilt; for no one will ever be found, who will be able to fulfil or sa∣tisfie the Law, such an Obliga∣tion therefore is the certain damnation of the man that lies under it. Thus you see, there must be nothing else of our own joyned with Christ in the matter of our Righteousness and Justification with God; but our Faith must cleave singly and nakedly to Christ a∣lone: The truth is, Christ's Righteousness alone is sufficient to save and justifie the worst of sinners: 'tis the Righteousness of God, 2 Cor. 5.21. and the Righteousness of the Law, Rom. 8.3. A Righteousness every way adequate and commensurate to the strictest demands of Law and Justice, a Righteous∣ness as long, as broad, as deep, as high, as the sin and guilt of the most Scarlet, Crim∣son Sinners can be, and why should any think of joyning any thing therewith? Tru∣ly so to do, is to reflect great dishonour upon it, and upon the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordaining it for our Justification and Sal∣vation. And as we must joyn nothing with Christ in the matter of Righteousness and Justification, so neither must we joyn any thing with him in the matter of our Sancti∣fication

and Holiness: We should look for no Grace, no Holiness but what comes from him, and is wrought in us by him: Nor in∣deed will God own any thing for Grace and Holiness in us at last, that does not come from him: In all respects therefore let the lan∣guage of your Souls be, O none but Christ, none but Christ.

4. Be sure that you chuse Christ and em∣brace him as your Rest and Happiness; and not only as one that is to bring you unto Rest and Happiness: Christ, my Beloved, is not only the way and means to bring men unto Happiness, but he also is himself their Hap∣piness, and as such he is tendered to us, and should be chosen and embraced by us: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (sayes he) John 14.16. that is, as one glosses upon it, I am the Beginning, the Progress, and Per∣fection of a Christians Happiness: Sure I am, as Christ, considered as the Way, is the Means, and what leads us unto Happiness; so Christ, considered as the Life, is himself our Happiness, our supream Happiness; and indeed, we come to Christ as the Life, by Christ as the Way. Sweet is that saying which I have read in one of the Ancients on this place; We, thy People, (sayes he,* 1.83 speaking to Christ) do come by thee to thee, because thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Way in thy Example, the Truth in the Pro∣mise, the Life in the Reward:

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: i. e.* 1.84 as another ex∣pounds it, I am the onely right Way, the supream Truth, the true Life, the blessed Life, the increated Life. And sutable hereunto is Calvin's observa∣tion upon these words,* 1.85 The sum, sayes he, of this Sentence is this, He, whoever he be, that obtains and possesses Christ, can want nothing: whoever there∣fore is not content with him a∣lone, aspires after something beyond the ultimate and highest perfection. And then he con∣cludes thus, If any one turns a∣side from Christ, he can do no∣thing but err, if any one does not rest in him, he else-where feeds upon nothing but wind and vanity: If any one makes out af∣ter any thing beyond him, he will find Death instead of Life. O there are infinite Beau∣ties, Delights, and Perfections in Christ, whereby he is able to fill and satisfie us, and make us happy: And for my own part, as I desire never to be happy, if Christ be not a∣ble to bring me to happiness, so I desire no better or greater happiness than what Christ is, or can be to me. O, there's all in him, all to fill, all to comfort, all to delight and ravish, all to solace and satisfie the largest fa∣culties of eternal Souls. May I have but Christ, sayes Rutherford, I shall think my self

as well Heaven'd as any whatever. Truly he, and he alone is centrum quietativum, as the Schools speak, the quieting, resting center of the Soul. And so the Psalmist tells us, Psal. 116.7. Indeed he in his presence, and our enjoyment of him, is Heaven and Hap∣piness: 'Tis the highest happiness which Christ promises his People here, Joh. 14.21. and 'tis the highest happiness which his Peo∣ple reckon upon, or hope for hereafter. Phil. 1.23. Answerable whereunto is the Obser∣vation of one upon those words of Christ to the Thief upon the Cross, Luke 23.43.* 1.86 This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise: With me, (sayes he) O won∣derful goodness! he does not say simply, thou shalt be in Pa∣radise, or thou shalt be with Angels; but thou shalt be with Me, thou shalt be satisfied with him whom thou desirest. Thus Christ is the Rest and supream Happiness of Souls; and accordingly our Faith should chuse and em∣brace him: I will not say, there is not true Faith, where the Soul does not come up to such a choice of Christ, as this is; But this I'le say, That though Faith at first may not thus chuse Christ, yet afterwards, as it grows up more towards perfection, it does come to chuse Christ under this notion: And the more distinct it is in chusing Christ, as the supream Rest and Happiness of the Soul, the more compleat and perfect it is. Faith's

language to Christ, when come to any ma∣turity, is such as this; Lord, as all my Life is in thy Death, all my Healing in thy Wounds, all my Righteousness in thy Obe∣dience; so all my Happiness is in thy Pre∣sence, all my Heaven in the bosom and em∣braces of thy Love: Nor have I any in Hea∣ven but thee, neither is there any upon earth that I desire besides thee, Psal. 73.25. O thus chuse Christ! chuse him as the Rest, the So∣lace, the Happiness of your Souls, and never think of any thing else to be the least part of your Happiness besides Christ.

5. Be sure that you chuse and embrace Christ with his Cross, and not onely Christ with his Crown; Christ crucified, as well as Christ glorified; Christ upon terms of suf∣fering for him, as well as reigning with him, he calling thereunto: Thus also Christ ten∣ders himself to us, and thus must he be cho∣sen and embraced by us, Mat. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his Cross, and follow me: And Luk. 14.27. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross, and come after me, cannot be my Disciple. Some are for Christ, and his Crown, but they stick at his Cross: They are for a reigning Christ, but not for a persecuted Christ: But, my Be∣loved, if you would so chuse him, as to be married to him, you must chuse him as upon the Cross Crucified, as well as upon the Throne Glorified: The meaning is, you must chuse him with a firm resolution to suffer for

him, if he calls you hereunto; you must chuse him as one persecuted and distressed on Earth, as well as one dignified and glori∣fied in Heaven: In a word, you must chuse him for better for worse, in all estates and conditions, with all his Inconveniences, as well as his Priviledges, with his Poverty, his Imprisonments, his Reproaches, his Deaths, his Dangers, his Conflicts, and the like: that is to say, you must chuse him with a willing resolution of mind to undergo all this at his call, and for his sake; and this indeed is to close with him in his own way, and upon his own terms: Christ's language to the Soul, in the tender of himself to him, is such as this; Soul, I am willing to be espoused to thee, I am willing to bestow my self, with all my Riches and Fulness upon thee; but if thou wilt have me and these, thou must be content to suffer for me, to be reproach'd, to be persecuted, to be imprisoned, yea, to be killed all the day long for me, when I please to call thee thereunto: And indeed Faith, when right, closes with him upon these terms: Content, sayes the Soul, being act∣ed by a true Spirit of Faith, Christ upon any terms that he thinks fit, Christ with the Cross, Christ with Reproach, with Impri∣sonment, with Death, with whatever he pleases rather than go without him: And indeed we need not be scared, nor terrified at the Cross; for there is no Cross so bitter as Christ is sweet; there is nothing we can

suffer for Christ, that is worthy to be com∣pared with the Glory we shall have in Christ, and with Christ: Besides, Christ is worthy to be suffered for; and therefore welcome Christ, and welcome his Cross too: Truly, my Beloved, Christ's Cross is sweet, very sweet, as he makes it: That sweet-smell'd and perfum'd Cross of Christ, sayes one, is accompanied with sweet refreshments, with the Kisses of a King, with the Joy of the Holy Ghost; therefore scare not at it, but chuse him with his Cross as well as his Crown.

