that Gods appointed time to shew mercy either to a people or to a Soul is come when the Lord poureth out upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication he more specially moveth and inciteth his people to ask when it is in his heart to give the mercy that they ask of him and on the other side the restraining of prayer from God on our part or the with-holding the Spirit of Prayer on Gods part is an ill sign that our mercy is yet afar off 2. A second exercise of grace the exciting of which God aims at is that of faith Zech. 13. 9. They shall say the Lord is my God this is now when a Soul for the mercy which it desireth is brought off all dependances upon the creature and brought to a sole Eying of and dependency upon God and this is true both as to more publick and national mercies and also as to more private and personal mercies Israel were a great way off mercy when they trusted on the broken reeds of Aeâ—ypt and Assyria instead of helping them they ran into their hands and more wounded them but they were very near mercy when they said Hos 14. 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the Fatherless finds mercy Mark what God addeth in the very next words I will heal their backslidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon Hence again it appeareth that when People for the mercies they want and would ask of God are brought off all forreign dependencies all creature confidence and brought to a single sole confidence in God this is an excellent sign that the day is dawning upon them and the time come which God hath set in his eternal thoughts wherein he intendeth to shew them favour 3. A third end which God aimeth at in and by our afflictions is the probation and trial of grace I will melt them and try them Jer. 9. 7. I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed Faith and Patience are those two graces which are more eminently tryed in an hour of affliction you have them both mentioned together James 1. 2 3. My Brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations knowing this that the trial of your faith worketh patience and again let patience have its perfect work 1 Pet. 1. 6. You are in heaviness through manisold temptations that the trial of your saith being much more precious then that of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be sound unto praise honour and glory c. by faith here is meant a relieance and dependance upon God notwithstanding our trials Job expresseth it well Job 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Hence again if a Soul findeth that its affliction be it of what nature it will hath humbled it to Gods foot made it quiet and patient resolving meekly and without repining or murmuring to bear the indignation of God because he hath laid it upon it and that it hath brought him to a reliance and dependance upon God though it doth not see him this again is an excellent sign that Gods set time is come 2. A second rule to know Gods set time by is this When a people or a particular soul is wrought into such a frame as the promise of mercy is made unto David saith of God Psal 20. 17. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou will cause thine ear to hear Mark first God prepareth the heart then he causeth his ear to hear first he prepareth the hearts of people to receive the mercy then he gives out the mercy now how doth God prepare the heart but by working of it up into such a frame as he hath promised the mercy upon and unto 1. He worketh the heart into a patient meek humble submissive frame he heareth the desire of the humble as you have it in that text but of this I have spoken but now 2. In the mountain of the Lord it shall be seen We are then prepared for mercy when we know not how longer to uphold and subsist without it Isaiah 57. 16. I will not saith God contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth for the Spirits would fail before me and the Souls which I have made v. 18. I have seen his ways and will heal him and will lead him also and restore comforts unto him When Peter cried out that he sank then Christ lent hhim is hand when the Soul apprehends itself as it were at the last gasp that is often Gods time for he will not suffer his peoples Spirits to fail nor the Souls which he hath made 3. In such dispensations of mercy to the People of God as must depend upon the destroying or removing of their Enemies the exceeding wickedness of the enemy is a good sign that Gods set time is near for the Salvation of his people from them I build this conclusion upon Gods Word to Abraham Gen. 15. 16. where God gives this as the reason why the seed of Abraham should not till after four hundred years take a possession of the land of Canaan for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full The wicked have their day and their day is with reference to the people of God the very power of darkness but as it is with the darkness of the night they say it is darkest just before the dawning of the day so the darkness caused to the Church of God by the wickedness of the wicked when it is at the thickest is a good presage of approaching light So as though the day of the gteatest malice oppression and wickedness of wicked men be a very sad day even the power of darkness yetin this it speaketh well that the salvation of Gods people is nevernearer 4. Lastly In regard the set times of our mercies are hidden from the best of Gods people in case they have not a present answer in kind they must be content if they have it in value I pray observe this God answereth the prayers of his people more ways then one sometimes he answereth them by denying them nor is this a way of answering to be despised for whatsoever the particular thing be which a reasonable Soul desires its general desire is some good Our reasonable natures will not suffer us to ask any thing which is bad if we so apprehend it now such is the infirmity of our state that we in all circumstances do not know what is good for our selves So that God often in denying a particular desire of our Souls answereth the general desire of our Souls we ask what would do us
the Savour of the dead body when putrefied Lusts are like Solomons dead flyes which send forth a stinking Savour Eccles 10. 1. The Drunkard hath a smell of drink The unclean Person hath a smell but it is a stinking Savour the Covetous Worlding hath an earthy Savour and smell But the Savour of the Saints grace is a sweet smelling Savour his garments smell of Myrrh Aloes and Cassia His smell is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blest as Isaac said of his Son Gen. 27. 27. like the smell of Labanon mentioned Hosea 14. 6. All the Children of Gods garments smell of Myrrh Psal 45. 8. The Lord smelleth a sweet Savour from them He tells us he will not smell in the assemblies of wicked men Amos 5. 1. But Paul was a sweet Savour to God 2. Cor. 2. 15. And the Apostle calls the alms of the Saints an odor of a sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable unto God Eph. 4. 18. Their grace sends forth a sweet smell amongst the People of God who are partakers of the same grace yea even into the World that even those who know little of God or of the mysteries of his Kingdom yet many times will speak well of them and stand up in their defence Though grace at all times sends forth a smell yet it doth not give a like smell in all times and in all Persons Things you know that are most odoriferous give out a smell according to the quantity of them and according to the heat which cometh to them a dram of Musk doth not give out such a smell as a pound giveth nor doth the most Aromatick Ointment in the Winter or when it is kept in the cold give out such a smell as when it is kept in a warm hand or influenced by the warm beams of the Sun or brought near to a warm fire it is so with our habits of grace they have in them a sweet smelling Savour but exert it variously 1. According to the different degrees of grace in the Soul Every Child of God hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his measure of grace but every one hath not a like measure the faith of one is weak and little like a grane of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds yet groweth up to a great tree the faith of another may be so strong as to remove mountains according to the degrees of our infused habits of grace so will the smell of them be 2. According to the influence of Christ who is the Sun of Righteousness so also will the smell of our grace be weaker or stronger Three things contribute much to the smell of any odoriferous thing 1. Heat 2. Air 3. Motion Heat eliciteth and draweth out the odoriferous quality air conveyeth it to the sense motion rarifieth the parts Three things also much contribute to the sweet smell of the Saints grace 1. The influence of the Sun of righteousness upon the Soul Therefore our Spouse here saith Whiles the King sitteth at his table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof 2. The Breathings of the holy Spirit which our Saviour compareth to the wind blowing where it listeth 3. Motion the exercise of grace As the Ointment doth not smell so sweet in the box as when it is poured out so it is grace in motion and exercise that causeth the sweet smell thereof When Mary poured out her Ointment the house was filled with the Odour of it John 12. 