Union III. Sweet and lasting Communion IV. Strong and ardent Affection V. Mutual rest and complacency for ever I. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers carries in it free and cordial Donation a giving of themselves each to other In Marriages or Espousals the Parties give themselves each to other the Husband gives himself unto the Wife and the Wife by way of return gives her self unto the Husband they consent to take each other in that relation and accordingly do give up themselves each to other So in this Spiritual Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and his People there is a giving of themselves each to other they consent to take each other and accordingly do give up themselves each to other Christ on the one hand gives himself unto the Soul I will be thine sayes he to the Soul thine to love thee thine to save thee thine to make thee happy in me and with me I with all my Riches and Treasures will be fully and for ever thine I will be for thee that is the language of his Espousing Love unto the Soul Hos 3.3 And oh how sweet is this Language What can Christ give to poor Souls like himself In giving himself he gives the best Gift that either Heaven or Earth affords In giving himself he gives Life he gives Peace he gives Grace he gives Righteousness he gives the favour of God he gives Heaven he gives all Oh sweet Gift On the other hand the Soul by way of return gives himself to Christ I will be thine sayes the Soul to Christ I will be for thee and not for another Hence 't is said They gave themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 they freely and willingly yeelded up themselves to Christ to be his and his for ever Sweet Jesus such as I am and have I give to thee I am a poor a sorry Gift sayes the Soul infinitely unworthy of thine acceptance my best is too bad my All is too little for thee but seeing 't is thy pleasure to call for and accept of such a Gift at my hands I do with my whole Soul give up my Self my Strength my Time my Talents my All for ever to thee And though the truth is this be a sorry Gift yet you little think how pleasing how grateful it is to Christ and what a value he puts upon it You have the whole of this owned and asserted by the Spouse Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his II. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers carries in it near and intimate union In Marriage there is a very near union and conjunction between the Parties As they give up themselves each to other so they become one each with other They are no more twain but one flesh Mat. 19.6 So in this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers there is a very near union and conjunction between them they two are made one and thus the Apostle sets forth the Marriage between Christ and them Ephes 5.31 32. For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and shall be joyned unto his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great Mystery but I spake concerning Christ and the Church that is I speak of the Marriage-relation which is between Christ and the Church which consists in union Hence also Believers are said to be joyned to the Lord and to be one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 So that espousing to Christ and being joyned to Christ are all one The truth is herein lies the very soul and substance of this Spiritual Marriage viz. in a spiritual union between Christ and the Believer though Christ and the Soul were two before two that were strangers each to other yet in this Marriage or Espousal they become one and so one as that all the World can never make them two again never dissolve this union * Sponsi sponsae usitatâ at omnium jucun dissâ—â—â Metaphâ—râ unio spiritualis inter Christum â—â— Ecclesiam piamque an mam exprimitur Gles Rhe. sac By this usual but of all others most pleasant Metaphor of a Bridegroom and Bride as a learned Man hath observed is expressed and set forth the Spiritual Vnion that is between Christ and the Church Christ and every Holy Soul And this Union is a full Union an Union between the whole Person of Christ and the whole Person of the Believer the whole Person of Christ is united unto the Believer and the whole Person of the Believer is united unto Christ Neque anima nestra sola cum solâ Christi animâ neque care nostra sola cum solâ Christi carne sed tota cujusque fidelis persona cum totâ Christi personâ conjungitur Zanch. Neither is our Soul alone saith a Learned Man joyned with the Soul of Christ alone nor is our flesh alone joyned with the flesh of Christ alone but the whole Person of every Believer is truly joyned with the whole Person of Christ 1. On the one hand the whole Person of Christ is united to the Believer the Believers union with Christ is neither with the Divine nor Humane Nature considered apart but it is with the whole Person consisting of both Natures and indeed else they could not be said to be united to Christ for neither of the Natures considered apart is Christ We cannot say that the Divine Nature is Christ or that the Humane Nature is Christ but Christ is both the Divine and Humane Nature God-man in one Person Buchan Institut Theol. loc 2. Christ saith a Learned Man is not a Name of either Nature but of the Person consisting of both Natures together with his Office Besides were we united only to one Nature and not to the whole Person of Christ what would our Union avail us Surely it would be vain and ineffectual Were we united to the Humane Nature only and not to the Divine then to be sure our Union must be ineffectual For Christ himself tells us That it is the Spirit which quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing John 6.63 That is as judicious Interpreters expound it the flesh or Humane Nature of Christ considered alone and without the influence of the Divine availeth nothing to Souls as to their spiritual or eternal good Nor indeed can the Humane Nature of Christ without the Divine give Grace or any spiritual good thing On the other hand were we united to the Divine Nature alone and not to the Humane then our Union would be as ineffectual for how full soever the Divine Nature is of Grace and Life in it self yet nothing can thence be derived and communicated to us but by and through the Humanity And indeed as the Humanity profiteth nothing without the Divinity so I may say the Divinity will profit us nothing without the Humanity Hence it is that Christ so often speaks of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood and withal asserts the necessity thereof in
or do not close in with Christ in a Marriage-Union and Relation here Why then should you stand off from him Yea why should not this be the day of espousals between him and you Oh be not shie be not coy to Christ but embrace his love surely his Arms are wide open to receive you his Heart is upon you and his desire is towards you Lift up therefore the everlasting Doors and let this King of Glory in Give up your Names and Souls unto him for ever Some of you are young and have your Affections green and fresh Oh that you would now go with me to sweet Jesus and become his Spouse you cannot love him nor be married to him too soon Oh let him have your hearts before this World hath defiled and debauched them Others of you are older and have outstood the Calls and Offers of Christ long yet loe he once more tenders himself to you Oh now close with him and all will be well yet But for the better succeeding of this Treaty I shall in the managing of it speak to three things 1. I 'le shew you what manner of Husband the Lord Jesus Christ is and how he is qualified to render him desirable in that Relation 2. I 'le shew you what great things he does for all his Spouses 3. I 'le shew you how much his heart is upon a Match with you And now as Abraham's Servant when he was to get a Wife for Isaac Prayed saying O Lord God of my Master Abraham send me good speed this day Gen. 2.12 So would I upon the bended