6. Be sure that you chuse Christ often, and think it not one single Act or Work onely to chuse and embrace him: If you would in∣deed make sure of Christ, and an espousal to him, you should chuse him and embrace him anew every day. We are apt to look upon the Work of chusing and embracing Christ, as one single Act or Work onely; but, my Beloved, 'tis a Work that should be often re∣peated: by often repeating of it we should grow more sound, more strong, more di∣stinct in it: As a second Edition corrects the Errors of the first, so after Acts of believing in this kind do supply the defects of the first Act: Indeed my advice to you is, that you would make as much conscience of chusing and embracing Christ afresh every day, as of praying every day; especially if you be either young beginners in believing, or older be∣lievers under clouds and darkness. St. Paul made fresh choices of Christ to the very last,

Phil. 3.8, 9. And 'tis the duty of them that do believe to believe: These things write I unto you, sayes St. John, that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God, 1 John 5.13. They did believe, and he would have them to believe afresh every day; and so would I have you do, every day renew the first great Act of Faith in your closing with Christ, so shall every day be a day of espousals between Christ and you; and so by degrees shall you come to the sense and comfort of this espou∣sal. I have read of some who never came to a sight and sense of their Union with Christ till they took this course. Thus I have now shewn you the way how you may come to be espoused to Christ, as well as what an Husband he is, what great things he does for his Spouses, and how much his Heart is set upon an espousal with sinners: Now will you take this course? Or shall all be lost with you? Possibly the whole will have a different effect upon those that read or hear these things: Some, I hope, will be won and gained to Christ by them; others, I fear, will reject and despise all, and that either out of a spirit of profaneness, or insensibility of their need of, and concernedness in these things: If any Soul shall reject them out of a spirit of profaneness, I would say to such a Soul, as Solomon to the Scorner, Prov. 9.12. If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it; thou alone shalt bear all thy sins, and all the wrath and vengeance of God due to them: If any

shall reject these things out of a Spirit of in∣sensibility of their need of, and concern in them, their case is the more to be pittied; for the more insensible they are of their mi∣sery without Christ, the greater is that mi∣sery of theirs. What more miserable, sayes Austin,* 1.87 then for a miserable man not to com∣miserate himself? Others, it may be, stand doubting and trembling, da∣ring neither to reject, nor yet to embrace: not reject, because their need of Christ is so great, the worth of Christ so eminent, and the guilt of the rejection of Christ so black; nor yet embrace, because their sins are so ma∣ny, and their unworthiness so great. To such I would say, cease thy trembling, and delay thy close with Christ no longer; it has been thy sin, let it be thy shame and sorrow that thou hast neglected and refused Christ so long,* 1.88 saying with Austin, I have loved thee too late, O thou so ancient and yet so new a beauty, I have loved thee too late. And for thy encouragement, I would say to thee, as the Servant did to his Lord upon such an occasion as this, Luke 14.22. Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. Though many sinners, and great sinners have been received to mercy, yet still there is room for thee, and for all that have a mind to Christ; There is room in Christ's Heart, there is room in Christ's Arms, there is room in his Covenant, there is room in

his Kingdom, there is room upon his Throne with his Father for thee: But if yet any shall reject this offer of Love, and persist so to do, such will at last find, that there is room in Hell, room in the infernal Pit, room in the place of torment for them: Therefore as Life and Death are once more set before you, so I beseech you to chuse Life and not Death, that you may live for ever.

CHAP. XI. Being a contemplation of the infinite Love and Condescention of Christ to Souls, and the unspeakable Comfort and Hap∣piness of Believers in this sweet Espou∣sal.

IN the view of all that has been hitherto declared, we may well take up an admi∣ring contemplation of Christ's Love and Condescention, and Believers Comfort and Happiness; the one and the other being ex∣ceeding great and glorious: O! for Christ to marry poor Souls to himself, and for poor Souls to be married to Christ, how great is the Love of the one, and the happiness of the other herein!

1. How great is the Love and Condescen∣tion of Christ in marrying Souls to himself! Next to his becoming Man, and dying for them, Wherein can he testifie greater Love

and Condescention to them than in this? There are, among many others that might be mentioned, that will argue his Love and Condescention herein to be wonderful and glorious, two things. One is the infinite disparity and disproportion between the Parties, Him and Them; the other is the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them in∣to with himself: Both which I desire you to contemplate.

1. Contemplate the infinite disparity and disproportion between him and them: What proportion is there between a King and a Beggar? What proportion is there be∣tween an Ant and an Angel; yea, between the smallest Worm, and all the Angels in Heaven? Infinitely less proportion is there between Christ and sinners; and yet he e∣spouses them to himself: What shall I say? He is both High and Great, we are base and vile; He is Blessed and Glorious, we are wretched and despicable: He is a Great King, we are poor slaves and vassals; yea, the worst of slaves and vassals, being the slaves and vas∣sals of Sin and Satan: And to sum up all in a few words; He is God, and we are Crea∣tures; yea, he is an infinitely pure and holy God, and we are unspeakably impure and unholy Creatures: O how great is the dispro∣portion! and yet he marries us to himself: What proportion is there between God and the Creature? The Creature at best is but a small drop of Beeing; but God is Mare essen∣di,

a Sea, a Fountain, an Ocean of Beeing: The Creature is and has but a little good; but, Deus est Bonum insinitissime infinitum, as Bradwardin speaks of him, God is a most infi∣nitely infinite Good; The Creature is a depend∣ing thing, the Beeing of the Creature is a de∣pending Beeing, the very nature of the Crea∣ture lies much in dependance; but God is an absolute and independent Beeing,* 1.89 he being of himself, and from himself; indeed all other things are of him, and from him, and to him, as the Scripture speaks. Now for God to marry the Creature, and espouse the Creature to himself; O what love, what condescention is this! and yet greater love than this does Christ shew: For what pro∣portion is there between an infinitely Holy God, and universally sinful, defiled, and pol∣luted Creatures? The distance between God and us, as we are Creatures, is great; but the distance between the infinitely Holy God and us, as sinners, is in some sort unspeakably greater: 'Tis our duty, and should be our joy to know and keep our Creature-distance with God, we should rejoyce to think that God is so infinitely above us; but 'tis our misery, and we should tremble to think of, our sinful distance from God, that distance I mean that sin is, and has caused between God and us: Now for an Holy God to espouse sinful Creatures to himself; yea for a God so infi∣nitely Holy to espouse Souls, who are so ut∣terly sinful, to himself, as the best of us all by nature are; this is greater love and conde∣scention

still. O wonderful commerce!* 1.90 (sayes one of the Ancients, speaking of Christ's dying for his People) the King dies for the Servant, God for Man, the Creator for the Crea∣ture, the innocent for the nocent. The like may I say here; O wonderful con∣descention! The King marries a Slave, God the Creature, the pure and holy One polluted and defiled sinners: True indeed, he makes them Saints by and upon his marrying of them, but he finds them sinners when he first makes it a time of love to them: O adore this Love, this Condescention!