3. and Christs name is compared in this Chapter to Ointment poured out which is exceeding sweet Doth any now further ask whence it is that true grace where-ever it resides will send forth its smell I answer 1. It is from the Nature of it It is some peculiar quality in the nature of a thing which makes it to send forth a pleasant smell what that is in natural things is not easy to determine The Philosopher faith it is a quality which ariseth from a due temperament of something that is dry and Savoury and something which is moist It is an account of it which will hardly bear a strict Examen that it is a peculiar quality is most certain So it is from the peculiar quality of gracious habits that they send forth their pleasant smell and of that I think a more easy and certain account may be given what it is 1. It s conformity to the Holy Nature of God 2. It s proportion and conformity to the reason of man 3. It s life and activity 1. In gracious habits there is a conformity to the Holy Nature of God Hence gracious Souls are said to be partakers of the Divine Nature conformable to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ The light of Nature shews the greatest part of mankind that there is a God Reason tells us this God must be the Supreme first and most perfect Being from hence it followeth that the excellency of every thing lyeth in a conformity to God who himself is the most perfect Being and the Pattern of all perfection This must make it the most amiable flower in the creation and causeth it to give out a sweet smell to all who have not lost their smelling debauching their reason by their most sordid lusts and passions 2. In all gracious habits and exercises there is also a conformity to humane reason There are in man some reliques of that reason in which much of the Original image of God wherein man was created lay for Right reason which Socinians so much talk of it existeth in no man or Woman perfectly by nature but some judgment remains of what is good and filthy some notions of good and Evil though very imperfect now all gracious habits will approve themselves and all gracious acts do approve themselves to these notions Hence all truly moral acts are materially gracious acts That is the same acts which grace teacheth the good man to do though from noble◠Principles in a better manner and to a more pure and noble End So that so long as there are any men in the World who have not outlawed their natural reason and almost extinguished it by their brutish lusts and passions grace will give a smell and a good report And the great hatred which good and holy men meet with from the men of the World is from this that grace carrieth out the Saint beyond the measures of the man of reason So that in some acts especially of Religion he cannot be bounded by his limits The man of the World commendeth the Child of God for his justice and Charity for his Sobriety and temperance his readiness to forgive his Enemies his meekness humility his serving of God c. He is only angry at him that he will offer up to God more and more excellent Sacrifices that his measures of praying hearing fasting c. Will not serve his turn c. 3. Lastly Grace is of a nimble active nature It is the Fire with which the Holy Ghost baptizeth
Therefore do the Virgins love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This seemeth to be in our dialect an harsh sense and the connexion is not clear To help it therefore Piscator translateth it Quod attinet ad odorem c. As to what belongs to the savour of thy good Ointments c. The Tigurine Version make the middle words as a Parenthesis and translate it thus For the smell of thy good Ointments for thy name is as an Ointment poured out Therefore do the Virgins love thee The only question is whether the Spouses design in these words be to give a reason why her beloved had such an excellent name viz. because of the savour of his good Ointments Or to give a reason why the Virgins loved him or of both these together I think of both The words will bear it But let us come to enquire the import of the words more particularly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The thing spoken of is Ointments these are said to be 1. Good and 2. to have a Smell The Hebrew word from which the word here translated Ointments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cometh signifies to be fat Deut. 32. 15. Jeshurun waxed fat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 5. 4. This word properly signifieth fatness and usually signifieth Oil or Ointment because of the pinguid nature of those things so Prov. 21. 20. Hos 2. 5. The word signifieth any kind of fatness whether caused by Nature or Art But it is not here to be taken literally he needs no Oils nor sweet Ointments to make him sweet But you must know that those Eastern Countries abounded with plenty of Spices and other sweet ingredients of which several compounds were made Oils and Ointments which were exceedingly grateful to the outward senses of which they made both a Religious and a Civil use They made a Religious use of them 1. In Sacrifices 2. In Consecrations Oil was used in Sacrifices Especially in such as were Eucharistical Hence you read of the Oil of gladness for it testified joy and gladness The first use of it in this kind of which you read in Scripture was Gen 28. 18. When God had preserved Jacob in the Night in token of his thankfulness he took the stone upon which he had slept and set it up for a pillar and powred Oil upon it he did the like again Gen. 35. 14 whether it were done as a note of the consecration of the place to the service of God or an Eucharistical Sacrifice may possibly be questioned by some but the latter seemeth to me most probable considering the subsequent use of Oil under the law to this purpose of which you may read in Leviticus Ch. 2. v. 1. 3. 4. It was not lawful in offerings which were to bring iniquity to remembrance Numb 5. 15. No testimony of Joy might there be shewn It was also used in Consecrations of persons and that either to the Kingly Priestly or Prophetical Office Samuel used Oil in the anointing both of Saul David to the Kingly Office The same you read also in the anointing of Jehu 2 King 10. 3. Elisha the Prophet was anointed So was the High Priest You have a description of the Oil and a particular Precept and direction for the composition of it Exod. 30. 22. This was called the holy anointing Oil with which Aaron and his Sons were anointed The Tabernacle also and the Ark with all things belonging to them were to be anointed with it as you will find in that Chapter Besides this Sacred use of Oil there was also a civil and ordinary use of it Thus they used it either for bodily nourishment the widow 1 Kings 17. 12. Told the Prophet that she had but a little Oil in the cruse Or 2. For delight and pleasure as we now use our sweet powders our dry and liquid perfumes Joab chargeth the woman of Tekoah being to personate a mourner not to anoint her self with Oil. Esther and the other Maids that were to be brought before Ahashuerus were for 6 months to be perfumed with Oils Christ complains of Simon that he had not anointed his head with Oil. Mary anointed Christ with Oil or Ointment Joh. 11. 2. and the Woman poured out a Box of Ointment Spikenard upon his head Now from this civil and sacred use of Oil and the effects the terms of Oil and Ointment and Anointing are also used metaphâ—rically in Scripture Thus Oil and Ointments in Scripture signify the graces of Gods Spirit and Anointing signifies that gracious Divine Act by which we are made partakers of those graces To this sense the Psalmist speaketh God hath anointed thee with the Oil of Gladness above thy fellows Psal 45. 7. which the Apostle applieth to Christ Heb. 1. 9. and St. John expoundeth saying The Spirit was not given unto him by measure which is plainly expressed Acts 10. 38. God hath anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power And as the holy anointing Oil under the old Law wetted not Aarons head alone but ran down upon the Skirts of his Garment so this holy metaphorical Oil doth also Hence as David said Psal 92. 10. Thou hast anointed me with fresh Oil and the People of God then were called the Lords anointed So under the New Testament the Children of God are said to have an unction it is said that this Anointing abideth in them Thus that of St. John is made good Of his fulness we have received grace for grace By Christs Ointments we understand then the Grace that was poured out upon him and which dwelleth in him and in this sense I find the generality of sober Expositors agreed Now these Ointments are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good the signification of which term I opened to you before and when I come to the propositions of Doctrine I shall more particularly shew you the goodness of them in every notion of good But these Ointments are also said to cast a Savour At the savour of thy good Ointments A smell or savour is Qualitas olfactu sensibilis some quality of a thing which we discern by our external sense of smelling being conveyed to us by the mediation of the Air By the smell of Christs Graces we can understand nothing else than the Spiritual sense of the love of Christ which by the mediation and breathing of the holy Spirit of God is discerned by the Soul The word in the Hebrew signifies any perception of a thing it is used Is 11. v. 3. where it is said of Christ that the Spirit of the Lord resting upon him shall make him as we translate it of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord the Hebrew is he shall be smelled in the fear of the Lord. And Judg. 16. 9. we translate it when it toucheth the fire the Hebrew word is the same when it smelleth the fire that is when the fire cometh to it when
