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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69777	The intercourses of divine love betwixt Christ and his Church, or, The particular believing soul metaphorically expressed by Solomon in the first chapter of the Canticles, or song of songs : opened and applied in several sermons, upon that whole chapter : in which the excellencies of Christ, the yernings of his gospels towards believers, under various circumstances, the workings of their hearts towards, and in, communion with him, with many other gospel propositions of great import to souls, are handles / by John Collinges ...	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1683 (1683)	Wing C5324; ESTC R16693	839,627	984

as being out of Christ the Begger that hath been anointed with the good Ointments mention●d in the Text though he smells of the Dunghil of putrified Sores in our nostrils yet in the nostrils of God and of all S●i●ts hath a thousand times sweeter savour than the most costly perfumed Sinner in the world O therefore come to Christ that thou maist have of his sweet Ointments And let this engage every Child of God to study Christ more to labour for more knowledge of the Scriptures for more experiences of the Grace of Christ How often do we put a Box of sweet perfume or aflower to our nostrils How seldom do we medirate of Christ or smell of his sweet Ointments Consider 1. Hath not Christ good Ointments have not you had experience of them Nay 2. Herein lies their excellency their sweetness is inexhanstible you have i●may be tasted a little of the sweetnesa of Grace and communion with God but ah how little 3. Lastly The more your Souls are acquainted with him and the mysteries of his Grace the more you study him the nearer you come to him the more exceeding sweet he and his grace will appear to your Souls He that cometh too near a Box of Ointment smells a worse savour then at a distance there is an ill smelling earthiness in all the worlds sweets but the nearer your Souls come to Christ The nearer fellowship and communion you have with him the more exceeding sweetness you will discern in him Sermon XIV Canticles 1. 3. At the savour of thy good Ointments Thy name is an Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee I Have opened these words and from them handled already one Proposition of Doctrine I now proceed to the second from those words Thy name is an Ointment poured forth The name of Christ is an Oil or Ointment poured out When I opened the words I told you a Name is either a word or words expressive of the essence of a thing or serving to distinguish one thing from another In the first sense God hath no name No word sufficiently expresseth the essence of God what is his name What is his Sons name It is secret it is wonderful But so far forth as God or Jesus Christ is by any terms made known to us so far he is said to have a name More especially I told you that Christ as Emanuel or God with us hath several names Jesus Christ Messias Emanuel these are all his names 2. Whatsoever Christ is made known by to his People or to any Soul by that is his name but that I may yet speak a little more fully and distinctly I will shew you 1. What I mean by the name of Christ in the Proposition 2. In what sense this name of his is like an Oil or Ointment poured out 3. I shall prove it to you and shew you whence it is so Lastly I shall apply it Q● 1. What in the Doctrine is meant by the name of Christ I have told you in the general those proper names whether relating to his Person or Offices which the Scripture gives him Let me instance in some of them 1. Emanuel or it may be more properly Immanuel When that Ahaz Is 7. 14. refused to ask a sign the Lord graciously promiseth him one A Virgin saith the Prophet shall conceive and bear a Son and thou shalt call his name Immanuel The Angel gives him this name Mat. 1. 23. The name it self is Originally Hebrew made up of three Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 El. signifieth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies with and thus the Angel interpreteth it Mat. 1. 23. This is one of the names of Christ and signifieth the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures in the One Person of the Redeemer and therefore Piscator I think saith right that it ought not to be given to any Creature Cheitomeus tells us it was given to Christ 1. In respect of his Person in which God was united with our Nature and 2. In respect of his Office we have an advocate with the Father saith St. John 1 Joh. 2. 1. even Christ the righteous So he is God with us that is on our side in that sense as the phrase is taken Num. 14. 9. The Lord is with us sear them not and Judg. 6. 13. If the Lord be with us whence is all this 2. I will join two other names together indeed they are the same only one is of an Hebrew extract the other Greek Messiah and Christ the one cometh from the Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath anointed with Oil and the Noun properly signifieth one that is anointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signifieth one that is anointed you have the signification of Messias warranted Joh. 1. 