in stead of loialety to him the most pairt of all the nations are turned rebels to him and turned against him his been active to devest him of that power that he was cloathed with But nixt the stile given to the believer to the Daughters of Zion goe forth ye Daughters of Zion that is to say ye that are borne into the Church and borne by the immortal seed of his word I would have you that are the membres 〈◊〉 the Church and hath any respect and kindness 〈◊〉 King Solomon I would have you goeing forth that leaving all your injoyments and pleasure anâ— Profeets and taking a look of this King And the observation I shall speek to is this thâ—â— it is the deutie of the people of God to be takinâ— maney looks of King Jesus what are you come heâ—â— for sirs Is it not to gett a look of the King in thiâ— ordinances is not this your end and earrand if you have not this for your earrand you will get litle thanks and weelcom from him but and if thâ—â— by your earrand to gett a sight of the King as hâ—â— rides in the chariot of the Gospell then you obâ—â— the command given to the Daughters of Jerusaleâ—â— and the Lord will not be straeng to give a lookeâ—â— himself if you be in earnest to goe furth and behold him Ther the nott That it is peoples deutie when the Lord comâ—â— in the chariot of the Gospell to make ane offer 〈◊〉 himself they should goe forth and leave all thâ—â— injoyments and leave all behind hem and get 〈◊〉 sight of Christ in his ordinances And therefor 〈◊〉 espetialie that are mor eminent in the world 〈◊〉 our Maisters name we weelcome you if you câ—â— say that is the thing ye would have done to get a sight of King Solomon Christ in the chariot oâ— the Gospel it is for that earrand I come heir to get a sight of him that I may keep him for maneâ—â— dayes I have stepped out of all my injoyments 〈◊〉 may be I will heir tell of it after this yet I cair not 〈◊〉 I have gottne a sight of Christ in his ordinances 〈◊〉 say in our Maisters name you are welcome heir anâ— you will gett a blissing if you have a mouth openâ—â— to receave you shall gett it it is your duty to behold him but say ye how will I get a sight of him there are 4. of 5. glasses that he shines in through which you may gett a sight of him First in his word there get a sight of him get a sight of him in the preached Gospel there get a sight of him in his Chariot that is all paved with love Nixt get a sight of him in his atributs you may see what are these and you may gett a sight of him in his offices and sufferings that he under went for sinners Therefore ô ye Daughters of Jerusalem or Zion ye that live in this corner will ye come forth this day and leave your injoyments and take a looke of him in the Chairot of his Gospel here he is come this day to make a visit to Greenock ô if you were forced to cry out how lovly is thy Tabernacles how lovly are thy Ordinances where thow art in the midst of them and to be seen there Now Sirs there are some upon the other hand that they will not come out for fear of a fyne and for fear of ther Land Tho the Lord be craying to all sorts of men to come furth and take a looke of Christ this day and see his garments dyed all red for sinners take a look of him in his wounds and hands and feet and take such a look of him till your heart be ravished with the sight of him and look to him and take a look of him till ye gett a sight of your neid of him for hee is coming fnrnished with all things that will make his people happie Come and beyold King Solomon come this day and take a look of our King ye that was ever beholding vanety and looking after lies will you be perswaded to come and take a looke of Jesus Chaist ô Sirs if Heaven can be gotten by a look its sad to loss it for he hath said look unto me allye ends of the earth and be yeâ— saved What are you a poor blind body take a look of him hee will give eyes to the blind they looked to him in that 34. Psal and were inlightned and were not asheamed They get light to looke to him and a sight of him will make that hard heart melt witin you come to him and looke to him they shall look to him or upon him whom they have pearced and mourne for him as one mourneth for his only begotne Son ô therefore look to him then and if you would have life and light and further what is it that you stand in need of it s all that God calls for it s that man that would come and take a look of him and I think its a sad matter that your hearts are litle stirred for all that we say to you What is Christ come in the Chariot of the Gospel and in all these glorious properties and have you never looked to him ô Sirs is he saying look unto me and be ye saved for I ame God We see this nixt goe forth sayes he ye Daughters Zion and behold King Solomon what will youâ— see of him you will see a glorious sight a Crown that ye will take pleasure into see him with the Crown that his mother crowned him with a glorious sight if ye would behold him There are three words that I shall say First I shall say this that there are some particular dayes in the Church that are dayes of Espousals betwixt Christ and sinners and ends wherein he espouseth sinners to himself 2. That whoever they are