it hath any sense of the fire I conclude then that as Christs Ointments are the graces with which he is filled So the savour of these Ointments is nothing else than the souls perception and sense of that Christ by the mediation of the holy Spirit of God breathing his grace and love upon the Souls of his People And this is sufficient to have spoken for the explication of this first phrase It follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth Job speaking of God saith what is his name and what is his Sons name Let us enquire a little concerning the name of Christ in this Text. A name is an appellation given to some person or thing either to express the nature and being of it or to distinguish it from another thing God cannot properly be said to have a name because no term can fully explicate to us his divine essence But yet God is pleased in some little measure to make himself known to us Now whatsoever God thus makes himself known unto us by that is his name More particularly The second Person in the holy Trinity considered as our Mediator and in reference to the great work of mans redemption had several names One expressing the two natures which were united in that Divine Person that was his name Emanuel which signifieth God with us Another expressing the great work which he had to do viz. To save his People from their sins therefore his name was called Jesus A third expressing his designation consecration to his Office thus he was called Messiah and Christ both signifying the same thing Anointed Gregory understands it of the name Christ and the name Messiah so doth Lud. de Ponte Genebrard Lyra and others of the name Jesus But I know no reason why we should dispute so nicely for the particular name when as Christ had several names either expressive of his Divine or Human nature or of his personal capacity as both Natures were united in him or else expressing the vertues and graces of his Person or else relating to one or another or all his sacred Offices and indeed what is said in the Text is true concerning every name of Christ as well as another Each of his names is As an Ointment poured forth And besides I see a more comprehensive interpretation of the term equally true with this Thy name Whatsoever thou art made known by unto us thy word ordinances grace gospel it is all like Oil poured forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word translated poured forth cometh from the Hebrew Radix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath emptied or exhausted Christs name is compared to Oil to Oil emptied poured out Oyl in the Box is sweet very sweet it maketh the Box sweet but it casts not forth its smell abroad nor is the sweetness of it so exceeding great and overcoming as when it is poured forth It is said of the Ointment with which Mary anointed our Lord that when she brake the Box the savour of it filled the room Nor is it said thy name is as an Ointment dropped out but as an Ointment poured forth as Ointment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emptied or exhausted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Septuagint version Take the Lord Jesus Christ as he is one with the Father God over all blessed for ever so he is the Fountain and Original of Grace full of good Ointments But now look upon him as our Mediator in which notion the names of Jesus Christ Messias Emanuel c. belong unto him so he is as Oil poured forth The grace of the hypostatical union is poured out upon him he is God with us The fulness of the God-Head dwelleth in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily The Revelation of Christ to the world as the Saviour of the Sons of Men is as an Ointment poured forth which smells sweet in the Nostrils of all the world and filleth the whole Creation with a sweet savour The more special revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the particular souls of the Saints is as an Ointment poured forth Christ apprehended and applyed by faith unto the soul is exceeding sweet to it To you that believe saith the Apostle he is precious It followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore do the Virgins love thee Amongst men the term Virgin signifies one who hath not lain with Man neither as a Wife nor as a Strumpet By a metaphor the Servants of God in Scripture are called Virgins because it is their duty and will be their care to keep themselves unspotted from the world from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit as the Apostle speaketh the 144000 glorified Saints mentioned Rev. 14. 4. are called Virgins The professors of the Gospel at large are so called in the parable Mat. 25. of which though as to the matter of their own salvation some were wise some soolish yet all kept themselves from the Paganish Spiritual Adultery with Devils Stocks and Stones Gods People of Israel anciently was called a Virgin Jer. 31. 4. 13. And Saint Paul professeth it his desire to present the Saints at Corinth as a chast Virgin unto Christ to which purpose he was jealous over them with a godly jealousy 2 Cor. 11. 2. The word here translated virgins cometh from the Heb. root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be hid and covered either Because the gravity of former times caused Parents to keep their Virgins as it were hidden in their Houses until Marriage Or else because the modesty of those more innocent times allowed not Virgins to go without their Vails as it were hidden from vulgar sight Rebeccah when she came near unto Isaac took a Vail and covered herself which usage continued a long time after especially in publick Assemblies Tertullian hath a peculiar Book de velandis Virginibus concerning the vailing of Virgins where he bitterly inveigheth against those who had broken those bars of modesty and calleth them capita nundinatitia pudorem ostentatitiae Virginitatis what would he have said to the bare Necks and open Breasts of this Age But I told you by Virgins here are meant the true Children of God who are called hidden ones Psal 83. 3. such who being cleansed have neither spot nor wrinkle but are holy and without blemish thus of old Origen and Gregor magnus and more lately Beda with the generality of modern Expositors interpret it Mercer by Virgins seems to understand the Gentiles who had not heard of Christ yet should be also induced to love him upon the report of his Excellencies revealed to them in the preaching of the Gospel but the other Interpretation is proper enough and more generally received to which I shall adhere These Virgins love Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word translated love is ordinarily used and so interpreted it hath a great cognation with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit he hath willed
and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desideravit he hath desired Love is nothing else but a willing of good to the object beloved and desire is the eldest Daughter and first fruit of love For the particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they shew the cause of the believers loving of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the savour of his good Ointments The excellencies of grace which are in him of which it hath a spiritual sense This whole verse comprehends a second Argument by which the Spouse inforceth her first petition The first was drawn from that high esteem which her soul had of the love and grace of Christ 2. This is drawn from that particular affection which she had for him common to all spiritual Virgins which she shews was not brutish and irrational no it was because he was full of grace which was more precious than the most excellent Ointments and she had received the savour of this grace for his discovery of himself to the world as a Saviour and more specially to her soul as her Saviour was as an Ointment poured forth You may now take the substance of these two verses and so of the Spouses first and great petition thus Oh! That it might please my dearly beloved Saviour who is my Spiritual Bridegroom to shew me some token of special love and to multiply those tokens to me more specially in and by the words of his Mouth in Gospel Doctrines to speak unto my Soul which doth really prefer the tokens of his love and influences of his grace before the most choice of all creature comforts My beloved is full of grace and love which is sweet like good Ointment every discovery of himself is as sweet as Ointment poured forth therefore doth my Soul love him and not my Soul only but the Souls of all those who are not deflowered by the world and by lusts From the words thus opened several propositions of truth may be observed The mercies which the believing Soul thirsts after are spiritual distinguishing mercies The least of Christ a kiss is exceeding precious to a gracious Soul Though the least influences of grace be precious to believers yet they will not be satisfied without the fullest dispensations of grace and most frequent repetitions of it Believers have special thirstings after the Word of God The kisses of his Mouth The thirst of a true believer will not be satisfied without a Spiritual inward communion with Christ in his Ordinances The kisses of his Mouth A gracious Soul will be very bold and earnest with God for this spiritual communion with him The Lord Jesus Christ hath Loves A variety of Grace The Loves of Christ are better than Wine than all created comforts whatsoever The believing Souls knowledge of the Excellencies which are in Christ is the ground of its earnest desire of fellowship and communion with him It is an excellent Argument for a Soul to use with God for the obtaining of favours from him if it can truly say that it preferreth his favour before all created goods The Lord Jesus Christ hath good Ointments which cast a savour The name of Christ is as an Ointment poured forth Virgin Souls love the Lord Jesus Christ for those excelling graces which they discern in him Sermon II. Canticles 1. v. 1. 2 3. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth for his loves are better then Wine Because of the savour c. I Have in my former Exercises opened the Text and named those propositions of Doctrine which are couched in the words or rationally to be deduced from them I come now to the particular handling of them beginning with the first The thirst of a believing Soul is after Spiritual distinguishing mercies Nature teacheth every one to say who will shew us any good Good is a thing that all the creation is enamoured upon God is the fountain of all goodness Every good and perfect gift cometh from above from him who is the father of lights Who being not a debtor to the creature must needs dispense it out freely Hence that goodness of God which is his goodness of Beneficence not only dwelling in him as a piece of his divine perfection But flowing from him as a stream from the fountain of his liberality is properly called Mercy whether it be good to us in respect of its sutableness to our outward and bodily wants or to our more inward and Spiritual necessities Hence the Mercies and savours of God are either Bodily respecting out outward Man or Spiritual respecting our inward man The former such now as life health peace and prosperity riches c. are such as God gives to his Enemies as well as to his Friends he maketh his Sun to rise upon the evil and the good And sendeth rain on the just and unjust Math. 5. 