and scarlet-tincture staring him in the face yea his very Duties are not without sin even in these there is abundance of pride formality unbelief and the like his very righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64.4 If he looks unto the Law there he reads his doom and condemnation in every line thereof there he finds himself under the Curse there he sees nothing but fear and blackness and darkness and tempests Heb. 12.18 If he looks to justice that he finds as a flaming Sword keeping him from the Tree of Life from all happiness That appears with an angry frowning countenance demanding satisfaction as being infinitely wronged But now in the midst of all these discouragements the poor Soul at length gets a sight of Christ in whom he sees encouragement after all He discovers land in a storm as it were and finds in him a bottom to rest his weary Spirit upon in him he sees that which can atone God satisfie Justice answer all the demands of the Law fully deliver him from sin and guilt and make him both holy and happy for ever and accordingly he rests and rolls himself upon him resolving that if he dies he will die thus leaning upon this Beloved III. An Act of Resignation or Subjection As in the Work of Faith the Soul thus chuses Christ and depends upon him so also he is by the Spirit of God made cordially and unreservedly to resign up himself unto him to be ruled governed and disposed of by him in his own way The Soul now puts himself out of his own power and possession he passes himself away from himself and he gives up himself into the power and possession of Jesus Christ to be ruled governed and saved by him as he sees good which is properly that Act of Faith which we call Resignation and this the Scripture often mentions One shall say I am the Lords Isa 44.5 that is he shall give or resign up himself to the Lord to be for ever his and at his dispose so 2 Cor. 8.5 They gave themselves unto the Lord and Ephes 5.24 the Church is said to be subject to Christ The Case seems to be this there having many Treaties past in order to a Match between Christ and the Soul the Soul at length through the help of the Divine Spirit is made freely to consent to take Christ for his onely Head and Husband and to be subject to him in all things to be perfectly and eternally at his dispose His language now to Christ is like that of Ahab to Benhadad 1 Kings 20.4 Behold I am thine and all that I have is thine Sweet Lord Jesus sayes the Soul I have been my own and have lived too much in mine own will and to mine own ends and interests but now I desire to be thine and to live in thy Will and to thine Ends take possession of me save me rule me lead me dispose of me as thou pleasest do all thy pleasure in me pull down and set up what thou wilt I 'le be and do and suffer what thou wilt have me to be and do and suffer And this is properly that Act of Faith whereby we close with Christ as a Lord and King and is indeed the evidence of the Truth of the two former for you must know that though Faith's first Aspect be to Christ as a Saviour yet it comes to eye him as a Lord and King also As Faith fully bottoms upon the satisfaction of Christ so it freely bows to the Scepter of Christ yea when Faith can't challenge Christ as a Saviour yet it will own Christ as a Lord You know how Laban spake to Abraham's Servant upon the sight of the Ear-rings and Bracelets which he had given his Sister Rebekah and upon his hearing a Relation from her of his Discourse with her Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without I have room for thee Gen. 24.31 In like manner does the Soul speak to Christ upon the sight of that worth that is in him and that need which he has of him Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in thou blessed Lord why standest thou without I have room for thee I have room for thee in my Understanding and I have room for thee in my Will and Affections and I would have thee possess all and command all In a word the Soul freely gives up himself to Christ's Holy and Spiritual Government Thou art an Holy Christ says he he who is to reign and I resign up my self to thee I 'le have no Lord but thee take the whole Throne to thy self within me I know thy Yoke is an easie Yoke and I desire to bear it thy Scepter is a Righteous Scepter and I desire to bow to it thy Kingdom is a Kingdom of Rightcousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and I heartily desire to come under the power of it I would be Sanctified as well as Justified I desire thy Spirit to subdue my corruptions for me and to make me Holy as well as thy Blood to wash away my guilt for me and ingratiate me with thy self and this is what the Scripture calls an opening of the Gates and a lifting up of the everlasting Doors to let Christ the King of Glory in Psal 24.7 Thus by these three which indeed are the great uniting Acts of Faith the Spirit of God enables the Soul to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant and Relation 5. The Soul being thus enabled to believe and so close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant then as the Crown and perfection of all the blessed Spirit of God takes up his abode