that are espoused to Jesus Christ they putt the Crown upon his head they putt glorie upon him for they witnes that they believe the record that the Father hath given of him 3. That a sinner is content to be espoused to Jesus Christ and closeth with him in a mariage Covenant is the day of the gladnes of his heart These three words I shall speak of to you and close this exercise considering the time we have to spair we shall containe all in half ane hour The first thing that we shall say that there are some particular seasons and times that the Lord makes remarkable for espousing sinners to himself to take it thus that there are sometimes that he makes the Gospel to take this effect that menre forced to yeald themselves to Jesus Christ that they can hold furth no longer they most yeild to him they cannot stand out anay longer there are sometimes that a sinner will stand it out against Christ and say again and again and a thousand times though he should streatch out his armes never so often And yet we see how maney have holdne
Contract that I shall make there are three things that we shall clear a litle and make a wordof application For the first thing is this how is this evident that Christ is content to marie sinners know you Sirs what Christ did Christ hee came out of Heaven to shew his willingnes to marie you he took upon him the nature of sinners the nature of Abraham and took not upon him the nature of Angels but of Adams seed and a reasonnable soul he united these two in his divine nature in one person and maried them and makes you not to doubt of his willingnes but that hee is content to mary and be espoused to you 2. I would urge you not to lett this good offer goe by have ye much debt upon you heir a Husband that will pay all your debt for you and will never cast it up to yon 4 of Jeames if aney man lake wisdome let him aske of God that giveth liberaly and upbraideth not though he took you of the midding and you had nothing he will upbrade no man notwithstandinh all this Nixt thing your Husband hath goed skill of Phisick you are ane unclean and unwholsom body so full of sores mary him and he will make ointments and make plaisters that will heal all your diseases Psal 103. he will heal all your diseases 3. Mary him he is very kind Husband O but he is kind he will dâ—â— offices that non other will do he will make all theâ—â— bed in ther sicknes he will season ther bed wiâ—â—â— much of himself a kindly Husband that is very smuch taken up with the love of his people and 〈◊〉 they have love to him he will bear with maneâ—â— faults of them and not cast at them o say ye I will play the harlot yet sayeth he for all that returne unto me wil ane other man take in a harlot again but yet sayeth hee return unto me sayâ—th the Lord though you have played the harlot with maney lovers yet return unto me Now I shall make a word of use and this is thâ—â— use what say ye to it I ame come in Christs name as his Ambassador this is my negotiation this dayâ—â— are you contenr to marie him hee will give you 〈◊〉 brave dury hee will give you Heaven hee wiâ—â— give you anough are you content to goe forth anâ—â— take a looke of him O will ye take a look of him 〈◊〉 and gett a sight of him and ye will cray furth 〈◊〉 that he would mary you I will give you two thingâ— for incurragement to the text First you put a Crown upon his head if yoâ—â— mary him our rullers have taken the Crown of hiâ—â— head but will ye put the Crowu upon his head 〈◊〉 you do it if you mary him O are you content 〈◊〉 heir such a man hath put the Crown upon my head 〈◊〉 and hath come and believed all my promises and did all my commands and yealded to me this looked to as a glad day Nixt it is the gladnes of his heart this is glead newes to him lett yon Ministers blood goe for it tho he should be takne hee hath gained some souls to me and hath a day of espousalsto me it is 〈◊〉 day of the gladnes of my heart lett the mans 〈◊〉 rune what is the matter seeing it is such a glade day You have made him maney a fad heart ô will ye make him a glad heart and lett this be the day and make the bargan and it shall be gladnes of heart to him I shall come and make a word of use it is this do not think that we ae come to you this day in a light matter to you the shoures are goeing round about us this day and when he comes to offer us a day of the Gospel the Lord hath bound up the clouds wonder fullie and this day hee hath called a meeting in this place and it s to lay out a bussines that hee is much concerned with a bussines in his heart a long love hee loved you befor the mountans wer prov 8. now this long love vented it self in the fulnes of time and Christ would no longer starie hee behoved to come from heaven to earth to suitea bride and hee is gone to heaven again to prepair mainsions for his oun people and hath sent out Ministers of the Gospel wherof I ame one of the un worthiest of them all to present unto you a mariag and mak ane offer of him to you sis I dar not leave you till you give a peremtorie answer to Jesus Christ will ye close with him what say ye we come to demand it shall this be a day of espousals betuixt Jesus Christ and you you