45. Spiritual good things again are either Gifts of common or of Special Grace Gifts of common grace such as knowledge invention memory utterance c. These are indeed Spiritual gifts so called by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 1. ch 14. 1. because given out by the Spirit of God and tending to innoble the Spiritual part and they are also called the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. They are so in their kind better than those which only concern the outward man but St. Paul himself mentioneth better than these in the very same Text I shew you a more excellent way Neither are these distinguishing favours but given in common to wicked as well as to good men But now there are Spiritual mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called Not only because they come from the Spirit of Grace and innoble the Spiritual part of man but because they are suted to the greatest necessities of our inward man Such are the grace of Justification Union to and reconciliation with God pardon of Sin and the Senses of that pardon together with all the fruits of the Spirit of regeneration and Sanctification These are the distinguishing favours of God which difference the Child of God from him that is not Now I say these are those favours which the believing Soul thirsteth after and longeth for expressed here under the Metaphor of kisses And properly expressed under that notion Men and women use not to kiss such as they hate but such as they have an affection for It is a civil usage amongst us so to salute strangers indeed but frequency of kisses speaks a distinguishing love and some intimacy of Affection and are not ordinary unless amongst very intimate Friends such as is the Husband and Wife Brethren and Sisters c. But yet a little further When Isay the thirstings of gracious Souls are after such distinguishing tokens of divine love I understand it not Exclusively The Children of God are made up of flesh and blood as well as any others and subject to the same necessities and infirmities
Rocks of Pearl or ten thousand Rivers of Oil. But possibly some may say This is to plead my own merit I answer no for consider who it is that hath wrought in thy heart this value and esteem Is it not God Did flesh and blood reveal any such thing unto thee thou dost not then plead thy own merit thou only pleadest with God from what he hath already wrought and begun in thee 2. It is but the pleading of the promise which God hath made to them that love him and keep his Commandments 3. Neither dost thou plead thy esteem and value for the loves of Christ as meritorious as thinking that thy prizing the loves of Christ meriteth the further manifestations of them to thy Soul thou only pleadest it as a gracious habit wrought in thy Soul by which God hath fulfilled in thy Soul the condition of the promise thou only beggest of God that he who hath wrought in thy Soul that condition to which he hath annexed his promise would now fulfil also that promise to thy Soul which is annexed to that condition Thus I have finished the discourses I designed upon the first Petition of the Spouse as pressed by her first Argument Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth For thy Loves are better than Wine Sermon XIII Canticles 1. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee I Proceed to the next Proposition which I at first observed from these words which I then largely opened Christ hath good Ointments which cast a savour my meaning is according to my former explication of the words That the Lord Jesus Christ is filled with the graces of the blessed Spirit which in themselves are as good Ointments and whose excellency is discerned by every true Believer by every Soul that is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ to use the Apostles phrase I have espoused you to one Husband For a further discourse upon this Proposition let me first shew you 1. What I mean by Christs Grace and when I say he is full of the Graces of the holy Spirit 2. In what respects these graces are like to good Ointments 3. What particular graces of the Spirit are thus like to good Ointments 4. Whence it is that they are discerned and more effectually discerned by a gracious heart than another We read in the Psalmist that Christ was anointed mith the Oil of gladness above his fellows Heb. 1. 3. That he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power Acts 10. 38. That phrase in the Epistle to the Hebrews borrowed out of Psal 45. as I shewed you is excellently interpreted by John God gave not the Spirit unto him by measure Joh. 3. 34. The Grace of God was said to be upon him Luk. 2. 40. and he is said to be full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. Grace in Scripture as it relateth unto God is usually taken in one of these two senses 1. For the favour and free love of God by which a Person is accepted of God and so Grace is in St. Pauls Epistles to the Romans and Galatians and in his other Epistles opposed to works thus we are said to be justified by Grace saved by Grace In this sense it is also in Scripture applied to Creatures Esther obtained Grace that is favour in the sight of the King Esther 2. 17. and so in many other Texts Or 2dly it is taken For some holy and virtuous qualities and dispositions by which our Persons being first accepted in Christ we are acceptable unto God Thus it is said Joh. 1. 16. Of his fulness we have all received Grace for Grace thus Love is called a Grace 2 Cor. 8. 6. and in this sense the Apostle telleth the Corinthians God is able to make all Grace to abound to them 2 Cor. 8. 9. In this sense we are commanded to grow in Grace that is in holy virtuous dispositions or habits 2 Pet. 3. 18. It is expounded by 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your 〈◊〉 virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity The Grace of Christ is taken in a double sense 1. Subjectively For that free love and favour which is subjected in Christ and being in him as its Fountain floweth from him to cur Souls In this sense Christ is said to be sail of Grace and truth full of love free love towards his Peoples Souls and truly in this sense Grace comes by Jesus Christ for out of him God loveth no Soul In this sense the Apostle wisheth to the Romans Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Take Grace in this sense Christ is the Subject of it and the medium by whom it floweth from the Eternal Father to the Children of men he himself was from Eternity beloved of God and that both necessarily and freely being his Fathers Son begotten from Eternity the Father loved him delighted in him and indeed in this sense Christ may be said to have been the object of Grace but he was not anointed with this in time he had it from before all times only as to the Grace of Vnion the humane Nature until Christ assumed it was not beloved of God Christ assuming it it became the object of this Grace 2. But secondly the Grace of Christ is also taken objectively for that Grace which was poured out on Christ as Mediator and this is either 1. The Grace of Vnion which is the free love of God assuming the humane nature into a personal union with the Divine Nature in which thing God put a great deal of dignity upon and shewed a great deal of love unto our Nature 2. The grace of Sanctification by which I understand not the same which the Children of God receive upon Regeneration when of unholy they are made holy of impure they are made pure of proud they are made humble c. But those holy dispositions and qualifications which were found in Christ considered as the Son of Man by vertue of the union of the Divine Nature with the Humane Nature and his anointing with the Holy Ghost not given by measure unto him by which he was not only acceptable to his Father as Mediator but he is also exceeding lovely to his Saints So that when I say Christ hath good Ointments abundance of Grace I understand 1. Abundance of free love which dwelt in him as God over all blessed for ever to be dispensed out according to the particular exigencies of all his Peoples Souls 2. Many gracious dispositions which eminently dwelling in the God-Head from all Eternity were also by the Spirit poured out upon the Humane Nature in his Incarnation These are here called by a Metaphor Ointments and good Ointments 1. Because by the communication of these from the Divine
to the Humane Nature in the personal union of both Natures in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ was sanctified and set apart and constituted as a person fit to be our High Priest and King This as I told you in my last discourse was one of the sacred uses of Oil which the Jews made there was a sweet anointing Oil made by Gods special prescript for the consecration of the High Priest the Tabernacle and their holy Utensils with this also they anointed their Kings This did but typify the anointing of the Holy Ghost and by the receiving of this Vnction Christ was constituted our High-Priest and the King upon the Holy Hill of Sion By the Grace of Hypostatical Vnion he was made so I mean by the union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the one Person of Christ Christ indeed had an Essential Kingdom equal with the Father by his Eternal Generation but he obtained his Mediatory Kingdom by vertue of his Incarnation and Vnction The new and living way was consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Thus he was made our High-Priest our King our Prophet and by his gracious dispositions and qualifications he was made fit for a Mediator For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens who needed not daily as those High Priests under the law to offer up Sacrifice first for his own Sins then for the People c. Heb. 7. 26. 27. 