41. we have s●y they found the Messias that is the Christ and thus even the Samaritans understood it as appears from the language of the Woman Joh. 4. 25. I know that when the Messias comes who is called Christ The Jews were wont to anoint both their High Priests and Kings and Prophets as you shall find in that one instance 1 Kings 19. 16. compared with the known Text for the anointing the High Priest in the Book of Exodus those that were thus anointed were in the Hebrew called Messiahs The High Priest is so called Levit. 4. 3. If the High Priest that is anointed do sin the word is there the Messiah The same name is applied to Saul the King of Isra●l 1 Sam. 24. 6. The Lord forbid saith David when his men would have had him killed Saul that I should do this thing to my Master the Lords anointed In the Hebrew it is the Lords Messiah yea and the People of God who have received the Vnction of the blessed Spirit of which the legal Unctions were a Type have this name applyed to them Psal 105. 15 Touch not mine anointed in the Hebrew it is touch not my Messiahs but look as though there be many Antichrists that is many that are enemies to Christ as St. John tells us 1 Joh. 2. 18. yet there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one special Antichrist to whom that Name belongs to whom that Name is as a proper Name whereas as to others it is rather an Appellative So though there be many Messiahs many Anointed ones to whom the Name agrees as a kind of an Appellative Name such were the Jewish High Priests some if not all their Kings and Prophets yea and all the Lord's People yet there was one to whom this Name eminently most properly did belong who was The Messiah This was Christ Daniel calleth him Messiah the Prince Dan. 9. 25. From the going forth of the Commandment to restore Hierusalem and to build it unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks And although the second Psalm literally respects David an eminent Type as well as Progenitor of Christ yet by

first discovered to James the Apostle afterward to the aforementioned Bishop of Granada who sought for them and found them saith Pineda per altos Granatensis montis cuniculos latebras in which leaden Plates there should be ingraven in Arabick so much concerning Solomon as in English sounds thus And he bewailed his sin with a great lamentation and it was forgiven him and he died faithful and in peace I say there will be no need of these Apocryphal helps we have a more sure word of Prophecy and stronger Scripture arguments engaging us to conclude Solomon's repentance and Salvation against some of the Ancients speaking doubtfully and the more modern Papists speaking both peremptorily and impudently in the case and must conclude that Emanuel Thesaurus speaks like a profane Poet when he tells us concerning Solomon Primu è Christi Proavis Stygem coluit Et Primus intravit Indubio Argumento nam Idola posuit non sustulit Et Flenda leguntur non fletus Having thus far given you a Character of this great Person who wrote this sacred Book and by this digression served my design a little in shewing you that there is no ground from his miscarriages to conclude against his being the Penman either of this or the other pieces of Sacred Writ to which the Hebrew Text entituleth him and which the Ecclesiastical Juries in all ages have found his The next thing we have to enquire is the time and occasion of his writing it concerning which the Scriptures silence hath given Writers the greater liberty to abound in their several senses I see no great prejudice either to Solomon himself or to the Divine Authority of this Sacred Book from the opinion of those who think that Solomon wrote this Song in the beginning of his Reign when he first Married Pharaohs Daughter first proselyted to the Jewish Religion at which time it is said 1 Kings 3. 3. Solomon loved the Lord walking in the Statutes of David his Father and that his Marriage with Pharaohs Daughter gave him the occasion of this Heavenly Meditation for which the greatest ground they have is that passage ch 1. v. 9. I have compared thee to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots Nor yet from the opinion of those who think that he wrote it in the close of his life after his return to fellowship and communion with God If therefore any shall contend that he wrote the Book of Proverbs first this Book next and Ecclesiastes last of all grounding their conjecture upon 1 Kings 4. 