knees of my Soul pray O Lord God the God and Father of my Royal Master Jesus Christ send me good speed this day that I may win through thy Grace a Spouse for him CHAP. VII Which shews what manner of Husband Christ is and how qualified for the endearing of him to Souls and rendering him desirable in a Conjugal-Relation WHat is thy Beloved more than another Beloved that thou dost so charge us So the Daughters of Jerusalem spake unto the Spouse Cant. 5.9 In like manner may some say to me Who or what is this Christ that you do so press us to an espousal with him What is there in him to render him desirable to us Who or what is he Truly I can't tell nor could I had I the tongue of Men and Angels and I am almost afraid to speak of him lest I should darken his Glory instead of displaying it This I am sure of He is as one speaks of him Earths Wonder and Heavens Wonder both and has all that in him and that in infinite eminency and perfection that should render him grateful and desirable to Souls in a Conjugal-Relation Look therefore upon him and view him a little and see if there be any thing you can desire in such a Relation that is wanting in him I 'le lay this more fully before you in these following Particulars 1. Are you for Dignity and Greatness This goes far among men and makes many a Match for this none like Christ none so great so glorious so honourable as he pray view him a little As to his descent He came forth from God viz. by eternal Generation and is the eternal Son of the Eternal Father John 16.28 View him in his Person and there you will see nothing but greatness for he is no other than God-Man and has all the excellencies of both Natures in one Person He is Emmanuel God with us God in our Nature Mat. 1.23 He is God Heb. 1.8 The true God John 5.20 The great God Titus 2.13 The mighty God Isa 9.6 God over all or the most high God Rom. 9.5 God equal with the Father having the same Divine Essence Qui in his Verbis clare assert aeternam Christs divinitatem non videl prorsus caecus est Calv. in â—â—cum and Essential Perfections in him that the Father hath in him Phil. 2.6 He is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Character of his Person one in whom the whole Majesty Luster and Glory of the Father shines forth one on whom the Father has engraven all his eterval Excellencies Heb. 1.3 Some small Beams and Rayes of God's Glory do shine forth in the Saints and Angels Pater totam suam essentiam majestatem filio a se ab aeterno genito intimè quasi insculpserit seipsum in filio quasi effigiârit ut sit substantialis imago ejus Glas Rh. Sac. but in Christ the Fulness Lustre and Brightness of it appears View him in his Office and Relation with the Dignity that even here he is advanced unto He is a King a great King King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.6 King of Saints Rev. 15.3 King of Nations Jer. 10.7 King of Glory Psal 24.7 He is the head of all Principalities and Powers and 't is their glory that they have such an Head Col. 2.10 He is the Fellow of the Lord of Hosts Zech. 13.7 He is the first-born of God higher than the Kings of the Earth Psal 89.27 He is set down at Gods own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion Ephes 1.20 He is made higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 Among all Persons and in all Things whether in Heaven or Earth he has the preheminence Col. 1.18 Such is his greatness that the whole Creation is bound to perform Homage and Worship to him the Angels themselves not excepted Let all the Angels of God worship him says the Father Heb. 1.6 Phil. 2.9 10. God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things on Earth and things under the Earth i. e. Angels as well as Men must perform worship to him And indeed a refusal so to do would turn Angels into Devils He is to be loved feared believed on obeyed prayed unto praised admired and delighted in by all He is to have equal honour from all with the Father All must honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5.23 What shall I say He has the sovereign Lordship and disposal both of Grace and Glory in his hand The Son quickeneth whom he will John 5.21 He sayes unto one Live and he lives and to another Live and he lives and the rest of the dead live not He has the Keys of Death and Hell Rev. 1.18 He has the Government of the whole World in his hand His Kingdom ruleth over all Psalm 103.19 He is in full possession of a Kingdom over the whole Creation all Judgment being committed to him John 5.22 And O how glorious is he in the whole of it Glorious in his Throne which is at the right hand of God Heb. 1.3 Glorious in his Commission which is all power in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28.18 Glorious in his Scepter which is a Scepter of Righteousness Psal 45.6 Glorious in his Attendants
into Prison whence there is no redemption until we have paid the utmost farthing which can never be Matth. 5.26 Now sinner wouldst thou have thy Debts paid thy Sins Pardoned and thy Soul freed from the danger of those Arrests then give up thy self to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant O this is the only way to discharge all Christ sayes to Justice concerning all his Spouscs as Paul sometimes did to Philemon concerning Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee any thing put that upon my account So sayes Christ to God concerning thee immediately upon thy close with him Father if this Soul hath wronged thee and oweth thee any thing place it on my account I have taken all his Debts upon me I 'le be responsible to thee for all Father this Soul I bled and dyed for this Soul I was made sin and a curse for whereby thy Justice is fully satisfied let him therefore be discharged O Soul how should this draw thee to Christ Canst thou be content to lie under so great a Debt And is it a small thing to thee to be in danger of so terrible an Arrest as that of Justice which we have spoken of is Suppose a man owed ten thousand pounds and had nothing wherewith to pay and he saw himself in danger every moment of being cast into Prison how sad wouldst thou look upon his case to be and how gladly thinkest thou would he embrace an offer from any to discharge him from all Soul thy case is ten thousand times more sad and how gladly shouldst thou embrace the Lord Jesus who would and who alone can discharge all for thee In short we read of Spirits already in Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 Justice has already clapt its Arrest upon thousands and ten thousands and lodg'd them in the Prison of eternal darkness and what canst thou expect from it but to be dealt with in the like manner speedily unless thou closest with Christ as thy Righteousness to make satisfaction for thee His Righteousness is such as makes a full satisfaction and is every way answerable to the strictest demands of Law and Justice and by it he being closed withal by thee all thy Debts are paid at once II. He supplies all their Wants and makes blessed provision for them 'T is the part of an Husband to supply the wants of his Wife and to make provision for her And this Christ does for all his Spouses he supplies all their needs according to his riches in glory They have Wants and he has Fulness they have Needs and he has Riches and he brings his Fuiness to their Wants and freely communicates of the one to the other Truly we are full of Wants of all sorts Wants in the Soul and Wants in the Body We are poor and miserable and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 Yea our Wants are such and so prinching upon us that with the Prodigal we are even perishing with hunger Luke 15.17 Even the Saints themselves are a poor and needy people full of wants Isa 40.17 Now how shall these Wants be supplyed Only by Christ and do but close with him and he will supply all plentifully Liet it be but a day of Espousals between Christ and you and all your Wants are supplyed for ever The truth is Christ is