but from that faith in the Precepts Promises and Threatnings of the Word from that love fear and obedience to God which ought to have principled those acts and if they had been so would have made those acts more intense certain steddy and uniform if these be wanting the Life-colours are wanting to the Picture Other things make but up the Skeleton of the duty and are but as a draught of the lines of the Face without the Life-colours which seldom have much beauty in them and the Soul notwithstanding all this fair and splendid outside is in his eyes but as a painted Sepulcher within which is nothing but a stench and rottenness and the bones of dead men So that no Soul that is without Faith without the fear and love of God and that acteth not out of obedience to Christ in what it doth but is black wholly black in the Lords eyes how fair soever in its own eyes or the eyes of the men of the world and what Augustine said of old of the best and most vertuous actions of the Heathens is true of the best actions of these titular Christians they are but Splendida Peccata Splendid Sinnings Thus now I say the true Christian standeth distinguished from unbelievers of all sizes whatsoever none of them are comely but wholly black in the eyes of Christ because they have none of his comeliness put upon them The glorified Saint is altogether whitehe hath not onely washed his garments in the Blood of the Lamb but he is also delivered from the infirmities of humane nature from the Sin that easily besetts him the weight that presseth him down the war in his members from the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit the law of his members so often rebelling against the law of his mind and bringing him into a captivity oft times to the law of Sin and is now presented before Christ without spot or wrinkle This is the felicity of his State The Apostle saith that we are now the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be Sin here maketh us black affliction and sorrow make us appear more black then we are the translated Soul neither sinneth nor yet suffereth or sorroweth any more the state of the Child of God differeth from these because he is black it differeth from the state of the unbeliever in this life because he is not onely black but also comely hence you may understand the error of those who dream of a state of perfection which the People of God may and do attain in this life some go very high in blasphemy telleng us that we are Christed and Godded and that the believer is as spotless as Christ c. The Apostle indeed tells us we are made partakers of the Divine Nature but it is one thing to be made partakers of another thing to be transformed into the Divine Nature Christ is the chief of ten thousand altogether desires there is no spot no blemish in him The best of Gods people is black as well as comely black through inherent corruption and unrighteousness tho comely in respect of imputed righteousness and inherent habits of grace and holiness The Apostle tells us that by one mans disobedience many were made Sinners and that we are all by nature children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. Those who would have Christ to die for every man being pinched with that question What did Christ then purchase for those that shall never be saved some of them answer he purchased for all a totall freedom from Adams Sin I know no line in Scripture to justify that it was after Christ had dyed that the Apostle tells us we are all by nature children of wrath but he that can fancy that he liveth and sinneth not against God and so is not black through actual sin doth yet more foully deceive himself certainly he must not look into the perfect law of God or else is not able to distinguish white from black If he looked into the divine law he would quickly with Saint Paul see that the law is Holy and Spiritual and Just and Good and that the best of men is but carnal sold under Sin Let not then any glory in a fancyed perfection it is but a glorying in appearance not in reality All that the Spouse gloryeth in is that she was not altogether black It is a true saying of Mr. Calvin that it is the greatest piece of our perfection to be sensible of our imperfections As vain is the glorying also of them who glory in an exemption from afflictions that this Sun hath not lookt upon them afflictions have not scorched them as they have scorched others the Apostle tells us that if we be without chastening then are we Bastards and not Sons It is not our glory to be free from them but to indure them not to be wholly exempted from them but under them to exercise our faith and patience and to glorify God in the Fires The motto of a Child of God is Black but Comely black through remaining lusts and coruptions comely through imputed righteousness and inherent habits of grace and holiness Black through Affliction and Persecution Comely in and under them glorifying God in the Fires by the exercises of Faith and Patience From hence every inquisitive Christian may take just measures of himself he is not to judg of himself by his blackness whether it be the blackness of renewing sin and corruption or the blackness of Affliction and Worldly Opposition and Persecutions Let him examine himself 1. Whether he hath not a mixture of grace with corruption Sin in dominion is not indeed consistent with grace but Sin in being is there are Twins which struggle one with another in every good Soul Every Christian will find he hath a flesh to be crucified members to be mortified and a law in his members some impetuous motions of lust at some times but let him examine whether he doth not find also a Spiritual part and a law in his mind the flesh indeed lusteth against the Spirit that is a Christians blackness but doest thou not also find the Spirit lusting against thy flesh that is thy comliness A true Christian is not to judge himself from the freedom of his Soul from sin but from the war and combate of his Soul with sin He in the Gospel that said I believe Lord help my unbelief expressed the lively Image of every true Christian So doth St. Paul more largely Rom. 7. 18 19 20. For I know in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but kow to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me
Look under the vail of Religious Persons in the day of their afflictions The Vail may be black and yet the face White You may possibly see the People of God glorifying him in the Fires eminent faith adherence to God constancy patience shining forth in the People of God in the hour of their tryals you may possibly hear Paul and Silas singing praises unto God at midnight and the Apostles going away from their place of punishment rejoicing that the Lord hath thought them worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ and here a Job resolving that Tho the Lord slayeth him yet he will trust in him These things speak a Lilly tho amongst thorns Sermon XXXVIII Cant. 1. 6. My mothers Children were angry with me I am now come to the 2d cause which the Spouse of Christ here assigneth of her appearing blackness The Anger of her Mothers Children My Mothers Children saith she were angry with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fought in me or they fought against me In my explication of the verse I told you that some by Mothers Children understand those lusts and corruptions which are members of that body of death which yet remain in the best of Gods People those members mentioned by the Apostle Col. 3. 5. which we have while we live upon the Earth for our exercise to mortify these lye in the womb of the same Soul together with our habits of grace these are those which the Apostle calls the flesh which lusteth against the Spirit These cause that war in our members mentioned James 4. 1. they war against the Soul 1. Pet. 2. 11. Others 2. understand by the Mothers Children mentioned in the text False brethren such members of the Church as are indeed the Children of the Church our visible Mother but not the Children of our heavenly Father Tho in my own judgment I rather incline to the latter as the sense of the Text yet I shall give that deference to those worthy Interpreters that have mentioned the former that there being a truth in that I shall take both senses into the Proposition which I shall law down thus The conflict which particular believers have with their own inbred lusts and corruptions and which the Church hath with false brethren will often make them appear black to the Eye of the World Here are two propositions wrapped up together 1. That true Christians will have conflicts with their own lusts and corruptions and the true members of the Church with such as are false brethren 2. That both the particular Christians and the Church of Christ in these conflicts will appear black 1. True Christians will have conflicts with their lusts and corruptions This is so great a truth that this Spiritual conflict is a note of the truth of grace in the Soul It is indeed as wars use to be sometimes hotter sometimes cooler and more remiss and the Soul is in it sometimes more sometimes less a conquerour as God will please to afford the Soul more or less of his strength but it is always something When God did bring the Israelites into Canaan he was not pleased at once to drive them cut but by little and little Exod. 23. 28 29. neither were they faultless for many of the Tribes did not drive them out Judah could not drive them out Judg. 1. 19. It is said of several of the other Tribes that they did not drive them out Upon which God resolveth that he would not drive them out but they should be as thorns in their sides God in bringing Souls out of a state of nature into a state of grace doth not wholly drive out lust and corruption he bringeth sin out of its Dominion Rom 6. 13. So as it reigneth not in the mortal Bodies of the Saints sin like the tree in Nebuchadnezzars vision Dan. 4. 14. is hewed down many of its branches are cut off and its leaves and its fruit is scattered and the Soul is got from under it but yet the stump of its roots are in the Earth tho bound with a band of Iron and Brass kept under by the law of the Christians mind that he getteth no dominion the Soul is not under the power of it Now as there was a continual war betwixt the Canaanites left in the land and the Israelites so there is a continual war and spiritual combate betwixt those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these passions of sin these lustings of the flesh and the Spiritual part of the Spiritual man Paul doth excellently describe this conflict Rom. 7. 21. I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me for I delight in the law of God as to my inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Saint Paul sets forth himself there as a man in a battel and sometimes taken Prisoner So again Gal 5. â—7 For the 〈…〉 Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contr ary the one to the other And indeed in the last words lyes the reason of this war and conflict It is of the nature of contraries to expell one another not to indure one another in the same subject but to be in a continual combate till the one or the other hath got the Victory Grace in Scripture is compared to light sin to darkness light and darkness mutually expell one another so doth Grace and lust Now both these being in the Soul of the regenerate man who is but Sanctified in part and neither of them being lazy and inactive but active and operative principles there must be this conflict which I have mentioned this war in our members which makes the People of God look black 2. And as it fares with individual Christians with respect to their lusts and corruptions so it also fareth with the Collective Spouse the Church of Christ with respect to false Brethren who are the presumptive but not the true members of it 1. such will be in the Church while it is upon the Earth 2. And these will be angry with the true members of it 1. while the Church is upon the Earth it will be like a field of Wheat which hath tares in it the Gospel and the preaching of it is like a drag-net which draweth unto the Church as its shore Fish both good and bad there will come a time when the Lord will take his fan and throughly purge his floor but that will be in the day of judgment if we look upon Gods ancient Church the Congregation of Israel there was a Jannes and a Jambnes that resisted Moses a Corah Dathan and Abiram that rose up against Moses Aaron many false Prophets to mislead People many more false hearts that were easily misled the Chaldee
