at once the Law and Christ but he must be dead to or divorced from the one e're ho can be married to the other Observe ye are dead to the Law What is it to be dead to the Law or divorced from the Law To be dead to the Law is to have no hope no expectation of Life and Righteousness by the Law 't is to be sensible that the Law cannot save us yea there is more in it than so To be dead to the Law is to see our selves dead by the Law 't is to see our selves lost and condemned by the Law for sin as the transgression thereof and thus we must all be dead to the Law or divorced from the Law or we cannot be married to Christ Now this the Spirit of God effects by a work of the Law upon the Conscience He divorces the Soul from the Law by the Law i. e. by bringing home the Law to the Conscience This the Apostle felt in his own Soul I through the Law sayes he that is the Spirit of God bringing home the Law to my Conscience am dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 So again Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed I was alive without the Law once that is I thought my self to be alive I apprehended my state to be good and happy but this was without the Law i. e. before the Spirit of God by the ministry of the Law convinced me of my sin and misery therefore it follows when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed i. e. when the Law came in its convincing power through the Spirit upon my Soul then I saw my sinful dead and miserable state thus was he himself divorced from the Law that he might be married to Christ the sum is this the Spirit of God comes and shews the Soul the strictness and holiness the purity and spirituality of the Law and makes him sensible how large the Duty is that it requires how impossible it is for him to keep it and how many wayes he has broken it he withal lets him see the dreadfulness of that curse and condemnation it has justly laid him under for the breach thereof and thus he is divorced from it and this is all one with the Spirits convincing us of sin and our lost and miserable condition by reason thereof which is you know his first work in order to Faith and so to our espousing to Christ John 16.8 Thus by the Spirit of God the Soul is divorced from the Law he is taken off from all expectations of life and happiness by that and is made to see his own sinfulness and so his infinite need of Christ whereby he is fitted for this other and better Husband II. The Soul being thus divorced from the Law and so fitted and prepared for Christ then the Spirit of God reveals and offers the Lord Jesus Christ in the promise of the Gospel as a better Husband to him Now the blessed Spirit comes and does as Abrahants Servant did who was sent to take a Wife for Isaac he told Rebecca of his Masters Greatness of his Flocks and his Herds his Silver and his Gold his men servants and his maid-servants and withal that he had given all to Isaac Gen. 24.35 36. So the Spirit of God now sets before the Soul the riches and the greatness the beauty and the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ he tells him what a full what a sweet what a rich what an amiable one he is and withal tenders him to his embraces he reveals and offers him to him as one full of Grace and Truth as one that has all fulness dwelling in him all fulness of Life and Peace or Righteousness and Salvation as one every way able to save him to the very utmost which is that which Christ calls his convincing the World of Righteousness John 16.9 he reveals and offers him to him in the transcendent Beauty Excellency and Amiableness of his Person on the one hand as also in the glorious fulness largeness sufficiency of his Grace and Righteousness on the other hand Thus I say he reveals and offers Christ unto the Soul and withal opens his Glory and causes it to shine forth before him so that now the Soul sees that in Christ that fulness that beauty that love that amiableness that sweetness which he never saw before Christ is now another thing in the Souls eye than ever before he was Now the Soul as those John 1.14 Beholds his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son full of grace and truth Yea not only does he thus reveal Christ unto the Soul but withal fixes the Souls eye upon him He makes him to pore and gaze upon Christ as the most excellent and amiable Object and as one infinitely needful for him and this is called a seeing of the Son and that in order to believing whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life Joh. 6.40 The blessed Spirit deals by the Soul herein as God by the Angels did with Hagar Gen. 21.19 where 't is said He opened her eyes and she saw a Well of Water for her relief She was in a very distressed condition as you may see vers 15 16. full of bitterness she and her Child both in a perishing condition being in the Wilderness and her Water in the Bottle being spent Now God shews her a Well of Wate whence she fetches a full supply So here the poor Soul having been under the convincing power of the Law sees himself in a woful miserable distessed condition whereupon he is full of bitterness crying out with Hagar How shall I see the Child die How can I bear it to perish eternally But now the Spirit of God comes and opens his eyes and shews him Christ and Christ as infinitely sutable to him Look sayes the Spirit to the Soul being now desolate and undone look here is a Saviour for thee a Husband for thee another and a better Husband than the Law could ever have been even the Lord Jesus Christ who is infinitely able to pay all thy Debts to supply all thy Wants to heal all thy Wounds to relive all thy Distresses to pardon all thy Sins to satisfie all thy Desires to answer all thy Love and to give thee perfect happiness and satisfaction in and with himself for ever Look here he is here he is in the Promise here he is in the Covenant here he is in the Tender Invitation of the Gospel here he is at the very door of thy heart knocking and calling for admission thereunto Rev. 3.20 Here he is with his Arms wide open to receive and embrace thee and that notwithstanding all thy vileness finfulness and unworthiness Look therefore to him and be saved III. With this Tender and Revelation of Christ unto the Soul the Spirit of God comes and works a secret love and longing in the Soul after Christ he
does not make a naked ender and revelation of Christ onely to the Soul for that were not enough but he withal gives him a secret touch whereby he is made to breath and long after Christ to move a little Christward He drops a little Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock as it were whereby he is drawn out in holy Longings and Breathings after sweet Jesus as you know the case sometimes was with the Spouse Cant. 5. beg and this the Scripture calls an hungring and thirsting after Christ and has a blessedness annext to it Mat. 5.6 and frequently else-where Yea such is that secret touch which in and with those tenders and revelations of Christ the Spirit of God gives the Soul as that like that of the Loadstone to the Needle which sets it a trembling and will not suffer it to rest till it stands fully pointed Christward yea till it finds it self in the very bosom and imbraces of that Beloved 't is indeed such as by degrees makes the Soul sick of love and longings after Christ Cant. 5.8 and he cries out for Christ as Rachel sometimes did for Children Give me Children said she or else I die So give me Christ sayes the Soul or else I die I perish and that for ever In a word nothing but Christ will satisfie him send him to the Creatures send him to his own duties and services send him to his highest accomplishments and attainments and without Christ they will not do yea all these he accounts but as dung as dogs-meat that he may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Indeed Heaven and Earth with all the fulness of both are nothing to him without Christ and an union with Christ his language now is O Christ Christ above ten thousand Worlds O that Christ were mine O that I had union with him Oh that I were in his imbraces Oh how happy are they that are married to him and how happy should I be could I call him mine This I say is his language and when once it comes to this then things work well indeed then the Match is in a good forwardness there being but an hairs breadth as it were between Christ and the Soul Therefore IV. The Soul being thus inclined Christ-ward and drawn forth in holy Longings after Union and Communion with him Sicut Christus per Spiritus sui communieationem sesâ— nobis unit sic nos per fidem illi adglutinamur c. the Spirit of God comes and enables him to believe he carries the Soul to Christ in a way of believing whereby he actually closes with him and is espoused unto him For my Beloved 't is Faith which ties the Marriage-Knot and makes up the Marriage-Union between Christ and us Hence Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Christ's dwelling in our hearts notes the nearest Union and Communion between him and us And how comes he thus to dwell in our hearts why by Faith by our believing on him Edis Christum non dente sed fide Aug. Hence also Christ tells us That he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood dwelleth in him and he in him Joh. 6.56 By eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood is meant our believing on him and so he himself expounds it for he makes eating and drinking of him and believing on him all one throughout that Chapter Now sayes he He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is he has the nearest Union and Communion with me 't is Faith then you see that unites and so espouses us to Christ Faith gives Christ an inlet into the Soul and it gives the Soul an inlet into Christ and so they are made one and married together By believing we consent to take Christ and actually do take him for our onely Head and Husband for ever and so the Match is made up between him and us Nos per fidem in nobis a Spiritu sancto excitatam in hoc cum Christo conjugium consentimus Zanch. in Thes de conjugio Spirituali We by Faith says a learned Man wrought in us by the holy Spirit do consent unto this marriage with Christ Christ as you heard before consents thereunto as God he consented hereunto from all eternity and as Man he consents hereunto in time For Filii voluntas duplex est una divinae altern humanae naturae â— utraque auâ— tem voluit viilt hoc conjugium cum electis una voluit ab aeterno altera in tempore quae nunqâ—am mutatur Id. Ib. as Divines observe Christ hath a double Will his Divine and Humane with the first he consented to this Espousal from eternity with the second he consents hereunto in Time and never changes therein Now as Christ gives his consent so we also must give ours which we do by believing in him by which therefore the Match is made up between him and us Now there is a three-fold Act of Faith which the Spirit of God works in the Soul whereby he more especially closes with Christ and is espoused unto him made one with him in a Marriage-Covenant I. An Act of Choice or Election II. An Act of Trust or Dependance III. An Act of Resignation or Subjection I. An Act of Choice or Election In the Act or Work of Believing the Soul is by the Spirit of God made solemnly and deliberately to chuse Christ as his only Head and Husband his Lord and Saviour being thus offered to him in the Gospel Choice or Election as the School-men tell us is an Act of the Will whereby it pitches upon some one thing and prefers that before all others in order to such or such an end Accordingly we may conceive of this Act of Faith we are speaking of It lies thus the Will is by the Spirit of God sweetly and powerfully determined upon Christ preferring him for an Head and Husband a Lord and Saviour before all others It singles him out as it were from all others whether persons or things in Heaven and Earth and imbraces him as the best Husband the best Saviour the best Lord There are others which make love to him and tender themselves to his embraces as Sin Self the Law the World with its inticements but he passes by all yea rejects all with loathing and indignation and pitches upon Christ as infinitely best saying to him I will have none in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee This the Scripture calls sometimes a laying hold upon Christ Prov. 3.18 Sometimes a receiving or imbracing of Christ Joh. 1.12 'T is true in the Work of Faith Christ is and must be received into the understanding but he is most properly said to be received into our Will and Affections Christ in the Gospel is revealed and offered to the Soul with all his Riches Fulness and Perfections he is tendered to him as a full a mighty and uttermost Saviour