all He is the great All as one calls him Heaven and Earth Time and Eternity Grace and Colory are all in one Christ He supplies the Spiritual Wants of his Spâ—â—ses Do you want Life He that hath the Son bath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 Do you want Grâ—oe Close with Christ and he will give you Grace abundance of Grace John 1.16 Do you want Peace Close with Câ—wisti and he will give you Peace John 14.27 Do you want Strength and Righteousness Rightteousness for Justification and Strength for Sanctification and Obedience Close with Christ and he will supply you with abundance of both Isa 45.24 Do you want Joy and Consolation Close with Christ and he will in due season fill you with joy and consolation he will comfort your hearts 1 Thes 2.16 17. He supplies all the outward Wants also of his Spouses and that so as that they want no good thing Psal 34.10 They want no outward good thing but what the want thereof is better for them than the enjoyment of it would be True they may and often have but a little of outward Comforts but yet then they have much in a little much Love much Blessing much of Christ and the Covenant And therefore a little which they have is said to be better than the riches of many wicked Psalm 37.16 Besides wherein they are cut short in Temporals Christ often makes it up to them in Spirituals They are poor in this World but rich in Faith Jam. 2.5 They have not much of the Streams it may be but they have the more of the Fountain more love and the sweeter communion with Christ In a word what-ever either Heaven or Earth affords so far as they need it they shall have it The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.9 O who would not close with this Christ Soul why standest thou off from him Is there any can supply thy Wants but he Is there any can give thee Life and Peace and Pardon and Righteousness and Salvation but he Or hadst thou rather die in thy Wants than come to this Fountain to be supplyed Hadst thou rather perish in thine own poverty than come to this Treasury to be enriched III. He heals all their Wounds and cures all their Maladies He is a Physician to his Spouses and such a Physician as that though the Wound be never so deep and the Disease never so desperate yet he never fails to work the Cure for them O how should this allure us to him We my Beloved have our Wounds as well as our Wants we are full of Maladies and Diseases of Soul The truth is from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no soundness in us Isa 1.6 The Saints themselves have their Wounds yea wounds many times that stink and are corrupt as David speaks Psal 38.5 Indeed they are apt to get fresh Wounds every day Wounds in their Grace and Wounds in their Peace Wounds in their Comforts and Wounds in their Consciences Wounds that smart sorely and which many times bleed as if they should bleed to death of them Well but Christ heals all their Wounds and do but close with him in a Marriage-Covenant and he will heal all thine too who ever thou art He is that good Samaritan that has Oyl and Wine his Blood and Spirit to pour into the Wounds of his People for the healing of them By his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 His Blood and Spirit are a sovereign Balm which can heal the deepest Wounds and deadliest Discases His Spouses find it so He restoreth my Soul sayes David Psal 23.3 His Soul was
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
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
Christ That is nothing can separate us from his love Neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any thing else can do it Rom. 8. 35 38 39. And I think sayes an Holy Man his unchangable love hath said unto me I defie thee to break me or change me Oh sirs experienced Souls will tell you how sweet and good and rich Christ's love is They will tell you one sight one taste of it makes Heaven in the Soul that 't is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 And will you reject him and his love too Will you pour contempt upon so much kindness O how justly then will you perish under his wrath He has wrath in him as well as love wrath for Enemies as well as love for his Spouses and his wrath is as hot and terrible as his love is sweet and comfortable yea his love will if rejected by you turn into wrath and no wrath like that that is the result of abused love Oh therefore close close with Christ this day VII Are you for a Person of esteem one that is much valued and beloved An ingenious Soul would desire this and for this none like Christ As there is none so kind and loving as he so there is none so much valued and beloved as he He is beloved by all whose love is worth the having He is highly valued and beloved by all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth the Saints in Heaven they admire and adore him 't is a part of their happiness to love him and delight in him for ever and the Saints on Earth they love and value him above all others whatever he is the dearly Beloved of their Souls How often does the Spouse call him her Beloved and her Well-Beloved And once and again she declares her self sick of love to him she is enamoured on him he is indeed the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 That is to say He whom all the faithful in all Nations do love desire and delight in Hence also that of the Apostle to you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 The Saints love and value Christ above all their Natural or Creature-Enjoyments above Father and Mother Husband and Wife and Children and Houses and Lands and the like So much is intimated Mat. 10.37 19.29 they love and value him above all their Spiritual Attainments accounting them but Dung for Christ Phil. 3.8 They love and value him above their lives being ready to die for him Acts 21.13 Rev. 12.11 Oh how dear is Christ to Saints He is also highly valued and beloved by all the Holy Angels He is the great object of their Love and Admiration Hence he is said to be seen of Angels that is to be beloved and delighted in by Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 The blessed Angels do see that in Christ which does enamour them on him and fill them with love to him and delight in him yea which does fill them with perpetual admirings and adorings of him Rev. 5.12 Yea which is more than all this He is infinitely valued and beloved by God the Father also The blessed God sees that in Christ that renders him infinitely amiable and desireable in his Eye and to his Soul both as Son and also as Mediator he is even infinitely dear and precious to the Father As he is the Son of God the Son of the Father as the Apostles expression is so is he the Darling and Delight of the Fathers Soul and was so from all eternity so much he himself tells us Prov. 8.30 So he is the infinite and eternal Favorite of the infinite and eternal Father so he is one in essence with the Father and accordingly must be infinitely dear to the Father Hence he is said to be in the Fathers bosom Tilius in sinu Patris est 1. In aeterna generatione 2. In arctissima unitate 3. In ardentissima dilectione 4. In secretissimorum communicatione Glass Rhet. Sac. and as Son he was so from eternity John 1.18 Now the Bosom is the seat of Love and his being in his Fathers Bosom notes that strong ardent intimate love which the Father has for him yea even as Mediator the Father loves him John 3.35 Yea he loves him with a choice a signal and an eminent love with a love of the highest strain the choicest excellency the sweetest influence a love that has a stamp of special glory upon it Hence he is called the Beloved Ephes 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in Filio sibi gratissimo dilectissimo Zanch. that is in Christ who is most dear to God Hence God calls him his beloved Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 Filius dilectionis i.e. Filius dilectissimus Daven in loc Yea he is called the Son of his Love he hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son the Greek is the Son of his Love Col. 1.13 Yea the Father proclaims him to be the delight of his Soul Behold saith he my Servant whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth Isa 42.1 What shall I say God loves himself infinitely Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationales in illis eas amplius quae sunt membra unigenitisui multo magis ipsum suum unigenitum Aug. and next to himself he loves Christ and delights in him 't is true he loves all the works of his hands as such especially rational Creatures and among them he has a peculiar love for his Saints and the Holy Angels but he loves Christ unspeakably more than all He indeed is first Beloved and most Beloved and best Beloved by him of all others Naturam humanam assumptam a Dei Verbo in Persona Christi Deus plus amat quam omnes Angelos Aqui. God as the School-men observe does love the very flesh or Humane Nature of Christ more than all the Angels In a word he loves him so as that he is even ravished with him and he can't but love all that are in him or related by Covenant to him and that though altogether unlovely in themselves Now Sirs will you not love and embrace this beloved one one that is thus valued and beloved by Saints by Angels and by God the Father And let me say one that is hated and despised by none but Devils and devilish ones Soul if thou reject him whom all the Saints and Angels love admire and adore then never expect to live with them in the fruition of him But reckon upon living with Devils and damned spirits in Hell for ever If thou reject him whom the Father loves and delights in then expect to be rejected both by him and the Father for ever but Soul rather be prevailed with to love him too VIII Are you for Immortality for one that lives for
they are too strong for thee yet they are not too strong for Christ to grapple with and make thee a conquerer over When the Prophets Servant saw what a great and formidable Host compassed the City he cryed out Alas my Master what shall we do And what did his Master answer him Fear not said he for they that be with us be more than they that be with them 2 King 6.15 16. So poor Soul when thou considerest what great and formidable Enemies do compass thee about thou cryest out to one and another Alas Sir what shall I do But I would say to thee as the Prophet to his Servant Fear not there is more with thee than with them thou hast Christ with thee to sight and overcome all for thee therefore chear up give up thy self unto him and the victory over Sin Self World Death Devil and all is thine for ever Oh who would not have such an Husband VII He minds and manages all their Concerns for them 'T is the part of an Husband to mind and manage the Concerns of his Wife and to have a natural care both of her and them And thus 't is with Christ He manages all his Peoples Concerns and that in Heaven on Earth and in their own Souls 1. He minds and manages all their Concerns in Heaven for them Their Affairs lie much in Heaven their Business there is great and Christ their Husband minds all and transacts all for them and that faithfully Indeed he went thither on purpose to transact their Affairs for them Hence he is said to have entered not into the holy place made with hands but into Heaven it-self there to appear in the presence of God for them Heb. 9.24 Hence also he is said to be an Advocate with the Father for them 1 Joh. 2.1 He pleads with the Father for them Have they a Petition to present to the Father for this or the other Mercy He presents and prefers it for them He takes all their Prayers and sprinkles them with his own Blood persumes them with the odours of his own incense and then tenders them to the Father with his own hand Rev. 8. beg We pray very brokenly but he mends our Prayers yea oftentimes when we can't pray when we can't speak for our selves he speaks for us and prefers our Petitions for us Are there Charges and Accusations brought in against them either by Satan the Accuser of the Brethren on the one hand or by the Law and Justice of God which are daily wronged and violated on the other hand Why Christ interposes for them he answers all and invalidates all he rebukes Satan Zach. 3.2 In the first verse we find Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist or accuse him and in the second verse we have Christ sharply rebuking Satan for his accusation The Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee And as he rebukes Satan so he satisfies the Law and Justice of the Father Hence he is said to make intercession for them and that to the overthrowing of all those counterpleas which Law or Justice can put in against them Rom. 8.33 34. Have they sinned and do they need a new pardon need to have things set right and even between God and them afresh This also Christ does for them If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. While they through weakness and temptation are sinning on Earth he out of his Grace and Love is pleading with the Father for them in Heaven Thus he minds all their Concerns in Heaven for them 2. He minds and manages all their Concerns on Earth for them The Saints have their Assairs and Concerns on Earth among men as well as in Heaven with the Father and Christ their Husband minds and transacts all these likewise for them Indeed he is ever mindful of them and at work for them viz. to do them good and to promote their interest Hence sayes he the Father worketh hitherto and I work Joh. 5.17 I am alwayes at work for your good Are they wronged and oppressed by Enemies He avenges all their wrongs Hence he is said to reprove Kings for their sakes Psal 105.14 and elsewhere to plead their cause against their Enemies and the like Do they need deliverance and salvation out of troubles and distresses He brings salvation to them Isa 63.9 Do they need conduct and guidance through their dissiculties and temptations in the Wilderness of the World He leads and guides them He leads Joseph like a flock Psal 80.1 and elsewhere I will guide thee with mine eye He carries them through all their straits and all their difficulties and even when he seems most to forget them even then he is ever mindful of them and of their concerns For he hath graven thâ—â— upon the palms of his hands and their walls are continually before him and though they often say The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me yet he never forsakes or forgets them nor can he No a Woman may sooner forget her sucking Child and not have compassion upon the Son of her Womb then he can forget his people Isa 49.14 15 16. 3. He minds and manages all their concerns for them in their own Souls The Saints have many and great Concerns to be minded within them concerns of great moment and importance and were they to be minded and managed onely by themselves they would make but poor work O! but Christ their Husband minds and manages all these likewise for them and to be sure they can't miscarry in his hand He gives them his Spirit to work all their works in them and for them He observes what Grace what Strength what Counsel what Comfort they stand in need of and by his Spirit Ministers all to them Hence he is said to give them Grace and Mercy to help in a time of need seasonable supplies Heb. 4.16 and to be both the Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12.2 He minds and observes how the great Work goes on in their Souls and he takes care for the prospering and persecting of it O how should this draw us to Christ and encourage us to accept of the offers of hs love VIII He injoynters them in eternal Life and Glory Husbands use to make Joynters to their Wives they entitle them to such or such Lands and Inheritances So Christ injoynters all his Spouses in no less than eternal Life and Blessedness He makes over a great Joynter to them Glory a weight of Glory an exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 An Inheritance in Light Col. 1.12 An Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 A Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the World
