THE Best Match OR THE Souls Espousal to Christ opened and improved By Edward Pearse Joh. 3.29 30. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom but the Friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice This my joy therefore is fulfilled He must increase but I must decrease LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-Yard and Brabazon Aylmer at the 3 Pigeons in Cornhil 1673. READER NExt to the full and immediate Vision and Fruition of the God of Glory above the greatest happiness of Souls lies in Union and Communion with Christ here Nor indeed can we ever attain unto the one without an acquaintance with the other Now to bring thee into and build thee up in this Union and Communion with Christ and thereby to fit and dispose thee for that glorious Vision and Fruition Above is the principal design of the ensuing Discourse If thou requirest a reason of the publication hereof I desire thee to satisfie thy self with this God in his all-wise and holy Providence hath seen good now for seyeral months to call the unworthy Author out of his Vinyard and lodge him in a sick Chamber and he also seems to be speedily calling him out of this World and to bring that Night upon him wherein no man can work wherein nothing is to be done either for God or a Man's Soul John 9.4 And being never like to do more for Christ on Earth he was willing in hopes of advancing his dear Lords Kingdom in the drawing of Sinners to him and building up of Saints in him communion with him to make these poor Contemplations publick God was pleased some few years since to make a more than ordinary use of the preaching of them many Souls being through his Grace espoused to Christ and more brought nearer to him thereby and had I not some hopes that he would also through that same Grace of his make some use of the reading of them for thy good and the good of others I think they had never seen the light Thy good then and Christ's Glory in the enlargement of his Kingdom is the thing aimed at herein which the good Lord by his Grace accomplish I am lying daily by the brink of the Grave waiting upon the Will and for the Call of my Sovereign Lord the only reason swaying with me to desire life next to the more through working out of my own Salvation is to reveal and make known Christ to Souls and to publish the glad Tydings of Peace and Salvation to a lost and sinful World But if God will make no further use of me that way his Will be done I comfort my self with what an holy Man speaks Sinless glorifying of God saith he is better than sinful glorifying of God His meaning I suppose is that 't is better to glorifie God in a sinless than in a sinful state Truly bere we sin in our best Actions and if we bring a little glory to God yet woe and alas how much dishonour do we also bring him and what iniquities do there cleave to our most holy things But above we shall glorifie him without sinning we shall love him praise him admire him adore him delight in him and ascribe glory to him without the least taint or tincture of sin cleaving thereunto having not only all tears wiped off our eyes but which is infinitly infinitly infinitly better all sin purged from our hearts and actions Farewel I leave thee and this poor Treatise to the Blessing of Heaven E. P. To the Reader THere are two main ends for which the Gospel-Ministry is ordained the one is the winning of Souls and bringing them into Christ the other is the edification and building up of such as are already brought in It hath pleased Christ the Head of the Church who distributeth Gifts in order to the salvation of men unto whom and in what measure he pleaseth to furnish the Author of this Discourse with good abilities as to both these Works As to the first the Lord had given him a peculiar Gift to qualifie him above many to Preach the Gospel for the winning of Souls and the Grace of God in him did inflame his heart with ardent desires and did excite great longings in him after the conversion of Souls and he was pleased to crown his own Gifts and Grace in him with great success many a Soul having been turned unto God by his Labours And it having pleased God to cast the Author into a languishing Distemper for some months whereby he was wholly taken off from his Work in Preaching so great did the desire of doing good to Souls remain in him and such were the yearnings of his Bowels towards them that being not able to speak to them any longer out of the Pulpit he could not satisfie himself but he must needs speak to them in this small Tract wherein his great Scope and principal Design is to allure and draw Souls unto Christ As to the Matter of the Treatise I need say little it will sufficiently speak for it self onely thus much I may say Union with Christ is the foundation of our Happiness The Apostle telleth us Col. 1 27. that Christ in us is the hope of Glory We cannot have any sure or sound title to eternal Life and Glory but by Vnion with Christ whoever are saved are saved by being brought under Christ as their Head Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnia ad unum caput adducers adjungere seu colligere omnia sub uno capite that he might bring them under one Head so Zanchy and others interpret the Greek word there used The Son of God incarnate is the true Vine into which the Elect are implanted There are but two Roots of Mankind the First and the Second Adam the first Adam is the Root of Sin and Death unto all that abide in him the second Adam is the Root of Righteousness and Life unto all who are implanted into him The scope of this Discourse is to perswade men not to be content to abide in the Root upon which they naturally grow viz. the Root of the first Adam but to seek after a new Relation unto Christ the second Adam The Arguments by which the Author presseth Souls to come to Christ are most pathetical and strong and as there is a Vein of Heavenly Affection which runneth through the whole body of the Discourse to allure such who are yet strangers to the Lord Jesus to fall in love with him so there is much solid Matter interwoven whereby those who are already called and have attained to some dequaintance with spiritual things may receive farther advantage It pleaseth the Al-wise God to leave the Author at a great uncertainty as to Life the Lord hath kept him in the Furnace long but he
begin to bleed and relent over it 2. Labour to be deeply sensible of your exceeding great misery by reason of this estrangment As we are all naturally with out Christ so our misery herein is exceeding great So much the Apostle holds forth in the place before quoted Ephe. 2.12 Where he speakes of our being without Christ as our misery yea as the spring and Foundation of all our misery and therefore that is first mentioned the Ephesians were and we are as he there tells us without the Covenant without hope and without God in the World misery enough for any Soul to lye under and the inlet and Foundation of all is their and our being without Christ As to have Christ says a learned Interpreter upon this place is the Foundation of all good so to be without Christ is the beginning and foundation of all evil an inlet into all woe and misery and what leaves us in a most deplored state for ever Take a taste and but a taste of this your misery and then work the sense of it upon your own Souls 1. Being without Christ you are destitute of all good you are without Life without Grace without Peace without Pardon without Comfort without Righteousness without Heaven without Salvation without Hope and without God as you have it in the same place Eph. 2.2 without the Favour of God without the Presence of God without the Life of God without the Image of God without the Spirit of God and being thus without God you are without all true good and true happiness According to the old and true Maxim â—ine Summo bono nihil honum Without the chief good there is nothing good 2. Being without Christ you are in Bondage to sin and Satan which is the worst Bondage in the World Naturally all are the Slaves and Vassalls of these cruell Lords Hence we are said to fulfill the Devils lusts Je. 8 44. and as the lusts of the Devil so the wills and lusts of the slesh Epe 2.2 to be the servants of sin to serve divers lusts and pleasures and the like And as naturally all are thus in Bondage to sin and the Devil so there is no redemption from this Bondage but by Christ and that in a way of Union with him If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed saith he himself to the Jews Je. 8.36 They were Glorying in their privilidge that they were Obrahams seed and never were in Bondage to any man True sayes Christ but ye are in a