2. The Graces of Christ were like good Oils or Ointments as they were used in Sacrifice they cannot indeed so properly be called a Sacrifice but they were as the Oyl poured upon the meat offering There is a dispute whether the Passive Obedience of Christ only or his Active obedience also be imputed to us and be our righteousness not to meddle with that supposing his passive obedience to have alone been the Sacrifice yet his Active obedience must be allowed as the Oyl poured upon it The meat offering was usually some Beast or Bird slain but then they were to come and pour Oyl upon it Christs death upon the Cross was his offering That was the Sacrifice but his Graces were as the Oyl poured upon this offering had not he that died been pure and holy righteous and separate from sinners meek obedient c. he could not have been accepted for others for he must have offered for himself as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 7. 26 27. Thus his personal graces and perfections were like good Oils with respect to the use of Oil in Sacrifice upon the account of them it was that he offered up to his Father a Sacrifice for the Sins of his People which was acceptable Thirdly The Personal Graces and perfections of Christ were like good Oils for their sweet savour These perfections are those things which make the name and person of Christ as a sweet smelling savour in the Nostrils of every understanding gracious Soul what is it which maketh any Soul love Christ what maketh its own private meditations of him or the report which it receiveth of him so exceeding sweet to the Soul but these excellencies and perfections which are in him His free and infinite love to the Sons and Daughters of Men his pity and compassion his slowness to conceive a wrath and readiness to forgive his freeness to heal his Peoples backslidings his purity and holiness his patience and meekness These are those things which make Christ appear so lovely and amiable to gracious Souls Lastly like good Oils they serve the Soul for food What doth a Soul that hungereth and thirsteth after Righteousness seed upon but the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ some indeed have found a Righteousness of their own to feed upon but I doubt whether those Souls that feed on nothing else will appear fair and well liking in the great day of the Lord Suppose a Soul pined away in the sense of its iniquities what doth it live upon but only the free Grace and mercy of God in the Lord Jesus Christ As Hezekiah said in another case By these things men live so doth every Spiritual Soul make use of the Grace of Christ and may say By the Righteousness of Christ I live by thelove pity and tender mercies of Lord Jesus Christ I live By his fulness of grace I live for of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace Thus you see how upon all accounts The grace of Christ is like good Ointments But thus much generally We are upon a Bed of Spices it is good for us to be here let me therefore speak a little more particularly shewing you particularly What these Graces of our Lord Jesus Christ are which are upon all these accounts as good Oils or good Ointments I shall answer this in several particulars 1. The Grace of Vnion is as a good Oâ—l There is a three-fold Union considerable with reference to Christ 1. His Eternal Vnion with his Father This is what he saith in the Gospel once and again I and my Father are one but it is not proper to call this Grace It was natural his Generation who can declare 2. The second is the Hypostatical Vnion of the Divine and Humane Nature in the One Person of the Mediator This was Grace the assumption of our Nature to make one Person with the Divine Nature this was an act of Grace it was not Natural not Eternal but the product of Divine and free 〈…〉 time It was the Grace both of the first and of the second Person in the Trinity to assume humane nature into an Union with the second Person 3. There is an Vnion of Christ with Believers I in you saith Christ and you in me These are mysteries the two latter I mean not to be fully known and understood until Christs second coming At that day saith our Blessed Lord Joh. 14. 20. You shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and Lin you That there is such a thing we know how it is we do not know but in the mean time this is also of Grace This in the second sense is terminated in Christ in the last it is terminated in the truly believing Soul I am sure both are as good Oils That Grace which was both from the Father and himself considered as God by which our Nature was assumed into a oneness with the Second Person in the God-Head This is like a good Oil this was the sweet anointing Oil of his Consecration by this he Was constituted out High-Priest capacitated to offer a Sacrifice to his Father both meritorious and acceptable As God he could not die as meerly the Son of man he could not merit as God-man he could do both O this makes Christ exceeding lovely in the Eyes of a Spiritual intelligent Soul Christ as God is full of Glory and Majesty but his Glory is invisible his Majesty is incomprehensible but now when the Word was made flesh
Name I will mention but three things First His Word is his Name The Gospel of Christ is his Name that expresseth to us what Christ is Christ saith that he had manifested his Father's Name unto the men whom he had given him out of the world Joh. 17. 6. that is his Fathers Truths the Doctrine of his Gospel The Lord Jesus is made known by his Gospel That doth the same thing for Christ that our Name doth for us it lets the World know whose Son Christ is what he is what he hath done and suffered for Sinners and this is to the Soul exceeding sweet as an Oil that is poured forth Secondly His Mercy is his Name All those declarations of his love and good will towards his Peoples Souls of which his Gospel is full All the Emanations of his Love When the Lord telleth Moses his Name he thus proclaimeth it The Lord The Lord merciful slow to anger As God gets him a great Name upon Pharaoh and the wicked of the Earth by executing Justice and Judgment so he gets himself a great Name amongst his Saints by shewing meâ—cy His Name is I even I am he that blotteth out transgressions for my own Names sake I will heal your backslidings and love you freely Lastly His Truth is his Name By Truth I mean his Faithfulness in fulfilling his Word Thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds saith David Psal 108. 4. David Psal 138. 2. resolveth to praise God's Name for his Loving-kindness and for his Truth Jesus Christ is much known to us by his Truth and Faithfulness to his Promises making good to his Peoples Souls what he hath said hence he is called the Amen the Faithful and the true Witness Rev. 3. 14. Pareus upon that Text saith that Christ is called the Amen for that reason which the Apostle giveth 2 Cor. 1. 19 20. because he is not Yea and Nay but he is Yea and because all the Promises of God in him are Yea and Amen Thus I have opened to you what that Name of Christ is which the Spouse compareth to an Oil or to an Ointment poured forth 2 Qu. But why to an Oil poured forth Certainly for the usefulness of it under that circumstance Ointment in the Box Oil inclosed and kept up in the Vessel is no way so useful as when it is poured out If we use it for food it must be poured out if for Medicine if for Ornament which way soever we use Oil or Ointment it must be poured out then it becomes useful to us But that which I take to be what is principally intended is Thy Name is exceedingly infinitely sweet Oil is sweet in the Vessel where it is kept it is sweet if but dropped out by drops But saith the Spouse of Christ Thy Name is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth Thou hast not only a sweetness and excellency in thy self but all the grace and mercy in thee is communicated and that not in drops or little measures but as Oil poured forth that hath scope of Air enough to diffuse it self in and by If Christ had No Name by which he could be made known to us yet there would be in him as God blessed for ever infinite goodness as well as Majesty and Glory the fulness of the God-Head would be in him he would be full of Grace and Truth but now his Name makes him to be as an Oil poured forth by that we behold his glory the glory as of the begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. When the invisible incomprehensible excellency love and grace of Christ is made known unto us either by the Gospel or by the emanations of his grace and mercy or the demonstrations of his truth and faithfulness by any of his personal names or names of Office wâ—ich are given to him then like Oil or Ointment poured out he appears to the Soul transcendently incomparably sweet This now appears both from Scripture and from experience 1. From Scripture how sweet are thy words unto my tast faith David Psal 119. 103. More to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than Honey and the Hony-comb Psal 19. 10. In his name shall the Gentiles trust Mat. 12. 21. Adam had a little of Christ made known unto him One promise we read of no more The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. It was like Oil poured forth and kept him from a deliquium in the sense of the first sin and his being turned out of Paradise Abraham heard a little of Christs name it was to him like Oil poured forth he saw my day and rejoiced saith Christ John 8. he saw the day star arise afar off he saw but the morning the dawning of the morning too of Christs day and at a great distance how sweet was it to him He saw my day saith Christ and he rejoiced I might give you very many instances of the sweetness which the Saints of God perceived upon the several discoveries of Christ made to them But what needs any further demonstration than what ariseth from the consideration of the thing and from the experience of any Child of God to whom Christ is or hath been made known how sweet must rest be to one that is weary ease to one that is heavy laden both these are promised from Christ Mat. 11. 29. how sweet must the name of a Saviour be to one that is lost and undone the name of Redeemeâ— to one that is a Captive The name of a Mediator to one that hath offended a potent adversary able to crush him every moment 2. I appeal further to the experience of every Child of God even every Soul who hath tasted any thing of Christ and who hath heard any thing of his Name when a Soul is troubled to think how often how heinously it hath offended God how sweet is the name of a Mediator when it is brought to a sense of its sin and apprehends itself lost and undone how sweet is it to remember the name of Jesus given unto Christ because he was to save his People from their sins when a Soul considereth that without Blood without a Sacrifice there is no remission of Sin how sweet then is the name of an High Priest over the House of God who offered up himself once for our Sins and having done so ascended up into Heaven and ever sitteth at the Right Hand of God to make intercession for the Sins of his People How sweet to the Soul that is afraid lest its lusts should have dominion over him is the name of Christ as a King given unto him because he is to rule in the hearts of those who are once subjected and subdued unto him How sweet are his mercy his truth his promises when at any time the latter are applied to the Soul and the former any way made known in the Soul Doth any one ask whence it is that the name of
