reason to question it doubtless those that lie most in Christs Bosom here shall sit nearest him upon his Throne hereafter I shall shut up my discourse with four or five directions in this case First Labour to understand the various emanations of special and distinguishing Grace how many ways the Sun of Righteousness may shine upon Souls with healing in his Wings I am afraid many talk of Grace special distinguishing Grace who do not understand it as they ought to do Study to understand Christs saving looks upon Souls and to distinguish them from other looks which have no such saving vertue and evidence in them Christs saving looks upon Souls are either such as evidence pardon of Sin or contribute to the change of the heart in first or further degrees of holiness Or comforting us with the view of our own sincerity take a right notion of Christs kisses Be sure in thy desires of further Grace thou forgettest not to be thankful for what thou hast the least token of love for good to thy Soul is more worth than the world ther 's nothing little in Grace I before observed to you the passions of some Christians who are ready to overlook all that God hath done for their Souls if they want some particular dispensation of Grace which their hearts are set upon Make use of what thou hast To him that hath shall be given It is a saying which our Saviour applyeth to the parable of the sower Mat. 13. 12. Luk. 8. 18. and to the parable of the Talents Mat. 25. 29. In the two first places the meaning may be To him that hath in actual possession so it may be conceived as a promise of further grace to those who have any thing of the truth of grace but in the 25. Mat. 29. it is plainly to be understood of such as make use of and improve what they have for it is spoken with reference to those Servants that had ten Talents and had gained other ten and five talents and had gained other five In thy desires of more Grace distinguish betwixt necessary and comfortable influences betwixt manifestations of the Spirit given thee to profit withal and such as are given thee to make thy life more easy and cheerful the first thou mayest beg more absolutely and be as earnest for them as thou wilt The latter must be asked with more explicite submission to the will of God they being such as are not only not necessary to thy glorifying of God under all circumstances but not necessary to the eternal Salvation of thy Soul such for which the wisdom of God may see more reason under some circumstances to with-hold from thee and that in order to thy edification and improvement in holiness As to such influences though thou oughtest to desire them and to pray for them yet thou oughtest also to be content to wait for them David did so His Eyes failed while he said When wilt thou comfort me Wait upon God in all his own institutions The Ordinances of God are usually called means of Grace because they are usually made use of by God as means in and by which he communicateth his Grace in the several influences of it to our Souls These Ordinances are the Word Sacrament and Prayer The first Grace is usually dispensed to us upon reading or hearing the Word of God and so is further Grace also Therefore the Apostle Peter commands us to desire the sincere Milk of the Word that we may grow thereby I had saith David perished in my affliction if thy Word had not been my delight The Law of the Lord saith David is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lor d is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the Eyes Psal 19. 6. 7. Christs love is a thing different from the Word but it is shewen to the Soul in the use of the Word Infinite instances might be given you of Christs kissing Souls manifesting his special love to Souls is it which I mean by it in the reading and especially in the hearing of the Word there it is that is in the use of that that he usually speaks to the hearts of Men and Women hence the Apostle tells us that the holy Scriptures are able to make the Man of God wise to Salvation and are profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instructions in righteousness Yea and for patience and comfort too Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope The Sacrament that is another mean the Sacramental believing eating of the Bread and Wine is an eating of the flesh and a drinking of the Blood of Christ a feeding upon all Christs fulness as Mediator Prayer is a mean of all Grace whatsoever God hath promised in a way of Grace is all promised upon this condition That he will for it be inquired of by his People Walk humbly and uprightly before God The humble he will teach saith the Psalmist Psal 25. and to the humble he will give more Grace Ja. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. he dwelleth with those that are of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirits of the humble and the hearts of those that are contrite and for the upright he hath told us that he will with-hold from them no good thing But this is enough to have also spoken to this Proposition There is another term in the petition of the Text. which I shall take notice of she prayeth not only that her beloved would kiss her and that not with one but many kisses but she adds of his Mouth But of that hereafter Sermon V. Canticles 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth I Told you in the close of my last diseourse that I should not yet leave this Text because of the last words of his Mouth which we must either be allowed as a Pleonasme and superfluous or to contain in them yet some further spiritual Instruction The Jews say there is not the least tittle of the Law upon which great things do not depend nor do I fancy the allowing of more Pleonasms in holy writ than must necessarily be allowed I shall therefore take notice of what Origen and Beza and divers others have before me noted from the addition of these words That the believing Soul thirsts after a communion with Christ in his Word Mr. Ainsworth taking special notice of the term kisses understands the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Word of Reconciliation as kisses are amoris reconciliationis symbola the tokens of love and reconciliation I am sure the notion is in itself true whether the sense of this Text or no. The Law worketh Wrath faith the Apostle the Doctrine of the Gospel alone speaks love and peace Christs Spouse here
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
for food to him But we are blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Christ and upon the account of Christ he giveth the first grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession pleading for the Application of the purchased Redemption He giveth further grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession for us and the Spirit 's Intercession for us For we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. Now a due estimate and value of the Love of Christ in a Soul is an Indication of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the Soul hence it must needs be an Argument of force with God for he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit making Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Secondly The force of this Argument lies here in that it layeth hold upon many Promises The Promises are but as so many Bonds in which God hath made himself a Debtor to his Creatures All Promises oblige the truth and faithfulness of those persons that make them God being the true and faithful One cannot lye He is faithful that hath promised saith the Apostle so that if it be a sufficient Argument to use with a man to obtain any thing we would have to tell him He hath promised it it holdeth towards God more strongly as his truth and faithfulness is much more certain and infallible than any Creature is Besides that it is a further advantage when Promises are made upon a due and just consideration for these is not only the truth but the justice also of the person promising is concerned to the fulfilling of them Hence in Scripture you shall ordinarily find the Servants of God pleading the Word the Covenant of God spoken to and made with them Psal 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope and in many other Texts of Scripture I say when a Soul can go to God and say in truth that he valueth his love and favour above Wine above Life above all created comforts this Argument layeth hold upon several Promises of God I will a little enlarge upon this â— It layeth hold upon a Promise of filling and satisfaction Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled It is a mighty large and comprehensive Promise To fill a Soul with the influences of Divine Love is a very great thing It is not easie to fill the covetous man with Wealth but he may be sooner fill'd with Riches than the Soul of a good man with the Love and Grace of God But here is a Promise of being filled