the faileurs of some sincerer 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 too far to the corruptions of others too many instances of which we have had The opposition which Christians have met with having been a continual dropping upon them and overpowered them to do many things against the dictates of their own consciences thus losing their beauty it is no great wonder if they appear black Indeed from hence almost are all those things which render Christians and Churches black I now come to the application Let not then Christians think it strange if their habits of grace find opposition from within and the actings of their grace meet with opposition from without There is no Child of God but findeth upon experience that his Mothers Children are angry with him his flesh is many times lusting against the Spirit and he findeth a War in his Members As Rebekah was troubled because she found Twins strugling together in her Womb so is many a good Christian when as indeed there is no greater note of Grace then this Combate of the Flesh and the Spirit if thou hadst not two parties within there would be none of these conflicts the unregenerate man hath nothing of them he hath motions to sin but no contrary habits to oppose no lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh such a man may indeed from natural light and the obligation under which the law of nature layeth him sometimes resist motions to more gross and flagitious sins but this combate is rare and in very rare cases and those such where the law of nature is offended or his honour and reputation and profit and advantage is concerned as to his avoiding of them nor is the Battel ever very hot The true Christian hath a double principle the one natural this inclineth and moveth him to sin the other supernatural and infused Both these principles are active and operative and these spiritual conflicts must be expected the discovery of the truth of Grace in thy Soul doth much depend upon thy behaviour in the Spiritual Fight and thy managery of it if thou findest this conflict if thou maintainest it with thy might if thou criest unto God for help and strength if ordinarily thou beest a conquerour Thy opposition is so far from being an evidence against thee that it is a great evidence for thee Nor let good Christians wonder if the exercise of their grace meets with opposition from without and that from their Mothers Children too As there are two parties in every gracious heart so there are and ever were two Parties in the Church of God There were some and those the greater number on whose behalf Paul saith he could wish himself accursed from Christ they were his Brethren and not only his Kinsmen according to the Flesh but Israelites to whom belonged the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the promises yet Rom. 9. 6. they were not Israel though they were of Israel neither were they all Children because they were the Seed of Abraham v. 8. They which are the Children of the flesh are not the Children of the promise God in one place promiseth to make his Seed as the Stars of Heaven Gen 22. 17. in another place Gen. 13. 16. As the Dust of the Earth He had a Starry Seed these were a great number for he was the Father of the Faithful the Father of Believers the Father of all Holy Men that do the works of Abraham He had also a dusty Seed this was greater thus it is said he should be the Father of many Nations and he was the Father of the whole Jewish Nation the oâ—â—y visible Church God had for many years upon the Earth but these saith the Apostle are not all Children T is the same case with the Church under the New Testament it is made up partly of presumptive equivocal Members partly of real univocal Members such as glory not in appearance only but in reality that are not as Jews only outwardly nor of that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but they are Jews inwardly Christians indeed and that circumcision which is of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of Men but of God There is a Baptism in the name of Christ and a Baptism into Christ a Baptism with Water and a Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire all that are Baptized with a Ministerial Baptism with Water are not Baptized with the Spiritual Baptism of Regeneration These two parties in the Church never did never will agree there is in them a different Seed they are acted from different principles and they act to quite different ends Let not therefore good Christians wonder and think it strange if they find still that their Mothers Children are angry with them it is no more then ever was the lot of the true Spouse of Christ and will be her lot until Christ shall come and with his Fan throughly purge his floor Nor do you wonder if these things make you appear b ack The Papists think they make us appear very black when they can tell us of Errors and Heresies Factions Divisions and Schisms amongst us and indeed it is a reproach to us they are spots and blemishes in the Assemblies of Protestants But 1. Are they then so well agreed amongst themselves what mean then the differences betwixt their Dominicans and Franciscans to say nothing of their other Orders What means their Secular Priests and Jesuits so bespattering one another in their Books Though it is very probable that if Protestants could dispense with their consciences to with-hold from the People the sight and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures the rule both of their faith and life so as they know no more to differ about then their Priests tell them or to set up a Judge of all controversies that should be infallible and from whose decrees none must vary And finally to set up an Inquisition to force all mens Obedience to the decrees of that infallible Judge under pain of death I say could Protestants in these things dispense with their consciences to take such methods for unity they might probably arrive at as great if not a greater unity then they can glory in who have been so far from it that themselves reckon 30 or 32 Schisms and those of that nature as according to their principles destroy all unity for so many times some of which lasted a great many years too they have been at a loss for to find the true visible head of the Church We know that the Apostolical and purest Churches that ever Christ had upon the Earth had some that were indeed Mothers Children Members of the visible Church but no Children of our Heavenly Father and that these have constantly been angry with and given opposition to those that have been the true and sincere Members of the Church and have brought in Errors and caused Schisms and
say it may be more or less God may more or less communicate himself to the Soul as to his influences of strengthening quickning comforting grace and the Soul that moveth from these principles may be able more or less to communicate itself to God in the exercises of meditation faith joy and delight in God Nay sometimes Gods influences may be so secret and indiscernable that the Soul may cry out as one forsaken of God and a stranger to him This hath so plentiful an evidence in Holy Writ as the truth of it cannot be disputed We find David Psal 22. 1. crying out My God! my God why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring and the Psalmist Psal 77 3. I remembred God and was troubled v. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak v. 7. 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 There are many instances of this nature in the Psalms we have an instance in this Song Cant. 5. 1 2. By night upon my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not v. 2. I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad places I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not v. 3. The Watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth So Cant. 5. 5. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my Hands dropped with Myrrh and my Fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the Handles of the lock I opened to my Beloved but he had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer What do all these metaphorical expressions purport but this that there are times when the Soul finds a difficulty to maintain or discern its communion with God Sometimes God doth not as at other times breath upon communicate himself to the Souls even of the best of his people the faileur seemeth to be on Gods part for some just cause the Soul findeth some freedom to impart and communicate its self to God but findeth not Gods assistances influences and communications of himself to it as it desireth and as it hath experienced from God at other times this looks like the case of the Spouse in those two places of this Song before mentioned Sometimes again the Soul easily discerneth the faileur in itself it cannot meditate upon God It remembreth God and is troubled it cannot pray with any fervour nor exercise faith with any boldness this seems to be the case of the Psalmist Psal 77. That the thing is so evident let me therefore rather spend time to search out the reasons of such a dispensation on Gods part and affliction on ours 1. Oh Gods part we usually call such a dispensation a desertion so as the cause of it is the withdrawing of some divine influences from the Soul It was truly said of Augustine Deus non deserit etiamsi deserere videatur Though God seemeth to forsake yet he never wholly forsaketh any Soul to whom he is united it is the withdrawing only of some sensible manifestations of his love All divine desertions are either founded in Divine Justice or in the Divine Wisdom so as the account which can be given of any such dispensation on Gods part must fall under one of those two heads 1. When it is founded in Justice it alwaies is for the punishment of sin For though God upon the Covenant of Grace hath reserved no liberty to himself eternally to forsake his people no nor yet totally yet he hath reserved to himself a liberty for temporary afflictions of them you have as to this particular a fair copy of the Covenant of grace Psal 89. 26. 27 c. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ from Eternity the tenour of it was revealed variously to Adam upon the Fall to Noah to Abraham to David in that Psalm you have the revelation of it to David v. 20. 21 22 23 24 25 26. He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the rock of my Salvation Also I will make him my first born higher then the Kings of the Earth v. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven As this Covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed I am thy God and the God of thy Seed Gen. 17. So in the further revelation of it to David it is declared to relate to him and his Seed Now followeth v. 30. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments That is if they sin against me for all those phrases do but express sin then v. 32. Will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips God you see hath reserved to himself upon his Covenant of Grace with his People a liberty to visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stripes but no liberty utterlyto take away his loving kindness from them Afflictions which are there call'd a visitation with rods and stripes either respect the outward or the inward man Those which relate to the outward man are diseases pains persecutions c. Those which relate to the inward man are desertions and temptations which God permitteth though himself moveth none to Evil. Desertions are either total or partial as to the former God hath foreclosed himself by the Covenant of Grace in which he hath said He will never leave his People nor forsake them His loving kindness he will not utterly take from them nor suffer his faithfulness to sail Psal 89. 33. Partial desertions therefore are the only rod the only stripes which God hath reserved to punish his people with as to their inward man who break his Statutes and keep not his Commandments these must be the withdrawings of some manifestations of his love which are promised to those who love him and keep his Commandments Hence it is that as Sampson found the continuing influence of God upon him as to his bodily strength while he kept his vow and covenant with God as a Nazarite yet when he had betrayed himself to Dalilah and she had shaved off his locks he discerned that God was departed from him and he had not strength to do as at other times whatever he resolved so