or set upon and in which they take a chief pleasure and delight For their lusts and corruptions they are not free from them but their hearts are dead to them Thus they are Virgins with respect to their state which is not a state of absolute independency from the world or absolute freedom from lusts and corruptions but such a freedom from the one and the other that they have no constant fellowship and communion with either 2. Their Life is like the Life of a Virgin an hidden Life The Virgin hath her name in the Hebrew from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to hide because she lived an hidden kind of life Virgins antiently lay hid in their Fathers house and there they spent their time not in Markets and Fairs and places of publick concourse Dinah made an escape and there was you know a sad consequent of it The Virgins life is most in her Closet or in her Fathers house Such is the life of a Child of God they are called God's hidden ones and the Apostle saith of them Our life is hid with Christ in God The Spiritual Soul spends most of its time at home in its Closet or in his Fathers house where two or three are met together in the Lord's Name this is their Fathers house on Earth or else in Heaven Our conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. The world saith the Apostle knoweth us not The Children of God live but the World understands not how they live they walk with God They live in Christ the life which they live in this state is by Faith in the Son of God 3. The Life of Virgins is a free Life free from that care and sollicitude which attendeth the House-wife The Apostle telleth us 1 Cor. 7. The unmarried woman seeketh to please the Lord but she that is married seeketh to please her Husband The married woman hath upon her a great deal of care and trouble she hath an Husband she hath Children she hath Servants she hath a Family to take care for the Virgin hath nothing to trouble her nothing to take care about but how to please her Father who provideth for her what she hath need of In this respect the Disciples of Christ are Virgins God hath bidden them be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and Supplications let your requests be made known unto God Philip. 4. 6. He hath commanded them to cast their care upon him assuring them that he careth for them 1 Pet. 5. 7. As the Father taketh the care of his Virgin Daughters upon himself so as they need not be sollicitous or trouble themselves with cares what they should eat or what they should drink or what they should put on so hath the Lord taken care for his Children and every Child of God that walks up to his Principles and liveth up to his holy Calling leadeth a life as void of sollicitous care and anxiety as the Virgin in her Fathers house whose only care is to please her Father He is indeed careful to maintain good works but for nothing else and thus as with respect to their state so with respect to the way and condition of their lives the Saintsare Virgins But further yet they are or should be Virgins with respect to their Qualifications 4. Virgins are chast and undefiled Thus the Children of God are usually described in holy Writ I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. They are called pure in heart undefiled in the way they have not defiled their garments Rev. 3. 4. Indeed every married woman is not an unclean woman there is a marriage-bed undefiled as the Apostle speaks and indeed as there is a matrimonial Virginity or Chastity so the Saints are such for though they be Virgins yet they are espoused to one Husband they are married unto Christ Though their hearts cleave not to Objects which indeed cannot be the proper Husbands of a reasonable spiritual and immortal Soul 5. Finally Virgins are or should be modest in all their behaviour She that hath lost her Modesty hath exposed her Virginity to great jealousies and suspicions The Children of God are so in their hearts in their discourses in their hehaviour But I have opened this Metaphor sufficiently Now these Virgins love Christ for the savor of his Name because his Name is an Oil or Ointment poured forth All these things are spoken in a figure that figure which we usually call a Metaphor Sweet things entice and allure our senses Sweet savours are grateful to our smell Thence it is that it hath been an antient practice for Men and Women to use sweet Oil or Powder that they might be more amiable and delightful to their Lovers This you may know was an old practice by that instance of the lewd Woman in the Proverbs who to invite the young man to her Adulterous Bed tells him She had perfumed her Bed with Myrrh Aloes and Cinamon The Spouse making use of this vain and wanton practice to express how pleasant and delightful Christ was to her fancieth him as one perfumed with sweet Odours anointed with odoriferous Oil or Ointment Thy Name saith she is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee That is thou art possessed of many noble rich and excellent habits of grace which make thee to my Soul appear infinitely more sweet and lovely than all the good Oils and Perfumes in the World can make one appear to the wanton sense of another and for those excellent graces of the Spirit by thee not received by measure and for the pourings out and discoveries of these upon the Souls of the Saints and the discovery of them unto their Souls it is That Souls freed from the pollutions of the world through lust Souls that are holy spiritual heavenly minded desire after delights and take an infinite complacency in the Lord Jesus Christ What these excellent habits are what this same unctuous sweet-smelling Name of Christ is I have already opened in my former Discourse Let me now a little further shew you Qu. 2. What there is in the excellent Graces or precious Discoveries of Christ which make Christ so amiable to the Soul 1. There is in them an infinite inexhaustible real goodness All good is attractive Who will shew us any good is you know Vox Populi and it is impossible a Soul should apprehend any thing fixedly as really and transcendently good but it must be pleasing to it Light is not more grateful to the Eye than Good is to the reasonable Soul And as our Eye is proportionably pleased with the glimmerings of Light from a Candle or the counterfeit of it in a Glow-worm so the Soul of man falls into the imbracings of good when it doth but glimmer in a piece of Silver or dissemble in a perishing pleasure Nay we are not altogether selfish in this motion of our will which we
more strict and close walking with God Let this ingage us to perfect holivess in the fear of the Lord. Study therefore the closest degrees of fellowship and communion with God the strictest course of an holy conversation There is a great deal of difference even in good mens communion with God some are more upon the mountwith God then others are more in holy meditation and contemplation more in secret duties more in prayer more in watchfulness more warm and zealous for God David had many worthies but he had a first three to which the others did not come up though they did worthily God hath many Souls that he loveth that are dear and precious in his Eyes but he hath also his first threes some that excel and out-run others these are they that have most of Gods Ear for tho the first grace be not given because men keep his Commandments yet further grace the manifestations and signal tokens of Divine love are given out according to the promise Jo. 14. 21. as men love and keep the Commandments of God you therefore that would excel in the favour of God that would have Gods ear fully and presently open to your supplications study to excel in holiness Doth a poor Courtier in the Courts of Earthly Princes bless himself in having the Ear of his Prince that if he hath a Petition to put up unto his Prince he can go immediately into his presence and have his Petition presently signed whereas the Petitions of others are rejected or at least deferred so as he is constrained to wait months or years And is this no priviledge no happiness at all that a poor Soul can immediately go unto the Lord of Heaven and Earth to him who is the Fountain of all grace and goodness and if he wants any thing freely present his Petition to him and have it signed presently not let the Lord go until he hath blessed him when as a wicked man tho he maketh many prayers yet is not heard yea those that may have some interest in God yet walking more loosely and more imperfectly may cry a long time and yet not be answered if we had nothing more then this to commend to us holiness in all manner of conversation and the strictest degrees of walking with God yet this certainly should be enough I shall add but one word more in application of this discourse I put into the Proposition the term sometimes God doth not alwaies but sometimes give in a quick answer to his peoples prayers Let not the people of God therefore think it strange if they have not presently an answer to their prayers God is not alwaies alike quick in his returns to the prayers of his people He always heareth them he will be certain to answer them but he is not alwaies equally quick in the answer of them This is many times the trouble of Souls that belong to God it was Davids trouble expressed Psal 22. 