1st in that he gave him for us he gave him to be incarnate to suffer to bleed to dye to be made sin and a curse for us he gave him as an Offering and a Sacrifice for us and secondly in that he gives him also to us he gives him to be an Head and Husband to us Hence 't is said That he gave him to be Head to the Church and such an Head as has the command and dispose of all things He gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.22 both in the Counsel of his Will from Eternity and also in the Act or Worlt of his Grace here in Time he thus gives Christ to us And O how richly and gloriously doth his Grace shine forth herein In giving Christ to us he gives his best and his dearest for he has nothing better nothing dearer to him than his Christ as afterwards may be shewn Secondly He gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ Believers you know are often said to be given by the Father to Jesus Christ My Father which gave them me sayes Christ concerning Believers is greater than all Joh. 10.29 And thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17.6 with many other places which might be mentioned God gives all the Elect to Christ to be his Spouse he gives them to him first in the eternal purpose and counsel of his Grace in the day of everlasting love when God first set his heart upon his chosen onâ—s then gave he them to his Son and will'd their union to him in a Marriage-Covenant and he gives them to him also secondly in the work of Vocation which makes way for the working of Faith in Christ in the Soul Fater hanc 〈…〉 The Father sayes one hath given this Spouse to his Son speaking of his Church and joyns her to him by his Spirit And my Beloved without this Act of Grace put forth by God towards us the Match would never be made between Christ and any poor Soul for this indeed is that which brings the Soul to Christ So much Christ himself tells us John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Mark 't is the Fathers giving us to Christ that brings us to him and were we not by the Father given to him we should never come to him by believing and if we never came to him by believing there could never be a Marriage-union and relation between him and us III. Christ readily approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift being willing yea longingly desirous to espouse them unto himself whom his Father gives him in order thereunto In the making up of a Marriage 't is not enough that the Father gives such or such an one to his Son and his Son to her but there must also be the consent of the Son he must approve and accept of the Fathers Gift and so does Christ here he approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift the Father wills his taking such and such poor sinners to Wife and accordingly gives him to them and them to him and the Will of Christ falls in with and is conformed to the Will of the Father herein and so the Match goes on this you have clearly held forth John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me cometh unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Mark Here are among others two things 1. Here is the Fathers giving of poor sinners to Christ and therein his will and consent that they should be espoused to him that in these words All that the Father hath given me 2. Here is Christs approbation and acceptation of this Gist of the Father with his will and consent to espouse them to himself that in these words And him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out that is I will assuredly receive him and accept of him I will take him into a conjugal union and relation to my self Christ here plainly declares his acceptance of the Father's Gift giving poor sinners to him to be his Spouses 'T is a great Saying and sutable to this I am speaking which I have read in a great Divine Praecedit aeterna Dei voluntas Christus vero sponus non potest non velle quod vult Pater ideo nos â—ccipit ut sponsam suam The eternal will and good pleasure of God precedes sayes he but Christ the Bridegroom cannot but will the same thing which the Father wills his Will is conformed to the Fathers and therefore does he accept us as his Spouse In a word in this Act of Grace Christ's Language is such as this Father dost thou give such and such poor sinners to me and is it thy Will that they should be espoused to me Content I do freely accept of them and am willing to espouse them to my self for ever 't is true they are poor worthless Creatures altogether unsutable to my dignity and greatness but Father they are thy Gift and I accept of them as such true there is no beauty in them that I should desire them but they are thy Gift and I will marry them and make them beautiful and Oh what Grace is this IV. The Lord Jesus Christ not onely approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift but moreover he redeems them thus given to him with the price of his own Blood he ransoms them from Sin and Death and Hell whereunto in themselves they were all in bondage which also necessarily concurs to the accomplishment of the espousal between him and them 'T is observed by some that in the Eastern Countries it was the manner for men to buy their Wives and indeed so much seems to be intimated in that Message of Saul to David 1 Sam. 18.25 where when he would perswade David to marry his Daughter in pretence at least he sends him word that he desired not any Dowry but so and so It seems then that it was usual to expect a Dowry The same also appears by the practice of Shechem Gen. 34.11 12. where being in love with Dinah Jacobs Daughter he profered to give a Dowry for her Give me sayes he but thy Damosel to Wife and ask me never so much Dowry and Gift and I will give it thee To be sure so 't is here Christ buyes all his Spouses and gives a vast Gift for them Christ indeed is in love with poor sinners given him by the Father and desires to marry them to himself but he must buy them if he means to have them and buy them he does and at a dear rate he gives a great Dowry for them even his Life his Blood his Glory and all for a time Hence he is said to give himself for us Ephes 5.25 and to purchase us by his Blood Acts 20.28 Hâ—nâ—e we are said to be bought by him with a price with a great price a price of inestimable value even his own most precious Blood 1 Cor. 6.20 The case lies thus the
and scarlet-tincture staring him in the face yea his very Duties are not without sin even in these there is abundance of pride formality unbelief and the like his very righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64.4 If he looks unto the Law there he reads his doom and condemnation in every line thereof there he finds himself under the Curse there he sees nothing but fear and blackness and darkness and tempests Heb. 12.18 If he looks to justice that he finds as a flaming Sword keeping him from the Tree of Life from all happiness That appears with an angry frowning countenance demanding satisfaction as being infinitely wronged But now in the midst of all these discouragements the poor Soul at length gets a sight of Christ in whom he sees encouragement after all He discovers land in a storm as it were and finds in him a bottom to rest his weary Spirit upon in him he sees that which can atone God satisfie Justice answer all the demands of the Law fully deliver him from sin and guilt and make him both holy and happy for ever and accordingly he rests and rolls himself upon him resolving that if he dies he will die thus leaning upon this Beloved III. An Act of Resignation or Subjection As in the Work of Faith the Soul thus chuses Christ and depends upon him so also he is by the Spirit of God made cordially and unreservedly to resign up himself unto him to be ruled governed and disposed of by him in his own way The Soul now puts himself out of his own power and possession he passes himself away from himself and he gives up himself into the power and possession of Jesus Christ to be ruled governed and saved by him as he sees good which is properly that Act of Faith which we call Resignation and this the Scripture often mentions One shall say I am the Lords Isa 44.5 that is he shall give or resign up himself to the Lord to be for ever his and at his dispose so 2 Cor. 8.5 They gave themselves unto the Lord and Ephes 5.24 the Church is said to be subject to Christ The Case seems to be this there having many Treaties past in order to a Match between Christ and the Soul the Soul at length through the help of the Divine Spirit is made freely to consent to take Christ for his onely Head and Husband and to be subject to him in all things to be perfectly and eternally at his dispose His language now to Christ is like that of Ahab to Benhadad 1 Kings 20.4 Behold I am thine and all that I have is thine Sweet Lord Jesus sayes the Soul I have been my own and have lived too much in mine own will and to mine own ends and interests but now I desire to be thine and to live in thy Will and to thine Ends take possession of me save me rule me lead me dispose of me as thou pleasest do all thy pleasure in me pull down and set up what thou wilt I 'le be and do and suffer what thou wilt have me to be and do and suffer And this is properly that Act of Faith whereby we close with Christ as a Lord and King and is indeed the evidence of the Truth of the two former for you must know that though Faith's first Aspect be to Christ as a Saviour yet it comes to eye him as a Lord and King also As Faith fully bottoms upon the satisfaction of Christ so it freely bows to the Scepter of Christ yea when Faith can't challenge Christ as a Saviour yet it will own Christ as a Lord You know how Laban spake to Abraham's Servant upon the sight of the Ear-rings and