Open thy mouth wide saith God and I will fill it To whom is this Promise made To him that hungers and thirsteth after Righteousness Righteousness is Grace whether you take it for the Righteousness of Justification the Righteousness of Christ in which every Soul must stand righteous before God Or the Righteousness of Sanctification habits and acts of Holiness wrought in us and done by us they are both from Grace from the free Love of God shining upon our Souls He that hungers and thirsts after it is he that intensely desires it Hunger and thirst are natural passions arising in us from our want of due aliment nature inforcing in us a sense of that want and of all other they are the most vehement Thence our English Proverb Hunger will break through stone walls and experience tells us to what hard things these passions have brought people not only to eat Carrion but to kill and eat their own Children yea the flesh of their own Arms so as hungring and thirsting after Righteousness importeth vehement desires after Grace which desires testifie the Soul's estimate of it and value for it and to those who thus hunger and thirst the Promise is made that they shall be filled Again such a Soul hath a right to those Promises of all Grace propounded in the most large and comprehensive terms and general phrases as where God promiseth a new heart the water of life his coming unto Souls dwelling in them abiding with them The Soul that can go to God and truly say that he prizeth the Loves of Christ above all things layeth hold of all these Promises of which the holy Scriptures are full Isa 55. 1 2. Ho every one that thirsteth come you to the waters and buy without money and without price buy wine and milk So Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him drink of the water of life freely Joh. 14. 23. If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So v. 21. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him These now and such like are general Promises comprehensive of all the Love of Christ to the Soul in the various manifestations of it according to the Soul 's diversified necessities with respect to its several circumstances Now observe to whom these Promises are made to those that love Christ and in evidence of that love hunger and thirst after him to them the Promises are made 1. That the Father will love that man or woman 2. That both Christ and his Father will come unto him 3. That they will manifest themselves unto them that they will dwell and make their abode with them That they shall have Wine and Milk without money and price Now I appeal to any ordinary capacity what evidence of Love any Soul can give greater than the valuing of his Loves above all other things So that where this can be said in truth to God God is challenged upon a multitude of Promises even so many as are made to the Love of God and Christ and to the Soul's hungrings and thirstings after him Nay there is yet another sort of Promises which such a Soul challengeth viz. all those Promises of a further supply and increase of Grace to those that have the Seed of Grace As Matth. 13. 12. To him that hath shall be given and he shall have in more abundance I might add many more of like nature but there is hardly any of you but know how to furnish your selves with them Now where the Soul can challenge God upon a Promise and lay claim to the mercy which it asketh from an obligation which God by his Word hath laid upon himself to give it This is a great Argument for it toucheth God upon the account of his Truth and Faithfulness 3. Further yet this argument toucheth God as he is a tender Father God you know to let us know his heart to his poor Creatures amongst other names
the pleasure she hath by the thoughts of him when he is present Qu. 2. What diligence doest thou use to preserve the sweet savour of Christ unto and upon thy Soul Christ considered in himself is not like a flower that may lose its scent and sweetness no he cannot lose that sweetness which is essential to him he would cease to be Christ if he could cease to be sweet to a lost and and undone Soul but although he retains his sweetness yet thou mayest lose thy savour of it He may not be sweet to thee There are two sorts of Souls who savour very little of Christs sweetness 1. The Soul that lies under guilt of sin the thoughts of Christ to that Soul are ordinarily very terrible 2. The Soul that is choaked with Worldly Incumbrances The freer the Soul can keep it self from distracting cares for the World or from the renewing guilt of sin the sweeter will the thoughts of Christ be unto it Now if Christ be as a Cluster of Copher to the Soul It will be very careful to preserve the sweet savour that it hath of him And by this thou shalt know if Christ be indeed to thee as a Bundle of Myrrh or a Cluster of Copher But thus much shall serve to have spoken to this verse Sermon LVII Cant. 1. 15. Behold thou art fair Behold thou at fair thou hast Doves Eyes THere is a great harmony of Interpreters in the version of the words of this Text out of the Heb. into their several Languages excepting only that what we according to our dialect translate My Love they translate sometimes My Neighbour or My Kinswoman or My Companion for which you also perceive our Margents give an allowance and that some translate a Dove some Doves Eyes and the Arabick differing from all thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves There is no other difference And this is so inconsiderable that I shall spend no time in indeavouring to reconcile it All Interpreters agree that it is the Bridegroom which now speaketh He who acteth that part I mean in this Song The Lord Jesus Christ The Person he speaketh to and of is the believing Soul which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My beloved or My Campanion c. It is of the Foeminine form in the Hebrew which is that which leads Interpreters to conclude that it is the Spouses speech It is a word often used in this form in this Song and I think no where else so in all the Scripture In the sentence you have considerable 1. The matter of it in two Propositions Thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes 2. The manner of expressing it 1. The words are doubled Thou art fair Thou art fair 2. Here is a double Ecce Prefixed Behold Behold There are in the Text 2. Propositions 1. The Spouse of Christ is fair 2. The Spouse of Christ hath Doves Eyes 1. Prop. The Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ is fair The believing Soul is a beautiful Soul to the main of this Proposition I have very lately spoken when I spake to the compellation v. 8. where Christ had called her the fairest among Women I then discoursed the Nature of her beauty and shewed you 1. That it was not a corporeal but a Spiritual beauty 2. Not a visible but an invisible beauty 3. Not a Native but an adventitious beauty 4. Not an artificial but a created beauty 5. Not an adherent beauty only but an inherent beauty also 6. A desirable beauty 7. A durable beauty 8. Not a perfect beauty And having spoken so fully to it there where also the same word is used I intend not to repeat it here only I shall take notice of some circumstances by which the Proposition is advantaged in this Text. And They are four or five 1. He had told her before She was the fairest amongst Women Not satisfied with that he repeateth his Love to her again and telleth her she is fair she is fair 2. The Soul had been commending Christ that he was as a bundle of Myrrh as a Cluster of Camphire to her Christ upon her expressing affection to him replies Behold thou art fair c. 3. When he calls her Fair he adds My Love Thou art fair my Love 4. It is not barely exprest Thou art fair but here is an Ecce prefixed Behold thou art fair 5. Lastly He doth not speak it singly But he doubles his words Thou art fair Thou art fair and the term Behold is repeated too Behold thou art fair Behold Thou art fair Here is none of these five circumstances but will afford us a meditation which will be either informative or sweet or profitable to us Give me leave therefore to speak a word to each of them He had told the Spouse before she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fairest amongst Women But not Satisfied with that he tells her again Thou art fair my Love Thou art fair Christ doth not only speak peace but he repeats peace to the believers Soul God often appears to Abraham and Jacob to assure them that he was their God Once have I spoken and twice have I heard it saith the Psalmist that Power belongs unto God There is many a Soul that can say Once hath God spoken yea twice have I heard it that the Love of God belongs to me There is many a Christian that can say In such an Ordinance I heard God speaking peace at such a time I found this Spirit witnessing with my Spirit that I was his Child Christ in this consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities 2. His own glory 1. Christ I say in this thing consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities They are many which make them need this two chiefly 1. The Believers Soul is dull of hearing The Apostle chargeth the Hebrews Heb. 5. 