2 3. It was Asaphs trouble though God did at last hear him as you read v. 1. yet he had first spake as in v. 7. 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies yet because the not hearing of prayers is threatned as a judgment and punishment upon wicked men and mentioned in holy writ as the reward of mens regarding iniquity in their hearts This often causeth a great deal of trouble in the Spirits of Gods People Let me therefore shut up this discourse in advising alittle what that man or woman should do that lieth at least under some apprehensions that God doth not hear or hath not heard their prayers they cry in the day time and are not silent in the night season yet God heareth not 1. In the first place Let such a Christian examine whether it be not his own mistake Thou thinkest God hath not heard nor answered thy prayers art thou not in a mistake All answers of prayers are not discernable to our sense It may be God hath answered thee by denying thee the particular thing that thou askedst of him thus he answered Paul by denying him as to the thing he asked which was the taking the thorn out of his flesh He better knoweth what we have need of then we our selves know it the general desire of thy Soul was for some good thou didst therefore desire health riches c. because thou didst apprehend them suitable and convenient and so good for thee God who knoweth thy Soul the frame and temper of it he seeth that these things would be for thy hurt he therefore with-holdeth them and so in not answering answereth thee in not answering thy particular request he doth answer the general desire of thy Soul and only correcteth thy ignorance in thy request 2. You have heard that God sometimes answereth by giving though not the thing yet the value of the thing which thou askest i. e. that which is every way as sutable and convenient and as profitable for thee as that which thou didst desire Hath not God according to thy prayer removed thy affliction yet hath he supported thee under it hath he filled thee with inward consolations hath he told thee as he did Paul that his grace should be sufficient for thee Dost thou call this no answer God answers the prayer of that Soul to whom he giveth the full value of the thing it asketh though he doth not give the thing itself 2. If thou canst not find that God hath answered thee neither in kind nor in value Review thy prayer and see if thou canst not find some failure in that for which God with-holds his answer I suppose thee a person reconciled to God through the blood of Christ other Souls either pray not at all or if at all they make a meer formality of the duty and put up prayers as Children shoot arrows never regarding whither they flie or what becometh of them but even in a good mans prayer there may be such failures as may give God a just cause to with-hold an answer without any breach of Gods truth or faithfulness thou mayest not have prayed in faith but too much doubting thou mayest have prayed for something which thy wise Father saw was not good for thee or at least not good for thee under some present circumstances under which thou art if thou findest any thing of this nature thy work is to correct thy prayers if thou wouldst receive an answer 3. If thou dost not find this if thou canst not charge thy want of an answer upon some defect or failure in thy prayers nor yet find that God hath answered thee either giving thee the thing which thou didst ask of him or the value of it in a quiet and contented frame of Spirit in the want of it or in the supportations or consolations of
Would you have your Spikenard send forth the smell thereof Take heed then of Dead Flies The Wise man tells us That one Dead Fly will make the Apothecary's whole Box of Ointment to stink What are Dead Flies in this case but scandalous sips proceeding from our extravagant lusts and passions One open scandalous sin will make a Christian 's whole Box of Spikenard cast forth an unpleasant smell in the World One sinful act will not lose us Heaven but it will in a great measure spoil our scent How many have we known who I hope are gone to Heaven who yet by their scandalous actions like David made the Enemies of God to blaspheme I hope they are some of them gone with Spikenard I mean with a truth of grace to their graves but their Spikenard had wofully lost its scent It 's a sad thing when a man of whom we can hardly presume that he was in favour with God and in a state of Grace yet leaves the World with a better report for justice and charity for mercy and bounty and liberality than one who professed higher and went for a Child of God 2. Take heed of exposing thy conversation to too much Air I speak in this Dialect to keep to the Metaphor a little Too much of Air spoileth the scent of the most precious Ointment Take heed of too much needless converse with the World Things that keep their scent must be kept close It is true at all times much more in such debauched times as we live in the more recluse and private from the World a Christian keepeth himself the better he will keep his scent 3. Keep thy self from actions as to which though thou art satisfied thou mayest do them but they are not of good report either amongst Christians or men of the World It is too much the Errour of Christians that in matters of offence and scandal they only have a respect to Brethren It is true we ought to have a first and principal respect to them I am sure our Rule is more extensive 1 Cor. 10. 32. Give none offence either to the Jews or Gentiles or to the Churches of Christ The Apostle puts the Churches of Christ last as if it ought to be the least of our care not to offend the Churches of Christ I know no such thing can be concluded from the order of the Apostle's words Yet one would think if in actions of this nature any might be neglected it should be Believers whom we might presume to be of more knowledge and judgment than to take any such offences and if they did so as they should reprove us for it yet to have more love for God than for any such actions in any persons to cause Religion and the holy Name of God to be evil spoken of our great care should be to have a good report of those who are without and Christians carelesness as to this is without doubt their great Errour we ought not only to follow things that are just and honest and pure but things also that are lovely and of a good report Phil. 4. 8. and to provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12. 17. 4. You must live in the practice and exercise of Grace if you will have it send forth the smell thereof It is the rubbed Pomander that is sweet The Ointment poured out which sendeth out a savour It is not Grace talked of but acted and in its full exercise that sendeth forth its pleasant smell 5. Lastly Be as much in communion with Christ as thou canst The King must be at his Table when our Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Be much with him in Prayer Meditation Hearing the Word The Preaching of the Gospel is the feast of fat things upon the Mountains and here because it is a time when some of you are preparing for your duty of communion with Christ in the Ordinance of his Supper let me mind you of your duty as to that the rather because I find our own Annotators and divers other Expositors of my Text touching upon it in their Notes That Table is the King's Table It is called the Lord's Table he is the Master of that Feast as well as the Provision It is an Ordinance which the Lord hath instituted for our Soul's fellowship and communion with him Our Souls draw out from the Fountain of his Fulness by this Conduit-pipe Neglect not that sacred Ordinance that your Spikenard may send forth the smell thereof And Remember while you sit there that you do not restrain your Souls from God but give out your Souls in the exercise of the graces of Faith Love Repentance Thanksgiving proper for that holy communion with this King of Glory Sermon LII Cant. 1. 12. While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof I Proceed to the 2d Proposition which in my last discourse I observed from these words Prop. That the smell of the Spouses Spikenard doth much depend upon Christs presence with her and influence upon her I have already told you that the believers gracious habits are the Spikenard here mentioned That the sending forth the smell thereof signifieth the exercise of these habits to the pleasing of God and the honour of God in the sight and face of the World This I say doth very much depend upon Christs presence with and influence upon the Souls which is the thing here expressed by the Kings sitting at his table I shall prove this proposition by proving these four things 1. That all exercise of gracious habits dependeth upon Christs influence upon and communion with the Soul 2. That degrees of gracious exercises depend upon degrees of such communion and influence 3. That as is the exercise of grace So is the smell thereof 4. That in deserted Souls grace doth not give out its smell Or at least very little 1. I say 1. All exercise of gracious habits dependeth upon Christs influence upon and communion with the Soul God doth not only infuse habits of grace but he also eliciteth the acts of grace Hence our Saviour tells us Joh. 15. 3. That without him we can do nothing And the Apostle tells us That he giveth to will and to do of his own good pleasure It is Musculus his observation upon Joh. 15. 3. our Saviour doth not say that without me you can do no great thing or without me you cannot do any great thing but without me you can do nothing And the Apostle calleth Christ not only the author but the finisher of our saith Heb. 12 â— and 1 Phil. 29. It is given to you on the behalf of Christ to believe a power to believe that is the habit but the Lord doth not only give us a power to believe but to believe actually Acts of faith and holiness are our fruit The habits of either are the seed the Acts are the fruit and so are often called in holy writ Joh. 15. 2 3 4.