are gathered togither heir old men I require of you upon the aleadgance of God come in heir old men and old women come and make a bargane the world and thos things hath holdne you so long therfor come now and make a bargan with Jesus Christ shall this be a day of espousals shall this be a day of 〈◊〉 I assur you that you are not farr from the kingdom 〈◊〉 heaven I assur you as the Lord livith and as hee is in heavne it will be a worlds wonder if ever yeâ— gett the like of this day againe therfor what is hee seeking of you ô sirs hee might have left Scotland and suffered our Parliaments to have takne away the Ministers of the Gospel but hee behoved to give this offer to you att this time therfor he is craying will you marie me his bloed is craying will you marie me see what proof he is giving you will you refuse Christ will you crucifie him again by giving him a new refusall ô sirs what say ye what stands in your way of this mariag lett it be heird have yeâ— ought to object against Jesus Christ may he not be a match would you have a better husband he iâ— altogither lovlie and beutiful would you have 〈◊〉 rich husband hee is the heir of heavne hee is thâ— heir of all things would ye have a credible husband he is thine hee is all your credit would you have such a match then heer is it ô then what say yâ—â— to it hee hath sett a day her of espousals hee hath caâ—led to it would ye send him away with a glad hearâ— and send us away with a glad heart and you to goâ— away with a glad heart lett us see it in your wall and conversatione and in your tendernes that yoâ— are edefied whatt will you loss him who will speilâ— for you if you refuse fuch a match when the Justice of God bringes you to the rekoning ther was thâ—â— man and the woman within a mile to greenock that had the offer of the Gospel and Christ came ouâ— in the chariot of the Gospel to them and they went away and made not the bargane did not give him the full consent what shall we return for answer I take
Jesus Christ coming to them and crying to them ô sinners will ye break my heart ô why will you not come to me get a look of me seeing I ame content to take you and marrie you black as ye are What makes you stand out and will not yield But there are sometimes some particular seasons that the Lord will win in upon sinners nil they will they he will cause them make a bargan and it shall be a day of esposals It is a wonderful thing that one preaching will work upon a heart that a thousand preachings before has not done it has not bien before why is this Why Gods day is come that he will have sinners espoused to him and he will no longer be put out and he will put in his hand at the handle 〈◊〉 the lock and he will say eather open the door 〈◊〉 I will stand no longer eather open to me or else 〈◊〉 will lay the door upon the floor if you open it not 〈◊〉 this is sometimes that our Lord comes with ane irâ—â—sistable power that he will not have a nay saying 〈◊〉 Luck 5. and 17. there was a day christ preacheâ—â— many a day to the Scribes and Pharisees But never the better but a remarkable day that he preached unto them and he wrought upon them and his power was present to heal them So I say sinners will get many offers of the Gospel and sit this day and the second day and the third day But there is some times God wil come with the power of the offer oâ—â— the Gospel that there shall be no more sitting but that ye should come forward and close with the offer of the Gospel that he makes offer of in this place ô when shall the day come to this place O wheâ—â— shall the day come that they shall be made a willinâ— people in the day of his power that you shall not bâ—â— able to stand out longer that ye dowe not sitâ—â— longer that you find your hearts all ravished with his love every Church hath there day and every person hes there day of espousals to all thir nations noble men and gentle men and all men to come into a Covenant with the Lord to be espoused to the Lord so he hes come with the Gospel sometimes some hes lived 40. Years under the Gospel but hâ—â—â— resisted it but he hath come one day and come with power that he was not able to resist it now O Sirs when will this day of power come O will it never come to this day with you ye heard much of it and many words of it but will not the day of espousalâ—â— come O Sirs let it be now it may be you shall never have an other day therefore let it be now I come to speak to the 2d thing that I may hastne the great earrand of the Gospel is to espouse sinners to himself he is coming in the Chariot of the Gospel in the 9. and 10. verses he is coming out in the Chariot a glorious Chariot what sayes he go forth sayes he and meet him and what sayeth he more make up the mariage before you come home again this is the end of the Gospel to make up a mariage betwixt him and sinners 2 Cor. 11 and 2. look a word to this purpose for I ame jelous over you with Godly Jelousy for I haye espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgine to Christ saith Paul my great desing in sending the Ghospel amongst you was that I may espouse you to one Husband Jesus Christ There is the Scope of the Gospel Wherefore