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
THE Best Match OR THE Souls Espousal to Christ opened and improved By Edward Pearse Joh. 3.29 30. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom but the Friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice This my joy therefore is fulfilled He must increase but I must decrease LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-Yard and Brabazon Aylmer at the 3 Pigeons in Cornhil 1673. READER NExt to the full and immediate Vision and Fruition of the God of Glory above the greatest happiness of Souls lies in Union and Communion with Christ here Nor indeed can we ever attain unto the one without an acquaintance with the other Now to bring thee into and build thee up in this Union and Communion with Christ and thereby to fit and dispose thee for that glorious Vision and Fruition Above is the principal design of the ensuing Discourse If thou requirest a reason of the publication hereof I desire thee to satisfie thy self with this God in his all-wise and holy Providence hath seen good now for seyeral months to call the unworthy Author out of his Vinyard and lodge him in a sick Chamber and he also seems to be speedily calling him out of this World and to bring that Night upon him wherein no man can work wherein nothing is to be done either for God or a Man's Soul John 9.4 And being never like to do more for Christ on Earth he was willing in hopes of advancing his dear Lords Kingdom in the drawing of Sinners to him and building up of Saints in him communion with him to make these poor Contemplations publick God was pleased some few years since to make a more than ordinary use of the preaching of them many Souls being through his Grace espoused to Christ and more brought nearer to him thereby and had I not some hopes that he would also through that same Grace of his make some use of the reading of them for thy good and the good of others I think they had never seen the light Thy good then and Christ's Glory in the enlargement of his Kingdom is the thing aimed at herein which the good Lord by his Grace accomplish I am lying daily by the brink of the Grave waiting upon the Will and for the Call of my Sovereign Lord the only reason swaying with me to desire life next to the more through working out of my own Salvation is to reveal and make known Christ to Souls and to publish the glad Tydings of Peace and Salvation to a lost and sinful World But if God will make no further use of me that way his Will be done I comfort my self with what an holy Man speaks Sinless glorifying of God saith he is better than sinful glorifying of God His meaning I suppose is that 't is better to glorifie God in a sinless than in a sinful state Truly bere we sin in our best Actions and if we bring a little glory to God yet woe and alas how much dishonour do we also bring him and what iniquities do there cleave to our most holy things But above we shall glorifie him without sinning we shall love him praise him admire him adore him delight in him and ascribe glory to him without the least taint or tincture of sin cleaving thereunto having not only all tears wiped off our eyes but which is infinitly infinitly infinitly better all sin purged from our hearts and actions Farewel I leave thee and this poor Treatise to the Blessing of Heaven E. P. To the Reader THere are two main ends for which the Gospel-Ministry is ordained the one is the winning of Souls and bringing them into Christ the other is the edification and building up of such as are already brought in It hath pleased Christ the Head of the Church who distributeth Gifts in order to the salvation of men unto whom and in what measure he pleaseth to furnish the Author of this Discourse with good abilities as to both these Works As to the first the Lord had given him a peculiar Gift to qualifie him above many to Preach the Gospel for the winning of Souls and the Grace of God in him did inflame his heart with ardent desires and did excite great longings in him after the conversion of Souls and he was pleased to crown his own Gifts and Grace in him with great success many a Soul having been turned unto God by his Labours And it having pleased God to cast the Author into a languishing Distemper for some months whereby he was wholly taken off from his Work in Preaching so great did the desire of doing good to Souls remain in him and such were the yearnings of his Bowels towards them that being not able to speak to them any longer out of the Pulpit he could not satisfie himself but he must needs speak to them in this small Tract wherein his great Scope and principal Design is to allure and draw Souls unto Christ As to the Matter of the Treatise I need say little it will sufficiently speak for it self onely thus much I may say Union with Christ is the foundation of our Happiness The Apostle telleth us Col. 1 27. that Christ in us is the hope of Glory We cannot have any sure or sound title to eternal Life and Glory but by Vnion with Christ whoever are saved are saved by being brought under Christ as their Head Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnia ad unum caput adducers adjungere seu colligere omnia sub uno capite that he might bring them under one Head so Zanchy and others interpret the Greek word there used The Son of God incarnate is the true Vine into which the Elect are implanted There are but two Roots of Mankind the First and the Second Adam the first Adam is the Root of Sin and Death unto all that abide in him the second Adam is the Root of Righteousness and Life unto all who are implanted into him The scope of this Discourse is to perswade men not to be content to abide in the Root upon which they naturally grow viz. the Root of the first Adam but to seek after a new Relation unto Christ the second Adam The Arguments by which the Author presseth Souls to come to Christ are most pathetical and strong and as there is a Vein of Heavenly Affection which runneth through the whole body of the Discourse to allure such who are yet strangers to the Lord Jesus to fall in love with him so there is much solid Matter interwoven whereby those who are already called and have attained to some dequaintance with spiritual things may receive farther advantage It pleaseth the Al-wise God to leave the Author at a great uncertainty as to Life the Lord hath kept him in the Furnace long but he
having espoused the Soul to himself now his love runs out in full streams towards him he loves him above all the rest of the Creatures in some respects above the Angels themselves as standing in a nearer relation to him than they do On the other hand the Souls love is drawn out to Christ and loving him he is espoused to him and being espoused to him he loves him yet more now Christ is laid between his breasts in his most intimate Affections he has the Throne in his heart Cant. 1.13 yea the Soul by degrees comes to be sick of love to him as you have it Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flagons sayes she comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love to whom to Christ And truly this as one of the Antients hath observed is a sweet sickness a blessed languor Hic amor dulcis hic languor sica vis haec infirmit at sancta Bern. a pleasant love And this love between Christ and his Spouse is a chast love a Virgin love a love that is pitched upon the person of each other Christ loves the person of the Believer and the Believer loves the Person of Christ Of which more in its place V. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers carries in it a mutual rest and complacency for ever In a Marriage-relation there is great delight and complacency the Parties have or should have each in other especially in the day of Espousals You know how Solomon speaks Rejoyce with the Wife of thy Youth let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her Breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished alwayes with her love Prov. 5.18 19. All noting that joy rest and complacency that that relation carries in it and the Parties have in each other and we read you know of the joy of the Bridegroom as the highest and purest that is found among the Sons of men Non ille aliam velit amitam nec ego amicum alium uterqe alterius actore contentus est Merc in Cant. 2.16 So in this spiritual Espousals between Christ and Believers there is a mutual rest and complacency which they have in each other They are as it were the rest the joy the satisfaction of each other the solace of each others Soul On the one hand Christ rests and rejoyces in the Believer as one would do in the Wife of his Youth This his Spouse is to him as a loving Hind and pleasant Roe and he lives joyfully with her hence she is called his delight and that as being married to him Thou shalt be called Hephzibah Vecaberis Chephziba h. e. ita exornata amaena eris ut volupt as mea in te futura st Glas Gra. Sac. sayes he to her for the Lord delighteth in thee thou shalt be the joy and delight of my Soul Isa 62.4 And again As a young man marryeth a Virgin so shall thy Sons marry thee and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee vers 5. The sum of all which amounts to this That Christ marrying his People to himself delights in them and rejoyces over them and that with the highest and purest delight and complacency of all others a delight and complacency sutable to the relation The truth is he speaks as if all his delight were in them as if he had forgotten to delight in the Angels or in any of the works of his hands but in them alone My goodness sayes he to the Father extendeth not to thee but to the Saints in whom is all my delight Psalm 16.2 Yea he declares himself ravished with them as his Spouse Cant. 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart And he speaks as one ravished indeed Cant. 7.6 How fair and pleasant art thou O Love for delight and Chap. 6. v. 5. he acknowledges himself captivated by her Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me Yea he has declared them to be his Rest Psal 132.14 This is my rest for ever sayes he here will I dwell for I have desired it It 's spoken of Zion as a Type of the Church and Spouse of Christ and his rest in her and indeed they are his Rest his Soul is at rest in them in them is his highest joy Hence that sweet word Zeph. 3.17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love upon thee he will joy over thee with singing as much as to say his whole rest solace and delight shall be in thee On the other hand the Believer rests and rejoyces in Christ as in his Head and Husband I sat down under his shadow sayes the Spouse with great delight Cant. 2.3 She did suaviter requiescere as one expresses it sweetly rest and repose her Soul in him Her Soul was at rest and filled with delight great delight she had great springings of joy within her and all this in Christ her Bridegroom in his Person in his Presence in his Protection in the fruits of his Grace and Love And therefore it follows and his Fruit was sweet to my taste as if she should say O with what joy what solace what delight and satisfaction of Soul did I converse with him and feed upon him Thus in these Espousals there is a mutual delight and fatisfaction between Christ and Believers and O how sweet is this this makes this Espousal to relish strongly of Heaven and to set the Soul down even at the Gate thereof Thus I have shewen you what this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is CHAP. III. In which the way and means of the accomplishment of this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is enquired into and a general account thereof given HAving seen somewhat of the nature of the Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers the next thing to be enquired into is How this Espousal or Relation is made up and accomplished To be sure naturally we are all strangers to it and unacquainted with it being as the Apostle speaks without Christ that is without union with him or any spiritual Relation to him Ephes 2.12 But how then and in what way is it brought about In general it is from Divine Grace the Grace of God in Jesus Christ acting and laying out it self for us and upon us and it is from Divine Grace two wayes or as that Grace carries a double opposition with it First As it stands in opposition to any thing of worth or deservings in us and so it flows from the riches of Divine Grace as its onely Spring and Fountain And secondly as that Grace stands in opposition to any thing of power or ability in us and so it is effected by the Power of Divine Grace as its Principle and Esticient Accordingly take this General in these two Propositions I. This Espousal or
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
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
sying good have you any mind to life and would you have your souls live for ever have you any mind to my Covenant and all the riches and treasures of that then accept of me and my love in whom you shall have all How sweetly do he melt and how tenderly do his Bowels yearn towards them and over them he comes to them not onely with invitations in his Lips but also with tears in his eyes and tender compassions in his heart strongly working towards them now he weeps and then he groans now he drops a sigh and then a tear and all to melt their hard and unbelieving hearts to draw and allure them to himself O Jerusalem Jerusalem says he how often would I have gathered thee Math. 23.37 Repetitis nominis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in dicat amoris commiserationis Pare 9 in Loc. the repetition of the name shews the depth of his love and commiseration towards them And indeed methinks I see how the tender heart of my dear Lord melts and even bleeds over this unbelieving City and in them all unbelieving sinners to whom he offers himself he is melted into tears towards them so you have it Lukt 19.41 42. in Mat. he groans only but in Luke he both Weeps and Groans loe then here is sweet Jesus weeping and groaning here 's the joy of the whole Earth weeping and groaning and that over Jerusalem a bloody City a City embroiled in the blood of his Saints and a City thirsty of his own blood a City full of wickedness full of the contempt of his Gospel his Grace his Salvation How freely and openly does he reveal and offer himself to them The offer Christ makes is not a Limited offer but general and extensive to all nor is it an offer made upon hard and severe terms but upon terms of Grace Love Look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the Earth Isa 45.22 Hot every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Isa 55.1 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Whoever is a thirst let him come unto me and drink Joh. 7.37 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any Man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in Rev. 3.20 And again Whoever will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely Rev. 22.17 Mark all every one whoever will though never so vile and sinful never so black and deform'd though he has been never so desperate an Enemy to me and my glory Surely were not his heart much in the business he would not thus freely and unlimitedly offer himself How affectionately does he beseech and intreat them The tender trembling Child cannot more affectionately intreat and beseech his offended Father to spare him and be reconciled unto him then Christ does intreat and beseech offending Sinners to be Espoused to him and be made happy by him for ever Now then we are Embassadors for Christ sayes the Apostle as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Pray mark here is praying and beseeching the Lord of Glory as it were upon his knees to poor Sinners begging them to accept of him and his Love We pray you in Christ's stead h. e. 