11. That they were dull of hearing which made the repeating fundamental truths necessary for them There 's nothing in the World that a gracious heart would more gladly hear then this that it is fair in the Eyes of Jesus Christ and yet nothing that it is more dull to hear the reason is because it so eagerly desires it and prizeth it so highly that it cries out It is too good news to be true You shall observe in the World a double disposition in men some are disposed almost wholly to fear others to over much confidence Hence at such a time of changes in the state as this is one man be a thing never so true and to his mind yet he hardly believes he is naturally disposed to fear the worst Other men let things be never so improbable yet they will hope and talk as confidently as if the thing they would have were done It is much from their natural temper they are disposed to confidence c. Take now an unbelieving natural man and he is disposed to bless himself and hope well of his condition you have his copy Deut. 29. 19 20. He saith I shall have peace though I walk
Children of men Psal 89. I will visit his transgression with a rod and his iniquity with stripes 4. My mercy shall not depart from him as from Saul Psal 89. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 1. God covenants that although Solomon should sin yet he would not take his mercy from him The very term of Mercy signifies more than the continuance of the Crown to him for as Tychonius observes David would have understood little mercy for his Son to have enjoyed a temporal Kingdom and lost an eternal inheritance 2. The punishment which God threatens to him in case of sinning was but a Rod. The Rod of Men for if we should allow nothing to Pineda's Criticisme upon the term used Enosh to signify men here which properly signifies a weak old man who cannot lay on strokes hard but chastiseth his Child gently so as the Rod of Men here mentioned should be opposed to the grounded staff mentioned Isaiah 30. 32. which God makes to rest upon others yet certainly the termof a Rod with the adjunct of Men speaks a very gentle chastning with which eternal punishment is no way consistent 3. Add to this That the Holy Ghost the most certain Interpreter of Scripture 1 Cor. 6. 18. Applies the very promise here made to the Children of God I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters I say who so considereth these things must certainly conclude that Gods obligation by this Covenant extended further than the continuance of the temporal dominion in his line which is also advantaged by the consideration that Solomon in his life time was chastened with the Rods of Men 1 Kings 11. God stirred up against him Hadad Rezin and Jeroboam He was doubtless chastened of the Lord that he might not be condemned with the world Nor can any reasonably think to avoid the dint of the Argument drawn from these Texts by telling us That a greater than Solomon is understood in them even he of whom Solomon was but a Type For although it be true that divers of the Ancients favoured that notion amongst whom was Augustine Ambrose Tertullian and Theodoret and that some passages in the aforementioned Texts seem to be by the Holy Ghost himself applied to Christ amongst which that eminent part of this Covenant I will be to him a Father c. besides that others seem applicable to no other as where he promiseth to establish his Kingdom for ever yet it is as true that the promise I will be to him a Father as I shewed before is also by the Holy Ghost applied to believers 1 Cor. 6. 18. and those who understand the Hebrew Idiome know that the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often signify less than Eternity strictly so called and it is as certain that Hierome and divers others of the Ancients apply these Texts literally to Solomon Possibly they compound the business better who considering Solomon as a Type of Christ divide the Covenant made with David betwixt Solomon and Christ thinking that part concerneth Solomon and part concerneth Christ Sure it is that Solomon built the material Temple not Christ and Solomon alone not Christ was in a capacity to forsake the Commandments of God and for the promissory part if we say it concerned Solomon in the letter and Christ in the Mystery and Antitype I think we shall not much err nor will this interpretation at all weaken the strength of our argument I find a 4th Argument for this eminent Person brought from 2 Sam. 12. 24 25. compared with Neb. 13. 26. and 1 Kings 3. 3. from whence De-La Champius observeth 3 things 1. That it is said God loved him 2 Sam. 12. 24. And the Lord loved him Neh. 13. 26. He was beloved of his God 2. In token of this love God gave him his name Jedidiah i. e. beloved of God 3. The Scripture saith he loved the Lord. The consideration of the latter makes the plea vain of those who to avoid the dint of this Argument would interpret Gods love of that general favour which he extends to every Creature distinguished from that by which he elevates the Creature to a participation of the Divine Nature for that love is not so efficacious as to produce a reciprocal love in the Creature to God again we therefore love him because he loved us first which being granted unless we grant God as mutable as man and deny what he hath said that whom he loves he loves to the End We must allow that Solomon notwithstanding his great miscarriages was yet beloved of God and died in a state of Grace Now to these Arguments might further be added as strong presumptions in the case yielding at least some auxiliary strength That no Text speaketh so desperȧtely concerning Solomon that the Scripture 1 Kings 11. 4. speaking of his falling seems to hint it a sin of infirmity in his old age and through the great temptation of his Wives That he did only tolerate Idolatry not make it the Religion of the Nation That he after this as is at least probably and generally concluded wrote in testimony of his repentance the book of Ecclesiastes That he was the Sacred Penman of Scripture These things may much confirm our charitable opinion in the case for although it be true that I know no reason to the contrary but that God who made use of the Son of Perdition to preach his everlasting Gospel might also with consistency enough to the wisdom of his Providence make use of a Child of Perdition to write and ingross what his holy Spirit first dictated nor saith Augustine hath God less consulted his own glory in it for now all the good and glory of the truth revealed in those books will be given to God Beside it is said that Balaams Song is also recorded in Scripture and a piece of holy writ yet considering that no one book of holy writ was wrote by such a withered hand as that of a reprobates and that the Scripture fixeth no such mark upon this great Person who was the Author of three Books there and that one of these Books at least appears let Bellarmine say what he will to be wrote after the days of his Vanity and hath in it evident marks of his nauseating his lusts and former vanities of pleasure love riches c. Nor have there been wanting some who have thought so of the other two Books also viz. the Proverbs and the Canticles And to these if we add that he was an eminent Type of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I say if we lay all these things together we shall I think neither stand in need of the Rabbinical figments who tell us formal stories of Solomons repentance Nor yet of that auxiliary help in which Pineda much triumpheth which Petrus de Castro affords from that Sculpture in leaden Plates wrote in ancient Arabick Characters and