32. where i● is said that he wrote 3000 Proverbs and his Songs were 1005. Or if others think that he first wrote this Book of Canticles which being Poetry they think best suited his younger years then the Book of Proverbs and last of all that of Ecclesiastes the matter contained in the Book of Proverbs seeming to be the mature issue of years and the matter of Ecclesiastes speaking a contempt of worldly Vanities like that which is found with gray hairs that have learned righteousness I shall not contend with either There are some who make an observation upon Solomon's calling himself in Ecclesiastes King of Hierusalem In the Book of Proverbs King of Israel In this Book only Solomon whence they conclude that he wrote this Book in the first of his years before he was come to the Kingdom The Book of Proverbs next before he came to dwell in Hierusalem and that of Ecclesiastes last in his more perfect state but possibly their conjecture is better who think that Solomons spiritual contemplation of Christ with which his heart seemeth in this Book to be ravished was the cause why forgetting his Titles of Honour he calls himself by no other name than that of Solomon and as through all the Book he speaks to and of Christ under no other notion than that of a Beloved and a friend so he mentions not himself under any higher notion than Solomon and a Love a Spouse c. glorying more in being the Spouse and Friend of Christ than a great King in Hierusalem Or finally if any will assert that he wrote this Book last of all which seems to be the opinion of Bernard Delrio Hierome Bachiarius Cyrill c. I am indifferent to close with either party only abhorring the opinion which was anciently condemned in Theodorus Mopsuesta by the Council of Constantinople saith Delrio and which Philastrius mentions amongst the Heresies whose Author he knew not viz. That it is but a Love-Song made by Solomon having relation to Pharaohs Daughter or the Shulamite to which opinion also Castalio and Grotius seem to encline and the Anabaptists in Germany are charged with it by Sixtus Senensis which opinion indeed is deservedly rejected and justly to be abhorred of all sober Christians and there needs no other witness in the case against it than the great reverence of this Book which the Church of the Jews had to whom saith the Apostle were committed the Oracles of God and who were sufficiently cautelous what they stamped with that sacred stamp of Scripture Canon who did not only constantly own this Book as much as any other making it a Dialogue between God and their Church or betwixt their Church and some of their Patriarchs but also barred any from reading of it until they arrived at their sacerdotal year whether for fear of a vain interpretation of it or in regard of the difficulty they justly conceived as to the expounding the metaphors with which as with so many Stars it is adorned or fathoming the mysteries which they conceived lay couched in it I shall not in this place determine Sure I am as the Authors of the aforementioned gross and unhandsome conceptions have nothing to give countenance to their wanton fancies besides the comparison of the Love here mentioned to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots and the mention of the Shulamite Caat 6. 13. with another or two expressions of that Nature upon which expressions the Vanity of their hearts only hath hindred them from putting a spiritual interpretation so even some of these expressions with divers others in this Sacred Song make their impure conceptions highly improbable for if the Dialect of times be not strangely altered it was certainly a strange commendation for so learned and wise a man as Solomon to give of a Woman whom he loved to compare her to a company of Horses her Head to Mount Carmel and her Eyes to Fish Pools her Nose to a Tower her Teeth to a flock of Sheep c. all which with divers such seemingly uncouth expressions we have in this Song After all this we shall find it no difficult thing to determine the Divine Authority of this Book The Apostle saith that Holy Men wrote the Scriptures as inspired by God we have evinced that the Penman of this Book was an Holy Man both in the former and latter part of his life That he wrote this Book is

universally agreed and that he wrote it by a divine inspiration can be as little questioned by him who understands aright the Jewish reverence of it and ranking it equally with other Books of the Canon Besides that the Churches constant possession of it requires some force of argument before it can be rejected and this hath not yet appeared Several witnesses indeed have come against it but either they have not been agreed or they have spake nothing Cogent in the cause Whereas some object the many amatorious expressions throughout the Song It signifies little to those who have so far observed the Scriptures as to take notice that as the Apostle makes use of the Ordinance of Marriage to represent the mystical Union between Christ and the Church Eph. 5. 32. So Christ is expresly called a Bridegroom his Church and the believing Soul in particular the Bride Joh 3. 29. And that his preparing the Soul for and uniting the Soul to himself is called a Betrothing Hos 2. 