't is not we but Christ by us that prays and beseeches you O what condescension is this once more How sweetly does he draw and allure them draw me sayes the Spouse and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 And indeed he does draw and allure Souls and that with admirable sweetness I drew them with Cords of Love with the bands of a man sayes he Hos 11.4 Now he sets his Beauty Riches and Glory before them thereby to draw and allure them anon he drops a little Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock he gives them some little taste and feeling of his Grace and Love thereby to draw and allure them Now he sweetly insinuates his Love to them he tells them how much his heart is upon them what great things he has done and suffered for them and how that he has no design upon them but to make them happy for ever anon he lets them see how infinitely happy a Marriage-Union and Communion with him would make them he lets in some small glimpses of Heaven and Glory upon them he opens the Treasures of his Covenant and Kingdome to them And all this to draw and allure them to himself and over and above all this he ever and anon comes and as it were takes the Soul aside and by the still voyce of his Spirit makes love to him Come poor Soul says he look upon thy bleeding dying Saviour come see what I have done and see what I have prepared for thee see what Treasures of Life and Love of Grace and Glory there are in me look here is my Love taste and see if it be not better than Wine here is my Bosome make thy Bed in it and see if it be not a warm Bosome Come Soul though thou hast no Love for me yet I have Love for thee and would fain have thee happy for ever why therefore should'st thou stand at such a distance from me Thus he sweetly woos and sollicits them for their Love and acceptance of him Now Soul does he thus woo thee And wilt thou refuse him If so know that the time of Love will not alwayes last yea and the time will come when though thou callest and cryest yet he will not hear let me therefore say to thee as Paul to his Corinthians Receive not the Grace of God in vain for behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation 3. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he not only thus woos them but also waits long upon them often renews the offers of his Love to them and puts up many horrid affronts and provocations at their hands if at last he may prevail with them Suppose a Man should not only make Love to a Person but he should also wait long upon her in the tenders of his Love and that though he met with many affronts and unkindnesses from her this you would say would argue his heart to be much set upon her and is it not thus with Christ towards poor Sinners O how long does he wait upon them how often does he renew the offers of his Love to them And what affronts indignities and unkindnesses does he bear with at their hands Behold I stand at the door and knock sayes he Rev. 3.20 standing is a waiting posture Christ does not give a call or a knock at the door of the Sinners heart and away no he stands knocking he gives call after call and knock after knock being ever ready to
fight for us O how sutable every way is Christ to souls and being so sutable why should he not be acceptable to us Poor sinner is there any in Heaven or Earth that will so suit and answer the various wants and cases of thy soul as Christ does and will Why then shouldst thou not account him worthy of all acceptation 4. There is sweetness and delight in Christ Trahit sua quemque voluptas says the Poet every one is drawn and allur'd by pleasure and delight What is it that makes sin that cursed thing sin pleasing and grateful to so many Surely one great thing is that pleasure and delight which they find at least promise themselves to find in it and indeed generally the more sweet and delightful things are the more readily and greedily they are embraced by the Sons of Men Why then should not Christ be grateful and acceptable to us Is there any so sweet so pleasant so delightful as he He is a Fountain of sweetness as well as Excellency I find him so sweet sayes an holy Man speaking of Christ that my Love suppose I would charge it to remove from him it would not obey me How sweet is his Love Thy Love is better thon Wine sayes the Spouse Cant. 1.2 This is that best Wine which goeth down sweetly causing the Lips of those that are asleep to speak Cant. 7.9 Yea this is that will cause a dead Man to speak and Live as an holy Man speaks concerning it Experienced Souls will tell you that there is more sweetness in one descent of Love from Christ then in all the delights of sin and the Creature This is that which sweetens the sharpest affliction yea this is that and that alone which sweetens Death it self and enables the soul truly to triumph over it Rom. 8. latter end O the sweet bathing that there is in the Fountain of Christ's Love How sweet are his Fruits I sat down under his shadow sayes the Spouse with great delight and his Fruits were sweet to my taste Cant. 2.3 By Fruits I understand the purchases of his Blood and the effects of his Love Peace Pardon Righteousness Justification Sanctification and Holiness Acceptation with God and the like And O how sweet are these How pleasant are these With what solace and satisfaction may a believing soul feed and feast himself upon these How sweet is his presence entercourse and communion with him This made the Spouse to be plad and rejoyce in him Cant. 1.4 This indeed sets the soul down at the very Gate of Heaven where he sayes 't is good to be here 'T is a blessed exclamation which I find one of the Ancients breaks out into O how good and how sweet O how good O quam bonum quam jucundum O quam bonum jucundum est tecum dulcissime Jesu habitare in unum tecum colloqui tibi revelare causam animae nostrae tuaeque eonsolationis responso perfruri Bern. de pass domi and how pleasant is it to dwell with thee most sweet Jesus te converse with thee to reveal the concerns of our souls to thee and to enjoy thy consolations And again elsewhere O thou most sweet and most loving Jesus how sweet is it to think of thee for while we are speaking and thinking of thee thou art sweetly present with us and our souls are fill'd with delight in the odours of thine Oyntments O dulcissime amantissime Jesu quam jucundum cogitare quam salubre loqui de te tu enim de te loquentibus presens mentem dulciter accendis c. Id. Ib. And yet once more O Lord when at any time I partake in this joy speaking of the joy of Communion with him I cry out Lord 't is good to be here O Domine si quando me in aliqua hujus gaudit parte invenio clame Domine bonum est nos hic esse faciamus hic tria tabernacula sidei unum spei unum amori unum Bern. de amore dei les us build three Tabernacles here me for Faith one for Hope one for Love And indeed who is there that knows what Communion with Christ means that does not find an incomparable sweetness solace and satisfaction in it This is that which fills some with joy unspeakable and full of glory even here and this is that which will be the joy and delight of Heaven for ever Every way Christ is a very Field of pleasure a very Paradice of Joys and a very Fountain of delights O why why then should he not be more grateful and acceptable to us 5. There is durableness and unchangeableness in Christ which being added to all the former renders him even infinitely the more grateful and acceptable Possibly some worth some usefulness some sutableness some sweetness and delight there may be found in the Creature and Creature Enjoyments but alas this allayes the acceptableness of all that 't is all fading dying and changing and indeed whatever is short and but for a season can't challenge any great acceptation But now Christ he is lasting durable and unchangable Hoc est semper sui similis invariabilis immutabilis abaeterno in aeternum Glass Rhet. Sac. He