universally agreed and that he wrote it by a divine inspiration can be as little questioned by him who understands aright the Jewish reverence of it and ranking it equally with other Books of the Canon Besides that the Churches constant possession of it requires some force of argument before it can be rejected and this hath not yet appeared Several witnesses indeed have come against it but either they have not been agreed or they have spake nothing Cogent in the cause Whereas some object the many amatorious expressions throughout the Song It signifies little to those who have so far observed the Scriptures as to take notice that as the Apostle makes use of the Ordinance of Marriage to represent the mystical Union between Christ and the Church Eph. 5. 32. So Christ is expresly called a Bridegroom his Church and the believing Soul in particular the Bride Joh 3. 29. And that his preparing the Soul for and uniting the Soul to himself is called a Betrothing Hos 2. 14 15. and the Church is called the Lambs Wife Rev. 22. and a pure Virgin 2 Cor. 11. Yea so far is this from being an argument against the Divine Authority of this sacred Book that the uncouthness of the same expressions is an argument that it is no meer Woman here intended for besides that which Mercer noteth out of Aben-Ezra that modesty would not have allowed Solomon to have left such expressions had they been to have been carnally interpreted upon publick record to posterity Nor was it lawful to the Jews to make their Sisters their Spouses yet is it a phrase often used in this Song My Sister my Spouse besides what I noted before of the strange comparisons used if they were carnally to be interpreted Whereas it is objected by others that the name of God is not once mentioned throughout the Book They might as well upon this account quarrel at the Book of Ecclesiastes out of the Canon or if not that yet the Book of Esther which are both subject to the same charge if any will tell us that though the name Jehovah be not found in Ecclesiastes yet other names of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Besides that neither those names are peculiar to God nor yet to be found in the Book of Esther We also say with Mercer That there is hardly a verse in this Song wherein mention is not made of God and Christ according to that metaphorical way of expression in which it pleased the Holy Ghost to dictate this Sacred Song to Solomon nor was their need of any further mentioning of God in a discourse composed in this form than under the notion of a Beloved c. in which notion he is frequently mentioned And certainly had this objection been of any value the superstitious Reverence which the Jews had of the name Jehovah would have engaged them first to have pickt this quarrel which yet it did not But Bernard gives another reason and with him I find Sixtus Senensis Delrio and others agreeing which I confess pleaseth me Amor loquitur qui Dominum nescit c. God is not indeed made known to us in this Song under the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which speak Power Lordship Soveraignty Sufficiency c. It is love here speaks Quando vult timeri dominum quando vult honorari patrem quando amari sponsum se nominat Dominus Solomons design in this Book is to set out God in Christ reconciled to his Church and to the souls of his People imbracing them in the arms of loving kindness Those other names of God Jehovah Elohim c. spake the power and greatness of God which well suited the first dispensation of the Covenant of Grace which was more hard and rigorous than the latter dispensation of it So that the not naming of God under those fore-mentioned notions through out this book only speaks it a more evangelical portion of Scripture than some other Books of Holy Writ are Solomons design in this Book was to set out God in Christ reconciled to the Soul imbracing it in the sweetest arms of loving kindness and tender mercies The wisdom of the Holy Ghost therefore directeth Solomon to speak in a dialect proper to the matter he writeth nor is there any thing more usual in Scripture than for Gods people going to him for mercies to give him names expressive of that sufficiency which is in him and of that suitableness in him to the necessitous state of his people and readiness to help him David praying for Divine Protection calleth God his Rock his Shield his Buckler his strong Tower and Christ hath taught Gods Children to say unto him Our Father Nor thirdly Is their quarrel against this Sacred Book considerable who have this to object against it That no place of it is quoted in the New Testament for besides that by the same allegation they may blot out the Book of Judges Ruth 2 Sam. 2 Chron. Ecclesiastes and divers of the small Prophets out of the Canon of Scripture I say besides this there are some phrases in the New Testament which in the Judgment of Beza and others seem to be borrowed out of this Sacred Song such as those Joh. 6. 44 No man cometh to the Son but he whom the Father draweth compared with Can. 1. 4. Saint Paul tells his Corinthians that his desire was to present them to Christ as a Chast Virgin which corresponds with Chap. 5. v. 2. of this Song where Christ calls his Spouse Undefiled From what hath been said appeareth that although the Penman of this Book was Solomon yet a greater than Solomon was the Author of it Solomon an holy Man spake in it as he was inspired by God I proceed to the 2d Proposition 2. Prop. That this Book is a Song This argues it a piece of Hebrew Poetry wrote originally in Meeter upon which account it differs from most of the other Books of Holy Writ But more particularly I shall open this in 4 or 5 particulars 1. It is I say a Song one of those which the Apostle Eph. 5. calls Spiritual Songs it may be too hard a task for me to determine why it pleased the Holy Penman of this Scripture to write it in this rather than in any other form I shall by and by shew you that it was a Song of Love and possibly the holy Penmans design being to discourse the Souls Communion with Christ here under that Metaphor might be one cause Marriage-Songs being very ancient 2. To this I shall only add the observation which some have made of that singular vertue which the composing and singing of Songs hath had to excite and inflame the affections I remember our Divine Poet tells us That he was most with God while he was exercised in his Divine Poetry Besides the suitableness that a Song hath unto the natures of others the same Author observes That a verse may hit him
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
the Preachings of the Gospel which Teachings have such a constant presence of the Spirit of Grace with them that if a man will he may with those Aids and Assistances do what God requireth of him in order to his Eternal Salvation and avoid what God would have him to avoid We affirm they are and that there is no such power in the Will of Man in the use of those common Aids and Assistances and that there is a Teaching of the Spirit in the use of the Word far beyond the power and virtue of the Word The Object of this Teaching we make to be the Elect of God Reprobates as well as chosen Vessels may be taught by the Ministerial Teaching of the Word and have that external Communion with God in his Word which I before mentioned but the Elect of God and such as shall be eternally saved only know any thing of these Teachings and to such are restricted throughout all Scripture in such places as make any mention of them The more immediate Object is the Understanding Will and Affections The Ministerial Teaching reacheth the Eyes and Ears and exteriour senses and thence cometh into the thoughts and into the understanding more confusedly and imperfectly it reacheth not the more inward part of the Soul The things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10 12. are revealed to those who have received the Spirit V. 14. The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned I therefore call it an internal spiritual Communion with God in his Word But yet for the fuller understanding of this it is reasonable that I should shew you how the Spirit Teacheth the Elect Soul in and by the Ordinance that you may see and understand what there is more in this Spiritual Teaching in this internal Communion with God in his Word and Ordinances than in the meer Teaching of the Letter meer Ministerial Teaching separated from this I told you before these Teachings were not by immediate Enthusiasms Impressions or Revelations of new things for I pray observe there is a twofold Revelation the one I may call A simple immediate first Revelation Thus God of old taught the Patriarchs and Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles All Scripture was by inspiration from God and holy men spake as they were inspired by God Thus God was pleased to teach the Guides of his Church before the holy Scripture was written at least fully written and a Curse annexed as a Seal to that Book to them that should add any thing to it This is a Teaching some would be at but what need of it if the Scriptures as the Apostle tells us are able to make the man of God wise to salvation furnished to every good work Secondly There is another kind of Revelation which we may for distinction sake call a compounded mediate Revelation it is the further Revelation of what God hath revealed in his Word but we wanted a proper medium to see it in we were blind and dark and our Eyes stuck in the bark and surface of Scripture Thus it is yet true 1 Cor. 2. 