Bracelets which he had given his Sister Rebekah and upon his hearing a Relation from her of his Discourse with her Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without I have room for thee Gen. 24.31 In like manner does the Soul speak to Christ upon the sight of that worth that is in him and that need which he has of him Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in thou blessed Lord why standest thou without I have room for thee I have room for thee in my Understanding and I have room for thee in my Will and Affections and I would have thee possess all and command all In a word the Soul freely gives up himself to Christ's Holy and Spiritual Government Thou art an Holy Christ says he he who is to reign and I resign up my self to thee I 'le have no Lord but thee take the whole Throne to thy self within me I know thy Yoke is an easie Yoke and I desire to bear it thy Scepter is a Righteous Scepter and I desire to bow to it thy Kingdom is a Kingdom of Rightcousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and I heartily desire to come under the power of it I would be Sanctified as well as Justified I desire thy Spirit to subdue my corruptions for me and to make me Holy as well as thy Blood to wash away my guilt for me and ingratiate me with thy self and this is what the Scripture calls an opening of the Gates and a lifting up of the everlasting Doors to let Christ the King of Glory in Psal 24.7 Thus by these three which indeed are the great uniting Acts of Faith the Spirit of God enables the Soul to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant and Relation 5. The Soul being thus enabled to believe and so close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant then as the Crown and perfection of all the blessed Spirit of God takes up his abode and dwells for ever in that Soul as the Pledge and everlasting Bond of this Marriage-union and Relation between them The sweet Spirit does not onely come as a Friend to treat about the Match and also to tie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and us but moreover this being done he remains himself in the Soul as a Love-Token from Christ to him as the Pawn and Pledge of this Espousal and as the everlasting Bond and Confirmation of this Marriage-Union and Relation Hence that of the Apostle He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 one Spirit with the Lord he is joyned to that Spirit which did joyn him to Christ does remain in him and in Christ both Christ leaves his own Spirit in his Spouses as the Pledge and Bond of that Marriage-Union that is between him and them so that he and they have the same Spirit dwelling in them yet with this difference he dwells in Christ without measure in us by measure in Christ immediately by vertue of the personal Union in us by his Gifts and Graces in Christ as an Head in us as members and he with these are the Love-Tokens the Pawns and Pledges of this Marriage-Troth plighted between Christ and us and this indeed is that which makes this Union so strong and inviolable as that it can never be broken Yea not
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
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
Elect as well as others were all gone into captivity sold under sin and Satan in bondage to Death and Hell and Wrath which is the condition of all by Nature and if Christ will have them as his Spouse he must ransom and redeem them from all which accordingly he does he bleeds he dies he gives himself a ransom for them in order to the marrying of them to himself He had indeed a mind to a Spouse among the Children of Men and was in love with them from all eternity as he himself tells us Prov. 8.31 and so in love with them as that he does in effect say unto the Father as Schechem did to Jacob Ask me never so much Dowry and I will give it Why my Son sayes the Father if thou wilt have them and marry them to thy self thou must give thy Blood thy Life for them thou must redeem them from Sin and Death and Hell whereunto they are in bondage which can't be done by less than thy giving thy self a ransom for them all which Christ assents unto and complies with and that with delight freely giving himself for them And oh what Grace is this Oh to give such a price for such a Spouse a price so great for a Spouse so black and unworthy this is glorious Grace indeed V. Christ makes love to them tenders himself unto their embraces and withal wooeth them for their acceptance of him and that with the greatest and most affectionate importunity How much soever it has cost Christ to redeem poor sinners and how great a Dowry soever he has given for them yet they are unwilling to close with him they have no mind no heart Christward and so the Match is not like to be made up unless something further be done therefore after all Christ as one phrases it comes a wooing to them he makes love offering himself to them and earnestly follicites them for their love and acceptance he importunes them and that in such a way as if he were resolved to take no denyal in Ezek. 16.8 we read of a time of love a time that is of Christ's making love to sinners lying in their blood and gore And indeed Christ has his times of love times when he makes love and offers himself with all his Riches and Treasures to poor sinners when his language to them is Behold me behold me Isa 65.1 and look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa 45.22 Now he comes and tells over the stories of his love to them how much he has done and suffered for them how much his desire is towards them what great things he will bellow upon them and instate them into and all to win and allure them to himself to gain their love and consent to accept of him and to be his in a Marriage Covenant Time was when Christ came and did this himself in person when he stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7.37 Time was when in his own Person he importuned poor sinners from day to day he made love to them time after time as he did you know to Jerusalem Matth. 23.37 for some years together he wooâ—d them and offered himself and his grace to them in his own person and though he does not now come in person yet as David sent his Servants to Abigail to commune with her and to acquaint her with his purpose and desire to take her to Wife 1 Sam. 25.39 so Christ sends us his Servants his Ministers to poor sinners to commune with them and to declare the love and purposes of his heart towards them and to woo them for him yea and as Ambassadors for Christ we do woo poor Souls and as in Christ's stead beseech them to be reconciled to God to give up their Names and Souls to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant 2 Cor. 5.20 And because we can prevail nothing by and of our selves upon the spirits of men in this great Matter Christ over and above sends his own blessed Spirit to woo them and gain upon them making them willing in the day of his power Psal 110.3 And this leads me to the consideration of those other Acts of Grace in this business wherein the Father and Jesus Christ work by the Spirit in us and upon us for the making up of the Match between Christ and us Only by the way let us still see and admire the Grace of Jesus Christ to poor sinners O that he should woo such poor vile Creatures as we are and make love to us Should you see a King a great King wooing a Begger coming now himself in person and then sending his Servants to her to sollicite and importune her love you would look on this to be great Grace but oh this is nothing to the Grace of Christ in condescending to woo such as we are sinners lying in our Blood CHAP. V. Which gives an account of those which I call more near Acts of Grace which the Father and Jesus Christ by the Spirit do put forth in us and upon us for the effecting of the Espousals between Christ and us DIvine Grace has not yet done its work no there are other Acts which it does and must put forth if ever the Marriage be made up between Christ and us and these I call more near because they are wrought in us and upon us and do more immediately conduce to the tying of the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul And as in the former the Father and Jesus Christ wrought more immediately of and by themselves so in these the blessed Spirits influence comes in and his Grace shews its self they in these acting by him and the truth is the Match is all this while but half made but now God comes and by his Spirit working in and upon the Soul carries on and compleats it which he does by these five Acts of Grace I. The Soul is by the Spirit of God divorced from its old Husband the Law and thereby is fitted and prepared for an espousal to Christ Naturally we are all married to another Husband even to the Law and we must be divorced from that or we can never be married and espoused to Christ So much the Apostle clearly holds forth Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Pray mark marryed to another the Law then was their Husband to which they were married and that they must be dead to and divorced from if ever they would be married to Jesus Christ Look sayes he for 't is his own Argument and Allusion in vers 2 and 3 as a Woman can't be the Wife of two Husbands at once but her present Husband must be dead before she can be married to another so neither can a Soul be espoused to these two Husbands
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
onely does he remain in the Soul as the Pledge and Bond of this Union but also to deck and adorn the Soul with Grace and to make him ready for the consummation of the Marriage above you know when Abraham's Servant saw that Rebekah consented to be Isaac's Wife he then gave her Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold and rich Rayment Gen. 24.53 So the blessed Spirit of God having gained the Souls consent to be espoused to Christ and the Marriage-Knot being tyed between them now he dwells in the Soul to deck and adorn him now he gives him Jewels of Gold and Silver furnishes and beautifies him with all Divine and Heavenly Graces He dwells in him as an indeficient Spring and Fountain of all Grace and gracious dispositions till he has lodged him safe in the Arms and Bosom of his sweet Husband above Thus at length the Espousal or Marriage-Relation is made up between Christ and the Soul And oh how blessed is the Soul that is thus espoused to him I must say to such a Soul Blessed be the day that ever thou wert born blessed the Womb that bear thee and blessed the Paps which gave thee suck blessed Gospel which revealed this sweet Christ to thee and blessed Spirit that has tyed this happy Knot between him and thee CHAP. VI. Being a Call to and Treaty with Souls in order to an Espousal between Christ and them WEll and what is the meaning of all this Surely it should have a mighty influence upon the Spirits of men to draw and allure them to Christ to induce them at least to look after an acquaintance with this blessed espousal to him and indeed I would take occasion hence to treat with eternal Souls in order to a Match between Christ and them And oh that I could do it effectually Look my Beloved as David sent his Servants to Abigail to commune with her in order to his taking of her