14 15. and the Church is called the Lambs Wife Rev. 22. and a pure Virgin 2 Cor. 11. Yea so far is this from being an argument against the Divine Authority of this sacred Book that the uncouthness of the same expressions is an argument that it is no meer Woman here intended for besides that which Mercer noteth out of Aben-Ezra that modesty would not have allowed Solomon to have left such expressions had they been to have been carnally interpreted upon publick record to posterity Nor was it lawful to the Jews to make their Sisters their Spouses yet is it a phrase often used in this Song My Sister my Spouse besides what I noted before of the strange comparisons used if they were carnally to be interpreted Whereas it is objected by others that the name of God is not once mentioned throughout the Book They might as well upon this account quarrel at the Book of Ecclesiastes out of the Canon or if not that yet the Book of Esther which are both subject to the same charge if any will tell us that though the name Jehovah be not found in Ecclesiastes yet other names of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Besides that neither those names are peculiar to God nor yet to be found in the Book of Esther We also say with Mercer That there is hardly a verse in this Song wherein mention is not made of God and Christ according to that metaphorical way of expression in which it pleased the Holy Ghost to dictate this Sacred Song to Solomon nor was their need of any further mentioning of God in a discourse composed in this form than under the notion of a Beloved c. in which notion he is frequently mentioned And certainly had this objection been of any value the superstitious Reverence which the Jews had of the name Jehovah would have engaged them first to have pickt this quarrel which yet it did not But Bernard gives another reason and with him I find Sixtus Senensis Delrio and others agreeing which I confess pleaseth me Amor loquitur qui Dominum nescit c. God is not indeed made known to us in this Song under the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which speak Power Lordship Soveraignty Sufficiency c. It is love here speaks Quando vult timeri dominum quando vult honorari patrem quando amari sponsum se nominat Dominus Solomons design in this Book is to set out God in Christ reconciled to his Church and to the souls of his People imbracing them in the arms of loving kindness Those other names of God Jehovah Elohim c. spake the power and greatness of God which well suited the first dispensation of the Covenant of Grace which was more hard and rigorous than the latter dispensation of it So that the not naming of God under those fore-mentioned notions through out this book only speaks it a more evangelical portion of Scripture than some other Books of Holy Writ are Solomons design in this Book was to set out God in Christ reconciled to the Soul imbracing it in the sweetest arms of loving kindness and tender mercies The wisdom of the Holy Ghost therefore directeth Solomon to speak in a dialect proper to the matter he writeth nor is there any thing more usual in Scripture than for Gods people going to him for mercies to give him names expressive of that sufficiency which is in him and of that suitableness in him to the necessitous state of his people and readiness to help him David praying for Divine Protection calleth God his Rock his Shield his Buckler his strong Tower and Christ hath taught Gods Children to say unto him Our Father Nor thirdly Is their quarrel against this Sacred Book considerable who have this to object against it That no place of it is quoted in the New Testament for besides that by the same allegation they may blot out the Book of Judges Ruth 2 Sam. 2 Chron. Ecclesiastes and divers of the small Prophets out of the Canon of Scripture I say besides this there are some phrases in the New Testament which in the Judgment of Beza and others seem to be borrowed out of this Sacred Song such as those Joh. 6. 44 No man cometh to the Son but he whom the Father draweth compared with Can. 1. 4. Saint Paul tells his Corinthians that his desire was to present them to Christ as a Chast Virgin which corresponds with Chap. 5. v. 2. of this Song where Christ calls his Spouse Undefiled From what hath been said appeareth that although the Penman of this Book was Solomon yet a greater than Solomon was the Author of it Solomon an holy Man spake in it as he was inspired by God I proceed to the 2d Proposition 2. Prop. That this Book is a Song This argues it a piece of Hebrew Poetry wrote originally in Meeter upon which account it differs from most of the other Books of Holy Writ But more particularly I shall open this in 4 or 5 particulars 1. It is I say a Song one of those which the Apostle Eph. 5. calls Spiritual Songs it may be too hard a task for me to determine why it pleased the Holy Penman of this Scripture to write it in this rather than in any other form I shall by and by shew you that it was a Song of Love and possibly the holy Penmans design being to discourse the Souls Communion with Christ here under that Metaphor might be one cause Marriage-Songs being very ancient 2. To this I shall only add the observation which some have made of that singular vertue which the composing and singing of Songs hath had to excite and inflame the affections I remember our Divine Poet tells us That he was most with God while he was exercised in his Divine Poetry Besides the suitableness that a Song hath unto the natures of others the same Author observes That a verse may hit him