and their natural powers and faculties I therefore add 3. That this may seem plausible to those who either do not consider or will not allow those two contrary Principles which are in every renewed Soul but to those who believe and consider this it cannot Gal. 3. 17. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things which you would especially when we consider also the advantage which the Flesh hath in us against the Spirit Vicious habits and inclinations are natural to the soil of our hearts It is a common observation Quod sponte prodit laetius prodit what a soil naturally brings forth it brings forth more vigorously and certainly than what it is made to bring forth by Art and Cultivation The heart of every man naturally inclines to motions and actions contrary to the Will of God Hence Self-denial is the first thing necessary to Christ's Disciple this makes more than a concurse of common Providence necessary to a spiritual act Now in our natural motions there is no opposition and therefore an ordinary conservative power of common Providence is sufficient to their production Nature giving no opposition to them but this reason differeth very little from the first therefore I shall not further inlarge upon this head 4. Lastly If we could exercise gracious habits without any supernatural influence exciting and quickening and also assisting and cooperating Then we might from our selves begin and carry on a supernatural act For suppose one indued with the habits of grace he is only by these furnished with a power to believe to love God c. The Question is Whence he acts and exerciseth these powers If this be from himself then the supernatural act begins and is carried on from himself and God should give only to will but not to do The Apostle tells us in 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is from God If it be answered That as in natural actions God upholdeth the natural powers and faculties of the Soul so in the renewed Nature he upholdeth the Spiritual Powers This is too short for the Question is Whence a Christian is inclined to this or that individual good action and why more at one time than another for there is a never-ceasing influence of God upholding the principles and powers of the renewed Nature yet experience tells us there is not at all times the same power and vigour to act Besides in all God's influences and concurses of Providence with his creatures his influence is according to the nature of the second Cause with which he concurreth But when God concurreth with a spiritual habit or power in the Soul he concurreth with a Second Cause which is supernatural not a native quality in the rational Soul but adventitious superinduced qualities therefore an ordinary concurse of Providence is not sufficient and as the Second Cause with which he concurreth is supernatural so the Effect to be produced is of that nature also To all this might be added the mention so often made in Scripture of the Spirit dwelling in us helping our infirmities working in us And St. Paul's telling us that he lived yet not he but saith he Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 2â— and that 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet NOT I but the grace of God that was with me But I have spoken enough to the first Conclusion I laid down proving that our exercise of grace depends upon the Influence of Christ and that considering him not as God only granting his ordinary concurse of Providence to all his creatures motions and actions but considering him as Mediator and from whom the Spirit of Grace proceedeth There must be a double Influence of Christ to a Spiritual Act. 1. The first exciting moving quickening and stirring up the Soul unto it 2. Assisting the Soul in it 2. Degrees of exercises of Grace depend upon the degrees of those Influences Christ tells us That he came into the World that his People might have life and that they might have it more abundantly Joh. 10. 10. The aboundings of gracious acts depend upon the aboundings of Spiritual Life This is so obvious to every man's common reason that I need not inlarge in a Discourse to prove it Every one will conclude That if without Christ we can do nothing we cannot without him do great things if we cannot think a good thought we cannot pray a good prayer nor do an act which must speak a great self-denial and mortification of our members 3. As is the exercise of Grace so is the smell of it I have before told you that some Divines say the exercise of Grace is the smell of it I had rather by it understand the Acceptation of such exercise of Grace with God and the report of it amongst men which indeed dependeth upon the exercise and is more or less according to the exercise of it The more a Soul liveth in the improvement and exercise of those blessed habits with which God hath endued it the more it glorifieth God Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit so shall you be my Disciples Abraham being strong in the Faith gave glory to God and the greater is the sweet savour which the Soul gives in the World There is nothing in the exercise of gracious habits that is unlovely or unsavoury to that part of the World that hath not through malice out-lawed its reason they are not the exercises of Grace but the breakings out of sin and corruption which give the Souls of Christians any ill report amongst the generality of the men of the World Some few persons indeed there are who have such a perfect rooted hatred of God in them that as they say of the Basilisk that it hath such an hatred and antipathy to man that it will flie upon the Picture of a man so they will flie upon the Image of God where-ever they see it or think they see it but the number of these though in it self too great yet comparatively is but small The generality of men and women in the World are not so bad but a good man living uniformly up to his Principles hath a fairer quarter amongst them But amongst the People of God those who excel in vertue the exercises of Grace alwaies smell very sweet and amongst all men under the conduct of reason as is the exercise of these spiritual habits so is the Christian's smell more or less The Ointment poured forth is that which perfumes the house the reason is because that odoriferous quality is by the Air as its vehicle conveyed to our senses So for men and women in the World
the habits of Grace in the Soul are not discerned but by the exercise Indeed as to our acceptation with God the reason is different he seeth the hearts of men in their internal change and renovation but he hath given them their gracious habits for this very end that they should exercise them he hath commanded the exercise of them Let me hear thy voice saith he for sweet is thy voice By the exercise of them he is glorified a great deal of honour redoundeth to him from others So as it must needs be true that as is the exercise of Grace so must be the smell thereof whether you by smell understand exercise as the smell of the odoriferous Ointment or Plant is the product of its odoriferous quality or the acceptation of it with God and acceptableness of it unto man Where there is no exercise of Grace there can be no smell where the exercise of it is weak the smell of it must bear a proportion where there are the highest and strongest exercises there is the sweetest and strongest smell 4. Where the King is withdrawn from his Table the Soul's Spikenard sendeth forth little or no smell This is my last Conclusion in proof of the Proposition God sometimes hideth himself from the Souls of his People The presence of God with Churches Nations and particular Souls of which you so often read in holy Writ is to be understood not of his Essential Presence for so he is never absent from any of us Enter praesenter Deus est ubique potenter according to the old barbarous verse he filleth Heaven and Earth infinitum ultrà spatium an infinite space beyond what we can comprehend under these two terms It must be therefore understood of his Providential Presence respecting his goodness and such grateful dispensations as from thence flow to poor creatures Now the goodness of God respecting our outward or inward man God is said to be present or absent with or from his creatures as he dispenseth out good unto them or with-holdeth them from them Hence you read in Scripture so often of God's presence with his People in going out with their Armies blessing them with successes c. And on the contrary of God's hiding his face and departures from his People by his giving them up to their Enemies his cursing them in their baskets and store c. As to their inward man God is said to be present with them when he upholdeth their Souls to their spiritual operations gives them quiet and peace in their Spirits c. to be absent and to hide his face from them when he with-holdeth these Influences God indeed doth never wholly forsake a living man for he must then die and return to his dust nor as to his Spiritual Influences doth he ever wholly withdraw himself from the Believer's Soul for then his Spiritual Life must be wholly extinguished the Union betwixt the Soul and Christ and his Spirit wholly dissolved but he oftentimes doth gradually withdraw himself this is what we call Desertion Take a Soul under these circumstances which enjoyeth not the presence of Christ with it as at other times this Soul at this time hath its Spikenard for the Seed of God abideth in it but alas it sendeth not forth the smell thereof at least not so as at other times the deserted Soul acts its Grace weakly falls under many corruptions and into many temptations It is like a Flower in Winter whose Root is kept in the Earth alive but it doth not bud and blossom as at other times It is true God at such a time loveth the Soul for whom he loveth he loveth to the end but many of its actions in this state are not so pleasing to him it crieth out I think upon him and I am troubled I am so troubled that I cannot speak I cannot pray I cannot sing praises c. Nor can its conversation be so sweet to men it walks dejectedly and troubled c. It is true Desertions are of several sorts and degrees and that Soul from whom God hideth himself as to consolatory Influences may yet enjoy his presence as to strengthening and quickening Influences but the actions of a deserted Soul so far as it is deserted are far from sending forth a pleasant smell These four things are sufficient to make good the Proposition viz. That the presence of Christ with and his supernatural Influences upon the Soul are highly necessary to the Spouse's Spikenard sending forth the smell thereof I come now to the Application Observe from hence in the first place how little room is left for any creature 's boasting and how just reason the best of Souls have to walk humbly before their God We are naturally proud and have hearts exceedingly prone to be lifted up above measure God knoweth our infirmity and hath so ordered the whole business of our Salvation that all boasting is excluded There are but two things as to our Spiritual concerns that we can boast or glory in The dignity of our state or the change of our hearts manifested in our holy dispositions or vertuous and pious actions As to the former God hath as the Apostle hath determined excluded boasting by the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then saith he he answereth himself It is excluded By what Law Of Works nay but by the Law of Faith Would any man glory that his Soul is in a state of righteousness and favour with God What reason is there for that if he be justified through Grace and righteous only through the imputed righteousness of another If he be only compleat in Christ all glorying of that Nature is excluded What is then left for a man to glory in will he glory in his habits of grace the renovation of his nature c. So indeed he might if this change had proceeded from himself if he had been born again of the will of man or of bloods but if it be of the will of God if it be of water and of the Spirit which worketh as a most free agent blowing where it listeth where is there any room for boasting Will he boast of his good acts If it be not he that liveth but Christ that liveth in him if all things which he doth be through Christ that strengtheneth him where is there any room for boasting God hath not left us a Feather to boast of Will a man boast that he hath a power to will what is spiritually good He boasts beyond his Line and of a Lye For it is God who giveth both to will and to do This is gratia operans working Grace it is working efficacious Grace that giveth man any spiritual power he cannot make his own Spikenard it is indeed his but ex dono of God's free gift But it may be when he hath it he can exercise it without any further assistance no as he must first receive the Spirit before he hath in him any thing