to Wife 1 Sam. 25.39 40. so has the Lord Jesus sent me his poor unworthy Servant to you this day to commune with you in order to the espousing of you to himself and oh that you would do in this case as she did in that for she hasted 't is said and arose and went to David and became his Wife vers 42. Oh that you would all arise arise out of your sins arise out of your unbelief arise out of your carnal security and go to Christ and become his Spouse And not only so but as she did make haste in the business close speedily with him in a Marriage-Covenant even to day O blessed day might I succeed as they did How happy would it be for you how comfortable for me and how joyful for us all in the day of the Bridegrooms coming Sirs let me say Oh that I might say of you at least some of you as Paul of his Corinthians here I have espoused you to one Husband even to Christ And why should it not be thus Why should you not arise and go with me to sweet Jesus and be espoused unto him Can you make light of all that Love that Comfort that Sweetness that Happiness that blessed Union and Communion that Delight Solace and Complacency of Soul which this Espousal carries in it Or is there any thing can make up the loss of these Can Sin and the Creature afford any thing comparable hereunto Surely there is more sweetness more happiness in one kiss of the mouth of this blessed Lord in one imbrace in his Bosom one moments communion with him than in all the delights of Sin and the Creature If you doubt it come and see experienced Souls will tell you that one descent of love from Christ one beam of the light of his Countenance one turn with him in his Galleries is infinitely beyond all earthly delights whatsoever Again can you be content to die and perish eternally rather than live and be made happy in such a sweet and desirable way as this of being espoused to Christ is A more sweet and desirable way of being made happy than this of an espousal to Christ surely neither Men nor Angels could ever have thought on And can you O eternal Souls be content to die to perish to be damned and miserable for ever rather than be saved and made happy this way If you get not Union with and a Marriage-Relation to this sweet Lord you must die and perish for ever Know you not sayes the Apostle that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 If Christ be not in us we are certainly reprobates we are rejected of God and out of his favour and then surely we must perish Naturally we are all dead all lost all condemned Judgment is come upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 and we are all the children of wrath by nature Ephes 2.3 And if ever we be justified and saved it must be by a Marriage-Union and Relation to Christ There is no condemnation sayes the Apostle or as the words are nothing of condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 But as is there implyed there is nothing but condemnation to them that are out of Christ Jesus Once more can you be content to be shut out from the Marriage at last for ever Think of that Scripture and bear the dread of it if you can Matth. 25.10 And they that were ready went into the Marriage and the door was shut shut against others who then would fain enter To be shut out from the Marriage-Supper at last is to be shut out from God from Christ from the Comforter from all the Saints and Angels from all happiness yea and from all hopes of happiness for ever and thus you must expect to be shut out from the Marriage at last if you come not into an espousal to him here And can you bear it think you Can you be content to hear Christ say unto you at last Depart from me depart You would have none of me on earth though I wooed and besought you with tears and therefore now you shall have none of me in Heaven you might have been happy in a union and communion with me and the arms of my love were open to have received you but you would not therefore now depart from me I know you not And can you bear this Besides what is it that keeps your Soul from a close with Christ in this Marriage-Relation A vain World a filthy Lust a painted perishing Pleasure a sensual Appetite And are these better than Christ Are these indeed things to be laid in the Ballance by you against Christ yea and to down-weigh him in your values O monstrous stupidity In short Sirs the Matter I am treating with you about is no trifle 't is of no less moment and importance to you than eternal Life or Death eternal Salvation or Damnation comes to your eternal All depends upon it for you must live or die be saved or damned eternally according as you do
ten thousand times ten thousand of his Holy Ones even thousands of Angels Dan. 7.10 Glorious in his way of Rule full of Grace and sweetness towards his People full of terror and majesty towards his Enemies his Arrows being sharp in their hearts Psal 45.5 And as he governs all now so he will judge all at last and all must stand or fall live or die be saved or damned for ever according to what Sentence he shall pass upon them Acts 17.31 Rom. 14.10 O how great is this Lord and how worthy to be imbraced by us O Sirs will you deny so great so glorious a Person when he makes love to you Should you see some great Prince wooing a Beggar in Rags upon the Dunghil you would wonder to see her slight him and make him wait time after time upon her Why there is an infinitely greater Person than the greatest of Kings that wooes you and sollicites you for your love And will you yet be shie of him and make him wait Will you refuse him Then wonder at your own sordid ingratitude II. Are you for Riches and Treasures This swayes with most for this none like Christ he has Riches as well as Greatness to recommend him to you Riches and Honour are with me Prov. 8.18 Yea and his Riches are the best sort his are Spiritual Riches Treasures in Heaven Matth. 6.20 Riches of Life and Love Peace and Pardon Grace and Glory Righteousness and Salvation Riches of Glory and Riches in Glory And O what poor things are the Riches of this World to these His are true Riches Luke 16.11 The riches of this World are but painted riches his are substantial Riches I will cause them that love me to inherit Substance Prov. 8.21 The riches of this World are vain they are not Prov. 23.5 But the Riches of Christ have a reality in them His are lasting and durable Riches Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8.18 Worldly riches are perishing and uncertain things 1 Tim. 6.17 Now we enjoy them but all of a suddain they are gone and disappear but Christs are eternal Riches for an eternal Soul And as his Riches are thus of the best sort so he has great abundance of them his Riches are boundless and unsearchable To me sayes Paul it is given to preach the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 He is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 All the Treasures of Heaven and Earth are his He has all fulness dwelling in him Col. 1.19 even all the fulness of the God-head whole God dwells in him He has enough to supply all our wants and to answer all our desires Do we want Grace He is full of Grace John 1.14 Do we want Life With him is the Fountain of Life Psal 36.9 Do we want Redemption redemption from Sin from Death from Hell from Wrath With him is plenteous Redemption Psal 130.7 Do we want Peace He gives peace My Peace I give unto you Joh. 14.27 Do we want Righteousness He has fulfilled all Righteousness he is become the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 Now will you reject this rich Lord You are poor and miserable and naked and will you not embrace this Christ tendering himself with all these Riches to you O how justly then will you perish for ever O that there were some covetous Soul here this day that would be taken with the Riches of Christ III. Are you for Bounty for a noble and generous Spirit That 's desirable in such a Relation and takes much with many for this also none like Christ He is a bountiful Lord of a noble and generous Spirit as well as Rich Many a Man has riches enough but has a base narrow covetous Spirit and so his Wife has little of them but Christ has a noble generous bountiful heart He is not only rich but he is also willing to lay out all his Riches Treasures upon his Spouses All the Treasures of his Love and Grace all the Treasures of his Righteousness and Consolation He would have them abundantly filled abundantly comforted abundantly enriched for ever What a generous Spirit towards them does he express Cant. 5.1 Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abundantly O Beloved As if he should say I have enough infinitely enough for you and I would have you to have enough I would have you to have your Souls full of all Good He would have them to have full Graces full Joyes full Comforts and full Happiness for ever These things speak I unto you sayes he that your joy may be full John 15.11 And again Ask that you may receive that your joy may be full John 16.24 He wills them like happiness with himself Like love and embraces in the Fathers Bosom Joh. 17.24 26. Like Grace and Holiness John 17.22 O what a noble generous bountiful heart has this sweet Lord towards his Spouse Soul shall it not draw and allure thee to him Nothing will satisfie him less than their participating with him in his own blessedness Soul if thou rejectest this bountiful Lord know that he has Treasures of Wrath and Vengeance also which he will plentifully pour out upon thee for ever IV. Are you for Wisdom and Knowledge Wisdom and Knowledge render a person lovely and desirable 't is indeed one of a persons highest excellencies and perfections for this also none like Christ He is the Wisdom of God and the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 The infinite Wisdom of the Eternal God does shine forth in him and through him Yea in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Which may be understood Actively as well as Passively he knowing all as well as having all that is worth knowing in him He is the only wise God Jude 25. There is no true wisdom but in him and there is no true wisdom to be had but by him and from him he is often in Scripture called Wisdom to note that infinite wisdom that is in him He knows all Persons and all Things he knows the Father and that as he is known of him Joh. 10.15 He knows the Mind and Will of the Father hence said to be in his Bosom which is the place of Secrets as well as Love Joh. 1.18 He knows all his Fathers Counsels and Decrees which have been of old touching the Salvation and Damnation of Man Hence we read of the Lambs Book of Life and Names written therein Rev. 13.8 He knows all the Works of God the Father The Father loveth the Son and sheweth him whatsoever he doth John 5.20 He knows the Attributes and Perfections of God and he only Matth. 11.27 John 4.56 He knows the whole Word of God being himself the Word Joh. 1.1 'T is observed by one that the Angels themselves do not know all the Word of God but Christ does And as he thus knows God and the Things of God so he also knows Man and the Things of Man He knows all men and what
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
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
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