sent he the Gospel here before there was a world and before time was you behoved to come heir the day and you shall heir ane other offer and the end of his Chariot coming to Greenock to this mountan side is to make ane offer of Christ and that there be a mariage and that there may be such ane union as man and wife that there may be a mutual intrest in all that you have and that there may he mutual communications of love one with ane other as love betwixt man and wife from this day forward the Lord hath trysted you here Before there was a stone laid in this world this day was determined end you were the man and woman that were to be heir and you were the people and this behoved to be the place and this behoved to be the Preacher and this behoved to be the Text. And therefore seeing it is so I come heir as Christs Minister to take up all your names betwixt Christ and you and to proclaime to you that Christ hath a purpose of mariagee betwixt him and you and if this be the day of mariage and his effectual working you will say put up my name and you will say put up my name and you will say I have a purpose of mariage with him and I have a minde to take him What sayeth the Lord I ame jelous over you with a Godly Jalousie but I have espoused you to one Husband a chast Virgine but it was my great work sayeth Paul once to gett that day sett and and a contract subscrived and the great mariage day so solemnized at the day of Judgment What say ye Sirs is there a spouse for Christ heir who will not take him and believe in him ob O glad would I be to take him but I kno not if he will take me let not that be your fear there are in Heaven that were as you are that were heirs of Hell imps of the Divel Divels limbs as you are wretched as ye are sold under sin and under wteath and such as you are but to you I say be but willing this day and if ye give but your consent this day if you say this day even so I take the upon the termes that thow offers thy self I declaire in my Masters name you are wealcom and for this end hath he sent me to this place as his Ambassador to you to invite you to come rouse your selves espouse yourselves let it be seen that there is a bride upon this hill side the day that will be espoused to him and will be his bride and give your hand to him and give up your selves and be faithful to him and do all the dutyes of a lovîng spouse Now Sirs O! say ye do but this litle favour clear this a litle this is a great word to be maried to Christ the Fathers only Sone how can ye instruct that this is your worke what can you say I fear that he cast at us we have nothing what will hee see in the shullamit bnt as the Company of two Armies what will he seein us that he may desire us yea sayeth the Lord for as vile and abominable as you are yet come your way I ame content to come and jovne in mariage with you upon these conditions that ye wilâ— subscribe my
A PREFACE LECTURE And a SERMON Preached by that famous Servant of God Mr. JOHN WELSH sometimes Minister at â—ERINGRAY Preached near to GREENOCK â—â—â—â—shed by a Friend to the poor Church of SCOTLAND â—rinted in the Year MDCLXXXVI THE PREFACE MY Friends give over your speaking and let no voice be heird hear but the voice of the Lord in the mouth of his Servant I kow you are not ignorant upon what hazard we come and preach and upon what hazard we come and preach and upon what hazard you come and hear this meeting ye know is contraire to the Laws of our Land and ye know how they are reproached and what names they have given unto them that they are called the randivoues of rebellione and if ye would be furnished with ane answer in case you be called in question for this dayes meeting I will tell what all of you upon good grounds may answer the answer I think you may give is this that our blessed Lord Jesus Christ hath engaged our lands in a soleme sworne Covenant with lifted up hands to the most high God that we should own his Governmnet and that we should owne his Gospel and that we should give no concurrance to them that are intruded upon the congregations where his faithful Ministers have been thrust out with very great trueltie without so much as bringing before them as to pass a sentence upon them if they had been wrong yet inflicted that penaltie upon them that they should desert congregations that they were intrusted with and not only so and to leave ther houses but that they should cease to exercise that Ministrie that was given them by Jesus Christ and by his Servants the Lord puting it in the heart of his Servants to come and offer themselves to preach upon hazard it was your deuty to come and hear upon hazard this is Gods publick Standart sett up in the feilds a piece of the testimony that we have that we desire to be found faithful in his Covenant and that the intrest of our immortal souls calls for it because that we cannot expect the blessing but from his sent Messengers we have immortal souls that most be lost or saved and these are the means by which we may be directed how to gett our souls saved Therefore be the hazard what it will we are bound to follow their meanes and when done with our worke weare willing then to