2. Contemplate the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them into with himself; as the distance and disproportion between the Parties is infinitely great, so the Union and Relation he takes them into, is very near and glorious: The Union between the Vine and Branches is near; the Union and Relation between the Head and Members is near; the Union and Relation between the Husband and Wife is near; but all these are but sha∣dows and representations of that Union and Relation which Christ takes Behevers into with himself, which must therefore be nearer and greater than all: 'Tis indeed (as upon occasion has been before declared) next for intimacy and glory, to the essential and personal Union; yea, it comes so near the highest Union of all, the Union that is be∣tween

the Father and the Son, as that it is set forth in Scripture by the same expressions that that Union is, viz. By being and dwel∣ling in each other: Yea, Christ himself seems to bring it so near that great Union, as that he makes that the pattern of it, and accord∣ingly prayes for it for his People, Joh. 17.21. Neither pray I for these alone, but them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. Pray mark, he prayes for the accom∣plishment of this Union for them, as the top and perfection of all their happiness; and not only so, but as that which comes as near the great Union between his Father and Himself, as can well be conceived. 'Tis a sweet saying which one of the Ancients has upon these words of Christ; What more glorious,* 1.91 sayes he, than this Ʋnion? What further or higher, poor Soul, canst thou either have, or desire to have than this, thou shalt be one with thy Bridegroom? O happy, ex∣ceeding happy, yea, of all others most happy Ʋnion! In a word, nearer than this Creatures can't well be taken unto Christ, nor can they have a greater glory put upon them, then there is put upon them in their being taken into this Union & Relation to him: how great therefore must the love and condescention of Christ herein to Believers be? O for him to take such so near himself,

as to make them one with him, to lay them in his bosom, to communicate himself to them! This is love indeed, and this we should contemplate and admire.

2. How great is the comfort and happi∣ness of Believers, in being thus married and espoused to Christ? We say of such or such a Woman that is well married, that she is well disposed of, and is very happy in an Husband: But, O Soul, how well art thou disposed of, who art disposed of to Christ? And how happy art thou in an Husband who art married to him? What, Soul, married to Jesus, to sweet Jesus, to lovely Jesus, to Jesus the Son of God! O what sweet, what strong consolation may this be to thee! and how should it fill thy heart with holy tri∣umph and exultation for ever? This alone may comfort thee in all the difficulties and troubles of Life, and in all the conflicts and agonies of Death. Cast thine eye back on the nature of this Espousal, and what an Husband Christ is, and what great things he does for his Spouses, as the one and the other of them has been declared; and then judge of thine own happiness, in being taken in∣to this Relation to him: In Cant. 6.9. 'tis said concerning the Spouse of Christ, That the Daughters saw Her, and blessed Her; yea, the Queens and the Concubines, and they prais∣ed Her: They look't upon Her to be the most happy on Earth: And truly, Soul, when I look upon thee, as the Spouse of Christ, I can't but in like manner bless and praise thee;

and thou thy self mayst well bless thy self, and say, Blessed be the day that ever I was born, blessed be the Womb that bare me, and blessed be the Paps that gave me suck! But yet to raise this comfort and happiness of thine a little higher, that thou mayest rejoyce in thy Lot, the lines being fallen to thee in pleasant places, consider three things;

I. Consider, that this Relation of thine to Christ, gives thee a full interest in him, and all that is his: This the Spouse much gloried and rejoyced in, as her Crown and Happi∣ness; therefore she is frequently up with it in a way of holy boasting, My beloved is mine, and I am his, Cant. 2.16. And again, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, Chap. 6.3. Being espoused to Christ, Christ is thine; and Christ being thine, his Blood is thine, his Righteousness is thine, his Love is thine, his Fulness is thine, the Fruit of all his Sufferings, the Vertue of all his Offices, the Sweetness of all his Relations is thine: Christ being thine, all is thine, all the promises are thine, all the Ordinances are thine, Life is thine, Death is thine, Time is thine, Eter∣nity is thine, Things present are thine, Things to come are thine, 1 Cor. 3.22. O what a goodly Heritage hast thou! and how should thy Soul bless the Lord, that ever he drew thee into this Union and Relation to him? What a spring of comfort may this be to thee in all conditions? Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed: Why? For thy Maker is thy Hus∣band, Isa. 54.4, 5. The truth is, though pos∣sibly

thou mayest have little of this World, yet in having Christ thou hast all thou needst and art capable of to make thee happy for ever.

II. Consider, that this Union and Relati∣on of thine to Christ remains firm and stedfast for ever: And O what sweetness does this add unto it! True, may the Soul say, this Relation is a blessed Relation, and full of sweetness and comfort; But will it hold? Yea, it will hold, and that for ever: the best comforts thou enjoyest here below, will short∣ly have a period, and the sweetest Relations thou standst in here, will after a while be dis∣solved and broken; but thy Union and Re∣lation to Christ will last for ever, that can ne∣ver be dissolv'd: I will betroth thee unto me, sayes God, yea, I will betroth thee unto me: but Lord for how long? (may the Soul say) why, for ever, sayes God, Hos. 2.19. O that word for ever! this puts an infinite sweet∣ness into this Relation of thine: This one word for ever (as one observes upon this place) makes a misery, though but small in it self, an infinite misery; and a mercy, though but small in it self, even an infinite mercy: How much more does it make that which in it self is so great as thy Union and Esponsal to Christ is, sweet and desirable?

O but, sayes the Soul, never was there such a wretch as I am; never did any carry it to∣wards Christ as I do: True, he has made love to me, and I have some hopes that I have closed up with him in a Marriage-Cove∣nant;

but alas, never was there such a rebel∣lious, revolting, backsliding heart as mine is: I am ever playing the Harlot, and going a whoring from him; by means of which, I fear, he will break Union and Communion with me, and at last cast me off. I answer, Truly Soul, this is very sad, and thou shouldst lie low in the dust in the sense of it; yet, to encourage thee against thy fears, consider three things.

1. Consider, that Christ is not forward to take advantage against Souls for their fail∣ings and breakings with him: He is not strict to mark what is done amiss, Psal. 130.3. He is not prone to cast off, and to put away, no 'tis what he hates, Mal. 2.16. True, he may, and many times does withdraw from us, and frown upon us; but putting away he loves not, yea, he pitties and spares us under our infirmities, and his Bowels are mov'd for us.