old 1 Kings 11. 1. 4. She and his other Wives turned away his heart from God that it was not perfect as was the heart of his Father David He grosly fell away so foully that some question whether he ever had a truth of grace others think his failure a sufficient foundation for their slippery Doctrine of Total and final Apostacy and conclude him damned it is something to our purpose to examine that Question also Qu. Whether Solomons Apostacy was total and final The Arminians say he fell away Totally but not finally Some amongst the Papists have suspended their Judgment concerning his final Apostacy witness the Arch-Bishop of Toledo who had Heaven and Hell pictured in his Chappel and Solomon half in the one half in the other Of this mind are Jansenius Barradius Torniellus Pamelius Feuardentius Hostiensis c. and amongst the Ancients Tertullian and Cyprian to whom also amongst the Protestants Zanchy and Peter Martyr seem to incline Amongst the Ancients Augustine Prosper Basil and Theodoret to whom Pineda reckons Cyprian and Gregory are thought to favour the more severe opinion of Solomons total and final Apostacy Abulensis Tostatus Vega Pererius and Belarmine conclude it The Ancient Jewish Writers and amongst the Ancients of the Christian Church Ireneus Gregor Neocaesar Hilary Hierom Ambrose Cyrill of Hierusalem and others amongst the Papists themselves Aquinas Bonaventure Hugo Cardinalis Comestor Paulus Burgensis Dionis Carthus Genebrard Damianus Pineda Delrio Serarius and Lorinus And with these the generality of Protestants conclude he was no reprobate nor did fall away finally nor say the Protestants totally Solomon saw a great evil under the Sun Princes going on foot while Servants rode on Horseback De-La Champius observeth a greater Evil than this in the impudent Jesuites whose consciences will serve them to reprobate Solomon and Canonize Traytors and other open Servants of Lusts and as he noteth what Dr. Willet long since observed is in this instance verified concerning Bellarmine That it is ordinary with him when he finds his own Doctors divided to take in with the worser part of them We conclude for Solomon that he was a true Child of God and that although he fell yet his fall was neither total nor yet final but he was restored by repentance And for this assertion we conceive we have sufficient Evidence from Scripture besides the Authorities of men already cited declaring their sentiments from several convictions Hierome Cyrill and Pineda urge that Text Prov. 24. 30. where they conceive Solomon speaking in his own Person and saying I went by the field of the sloathful and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and loe it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down v. 32. This I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received Instruction To which Pineda joins Prov. 30. 1 2. which if with the Jewish Rabbines we could conclude that unknown Agur to have been Solomon would give some auxiliary strength to that in the 24th Chap. to advantage which Pineda's observation of the ancient Septuagint mixing the 24. and 29. and these words of the 30th Chap. together as if all were spake by the same man and of himself may be worthy of consideration Bachiarius Serarius and De-La Champius urge a 2d Argument from 1 Kings 11. 43. and 2 Chron. 9. 31. where it is said that when he died he was buried with the Kings of Israel which they think strengthened by their observation that the Scripture mentions the the burial of Ammon Joram and Joash 3 Wicked Princes elsewhere But we must have better Arguments than this for we are told that Abiam 1 Kings 15 8. was buried in the City of David so was Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 8. and Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 1. when on the other side Manasses though reconciled to God before his death yet had not the honour of that burial As the wisdom of divine providence hath left the surface of the Earth for a common walk both for the just and unjust so nothing appears but that the will of God hath left the bosom of it in any part thereof a common bed for them nor do I find any sufficient evidence of any consecrated burial-places so early in the world which had there been and had we found Solomons Tomb there it would have told us no more than the Churches opinion of him and that usually to Princes is very charitable and questionless would have been so to him who was the greatest Prince which the Earth ever saw But certainly for that argument which De-La Champius and Pineda both bring from the Covenant made with David concerning Solomon mentioned 2 Sam. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 17. 13. and Psal 89. v. 20 21 22 c. to the 37th v. we may say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah There is none to it Let us a little view the Text In the first you have the words of God spoken to Nathan going to enquire Gods approbation of Davids design to build a Temple the Lord denies David liberty but takes his offer kindly and bids the Prophet tell David That when his days should be fulfilled and he should sleep with his Fathers God would set up his seed after him which should proceed out of his bowels and establish his Kingdom v. 13. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever v. 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of Men and with the stripes of the Children of Men But my mercy shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee In the book of Chronicles 1 Chron. 17. you have the same thing repeated only there v. 14. you have I will settle him in my house In the 89th Psal you have a larger account of that covenant so far as concerns David v. 20. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. v. 29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever c. If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments Then will I visit theer transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David In this Text you plainly discern a Covenant made with David on the behalf of his Seed and that Seed of his that should sit upon his Throne which was Solomon as well as on the behalf of himself Concerning him God saith 1. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom 2. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child 3. If he sins I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the
say some interpreters desires his manifestation in the Flesh the publication of the Doctrine of the Gospel together with the comfortable application of those Doctrines to her conscience I am sure there is a truth in that Let me therefore a little make use of their notion Take this for the Proposition Prop. It is of the nature of a believing Soul to thirst after a communion with Christ in his Word his Gospel especially and the teachings of his Spirit in and by that I here join two of those propositions together which I distinguished upon the opening of the words She desires the kisses of his Mouth 2. That he should kiss her with the kisses of his Mouth This Proposition will offer me an opportunity to discourse to you the affection of the believing Soul to the words of Christ both in the more external and more spiritual and internal teachings and ministrations of it The words of the Gospel are the words of Christ the kisses of his mouth whether they be applied and set home to the particular conscience yea or no. The ministration of the Gospel is in itself exceeding glorious Therein saith the Apostle is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. Therein in Gods way of Salvation revealed to lost sinners and by it life and immortality are brought to light Now this word of God is to be considered As written for our Instruction For saith the Apostle Rom. 15. 4. whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope As preached So it is the Ordinance of God for our faith and therefore called The word of Faith Sanctification Consolation and Eternal Salvation for indeed the supply of all the spiritual wants and necessities of our Souls Hence there are three ways by which our Souls have a communion with God in his Word Reading Hearing and Meditation Reading is one means by which we come to the knowledg of the will of God in his Word The King of Israel was commanded to read in the Book of Gods Law all the days of his life that he might learn to keep the Law of his God and there is a blessing pronounced to him that readeth Indeed he that readeth the word as it lyeth before us in our Bibles hath this advantage that he is sure what is there plain to his understanding is the undoubted pure Word of God and while a man readeth the Scriptures he is but repeating of Gods Word to his own soul or hearing God immediately speaking to him Hearing the word preached is another means of communion with God in his Word This is an Ordinance of God and such a one as he honoureth with being the great means of calling and saving such as he hath ordained to life So as in that ordinance a soul hath an opportunity to meet God to draw nigh unto him to hear him speak unto it We must take heed that we do not think that all which we hear out of pulpits is spoken by God God no further speaketh by the Minister than the Minister keepeth unto his Text speaketh according to the Scriptures either by way of interpretation or application And therefore every good Christian is to search the Scriptures whether what their Preachers deliver be consonant to them Those noble Bereans mentioned Acts. 17. did so when St. Paul was the Preacher and are commended for it The Scriptures are to be judged by no other rule but Sermons are to be measured by the holy Scriptures No man hath communion with God by hearing further than so far as that is consonant to the will of God which he heareth But admitting the Minister of Christ answereth his name and Office and faithfully revealeth and applieth the will of God while we hear we have communion with God God communicateth his holy will unto us and we communicate with him by an obedient Ear who hath comanded us to hear that our souls may live A third way is by Meditation This is an act of our inward man standing upon the things which we have read or heard as necessary to the souls spiritual nourishment as Digestion is to the nourishment of our bodies by what is their proper food a duty much practised by David Psal 119. 97 99. And a good man is described by it Psal 1. 3. He meditateth in the law of the Lord night and day By this the soul doth not only fasten the word of God upon it self but it also dives deeper into the depths of it I say this communion with God in his word is very desirable to the spouse of Christ I added his gospel especially The Word of God in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is made up of several parts There is in it sacred history no unuseful part of holy Writ it being that which more than any other acquainteth us with Gods way of of providence with his people of old You have in it many Moral Instructions and Precepts of Christianity and Godliness an admirable part of Scripture that which makes the holy Scriptures to be what no other book in the world is a light to our feet and lanthorn to our paths Shewing us what we are to do what to decline and avoid but yet these are not properly called Gospel doctrines You have in it many Prophesies or predictions of what God intended to do in the world most of which are fulfilled some we yet live in the expectations of You have also in it many terrible threats and curses and many woes denounced against the violaters of the law of God these are excellent portions of holy Writ to keep your souls in awe and make us afraid of sinning against God but these are not properly Gospel Doctrines but properly belong to the Law which declareth and worketh wrath You have also in those sacred books many declarations of the good will and love of God to poor lost Sinners declared in and through Jesus Christ You have an historical part of the Gospel declaring what Christ hath done and Suffered for us a declarative and promissory part proclaiming Salvation to poor lost creatures and promising life and Salvation and all grace to some poor undone sinners promises for the conferring and increase of grace These and such like I principally understand by Gospel Doctrines The Doctrine of Gods free grace in the pardoning of sin and the imputation of Christs Righteousness to the soul Doctrines that reveal Christ and tend to bring the soul to Christ or direct the soul in walking with him Now I say tho the believing soul values every line of holy Writ and hath a reverence for the whole Word of God and desires a communion with God in reading and hearing and meditating in every part of his revealed will yet it hath a special thirst after those portions of it which contain these Revelations Other parts are