die upon a scoffold for it for you that are come out we shall not pry into what hath brought you hither that lyes between God and you and he will examine you upon it buâ—â— ame afrayed that it be with maney as it is recorded in the 12. Chap. of Johns Ghospel 9. vers I think I may say there is a piece of curiosity that draus maney it may be some to see such a man that his been so much persecuted and in such hazard upon whom the rullers hath given so great incouragement to any that should undertake it what sort of person he may be alas Sirs ye will gett no thanks if this be all your earrand and if this be your earrand you are faire to meet with a disappointment and that which ye should be looking after and should be seeking for to meet with Jesus Christ Christ had raised a man from the dead and the preservation of man from death is somewhat very remarkable in time but now Sirs ye are come together we say we shall not dive into your ends and motives that his brought you heir but now you are come I would aske some few questions at you and desire you to chairg your consciences that are heir that ye would consider how you would answer them if God asked them at you The Questions we are to ask at you it may be seeme very strainge how we aske such Questions I aske at your first doe you believe that there is a God or not why you most give me leive to ask this Question at you that call your selves Christans why because there are many so called that lives as they did not believe that there were a God lett the drunkard say what he will let the swearer say what he will he will hardly make a man that understands what beliving is believe that that man believes that there is a God how is this made out they are corrupt they doe abominable works they seek not God they persecut his people Psal 14 1. v. there are some that the Holy Ghost chairges with this infidelity the fool his said in his heart there is not a God and so it s made out as I told you before they are corrupt they doe abominable works they seek not God they persecut his people and these arbrought in as evidences that the man hath said in his heart that there is not a God if this be the evidences of unbelieve then sure we may chairge this upon maney question it doe you believe that there is a God the man that makes a sport of sin believes he that there is a God does the man that hears the threatnings of God against sinners and that wrath that is laying above the heads of sinners and does not flee from the wrath that is to come does that man believe that there is a God no verely he believes it not There is a 2d Quest I would ask at you and you will think this may be as strainge doe you believe that you have immortal souls that you have souls to live in a world to come that there is such a peice within you that when your body goes to the dust and rots there yet that will be living eather in Heaven or in Hell doe you believe this Sirs if there were the saith of this fixed sollidly upon the soul then surly ye would be at some paines to know where your soul shall live after time whither in everlasting happines or in everlasting miserie that man that hath all his craire for back and belly that man that never boved a knee to God in prayer let never that man say that he belives that he hath ane immortal soul within him 3. Doe you belive that ther will be a day wherin God will bring Adam and all his posteretie to a reckoning for what they have done in bodies doe you belive that the judg is standing at the door doe you belive that it is ordained for all men to die then to come to judgment doe you Belive this judgment that at that that day ther will be such a seperatione made amonge the Sons of Adam that ther will be such a sentance past upon maney as this depairt from me ye workers of in iquitie doe you belive that this sentence shall be execut without all mercy that ther will be no reversing of it if this were belived could it be but the man that had the faith of this but they would be taking some paines to prepar for that day the litle preparatione
turned ther backs upon God that was the Fountain of living Waters then we come to this Is Israel a servant is he a home borne slave why is he spoilled the Lord he turnes now againe to his enemies I have a quarrel with my people but for all the quarrel I have against them I allow you not to quarrel with them I will owne Israel you most not think that I will not owne Israel is Israel a servant to doe what ye would have him to doe is he a home born slave if so be he is not so why is he spoilled then I will find you guiltie and chairg you for it I will cause you reckon for all the robries and spoil that my people meits with Two Observations that I shall not from hence is 1. the Lord is very angry and displeased to see his people of a base servial covardly spirit that subjects themselves to all impositions that the enemis imposeth what sayes he this is not like Israel he should be a man of ane other spirit then that he should carie like a home borne slave to bear the burthens that enemies layes one ô but this is sad at this time ther is asses backes and asses dispositiones in his peoples dispositione