2. Consider, that before ever Christ made love to thee, and took thee into this Relation with himself, he knew perfectly, what man∣ner of one thou wouldst be, and how thou wouldst carry it towards him; and yet all could not hinder him from shewing this fa∣vour to thee: Why then shouldst thou think it will cause him to break with thee now? The Soul may be apt to say, Did Christ think I would be such a Wretch, that I would so grieve him, so offend him, that I would carry it so unworthily towards him under all his love as I do? Yea, Soul, Christ thought it, yea, he knew it perfectly before-hand, in

Deut. 31.21. 'tis said, That God knew what Israel would do before-hand: So Christ knew before-hand how thou wouldst fleight his Love, grieve his Spirit, violate his Laws; he knew, how thou wouldst offend and affront him, by a proud, vain, wanton behaviour before him; He knew, how thou wouldst backflide, and go a whoring from him; and had he not seen and known that he had love enough, and bowels enough to cover and pass by all, he would never have made love to thee: Hence, when he betroths, he is said to do it in judgment, Hos. 2.19. Christ knew what he did, and what an one he married, when he married thee to himself: And as all could not hinder his love at first, so neither shall it take off his love from thee now.

3. Consider, that thou mayest have many failings and miscarriages, be guilty of many breakings with Christ, and departures from him; and yet the Marriage-Covenant be∣tween him and thee not be broken; A Woman may be guilty of many failings and miscarriages, many defects and misdemean∣ors, and yet all not break the Marriage-Co∣venant between her Husband and her: And so here; O how sweet is that Scripture! Psal. 89.30, 31, 32, 33, 34. If his Children for∣sake my Law, and walk not in my Judgments; if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their iniqui∣quities with a rod, and their transgressions with stripes: And what sollows? Neverthe∣less, sayes he, my loving kindness will I not

utterly take from them, nor suffer my faith∣fulness to fail; my Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Pray mark, Christ's People may sin, and sin greatly, and he may sharply chastise them for their sins; yea, he may seem to take away his loving kindness from them, and may real∣ly for a time suspend the influences and ma∣nifestations thereof; but his Covenant-love and faithfulness to them, that remains firm and stedfast to them for ever notwithstanding all. So again, Jer. 3.1, 14. Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers, yet return again to me, saith the Lord. Turn, O back-sliding Children, for I am married unto you. Mark, though they had backsliden, though they had played the Harlot, though they had played the Harlot with many lo∣vers, yet Christ owns his Covenant-Relation to them and with them; yea, and he sends, as it were, his Covenant after them, and by that fetches them home to himself. O! what∣ever thy miscarriages are, whatever thy breakings with Christ, and departures from him have been; yet, being once married to him, the Marriage-Union and Relation be∣tween him and thee remains firm and sted∣fast for ever notwithstanding all.

O but, sayes the Soul, my heart is still bent to backsliding from Christ, and I am afraid, I shall at last totally and finally depart from him, and then farewel all. I answer, That Christ stands engaged to keep thee from; true, notwithstanding any thing in

and of thy self, if left by Christ, thou wouldst be apt totally and finally to depart from him; but Christ himself stands engaged to keep thee to him: 'Tis the very tenure of his Covenant with thee, Jer. 32.40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, and I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall never depart from me. O Sirs, not only is Christ's heart towards his People, but he is engaged by Covenant to keep their hearts close to him, and faithful with him; at least so far, as that they shall not totally de∣part from him; and so their faithfulness to him, does depend upon his faithfulness to them. I'le close this consideration with that known and great Scripture, Rom. 8. latter end, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than con∣querors through him that loved us: for I am perswaded, that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, (and lest all these things should not reach the case of every Soul, he adds) nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Je∣sus our Lord.

III. Consider, that 'tis not long e're the Lord Jesus, thy dear Husband, will come and consummate the Marriage between him and thy Soul: And O how sweet will this be?

The Match here is but as it were begun be∣tween Christ and thee, but Christ will shortly come and consummate it: Behold, the Bride∣groom cometh, Mat. 25.6. And again, they that were ready went into the Marriage, ver. 10. and the Marriage of the Lamb is come, Rev. 19.7. There is a time then, when Christ will come to consummate the Marriage be∣tween him and Souls: When he comes, as to the World, he comes as a Judge to condemn them, to avenge the quarrel of his Gospel, the quarrel of his Covenant, the quarrel of his Blood, all which they have rejected, he comes to pass Sentence upon them for resi∣sting his Spirit, for contemning his Grace, for breaking his Laws, for neglecting his Salvation: And O how dark will the day of his coming be to them? But now to his own Spouses, when he comes, he comes as a Bride∣groom: And O how sweet will this coming of his be to them?

1. Then he will turn all your Water into Wine. Joh. 2. beg. we read, That Christ be∣ing at a Marriage, he there turned Water into Wine. And truly, Soul, when he shall come to consummate the Marriage between him and thee, he will turn all thy Waters of Af∣fliction into the Wine of sweet Consolation to thee: He will turn thy Night into Day, thy Darkness into Light, thy Sorrows into Joys, thy Mourning into Dancing, thy Troubles into Rest, thy Conflicts into Triumphs, thy Labours into Reward, thy mournful Lamen∣tations into joyful Halelujahs: Then will he

fulfil that Scripture to thee, Rev. 21.4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more Death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Poor Soul, now thine eyes are full of tears; with holy David, Thou goest weeping and mourning (it may be) all the day long; but then all tears shall be wiped off thine eyes: Now thou art in deaths often, as the holy A∣postle was; but then there shall be no more death: Now thou art full of sorrows, thy dayes are spent in grief, and thy years in sigh∣ing, but then there shall be no more sorrow; sorrow and sighing both shall flie away for ever: Now thou art full of pains, yea, as the holy Prophet of old complained, Thou art pained at thy very heart; in the sense of thy own Afflictions, and in the sense of the Churches Afflictions; in the sense of thine own sins, and in the sense of the Worlds sins, thou art pained at the very heart; but then there shall be no more pain: Now thou sowest in tears, but then thou shalt reap in joy: Now thou goest forth weeping, yet bearing precious Seed; then thou shalt return rejoycing, bring∣ing thy sheaves with thee: Now thou art in a storm, a storm of Affliction, a storm of Temp∣tation, a storm of Persecution, thou art af∣flicted, tossed with tempests, and not comforted; it may be, as the Church sometimes was, Isa. 54.11. But then he will make thy storm a calm, and so bring thee into the desired Haven, to allude to that Psal. 107.30. Now the De∣vil and his messengers are buffetting of thee,

and will give thee no rest; then they shall be all troden under foot, and thy Soul shall act one eternal triumph over them; saying, as she of old in her Song did, O my Soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