and dwells for ever in that Soul as the Pledge and everlasting Bond of this Marriage-union and Relation between them The sweet Spirit does not onely come as a Friend to treat about the Match and also to tie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and us but moreover this being done he remains himself in the Soul as a Love-Token from Christ to him as the Pawn and Pledge of this Espousal and as the everlasting Bond and Confirmation of this Marriage-Union and Relation Hence that of the Apostle He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 one Spirit with the Lord he is joyned to that Spirit which did joyn him to Christ does remain in him and in Christ both Christ leaves his own Spirit in his Spouses as the Pledge and Bond of that Marriage-Union that is between him and them so that he and they have the same Spirit dwelling in them yet with this difference he dwells in Christ without measure in us by measure in Christ immediately by vertue of the personal Union in us by his Gifts and Graces in Christ as an Head in us as members and he with these are the Love-Tokens the Pawns and Pledges of this Marriage-Troth plighted between Christ and us and this indeed is that which makes this Union so strong and inviolable as that it can never be broken Yea not
does not make a naked ender and revelation of Christ onely to the Soul for that were not enough but he withal gives him a secret touch whereby he is made to breath and long after Christ to move a little Christward He drops a little Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock as it were whereby he is drawn out in holy Longings and Breathings after sweet Jesus as you know the case sometimes was with the Spouse Cant. 5. beg and this the Scripture calls an hungring and thirsting after Christ and has a blessedness annext to it Mat. 5.6 and frequently else-where Yea such is that secret touch which in and with those tenders and revelations of Christ the Spirit of God gives the Soul as that like that of the Loadstone to the Needle which sets it a trembling and will not suffer it to rest till it stands fully pointed Christward yea till it finds it self in the very bosom and imbraces of that Beloved 't is indeed such as by degrees makes the Soul sick of love and longings after Christ Cant. 5.8 and he cries out for Christ as Rachel sometimes did for Children Give me Children said she or else I die So give me Christ sayes the Soul or else I die I perish and that for ever In a word nothing but Christ will satisfie him send him to the Creatures send him to his own duties and services send him to his highest accomplishments and attainments and without Christ they will not do yea all these he accounts but as dung as dogs-meat that he may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Indeed Heaven and Earth with all the fulness of both are nothing to him without Christ and an union with Christ his language now is O Christ Christ above ten thousand Worlds O that Christ were mine O that I had union with him Oh that I were in his imbraces Oh how happy are they that are married to him and how happy should I be could I call him mine This I say is his language and when once it comes to this then things work well indeed then the Match is in a good forwardness there being but an hairs breadth as it were between Christ and the Soul Therefore IV. The Soul being thus inclined Christ-ward and drawn forth in holy Longings after Union and Communion with him Sicut Christus per Spiritus sui communieationem sesâ— nobis unit sic nos per fidem illi adglutinamur c. the Spirit of God comes and enables him to believe he carries the Soul to Christ in a way of believing whereby he actually closes with him and is espoused unto him For my Beloved 't is Faith which ties the Marriage-Knot and makes up the Marriage-Union between Christ and us Hence Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Christ's dwelling in our hearts notes the nearest Union and Communion between him and us And how comes he thus to dwell in our hearts why by Faith by our believing on him Edis Christum non dente sed fide Aug. Hence also Christ tells us That he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood dwelleth in him and he in him Joh. 6.56 By eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood is meant our believing on him and so he himself expounds it for he makes eating and drinking of him and believing on him all one throughout that Chapter Now sayes he He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is he has the nearest Union and Communion with me 't is Faith then you see that unites and so espouses us to Christ Faith gives Christ an inlet into the Soul and it gives the Soul an inlet into Christ and so they are made one and married together By believing we consent to take Christ and actually do take him for our onely Head and Husband for ever and so the Match is made up between him and us Nos per fidem in nobis a Spiritu sancto excitatam in hoc cum Christo conjugium consentimus Zanch. in Thes de conjugio Spirituali We by Faith says a learned Man wrought in us by the holy Spirit do consent unto this marriage with Christ Christ as you heard before consents