Marriage Those are the excellent Songs which set cut the Excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ This Book is wholly Evangelical wholly Spiritual But I have spoke enough also to this third Proposition Give me leave to make some application of this discourse In the first place Let me speak to all of you who shall hear my further discourses concerning any part of this Book as once God spake to Moses at the Burning Bush Put off thy Shoes from off thy Feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground While I shall be opening those figurative expressions by which it pleaseth the Holy Ghost by Solomon to discourse these Spiritual Loves Procul O procul este profani Saint Paul to Titus saith Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving there is nothing pure but even their minds and consciences are defiled I am sure it may be said so of every line of holy writ to the pure heart every line there is pure not so to the impure the reason is because their own minds and consciences are filthy and impure Here is no wantonness in these sacred lines they contain indeed discourses of loves but altogether Divine and Spiritual though under carnal disguises Oh let not your wanton hearts bring hither any unclean thoughts Secondly Methinks much of what I have said may engage your minds to attention to me while I shall indeavour to unfold the Spiritual mysteries in this Book The Penman of this Book was Solomon The name of a King amongst men carries with it a great reverence and authority but Solomon was no ordinary King the Lord gave him such a degree of wisdom that none before or after him were ever like unto him 2 Chron. 1. 12. The Queen of Sheba thought it worth her travel to come from the utmost parts of the world to be his auditor and went away admiring his wisdom nay more he was one whom the Lord loved thence he had his name Jedidiah 2 Sam. 12. 24 25. we may therefore expect to hear the secrets of the Lord from his mouth rather than from another man When the disciples Joh. 13. 23. were at loss for an interpretation of what Christ said they beckned to the Disciple whom he loved to inquire his meaning and were presently satisfied further yet he was an eminent Type of Christ It is Solomon that speaks but he speaks as the Organ of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Greg. Nyssen Christ useth Solomon as his instrument and by him speaks to us But this brings me to a second Consideration as much engaging you to attention and far more than the former A greater than Solomon is here Solomon speaks in this Song in the Person of Christ and Christ by him here speaketh unto you Solomon's hand holds the Pen but Christ guides his hand to every letter in this sacred Song Nor was this holy Song as you have heard composed in Solomons time of deviation from God that indeed would have weakned the authority of it but either in the former part of his life before he went astray from God or in the latter part when he was again returned unto him be it which it will we are by it strongly engaged to the study and understanding of it as it from a great experience informeth a gracious soul to what degree of communion with God it may arrive and what sweet intercourses even in this life betwixt Christ and a believing Soul are attainable by that Soul that followeth after them whether in its Virgin State before it hath more notoriously estranged itself from God or upon a true repentance after eminent backslidings The exceeding sweetness and spirituality of the matter highly commends it to every spiritual heart There is no part of the Word of God but is exceedingly sweet and precious the historical part of it is so for if it be pleasant to read the Histories of Nations and Kingdoms c. how much more sweet should it be to every gracious Soul to read and understand the series of Divine Providences towards that People whom above all the Nations of the Earth he set apart for himself whom he miraculously conducted and for them made his holy Arm so eminently bare in the sight of all the Nations of the world The preceptive part of the Word of God which we call the Law is also exceeding precious to a gracious Soul it was so to David sweeter than the Hony or Hony-comb c. and St. Paul as to his inward man delighted in it But of all the portions of holy writ the Gospel part is most sweet That which reveals a God in Christ reconciling the world to himself which tells you what Christ is in himself considered as Mediator God-man c. which discovereth the Excellencies and desirableness of him who is Totus desideria altogether desires Those parts of Scripture which