2. Then Christ will turn all thy blackness into beauty, all thy sinful deformity into per∣fect purity and holiness for ever; and this is much more sweet than the former: Alas! sayes the Soul, turn my Water into Wine, true that is sweet; but there is that which lies heavier upon me than all the troubles and afflictions in the World, and that is my sin∣ful blackness and deformity: O this stained, polluted, defiled nature of mine! this foun∣tain of sin and enmity against God that is within! this is that which is the burthen too heavy for me to bear: Well, for thy comfort know, that thy Husband, sweet Jesus, will come; and when he comes, he will turn thy blackness into beauty, thy sin into holiness; then he will sanctifie thee, and cleanse thee, that he may present thee to himself a glorious Spouse,* 1.92 not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, Ephes. 5.26, 27. Poor Soul, thou hast now many stains, many spots, and those such as thou art apt sometimes to think, are not the spots of Gods Children: but then all these spots shall be wiped out, and thou shalt be without spot; yea, thou shalt not onely be without spot, but without wrinkle too: There may

be wrinkles where there may be no spots, and these are ble∣mishes:* 1.93 O but then thou shalt have neither spot nor wrin∣kle; thou shalt be perfectly freed from lesser, as well as greater sins; yea, thou shalt have neither spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing; nothing that looks like sin, nothing that thou canst suppose to be in the least a blemish or defect; there shall not be the least print or foot-step of the old Adam (as one speaks upon the place) left in thee, or upon thee, but thou shalt be altogether holy and without blemish: Christ will then perfectly fill thee with his own Spirit, beau∣tifie thee with his own Image, deck thee with his own Ornaments, enamel and irradiate thee with his own Glory, for then he will make thee like himself, both in holiness and happiness, 1 Joh. 3.2. Poor Soul, now thou art groaning under a body of Sin and Death, under the unclean motions of sin, the impure lustings of the flesh, the cursed imposings of a base, vile, unbelieving heart, that is im∣posing upon thee in every Duty, in every Condition, in every Relation: Now thou art pestered with the springings, buddings, blossomings, and ebullitions of lust and cor∣ruption within thee; but when sweet Jesus comes, there shall be an end of all this: Christ he overlooks all this now, but then he will do it all away, and thou shalt shine with the perfection of beauty.

3. Then Christ will solemnly present thee to his Father as his Spouse, in the presence of all his holy Angels: And O how glorious and joyful will this be! In Gen. 24. lat. we read that Isaac took Rebekah, and brought her into his Mothers Tent: So when dear Jesus comes to consummate the Marriage between him and thee, he will, being attended with all his holy Angels, bring thee into his Fa∣thers House, and will there present thee to him as his Spouse; saying, Father, here is my Spouse, here is one whom in the day of everlasting love thou gavest unto me, one whom I have redeem'd to my self by my Blood, and married to my self by my Spirit in the Gospel; this is he that I was made sin and a curse for; and though he was in his blood and gore, when I first made love to him; yet loe! now here he is spotless and faultless before thee: Father, own him as thy Sons Spouse, and delight in him for ever: O how sweet, how glorious will this be! Sup∣pose some great Prince were married, and up∣on his Marriage should take his Spouse in his hand, and lead her into the Presence-Cham∣ber of the King his Father, and there pre∣sent her to him, to the end he might take no∣tice of her as his Sons Spouse, and shew su∣table respect and favour to her; what a sweet thing would this be? But alas! what is this to the presentation Christ will make of thee to his Father at his coming; Who will then present thee faultless into the presence of his glory with exceeding joy? Jude v. 24. When

David, and the Elders of Israel, brought up the Ark from the House of Obed-Edom, 'twas with great joy and shouting, 1 Chron. 15.25, 28. But O when Christ, attended with all his ho∣ly Angels, shall bring, and present thee into the presence of his Father, what joy and shoutings will there then be? surely there will be great rejoycing on all hands; God the Father will greatly rejoyce, Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce, God the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoyce, the Angels will greatly rejoyce, thy Soul also will greatly rejoyce: God the Father will greatly rejoyce to see his Sons Spouse come home to him so richly deck't and adorn'd; Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce, that he has gotten his Spouse into his Arms and Bosom, never to part with hen more; the Holy Ghost will greatly re∣joyce to see his work in tying the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul compleat∣ed; the Angels will greatly rejoyce, as being Friends both of the Bridegroom and Bride; and as partaking with them in the Marriage-Supper; and thou thy self wilt greatly re∣joyce, in that now thy happiness is consum∣mated, and that thou shalt for ever lie in the bosom and embraces of thy Husbands love: O how sweet, how glorious will this be!

4. Then Christ will lead thee into the Bride-Chamber, the Mansion he has prepared for thee in the Fathers House, where thou shalt dwell for ever in his presence, and sit down eternally with him and his Father at the Marriage-Feast: And O how sweet and

glorious will this be? Being thus beautified and presented to the Father, what now re∣mains for thee, but to enter upon thy lot with all the Saints, and to possess the joynter Christ made thee in the day of thine espousal to him, even eternal Life and Glory with him∣self for ever? What now remains for thee, but to sit down in the full views of his Glo∣ry, the full visions of his Face, the full en∣joyment of his Presence, the full embraces of his Bosom, the full incomes of his Love, and all for ever? Here in the day of espousal thou hast had some views of him, thou hast seen his back-parts; but then thou shalt behold his glory for ever: Joh. 17.24. Here thou hast seen him through a glass darkly, but then thou shalt see him face to face, thy visions of him shall be both full and immediate, 1 Cor. 13.12. Here there have been some intercourses of love and delight kept up between him and thee, thou hast had some of the kisses of his mouth, some embraces in his bosom; but then thou shalt have thy fill of his love, being sweetly immerst and swallowed up in the Ocean of it for ever: O how sweet will this be! When Christ and thy Soul have met in an Ordi∣nance, how often hast thou said with Peter, 'tis good to be here? And when he has given thee now and then a little taste of his love, how hast thou been ravish't with it, crying out with the Spouse, thy love is better than Wine? But O what will it be to enjoy all this in its fulness, and that without the least moments interruption for ever? When Christ

and thy Soul shall meet, not in a Duty or Ordinance only, but in Heaven in the Fathers House: All thou hast here of him, is but now and then a kiss of his Mouth, now and then a tast, a visit, a descent of his Grace and Love; and yet this is sweet, and makes a lit∣tle Heaven in thy Soul: but when he comes to consummate the Marriage, then thou shalt have everlasting embraces, and uninterrupted pourings out of love from him; then no more veilings of his Face, no more with∣drawings of his Presence, no more suspensi∣ons of his Love from thee, but thou shalt sit down in the full enjoyment of all for ever: Then no more need of Love-Letters to pass between Christ and thy Soul, for then there will be full and immediate embraces for ever: Therefore rejoyce in thy Lot, and say with the Church in a way of triumph, Isa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord, my Soul shall be joyful in my God; for be hath clothed me with Garments of Salvation, he hath covered me with a Robe of Righteousness, as a Bride∣groom decketh himself with Ornaments, and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels.

But may some doubting Soul say; True, here's comfort enough, and happiness enough for all Christ's Spouses; and were I assured of my espousal to him, I should think it enough to carry me through both Life and Death with comfort; but I am afraid I have neither part nor lot in this matter. I answer, If thou art one that lov'st thy sins and liv'st in them; if thou art one that allowest of,

and indulgest thy self in thy lusts, yea, in any known lust or sin, be it small or great, then thou hast too great ground for such fears; for I must tell thee, that the Spouses of Christ are of another disposition, they hate Sin, and love Holiness; and do what in them lies to flie the one, and pursue after the other: But I will at present look upon thee to be a poor doubting Spouse of Christ that makest this complaint, and so shall leave a double word of encouragement with thee as to this, and thereby put a conclusion to this Matter.