worse Bondage then a Bondage to man in Bondage to sin in Bondage to your lusts For he that committeth sin is the servant of sin and this Bondage none but the Son can free you from and therefore untill freed by him you remain under it O how sore a Bondage is this To be under the command of sin to be at the beck of every base unclean lust and to be carried Captive by the Devil at his will This is such a Bondage as that the Bondage of Israel under their task-makers in Egypt and the bondage of Turkish slaves who are kept at the Oar and Galley is freedom to it as to serve Christ is the greatest liberty so to serve sin is the cruellest Bondage 3. Being without Christ and Union with Christ you are rejected of God Know ye not sayes the Apostle that except Christ be in you ye are Reprohates 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not As if he should say 't is a most clear manifest and evident truth that unless you have Union with Christ you are Reprobates i. e. you are unapproved of God you are out of his Favour both your persons and services are rejected by him To the same purpose is that Gal. 4.22 Where we read of 2 Mothers and 2 Sons The two Mothers were types of the 2 Covenants the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace as appears by v. 24. The 2 Sons are types of 2 sorts of persons living in the Church one born after the flesh the other by promise one belonging to the first the other to the second Covenant Well what 's the condition of these Why the one is in a state of rejection and the other of acceptation They that belong to the second Covenant are owned and embraced in the arms of Love the other are cast out as you may see in the sequel of the Chap Besides all our acceptation with God is in Christ and through Christ Eph. 1.6 Out of him therefore we are in a state of rejection O how sad does this speak your condition to be for men yea for good men to reject and disown us is what may be born especially when God ownes and smiles But for God to disown and reject us this is terrible indeed though all the World should own us and smile upon us How terrible is that word Reprobate silver shall men call them for the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6.30 If God ownes and smiles 't is no matter who frowns but if he frowns and rejects who can own or smile to the relief of the Soul 4. Being without Christ you are under the Law and so under the curse and how sad is this as there are but 2 Covenants the old and the new and but 2 heads of those Covenants the first or the second Adam so all men do belong to and are found in the one or the other of these Whilst therefore you are strangers to Christ you are under the Law and being under the Law you are under the curse For sayes the Apostle As many as are under the Law are under the curse For it is Written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are Written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3 10. The Law has no pitty no sparing for offenders But for every breach thereof lays the Soul under the curse Now we have all broken the Law we all broke it in Adam being in him as in an head and we have all broken it 10. Thousand times over in our own persons and by both are fallen under the curse thereof And Soul dost thou know what the curse of the Law means It carries in it Death and condemnation for ever Being under the Law we are cursed in our persons and cursed in our comforts The wrath of God lies upon our souls and the curse of God is in all our enjoyments our very Blessings are accur'st to us Mal. 2.2 We read in Scripture of the people of God's curse and thou art one of them Soul who ever thou art that art out of Christ O how woeful how deplorable a condition is this 5. Being without Christ and estranged from Christ you lie under the guilt of innumerable sins which you alone must bear for ever 't is in and by Christ alone that Souls are Discharg'd from the guilt of sin And who are they whom he discharges from guilt but such as are found in him are under a Marriage-Covenant
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
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
their tribulations 2 Cor. 1.4 5. The truth is their sharpest Afflictions are but to prepare them for his sweetest Consolations and indeed he therefore oftentimes afflicts them that he may manifest his Love and minister Consolations to them according to that of Hosea 2.14 I will allure her into the Wilderness and there will I speak comfortably to her and indeed as strong Consolations often times prepare for great Afflictions so great Afflictions usually make way for strong Consolations Afflictions sayes a worthy Divine is the Air in which Christs love especially breaths and Christ and the Cross sayes he are sweet company This viz. Christs love and presence with his People in their Afflictions is what turns their night into day their darkness into light their pains into ease their sorrows into joys their losses into gains yea and Death it self into Life Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no evil because thou art with me Psal 23.4 It turns a Prison into a pleasant Pallace yea it turns a fiery Furnace into a delightful Walk as in the case of the three Children and this experienced Souls find O how sweet are Afflictions when Christ and his love come with them 2. By sanctifying their Afflictions to them and working good to their Souls out of all Sanctifyed Afflictions are sweet Afflictions they meet with Afflictions but Christ gives them the sweet Fruit and a blessed issue of them makes them all work together for good to them according to that great Oracle Rom. 8.23 All things shall work together for good to them that love God By these he proves their Graces and improves their Experiences he makes them all to be as the Gibeonites sometimes were to the Congregation of God as so many hewers of Wood and drawers of Water to their Faith to their Comforts to their Holiness on Earth and Happiness in Heaven The Faith of this sweetned all Jobs great and heavy Afflictions to him When I am tryed sayes he I shall come forth as Gold Job 23.10 Hereby he tryes their Faith which is better than Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 Hereby he refines them and purges away their dross from them Behold I have refined thee but not with Silver I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction Or as you may read it I have made a choice one of thee in the Furnace of Affliction Isa 48.10 Hereby he makes them partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 By this he purgeth away their iniquity and taketh away their sin Isa 27.9 In short hereby he humbles them and seals instruction to them hereby he weans them from the World draws them nearer to himself quickens their hearts in his good wayes and raises them up to higher strains of Grace and pitches in Holiness then they were got up to before Yea hereby he increases their Revenue of Glory and adds to their Crown in Eternity Our light Afflictions which are but for a moment sayes the Apostle work out for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Thus he sanctisies all and O how doth this sweeten all Here is a Cross 't is true may the Soul say but by this Cross Christ does crucifie me to Sin and the World he weans me from the Creature sets me a longing after Heaven and so long welcome Cross how heavy soever Here is an Affliction 't is true and 't is an heavy one but by it Christ proves and brightens my Graces and that sweetens all O what owe I sayes Rutherford to the File and Hammer of my sweet Lord Jesus He hath taught me more sayes he by my six months imprisonment then ever I learnt in my nine years past Ministry Luther was wont to say three things made a good Minister Temptation Affliction Supplication The same also conduce much to the making of a good Christian And indeed 't is seldom that ever a Soul comes to any eminency in Grace until he has been exercised with sanctified Afflictions and Temptations And doubtless there is many a Soul who may and must say That next to Christ his Afflictions have through his Grace and Blessing been his best Mercies O how should this draw Souls to Christ and allure them into a Marriage-Covenant with him Poor Soul it may be that which keeps thee from Christ is the fear of what Afflictions thou mayest meet with in his wayes But know 1. thou mayest meet with Affliction yea first or last thou wilt assuredly meet with Affliction though thou never closest with Christ Alas wicked men and unbelievers meet with Troubles and Afflictions and that even in this World oft-times However to be sure at last they will have a full Cup yea