10. That God revealeth to his People by his Spirit the deep things of God the things which Eye hath not seen nor hath Ear heard nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But of this I shall speak more by and by That I may therefore give you at least my apprehension concerning the due notion of the Spirit 's Teaching so as it shall not be confounded with bare Ministerial Teachings which I take to be a great debasing of the notion of it on the one hand nor be made opposite to Ministerial Teaching and that made useless on the other hand I shall shew you that in order to the Salvation of a Soul there is a Teaching of the Spirit necessary added to or over and above Ministerial Teachings I shall open it in four or five particulars 1. The Spirit teacheth by special Illumination There is a common Illumination which is the Effect of the Spirit also but of the Spirit working in a way of common grace by which men receive the common notions of Religious Truths There are two diseases or faults in the Soul of a Christian which hinder its learning spiritual things 1. The first is a listlesness or indisposition to learn or hear any thing of that nature You may see this in mens slighting of the Word of God till God hath wrought some saving work in their hearts they have no mind to read the holy Scriptures nor yet to hear them faithfully opened and applied And could you but enter into peoples hearts which yet you may know by what was the temper of your own hearts before God wrought a change on them you would see this yet further confirmed unto you this God in conversion removes but this is not that which I have here to do with 2. There is besides this a natural blindness and deafness that a poor creature cannot see nor hear In Jer. 5. 21. you find these words Hear now this O you foolish people and void of understanding who have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not Every natural man is one of these who have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are foolishness to the natural Soul what a notion of Regeneration had Nicodemus Joh. 3. what notions of Justification Union with Christ the indwelling of the Spirit Faith c. have some others discovered Natural men have rational Souls as well as others and by the workings of them understand many Propositions in Religion which shine in the light of Natural Reason but there are Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Doctrines that shine only in the light of Scripture of these they understand little or nothing Nay for the more common notions of Religion concerning the Immortality of the Soul the Nature of God the Doctrines of Faith Repentance Good works when once the heart is changed the Soul seeth them in quite another light and hath quite another notion of them than it had before while it was only under the instruction of Reason and the Ministerial instruction of Men. Paul prayeth for the Ephesians Ephes 1. 17 18. That the God of Glory would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him the Eyes of their understanding being inlightened c. It is the Spirit that inlighteneth the understanding and inableth it to a fuller and further comprehension of and insight into the Spiritual Mysteries of the Kingdom of God When the Disciples came to our Saviour Matth. 13. 10. and asked him why he spake to the multitude in Parables he tells them v. 11. because it was given to his Disciples to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to the multitude it was not given From hence have proceeded the vain speculations and
Christ told the Inhabitants of Hierâ—salem that he would have gathered them but they would not And hence appears that it is no wonder that Arminians who will allow none but common grace before conversion should contend that it may be finally resisted for there is no doubt but all common grace may be finally resisted 2. But secondly We say there is a working drawing grace which may be for a while opposed but cannot be finally resisted By this the Soul is regenerate and born again and that not after the will of the flesh or the will of Man but the will of God This we say cannot be finally resisted the reasons are 1. Because by this God gives a new heart and a new spirit and causeth the Soul to walk in his statutes as you will find Jer. 31. 18. ch 36. v 26. Now grace cannot be resisted but from an old heart and indeed it is a contradiction to say God may be resisted by a new heart 2. Again if this grace might finally be resisted the whole business of mans Salvation must depend upon his own goed nature and the power of his own will and the proximate cause of a mans repentance faith holiness must be in himself Thirdly We say there is a co-working Grace by which as Augustine saith being first drawn we move being acted we act this is that grace which God followeth converted Souls with that Grace which followeth the Child of God all the days of his life without which he can do nothing Job 1â— 3. through which strengthening and assisting him he can do all things through which he lives and moves in his spiritual sphere this is resistible in part through that law in our members which rebelleth against the law of our mind and brings us into captivity to the law of sin Hence is the spiritual combate the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit Yet this is but a partial resistance not from the whole of the regenerate Soul but from the flesh in it which lusteth against the Spirit from that part which is yet unregenerate Nor shall this resistance be victorious but the same Soul that crieth out O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of Death shall in the next words say I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ Thus I have shewed you how God in the drawing of a Soul to Christ worketh powerfully But 2dly As he works powerfully so he works sweetly powerfully so that he will be obeyed sweetly so that he is freely obeyed the conversion of a sinner is an act of power but not of violence the mystery of this lieth here Because the effect of grace is upon the will of man Violence is then offered to us when we are compelled to actions contrary to our wills The will is not indeed capable of violence the will may be changed renewed otherwise inclined but not forced force can only be offered to the outward man and why those who contend for a power in man so renew change alter otherwise incline his own will should find a difficulty to allow God as much power as they claim for man who is but a creature I cannot understand Thus far I have shewed you that a Soul must be drawn before it come to Christ I have yet further to shew you that it must be drawn or it will not run after Christ In this drawing indeed there needeth not such a power as in the former the reason is because now to will is present with the Soul as St. Paul saith it only wanteth strength to perform But an influence a powerful influence there must be I believe said he in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief Lord increase our faith said the Apostles without me you can do nothing saith our Saviour Joh. 15. 3. and again saith he as the branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the Vine so no more can you except you abide in me and 2 Cor. 3. 5. Our sufficiency is of God we are not able of our selves so much as to think any thing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me we are kept by the power of God to Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Apostle speaking of the weak Brother saith God is able to make him to stand We stand in grace Rom. 5. 3. Christ prayeth that Peters faith might not fail while Satan winnowed him like wheat God giveth both to will and to do both of his own good pleasure but I shall not need heap up Scriptures in so plain a case I shall have advantage enough to prove it from Reason concluding from Scripture principles 1. In the first place the Scripturé speaketh of the Children of God in this life as in a state of imperfection Not saith the Apostle as though we were perfect or had already attained Phil. 3. 12. To have no further need of Grace speaketh a self-sufficiency and a state of perfection which is every where in holy writ denyed to man in this life nothing needs be added to that man who stands in no need of the power and assistance of Divine Grace but the holy Scripture every where speaketh of the state of man while on this side Heaven as a state in which something is lacking to him of Heaven only as that state wherein just Souls are made perfect wherein that which is perfect shall be come and that which is in part shall be done away Secondly As the Child of God before he comes to Christ is in Scripture represented in a state of death Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned Eph. 2. 1. Who were dead in trespasses and sins So when come to Christ it represents him in a state of weakness Ro. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Not only life but strength was a piece of the purchase of Christ for us Christ saith as to his Sheep John 10. 10. I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly The Children of God are all as Mephibosheth the Sons of Jonathan and so beloved of David united to Christ and so beloved of God and must eat bread at his Table but they are all of them like him lame of their Feet Now those that are without strength cannot run running doth not only require life as the principle of motion but strength also to assist the motion what the Apostle saith of their knowledge and prophecying they know in part and prophecy in part is as true concerning all their other gracious habits and acts they are all but in part they are in this like Nebuchadnezzars Image part of Iron and part of Clay Adam indeed had both his legs a full strength and could of himself without any need of the assistance of a Mediator have done all that God required of him in that state as necessary to his Salvation but he fell and did not only for his posterity as well as for himself lose his innocency and