sweet but these are sweeter than the Hony and the Hony-comb No portions of Scripture are like these to the believer Every verse in the book of God is a Star but as Stars differ one from another in glory so do the Revelations of the will of God in our apprehensionsa s more suited to our necessities For the proof of the proposition There is so much reason for it that were it not that it is fit your Faith for the help of which the Ministry is ordained should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God I might for bear the use of any Scripture texts in the case The World was many hundred years old before there was any written Word of God of which we have any record The first that we read of was the Book of the Law which the King of Israel was commanded to have alwayes before him and to read therein all the daies of his life Saul was the first King of Israel he was a wicked man and regarded not the divine Law The next was David the man according to Gods own heart See his Affection to the word Superlatively exprest Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. 11. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the Eyes The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the hony and the Hony-comb Psal 119. 14 15 16. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy statutes v. 97. Oh! how I love thy law it is my meditation night and day Read over that excellent Psalm at your leisure you will find in it a strange variety of expressions setting out David's value of and thirst after the Word of the Lord. I had saith he in one passage perished in my affliction if thy Word had not been my delight For the Word of God as delivered by Ministers you shall all along the History of the Scripture observe you read not of one good King of Judah and Israel but they were very desircus in all cases of consulting with the Prophets of the Lord and no doubt but the reading the Law and the Exposition of it in the Sanctuary was the reason why David Psal 42. Psal 63. and Psal 84 so passionately bewailed his being banished from it In short look through all the New Testament you shall find no company of Believers but by some Expressions or other declaring their Zeal for and fondness of the Word of God And the same Spirit continued in gracious Souls after the times that the Scripture makes mention of I remember Hierom tells us of a good woman whom he saith he could never find without a Bible in her hand aud Mr. Fox in his Martyrology tells us a story of Three Maids in Lincolnshire if I remember right who sold their Estates in a time of Persecution to buy a few Leaves of the Bible It were infinite to tell you the instances we have in Ecclesiastical History of the great thirst after and delight in the Word of God which good people have expressed What need we any further Instance than what the Experience of our own Age doâ—h afford How naturally do Souls born again as new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God It is true some Hypocrites especially in times when Religion is in credit and reputation may lay hold of the Skirts of a Jew and say We will go with you I mean may shew some fondness of hearing and reading the Word but no Child of God no regenerate man but is indeed thirsty of it So that as it was said of Paul as soon as he was converted Behold he prayeth so it may be said of every man and woman let them before have been never so loose and vain and careless as to reading and hearing the Word Behold he readeth or Behold he heareth Nor indeed is it possible it should be otherwise If we consider first That this is the Will of God concerning every Soul The Soul is unchanged till it be in some degree willing and obed ent So as what St. Paul spake more openly he saith to God though more privately Lord what wilt thou have me to do Now this is one of the first things that God calleth such a Soul to do Hear saith God and your Souls shall live As God said to Paul Go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do So God saith unto the changed Soul Go to Church and hear my Word and go and read in my Word and there it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do Augustin tells us a story that being in a great Agony of Spirit and not knowing what to do he heard a voice as out of an inward Room saying Tolle lege Take up and read The Soul in this doth but conform himself to an impression that is made by the Spirit upon his heart and is coaevous to the hour of his New Birth and this you shall see exemplified not in this or that particular Soul but in every Soul born of God The Infant is not more naturally disposed to suck the breasts of the Mother or Nurse than such a Soul is disposed to read and hear the Word of God from the impression of the holy Spirit of God upon it in the first hour of its Conversion Nor is any thing more reasonable than such an impression if we consider God's Ordination of his Word as the pabulum animae the food and nourishment of the new born Soul 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby And for this very reason this thirst after and delight in the Word of God never goeth out of a sanctified heart for the Word is the proper nourishment of the Soul in all states it is not only Milk for Babes but Meat for stronger ones By these things men live saith Hezekiah The just shall live by Faith saith the Prophet The Word is the object of this Faith You shall observe that the God of Nature hath planted in most sensitive creatures a knowledge of their proper food and an appetite or desire to it The God of Grace hath given the renewed Soul a knowledge of its proper food too and created in it an appetite to it so as no soul is born again without a knowledge of the Word as that by which it is to live or an appetite to it Nay it is not only necessary to uphold the Spiritual Being of the the Soul but to all the purposes of its well-being Such a Soul findeth the Word an inexhaustible Fountain a large
of such things it desireth thirsteth after and delighteth in Hence the dirty filthy Soul where sense and passion and corrupt and debauched affections predominate covets filthy Books and filthy discourses which are but the issues of Souls of the same complexion with itself the Soul that is something cleaner and hath got its passions something more subjugated unto its reason delighteth in and desireth Books and discourses of its own complexion and which are the issues of Souls like unto itself The Spiritual Man being refined to a further degree and pirch minding the glory of God and Spiritual things hath a thirst after the Word and Sermons which are the true and faithful Interpretations applications of that word as being more pure and Spiritual and so more like to it in its renewed State wherein we are transformed into the likeness of the word Thy word is pure saith David therefore doth thy Servant love it Psal 119 140. It is as natural to the renewed Soul to thirst after the pure Word of God and Spiritual discourses from and upon it as it is to an impure unrenewed Soul to thirst after filthy Books obscene discourses or for the Philosopher or moral rational man to desire after or to delight in Books or discourses of its own complexion especially also if we consider that as sober moral discourses tend both to confirm and promove habits of morality so the Book of God and Spiritual discourses upon and according to it tend to confirm and to promove Spiritual habits in the Soul Lastly The Souls of believers must needs more especially desire and delight in those which are more strictly called Gospel-Doctrines and discourses relating to them because those are they which are suited to the greatest and most pressing wants of the Soul those are the Doctrines wherein the Lord speaks peace and pardon that contain the words of reconciliation I create the fruit of the lips peace peace saith God by his Prophet Isaiah In the historical part of Scripture God speaks instruction in wisdom to his People and tells them the course of his Providence in the world in the government of it both with reference to his People and to their Enemies In the law and preceptive part of Holy Writ and the threatnings of Holy Scripture he tells them their duty what is his will they should do and avoid and what he will do unto them in case they be disobedient to his Commandments and do not walk in his Statutes and keep his judgments In the prophetical part of it so far as it is but an History of what God hath said and done he confirms them in their apprehensions and faith of Gods knowledge of future contingencies and also concerning his faithfulness But it is in the Doctrines of the Gospel alone that he declareth his love to poor Souls in and through the Lord Jesus Christ what Christ hath done and suffered for the redemption and salvation of Man what he is yet ready to do for all such as truly repent and believe and accept of the Mediator It is in that alone that he offers healing to the Nations now every gracious Soul being one who must be supposed to have felt something of the burthen of Sin and the wrath of God due to Man for Sin it is no wonder if the special thirst of such a Soul be after the revelations of Christ in the Doctrines of the Gospel as being most suited to the state of a Soul that is weary and heavy laden and seeking for rest and being wearied in its own indeavours and finding none No wonder if such Sermons such Preaching be most sweet and acceptable unto it if such portions of Scripture such discourses from Scripture be most acceptable and grateful to it's thoughts and most sweet to its meditations as being such which must deliver it from the trouble and uneasiness which the Law which worketh wrath hath given to it finding itself a great transgressor of it Thus I have doctrinally discoursed the hunger of the Soul after the Word of God and a communion with God in it by reading hearing or meditation and the reasonableness of this appetite of the Soul to it There is yet a more excellent internal communion of the Souls communion with God in his Word which infinitely excelleth this and consequently is the more special object of the renewed Souls Spiritual hunger and thirst to which I shall speak But I shall first make application of this discourse Use 1. This Notion may help us to take some measures of our Spiritual State whether we be the Spouses of Christ yea or no the Souls desires or no desires after communion with God in his Word its delight or no delight in that piece of communion with God will go a great way to determine our Spiritual State and how it shall fare with us in the day of Judgment I am sure negatively it is a good note He that hath no desire after no delight in the Word of God hath nothing of God or Christ in him And this is evident from all Scripture experience and reason also Davids experience is instead of all though many more examples might be produced out of Holy Writ There was never any good King of Israel or Judah but call'd for the Law of the Lord and much desired and delighted in the Lords Prophets It is impossible that the Word should have done any Soul good and the savour of it not be left upon it engaging it to prize and value it so long as it lives I only except an extraordinary hour of temptation in which I have known good Souls afraid to read and hear but alas they are at that time not themselves and act not from a free use of their reason This reflects sadly Upon such as neglect reading the Word Some indeed cannot read I know not how to excuse these in times and places where they have such plenty of means to learn As I think those Parents will be inexcusable before God another day that take not care to have their Children when young learned to read So I think those grown Personswhom their Parents have neglected inexcusable who have not used such means as the Age affords in great plenty to learn to read and can hardly believe that Soul to have any fear of God or love to God in it that doth not apply itself to this piece of knowledge But alas how many can read that hardly take the Bible in their Hands from one end of the week to the other Surely we may conclude the Bible never did their Souls good They cannot but have heard that the Lord commanded the King of his People to read in the Book of the Law all the daies of his life And by Gods order was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath Day and can any think himself excused from reading the word we cannot be alwaies hearing nor doth so much knowledge come into our Souls by hearing as may by reading Am I