the very dregs of God's Wrath ponred out unto them They will meet with and fall under soret and more dreadful Afflictions then any thou canst meet withal in the way and for the sake of Christ for pray consider is there any Trouble any Affliction thou canst meet withal for Christ like to this for a man to die in his sins to be separated from God for ever to have infiniteness and eternity combined against thee Is there any Trouble or Affliction like to the torments of the Infernal Pit and being the object of infinite Wrath for ever and yet this will be the lot at last of all that close not with Christ in a Marriage-relation 2. What ever Afflictions thou mayest meet withal in the way of Christ closing with him he sweetens all for thee and that so as that thou wouldest not have been without them for a World Oh scare not at the Cross but close in with Christ VI. He subdues all their enemies for them True the poor Saints and Spouses of Christ are beset with Enemies on all hands they have many Enemies and mighty Enemies Enemies within and Enemies without and all in a confederacy against them to destroy them to destroy their Lives to destroy their Graces to destroy their Peace and Comforts to destroy their Souls and Happiness for ever all like so many roaring Lyons seeking to devour them Well but Christ who is their Captain as well as their Husband subdues and conquers all for them and first or last makes them to set their feet upon their necks and triumph over them He makes them Conquerors yea more than Conquerors over all Rom. 8.37 He makes them so to conquer them as sooner or later to gain by all their conflicts and oppositions Indeed Christ has already conquered all his Peoples Enemies for them The Saints have five great Enemies Sin Self the World the Devil and Death and Christ has long since conquered them all for them and by degrees brings them into the joyful triumph of that conquest 1. He has conquered Sin for them He by being made Sin hath obtained an eternal victory over Sin for all his People Sin is the Saints great Enemy 't is that which wars against their Souls Rom. 7.23 1 Pet. 2.11 And
became of no Beputation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Se câ—acuavit omm glâ—rria i.e. Christas gloriam illam majestatem in qua câ—at apud patram ita ab diderit in forma servi ut eaâ—s se penitus evaâ—â—ssâ— visissit Zanch. in Loc. Fallus quod non crat matens quodeâ—at Her as the Greek is he emptied himself to wit of his glory his glory was veiled and clouded hereby the glory of his God-head was Eclipsed 't is true indeed his Godhead was not hereby lost or laid aside no he was as much and as truly God after his Incarnation as he was before he did not cease to be God by becoming Man but as one of the Ancients expresses it he was made that which he was not and yet remained that which he was he was made Man yet so as that he still remained to be God but though his God-head was not lost or laid aside hereby Carnis humilitas sait instar veli quo Divina majestas tegebatur Calo. yet hereby was the glory of it veiled and lost for a time and he was not content to have it so oh how great a condescention was this oh for him that was God God equal with the Father to become Man to cover himself with the course Veil of our Flesh and be content for so long a time to lose the glory of his Deity which was infinitely dear to him and all this to make way for an Espousal between himself and poor Sinners what self-abasement was this and how should it encourage Souls to look after an Espousal to him 2. He not only became Incarnate but also freely bled and dyed in order hereunto which is a further discovery of his heart herein being sayes the Apostle found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Cross i. e. to the most formidable Death a Death of pain a Death of shame an accursed Death Pâ—il 2.8 Hence also 't is said that he gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for us Eph. 5. 2. Yea not only did he bleed and suffer and dye but he did all freely and with much readiness and enlargedness of Soul hence he is said to have powred out his Soul unto Death Isa 53.12 Voluntariè scipsum in mortem tradidit Musc in Loc. He seemed in an holy manner prodigal of his Life in the case he thought neither Blood nor Life nor any thing too much for them Oh! how much does this argue his heart to be upon the business It spake Jacob's heart to be much set upon Rachel to have her to Wife that he could be content to undergo so much hard Service for her as he did even seven years Service Jacob 't is said served seven years for Rachel yea and they seemed unto him but a few days for the Love he had to her Gen. 29.20 So surely it argues Christs heart to be much set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he was content not only to serve but even bleed and dye for them in order hereunto Oh Sirs behold and wonder Christ comes from Heaven quits his Throne leaves the bosome of his Father in which he had with insinite delight lain from Eternity behold and wonder the Lord of Life dyes the God of Blessing was made a Curse The infinitely beloved Son treads the Wine-press of the Father's wrath Heaven descends into Hell glory veils and Eclipses it self under shame and ignominy the infinitely holy one is made sin and all this to redeem and redeeming Espouse poor Sinners to himself and is not his heart upon the business think you And has he not Love for them Oh be not saithless but believing 2. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he condescends sweetly to woo them and solicit them for their Love and acceptance of him Should you see a Man with all carnestness and importunity wooing a Virgin and making Love to her following her from day to day with renewed offers and sollicitations you would conclude his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her And is it not thus with the Lord Jesus towards poor Sinners Does he not woo them and make Love to them and that with all earnestness and pressing importunity following them with renewed offers and sollicitations from day to day Now he meets them in this Ordinance and there he woos them and makes Love to them anon he meets them in that Ordinance and there woos them and makes Love to them now he sends his Ministers and by them woos them and makes Love to them anon he sends his Spirit and by him woos them and makes Love to them thus he is every way and upon all occasions wooing them and in his wooing of them How earnestly does he call and invite them to himself 't is not a cold offer or a slight motion onely that he makes to them but he moves and offers calls and invites with all earnestness and importunity Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters come ye yea come Isa 55 1. and again the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirst come Rev. 22.17 How vigorously does he plead and expostulate the business with them Christ does not onely call and invite but he also pleades and expostulates with sinners in the case and that in the most winning way and with the most weighty arguments that possibly may be Hâ—eâ— every one that thirsteth come unto the waters wherefore do you spend your Money for that which is not bread And your labour for that which satissieth not incline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.2 3. And again turn ye turn ye whâ— will ye dâ—â— O house of â—srael Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in your damnation but had rather that you would come unto me and live why will you dye is not lise better then death is not Heaven better then Hell is not my love better then a Lust are not the Pleasures of any Presence and at my right hand which are for evermore better then the pleasures of sin which are but for a seasor a short season why will you dye is there â—oâ—b 〈◊〉 in Gilâ—ed is there no Physsitian there am not I able to save you to the uttermost and are not my Arms wide open to receive you have not I dyed for that very end that you might live look here 's my Blood here are my Wounds behold me in the Garden and see me bleeding there for you behold me upon the Cross and see me bleeding yea bleeding to death there for you and then see if you can find in your hearts to refuse me any longer In short would you not lose all your cost and all your labour would you enjoy good the best good the most sat is
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