let us know what Christ is to his poor people how tender of them how jealous for them how condescending and kind to them and how dear and precious they are to him Of all the portions of holy writ Experience speaks those most exceeding sweet to us where Christ is set out in the pantings of his heart and yernings of his bowels towards his poor Children Such is this portion of holy writ when we shall have taken off the Vail of Metaphors with which this sacred portion of holy writ is covered we shall find that there is scarce any portion of holy writ wherein those sweet and spiritual mysteries of the Souls union and Communion with Jesus Christ are more fully and affectionately described The more special form of it as a Song doth likewise commend it to our attention there is a secret vertue in Poetry engagine Peoples hearts and affections to attention If a wanton Love-Song which discourseth the vertues and beauty of Creatures can lay such an hold upon our Ears and Hearts what should this Song do which discourseth the Excellencies of him who is the fairest amongst the Sons of Men the chiefest of ten thousand altogether desires and his particular indearments to the Souls of his Creatures which have no comeliness but what he puts upon them certainly the hearing of these discourses must ravish every spiritual heart This is the Song of Songs Finally the Metaphors with which this excellent Song is clothed must needs give it a great advantage with every ingenuous Soul which naturally desires the understanding of what is hid from it we may suppose God therefore to have thus phrased this Spiritual Song that we might have greater desires kindled in us to understand the mind and will of God revealed in it The harder the Shell is the sweeter the Nut will be found when once the Shell is crack'd Lastly What you have heard may serve you as a Key for the unlocking this whole portion of Scripture and guide you in the understanding of my future discourses

Store-house a Shop that hath a Salve for every Sore a Medicine for every Distemper Hence indeed it is morally impossible that a regenerate Soul should not value the kisses of Christ's mouth The Breath of Christ is comforting to those that are sad strengthening to those that are weak quickening to those that are dull an healing to all the Soul's Diseases and there are infinite Records of the Cures done by it both in Scripture and in all Ecclesiastical Story and in all Experience A Christian converted cannot meet with another but he or she hath some story to tell them of some Cure wrought in them by the Word of God I had perished saith one in such an affliction if the Word had not been my delight I had perished saith another under such a temptation if such a Promise had not supported me O the infinite Cures which the Word of God Read and Preached hath done upon a numberless number of Souls Look almost into any Church of God There are many Souls that were dead in trespasses and sins and by the Word were brought to life many Souls that were dropping into the bottomless Pit whom the Word laid hold upon and saved from it Here 's a broken heart that was bound up by some lines of holy Writ There 's a tempted Soul fetcht out of the depths of Satan by a Promise in the Word There hangs a poor fearful doubting Soul resolved by it and brought to a settled state The Regenerate Soul meets with these Stories in all its new company And Thirdly It hath a reason to believe them because it hath had it self a great Experience of the Virtue of it The Word saith such a Soul it is that which hath saved my Soul from Hell My Soul my poor Soul was in a full career to the Devil the Word in such a Sermon in such a Scripture met me and turned my face Heaven-ward others my companions in sin dropt into the Pit my foot was upon the brink of perdition it is God's mercy I was not ingulphed in Eternal Misery God shewed me this mercy by his Word Shall that Word be ever out of the tast of my Soul Shall not I wait upon God in the Reading and Hearing of it as long as I live Hath Christ conveyed his Breath his Life into my Soul by the kisses of his mouth and shall he not by it convey all things that my immortal Soul stands in need of Let others that never tasted the good Word of the Lord to whose Souls the Lord never created the fruit of the lips peace peace undervalue and despise the Word of the Lord let them undervalue Scriptures and despise Prophecyings and count vain idle Books better to read in than the Book of God vain idle discourses better than lively Soul-saving Sermons I have tasted better things I know otherwise Once more There appeareth to the renewed Soul a beauty and excellency in the word of God surpassing all other writings of what nature soever You shall observe in the world two or three sorts of People 1. Some there are who indeed hardly deserve the name of rational Creatures they delight in no fort of knowledge in nothing of any tendency to ennoble the mind of man but only in sensual things hence they almost hate a Book or any