Loves which are much our duty upon this view of our great Lord and Master 1. Love to him 2 Love to our Neighbours especially those in whom any thing of Christs appears 1. It calls to us for Loves to Christ This in point of gratitude If Saith our Saviour you love them which love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicanes the same Our Love to Christ is but a Love to him who hath Loves for us and indeed this speaketh to all men for Love to him but more especially O Love ye the Lord all you his Saints It is the opinion of great Divines that all the world is beholden to Christ as Mediator that from his Mediation there issueth some good to the worst of men But he hath eminently extended his Love to his Saints he hath loved them with a singular Love If there should be Love wanting in their hearts to Christ they should be of all men and women in the world most inexcusable what could he have done for any of the Sons of Men which he hath not done for them What greater thing could they have asked of him then he hath prevented them in asking O Love you the Lord all you they that believe Do you ask me how you should shew your Love to him The first motions of Love are in the heart Love there is seen in delighting in him breathing after him It next shews itself by the lips Speaking well of him to others defending his interest and concern in the world If we come to more external acts That of David Ps 16. 2. 3. is true here O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth to the excellent on whom is all my delight Our Love to Christ must be seen in our actings in our stations for the honour glory and concern of Christ in the world In our kindness to the poor flock of Christ Christ calls a want of Love to them a want of Love to himself 25. Math. But that brings me to the Second with a short discourse upon which I shall shut up this discourse 2. It calls you for Love to men especially to those in whom you see any thing of Christ The argument for this ariseth from our duty to study a Conformity to Christ he had a kindness for all when he was born good will towards men was proclaimed by the multitude of the Heavenly host Luke 2. 14. There also lyeth an obligation upon usfrom the law of Christ and from this great Example to be kindly affectionate toward all There lyeth also a Precept upon us to do good to all And again saith the Apostle Owe nothing to any but this That you love one another Indeed there is not the same degree of affection nor the same acts of Love due to all as to that we must be ruled by the Word of God but Love is a debt upon us which is due to all men Therefore wrath hatred anger strife malice are 〈◊〉 where reckoned up by the Apostle as the fruits not of the Spirit but of the flesh In a kind Child of God there should be a general love and kindness to all mankind though to be expressed in a Scriptural order as to the degrees and acts of it So it was in Christ 2. But secondly it calls to you for a more Special distinguishing Love to all those in whom you see any thing of Christ Do good to all saith the Apostle but especially to the houshold of Faith The Soul of every Member of Christ should cleave to these with whom he is united not onely by a common nature being the same flesh and blood with him but by a common faith by the ligament of Members of the same body whereof Christ is the head Give me leave to press this the more upon this argument because I find the Apostle St. John pressing it upon the same Topick 1. John 4. 11. If God so loved us we ought also to Love one another v. 12. If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us v. 16. He tells us that God is love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelling in God Every good Christian may see much more in the meanest poorest true Christian to ingage him to Love him or her than Christ could ever see in the highest Saint to oblige or move Christ to love him or her When thou wallowedst in thy blood when thou hadst nothing of the lineament of a Saint in thy Soul not so much as a line of any Spiritual Goodness he passed by thee and it was with him a time of Love as to thy Soul there is not a child of God in the world but there is somthing of holiness and righteousness something of the image and Superscription of Christ to be seen in his Soul something of the Divine nature resplendent in his Soul It may be there is more in some less in others but there is in all some When thou hast a temptation upon thee to aversate thy brother or to turn away thy heart or head or hand from him O remember Christ hath loves and and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in him And that it is he whose heart is full of of Loves for thee who hath commanded thee to Love thy Brother But I have spoken e nough to this first Proposition Sermon X. Canticles 1. 2. For thy Loves are better than Wine IN my last discourse I shewed you that Christ hath Loves kind affections and inclinations to the Children of men and more especially to the Souls of his Saints which he is ready to declare and express yea hath already expressed in acts of kindness and these not of one but various kinds suted to the respective necessities of his people a salve for every Sore a Supply for every want I come now to shew you the quality of his Loves which in my Text is set down positively and comparatively In our translation according to our Idioms or propriety of Speech the positive is to be understood in the comparative particle A thing cannot be called better than another unless it hath some positive absolute goodness in it self but in the Hebrew it is more plainly expressed That saith Are good before Wine It is their way of expressing comparatives It makes no difference in the sense Good before Wine And better than wine are phrases of the same sense In the Explication of the Text I told you that though Wine strictly signifies the juice of the Grape yet by a Synechdoche here it signifyeth all created goods whatsoever can be sweet or profitable or advantageous to us The Proposition is plainly this Prop. The Loves of Christ are good befo e or better than all created comforts and enjoyments whatever I have already shewed you what the Loves of Christ signify viz. His good will his kind affections and inclinations to the Souls of men
under this Captain be made perfect for by much tribulation they also must enter into the Kingdom of God By this saith the Lord speaking of the Afflictions of Jacob shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and all the fruit shall be to take away Sin Afflictions to the Church and People of God are but as the furnace for the Silver and the refining pot for the Gold like polishing Irons to the Stone and the File to the Steel 3. Finally There is a comeliness in this blackness as Afflictions give the Spouse advantage and opportunities for the more noble and perspicuous exercises of their graces Faith never shineth so much as in a dark place and state now for a season saith Peter 1 Pet. 1. 7. You are in heaviness through manifold temptations their was their blackness but it followeth That the tryal of your faith being much more precious then that of Gold which perisheth might be found unto praise honour and glory There now was a comeliness in their blackness though he killeth me saith Job yet will I trust in him there again was comeliness in blackness Patience is another grace the time for the exercise of which is a time of afflictions and tryals it is a feature in the face of a Child of God hardly discernable but in a day of adversity when we fall under severer Providences then is the time for Patience to have its perfect work If you look upon the Child of God as lying amongst the pots under the reproach and obloquy and rage and injuries of a vile and wicked generation who fly at the image of God wherever they see it out of that perfect hatred they have to God so indeed he looks black But now see him under this owning the righteousness and goodness of God kissing the Word of God saying concerning his Enemies Let them alone perhaps God hath bidden them curse and will requite me with blessing for all the cursings wherewith they have cursed me or with Eli 1 Sam. 3. 18. saying It is the Lord let him do unto me what seemeth good unto him or with Stephen praying for his Enemies and saying Father forgive them they know not what they do so he appeareth comely Look upon the Child of God under the withdrawings of divine influences from him when we hear him crying out My God my God! why hast thou forsaken me he appeareth to us black but if we see him under such withdrawings resolving to trust in God not to depart from his integrity nor to forget the Lords precepts nor deal falsely in his Covenant but still adhering to God and his ways and following him with fervent and importunate prayers so again he appeareth comely In short 1. The Spouse of Christ is comely in the Eyes of the generality of the Saints and People of God There may be some grains of envy and passion in the hearts of the best of Gods people which may cause some misinterpretation of their brethren as Joshuah envied for Moses his sake when Eldad and Medad prophecied in the Camp Num. 11. 29. and the Disciples of John were jealous for their Master and by mistakes they may be judged black as Hannah was by Eli. But by the generality of the Saints all such as are partakers of the Divine Nature they will be judged comely notwithstanding their low and afflicted condition and notwithstanding that partial blackness which appeareth in them 2. They are comely in Christs Eyes and alas how small a thing to the Child of God is it to be judged of mans judgment Bernard thus glosseth upon the words Nigra vestro formosa Divino Angelicoque judicio I am black in your judgment but fair in the judgment of God and of the Angels The Spouse is black in the Worlds Eyes but exceeding comely in Christs Eyes The Spouse speaketh to her beloved Can. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee He replieth to her v. 10. How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse v. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the Hony-comb Hony and Milk are under thy tongue and the smell of thy Garments is like the smell of Lebanon Would you be confirmed in this and understand whence it is that Christ judgeth his Spouse so comely I will shew you in a few particulars 1. Because he loveth her Love never calleth its object black but alwaies imprinteth a loveliness in its object beloved the blackest woman is fair in her Husbands Eye love with men covereth a multitude of faults and infirmities it overlooks blackness and lameness and crookedness and any external deformity it calleth black things white crooked things straight and lame things perfect Christ loves every Spouse of his with a dear and most tender love But yet this is our infirmity Christ cannot call any comely who indeed is not so the Spouse must be comely before he can judge or call her so 2. Therefore she must needs be comely in the Eyes of Christ because he hath made her so by putting his comeliness upon her Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God No Child of God is comely in his or her own comeliness but in Christs comeliness put upon him or her Now this is twofold 1. His perfect Righteousness 2. His holy and blessed Spirit 1. His perfect Righteousness Thus the Soul is comely by imputation All unrighteousness is blackness and uncomeliness in the Eyes of God for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and it is impossible that the Lord should look upon any Soul as comely but that Soul whom he looketh upon as righteous Christ was of old prophecied of under the notion of the Lord our righteousness and the Apostle tells us he was made of God Wisdom Righteousness c. This righteousness of Christ lay in his perfect obedience to the whole law of God and his suffering the curse of the law due to us for our transgression of it it being the act of another we could not have any interest in it but by a gracious imputation or reckoning it to us and by this gracious act upon our faith by apprehending it it becomes ours so we are said to be justified by his faith Rom. 5. 1. yet by his blood as v. 9 and yet by grace Titus 3. 7. It was an act of grace in God to accept the performance of another for us the act and satisfaction of the surety for the satisfaction and acts of the principals yet a satisfaction must be given for God Rom. 3. 25. set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins That he might be just while he became the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus So that upon every Souls believing in Jesus Christ who justifies the ungodly God becomes its justifier and the Soul standeth as righteous in the fight of God through Gods imputation of righteousness