more worth in his merits to pardon and justifie thee then there is evil in thy sins to damn destroy thee True I have a Fountain of sin and guilt and death in me But here 's a deeper Fountain of Grace and life righteousness in him see O my Soul see how vast and large his treasures of Grace and Glory are and bear up thy self upon them O did Sinners dwell more in the view of the Glorious fulness of Christ they would be more in love with him and hereby would counter-work and undermine unbelief in one of its greatest artifices whereby it keeps souls from him I shall here for thy encouragement onely subjoyn the saying of a worthy Divine Christ sayes he can and it becometh him well to give more then my narrow soul can receive If there were ten thousand thousand millions of worlds and as many heavens full of men and Angels Christ would not be pinched to supply all their wants and to fill them all Christ is a Well of Life but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom 2. The second Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou should'st bear up thy soul upon and be frequent in the contemplation of is this That as there is such a Glorious and in-exhaustible fulness in Christ so this fulness is in him not for himself but to be dispensed and communicated to poor Souls coming to him True may the Soul say here 's fulness enough riches and treasures enough of all good in Christ but what 's this to me or wherein does it concern me Wherein does it concern thee Why 't is wholly thy concern and the concern of such as thou art For what ever fulness he has in him 't is treasur'd up in him for Souls for Sinners yea for the worst of Sinners How sweet is that word Psa 68.18 where speaking of Christ the holy Ghost tells us that he hath received gifts for men He hath received gifts i. e. He has a fulness of all good in his hand and at his dispose and this for men I but I am a devil sayes the soul a rebel what 's this to me observe what follows and thou wilt find it concerns thee yea thee especially He hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also Hence also 't is that he is said to be made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1.22 He has all fulness dwelling in him but 't is as an head and so 't is all for the use and service of the body for every poor soul that comes to him And therefore 't is added Head over all things to the Church i e. For the Churches use and service of which he is Head Take a view of all that fulness that is in Christ and 't is all as much and as really for the use and service of such as come to him and are made members of his body as the treasures and endowments of the natural head are for the use and service of the natural body and the members thereof And O what an encouragement is this to Faith 'T is the observation of a learned man upon the place last quoted Lest sayes he we should think this great glory of Christ to be a thing that does not concern us Ne summam illam Christi gloriam putemus aliquid a nobis alienum esse testatur illum esse a Deo patre totius Ecclesiae Beza he is here declar'd to be constituted and appointed by the Father to be Head of the whole Church Well then soul bear up thy self upon this encouragement Say look O my soul look unto sweet Jesus who hath received Gifts for men View him as one that has received a fulness of all Grace from the Father on purpose to be dispens'd and communicated to thee and to such as thou art He has life in him and he has it for thee he has peace and pardon in him and he has it for thee He has wisdom and righteousness Grace and Glory in him and he has it for thee and for such as thou art and therefore go to him expect all from him cast all upon him 3. The third Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldst bear up thy soul upon and dwell much in the contemplation of is this that there is a perfect freedom and willingness in Christ yea 't is even genuine and naturall to him to bestow himself with all his Glorious riches and fulness upon poor souls coming to him Christ as you heard has all this fulness in him as an head so you have it expresly Col. 1.18 19. Now as 't is genuine and naturall to the head to minister influence to the members So 't is even genuine and naturall to Christ to communicate his Grace to poor souls Besides all that fulness that is in Christ 't is in him not as God onely but as man 'T is deposited and treasured up in his human nature It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 In him i. e. as a learned man expounds it in the man Christ or in that human nature in which he dyed and transacted the business of our Salvation In co i. e. In homine Christo vel in humana illa natura in qua obivit administravit negotium salutis nostrae Daven 'T is true the God-head or Divine nature is the first spring or Fountain of all Graee but the human nature of Christ is as it were a second spring and Fountain of Grace That is as a treasury or Store-house wherein all Grace is laid up for us Hence 't is said that as the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to the Son to have life in himself because he is the Son of man Joh 5.26 27. Christ as God hath life i.e. all Grace originally and independently in him as the Father hath Indeed as God he is the same infinite and independent Fountain of Life and Grace with the Father but 't is as man that he is said to have Life and Grace given to him The sum then is That that Glorious fulness of Grace that is in Christ for Sinners is Fountain'd up in his human nature and being Fountain'd up in his human nature it will and can't but slow yea overflow to and upon poor souls that cast themselves upon him The truth is 'T is to charge Christ with unkindness and unsaithfulness both at once to suppose him unwilling to communicate himself and his fulness to Sinners coming to him and soul canst thou find in thy heart to lay so blacka charge upon so sweet and good a Christ 'T is the way and work of the devil and unbelief to perswade Souls that Christ will not receive them nor communicate his Grace and fulness to them though they should come to him which they endeavour to do from the consideration of his greatness and holiness together with their vileness and sinfulness Christ say they is choice
fight for us O how sutable every way is Christ to souls and being so sutable why should he not be acceptable to us Poor sinner is there any in Heaven or Earth that will so suit and answer the various wants and cases of thy soul as Christ does and will Why then shouldst thou not account him worthy of all acceptation 4. There is sweetness and delight in Christ Trahit sua quemque voluptas says the Poet every one is drawn and allur'd by pleasure and delight What is it that makes sin that cursed thing sin pleasing and grateful to so many Surely one great thing is that pleasure and delight which they find at least promise themselves to find in it and indeed generally the more sweet and delightful things are the more readily and greedily they are embraced by the Sons of Men Why then should not Christ be grateful and acceptable to us Is there any so sweet so pleasant so delightful as he He is a Fountain of sweetness as well as Excellency I find him so sweet sayes an holy Man speaking of Christ that my Love suppose I would charge it to remove from him it would not obey me How sweet is his Love Thy Love is better thon Wine sayes the Spouse Cant. 1.2 This is that best Wine which goeth down sweetly causing the Lips of those that are asleep to speak Cant. 7.9 Yea this is that will cause a dead Man to speak and Live as an holy Man speaks concerning it Experienced Souls will tell you that there is more sweetness in one descent of Love from Christ then in all the delights of sin and the Creature This is that which sweetens the sharpest affliction yea this is that and that alone which sweetens Death it self and enables the soul truly to triumph over it Rom. 8. latter end O the sweet bathing that there is in the Fountain of Christ's Love How sweet are his Fruits I sat down under his shadow sayes the Spouse with great delight and his Fruits were sweet to my taste Cant. 2.3 By Fruits I understand the purchases of his Blood and the effects of his Love Peace Pardon Righteousness Justification Sanctification and Holiness Acceptation with God and the like And O how sweet are these How pleasant are these With what solace and satisfaction may a believing soul feed and feast himself upon these How sweet is his presence entercourse and communion with him This made the Spouse to be plad and rejoyce in him Cant. 1.4 This indeed sets the soul down at the very Gate of Heaven where he sayes 't is good to be here 'T is a blessed exclamation which I find one of the Ancients breaks out into O how good and how sweet O how good O quam bonum quam jucundum O quam bonum jucundum est tecum dulcissime Jesu habitare in unum tecum colloqui tibi revelare