thereunto as God he consented hereunto from all eternity and as Man he consents hereunto in time For Filii voluntas duplex est una divinae altern humanae naturae â— utraque auâ— tem voluit viilt hoc conjugium cum electis una voluit ab aeterno altera in tempore quae nunqâ—am mutatur Id. Ib. as Divines observe Christ hath a double Will his Divine and Humane with the first he consented to this Espousal from eternity with the second he consents hereunto in Time and never changes therein Now as Christ gives his consent so we also must give ours which we do by believing in him by which therefore the Match is made up between him and us Now there is a three-fold Act of Faith which the Spirit of God works in the Soul whereby he more especially closes with Christ and is espoused unto him made one with him in a Marriage-Covenant I. An Act of Choice or Election II. An Act of Trust or Dependance III. An Act of Resignation or Subjection I. An Act of Choice or Election In the Act or Work of Believing the Soul is by the Spirit of God made solemnly and deliberately to chuse Christ as his only Head and Husband his Lord and Saviour being thus offered to him in the Gospel Choice or Election as the School-men tell us is an Act of the Will whereby it pitches upon some one thing and prefers that before all others in order to such or such an end Accordingly we may conceive of this Act of Faith we are speaking of It lies thus the Will is by the Spirit of God sweetly and powerfully determined upon Christ preferring him for an Head and Husband a Lord and Saviour before all others It singles him out as it were from all others whether persons or things in Heaven and Earth and imbraces him as the best Husband the best Saviour the best Lord There are others which make love to him and tender themselves to his embraces as Sin Self the Law the World with its inticements but he passes by all yea rejects all with loathing and indignation and pitches upon Christ as infinitely best saying to him I will have none in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee This the Scripture calls sometimes a laying hold upon Christ Prov. 3.18 Sometimes a receiving or imbracing of Christ Joh. 1.12 'T is true in the Work of Faith Christ is and must be received into the understanding but he is most properly said to be received into our Will and Affections Christ in the Gospel is revealed and offered to the Soul with all his Riches Fulness and Perfections he is tendered to him as a full a mighty and uttermost Saviour
they are too strong for thee yet they are not too strong for Christ to grapple with and make thee a conquerer over When the Prophets Servant saw what a great and formidable Host compassed the City he cryed out Alas my Master what shall we do And what did his Master answer him Fear not said he for they that be with us be more than they that be with them 2 King 6.15 16. So poor Soul when thou considerest what great and formidable Enemies do compass thee about thou cryest out to one and another Alas Sir what shall I do But I would say to thee as the Prophet to his Servant Fear not there is more with thee than with them thou hast Christ with thee to sight and overcome all for thee therefore chear up give up thy self unto him and the victory over Sin Self World Death Devil and all is thine for ever Oh who would not have such an Husband VII He minds and manages all their Concerns for them 'T is the part of an Husband to mind and manage the Concerns of his Wife and to have a natural care both of her and them And thus 't is with Christ He manages all his Peoples Concerns and that in Heaven on Earth and in their own Souls 1. He minds and manages all their Concerns in Heaven for them Their Affairs lie much in Heaven their Business there is great and Christ their Husband minds all and transacts all for them and that faithfully Indeed he went thither on purpose to transact their Affairs for them Hence he is said to have entered not into the holy place made with hands but into Heaven it-self there to appear in the presence of God for them Heb. 9.24 Hence also he is said to be an Advocate with the Father for them 1 Joh. 2.1 He pleads with the Father for them Have they a Petition to present to the Father for this or the other Mercy He presents and prefers it for them He takes all their Prayers and sprinkles them with his own Blood persumes them with the odours of his own incense and then tenders them to the Father with his own hand Rev. 8. beg We pray very brokenly but he mends our Prayers yea oftentimes when we can't pray when we can't speak for our selves he speaks for us and prefers our Petitions for us Are there Charges and Accusations brought in against them either by Satan the Accuser of the Brethren on the one hand or by the Law and Justice of God which are daily wronged and violated on the other hand Why Christ interposes for them he answers all and invalidates all he rebukes Satan Zach. 3.2 In the first verse we find Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist or accuse him and in the second verse we have Christ sharply rebuking Satan for his accusation The Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee And as he