particular is in letting us know 1. That that faith which will do the Soul any good as to Eternal Salvation must be as the Apostle stiles it Col. 2. 12. a faith of the operation of God The work of Faith with power as the Apostle speaks 2 Thessal 1. v. 11. It is call'd the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. The work of God Joh. 6. 29. This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent It is not only the Commandment of God 1 Joh. 3. 23. and the gift of God but the work the operation of God a work with power such a faith as is an effect of the Fathers drawing This if duly observed will go a great way to guide us in this inquiry it will let us seeâ— that that believing which is the mere product of natural powers is not that coming to Christ to which the promise of life and Salvation is annexed Two things men ordinarily deceive themselves with as to this business of Faith 1. Judging any kind of blind and languid assent to the proposition of the Gospel to be that believing to which the Holy Ghost in Scripture annexeth the promise of Salvation A great many know no more by believing but their agreement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was made man and died for us All which and much more the Devils believe and yet tremble I do not think that an assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be the assent what it will is that Faith which justifieth It is not the Proposition of the Gospel but the Person of the Mediator that is the object of that Faith some indeed tell us that Faith is an operative assent and by that they have mended the matter but if the Person of the Mediator not the Proposition of the Word be the formal and proper object of true Faith no assent can be the justifying act of Faith for the Proposition must be the object of that There are several kinds of assent according to the light in which we see a Proposition We assent to things oft-times meerly upon report and hear-say so as the assent is a meer humane Faith Thus most Englishmen assent to this that there was such a Person as William the Conquerour A thing they can see in no other light than that of humane reports in History of all other assents this is the weakest and most invaluable and before we give it there must appear to us a probability in the thing upon this account none but those who judge themselves obliged to believe what the Church saith and that those Books were written by the order of the Church believeth or assenteth to the strange stories in the Popish Legends because their reason tells them the things are improbable yea impossible without a miraculous operation which they see no reason God should work in such a case nor will men give their assents in such cases but where they are not much concerned whether the thing be true or false so as it is equal to them to agree the thing or to deny it 2. Men assent to things upon the evidence of ratiocinations they form conclusions from principles and then assent to them Now in regard our reason is not infallible this assent likewise though more strong than the other yet is but saint and incertain and alters as we see better reason for the contrary 3. There is an assent which is given to a Proposition upon the account of a divine revelation Now this assent is stronger or weaker as the Revelation is more fully or imperfectly incertainly agreed A man by a natural power may assent to the Proposition of the Gospel as delivered to him by men he that thus assenteth doth no more assent to what the Gospel saith of Christ than to what Histories tell him of what was done by the Saxon or Norman Kings many hundred years ago Reason working upon its own principles sheweth us nothing of Christ The Scriptures are by all Christians generally lookt upon as the Word of God but no man hath any certain and firm persuasion that they are so but he who is persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit of God all arguments from tradition and reason have their incertainties and though they are useful to make it probable to others yet they do not produce a certainty of persuasion in our own Souls hence the assent to such Propositions as are only revealed in Scripture must also be faint and incertain and consequently not operative or very incertainly operative so that although it may produce something of practice whiles the fit of assent is upon the Soul yet it produceth no steady certain constant practice so as though it should be granted that a practical assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be true justifying faith to which is annexed the pardon of sin yet if by it we mean such an agreement of our minds to the truth as produceth a certain steady constant or ordinary practice and course of life conformable to the propositions of truth which we agree as this will imply trusting and relying on Christ for life and salvation so it is such as is the operation of God in the Soul and that not in a way of common providence as our abilities to speak or move are but in a way of special favour and working for mans agreeing to the holy Scriptures to be the Word of God firmly and steadily being the reason why he agrees the truth of the propositions which are revealed in it alone and that being the special work of God in Souls that shall be saved of necessity such also must be the assent to the Propositions that are revealed in it and which can be seen by the Soul in no other light So as indeed I do not think there is much in it more than a strife about words or at least a very great nicety whether true justifying Faith be a practical assent to the Propositions of the Gospel or a reliance on the Person of the Mediator or rather both for a practical assent doth necessarily infer a reliance on the Person of the Mediator Admitting that this is one Proposition of the Gospel Acts 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other for there is no other name given under Heaven amongst men whereby we must be saved and that the Soul in its practice of holiness hath any Eye to the recompence of reward it is impossible there should be any practical assent to use the term of some that is any assent to the Proposition that shall produce any truth or constancy of practice without a reliance upon and trusting to the Person of the Mediator and this must be the special work and powerful operation of God in and upon the Soul But now if men make any kind of languid weak and incertain assent to the Gospel Faith and think that they have true Faith
Church-priviledges or any Works of our own as things that will serve us in any stead without a part in Christ when we shall another day come and appear before God's Judgment Seat O study thus to rejoyce in Christ as he who hath trodden the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone and in his body upon the Cross suffered whatsoever was due to the Justice of God for the sins of Believers as he who alone hath fulfilled the Law for us and in whom alone we are compleat This is our duty but this is not what I am here chiefly speaking to 2. Rejoyce in Christ as your portion as your All make him your chief Joy I would press this great Exhortation by some few Arguments and then give you some Counsels in the case 1. Consider how vain and transitory the objects of all other Joy are There are but three things that I know we have to rejoyce in or at least all things of that nature will fall under three Heads They are either sensual satisfactions these are the objects of the voluptuous debauched Souls Joy Or secondly Sensible Eâ—joyments these are the objects of the worldling's Joy Or thirdly Spiritual blessings in Christ these are the objects of the Believer's Joy Let me a little shew you the vanity and transitory nature of the two former One man rejoyceth in the satisfactions of his sensual appetite in the pleasure of his Eye and Ear and Palate and Flesh Shall not these things be the torments of the Soul to Eternity For what think you shall any Soul perish for ever if not for having pleasure in riot in drunkenness in lasciviousness or in other sordid satisfactions are these any more