causam animae nostrae tuaeque eonsolationis responso perfruri Bern. de pass domi and how pleasant is it to dwell with thee most sweet Jesus te converse with thee to reveal the concerns of our souls to thee and to enjoy thy consolations And again elsewhere O thou most sweet and most loving Jesus how sweet is it to think of thee for while we are speaking and thinking of thee thou art sweetly present with us and our souls are fill'd with delight in the odours of thine Oyntments O dulcissime amantissime Jesu quam jucundum cogitare quam salubre loqui de te tu enim de te loquentibus presens mentem dulciter accendis c. Id. Ib. And yet once more O Lord when at any time I partake in this joy speaking of the joy of Communion with him I cry out Lord 't is good to be here O Domine si quando me in aliqua hujus gaudit parte invenio clame Domine bonum est nos hic esse faciamus hic tria tabernacula sidei unum spei unum amori unum Bern. de amore dei les us build three Tabernacles here me for Faith one for Hope one for Love And indeed who is there that knows what Communion with Christ means that does not find an incomparable sweetness solace and satisfaction in it This is that which fills some with joy unspeakable and full of glory even here and this is that which will be the joy and delight of Heaven for ever Every way Christ is a very Field of pleasure a very Paradice of Joys and a very Fountain of delights O why why then should he not be more grateful and acceptable to us 5. There is durableness and unchangeableness in Christ which being added to all the former renders him even infinitely the more grateful and acceptable Possibly some worth some usefulness some sutableness some sweetness and delight there may be found in the Creature and Creature Enjoyments but alas this allayes the acceptableness of all that 't is all fading dying and changing and indeed whatever is short and but for a season can't challenge any great acceptation But now Christ he is lasting durable and unchangable Hoc est semper sui similis invariabilis immutabilis abaeterno in aeternum Glass Rhet. Sac. He is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 What he was he is and what he is he alwayes will be He was most excellent most useful most sutable most sweet and delightful to Souls and so he is and alwayes will be He as one of the Ancients speaks of him is immutable Deus est immutabilis mutans omnia nunquam novus nunquam vetus Aug. he changes all things but is himself unchangable never new never old Hence also Christ himself tells us That he is the Alpha and Omega he that was and is and is to come Rev. 1.8 He is ever the same in love in beauty in fulness in faithfulness and in all his desirablenesses And O how grateful and acceptable does this render him All our enjoynments here below fade and change yea we ourselves change Changes and War are upon us as Job speaks yea some of us are daily waiting for our last and great change But O! blessed be God Christ fades not Christ changes not What he was to and what he has done for Souls formerly that he is to and that he can do for souls now yea and that he will be to and will be able to do for Souls hereafter For he is still to come as he was and is so he is to come which is a sweet word Poor Soul hitherto it may be thou hast gone along through thy work and warfare with some comfort and courage but that which damps and terrifies thee is the apprehension of what may be to come O sayest thou the Tryals that are to come the Difficulties that are to come the Temptations that are to come the Storms and Tempests that are to come Well Soul for thy encouragement under all know that whatever is to come
approve of him as such See that the desire of your Souls be indeed towards him above all others View him till you fall in love with him yea till you fall sick of love for him and be sure not to rest till you get your Wills sweetly and powerfully determined upon him so determined upon him as to make a free solemn deliberate choice of him passing by all other Lovers and taking him alone into the bosom and embraces of your Faith and Love Now that you may be sure to make a right choice of Christ such a choice of Christ as may make him yours and tie the Marriage Knot between him and you observe herein these five or six great Rules 1. Be sure that you chuse and embrace Christ himself and not somewhat else instead of him 'T is a great and awakening saying which a worthy Divine has Many now sayes he take Christ by guess but be sure that it be he and onely he whom ye embrace his sweet Smell his lovely Voice his fair Face his gracious working in the Soul will soon tell if it be he or no. So say I be sure that it be he many mistake the Object they close with somewhat else instead of Christ at best they chuse Christ's Portion his Benefits his Priviledges his Purchases but not his Person But my advice to you is pitch on nothing short of the Person of Christ then is our Raith beyond all doubt rightly pitch't upon Christ when Christ himself not his Benefits and Priviledges onely are chosen and embraced by us A Marriage if right is between Person and Person not between Person and Portion Person and Estate that being a resulting thing So here in this Spiritual-Marriage Faith does not marry the Soul to the Portion Benefits and Priviledges of Christ but to Christ himself True I don't say first but that true Faith gives the Soul an interest in all the Benefits Priviledges and Purchases of Christ Nor secondly do I say that the Soul may not have an eye to these and a respect to these in his choice of and close with Christ yea usually these are the first thing that Faith has in its eye The first thing the Soul looks at and is taken with when he is drawn to Christ usually is that Peace that Pardon that Righteousness that deliverance from Sin Death and Hell which he sees is found and treasured up in Christ for Souls But though these things be so yet the Soul does and must go higher he must look at and pitch upon the Person of Christ or his Faith is not so right and compleat as it ought to be Alas 't is the Person of Christ that is the great Fountain of all Grace and all Manifestations from God to us and Faith accordingly does close in with his Person The Spouses Faith seems so to do Cant. 5.10 She had her eye upon the personal Beauty and Glory of Christ and accordingly embraced him with her Faith and Love Hence also you have so often those expressions I sought him whom my Soul loved and saw you him whom my Soul loveth Her love and so her Faith was fixt upon Christ himself and thus do you fix your Faith and Love upon him so shall you be sure not to miss of a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 2. Be sure that you chuse a whole Christ and not a part of him only My meaning is see that you chuse and embrace Christ in all his Offices as a King as well as a Priest as a Lord as well as a Saviour and as in all his Offices so for all those ends and uses for which God has designed him and the Gospel revealed him to us for Holiness as well as Righteousness for Sanctification as well as Justification I need not tell you that Christ is a Lord and King as well as a Saviour and that as such he is revealed and offered in the Gospel to our Faith Him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5.31 and they that will have him as a Saviour to give them pardon must have him as a Prince to give them repentance And you know Christ's Rest and his Yoke go together in the Gospel-Offer Mat. 11.28 29. Nor need I tell you that God has appointed him and the Gospel reveals him to be our Sanctification as well as our Justification So you have it expresly 1 Cor. 1.30 Accordingly then do we chuse Christ and embrace him aright when we chuse and embrace him under each notion when we chuse and embrace him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord too not onely as a Priest to procure pardon and reconciliation for us but also as a Prince to rule govern and command us not only as our Righteousness to justifie us but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy and thus true Faith does chuse and embrace him Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Mark Faith chuses Christ not only for Righteousness but for Strength too Righteousness for Justification Strength for Holiness and Sanctification Christ's language to the Soul in the tender of himself is such as this Poor Soul thou art in a dead lost undone condition God is wroth with thee Hell gapes for thee Justice calls aloud for vengeance against thee and there is no hope no help no salvation for thee but in and by me and union with me And loe I am willing to bestow my