1. I would speak to thee, as Samuel some∣times did to Saul in another case, viz. when Saul told him that he had performed the Com∣mandment of the Lord: If so, sayes Samuel, what then means this bleating of the Sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the Oxen which I hear? 1 Sam. 15.13, 14. So, if thou hast in∣deed no part or lot in Christ, and wert never espoused to him; then (first) what means the bleedings, mournings, and lamentings of thy Soul, under the sense of thy distance and e∣strangement from Christ, and thy utter unsu∣tableness to him both in Spirit and Life? Blessed are they that thus mourn, for they shall be comforted, Mat. 5.4. (2ly) What means thy high valuations of him, & the vehement hun∣gerings and thirstings of thy Soul after him? Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after righ∣teousness for they shal be satisfied, Mat. 5.6. (3ly) What means the holy tremblings of thy Soul in the thoughts of sinning against him, thy

care and sollicitude to please him, thy fear to offend him? 'Tis the Character of a loyal Wife, that her care is to please her Husband, and not to offend him, 1 Cor. 7.24. (4thly) What means thy sensibleness of, and mourn∣ing under the dishonours of Christ, with the longings of thy Soul after his exaltation? The reproaches of them that reproach him do fall upon thee, Psal. 69.9. 'Tis the true Spirit of a loyal Spouse to be concerned for her Husbands Concernments. These, and many more such gracious dispositions as are found in thee, do speak comfortably to thy Soul in this case; though still I would have thee press after the clearest evidences, and the fullest as∣surance of thine espousal to him.

2. Suppose the worst; yet for thy encou∣ragement, I would speak to thee as the Dis∣ciples to the blind man, Mark 10.49. Be of good comfort, arise, Christ calleth thee; he calls thee into these blessed espousals with himself: And O that thou wouldest do, as that blind man there did, who arose, and came to Jesus; and assure thy self of this, his Arms are wide open to receive thee: truly, whoever, or whatever thou art that makest this complaint, whether Spouse or no Spouse, thy proper and immediate work is, now to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant: For pray mark, the work of a convinced sinner, and of a doubting beclouded Saint, is the same here; the one, as well as the other, is to believe and close with Christ, as if he had never done it before: Suppose then the worst, even that

thou wert never as yet espoused to Christ; yet do not despond, but let this be a day of espousal between him and thee, casting thy Soul upon him, not questioning his readiness to receive thee: For thy, encouragement, I would say to thee as one of the Ancients speaks in the same case,* 1.94 Why stickest and staggerest thou in thy self? Cast thy self upon him, and fear not, he will not withdraw himself so as to let thee fall; cast thy self upon him, resting secure and consi∣dent, that he will receive and save thee. Thus I have now done; Saint, Spouse of Christ, what remains, but that thou love, reverence, and obey thy Lord and Head, living a life of dependance upon him, as also of longing ex∣pectation of his coming to consummate the Marriage between him and thee? What re∣mains, but that thou shouldest take up the words of the Apostle, making the same infe∣rence from thine espousal to Christ, that he does from the dissolution of all things, saying in thy own name, and others, 2 Pet. 3.11, 12. What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastning to the coming of the day of God. Sin∣ner, what remains for thee to do, but to give up thy Name and Soul to Christ in a Marri∣age-Covenant, and be happy for ever? I will conclude all with those words, Rev. 19.9. Blessed are they which are called to the Marri∣age-Supper of the Lamb.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Christ, si sejung a∣••••ur, non su••••us Christiani, sed cada∣vera tan∣turn Chri∣si morum. Davenant.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, significat rem oc∣cultam, & per se arca∣nam, non simpliciter, sed rengiosam, quae ab huma∣na ratione abscondita est, & non potest percipi sine Revelatione Divinâ, & Spiritus Sancti lumine. Zanch. in locum.
• * 1.3

  Sponsi & sponsae usitatâ, at omnium jucun diss••••â Metaph••râ, unio spiritualis inter Christum &•••• Ecclesi∣am, piamque an mam ex∣primitur. Gles. Rhe. sac.
• * 1.4

  Neque anima nestra sola cum solâ Christi animâ, neque care nostra sola cum solâ Christi carne, sed tota cujusque fidelis persona cum totâ Christi personâ conjun∣gitur. Zanch.
• * 1.5

  Buchan. Institut. Theol.loc. 2.
• * 1.6

  Etsi tota salus & vita a Deitatis plenitudine pen∣det quae est in Christo, in∣terim tamen nobis non communicatur nisi in car∣ne & per carnem Christi: Deitas enim est ceu fons unde fluunt omnia bona, vita, & salus, sed caro at∣que humanitas est ceu ca∣nalis per quem ad nos deri∣vantur omnia haec bona omnesque gratiae, nisi quis igitur canalem hunc ap∣prehendat, eique uniatur, aquarum certè, quae è fonte profluunt, particeps fieri non potest. Zanch. in Thes: de connubio Spirituali.
• * 1.7

  Gratiam super gratiam h. e. accumulat issimam & copiosissimam, omnem gra∣tiam, nempe justitiam, re∣missionem peccatorum, san∣ctitatem, renovationem spi∣ritus, &c. Glas. Gram. Sacr.
• * 1.8

  Nigra per naturam, formosa per grati∣am. Aug.
• * 1.9

  In Christe beatam immorta∣litatem & gloriam possidemus. Calv. in loc.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 h. e. Verè, per∣fectissimè, & immutabili∣ter, & non typicè tantum, ut in Templo Hierolosoly∣mitane. Glas. Rh. Sac.
• * 1.11

  Et estis in ipso completi, q. d. quod retus Deus in Christo resldet, ideo ut ip∣sum adepti, solidam in ipso perfectionem pollideamus. Calv. in Col. 2.10.
• * 1.12

  Christus nominat suas in∣iquitates, quia sensit in se translata esse peccata om∣nium nostrsim, seque propter haec plecti, non aliter ac si ipse se mois, tuis, & omni∣um hominum scaeleribus polluisset. Mol.
• * 1.13

  Ipse peccatum, non suum sed nostrum, nec in se, sed in nobis factus est. Aug.
• † 1.14

  Non sunt inventa aeque dulcia nomina, quibus Verbi animaeque dulces ad∣invicem exprimerentur as∣fectus, quemadmodum spon∣sus & sponsa, quippe quibus omnia communia sunt, nil proprium, nil a se divisum habentibus, una utriusque haereditas, una domus, una mensa, unus thorus, una etiam caro. Bern. Serm. 7. in Cant.
• * 1.15

  Christus se sponsum no∣strum appellat, ut magni tudinem insinuet sui amc∣ru, qui tempore non de∣crescit amicam suam spon∣sam non uxcrem, eo quod∣illius amer, semper novus st. Bern. de pass. Dom.
• * 1.16

  Hic amor dulcis, hic languor sica vis, haec infirmit at sancta. Bern.
• * 1.17

  Non ille aliam velit ami∣tam, nec ego amicum ali∣um: uterqe alterius a∣ctore contentus est. Merc in Cant. 2.16.
• * 1.18