rebukes Satan so he satisfies the Law and Justice of the Father Hence he is said to make intercession for them and that to the overthrowing of all those counterpleas which Law or Justice can put in against them Rom. 8.33 34. Have they sinned and do they need a new pardon need to have things set right and even between God and them afresh This also Christ does for them If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. While they through weakness and temptation are sinning on Earth he out of his Grace and Love is pleading with the Father for them in Heaven Thus he minds all their Concerns in Heaven for them 2. He minds and manages all their Concerns on Earth for them The Saints have their Assairs and Concerns on Earth among men as well as in Heaven with the Father and Christ their Husband minds and transacts all these likewise for them Indeed he is ever mindful of them and at work for them viz. to do them good and to promote their interest Hence sayes he the Father worketh hitherto and I work Joh. 5.17 I am alwayes at work for your good Are they wronged and oppressed by Enemies He avenges all their wrongs Hence he is said to reprove Kings for their sakes Psal 105.14 and elsewhere to plead their cause against their Enemies and the like Do they need deliverance and salvation out of troubles and distresses He brings salvation to them Isa 63.9 Do they need conduct and guidance through their dissiculties and temptations in the Wilderness of the World He leads and guides them He leads Joseph like a flock Psal 80.1 and elsewhere I will guide thee with mine eye He carries them through all their straits and all their difficulties and even when he seems most to forget them even then he is ever mindful of them and of their concerns For he hath graven thâ—â— upon the palms of his hands and their walls are continually before him and though they often say The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me yet he never forsakes or forgets them nor can he No a Woman may sooner forget her sucking Child and not have compassion upon the Son of her Womb then he can forget his people Isa 49.14 15 16. 3. He minds and manages all their concerns for them in their own Souls The Saints have many and great Concerns to be minded within them concerns of great moment and importance and were they to be minded and managed onely by themselves they would make but poor work O! but Christ their Husband minds and manages all these likewise for them and to be sure they can't miscarry in his hand He gives them his Spirit to work all their works in them and for them He observes what Grace what Strength what Counsel what Comfort they stand in need of and by his Spirit Ministers all to them Hence he is said to give them Grace and Mercy to help in a time of need seasonable supplies Heb. 4.16 and to be both the Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12.2 He minds and observes how the great Work goes on in their Souls and he takes care for the prospering and persecting of it O how should this draw us to Christ and encourage us to accept of the offers of hs love VIII He injoynters them in eternal Life and Glory Husbands use to make Joynters to their Wives they entitle them to such or such Lands and Inheritances So Christ injoynters all his Spouses in no less than eternal Life and Blessedness He makes over a great Joynter to them Glory a weight of Glory an exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 An Inheritance in Light Col. 1.12 An Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 A Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the World
Faith passes to the God-head Neque ad Christum Deum unquam perveniet qui heminem negligit And as a great Divine speaks he that comes not to Christ as man shall never come to him as God The truth is Faith cannot deal with God immediately but as God cloath'd with our nature 4. View and apprehend him in his office of Mediatorship The Gospel reveals and propounds Christ to our Faith in his Office it propounds and reveals him as Christ as the true Messiah and Saviour of the World as one seal'd sent and anointed by the Father for the redemption of lost Souls and thus also should Faith eye and apprehend him So also did Peter's Faith apprehend him Thou art Christ sayes he the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 Hence we read of believing that Jesus is the Christ 1 John 5.1 Hence also Christ tells the Jews If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins John 8.24 If ye believe not that I am he i. e. that I am the Messiah the Christ the Saviour that was promised O! Faith is short of that notion it should have of Christ unless it thus eyes him in his Office 5. View and apprehend him in his infinite ability and sufficiency for the discharge of his Office The Gospel reveals and propounds him to our Faith as one able to save to the very uttermost and accordingly should our Faith eye and apprehend him Heb. 7.25 It reveals him indeed both as an onely and alsufficient Saviour as an onely Saviour Look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the earth for I am God and there is none besides me Isa 45.22 Neither is there Salvation in any other nor