self with all my fulness upon thee But remember this that I 'le rule and command thee If I be thy Saviour I 'le be thy Lord and King too If thou wilt share in my Redemption thou must be content to bear my Yoke to bow to my Scepter to submit to my Laws and Kingdom Accordingly Faith's answer if right is this Content Lord 't is but fit that he that Saves should rule and reign that he that Redeems should be bowed and submitted to and I do willingly give up my self to thy holy and spiritual Government thy Yoke is easie thy Scepter is Righteouss thy Kingdom is full of Peace and Joy and I desire to come under them I would have thee to make me holy as well as righteous to subdue this rebellious heart of mine and to rule in me by thy pure Spirit as well as to save me by thy perfect obedience O see that thus you chuse and embrace whole Christ else your Faith is not right nor are you like to attain unto a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 3. Be sure that you chuse Christ singly and alone and not joyn somewhat else with him Some are for compounding with Christ they would joyn somewhat else in Partnership with him but as Christ must not be divided so neither will he be compounded he will be all or nothing at all to Souls and so true Faith closes with him Hence with the new Creature Christ is said to be all and in all Col. 3.11
close with Christ no longer it has been thy sin let it be thy shame and sorrow that thou hast neglected and refused Christ so long Serò te amavâ— pulchritudo tam antiqua tam nova serò te amavi Aug. saying with Austin I have loved thee too late O thou so ancient and yet so new a beauty I have loved thee too late And for thy encouragement I would say to thee as the Servant did to his Lord upon such an occasion as this Luke 14.22 Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and yet there is room Though many sinners and great sinners have been received to mercy yet still there is room for thee and for all that have a mind to Christ There is room in Christ's Heart there is room in Christ's Arms there is room in his Covenant there is room in his Kingdom there is room upon his Throne with his Father for thee But if yet any shall reject this offer of Love and persist so to do such will at last find that there is room in Hell room in the infernal Pit room in the place of torment for them Therefore as Life and Death are once more set before you so I beseech you to chuse Life and not Death that you may live for ever CHAP. XI Being a contemplation of the infinite Love and Condescention of Christ to Souls and the unspeakable Comfort and Happiness of Believers in this sweet Espousal IN the view of all that has been hitherto declared we may well take up an admiring contemplation of Christ's Love and Condescention and Believers Comfort and Happiness the one and the other being exceeding great and glorious O! for Christ to marry poor Souls to himself and for poor Souls to be married to Christ how great is the Love of the one and the happiness of the other herein 1. How great is the Love and Condescention of Christ in marrying Souls to himself Next to his becoming Man and dying for them Wherein can he testifie greater Love and Condescention to them than in this There are among many others that might be mentioned that will argue his Love and Condescention herein to be wonderful and glorious two things One is the infinite disparity and disproportion between the Parties Him and Them the other is the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them into with himself Both which I desire you to contemplate 1. Contemplate the infinite disparity and disproportion between him and them What proportion is there between a King and a Beggar What proportion is there between an Ant and an Angel yea between the smallest Worm and all the Angels in Heaven Infinitely less proportion is there between Christ and sinners and yet he espouses them to himself What shall I say He is both High and Great we are base and vile He is Blessed and Glorious we are wretched and despicable He is a Great King we are poor slaves and vassals yea the worst of slaves and vassals being the slaves and vassals of Sin and Satan And to sum up all in a few words He is God and we are Creatures yea he is an infinitely pure and holy God and we are unspeakably impure and unholy Creatures O how great is the disproportion and yet he marries us to himself What proportion is there between God and the Creature The Creature at best is but a small drop of Beeing but God is Mare essendi a Sea a Fountain an Ocean of Beeing The Creature is and has but a little good but Deus est Bonum insinitissime infinitum as Bradwardin speaks of him God is a most infinitely infinite Good The Creature is a depending thing the Beeing of the Creature is a depending Beeing the very nature of the Creature lies much in dependance but God is an absolute and independent Beeing Esse creaturae est esse dependâ—ns he being of himself and from himself indeed all other things are of him and from him and to him as the Scripture speaks Now for God to marry the Creature and espouse the Creature to himself O what love what condescention is this and yet greater love than this does Christ shew For what proportion is there between an infinitely Holy God and universally sinful defiled and polluted Creatures The distance between God and us as we are Creatures is great but the distance between the infinitely Holy God and us as sinners is in some sort unspeakably greater 'T is our duty and should be our joy to know and keep our Creature-distance with God we should rejoyce to think that God is so infinitely above us but 't is our misery and we should tremble to think of our sinful distance from God that distance I mean that sin is and has caused between God and us Now for an Holy God to espouse sinful Creatures to himself yea for a God so infinitely Holy to espouse Souls who are so utterly sinful to himself as the best of us all by nature are this is greater love and condescention still O wonderful commerce O verè admirable commercium tradit se Rex pro Servo Deus pro Homine Creator pro Creatura innocens pro nocente Bern. de pass Dom. sayes one of the Ancients speaking of Christ's dying for his People the King dies for the Servant God for Man the Creator for the Creature the innocent for the nocent The like may I say here O wonderful condescention The King marries a Slave God the Creature the pure and holy One polluted and defiled sinners True indeed he makes them Saints by and upon his marrying of them but he finds them sinners when he first makes it a time of love to them O adore this Love this Condescention 2. Contemplate the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them into with himself as the distance and disproportion between the Parties is infinitely great so the Union and Relation he takes them into is very near and glorious The Union between the Vine and Branches is near the Union and Relation between the Head and Members is near the Union and Relation between the Husband and Wife is near but all these are but shadows and representations of that Union and Relation which Christ takes Behevers into with himself which must therefore be nearer and greater than all 'T is indeed as upon occasion has been before declared next for intimacy and glory to the essential and personal Union yea it comes so near the highest Union of all the Union that is between the Father and the Son as that it is set forth in Scripture by the same expressions that that Union is viz. By being and dwelling in each other Yea Christ himself seems to bring it so near that great Union as that he makes that the pattern of it and accordingly prayes for it for his People Joh. 17.21 Neither pray I for these alone but them also which shall believe on me