  Vecaberis Chephziba, h. e. ita exornata & amaena e∣ris, ut volupt as mea in te futura st. Glas. Gra. Sac.
• * 1.19

  Despensat nos Deus Christo nallis nostris meritis ad∣dis biss, sed ex sua tantum bonitate & misericordia. Zanch.
• * 1.20

  Scito, & sponsa Christi, te a teipso nthil habere nisi pec∣cata. Bona vero omnia gra∣tiae sponsitui sunt, gratula∣re ergo, i. e. gratias age et. Bern. de pass. Dom.
• * 1.21

  Non violenta coactio sad voluntatis a Deo aversae benevola flexio, tractione ea innuitur. Glas. Rhet. Sac.
• * 1.22

  Per nupti∣as intelli∣gitur ver∣bum in carnatum Calvin.
• * 1.23

  Hac de causâ Filius Dei factus est homo ut posset verus esse sponsus Ecclesiae.
• * 1.24

  Fater hanc 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.25

  Praecedit aeterna Dei vo∣luntas, Christus vero spon∣us non potest non velle, quod vult Pater: ideo nos ••ccipit, ut sponsam suam.
• * 1.26

  Sicut Christus per Spiritus sui communieationem ses•• nobis unit, sic nos per fi∣dem illi adglutinamur, &c.
• * 1.27

  Edis Chri∣stum non dente sed fide. Aug.
• * 1.28

  Nos per fidem, in nobis a Spiritu sancto excitatam, in hoc cum Christo conju∣gium consentimus. Zanch. in Thes. de conjugio Spiri∣tuali.
• * 1.29

  Filii voluntas duplex est, una divinae, altern huma∣nae naturae •• utraque au•• tem voluit & viilt hoc con∣jugium cum electis, una voluit ab aeterno, altera in tempore quae nunq••am mu∣tatur. Id. Ib.
• * 1.30

  Qui in his Verbis clare assert aeternam Christs di∣vinitatem non videl, pror∣sus caecus est. Calv. in ••••cum.
• * 1.31

  Pater totam suam essenti∣am & majestatem filio a se ab aeterno genito, intimè quasi insculpserit, & se∣ipsum in filio quasi effigiâ∣rit, ut sit substantialis i∣mago ejus. Glas. Rh. Sac.
• * 1.32

  Deus est totus amor, totus amabilis, et totus amans nostri. Dix.
• * 1.33

  Mensuratione isthac, di∣lectionis illius immensura∣bilitatem & immensita∣tem indicat Apostolus. Glas. Rhet. Sac.
• * 1.34

  Pater ignosce illis. O Verbum summi Patris Verbo conveniens! orat non solum pro persequentibus & calumniantibus; sed eti∣am pro occidentibus: sed & Pater inquit, q. d. Per di∣lectionem Paternam qua unum sumus, supplico ti∣bi, ut exaudtas me pro his occisoribus meis, ignoscen∣do; agnosce Filii tui ami∣citiam ut inimicis ignos∣cas. Bern. de pass. Dom.
• * 1.35

  Tilius in sinu Patris est. 1. In aeterna generatione. 2. In arctissima unitate. 3. In ardentissima dilecti∣one. 4. In secretissimorum communicatione. Glass. Rhet. Sac.
• * 1.36

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: i.e. in Filio sibi gratissimo & di∣lectissimo. Zanch.
• * 1.37

  Filius dilectionis, i.e. Fi∣lius dilectissimus. Daven in loc.
• * 1.38

  Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit, & inter ea magis di∣ligit creaturas rationales, & in illis eas amplius quae sunt membra unigenitisui, & multo magis ipsum su∣um unigenitum. Aug.
• * 1.39

  Naturam humanam as∣sumptam a Dei Verbo in Persona Christi, Deus plus amat quam omnes Ange∣los. Aqui.
• * 1.40

  De Parentjbus illis venio, qui me ante fecerunt dam∣natum quam natum: pec∣catores peccatorem in pec∣cato suo gen••erunt. Bern. de amore Dei.
• * 1.41

  Nemo mundus a peccato coram, te Domine, nec In∣fans cujus est unus dici vi∣ta super terram. Aug. in Conf.
• * 1.42

  Verhum caro factum, non Divinae Naturae conversi∣one, sed humanae assump∣tione. Beza.
• * 1.43

  Voce 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 non conversio di∣vinitatis, quae est invariabilis non commixtio naturarum di∣vinae & humanae, sed unio de∣signatur. Cartw, in loc.
• * 1.44

  usus est verba 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ut signi∣ficet arceissimam & indissolubi∣lem unionem verbi cum carne. ut non alia scilicet sed una & eadem jam sit persona Verbi & carnis, assumptae. Chemni: —
• * 1.45

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Se c••acuavit omm gl••rria. i.e. Christas glo∣riam illam & majestatem, in qua c••at apud patram. ita ab diderit in forma servi ut ea••s se penitus eva••••ss•• visissit. Zanch. in Loc. Fallus quod non crat. matens quode••at. Her.
• * 1.46

  Carnis humilitas sait instar veli, quo Divina majestas tege∣batur Calo.
• * 1.47

  Voluntariè scipsum in mortem tradidit. Musc. in Loc.
• * 1.48

  Repetitis nominis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in dicat amo∣ris & com∣miseratio∣nis. Pare 9 in Loc.
• * 1.49

  Fidem & resipiscen∣tiam ces in vitavi. Scult. in Loc.
• * 1.50

  O faelic••s nos! quorum causa deus jurat! O insid••les nos. Si jura••ti non credanus. Tertul. Lib. de paenit.
• * 1.51

  1a dco tam dicere, quam jurace, immntabile est. sed en quam in∣dulgenter ut o••timum pa••••em decet, se deus accommodet nostrae tardi∣tati, qtoia nos videt simplici suo sermoni non acquiescore, ut cum plenius sanciat in cordibus nostris. addit jusjuraudum. Cal. in Lo∣cum.
• * 1.52

  Pecata v••stra sicut nix albes∣cont, &c. Uoc est, vos a pecca∣tis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 i••••mibas, mundati, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ni••is, & pu••i eritis, ••lais. G••ar. S••c.
• * 1.53

  Non quia efficit deus in nobissed quid requi∣rit Chri∣stus docet Calv. in Loc.
• * 1.54

  Loquuti erant de operibus, Christus ad unum opus eos revocat, hoc est, ad sidem, quo significat quic∣quid extra fidem homines moliun∣tur inutile ac vanum esse, solam vero fidem sufficere. Calv. in Loc.
• * 1.55

  Appellat Christus infidelitatem simpliciter peccatum, quia pecca∣tum infidelitatis omne peccatum complectitur. Cher.
• * 1.56

  Valde in∣dignum est sanguinem Christi, qui sanctifica∣tionis nostrae ma∣teria est profanare. Calv. in Loc.
• * 1.57

  Tota aeterni p•••• is complacon∣tia in solo silio incamato ac∣quitscit reside•• & q••asi de∣posi••a est, Chemn.
• * 1.58

  Deum sacere mendacem hor∣ribilis est & execranda im∣pietas quia tanc quod illi maxime proprium eripitur, Calv. in Lec.
• * 1.59

