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 husband 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 accept 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 mature 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 Spirit of God made to chuse Christ so also to trust and depend upon him for all Grace Righteousness and Salvation Now it bottoms upon Christ anchors upon Christ rests and relies upon Christ for all Life and Peace for all Grace on Earth and Glory in Heaven 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 sometimes a trusting in Christ Ephes 1.13 sometimes a leaning upon Christ Cant. 8.5 sometimes 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 Salvation 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 Heaven 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 ascending 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 dimensions 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 't is with poor Souls many times as with persons at Sea the Storm arises the Waves lift up themselves which beating upon them they are ready to sink every moment 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 't is with them in this case as 't was 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 bowels great bowels towards poor sinners he is a merciful High-Priest He sayes concerning 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 'T is true I am a mighty sinner but he is a more mighty Saviour Have I sinned to the utmost 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 Emptiness 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 'T is true I am utterly unworthy of any Life any Grace any Favour but Christ does all for sinners freely he loves freely he pardons freely he saves freely how vile therefore and unworthy soever 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 righteousness of my own but I have all righteousness and strength in Christ all righteousness 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 blackness 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
under the Law the immediate 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 Meritum damnationis juxta Evangelium non est peccatum sed preseverantia finalis in peccato infidelitatis Twis vind gra 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 unbelief 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 refusal 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 infinitly 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 reject 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 darkness more then light and to chose death rather then life 'T is what prefers sin and death before Christ and life and Grace O what a black sin then must it be This Christ himself asserts concerning 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 darkness 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 darkness 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 dreadful 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 commands it and no less then a whole eternity 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 excuse 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 inexcusable 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
their tribulations 2 Cor. 1.4 5. The truth is their sharpest Afflictions are but to prepare them for his sweetest Consolations and indeed 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 Wilderness and there will I speak comfortably to her and indeed as strong Consolations often times prepare for great Afflictions so great Afflictions usually make way for strong Consolations 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 presence with his People in their Afflictions is what turns their night into day their darkness into light their pains into ease their sorrows 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 Oracle Rom. 8.23 All things shall work together 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 Congregation 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 Afflictions 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 't is 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 't is true and 't is 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 't is seldom that ever a Soul comes to any eminency in Grace until he has been exercised with sanctified Afflictions 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-Covenant 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 infiniteness 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 sweetens 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 victory over Sin for all his People Sin is the Saints great Enemy 't is that which wars against their Souls Rom. 7.23 1 Pet. 2.11 And
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 Serò te amavâ— pulchritudo tam antiqua tam nova serò te amavi Aug. 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 Happiness of Believers in this sweet Espousal IN the view of all that has been hitherto declared we may well take up an admiring contemplation of Christ's Love and Condescention and Believers Comfort and Happiness the one and the other being exceeding 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 Condescention 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 into 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 between 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 espouses 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 vassals of Sin and Satan And to sum up all in a few words He is God and we are Creatures yea he is an infinitely pure and holy God and we are unspeakably impure and unholy Creatures O how great is the disproportion 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 essendi 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 infinitely infinite Good The Creature is a depending thing the Beeing of the Creature is a depending Beeing the very nature of the Creature lies much in dependance but God is an absolute and independent Beeing Esse creaturae est esse dependâ—ns 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 proportion is there between an infinitely Holy God and universally sinful defiled and polluted 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 'T is 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 't is 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 infinitely Holy to espouse Souls who are so utterly sinful to himself as the best of us all by nature are this is greater love and condescention still O wonderful commerce O verè admirable commercium tradit se Rex pro Servo Deus pro Homine Creator pro Creatura innocens pro nocente Bern. de pass Dom. 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 Creature the innocent for the nocent The like may I say here O wonderful condescention 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 shadows and representations of that Union and Relation which Christ takes Behevers into with himself which must therefore be nearer and greater than all 'T is 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 between 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 dwelling 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 accordingly 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 accomplishment 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 'T is a sweet saying which one of the Ancients has upon these words of Christ What more glorious Vnum in nobis sicut tu ego unum sumus Quid hac Vnitate gloriosius Quid ultra vel optare poteris vel habere unum cum sponso tuo eris O foelix foelicior imò omnium foelicissima unitas Bern. sayes he than this Vnion 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 exceeding happy yea of all others most happy Vnion 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 happiness 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 triumph 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 into this Relation to him In Cant. 6.9 't is said concerning the Spouse of Christ That the Daughters saw Her and blessed Her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised 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 Happiness 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 Eternity 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 Husband Isa 54.4 5. The truth is though possibly 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 Relation 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 shortly have a period and the sweetest Relations thou standst in here will after a while be dissolved and broken but thy Union and Relation to Christ will last for ever that can never 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 sweetness 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 towards 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-Covenant but alas never was there such a rebellious 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 failings 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 't is 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