then brutish satisfactions beneath the rational Soul will these things last for ever will there not a time come when you shall say you have no pleasure in them nay doth not the pleasure of them perish with the using and go out like a Candle leaving a stench behind it leaving some sour reflections upon the conscience which the little tickling of pleasure which they afforded no way compensateth O vain man to make those things his chief business satisfaction and joy which will bring the greatest bitterness in the latter end You compass your selves about with sparks this you shall have at the Lords hand you shall one day lie down in sorrow For the more civil and reclaimed sort of men whose chief joy is in the increase of their Corn and Wine and Oil how vain how transitory is this Joy whilst thou hast them what necessities of thy Soul do they suit will they give thee peace when thou art under any disturbance of mind will they fit thee for or advantage thee in any spiritual operation of what advantage can they be to thee as to another life when as thou comest to die when thou diest leave them all behind thee and write upon them Whose shall these things be Nay mayest thou not out-live all the comfort and satisfaction which thou hast in them Or may not they in a moment by a Fire by a Thief by an Oppressor be taken out of thy sight Are they not Gourds that come up in a night and serve a little to shadow us from the heats and shelter us from the storms that we meet with in this life and may go down in a night and leave us as much as any other exposed to the storms of this world Are these things fit for the chief Joy of a reasonable Soul a spiritual and immortal being that is under an Ordination to an eternal Existence and professeth to know and to believe so much On the other side is the Believer's Joy who rejoyceth in Christ so misplaced Cannot he give the Soul the pardon of sin and sense of that pardon which produceth that peace which is past all understanding Cannot he give the Soul a righteousness wherein the Soul shall another day stand before God and not appear naked Cannot he give Eternal Life and doth he not do it to whomsoever he pleaseth and will he give so great things and not food convenient for us Or shall not he that giveth the Soul Christ with him also give it all things 2. Consider how vainly thou hopest to enter hereafter into the Lord's Joy who hast not rejoyced in him 〈…〉 Canst thou imagine that Christ will be rest and 〈…〉 Soul in Heaven when thy Soul hath taken no pleasure nor delight in him here But you will say what need these words need any Soul be persuaded to rejoyce in Christ if it were a thing in his own power and if it be not to what purpose are we so persuaded and intreated to it To this I answer It is true it is not in thy power to rejoyce in Christ We cannot rejoyce in any thing be it never so good unless we have a property and interest in it and have some sense and apprehension of that interest so that it is no more in our power to rejoyce in Christ than to give our selves an interest and part in him and a sense and apprehension of that interest both of which are the gift of God But yet we may do something in the use of the common grace of God given to all of us who sit under the Gospel in order to our having a part and interest in him 1. We may read the Scriptures and hear the Word of God and mediate upon what we read and hear in order to our conviction of that infinite excellency that is in Christ and his suitableness to the state and necessity of our Souls We must see a goodness and an excellency in him before we shall love him desire him or delight in him this goodness this excellency is revealed to us in the Word of God this we must believe or we shall never lie under such a conviction It is God that must give us a power to believe it but we may read the Word and hear it opened and applied in order to this God as I have before told you concurring ordinarily with his special grace with our use of that common grace which he affords us 2. We may study and meditate upon the vanity of sensual joy or joying meerly in sensible things and how unfit they are to be the chief Joy of our Souls 3. We may thirdly Cry to God to give us our part in Christ throughly to persuade our hearts of our absolute need of him and of that transcendent goodness and excellency that is in him O that men would but do what lieth in their power to do and not complain they can do nothing because they can indeed do nothing efficaciously without God's special grace as to any truly spiritual acts Secondly I would speak to those who have an interest in Christ that they would labour to grow in this grace to be more glad and more to rejoyce in Christ It is a duty often called for in Scripture and I 〈…〉 regarded I speak now upon advantage to you
reduplications of words and phrases are usual The Hebr. is very full of them they are of several uses I shall note such of them as may be properly applied to this Text. 1. Sometimes the doubling of a word or phrase denotes the certainty of the thing or action Gen. 15. 13. Know of a surety thy seed shall be a stranger c. In the Heb. it is knowing thou mayest know And thus frequently in the new Testament verily verily denotes the exceeding certainty of the Proposition spoken and thus it may do in this Text thou art fair my Love thou art fair That is thou art certainly very fair 2. Sometimes it is to note the exceeding earnestness and intention of him who speaketh Bis dictum magis dicitur Thus it is often used in Scripture Gen. 14. 10. The valley of Siddim was full of slimepits so we translate it in the Hebr. A valley of pits of pits So in many Texts other Writers amongst whom Julius Scaliger c. much Commend this form of speaking as having in it a great kind of force and vehemency according to this usage the sense is thou art exceeding sair my Love which comporteth with what he had said before v. 8. where he had called the Spouse thou sairest amongst Women Christ hath his delight amongst the Sons of men He takes no such delight in the Angels as in believers 3. Repetitions thirdly of the same word or phrase in Scripture sometimes note a distribution And so the sense may be this thou art fair my Love thou art fair Thou art justified by my grace and so thou art fair thou art Sanctified in my name so thou art fair thou art fair without and thou art fair within thou art fair in this part and fair in that part fair in every part 4. Lastly to mention no more Repetltions are often used by Orators not only to express a vehemency of intention in him that speaketh and the certainty of the thing that is spoken but to beget a vehemency and earnestness of attention in him that heareth and Interpreters of holy Writ do assign this as one reason of the use of them in several places of Scripture when the Holy-Ghost designeth earnestly to inculcate the thing spoken and to beget in us a belief of it hence now we may learn these things which I will but name and conclude what I have to say from the consideration of the Circumstances of the first Proposition of the Text. 1. The beauty of a believing Soul is unquestionable it is not in a complement that Christ saith the believing Soul is beautiful it is not a seeming beauty but a certain beauty 2. The beauty which grace gives the Soul is an eminent beauty not an ordinary but an eminent beauty The phrase is doubled to denote eminency 3. The Beauty of a believing Soul is a manifold beauty A beauty in every part 4. It is the will of the Lord Jesus Christ that a believing Soul should know and believe it self to be a beauteous Soul A Gracious Soul may debase it self too much and often err as much in having too mean thoughts of it self as the hypocrite doth in having too high thoughts of himself thinking of himself above what be ought to think But I intend not to enlarge a discourse upon these things having spoken to them or at least to some of them before thus much is sufficient to have noted concerning the Circumstances I proceed to the second part of the Text Thou hast Doves Eyes The Proposition of this Text is plain enough The true Spouse of Christ hath Doves Eyes I before observed to you that some read it thy Eyes are like the Eyes of a Dove others thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves but as the difference is not much so I see no reason to deviate from our English translation For the explication and confirmation of the Proposition for I will join both together we will enquire these three things 1. Qu. Why Our Saviour in commending his Spouse begins with her Eyes and only Commends her for them 2. Qu. What is here meant by the Spouses Eyes 3. Qu. Why the Spouse is said to have the Eyes of Doves rather then of any other creature 1. Qu. Why doth our Saviour here Commend the Spouse only for her Eyes 1. The general account which Interpreters give of it is this That it is a Synechdoche and by a figure according to which a considerable part is often put for the whole our Saviour doth here speak his whole Spouse to be like a Dove like a Doves Eye Indeed we are commanded to be harmless as Doves Matth. 