that they bear what enemies layes upon them it s not patience no its stupifiednes in them ô but its sad that it should be so when this comes a longs that ther is a bond and the man caries lyke a slave to the enemie to them that lay on the burthin upon the conscience and when Cesses is laid on by our enemie to bind a snair upon men that thes cesses arre laid upon maney for reasing up such for to thrust the Ghospell out of the land and to put down thes rebellions meetings as they call them yet to see such a slavish disposition in thes that proves them selves to be the people of God that they should subject them selves to such burthings why then is he spoiled this is matter of lamentation sas if hee would say to see the people so servial I ame angrie at you my freinds to be of such a slavish temper and disppsitione I ame angrie at you for it and ther was never a time that his people manifested a slavish temper and dispositione more then they doe in thir dayes and as hee is angrie with his people for having of it so is he angrie at the enemies for dealling so with his people as slaves and ther was never a time wher in his people wer dealt more with as slaves then they have bein in our dayes but I shall goe no further in this excercise but sing Psal 94. and 4. A SERMON THE TEXT In the Song of Solomon 3d. chap and 11. vers Goe furth ô you Daughters of Zion and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherwith his mother crouned him in the day of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart IN the beginning of this chapter we have the excercise of the spous under a deserted conditione she seeks him upon her bed whom her soul loveth she seeks him upon the stteats she ariseth to seek him she goes to the watchmen to seek him and still she meets with disapointments now she finds him she begins to look wee l to him in the ninth vers I may not stande in prefacing ther we have a discription of the brydgroome of the King of our Lord Jesus Christ the description given of him is this hee is called a King and made himself a Chariot of the wood of Lebanon he made the pillars therof of Silver the bottome therof of gold the covering of it of purple the midst therof paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem ther you may get a sight of Christ in his steatly ryding in this Gospel In the last vers ther is ane exhortation to the people of God that are called here the daughters of Zioâ—â—â— and the exhortatione given to them is this that theâ—â— would goe forth and behold king Solomon and theâ—â— you see kow he is adorned with a croun wheâ—â— with his mother crowned him it is that whiâ—â— his Church crounes him with we remember ther 〈◊〉 three crouns that he wears 1. the croun that his father crouned him with and that he wears and that the father dignifies him with that sets hiâ—â— doune at his right hand a bove all his enemies And a 2d croune that he weares is that which his mother crouned him with meaning the church in the day of his espousals in ther closing with Christ which is the day of the gladnes of hâ—â— heart The 3d croun that he weares is that croun whâ—â— with his enemies crouned him with which 〈◊〉 plaited of thornes ô that croun of thornes that 〈◊〉 was made to wear when was hee was crouned in 〈◊〉 day of his espousals in the day of the gladnes of 〈◊〉 heart 4. ore 5. things I shall speik too and close tâ—â— exercise and dismisse you The first thing is the style that Christ geâ—â— here he is called King Solomon and he gets thâ— stile not only to be a King but he gets this stile â—â—â—kne from Solomon for ye know that Solomon wâ—â— the rarest King that ever was before ore after hiâ— ther was non like him First he was a King that had very much poure 〈◊〉 his enemies round about were made to subject aâ— bring presents to him he was of a great deal of wâ—â—dom so is our Lord Jesus Christ he is the Kiâ—â— only wise and he was a King that had a great dâ—â— of glorie look but to his thron so maney steps up to it and so maney lions guarding the thron a glorions thron all lyned with pure gold he is a glorious King in thes respects and Solomon he was a verie rich King and he was such a King that he made all his subjects to abound with wealth he made in his day Jerusalem the corner stons thereof to be as silver and gold Now what his desing is by giving thes stiles to King Solomon that was Jesus Christ he is a glorious King the Father had apointed him Solomon was apointed by a divine decree to be King of Israel So our Lord Jesus Christ is apointed by a divine apointment to be King and head of his church Psal 2. I will declare the decree thow artt my King thow art my son this day have I begottne the. I will give thee arod of jron to break thy enemies he is a King of great power and wisdom and a King of great riches and a King that inricheth all his subjects Now sirs it s a sad matter that this King should have mett with such a meeting from our King and our rulers that this Crouwn should be taken of his head and sett upon the head of a poor sinful man and as it were his kingly power exauterat and that usurped and taken by a man this is that which we have to regreat this day