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 little 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 Scripture 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 't is 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 attainments 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 Indeed 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 Sicut Christus per Spiritus sui communieationem sesâ— nobis unit sic nos per fidem illi adglutinamur c. the Spirit of God comes and enables him to believe he carries the Soul to Christ in a way of believing whereby he actually closes with him and is espoused unto him For my Beloved 't is 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 Edis Christum non dente sed fide Aug. 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 expounds it for he makes eating and drinking of him and believing on him all one throughout that Chapter Now sayes he He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is he has the nearest Union and Communion with me 't is 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 Nos per fidem in nobis a Spiritu sancto excitatam in hoc cum Christo conjugium consentimus Zanch. in Thes de conjugio Spirituali We by Faith says a learned Man wrought in us by the holy Spirit do consent 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 Filii voluntas duplex est una divinae altern humanae naturae â— utraque auâ— tem voluit viilt hoc conjugium cum electis una voluit ab aeterno altera in tempore quae nunqâ—am mutatur Id. Ib. as Divines observe Christ hath a double Will his Divine and Humane with the first he consented to this Espousal 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 Subjection 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 deliberately to chuse Christ as his only Head and Husband his Lord and Saviour being thus offered to him in the Gospel Choice or Election 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 determined upon Christ preferring him for an Head and Husband a Lord and Saviour before 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 inticements 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 Sometimes a receiving or imbracing of Christ Joh. 1.12 'T is true in the Work of Faith Christ is and must be received into the understanding 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
became of no Beputation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Se câ—acuavit omm glâ—rria i.e. Christas gloriam illam majestatem in qua câ—at apud patram ita ab diderit in forma servi ut eaâ—s se penitus evaâ—â—ssâ— visissit Zanch. in Loc. Fallus quod non crat matens quodeâ—at Her 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 't is true indeed his Godhead 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 remained 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 Carnis humilitas sait instar veli quo Divina majestas tegebatur Calo. yet hereby was the glory of it veiled and lost for a time and he was not content to have it so oh how great a condescention 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 Espousal to him 2. He not only became Incarnate but also freely bled and dyed in order hereunto 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 formidable Death a Death of pain a Death of shame an accursed Death Pâ—il 2.8 Hence also 't is said that he gave himself an Offering 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 Voluntariè scipsum in mortem tradidit Musc in Loc. 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 't is 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 content 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 Virgin 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 Jesus towards poor Sinners Does he not woo them and make Love to them and that with all earnestness and pressing importunity 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 Ordinance 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 occasions wooing them and in his wooing of them How earnestly does he call and invite them to himself 't is not a cold offer or a slight motion onely that he makes to them but he moves and offers calls and invites 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 expostulate 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 Hâ—eâ— 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 satissieth 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 whâ— will ye dâ—â— O house of â—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 â—oâ—b 〈◊〉 in Gilâ—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 upon 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
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-sliâ—ing of thine from him Possibly thou hast souretimes 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 closeing 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 â— 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 revolting 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 Backsliders 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 Persecuter 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 believed 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 hâ—â—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 between 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 Angels Lauding Praising and singing Halelujahs 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 notwithstanding all not doubting thine acceptance 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 Espousal 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 delighted himself in the thoughts of from all Eternity thus much he himself tells us Proâ— 8.30 31. Then namely from Everlasting 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 rejoyced before him but what did he rejoyce 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 himself 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 gladness of his heart Cant. 3.11 the day of Espousals between Christ and a poor Sinner is a day of gladness and rejoyceing to the Father a day of gladness and rejoycing to the blessed Spirit a day of gladness and rejoycing to the Holy Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect For there is joy in Heaver at this 〈◊〉 15.7 But 't is especially a day of gladness and rejoycing to Christ the Bridegroom O to see poor Sinners come in and give up themselves to him in a Marriage-Covenant this is the joy the rest the sat is faction of his soul Hence ' its said he shall see of
must needs be a great and crying sin more particularly 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 speaking of the commandment of Faith his express Commandment a Commandment wherein his authority is evidently and peculiarly 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 command 2. The neglect and refusal of Christ and his love is a sin against a command wherein 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 command 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 importunateness of their pleas the patientness of their waitings the affectionateness of their entreaties the friendliness of their upbraidings the patheticalness of their lamentings the sweetness of their wooings the unweariedness 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 counter 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 commands 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 accounts 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 Loquuti erant de operibus Christus ad unum opus eos revocat hoc est ad sidem quo significat quicquid extra fidem homines moliuntur inutile ac vanum esse solam vero fidem sufficere Calv. in Loc. and what the extent of the command 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 requires 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 reject Christ and his love is to break all at once and to violate all at once 'T is to rebel against and poure contempt upon the whole mind and will of God at once Appellat Christus infidelitatem simpliciter peccatum quia peccatum infidelitatis omne peccatum complectitur Cher. and in effect to renounce all duty and allegiance to him Suitable whereunto 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 receive 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 blessed 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 happiness 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 manner 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 contempt upon the Person of Christ Christ's Person is infinitely excellent and infinitely amiable and accordingly to vilifie and contemn 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 highest contempt imaginable Heb. 10.29 Every refusal of Christ carries that Language 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 neither 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 't is 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 Valde indignum est sanguinem Christi qui sanctificationis nostrae materia est
Faith passes to the God-head Neque ad Christum Deum unquam perveniet qui heminem negligit 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 Father 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 besides me Isa 45.22 Neither is there Salvation 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 alsufficient 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 infinite vertue of his Blood the inexhaustible fulness of his Grace the compleatness of his Obedience the excellency of his Righteousness 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 knowledge 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 election of him being thus known and apprehended To have a right notion and apprehension of Christ is good and necessary in order to union with him by believing but 't is 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 perfection 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 Observemus fidei sedem non in cerebro esse sed in corde quoniam cordis nomen pro serio et sincero affectu fere capitur dice firmam esse efficacem fiduciam non nudam tantum notionem Calv. 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 elsewhere 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 receiving 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 Calvin 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 never 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 Fulness 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 powerfully determined upon Christ so as actually 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 approve 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
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