enter if the Soul will at all open to him so again all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying People a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face Isa 65.2 3. Rom. 10.21 Fidem resipiscentiam ces in vitavi Scult in Loc. all the day Ionâ— Christ waits day after day and week after week and moneth after moneth and year after year upon Sinners yea and many affronts and indignities does he put up and pass by from them all the day long have I stretched forth my hands opened the Arms and Bosome of my Love and that to a gain-saying and rebellious People an opposing refusing resisting People a people that provoketh me to my face continnally every day a People that are daily loading me with their sins and provocations a People that will not let me go one day without affronting me and that to my face a People that are every day daring me to damn them O what patience is this So Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldest not How often not once or twice or ten times but very often it notes that he waited long upon them and strove long with them and that after many and often repeated affronts and refusals on their part he still tender'd himself and his love to them and thus he deals by Sinners still he tenders himself and his Love to them but they will have none of him he renews his offers and they renew their refusals they spurn at his Love yet he makes love still he tells them what great preparations he has made and how all things are ready and how welcome they shall be to the Marriage-Feast but they make light of all preferring a Worldly interest before him and it Mat. 22. beginning Well however he leaves them not but sends again and calls again notwithstanding all They do in effect tell him they desire neither him nor his Grace that they had rather enjoy their Lusts then his Love they abuse his Grace they despise his corrections they slight his calls they resist his Spirit O what affronts are these And after all this it may be he renews his suit laying himself and his Love at their feet if yet he may win them to him Oh how much must his heart be upon an Espousal with them Soul let it melt thee into Love to him Oh who would withstand such a Lord such a Lover What woo and wait so long too put up such and so many affronts and still make Love Was ever Love like this and patience like this 4. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with sinners as that he has laid himself under Bonds to receive them and accept of them in case they are willing to be Espoused to him and what greater Discovery of his heart then this Should a young man lay himself under Bonds to Marry such or such a Woman though as yet she hated him and were utterly averse from him you would surely conclude that his heart was much set upon a Match with her and truly this is no more then Christ the Lord of Glory hath done he is become bound to Marry poor Sinners to himself yea though at present they hate him and are altogether averse from him yet in case they shall at last be willing to close with him he is become bound to receive them he is become bound both to the Father to them 1. He is bound to the Father to receive Sinners Espouse them to himself in case they come to him so much is held forth in Jo. 6.27 Labour not for the Meat that perisheth but for that which endures unto Everlasting life which the Son of man shall mark shall give unto you for him hath God the Father Sealed That is God the Father hath ordained and appointed Christ he has laid a Law upon him to give Eternal Life and therefore himself to Sinners coming to him and we may therefore rest assured that he will do it yea Christ looks upon himself as under a law from the Father to do it and therefore Sayes â—h Law is within my heart â—â—al 40.8 thy Law what Law why the Law of his Mediatorship which commands him as to dy for Sinners so to accept of Sinners when they come unto him and surely he that so freely fulfilled it in the one will not be disobedient to it in the other in a word in that Covenant by Divines called the Covenant of Redemption which past between the Father and Jesus Christ from Eternity concerning the Salvation of Sinners Christ became bound to the Father to receive all that should come to him and he will be faithful 2. He is bound to Sinners themselves in the case he has indeed given them his Bond he has given them his promise which is his Bond and a strong one too an invincible obligation and the soul may look on it as such but where is his promise truly the whole Gospel is but as it were one general promise made by him to this purpose but take one for all the rest Jo. 6.36 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out i.e. I will most assuredly receive him and bestow my self and eternal life upon him and how often has he renewed this Bond of his yea and that it might be Firm and valid to our Faith as well as in it self he hath hereunto added his Seal and that such a Seal as renders it altogether unquestionable for 't is the Seal of his own Blood Hence the Gospel is called the new Testament in his Blood that is Seal'd and ratisied in his Blood Lâ—ke 22.20 And his Blood is caled the Blood of the Covenant because the Covenant and promises thereof are Seal'd with that Blood â—el 9. Latter end Yea more yet if his promise and his Seal be not enough they shall have more for to both these he has added his Oath for their further security in the case Verily verily sayes he he that believeâ—â— on me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation and again verily veâ—il he hour coweth and now is when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that bear shall live Joh 5.24 25. As I live was the form of God's Oath in the oll Testament he there Swears he hath no pleasure in the death of Sinners but had rather they would 〈◊〉 and live Ezek. 33.11 and verily verily is the form of Christs Oath in the new Testament and he there you see Swears that Souls shall live coming to him O faelicâ—s nos quorum causa deus jurat O insidâ—les nos Si juraâ—ti non credanus Tertul. Lib. de paenit O happr we as one of the Antients Cryes out for whose sakes God doth Swear but O unbelieving we if we do not believe him swearing Thus
thou seest thy self inwardly Black and deformed thou lyest in thy Blood and gore wallowing in thy sin and Filth neither is there any worth any Beauty in thee for which Christ should desire thee and therefore sayest thou surely Christ will have nothing to do with me nor so much as cast an eye or look of love upon me but soul this shall not stand between Christ and thee neither but if thou hast a mind to him he will Marry thee to himself notwithstanding For indeed Christ Marries not any for their Beauty but those whom he Marries he Marries to make them Beautiful He Marries them not for any worth of theirs but to put a worth upon them indeed there are none that he Espouses to himself but he finds them Black and deformed in their Blood and Gore as well as thee and so they are till he puts his Beauty upon them how sweet is that word Ezek 16.6 7 8. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy Blood i. e. in thy sin and filth I said unto thee live I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live yea when thou wast in thy Blood live Mark three times he mentions it in thy Blood in thy Blood in thy Blood To note the depth of that defilement we are all under well and what then will Christ have any thing to do with such yes he makes love to them Behold thy time was the time of love he Marries them to himself in an Everlasting Covenant I spread my Skirt over thee sayes he and covered thy makedness yea I swear unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Yea not only so but he puts a Beauty yea his own Beauty and comliness upon them hou art come to Excellent Ornaments and art comely through my comliness which I have put upon thee as Verse 14. O soul be not discouraged Christ will turn thy blackness into Beauty and not cast thee off because of it 3. Is it the greatness and Hainousness of thy sin and guilt O my sins my sins sayes the poor foul they are exceeding many and exceeding great they are many and great in themselves and they are cloathed with many and great aggravations Few in the World ever sinned at that rate that I have done therefore I fear that Christ will never own me so as to take me into such a Relation with himself Well be it so yet know that this shall not stand between Christ and thee if thou art willing to be Espoused to him He has promised to pardon great sins and to accept notwithstanding great sins in case the soul be but willing 〈◊〉 non says he And let us Reason together though your sins are as Scarâ—e◠〈◊〉 shall he white as Snow though they are red like Crimson they shall he as Hool Isa 1.18 Pecata vâ—stra sicut nix albescont c. Uoc est vos a peccatis 〈◊〉 iâ—â—mibas mundati 〈◊〉 niâ—is puâ—i eritis â—lais Gâ—ar Sâ—c Though your Sins are as Scarlet and as Crimsâ—â— i. e. Though they are great foul enormous Sins Sins of a hainous and crying nature and cloathed with the greatest aggravations yet they shall be White as Snow and Wool i. e. They shall be fully done away and pardon'd so fully done away and pardon'd as if they had never been So again Isa 43.24 25. in the 24 v. He speaks to some who had made him to serve with their Sins and wearied him with their iniquities These surely were great Sinners and their sins of a hainous crying nature and yet at the 25 v. what a full promise of pardon does he make to them I even 1 am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Poor Soul what shall I say Hast thou abundantly sinned Hast thou multiplied sins He has promised abandantly to pardon and to nothing pâ—â—dons Isa 55.7 Art thou guilty of all manner of sins and to thy other sins hast thou added Blasphemy He has promised that all manner of sin and Blâ—â—phemy shall be for given except that against the holy Ghost which thy complaining of the greatness of thy sins argues thou art not guilty of Mat. 12.31 O Soul be not discouraged because of the greatness of thy sins Christ marries souls not because they are not sinners great sinners but he Marries them to take away their sins and to discharge them from them for even And the greater thy sins are the greater will be the Glory of Christ's grace which is what he Aims at in receiving of thee into so near and Glorious a Relation with himself as this is Besides what wilt thou do with thy great sins unless thou goest with them to Christ Great sins argue a great need of Christ and call for great hastening unto Christ 4. Is it any former neglects or refusals of thine Possibly not onely are thy sins many and great but there is this added to all the rest long and frequent refusals of Christ and his love He has often called but thou hast given gim no answer he has long woo'd thee but thou hast not complied with him O the many sweet calls Gracious offers loving tenders which he has made to thee and thou hast Despised And this makes thee fear that he will now have nothing to do with thee And truly soul this is sad very sad hereby Christ has lost much Glory which thou mightest have brought him hereby thou hast lost much sweet communion which thou might est have enjoyed hereby Christ's heart has been much grieved which might have been prevented and hereby the work is made much more difficult then at first it was thy heart being grown more hard and Corruptions more strong Thus 't is every way very sad that thou hast thus neglected and refused Christ but yet neither shall this stand between him and thee in case thou art willing to be Espoused to him For this see Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. Wisdom Cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets she cryeth in the chief place of concourse in the openings of the gates in the City she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity And the Sconners delight in their Scorning and Fools hate Knowledge Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Pray observe Christ had offered himself and his love to them but they had refused him and it yea they had refused long and refused with much contempt How long ye Simple ones will ye love Simplicity c. They scorn'd the offers of Christ and his Love and yet here he renewes those offers to them wherein he tells them that none of all their refusals should prejudice their acceptance with him in case they are willing to be his Turn ye at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit c. And soul do not the most