thing which may have any tendency to adorn and any way ennoble the mind of man 2. Others have some delight in knowledge but it is an airy knowledge of things that are superfluous and signify nothing as to the use of mans life a knowledge of things only which please the fancy tickle the senses furnish the tongue with discourse for all humors and companies Romances and Play Books any Books of idle discourse and foolish stories please them but for the knowledge of such things as should ennoble their minds they have no fancy for it nor any Books or discourses that have any tendency to such an end these are a sort of titular Christians that are not yet come up to the highest forms of Heathens 3. There is a third sort of more noble Souls that love Knowledge and despise vain and airy knowledge that islueth in no good and worthy end as to mans life but seek such a knowledge as may make them wife to the rational ends of the life of man You shall now never find these men much employing themselves with reading or hearing of Playes or reading Romances they abhor the feeding of their Souls with Coals and Dirt and cheating themselves with lies and falshoods nor debauching their minds with sordid and silthy Books and discourses they will be reading Books of H story and Philosophy which may serve their Souls as to the most noble ends or life and indeed such as are come thus far are yet but come on to the highest forms of good Pagans But the good Christian is got beyond these he hath discerned that God is the greatest good and the fruition and enjoyment of God is the fruition of the greatest good and that the enjoyment of God an acquaintance fellowship and communion with him is more to be desired than all the world besides Whatsoever Books or discourses therefore have either in their own nature or by any ordination of God a tendency to bring the Soul of Man to a knowledge of God to an acquaintance or communion with God appear to him the best Books the best discourses in the world and this he doth by as rational an operation of his Soul as a sober Man counteth a true History better than a Romance or a Lecture of Moral or Natural Philosophy better than a Play or an ●dle sight All floweth from his right notion of his chief end for that being once truly fixed in the Soul of Man he measureth other things by their tendency or no tendency as means in order to that end It is because the sensual Man maketh the satisfaction of his senses the ●nd of his life that he thirsts after merry Meetings Balls and Dances and Revellings and Chamberings and Wantonness and Books of fine words and full of filthy or at best witty discourses as the best Book to spend his time in and discourses to spend his time upon It is because the moral Man hath fixed upon the ennobling his mind with human knowledge and habits of moral vertue that he despiseth those things before-mentioned as contrary to his design and the main end of his life and chuseth rather the moral writings of Seneca Aristotle Plato c. than any other idle Books to spend his thoughts upon And it is because the true Christian hath fixed upon the glorifying of God and the saving of his own Soul as the great end of his life that he thirsteth after and hath such a delight in the World of God and the Interpretation and application of that which is that which we call Preaching 2. Besides the Philosopher observeth that like delighteth in its like Look what complexion the Soul is

of such things it desireth thirsteth after and delighteth in Hence the dirty filthy Soul where sense and passion and corrupt and debauched affections predominate covets filthy Books and filthy discourses which are but the issues of Souls of the same complexion with itself the Soul that is something cleaner and hath got its passions something more subjugated unto its reason delighteth in and desireth Books and discourses of its own complexion and which are the issues of Souls like unto itself The Spiritual Man being refined to a further degree and pirch minding the glory of God and Spiritual things hath a thirst after the Word and Sermons which are the true and faithful Interpretations applications of that word as being more pure and Spiritual and so more like to it in its renewed State wherein we are transformed into the likeness of the word Thy word is pure saith David therefore doth thy Servant love it Psal 119 140. It is as natural to the renewed Soul to thirst after the pure Word of God and Spiritual discourses from and upon it as it is to an impure unrenewed Soul to thirst after filthy Books obscene discourses or for the Philosopher or moral rational man to desire after or to delight in Books or discourses of its own complexion especially also if we consider that as sober moral discourses tend both to confirm and promove habits of morality so the Book of God and Spiritual discourses upon and according to it tend to confirm and to promove Spiritual habits in the Soul Lastly The Souls of believers must needs more especially desire and delight