our thoughts upon God admiring him c. But that which the Scripture calleth Worship most ordinarily is some external acts testifying that inward homage and submission of the heart 3. These acts are either such as the Light of Nature directeth and the Law of Nature obligeth us unto or such as God hath prescribed us in his Word Worship being in the general nature of it nothing but an external homage done to God in testification of the inward and more secret homage and subjection of our Soul It is the most reasonable thing imaginable that God should prescribe it this he hath done as the God of Nature imprinting a Law in our hearts obliging us to call upon him for good things we want and to praise him for good things received partly in his holy Writ There is no natural Worship but is also instituted but there is much instituted Worship which the Light of Nature doth not shew nor the Law of Nature oblige us to such as Reading the Scriptures hearing the Word Preached communicating in the holy Sacraments 4. External acts of Worship that depend meerly upon Institution must be either instituted by Christ or by our own wills or the wills of others Col. 2. 23. there is a Will-worship mentioned 5. All true Divine Worship must have a Divine Institution Whatsoever is pretended as an immediate act of homage to the Divine Being and is not directed by Nature and directed also and confirmed and regulated by the Revelation of the Divine Will in the Word of God is what we call False Worship or Will-Worship As the first Commandment directeth our homage to God as the alone true Object so the second directeth the manner of it to be according to his revealed Will for certainly that Commandment must not be interpreted as meerly prohibiting the Worship of God by or before a graven Image or the similitude of a thing on purpose set before us either as representative of the Divine Being or as a Medium by which we worship God but as prohibiting all other Modes Acts and Methods which have no more of a Divine Institution than that hath only that one instance is given and under it the other included So that a graven Image is but species pro genere and those that worship God before a painted Image or any other way which God hath not prescribed are also transgressors of that second Commandment Hence it is observable that God directed the Jews not only every Act by which an homage was paid to him but also every Rite and Ceremony and it was guilt enough for the Jews in his Worship to do that which he commanded them not Uzziah must not offer Incense nor Saul Sacrifice nor Nadab and Abihu make use of ordinary fire nor Uzzah carry the Ark upon a Cart nor touch it The same we conceive to be the will of God in the New Testament God being a Spirit and to be worshipped by us in Spirit and in Truth as well as by the Jews and it seemeth the most reasonable thing imaginable 1. Considering that our Worship in its self is a pitiful thing infinitely disproportioned to the perfection and excellency of God so as it deriveth all its value from the Divine Institution 2. And being an homage done to God it is most reasonable that God himself should direct what he will accept 3. Nor is it to be imagined had God left man in the case to his own conduct and direction how vain and various man would have been 4. Besides it is not reasonable to think that the holy Scriptures should be a less perfect Rule in matters of Worship than it is in matters of Doctrine or that concern our ordinary course of conversation or that acts of Worship as to which it appeareth in all the Scripture that God had a special jealousie and in which we are said to draw nigh to God should be none of those good works as to which the holy Scriptures are sufficient to furnish every good man 6. Divine Worship being an humane act and that of the most noble nature as it must have such circumstances as are necessary to all humane acts such are Time and Place so it is reasonable that it should have such circumstances as suit such acts so as they may be performed in such manner as the Light of Nature and common guise and custom of Countries shall not determine sordid filthy or indecent and such as may render it useful and more profitable and advantageous and answering to their ends which circumstances being necessary to the acts as humane acts or at least plainly expedient to avoid the indecent and sordid performance of the acts or for the more profit and advantage of the acts and such as in regard of the variety of Countries the Customs and Usages of them c. could not be determined by the Word of God must be determined by the Governours of Churches Nations or Kingdoms but still with respect to the general ends of the action But for any things used in the Worship of God neither directed by Nature nor yet by holy Writ and appropriated to the Worship of God as a Religious act out of a respect to the excellency of the Divine Being and as an homage to it I cannot see how they can be lawful they must have something of the nature of Worship in them and having so they ought to have a Divine Institution without which I cannot see how they should avoid the guilt of Idolatry or Superstition which differ thus If the faileur respect the Object either terminatively where the creature is made the term and ultimate Object as in Ahab's Idolatry and the Papists Adoration of the Bread in the Eucharist or mediately as in Jeroboam's case and the Jews relating to the golden Calf or Micab's all which worshipped the true God though by an Image and using an Image as a mean of their Worship as the Papists now do in their Veneration of their Images This is Idolatry called in Scripture Whoredom spiritual Whoredom and as Adultery in marriage so this is the highest sin can be committed in Worship and which God hath more severely punished at all times than any other sins People have been guilty of If the faileur respect the Acts or the manner if it be only internal it is Hypocrisie if in the external Acts or Manner it is Superstition such are the Papists Salt Oil Cream Spittle superadded to the Institution for Baptism and an hundred other Rites and Ceremonies used in all parts of their Worship 7. It is very observable that from the beginning of the Church there hath been a strange Itch in men to be adding and mixing their own fancies inventions and Will-worship with the true Worship of God God gave unto Moses the particular Rule and Law of his Worship he communicated it to the People David added to it but no more than God by his Spirit directed as appeareth 1 Chron. 28. 19. All this said David
unbeliever one that is not married to thee Those senses of the words express her fear of scandal Prop. That sin and Scandal are the two great objects of the believing Souls fear What sin is I need not spend many Words to tell you The Apostle gives you the full notion of it when he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Non-conformity to the divine law which notion comprehendeth original sin which lyeth in the absence of the divine Image and the ill complexion of the Soul resulting from it and actual sin which is well described by Augustine to be every thought Word and deed which is contrary to the holy Law of God Sin is often in Scripture set out under the notion of erring wandring going astray and that dependeth upon another Metaphor we often meet with in Scripture comparing a course of holiness unto a way with relation to which sin which is a deviation from holiness is expressed by the notions of erring wandering going astray turning aside c. The Precepts of God are expressed also under the notion of a rule and a guide hence sin is called a crooked way Now all sin is the object of the believers fear but not all alike For as there is a difference in the guilt of sin so there will be a difference in the Souls fear it will most tremble at those sins which render it most obnoxious to the wrath of God of which nature Idolatry is and indeed the guilt of it much lyeth here that in that sin the creature is made the companion of God and the Worship due unto God alone is either given unto it or shared betwixt God and it The notion of Scandal is not so obvious I shall therefore inlarge a little in my discourse on that The Words Scandal and Scandalize are hardly found in any Prophane Authors the Scripture therefore must open that term to us A Scandal properly and strictly is something laid in a mans way at which one is prone to stumble and fall the Word which the Septuagint translate by this Word we translate a stumbling block Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind The Hebrew Word is by our translators rendred offence 1 Sam. 25. 31. This is all we can get from the Etymology of the Word it signifies any thing at which another stumbles and falls thence it is applyed to such things as are to others occasions of sin which is the stumbling and falling of the Soul so Aquinas I think rightly describeth Scandals to be any Words or actions of ours by which others have an occasion of ruin That is sinning which is the Spiritual ruin of a man or woman In this sense man only can be Scandalized he cannot be tempted to evil But two wayes a Scandal may reflect upon God 1. As by our carriages his glory may be prejudiced amongst men his name blasphemed his wayes reproached and these actions which produce such effects we call Scandals 2. As others by our carriages may be induced to sin against God So that Scandals may be committed two wayes When we so behave our selves as we cause the Master which we serve the Gospel which we profess or the way wherein we walk to be evil spoken of or that others by our example are inticed to sin Scandals are ordinarily divided into such as are not only taken but given also and such as are meerly taken but not given 1. The latter is what is called Seandalum Pharisaeorum The scandal of the Pharisees because they were so offended at our Saviour This is when men are offended at us and speak evil of us or of the wayes of God for our sake though we do nothing but what is our duty and we must not omit for the offence of any Persons These are now only passive Scandals Scandals taken and not given and the guilt lyeth not upon those who do the actions but upon those who are troubled that others are more righteous then they and will do what they judge God requireth of them without regard to the pleasing or displeasing of any These are not the Scandals which a good man feareth 2. But then there is an active Scandal or a Scandal given and this may be two wayes 1. By any open sinful actions Thus we call open sinning Scandalous sinning Because it giveth a just offence to all good People and because it of its own nature tendeth to cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the Gospel and wayes of God to be reproached and evil spoken of and is an inducement to others also to sin against God 2. It is also committed by an ill use of our liberty in things where Gods Law hath left us our liberty when we will do actions which although we think we may do yet others think are unlawful and our doing of them may either cause them that have another opinion to reproach us and our profession or induce them doubting concerning the lawfulness of them yet to do them because they see us whom they look upon as stronger doing of them thus we abuse our liberty by chusing that action by which our Brother is offended grieved or made weak now these Scandals are such as next to our personal plain sinnings ought to be the object of all good Christians fear I must confess as to these last mentioned Scandals by actions in which I judge God hath left me in his Law a full and perfect liberty but others have not the same apprehensions so as my taking one part may cause in other Christians hard thoughts or hard speeches concerning me Or if not so yet my example may induce them though they doubt yet to adventure upon the same actions and sin against God for he that doubteth is damned if he eateth that which another who doubteth not may freely eat I say as to such Scandals there is a very hard question in Divinity viz. what is a Christians duty suppose him pressed by a Superiours command on the one side if he doth not do it he disobeyeth his Superiours in a thing which he confesseth not to be forbidden by the Word God and so seemeth to sin against the Precept of obedience to them On the other side he seeth that if he doth the thing he shall not onely grieve many good Christians who think the thing lawful but possibly cause them to intertain hard thoughts of him or to speak hardly of him or if not so yet which is worse to do the same thing though they doubt of the lawfulness Nay further it may be that the command of Superiors in the case may be attended with penalties which may ruin a man his family What is to be done here is an hard case That it is not our duty to obey Superiours in all things is out of question that we ought to obey them in things of which we are strongly persuaded that they are unlawful whether they be so or no is what no weighed