  Ponit hoc peccatum infidelitatis specialiter, quia hos manente caetera manent, hoc decedente caetera remittuntur, Aug.
• * 1.60

  Meritum damnationis juxta Evangelium, non est peccatum, sed preseverantia finalis in pec∣cato infidelitatis, Twis. vind. gra.
• * 1.61

  Ne summam illam Christi glo∣riam putemus aliquid a nobis alienum, esse, testatur illum esse a Deo patre totius Ecclesiae, Beza.
• * 1.62

  In co, i. e. In homine Christo, vel in humana illa natura in qua obi∣vit & administravit negotium salutis nostrae, Daven.
• * 1.63

  Quicun{que} pietate, & sanctimonia exceluut, sunt Christi gloria, quid nihil habent nisi dono Christi. Calv.
• * 1.64

  Quis reg∣nare nolit? Vis regnare faliciter? Servi be∣nigno Jesu, & regna∣bis, quia ills servire regnare est. Bern.
• * 1.65

  Quicquid perfectionis in patre erat & est totum illud est in filio, in to, tota patris pesona, tota 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tota 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, tota etiam facies expressa est, Zanch. in Loc.
• * 1.66

  Filius per omnia similis est patri, hoc excepto, quod non est ipsa pa∣tris Persona. Davenant.
• * 1.67

  O quam bonum & quam jucun∣dum! O quam bonum & jucun∣dum est, tecum dulcissime Jesu habitare in unum, tecum colloqui, tibi revelare causam animae nostrae, tuae{que} eonsolationis responso per∣fruri! Bern. de pass. domi.
• * 1.68

  O dulcissime & amantissime Je∣su, quam jucundum cogitare, quam salubre, loqui de te, tu enim de te loquentibus presens mentem dulciter accendis, &c. Id. Ib.
• * 1.69

  O Domine, si quando me in aliqua hujus gaudit parte invenio, clame Domine bonum est nos hic esse fa∣ciamus hic tria tabernacula, sidei unum, spei unum, amori unum. Bern. de amore dei.
• * 1.70

  Hoc est, semper sui simi∣lis, invariabilis, immu∣tabilis, abaeterno in aeter∣num. Glass. Rhet. Sac.
• * 1.71

  Deus est immutabilis mu∣tans omnia, nunquam no∣vus, nunquam vetus. Aug.
• * 1.72

  Dei cognitio eadem est cum Fide, quâ insiti in Christi Corpus, divinae adoptionis consortes, & Caelorum hae∣redes essicimur. Calv. in loc.
• * 1.73

  Quisquis videt Filium & credit in eum. Hac verba ostendunt fidem ex Christi notitia fluere, non quod praeter sunplex Dei Verbum quicquani desideret: sed quia si Christo fidamus, qualis sit & quid nobis off••rat, senstire nos opor∣tet, Caiv.
• * 1.74

  Fatetur Thomas Christum esse Dominum suum; de∣ende altius conscendit, ac Deum quoque nominat; fides ejus evehitur ad aeter∣nam Christs divinitatem. Calv. in loc.
• * 1.75

  Tune vitam in Christo invenies, sivitae materiam quaeras in ejus carne. Nam sicut aeternus Dei Sermo fons vitae est, ita caro ejus veluti canalis, vitam, quae intrinseca (ut loquuntur) in Divinitate residet, ad nes dissundit. Calv.
• * 1.76

  A Christo homine nos deducimur ad Christum Deum.
• * 1.77

  Neque ad Christum Deum unquam perveniet, qui he∣minem negligit.
• * 1.78

  Observemus, fidei sedem non in cerebro esse, sed in corde; & quoniam cordis nomen pro serio et sincero affectu fere capitur; dice firmam esse & efficacem fi∣duciam, non nudam tan∣tum notionem. Calv.
• * 1.79

  Justitiae Dei obtinendae principium est, abdicare se propriâ justitiâ. Calv.
• * 1.80

  Loquitur de iis, quae an∣teà, adhuc inconversus, magnifecerat; & in iis ju∣stitiam salutiferam posu∣erat, nune autem conver∣sus ad Christum ea despicit, & ut sordes, & res vilissi∣mas abjicit, tanquam ad salutem inutilia, imò per∣niciosa, si siducia justitiae in iis ponatur. Glass. Rhet. Sac.
• * 1.81

  Christum dimidium quisquis haberevult totum per∣dit, Calv.
• * 1.82

  Qui debitor est totius legis faciendae, mortem nunquam effugiet; quia semper ma∣nebit sub reatu. Nemo enim unquam reperietur qui legi satisfaciat, talis igitur obligatio, certa est damnatio hominis. Id.
• * 1.83

  Nos populus tuus sequa∣mur te, per te, ad te, quia tu es via, veritas & vita; via in exemplo, veritas in promisso, vita in prae••nio. Bern.
• * 1.84

  Ego sum via rectissima, veritas suprema, vita ve∣ra, vita beata, vita incre∣ata. Tho à Kemp. lib. 3. de imitat, Christi.
• * 1.85

  Summa hujus sententiae est, quisquis potitur Christo, ni∣hil illi deesse: idioque ul∣tra ultimam perfectionem eniti quisquis eo uno con∣tentus non est. Et siquis a Christo deflectas, nihil po∣terit quam errare; siquis in eo ••on acquiescat, nihil quam vento & vanitate a∣libi pascetur: Siquis ultra eum rendat, mortem vita loco inveniet. Calv. in loc.
• * 1.86

  Mecum eris in Paradiso; mecum inquit, mira benig∣nitas, non dicit simplici∣ter, eris in Paradiso, vel cum Angelis er••s; sed me∣cumeris, satiaberis eo, quem desiderias. Bern. de Pass. Dom.
• * 1.87

  Quid miserius miser•• non miserante sepisum? Aug.
• * 1.88

  Serò te amav••, pulchri∣tudo tam antiqua & tam nova, serò te amavi. Aug.
• * 1.89

  Esse crea∣turae est esse depend••ns.
• * 1.90

  O verè admirable commer∣cium! tradit se Rex pro Servo, Deus pro Homine, Creator pro Creatura, in∣nocens pro nocente. Bern. de pass. Dom.
• * 1.91

  Ʋnum in nobis; sicut tu & ego unum sumus: Quid hac Ʋnitate gloriosius? Quid ultra vel optare po∣teris, vel habere? unum cum sponso tuo eris, O foelix, foelicior, imò omnium foe∣licissima unitas! Bern.
• * 1.92

  Ecclesiam esse gloriosam, non habentem maculam, nequ•• rugam, est ultimus finis, ad quem perducimur per passionem Christi ••unde hoc erit in statu patriae, non autem in statu via. Aqui.
• * 1.93

  Significat nullum planè peccatum velminimum fu∣turum in corpore Ecclesiae, nullumque veteris Adaemi vestigium, sed futuram eam totam gloriosam. Zanch. in loc.
• * 1.94

  Quid in testas & non stas? Projice te in illum, nols me∣suere, non se subtrahet ut cadas, projice te securus, excipiet te, & sanabit te. Aug.