through their word that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Pray mark he prayes for the accomplishment of this Union for them as the top and perfection of all their happiness and not only so but as that which comes as near the great Union between his Father and Himself as can well be conceived 'T is a sweet saying which one of the Ancients has upon these words of Christ What more glorious Vnum in nobis sicut tu ego unum sumus Quid hac Vnitate gloriosius Quid ultra vel optare poteris vel habere unum cum sponso tuo eris O foelix foelicior imò omnium foelicissima unitas Bern. sayes he than this Vnion What further or higher poor Soul canst thou either have or desire to have than this thou shalt be one with thy Bridegroom O happy exceeding happy yea of all others most happy Vnion In a word nearer than this Creatures can't well be taken unto Christ nor can they have a greater glory put upon them then there is put upon them in their being taken into this Union Relation to him how great therefore must the love and condescention of Christ herein to Believers be O for him to take such so near himself as to make them one with him to lay them in his bosom to communicate himself to them This is love indeed and this we should contemplate and admire 2. How great is the comfort and happiness of Believers in being thus married and espoused to Christ We say of such or such a Woman that is well married that she is well disposed of and is very happy in an Husband But O Soul how well art thou disposed of who art disposed of to Christ And how happy art thou in an Husband who art married to him What Soul married to Jesus to sweet Jesus to lovely Jesus to Jesus the Son of God! O what sweet what strong consolation may this be to thee and how should it fill thy heart with holy triumph and exultation for ever This alone may comfort thee in all the difficulties and troubles of Life and in all the conflicts and agonies of Death Cast thine eye back on the nature of this Espousal and what an Husband Christ is and what great things he does for his Spouses as the one and the other of them has been declared and then judge of thine own happiness in being taken into this Relation to him In Cant. 6.9 't is said concerning the Spouse of Christ That the Daughters saw Her and blessed Her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised Her They look't upon Her to be the most happy on Earth And truly Soul when I look upon thee as the Spouse of Christ I can't but in like manner bless and praise thee and thou thy self mayst well bless thy self and say Blessed be the day that ever I was born blessed be the Womb that bare me and blessed be the Paps that gave me suck But yet to raise this comfort and happiness of thine a little higher that thou mayest rejoyce in thy Lot the lines being fallen to thee in pleasant places consider three things I. Consider that this Relation of thine to Christ gives thee a full interest in him and all that is his This the Spouse much gloried and rejoyced in as her Crown and Happiness therefore she is frequently up with it in a way of holy boasting My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 And again I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine Chap. 6.3 Being espoused to Christ Christ is thine and Christ being thine his Blood is thine his Righteousness is thine his Love is thine his Fulness is thine the Fruit of all his Sufferings the Vertue of all his Offices the Sweetness of all his Relations is thine Christ being thine all is thine all the promises are thine all the Ordinances are thine Life is thine Death is thine Time is thine Eternity is thine Things present are thine Things to come are thine 1 Cor. 3.22 O what a goodly Heritage hast thou and how should thy Soul bless the Lord that ever he drew thee into this Union and Relation to him What a spring of comfort may this be to thee in all conditions Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed Why For thy Maker is thy Husband Isa 54.4 5. The truth is though possibly thou mayest have little of this World yet in having Christ thou hast all thou needst and art capable of to make thee happy for ever II. Consider that this Union and Relation of thine to Christ remains firm and stedfast for ever And O what sweetness does this add unto it True may the Soul say this Relation is a blessed Relation and full of sweetness and comfort But will it hold Yea it will hold and that for ever the best comforts thou enjoyest here below will shortly have a period and the sweetest Relations thou standst in here will after a while be dissolved and broken but thy Union and Relation to Christ will last for ever that can never be dissolv'd I will betroth thee unto me sayes God yea I will betroth thee unto me but Lord for how long may the Soul say why for ever sayes God Hos 2.19 O that word for ever this puts an infinite sweetness into this Relation of thine This one word for ever as one observes upon this place makes a misery though but small in it self an infinite misery and a mercy though but small in it self even an infinite mercy How much more does it make that which in it self is so great as thy Union and Esponsal to Christ is sweet and desirable O but sayes the Soul never was there such a wretch as I am never did any carry it towards Christ as I do True he has made love to me and I have some hopes that I have closed up with him in a Marriage-Covenant but alas never was there such a rebellious revolting backsliding heart as mine is I am ever playing the Harlot and going a whoring from him by means of which I fear he will break Union and Communion with me and at last cast me off I answer Truly Soul this is very sad and thou shouldst lie low in the dust in the sense of it yet to encourage thee against thy fears consider three things 1. Consider that Christ is not forward to take advantage against Souls for their failings and breakings with him He is not strict to mark what is done amiss Psal 130.3 He is not prone to cast off and to put away no 't is what he hates Mal. 2.16 True he may and many times does withdraw from us and frown upon us but putting away he loves not yea he pitties and spares us under our infirmities and his Bowels are mov'd for us 2. Consider that before ever Christ made love to thee and took thee into this Relation with himself he knew
perfectly what manner of one thou wouldst be and how thou wouldst carry it towards him and yet all could not hinder him from shewing this favour to thee Why then shouldst thou think it will cause him to break with thee now The Soul may be apt to say Did Christ think I would be such a Wretch that I would so grieve him so offend him that I would carry it so unworthily towards him under all his love as I do Yea Soul Christ thought it yea he knew it perfectly before-hand in Deut. 31.21 't is said That God knew what Israel would do before-hand So Christ knew before-hand how thou wouldst fleight his Love grieve his Spirit violate his Laws he knew how thou wouldst offend and affront him by a proud vain wanton behaviour before him He knew how thou wouldst backflide and go a whoring from him and had he not seen and known that he had love enough and bowels enough to cover and pass by all he would never have made love to thee Hence when he betroths he is said to do it in judgment Hos 2.19 Christ knew what he did and what an one he married when he married thee to himself And as all could not hinder his love at first so neither shall it take off his love from thee now 3. Consider that thou mayest have many failings and miscarriages be guilty of many breakings with Christ and departures from him and yet the Marriage-Covenant between him and thee not be broken A Woman may be guilty of many failings and miscarriages many defects and misdemeanors and yet all not break the Marriage-Covenant between her Husband and her And so here O how sweet is that Scripture Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their iniqui-quities with a rod and their transgressions with stripes And what sollows Nevertheless sayes he my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Pray mark Christ's People may sin and sin greatly and he may sharply chastise them for their sins yea he may seem to take away his loving kindness from them and may really for a time suspend the influences and manifestations thereof but his Covenant-love and faithfulness to them that remains firm and stedfast to them for ever notwithstanding all So again Jer. 3.1 14. Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Mark though they had backsliden though they had played the Harlot though they had played the Harlot with many lovers yet Christ owns his Covenant-Relation to them and with them yea and he sends as it were his Covenant after them and by that fetches them home to himself O! whatever thy miscarriages are whatever thy breakings with Christ and departures from him have been yet being once married to him the Marriage-Union and Relation between him and thee remains firm and stedfast for ever notwithstanding all O but sayes the Soul my heart is still bent to backsliding from Christ and I am afraid I shall at last totally and finally depart from him and then farewel all I answer That Christ stands engaged to keep thee from true notwithstanding any thing in and of thy self if left by Christ thou wouldst be apt totally and finally to depart from him but Christ himself stands engaged to keep thee to him 'T is the very tenure of his Covenant with thee Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me O Sirs not only is Christ's heart towards his People but he is engaged by Covenant to keep their hearts close to him and faithful with him at least so far as that they shall not totally depart from him and so their faithfulness to him does depend upon his faithfulness to them I 'le close this consideration with that known and great Scripture Rom. 8. latter end Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth and lest all these things should not reach the case of every Soul he adds nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. III. Consider that 't is not long e're the Lord Jesus thy dear Husband will come and consummate the Marriage between him and thy Soul And O how sweet will this be The Match here is but as it were begun between Christ and thee but Christ will shortly come and consummate it Behold the Bridegroom cometh Mat. 25.6 And again they that were ready went into the Marriage ver 10. and the Marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19.7 There is a time then when Christ will come to consummate the Marriage between him and Souls When he comes as to the World he comes as a Judge to condemn them to avenge the quarrel of his Gospel the quarrel of his Covenant the quarrel of his Blood all which they have rejected he comes to pass Sentence upon them for resisting his Spirit for contemning his Grace for breaking his Laws for neglecting his Salvation And O how dark will the day of his coming be to them But now to his own Spouses when he comes he comes as a Bridegroom And O how sweet will this coming of his be to them 1. Then he will turn all your Water into Wine Joh. 2. beg we read That Christ being at a Marriage he there turned Water into Wine And truly Soul when he shall come to consummate the Marriage between him and thee he will turn all thy Waters of Affliction into the Wine of sweet Consolation to thee He will turn thy Night into Day thy Darkness into Light thy Sorrows into Joys thy Mourning into Dancing thy Troubles into Rest thy Conflicts into Triumphs thy Labours into Reward thy mournful Lamentations into joyful Halelujahs Then will he fulfil that Scripture to thee Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more Death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Poor Soul now thine eyes are full of tears with holy David Thou goest weeping and mourning it may be all the day long but then all tears shall be wiped off thine eyes Now thou art in deaths often as the holy Apostle was but then there shall be no more death Now
ever This added to the rest is desirable and for this none like Christ Yea none but Christ he and he alone is a never-dying Husband the best Husband here below is mortal and may leave you in a moment but Christ is immortal he is the King immortal eternal 1 Tim. 1.17 and he only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 He and he onely lives for evermore Behold I live for evermore sayes he Rev. 1.18 He will never leave you in the desolate state of Widdow-hood yea not onely does he live for ever himself but moreover he makes all his Spouses to live for ever too So you find John 11.25 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life sayes he he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Oh what an Husband is this an Husband that lives for ever himself and that makes his Spouses live for ever too he gives all his Spouses such a life as never dies an immortal life In a word close with him and as he will live for ever as thy Husband so thou shalt live for ever as his Spouse Oh who would not accept of such a Person Soul if thou receivest him know he lives for ever to love thee to comfort thee to delight thee to make thee happy in and with himself but if thou rejectest him know that he lives for ever to punish thee to inflict wrath and vengance upon thee and to make thee compleatly miserable but oh reject him not Thus I have shewn you a little what an Husbund Christ is to his Spouses and upon the whole I would say to you as the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5.16 This is my Beloved and this is my Friend this is he that offers himself to your embraces surely he is no mean no despicable Person but one infinitely desireable Now what do you say will you have him or will you not possibly this is the last tender he will ever make of himself to you possibly the Match must be made now or never therefore now close with him accept him upon his own terms who surely is worthy of all acceptation CHAP. VIII Which shews what great things Christ does for all his Spouses TRue may some say Christ's Person is desirable but what will he do for his Spouses What may our Souls expect from him in case we should close up with him in a Marriage-Covenant What will he do What will he not do for you Surely he acts like himself and does great things for all his Spouses And oh happy happy they that are indeed espoused unto him I shall for the more effectual drawing of poor Souls to him shew you what he does for his Spouses in these following Particulars I. He payes all their Debts II. He supplies all their Wants III. He heals all their Maladies IV. He bears all their Burthens V. He sweetens all their Afflictions VI. He subdues all their Enemies VII He minds and manages all their Concerns VIII He enjoynters them in eternal Life and Glory I. He payes all their Debts fully discharging their Souls from all Sin and Guilt No sooner is a Woman married to an Husband but presently all her Debts become his he payes all at least is lyable so to do In like manner no sooner is a Soul espoused to Christ but all his Debts to Law and Justice become Christs and he pays all And O how great a thing is this Friends we are all in debt deeply in debt to the Law and Justice of God We owe each one of us more than our ten thousand Talents Matth. 18.24 We lie under whole Mountains of Sin and Guilt The truth is our first Father left us and all his Posterity in debt we brought Sin and Guilt into the World with us and the first day we were born Divine Justice might have arrested us and have cast us into the dismal Prison of utter darkness De Parentjbus illis venio qui me ante fecerunt damnatum quam natum peccatores peccatorem in peccato suo genâ—erunt Bern. de amore Dei I came of those Parents sayes one of the Ancients who made me damned before I was born they sinners begot me a sinner in their sin And to the same purpose another of them speaks Nemo mundus a peccato coram te Domine nec Infans cujus est unus dici vita super terram Aug. in Conf. No man is free from sin sayes he in the sight of God no not an Infant of a day old And to give you a greater authority than these the Holy Apostle asserts the same thing Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Adam sinned and we all sinned in him we all being in him as in a common Head and the guilt of the act of his sin is as truly ours as if we had each one of us acted it in our own persons and we all stand justly condemned for it Hence also vers 18. he tells us That by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Besides we have all contracted a vast Debt upon our selves and do lie under much actual guilt and that of a scarlet-dye and crimson-tincture Alas we have done little but sin'd ever since we came into the World and indeed as long as we are out of Christ either all we do is sin or at least we sin in all we do We are every day running upon new Scores adding sin to sin and guilt to guilt And O how great then must our Debts to Law and Justice needs be You look upon that man to be deeply in debt indeed whose Debts are so many and great as that he can neither know nor count them And thus it is with us so many and so great are our Sins and consequently our Debts to Law and Justice that we can neither know nor count them David though an holy Man cries out Who can understand his errors Psal 19.12 Alas who of us can count the sins of one day they pass our knowledge And which is worse still we are under a necessity whilst in our natural state of encreasing our sin and guilt every day and hour Now how shall all this Debt be paid this Sin and Guilt be expiated and done away Why only by Christ close with him in a Marriage-Covenant and your Souls are discharged from all Justice that stands upon Satisfaction it calls for full payment its language is Pay or perish pay or be damned and nothing have we of our own to pay the least of all our Debts nor can we possibly right God for the wrong we have done him by the least fin and which adds to our misery we are every day in danger of Arrests nor know we how soon Justice will by the hand of that grim Sergeant Death clap an Arrest upon us and cast us