Elect as well as others were all gone into captivity sold under 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 affectionate 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 saved 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 bellow 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 wooâ—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 purpose 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 coming now himself in person and then sending his Servants to her to sollicite and importune 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 between 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 divorced 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 't is 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
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 Abraham's Servant saw that Rebekah consented to be Isaac's Wife he then gave her Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold and rich Rayment 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 furnishes 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 Espousal 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 mighty 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 effectually 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 't is said and arose and went to David 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 become 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 Corinthians 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 unto him Can you make light of all that Love that Comfort that Sweetness that Happiness that blessed Union and Communion that Delight Solace and Complacency 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 communion 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 desirable 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 reprobates we are rejected of God and out of his favour and then surely we must perish Naturally we are all dead all lost all condemned 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 condemnation 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 content 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 Marriage and the door was shut shut against others 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 Angels from all happiness yea and from all hopes of happiness for ever and thus you must expect to be shut out from the Marriage at last if you come not into an espousal 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 't is 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 according as you do
ten thousand times ten thousand of his Holy Ones even thousands of Angels Dan. 7.10 Glorious in his way of Rule full of Grace and sweetness towards his People full of terror and majesty towards 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 saved 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 wonder 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 ingratitude 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 Salvation Riches of Glory and Riches in Glory 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 Substance 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 suddain 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 fulness 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 Redemption 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 Consolation He would have them abundantly filled abundantly comforted abundantly enriched for ever What a generous Spirit towards 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 embraces 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 participating 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 't is indeed one of a persons highest excellencies and perfections for this also none like Christ He is the Wisdom 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 Passively 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 often in Scripture called Wisdom to note that infinite wisdom that is in him He knows all Persons and all Things he knows the Father 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 touching 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 whatsoever 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 'T is 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
more compleat and perfect it is Faith's language to Christ when come to any maturity is such as this Lord as all my Life is in thy Death all my Healing in thy Wounds all my Righteousness in thy Obedience so all my Happiness is in thy Presence all my Heaven in the bosom and embraces of thy Love Nor have I any in Heaven 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 Solace 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 suffering for him as well as reigning with him he calling thereunto Thus also Christ tenders himself to us and thus must he be chosen 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 Beloved 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 glorified 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 acted by a true Spirit of Faith Christ upon any terms that he thinks fit Christ with the Cross Christ with Reproach with Imprisonment 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 compared 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 indeed 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 't is a Work that should be often repeated by often repeating of it we should grow more sound more strong more distinct 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 believers under clouds and darkness St. Paul made fresh choices of Christ to the very last Phil. 3.8 9. And 't is 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 espousal 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 insensibility of their need of and concern in them their case is the more to be pittied for the more insensible they are of their misery without Christ the greater is that misery of theirs What more miserable sayes Austin Quid miserius miserâ— non miserante sepisum Aug. then for a miserable man not to commiserate himself Others it may be stand doubting and trembling daring 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 many and their unworthiness so great To such I would say cease thy trembling and delay thy
now thy happiness is consummated 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 remains 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 himself for ever What now remains for thee but to sit down in the full views of his Glory the full visions of his Face the full enjoyment 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 Ordinance how often hast thou said with Peter 't is 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 little 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 withdrawings of his Presence no more suspensions 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 Bridegroom 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 sometimes did to Saul in another case viz. when Saul told him that he had performed the Commandment 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 indeed 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 estrangement from Christ and thy utter unsutableness 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 hungerings and thirstings of thy Soul after him Blessed are they that hunger thirst after righteousness 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 'T is 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 mourning 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 'T is 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 assurance of thine espousal to him 2. Suppose the worst yet for thy encouragement I would speak to thee as the Disciples 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 Quid in testas non stas Projice te in illum nols mesuere non se subtrahet ut cadas projice te securus excipiet te sanabit te Aug. 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 consident 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 expectation of his coming to consummate the Marriage between him and thee What remains but that thou shouldest take up the words of the Apostle making the same inference 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 Sinner what remains for thee to do but to give up thy Name and Soul to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant and be happy for ever I will conclude all with those words Rev. 19.9 Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. Soli Deo Gloria