pretended fear But if you see Christians in all their other waies strict and conscientious taking heed to their waies though I may think that in some things they fear too much and scruple what I do not scruple nor see any sin in yet I hope I shall alwaies reverence such Persons I may be mistaken as well as they and who hath made me more infallible than they are It is a noble temper to be afraid of sinning against God and so consequently to be afraid of scandal not only of doing acts that are openly sinful but of doing such actions which we think we cannot do without grieving offending and making to stumble and fall those for whom Christ died If Christ had such a value for Souls as for the Redemption of them to come down from Heaven to Earth and to die upon the Cross certainly they should not be so cheap in my sight as for the good of them I will not forbear the least thing which I may as well forbear as do It is possible that Religious People may fear scandal too much They may in some particulars be afraid of their duty for fear of offending Brethren they may lay too great a stress upon a scandal of grief But these are very pardonable things in comparison of mens neither fearing God nor men and running on in courses of actions without regarding the offence of God or of men Every good man will in your City be wary of leaving ladders in streets or heaps of muck or any pits uncovered from whence Persons in the dark may receive any mischief and this is but in conformity to the antient Law of God which commanded the Jews to lay no stumbling blocks in the way of the blind Have we charity for our neighbours Bodies and have we none for their Souls Are we tender of making them wound or break a bodily limb and have we no regard to the making them wound the honour and glory of God and the peace of their own Souls and to hazard their own eternal Salvation If men had any drams of true Brotherly Love they would at least forbear actions as to which they have a perfect liberty with which they know any number of fâ—ber Persons will be offended This I speak as to things in which they have a perfect liberty For what things I apprehend that I ought to do as my duty toward God or to forbear upon that account I can neither do the one nor forbear the other to avoid offending others the reason is because Charity as we say ought to begin at home every man or woman is obliged in the first place to attend and look after the Peace and eternal Salvation of his own Soul Obj. But you will say to me What shall we do in cases where we are under the command of Superiours to do things which yet we see we cannot do but we shall give occasion of offence to Christians not so well satisfied as we are Sol. I told you before that I apprehend this a very hard case The Law of God obligeth me to obey my Superiours it also commandeth me to give no offence to lay no stumbling block before my Brother and this Law concerneth Superiours as well as Inferiours As I ought not to do any such actions which probably may give occasion to my Brother to sin so no Superiours ought to command me to do any such things Superiours therefore unquestionably sin in making any such things the matters of their command But admit they will not do their duty still the question is what is mine I do not think the command of a Superior in this case can take hold of my conscience my reason is because his command in this case is contrary to the command of God who hath commanded him as well as me to give no offence to lay no stumbling block in the way of his Brother If he sinneth in the matter of his command I cannot sin in withholding my active obedience that is certain But if he will not be sensible of his duty nor only command but command under penalties that I though originally at liberty must do the thing or ruin my self and family this much narroweth the case Here now the question lyes Whether in a matter as to which I have originally a perfect liberty and so judge but through the iniquity of a Superiors command must either do or forbear this or that action or ruin my self and family and on the other side if I do do it or do forbear it I see I shall not only grieve my Brother but cause him to sin probably what is my duty Whether ought the contingency of my Brothers stumbling and sinning by my example to rule me and cause me rather to chuse the loss of all I must confess I do here a little hesitate My reason is because my Brothers fall is not necessitated by my action he ought to live by rule not by example to follow me no further then I follow Christ to allow me to live by my own faith while yet he lives and walks by his own faith That may be lawful to me which to him is not lawful because he doubteth and cannot see with my eyes Oh! how happy would the World be if Superiors would only press things which they apprehend necessary by a divine Precept I mean in relation to the things of God for in civil things Superiours are more absolute Judges and if in any thing they mistake and apprehend things such which indeed are not they would be very tender for that can be but in very few cases and if private Persons would learn not to judge others but in things where they see them act apertly and plainly against the will of God and not arrogate infallibility to themselves and others would learn not to be too positive upon their own apprehensions nor make others practice their rule but to live by their own faith But this is but a digression I say It is a good thing to fear sin and to fear Scandal I shall shut up this discourse with an Exhortation to Christians to make sin and Scandal the objects of their fear I shall not need to inlarge much upon the first it being the confessed duty of every one that owneth the name of a Christian or any relation to Jesus Christ He that feareth not what is plainly sinful feareth God in no sense he neither feareth the Lord and his greatness nor yet the Lord and his goodness I shall only tell you that he who feareth sin feareth the occasions and appearances of it But I shall rather press the exhortation with reference to Scandal calling upon you to take heed of any actions 1. Which may draw out the lusts and corruptions of other mens hearts to entertain any hard thoughts or use any hard speeches concerning Profession and Religion Now these are in the first place 1. All actions that are openly sinful this was that which stuck to David when he had
and they will find at last that God will give men for them and People for their lives Possibly some will say to us but how shall we know these whom Christ calls the fairest amongst women if we knew them we should give a a due respect to them It is true the Apostle saith The world knoweth us not Nor can they perfectly know them for the Kings Daughter is glorious within saith the Psalmist But yet our Saviour tells you Math. 7. 16. By their fruits you shall know them do men gather grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit Will you know what is good fruit see Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against these there is no law No law of God Add to this Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which Worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh these are the true Jews that are such inwardly in the heart and in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God See you therefore any man or woman or any party of men and women in the World who disclaiming any confidence in the flesh any priviledges of birth or Church-state or the merits of any works they have done or can do place their hope for Salvation in Jesus Christ alone trust in him rejoyce in him and Worship God in the Spirit tho it may be not with those external rites and Ceremonies that you do nor under the same circumstances yet heartily Worship God according to the rules which God hath given them that Love God and have a love to all men though more especially to those that fear God and desire to live in Peace as much as in them lyes with all men that are gentle and meek not giving way to rude and boisterous Passions that are good in their behaviours temperate no drunkards no unclean Persons but squaring their lives by the rule of reason because it is also the law of God Let me tell you that against these there is no law No law of God which is the regula regulans the rule by which all the rules and laws of men must be guided or they are nullities and no rules at all These are those whom that God whom you own as your Creator and the great Lord of Heaven and Earth that Christ whom you call your Redeemer your Saviour and who most certainly shall be your Judge and give unto you at the last according to what you have done in the flesh calls the fairest amongst women the most beautiful and lovely Souls in the whole creation judge you whether you ought not so also to call so to account them so to deal with them These are the best men and women in your Cities Parishes c. Take â—reed of using hard Speeches concerning them God will for them execute Judgment as well as for ungodly deeds much more take heed of any hard actions against them he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of Gods Eye Zech. 2. 8. Deut. 32. 10. They have prayed with David Psal 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine Eye God hath said concerning them Zech. 2. 8. He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his Eye Be wise now therefore O ye Princes be instructed O you men of the Earth whether great or small be assured Christ will revenge his Spouses quarrels even the quarrels of all those whom he judgeth the fairest amongst women Let none think to cover their malice against Religion and Godliness under pretences of executing humane Laws the Apostle saith against such is no law no law that will be justified by the law of God no law that will justify either the lawgivers in making it or the Executors in execution of it 1 Tim 1. 9. The law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for Murderers of Fathers and Murderers of Mothers for Whoremongers for those who defile themselves with mankind for Man-Stealers for Lyars for perjured Persons and other things contrary to sound Doctrine The law that is the law of God is not made for them that is to punish afflict torment them it is made for them to live according to the rule of it It is made to protect them For rulers are not a terror to good works but the evil Rom. 13. 3. And all Magistrats ought to be Ministers of God to Christians for good Rom. 13. 4. Now all humane laws must be either in affirmance of the law of God and to force that or in civil things left to their power as they shall judge to be most for the publick Peace or necessary to uphold Nations and Polities O therefore take heed what you do lest you be found fighters against God Much less let any think to cover their malice with pretences that the Persons they run upon with such a rage are hypocrites Hypocrisy can be but in the heart when there is no contradiction in the conversation that man is no judge of But is it not possible to reconcile at least some part of the men of the World to those to whom the Lord Jesus Christ hath given such a Character Is he not a better Judge then men are Will you make your selves believe for a cloak for your rage that these men are not what they pretend to be I would ask you but one question are they not more righteous then you Are they not more in reading the Word Hearing Prayer Fasting and are not these things duties commanded in that Word which you own to be your rule and to be holy just and good are they not stricter in the observation of Sabbaths Which is so great a piece of Religion that the Prophet expresseth a great part of it under that notion Isa 56. 4 6. Into their hearts you cannot look but their Words are audible do not they fear an Oath more Do they swear and curse and Blaspheme like you or many others do they exceed Heathens Dii omnes deaeque te perdant by their Dammees do they rail and revile and lye like other men Do they drink and whore steal and murder gripe and oppress is not the contrary to this the beauty of a Soul in the Eye of humane reason You have therefore no reason to judge them none of those whom Christ calls the fairest amongst women you must own they are fairer then you or any of your converse and stamp You must find some in the World that are better then your selves or they must be the most comely and beautiful Souls Sirs I beseech you consider how much it becometh a man as a man to judge according to truth And what can be a better standard then the judgment of Christ O let not the People of