10. 16. And the Church is called Gods Turtle Dove Psal 74. 19. And David wisheth that he had the wings of a Dove Psal 55. 6. The shape of a Dove was that shape which the Spirit of God chose when it descended upon Christ And the coming in of the Gentiles to Christ is set out by the flockings of Doves to the Windows Isa 60. 8. And the Eye of all the members is the most considerable as to beauty a good Eye much commendeth an ill complexion and a bad Eye much blemisheth any other Symmetry of parts And this may be allowed for one reason But 2. The Soul doth much discover it self at the Eye It is the casement at which it shews it self many of the Vertues and Vices of the mind are read in the Eye wantonness discovers it self at the Eye hence you read in Scripture of Eyes full of adultery 2. Pet. 2. 14. So doth rage pride malice envy and many other vices and as the evil so the good dispositions and vertues of the Soul are much discovered by the Eye too so that indeed when our Saviour commendeth his Spouse for her Eyes he commendeth her whole Soul and it is but a proof of what he had before said Thou art fair my beloved thou art fair Thou hast Doves Eyes proves that 2. Qu. What is here meant by the Spouses Eyes After such a resolution as I gave to the first question this might seem needless if Interpreters had not led me the way who are in doubt whether our Saviours design here be to commend those bodily parts of his Spouse or some inward parts called Eyes by a Metaphor the difference is not much for supposing him to resemble the Eyes of her body to Doves Eyes the reason is because of those gracious dispositions in her Soul which by her Eyes discover themselves and are like the natural inclinations of Doves if he speaks of the Eyes of her mind and his meaning be that his Spouses understanding which is the Eye of the Soul is like a Doves Eyes the thing is much the same Unquestionably that which our Saviour here designs to Commend believers for is the gracious dispositions of their Souls discovered in their outward conversation much resembling the natural dispositions and behaviours of Doves But the chief thing we have to enquire into for
up in him to study him more to converse with him more to keep to closer communion with Christ you yet know not the pleasantness that is in him there is a breadth of sweetness you have not measured and a depth of pleasure which you have not fathomed In the last place Is Christ not only fair but pleasant not only beautiful through Grace but pleasant lovely gentle sweet in his converse with the Souls of his Saints Let this commend pleasantness to every true Christian Labour not only to be gracious but to be pleasant I will name but two Arguments in the case 1. Consider Thus you shall be like unto the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Thus shall you honour your Profession An unpleasant Conversation in a Christian dishonours the Lord Christ it makes men think that he is an hard Master that Christianity is an odd thing which metamorphoseth men and women into strange kind of creatures unfit any longer for converse with the World Take off this scandal from the Gospel You may be pleasant yet not profane your conversation toward the World may be winning though you do not give your selves up to such a liberty as to hazard the ruine and loss of your own Souls It was a piece of Paul's pleasantness He became all things to all men that he might win some 1 Cor. 9. v. 22. 2 Cor. 10. 33. Sermon LX. Canticles 1. 16. Our Bed is Green I Am come to the Second Proposition of the Text in those words Our bed is Green The Chaldee Paraphrast making the Congregation of Israel the Spouse in this Song thus glosseth upon these words In the time when thou dwellest in our Beloved Bed our Children are many and multiplyed upon the Earth we grow and multiply like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters whose leaf is beautiful and whose fruit is much Possibly that antient Interpretation hath led the generality of Interpreters to expound the Text concerning the flourishing condition of the Soul and of the Church while it is in Spiritual conjunction with the Lord Jesus Christ it is not My Bed but Our Bed is Green and flourishing for so the word may be translated So that not to enlarge in further discourses about the Exposition of the Text taking it for granted that the Holy Ghost in this Text respecteth the Bed as it is the place for procreation or as it was the place where they did eat their meat in those Countries we may from it observe this plain Proposition Prop. That the fruitfulness of the Soul and of the Church doth depend upon Christs conjunction with them I shall speak to this Proposition by way of Explication confirmation and Application By way of Explication we will only enquire what is the gracious Souls fruitfulness or the Gospel Churches fruitfulness 1. The particular Souls fruitfulness lyes in its bringing forth of good works You read in Scripture of the fruit of the Body Deut. 28. 4. And of the fruit of the Land Deut. 7. 13. The Children of God are said to be Married unto Christ And as the fruit of the Womb is the consequent of carnall Marriage so the fruit of holiness is the consequent of Spiritual Marriage Rom. 7. 4. You are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ that you should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God This fruit unto God is called fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. Christ is also compared unto a vine John 15. 2. We are the Branches and therefore purged that we may bring forth fruit ib. 5. 16. Whether therefore the gracious Soul be looked upon as the Spouse of Christ and Married to him by faith its fruit is holiness or whether it be looked upon as a branch in Christ still its fruit is holiness our works considering us as men are our fruit Now look as several Plants according to their different natures bring forth different fruit some bring forth pleasant some bitter fruit some wholsom some again noxious fruit so it is with men and women who are the Plants of the World by Nature they are all wild Plants and are corrupt and bring forth corrupt fruit called by the Apostle the fruit of sin unto death But having a new Nature given them by God they bring forth fruit unto life the fruits of righteousness which are also called the fruits of the Spirit Eph. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 22. the fruit of righteousness to shew the species or kind of them fruit unto life shewing the consequent of them the fruit of the Spirit shewing the more external cause of them Now as these fruits more or less abound in the Soul the Soul is more or less fruitful This is the particular Saints fruit 2. The Churches fruitfulness is its bringing forth many Sons unto God Children are the fruit of the body caused by generation Gods Children are the fruit of the Church caused by Regeneration Conversion is called a begetting 2 Pet. 1. 3. We are said to be begotten of God 1 Job 5. 1. God is our Father but the Church is our Mother It is the Church which bears us which travels and brings forth Children unto God And the Saints are called the Churches Children Isa 54. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children The thriving of the Church lies in this when many Souls are in it converted and brought home unto God This is the Souls fruitfulness and thriving and this is also the Churches fruitfulness and thriving This is that which my Doctrine speaketh of and saith that i t dependeth upon Christs conjuncton with the Soul and with the Church Look as the fruitfulness of the Woman depends upon the conjunction of her Husband with her as the fruitfulness of the plant depends upon its conjunction with the Earth as the thriving of the Body by its meat dependeth upon the blessing of God Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God And as the thriving of the plant dependeth upon the influence of the Heavens the shinings of the Sun and the distillations of the Clouds so yea much more then so doth the thriving of a Church and of a Soul depend upon the influence of Christs grace I will prove it first concerning the particular Soul 2. Concerning the Church 1. Concerning the particular Soul 1. It is Christ that giveth the Soul a prolifick vertue The fruitful Woman must have a prolifick vertue so must the plant of the field otherwise the Woman is barren and the plant is barren That power which is in any Soul to bring forth the fruit of holiness that is its prolifick vertue and this is from the Lord this is that which the Apostle calleth to will in Philip 2. 13. The will is the root of all humane actions and the power in the Soul to do