refuse long and stand it out long against the offers of Christ and his grace e're they close with him who yet are received embraced by him Be not therefore discouraged poor soul because of thy former neglects and refusals of Christ but throw thy self into the Arms of his love which thou wilt certainly find wide open to receive and Embrace thee 5. Is it any revolting or Back-sliâ—ing of thine from him Possibly thou hast souretimes been on thy way towards Christ thou hast had some workings some good Resolutions and affections within thee for him I and thou hast made some profession of him thou hast sometimes been even upon the turning point the point of closeing with Christ and the Match has been near made up between him and thee And yet after all this thou hast revolted and Back-sliden from him Playing the Harlot with many lovers which makes thee fear that he will now reject thee shouldest thou goe to him And the truth is this also is very sad For hereby Christ has been eminently Dishonoured and thy Soul has been eminently endangered But yet be not discouraged for this shall not stand between Christ and thee if yet thou art but willing to be Espoused to him Christ offers himself and his grace to such as these he promises to heal Back-slidings Jer. 3.1 Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord and â— 12. Return thou Backsliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you For I am merciful so Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me Thee who Why as revolting and Backsliding a People as ever were in the World so you will find in the beginning of the Chap. There is hope then you see for revolters and Backsliders therefore be not discouraged but go to him and he will not cast thee out Well soul Here 's encouragement enough for thee notwithstanding all thy Vileness Sinfulness and unworthiness and to add to thy encouragment yet know Christ has received multitudes that were every way as vile sinful and unworthy as thou art What dost thou think of Manasseth who was a Sorcerer and an Idolater What dost thou think of Paul who was a Persecuter and a Blasphemer What dost thou think of Mary Magdalen who had seven Devils in her What dost thou think of Rahab who was an Harlot What dost thou think of multitudes of those who Crucified Christ but afterwards believed These were all great Sinners and yet Christ received them into the Arms of his Love What dost thou think of the black List and Catalogue of Sinners among the Corinthians mentioned 1 Cor. 6.9 10. who were Drunkards Thieves Murderers Adulterers Idolaters abusers of themselves with Mankind and the like What dost thou think of them Titus 3.3 who were Foolish Disobedient Living in Envy Hateful and hâ—â—eing one another serving divers Lusts and pleasures Surely these were as vile as sinful as worthless as thou art and had as much to stand between Christ and them and yet they found grace in Christ's sight upon their looking to him Indeed there is never a Soul now in Heaven but was by Nature every way as vile sinful and unworthy of Christ as thou they lay under the same pollution they wallowed in the same Blood they were filled with the same Spirit of opposition against God and his wayes that thou dost and art yea and multitudes of them were as vile and sinful by practice also as thou they Acted out the sin and enmity of their Natures as highly against God and Christ as thou hast done and yet these Christ received else they had not been in Heaven In a word Heaven as one observes is an House full of the Miracles of Christ's free Grace There 's Idolatrous Manisseth among the true Worshippers of God There 's oppressing Zacheus among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect There 's Blasphemous Paul among the Host of Angels Lauding Praising and singing Halelujahs to God and the Lamb and there is Mary Magdalen that had seven Devils among the Saints of the most High who are filled even to overflowing with the seven Spirits of God O who then would be discouraged Yea Soul all thy vileness sinfulness and unworthiness does but as it were qualifie thee for Christ and his free Grace My sinful wants and unworthiness sayes Rutherford have qualified me for Christ and his grace Cast thy self therefore fully upon him notwithstanding all not doubting thine acceptance with him 6. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with sinners as that he delights and rejoyces in nothing more hardly then in the Nuptials between him and them and oh how should this draw and allure us to him Should you see a Young Man rejoycing in the sense of an Espousal between himself and such or such an one whom he Loved you might well conclude that his heart was much upon her and is it not thus here Christ rejoyces in the sight and sense of an Espousal between himself and sinners and how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business This I will give you in three propositions 1. This is what he rejoyced and delighted himself in the thoughts of from all Eternity thus much he himself tells us Proâ— 8.30 31. Then namely from Everlasting was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men These are Christ's words and in them he tells you where he was and what he had been doing from Eternity he was with the Father and rejoyced before him but what did he rejoyce in truly next to his Father and himself his rejoycing was in the habitable parts of the Earth and his delights were with the Sons of Men He delighted himself in the thoughts of saving poor sinners and Espousing them unto himself in order thereunto Oh how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business 2. As he thus delighted and rejoyced in the thoughts of it before hand so when at any time a poor Soul is Actually Espoused to him then he rejoyces afresh and is delighted afresh Hence the day of Espousals is called the day of the gladness of his heart Cant. 3.11 the day of Espousals between Christ and a poor Sinner is a day of gladness and rejoyceing to the Father a day of gladness and rejoycing to the blessed Spirit a day of gladness and rejoycing to the Holy Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect For there is joy in Heaver at this 〈◊〉 15.7 But 't is especially a day of gladness and rejoycing to Christ the Bridegroom O to see poor Sinners come in and give up themselves to him in a Marriage-Covenant this is the joy the rest the sat is faction of his soul Hence ' its said he shall see of
with him those his Blood cleanses from all sin 1 Jo. 1.7 and in him have they redemption through his Blood even the for giveness of sin Eph. 1.7 As for others he tells them plainly they shall die in their sins Jo. 8.24 O how sad a condition is this Soul thou art guilty of multitudes of sins the least of which has evil enough in it to damn thee eternally Thou hast thousands 10 thousands of Scarlet Crimson sins sins cloathed with black and crying aggravations lying upon thee and to have all these in the full weight of the guilt and punishment of them charged upon thee by the great God for ever how miserable does this speak thy condition to be 6. Being estranged from Christ you are under a necessity of sinning and so of great'ning your own damnation daily A man out of Christ does do can do nothing but sin for he is not subject to the Law of God nor can he be Rom. 8.8 And as he is ever sinning so he is ever treasuring up wrath unto himself Ro. 2.5 O how sad a condition is this This is Dura necessitas as Austin calls it and speaks a mans condition to be very doleful To be always sinning against God and alwayes treasuring up wrath to a man 's own Soul this is next to Hell in some sort worse To give you thee Sum of all Being estranged from Christ you have nothing to satisfie Divine justice which is ready to seize upon you nothing to pacifie Divine wrath which is ready to break forth against you nothing to stand between Divin revenges and your sinful souls What shall I say you have many accusers and by them many heavy charges brought in against you and being without Christ you have no Advocate to plead your cause none to speak a good word in Heaven for you and is not that sad you are deeply in debt you owe your 10 thousand tallents to Divine justice and being without Christ you have nothing to pay but are in danger of being cast into the Prison of eternal darkness whence there is no redemption And is not that sad you are under an obligation to much Duty and being without Christ you are under an utter impossibility of performing any of it acceptably You are under a judgment of condemnation and being without Christ you have nothing that can secure you one day one hour one moment more on this side everlasting Burnings and O how sad and miserable is this Thus you see both your estrangment from Christ and also your misery in part by reason of that estrangment Now as ever you would get Union and Communion with him labour to be deeply sensible of both these 2. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ Then labour to be soundly convinced and deeply sensible of the greatness and Hainousness of the sin of refusing Christ and the offers of his Love poor Soul thou standest it out against Christ he wooes and calls and invites thee to himself but thou slightest and refusest all and this thou thinkest a small matter but let me tell thee this is a most hainous and crying sin To Swear to Murder to Steal to be Drunk to be Unclean and the like these thou look'st upon as black and horred things Indeed well thou mai'st for they are sins of a more then ordinary hainous and abominable nature But yet know that thy sin in rejecting Christ and the offers of his Love is greater and more provoking then all these This indeed is the great sin and the sin thou must in a especial manner be sensible of if ever thou art United to Christ so much Christ himself tells us in that known place Joh. 16.8 9. he sayes he speaking of the Spirit whom he promised to send shall convince the World of sin because they believe not in me unbelief then is the great sin that the Spirit convinces souls of And what 's unbelief but the neglect and refusal of Christ and the offers of his Love made to us in the Cospel He shall convince the World of sin because they believe not in me i.e. de illo magno grandi incredulitatis peccato He shall convince them of that grand sin of unbelief as a learned man expounds it as if Christ should say he shall make men see the black and hainous nature of the sin of rejecting me and my Love He shall humble them for it and set them a bleeding over it This sin of rejecting Christ some of the Shcool-men have called Maximum peccatum the greatest sin of all And indeed next to the unpardonable sin what greater This is a sin most directly and immediately against Christ and the Gospel O for a vile wretched sinner to shut the door of his soul against Christ the King of Glory and deny him entertainment to refuse and reject the free and frequent offers of him and his Love how great a sin must this be And soul to convince thee the better of it and make thee the more afraid of it I shall suggest a few considerations to thee holding forth a little of its black and horred evil 1 Consider that the neglect and refusal of Christ his Love is a sin against a special eminent command and therefore a great crying sin The greater and more eminent the command is which we transgress and sin against the greater our sin and guilt is in transgressing that command Now God does not onely command us to receive and embrace Christ and his Love but this command of his is a great signal and eminent command So St John tells us 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ whom he hath sent What is it to believe on the name of Jesus Christ but to receive and embrace Christ offering himself in the Gospel to us and to live upon him having so received and embraced him Now sayes he this is his commandment his great his special commandment his commandment in a most signal eminent manner and Christ himself asserts the same thing Joh. 6.28 29. In the 28 v. They ask him what shall we do that we may works the Work of God His answer in the 29. v. is This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent i. e. That ye receive and embrace me and live upon me by believing This is the Work of God the great work which he commands you and expects from you Believing as Calvin observes upon this place is not called the Work of God Non quia efficit deus in nobissed quid requirit Christus docet Calv. in Loc. because 't is of Gods operation as you have it else where or that which God works in us but because 't is the great thing which he commands and requires of us To reject and refuse Christ then is a sin against a signal and emenient command indeed against the great command of the Gospel and therefore
of excuse or apology for themselves Verily nothing but will be Speechless as he is said to be Mat. 22.12 They can't say they were not warned of the evil of sin They can't say that pardon and Salvation were not offer'd them They can't say that the offer was not full and free and clear They can't say they had to do with an hard Master nor can they say that sin is not worthy of death They will have nothing to say Secondly it leaves you without the least room or place of appeal for ever I may say here as 't is said in anorher case 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another the judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him So if a man sin against the Law by transgressing of it he may appeal to the Gospel and the grace of Christ there But if a man sin against Christ and his Grace offer'd in the Gospel where then shall he appeal Verily there is no appeal to be made no relief to be found for him If a man be condemn'd at the seat of justice as having sinn'd against the Law he may appeal unto the mercy-seat the throne of Grace and sind sweet relief but if he sin against the mercy-seat and the throne of Grace then he has nothing to appaal to that may administer relief to him Now by refusing of Christ we sin against the Throne of Grace we pull down what in us lies the mercy-seat and where then shall we appeal O consider these things and learn by them to dread this sin of refusing Christ I might say much more to convince you of the hainous evil of it but let this suffice Sure I am 't is enough to and had we the due sense of it upon our Spirits it would make us tremble at it for ever 3. Wouldest thou indeed be Espoused to Christ Then give not way to the discouragements of sense but bear up thy Soul upon the encouragements of Faith upon such Gospel-principles considerations as do tend to draw sinners to Faith in Christ Possibly upon reading and considering the woeful misery of thy condition without Christ and the dreadful hainousness of thy sin and guilt in thy long and frequent refusing of him discouragements not a few may arise within and indeed no sooner usually does a poor Soul look towards Christ or think of closing with him in a Marriage-Covenant but presently multitudes of discouragements arise to deter him there from O says he what a monstrous sinner am I How have I despised Christ and his grace How long have I stood it out against him I have serv'd my lusts all my dayes and rejected his calls To what purpose do I now talk of closing with him These and multitudes such like discouragements do arise in the Soul which being given way to do effectually keep him from Christ But if ever Soul thou wouldest attain to Union and communion with him thou must shut thine eyes and heart too against all discouragements of this nature and though they press in upon thee again and again yet thrust them out fixing thine eye and heart upon the encouragements of Faith dwell much in the thoughts of them and bear up thy soul upon such Gospel principles and considerations as do tend to weaken unbelief beget Faith in the soul and for thy help herein I shal mention some of these encouragements of Faith or Gospel-principles which I would have thee to be serious and frequent in the contemplation of 1. The first Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldst bear up thy Soul upon and be frequent in the contemplation of is this that there is a rich a glorious and an overflowing fulness of all good treasured up in Christ for poor Sinners and that his Grace does abundantly exceed both our wants and sins 'T is the work and nature of unbelief to little and limit the fulness of Christ in the eye of the soul It shews the soul the multitude of his sins and wants but it conceals and Locks up Christs treasures and fulness And whatever we pretend the ground of our not closing with Christ at least one principal one is this that we doubt of his fulness we do not see enough in Christ to supply our wants and relieve our distresses Unbelief perswading us that Christ is not the Christ the Scripture represents him to be But Soul away with all such apprehensions and dwell thou in the contemplation of Christ's infinite fulness Look to him as one infinitly able to supply thy wants to pardon thy sins to healthy maladies to subdue thy lusts to sanctifie thy heart and to save thy Soul eternally Look upon him as the Scripture represents him The Scripture tells thee That it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 All fulness of Grace and life all fulness of peace and pardon all fulness of Righteousness and Salvation There is in Christ not onely a fulness of abundance but of redundance an over-flowing fulness a fulness infinitly superabounding our sins and wants The Scripture tells us That he is able to save unto the very uttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 Save able to save able to save to the uttermost and that not one or two but all that come unto God by him The Scripture speaks of Christs unsearchable riches Eph. 3.8 The Ocean of his Grace is not to be sounded by the longest line of the largest created understanding Paul experienced the superabounding fulness of his Grace and has left it upon record for our encouragement 1 Tim. 1.14 The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant it was more then enough I found more Grace in Christ as one expresses it then I knew what to do withall and yet what was this Paul Himself tells you in the very v. before and after he was a Blasphemer a Persecutor and the chief of Sinners a man every way of as many sins and wants as thou art Accordingly view him and bear up thy Soul in the face of all discouragements Reason thus with thy self True my condition is sad my wants are exceeding many and my sins exceeding great But what then Is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Is not Christ able to save me and that to the utmost notwithstanding all Look O my soul yonder is sweet Jesus upon the Throne at the Fathers Right Hand full of Grace and truth look upon him and consider What are all thy wants to his Riches and fulness What are all thy miseries and distresses to his Bowels of Mercy What are all thy sins to the merit of his Blood thy provocations to his fatisfaction Were thy wants more and greater then they are his fulness could supply them all were thy sins greater and more hainous then they are his Blood could cleanse thee from all The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin 1 Jo. 1.7 There is infinitly
and peculiar in his Love and respects as great Persons use to be He will know his distance and he will make Sinners know theirs But Soul deal with this as from the devil and unbelief reject it as a reproach thrown upon Christ and dwell much in the contemplation of his infinite willingness to receive and save the worst of Sinners that come to him Reason it a little with thy self Why did he become incarnate Why did he bleed and die Why does he woo and wait and offer and call and strive with poor Sinners to win them to himself Does it not all argue a willingness and readiness in him to give forth both himself and his fulness to them 4. The Fourth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldest bear up thy soul upon and dwell much in the contemplation of is this That the onely spring and principle of all that ever Christ does for poor Sinners from first to last is his own Soverain Grace and Love 'T was his Love that brought him down from Heaven and that led him out to Bleed and die for them Hence Eph. 5.25 he is said to Love his Church and give himself for it 'T is his Love his free Love that first draws them to himself and allures them into Covenant with him I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31.3 'T is his Love that receives them that pardons them that bestows life and Salvation upon them Hence all is said to be of Grace even the whole of our Salvation Eph. 2.8 Hence he is represented to us as sitting upon a Throne of Grace and there 't is that he invites us to come to him and from thence give out all to us Heb. 4.16 and therefore to that Throne we though Sinners may come boldly He is upon a Throne and therefore we may assure our selves that he will do great things for Sinners coming to him he will act like a King pardon like a King save like a King do all with Kingly greatness and magnificence And 't