the full understanding of our Saviours meaning in this Text is 3 Qu. What these rare and remarkable properties are in Doves or in the Eyes of Doves more then in other creatures for which our Saviour resembleth his Spouse to them either to shew us what true believers are or ought to be The Dove is a creature sufficiently known to us a creature which of old God made use of in Sacrifices rejecting others It was the creature sent out of the Ark by Noah which brought the olive branch Naturalists observe many remarkable things of the Dove Give me leave to open to you the aptness of the similitude in nine or ten particulars 1. The Doves Eyes are meek and harmless Eyes Hence Naturalists observe that the Dove presently forgets an injury and builds her nest and lays her eggs and hatcheth her young where her nest was newly destroyed and her young ones taken away Matth. 10. 16. Be harmless as Doves The cruelty and revenge of the mind is much seen in the Eye Prov. 23. 6. you read of him that hath an evil Eye there is a bewitching Eye and a flaming sparkling Eye in which you may see the sparks of that rage and envy and anger which flame in the Soul you may read rapine and cruelty and mischief in an Hawks Eye but in a Doves Eye nothing but meekness the old verse saith Felle Columba caret rostro non-laedit ungues Possidet innocuos A Dove wants gall and though it hath nails and claws yet it gripes none with them The Dove doth not wholly want gall but Naturalists say it hath but very little compared with other creatures and hence it is that it is very gentle peaceable fearful and doth no other bird hurt Believers are compared to Sheep and to Doves Sheep have horns but they hurt none with them Doves have claws but they hurt none with them and as I faid before this may be read in their Eyes in which you do not see such a sharpness and sparkling as it were of fire as in the Eyes of birds of prey Believers have or should have Doves Eyes Samuel is able to stand up and say whose Ox have I taken Or whose Ass have I taken Or whom have I defrauded Our Saviour commands us that we should be innocent as Doves in malice they are Children 1 Cor. 14. it is the Apostles Command Eph. 4 31. Let all bitterness and wrath anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice Believers when unregenerate lived in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. 3. But Col. 3. 8. They have put off all these anger wrath malice c. And it is their business to be still laying them aside every true Believer hath something of a Doves Eye and it is his work to be daily getting his heart up to it more and more 2. A Doves Eye secondly is a satisfied Eye The satisfaction of the sensible and reasonable Soul is much discerned in the Eye You shall discern a greediness in the Eye of an Hawk to let you know that if it were loose it would be tearing And you shall ordinarily know a man of a covetous spirit and a discontented spirit by his Eye Prov. 28. 22. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil Eye You shall discern a gladness in a Doves Eye which speaks it a contented satisfied creature Such should a Believer be such is a true Believer Heb. 13. 5. Let your conveâ—sation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have I have learned saith Saint Paul in all estates to be content Faith teacheth a Soul to cast its care upon God believing that he careth for it Faith teacheth him to depend upon the Promise which Godliness hath to trust to a Providebit Deus This now is a Doves Eye an Eye which is not greedy of gain which doth not covet its Neighbours House nor Ground nor Wife nor Oxe nor Ass nor any thing which is his 3. The Dove's Eye is a Benign Eye You do not only not discern any thing of rage and fury or cruelty and greediness in a Dove's Eye but you discern a certain kindness and as it were a good will in it Hence it is very friendly amongst its fellows and it loves an habitation near dwelling-houses of men Doves Eyes are Benign Eyes Believers have and should have Doves Eyes Eph. 4. 32. Be you kind one to another they are commanded to Godliness to add Brotherly kindness and Col. 3. 12. to put on kindness What Solomon saith of the good woman Prov. 31. 26. is true of a Believer in a Believer's Tongue is the Law of kindness they know the grace of the Lord Jesus and the great kindness of their Saviour to them Grace takes away that currishness and doggedness which makes men rugged in their speeches and behaviour and churlish in their spirits and if ought of this remains upon their hearts it is because their Faith is but in part and they have yet a body of death some unmortified corruption that yet remains in them which is in the fault for Grace is of a benign kind nature the Believer hath Doves Eyes Look as it is with a Dove let a Cock be feeding that 's a churlish creature and will endure none to be near it The Dove is kind and allows room to all commers such a kindness there is now in a Believer's heart where Grace hath taken its full hold 4. Doves Eyes are lowly Eyes The pride and haughtiness of the Natural disposition both in sensible and rational creatures is much seen in the Eyes You discern a proud and lofty Bird by the surliness of its Eye and so it is in a reasonable creature Hence you read of a proud look Prov. 6. 17. one of the things which God hateth and Prov. 21. 4. an high look and a proud heart are put together And in brute creatures the height of the Natural disposition is seen in the scornful Eye of Lions Hawks Parrots c. But a Dove hath lowly Eyes Now a Believer hath Doves Eyes Take carnal natural men they are proud and scornful they are sometimes in Scripture described under the Notion of the scornful Psal 1. 1. Isa 28. 14. But the believing Soul is an humble Soul It is the Law of their Profession Micah 6. 8. They must walk humbly with their God They cannot serve the Lord but with all humility of mind Acts 20. 19. It is their clothing 1 Pet. 5. 5. and they duly put it on Col. 3. 12. They talk not high things they affect not they seek not high things that is of this World indeed they seâ—k the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God but this they do with all humility of mind confessing with the Prodigal that they are not worthy to be called the Sons of God 5. Doves Eyes are simple Eyes As other vertues
for I delight in the law of God after the inward man 2. Let him Secondly examine himself whether there be not a comeliness in him in and under his blackness of Affliction and worldly opposition A wicked man may be black through affliction but his blackness is like the blackness of a coal which is a dead colour and hath no beauty in it The Child of God is also black from the same cause but his is like the blackness of a polished marble which hath a great beauty and comliness in it The trial of his faith in his afflictions appeareth more precious then that of gold that perisheth his love to God then appeareth by his panting after him and firm adherence of Soul unto him his meekness his patience all shine forth under his afflictions The demeanour of People under afflictions will much discover whose they are 3. Thirdly The comeliness of the Spouse of Christ is not a comeliness without blackness but a comeliness norwithstanding blackness That is to say It is not a Native but an adventitious and Superinduced comliness nor adventitious from any good dispositions or any acts or indeavours of our own singly but a gracious imputation and infusion The imputation of Christs righteousness the infusion of gracious habits a comeliness arising from Christs comeliness put upon the Soul So as tho the poor creature hath been guilty before God and iniquity yet doth sometimes prevail against it the righteousness of Christ being reckoned to him for righteousness and his heart being renewed Sanctified through the Spirit of Christ and the bent of it being set right for God notwithstanding his blackness the Lord doth judge him comely and beautiful overlooking his blackness by reason of sin and infirmity 4. Lastly Every Child of God will own and be truly sensible of his blackness I am black saith the Spouse The hypocrite boasteth of his whiteness come saith Jehu to Jonadab and see my zeal for the Lord God of hosts God I thank thee saith the Pharisee I am not as other men are Extortioners Unjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tythes of all that I possess Luk. 18. 11 12. he owneth nothing in himself but whiteness aversates all blackness yet v. 14. he went away to his house not justified Hypocrites are hardly perswaded to own in themselves any blackness The Children of God are as hardly perswaded to own any beauty or comliness in themselves I gave you before the Instances of David and of Paul The reason is because the hypocrite trusts to a Spiders web a righteousness from himself spun out of his own Bowels and he is concerned to justify his integrity and to make it as whole as he can again all that he doth is to be seen of men and therefore he must set the best face of his actions that he can the Child of God seeketh for no such things in himself but despairing in himself he flyeth to the righteousness of Christ and freely confesseth and owneth his own nakedness that he might be clothed with that righteousness again the Child of God seeketh not the praise of men nor his own honour and glory but seeketh the praise of God and the honour and glory of Christ alone Thirdly This notion affordeth a great relief to the People of God against their own dejections and despondencies 2. Satans temptations and 3. The worlds upbraidings 1. Against his own despondencyes and dejections A Child of God living under the power of that Precept 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your solves prous your selves whether you be in the faith or uâ— is often looking into his own heart and can seldom please himself with the prospect He seeth in his own heart much of Vnbelief much of Vaniâ—y much of Hypocrisy always some lust or other a body of death remaining in him iniquity prevailing against him he sinneth 7 times every day and he seeth it every night and oft times as much out of heart much dejected crying out Vnclean Vnclean I am black wofully black no better then a painted hypocrite I make a fair shew to the World and deceive some of my brethten but alas they do not see that luft and vanity that pride and passion that folly and hypocrisy which I can with half an Eye discorn in my own Soul surely I deceive myself I have no portion in God no relation to Christ I cannot be his Spouse Christian be of good Chear thou art black but art thou not also comely When a Child of God hath found out the best of himself all his comfort will be found to lie in that one text Rom. 8. v. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit He can neither look into his own heart and see his inward thoughts and the motions there nor consider his tongue and the issues of that nor compare the best of his actions with the Divine rule but he feeth himself by all condemned and findeth nothing to relieve him in is dark thoughts but in Christs imputed righteousness and that there no is condemnation to them that are in Christ And that is enough provided that he hath this evidence of his being in Christ That he walketh not after the flesh but after the Spirit 2. It affordeth the same relief against the most desperate temptations of our grand adversary the Devil Satan we say first tempteth to Sin and then he makes advantage of our hearkening to his temptations to tempt us to further sins and those of a more heinous and horrid nature to despair of Gods mercy to destroy our selves c. He first attempteth to make the Soul black by moving it to sinful acts then his next work is to perswade the Soul that God will never pardon such a sinner Christ can never Love such an Ethiopian Hence those strong violent impressions upon Souls under the power of temptations God is an holy God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity he can never set his heart upon such a polluted vile wretch as I am I have been guilty of thousands of willful Omissions of duty and Commissions contrary to my duty possibly some particular sin or sins lie as an heavy load upon the poor creatures conscience The Spouse here hath furnished such a Soul with an answer to the tempter The Spouse of Christ is black but yet comely Let then such a Soul thus answer these suggestions of the tempter O thou Prince of darkness it is true I have been a grievous sinner and as such Christ cannot Love me so far forth as I am black I am unlovely but I am not wholly black Christ cannot Love my sins but he can pardon my sin and Love my Soul The Lord hath been graciously pleased to pardon my sins upon my repentance and my acceptation of the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving him as my Saviour he hath said to me while I