is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 What he was he is and what he is he alwayes will be He was most excellent most useful most sutable most sweet and delightful to Souls and so he is and alwayes will be He as one of the Ancients speaks of him is immutable Deus est immutabilis mutans omnia nunquam novus nunquam vetus Aug. he changes all things but is himself unchangable never new never old Hence also Christ himself tells us That he is the Alpha and Omega he that was and is and is to come Rev. 1.8 He is ever the same in love in beauty in fulness in faithfulness and in all his desirablenesses And O how grateful and acceptable does this render him All our enjoynments here below fade and change yea we ourselves change Changes and War are upon us as Job speaks yea some of us are daily waiting for our last and great change But O! blessed be God Christ fades not Christ changes not What he was to and what he has done for Souls formerly that he is to and that he can do for souls now yea and that he will be to and will be able to do for Souls hereafter For he is still to come as he was and is so he is to come which is a sweet word Poor Soul hitherto it may be thou hast gone along through thy work and warfare with some comfort and courage but that which damps and terrifies thee is the apprehension of what may be to come O sayest thou the Tryals that are to come the Difficulties that are to come the Temptations that are to come the Storms and Tempests that are to come Well Soul for thy encouragement under all know that whatever is to come
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
approve of him as such See that the desire of your Souls be indeed towards him above all others View him till you fall in love with him yea till you fall sick of love for him and be sure not to rest till you get your Wills sweetly and powerfully determined upon him so determined upon him as to make a free solemn deliberate choice of him passing by all other Lovers and taking him alone into the bosom and embraces of your Faith and Love Now that you may be sure to make a right choice of Christ such a choice of Christ as may make him yours and tie the Marriage Knot between him and you observe herein these five or six great Rules 1. Be sure that you chuse and embrace Christ himself and not somewhat else instead of him 'T is a great and awakening saying which a worthy Divine has Many now sayes he take Christ by guess but be sure that it be he and onely he whom ye embrace his sweet Smell his lovely Voice his fair Face his gracious working in the Soul will soon tell if it be he or no. So say I be sure that it be he many mistake the Object they close with somewhat else instead of Christ at best they chuse Christ's Portion his Benefits his Priviledges his Purchases but not his Person But my advice to you is pitch on nothing short of the Person of Christ then is our Raith beyond all doubt rightly pitch't upon Christ when Christ himself not his Benefits and Priviledges onely are chosen and embraced by us A Marriage if right is between Person and Person not between Person and Portion Person and Estate that being a resulting thing So here in this Spiritual-Marriage Faith does not marry the Soul to the Portion Benefits and Priviledges of Christ but to Christ himself True I don't say first but that true Faith gives the Soul an interest in all the Benefits Priviledges and Purchases of Christ Nor secondly do I say that the Soul may not have an eye to these and a respect to these in his choice of and close with Christ yea usually these are the first thing that Faith has in its eye The first thing the Soul looks at and is taken with when he is drawn to Christ usually is that Peace that Pardon that Righteousness that deliverance from Sin Death and Hell which he sees is found and treasured up in Christ for Souls But though these things be so yet the Soul does and must go higher he must look at and pitch upon the Person of Christ or his Faith is not so right and compleat as it ought to be Alas 't is the Person of Christ that is the great Fountain of all Grace and all Manifestations from God to us and Faith accordingly does close in with his Person The Spouses Faith seems so to do Cant. 5.10 She had her eye upon the personal Beauty and Glory of Christ and accordingly embraced him with her Faith and Love Hence also you have so often those expressions I sought him whom my Soul loved and saw you him whom my Soul loveth Her love and so her Faith was fixt upon Christ himself and thus do you fix your Faith and Love upon him so shall you be sure not to miss of a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 2. Be sure that you chuse a whole Christ and not a part of him only My meaning is see that you chuse and embrace Christ in all his Offices as a King as well as a Priest as a Lord as well as a Saviour and as in all his Offices so for all those ends and uses for which God has designed him and the Gospel revealed him to us for Holiness as well as Righteousness for Sanctification as well as Justification I need not tell you that Christ is a Lord and King as well as a Saviour and that as such he is revealed and offered in the Gospel to our Faith Him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5.31 and they that will have him as a Saviour to give them pardon must have him as a Prince to give them repentance And you know Christ's Rest and his Yoke go together in the Gospel-Offer Mat. 11.28 29. Nor need I tell you that God has appointed him and the Gospel reveals him to be our Sanctification as well as our Justification So you have it expresly 1 Cor. 1.30 Accordingly then do we chuse Christ and embrace him aright when we chuse and embrace him under each notion when we chuse and embrace him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord too not onely as a Priest to procure pardon and reconciliation for us but also as a Prince to rule govern and command us not only as our Righteousness to justifie us but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy and thus true Faith does chuse and embrace him Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Mark Faith chuses Christ not only for Righteousness but for Strength too Righteousness for Justification Strength for Holiness and Sanctification Christ's language to the Soul in the tender of himself is such as this Poor Soul thou art in a dead lost undone condition God is wroth with thee Hell gapes for thee Justice calls aloud for vengeance against thee and there is no hope no help no salvation for thee but in and by me and union with me And loe I am willing to bestow my self with all my fulness upon thee But remember this that I 'le rule and command thee If I be thy Saviour I 'le be thy Lord and King too If thou wilt share in my Redemption thou must be content to bear my Yoke to bow to my Scepter to submit to my Laws and Kingdom Accordingly Faith's answer if right is this Content Lord 't is but fit that he that Saves should rule and reign that he that Redeems should be bowed and submitted to and I do willingly give up my self to thy holy and spiritual Government thy Yoke is easie thy Scepter is Righteouss thy Kingdom is full of Peace and Joy and I desire to come under them I would have thee to make me holy as well as righteous to subdue this rebellious heart of mine and to rule in me by thy pure Spirit as well as to save me by thy perfect obedience O see that thus you chuse and embrace whole Christ else your Faith is not right nor are you like to attain unto a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 3. Be sure that you chuse Christ singly and alone and not joyn somewhat else with him Some are for compounding with Christ they would joyn somewhat else in Partnership with him but as Christ must not be divided so neither will he be compounded he will be all or nothing at all to Souls and so true Faith closes with him Hence with the new Creature Christ is said to be all and in all Col. 3.11