is a Throne of Grace a Throne that reigns Grace a Throne whereon Grace sits in imperial Majesty and decrees all for poor Sinners coming to it and so does all freely all in a way of Soverain Grace and Love Hence that Language I will have mercy because I will have mercy I will pardon because I will pardon and I will save because I will save Now what an encouragement is this to Faith and how if rightly weighed and consider'd would it dash all the pleas of unbelief to pieces and sweetly draw the Soul on to a close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant For pray consider what is the nature of Soverain Grace and Love The nature of it is to act from it self to itself without any consideration of any thing in us without respecting either the worthiness or the unworthiness of the creature at all The nature of it is such that 't is neither constrain'd to nor restrain'd from doing good to souls by any thing either of good or evil in them but all runs freely And therefore no matter what I am though never so vile and wretched in my self while I have to do with such love and such love is the spring of all Christ's dealings with me and Carriages towards me 5. The Fifth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldest bear up thy self upon and dwell much in the contemptation of is this That the great design of Christ in all his undertakings for and dispensation towards Sinners is the illustrating and enthroning of his own Grace and the more vile sinful and forlorn a wretch thou art the more will his Grace be enthroned and illustrated in thine acceptance with him Christ in his dealings with and for Sinners does not onely act from a principle of Soverain Grace but in all he carrie on a design to enthrone that Grace of his and to make it Glorious for ever yea and he acts and will act sutably to such a design 'T is not what such and such Sinners do or do not deserve says Christ that I am to mind but what my Grace can do for them and what will make most for the Glory of that Grace what will set the brightest Crown upon its Head This is evident Eph. 1.6.12.14 Which was open'd before upon another occasion Hence those whom he saves he saves in such a way as may most lift up his own Grace his design therein being that Grace might reigh as you have it Rom. 5.21 Hence you read of his justifying the ungodly Rom. 4.5 He will have his Grace triumph over every Soul whom he saves Now what an encouragement is this to Faith Christ not onely sits upon a Throne of Grace but also his design in dealing with Sinners is to set his Grace upon the Throne Sinner the more vile and sinful thou art the more sutable it is to Christ's design to save thee for the more vile and sinful thou art the greater name and Glory will his Grace get in thine acceptation and Salvation by him The more vile and sinful thou art the greater will be the declaration of Grace on Christ's part in thine acceptance and Salvation O when Christ shall pardon a soul so guilty receive a soul so sinful reconcile a soul that is such an enemy as thou art how will this declare the Glorious riches of his Grace in the view both of men Angels This will shew forth the exceeding riches of his Grace as the the Expression is Eph. 2.7 And the morevile and sinful thou art the greater will be the admiration of Grace for ever on thy patt Where much is forgiven there will be the return of much Love much praise Luk. 7.47 O who am I sayes the soul when once received to mercy though more then ordinary vile and sinful who am I that I should find Grace in Christ's sight What such a rebell and yet pardon'd Such an enemy and yet reconcil'd Such a Black devil and yet washt and made white in the Blood of the Lamb Such a Fiend of Hell and yet made a Favourite of Heaven Such a filthy deformed wretch and yet taken into the pure and Lovely Bosome of sweet Jesus O Grace Grace How rich and free is Grace And O what praise and Hallelujahs will there be tuned upon the Tongues and spirits of such to God and the Lamb for ever When therefore thou wouldst go to Christ and discouragements arise to keep thee back from him thou shouldst dwell in the thoughts of and bear up thy soul upon this consideration reasoning thus with thy self True I am a vile wretch the chief of Sinners one on all accounts worthy to be abhor'd and cast off by Christ But what then Christ acts towards Sinners purely from a principle of Grace and Love he regards neither worthiness nor unworthiness whether a great sinner or a little sinner 't is all one to him as to his
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
thou art full of sorrows thy dayes are spent in grief and thy years in sighing but then there shall be no more sorrow sorrow and sighing both shall flie away for ever Now thou art full of pains yea as the holy Prophet of old complained Thou art pained at thy very heart in the sense of thy own Afflictions and in the sense of the Churches Afflictions in the sense of thine own sins and in the sense of the Worlds sins thou art pained at the very heart but then there shall be no more pain Now thou sowest in tears but then thou shalt reap in joy Now thou goest forth weeping yet bearing precious Seed then thou shalt return rejoycing bringing thy sheaves with thee Now thou art in a storm a storm of Affliction a storm of Temptation a storm of Persecution thou art afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted it may be as the Church sometimes was Isa 54.11 But then he will make thy storm a calm and so bring thee into the desired Haven to allude to that Psal 107.30 Now the Devil and his messengers are buffetting of thee and will give thee no rest then they shall be all troden under foot and thy Soul shall act one eternal triumph over them saying as she of old in her Song did O my Soul thou hast trodden down strength 2. Then Christ will turn all thy blackness into beauty all thy sinful deformity into perfect purity and holiness for ever and this is much more sweet than the former Alas sayes the Soul turn my Water into Wine true that is sweet but there is that which lies heavier upon me than all the troubles and afflictions in the World and that is my sinful blackness and deformity O this stained polluted defiled nature of mine this fountain of sin and enmity against God that is within this is that which is the burthen too heavy for me to bear Well for thy comfort know that thy Husband sweet Jesus will come and when he comes he will turn thy blackness into beauty thy sin into holiness then he will sanctifie thee and cleanse thee that he may present thee to himself a glorious Spouse Ecclesiam esse gloriosam non habentem maculam nequâ— rugam est ultimus finis ad quem perducimur per passionem Christi â—unde hoc erit in statu patriae non autem in statu via Aqui. not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5.26 27. Poor Soul thou hast now many stains many spots and those such as thou art apt sometimes to think are not the spots of Gods Children but then all these spots shall be wiped out and thou shalt be without spot yea thou shalt not onely be without spot but without wrinkle too There may be wrinkles where there may be no spots and these are blemishes Significat nullum planè peccatum velminimum futurum in corpore Ecclesiae nullumque veteris Adaemi vestigium sed futuram eam totam gloriosam Zanch. in loc O but then thou shalt have neither spot nor wrinkle thou shalt be perfectly freed from lesser as well as greater sins yea thou shalt have neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing nothing that looks like sin nothing that thou canst suppose to be in the least a blemish or defect there shall not be the least print or foot-step of the old Adam as one speaks upon the place left in thee or upon thee but thou shalt be altogether holy and without blemish Christ will then perfectly fill thee with his own Spirit beautifie thee with his own Image deck thee with his own Ornaments enamel and irradiate thee with his own Glory for then he will make thee like himself both in holiness and happiness 1 Joh. 3.2 Poor Soul now thou art groaning under a body of Sin and Death under the unclean motions of sin the impure lustings of the flesh the cursed imposings of a base vile unbelieving heart that is imposing upon thee in every Duty in every Condition in every Relation Now thou art pestered with the springings buddings blossomings and ebullitions of lust and corruption within thee but when sweet Jesus comes there shall be an end of all this Christ he overlooks all this now but then he will do it all away and thou shalt shine with the perfection of beauty 3. Then Christ will solemnly present thee to his Father as his Spouse in the presence of all his holy Angels And O how glorious and joyful will this be In Gen. 24. lat we read that Isaac took Rebekah and brought her into his Mothers Tent So when dear Jesus comes to consummate the Marriage between him and thee he will being attended with all his holy Angels bring thee into his Fathers House and will there present thee to him as his Spouse saying Father here is my Spouse here is one whom in the day of everlasting love thou gavest unto me one whom I have redeem'd to my self by my Blood and married to my self by my Spirit in the Gospel this is he that I was made sin and a curse for and though he was in his blood and gore when I first made love to him yet loe now here he is spotless and faultless before thee Father own him as thy Sons Spouse and delight in him for ever O how sweet how glorious will this be Suppose some great Prince were married and upon his Marriage should take his Spouse in his hand and lead her into the Presence-Chamber of the King his Father and there present her to him to the end he might take notice of her as his Sons Spouse and shew sutable respect and favour to her what a sweet thing would this be But alas what is this to the presentation Christ will make of thee to his Father at his coming Who will then present thee faultless into the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude v. 24. When David and the Elders of Israel brought up the Ark from the House of Obed-Edom 't was with great joy and shouting 1 Chron. 15.25 28. But O when Christ attended with all his holy Angels shall bring and present thee into the presence of his Father what joy and shoutings will there then be surely there will be great rejoycing on all hands God the Father will greatly rejoyce Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce God the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoyce the Angels will greatly rejoyce thy Soul also will greatly rejoyce God the Father will greatly rejoyce to see his Sons Spouse come home to him so richly deck't and adorn'd Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce that he has gotten his Spouse into his Arms and Bosom never to part with hen more the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoyce to see his work in tying the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul compleated the Angels will greatly rejoyce as being Friends both of the Bridegroom and Bride and as partaking with them in the Marriage-Supper and thou thy self wilt greatly rejoyce in that
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