in those which are more strictly called Gospel-Doctrines and discourses relating to them because those are they which are suited to the greatest and most pressing wants of the Soul those are the Doctrines wherein the Lord speaks peace and pardon that contain the words of reconciliation I create the fruit of the lips peace peace saith God by his Prophet Isaiah In the historical part of Scripture God speaks instruction in wisdom to his People and tells them the course of his Providence in the world in the government of it both with reference to his People and to their Enemies In the law and preceptive part of Holy Writ and the threatnings of Holy Scripture he tells them their duty what is his will they should do and avoid and what he will do unto them in case they be disobedient to his Commandments and do not walk in his Statutes and keep his judgments In the prophetical part of it so far as it is but an History of what God hath said and done he confirms them in their apprehensions and faith of Gods knowledge of future contingencies and also concerning his faithfulness But it is in the Doctrines of the Gospel alone that he declareth his love to poor Souls in and through the Lord Jesus Christ what Christ hath done and suffered for the redemption and salvation of Man what he is yet ready to do for all such as truly repent and believe and accept of the Mediator It is in that alone that he offers healing to the Nations now every gracious Soul being one who must be supposed to have felt something of the burthen of Sin and the wrath of God due to Man for Sin it is no wonder if the special thirst of such a Soul be after the revelations of Christ in the Doctrines of the Gospel as being most suited to the state of a Soul that is weary and heavy laden and seeking for rest and being wearied in its own indeavours and finding none No wonder if such Sermons such Preaching be most sweet and acceptable unto it if such portions of Scripture such discourses from Scripture be most acceptable and grateful to it's thoughts and most sweet to its meditations as being such which must deliver it from the trouble and uneasiness which the Law which worketh wrath hath given to it finding itself a great transgressor of it Thus I have doctrinally discoursed the hunger of the Soul after the Word of God and a communion with God in it by reading hearing or meditation and the reasonableness of this appetite of the Soul to it There is yet a more excellent internal communion of the Souls communion with God in his Word which infinitely excelleth this and consequently is the more special object of the renewed Souls Spiritual hunger and thirst to which I shall speak But I shall first make application of this discourse Use 1. This Notion may help us to take some measures of our Spiritual State whether we be the Spouses of Christ yea or no the Souls desires or no desires after communion with God in his Word its delight or no delight in that piece of communion with God will go a great way to determine our Spiritual State and how it shall fare with us in the day of Judgment I am sure negatively it is a good note He that hath no desire after no delight in the Word of God hath nothing of God or Christ in him And this is evident from all Scripture experience and reason also Davids experience is instead of all though many more examples might be produced out of Holy Writ There was never any good King of Israel or Judah but call'd for the Law of the Lord and much desired and delighted in the Lords Prophets It is impossible that the Word should have done any Soul good and the savour of it not be left upon it engaging it to prize and value it so long as it lives I only except an extraordinary hour of temptation in which I have known good Souls afraid to read and hear but alas they are at that time not themselves and act not from a free use of their reason This reflects sadly Upon such as neglect reading the Word Some indeed cannot read I know not how to excuse these in times and places where they have such plenty of means to learn As I think those Parents will be inexcusable before God another day that take not care to have their Children when young learned to read So I think those grown Personswhom their Parents have neglected inexcusable who have not used such means as the Age affords in great plenty to learn to read and can hardly believe that Soul to have any fear of God or love to God in it that doth not apply itself to this piece of knowledge But alas how many can read that hardly take the Bible in their Hands from one end of the week to the other Surely we may conclude the Bible never did their Souls good They cannot but have heard that the Lord commanded the King of his People to read in the Book of the Law all the daies of his life And by Gods order was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath Day and can any think himself excused from reading the word we cannot be alwaies hearing nor doth so much knowledge come into our Souls by hearing as may by reading Am I