is there any other Name given under Heaven wherby we may be saved but his only Acts 4.12 And as an alsufficient Saviour My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed sayes he and he that eateth me even he shall live by me John 6.55 57. It reveals him in the infinite vertue of his Blood the inexhaustible fulness of his Grace the compleatness of his Obedience the excellency of his Righteousness the perfection of his Satisfaction and the like and thus should our Faith eye and apprehend him O labour for such a notion and apprehension of Christ as this is as ever you would believe aright and be indeed espoused to Christ labour for a found clear distinct knowledge of him as the great object of Faith Pray much for a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him that was the Apostles prayer for the Ephesians in this case Ephes 1.7 and let it be yours for your selves III. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ and be indeed espoused to him Then be sure to make a right choice or election of him being thus known and apprehended To have a right notion and apprehension of Christ is good and necessary in order to union with him by believing but 't is not enough no Christ being known and apprehended must also be chosen and embraced by us and that as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel To know and apprehend Christ is an act of the Mind or Understanding but to chuse and embrace Christ is an act of the Will and Affections and though Faith has its rise and inchoation in the mind yet its complement and perfection it has in the Will and Affections these liking chusing and embracing of him and that in a way sutable to what the mind sees and apprehends concerning him and this must be added to the former or there is no right believing and so no conjugal union and communion with Christ Observemus fidei sedem non in cerebro esse sed in corde quoniam cordis nomen pro serio et sincero affectu fere capitur dice firmam esse efficacem fiduciam non nudam tantum notionem Calv. Hence that of the Apostle With the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Rom. 10.10 True believing then is with the Heart now by the Heart here as also generally elsewhere in Scripture is meant the Will and Assections accordingly to believe with the Heart is for the Will and Affections to chuse and embrace Christ as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel this is called a receiving of Christ John 1.12 We receive Christ into our Wills when we chuse him and adhere to him for Life and Salvation and we receive him into our affections when we love him desire him and delight in him and this is believing To believe sayes Calvin is nothing else but to chuse and embrace Christ with a sincere affection of mind as he is reveal'd and offer'd in the Gospel And this indeed is the great vital act of Faith and that whereby our Conjugal-Union and Communion with Christ is more especially brought about This is that which makes Christ ours and puts us into the possession of him Mary sayes Christ has chosen the better part which shall never be taken from her Luke 10.42 She had chosen Christ and her choice of him had made him her own and so her own as that she could never lose him never be deprived of him Indeed a right choice of Christ makes him ours it unites us to him and interests us in him for ever A little further to help you in this business know that a right choice of Christ is accomplish't by these three steps 1. The Soul apprehending Christ as before likes him and approves of him as the best and most sutable Saviour the most lovely and desirable object in Heaven or Earth The Soul sayes of Christ as they did of the Land of Canaan Numb 14.7 The Land say they is an exceeding good Land So this Christ sayes the Soul is an exceeding good Christ this Saviour is an exceeding good Saviour there 's none like him there 's no beauty like his Beauty no blood like his Blood no fulness like his Fulness no love like his Love 2. The Soul desires him and longs after him and that with a strong ardent and vigorous affection This is call'd hungring and thirsting after Christ Matth. 5.6 The Soul seeing Christ and approving of him longingly cries out O a Christ a Christ O that this good Christ were mine 3. The Soul is by Grace sweetly and powerfully determined upon Christ so as actually to make a solemn and deliberate choice of him singling him out from all other things in Heaven and Earth as the best and most desirable good and most worthy of his dearest and most intimate embraces The Soul now pitches his choice upon Christ to be his Head and Husband his Lord and Saviour his rest his treasure his happiness his all for ever Now by these steps see that you come up to make a right choice of Christ be sure that you like him and approve of him as the best and most desirable object in Heaven or Earth Truly if you view him aright you can't but like him and
put forth thy Power in drawing of me and then and not till then shall I come nearer to thee Yea my Beloved the espousing of Souls to Christ is not only the Act or Work of Divine Grace and the power of it But 't is the Act or Work of the mighty Power of that Grace 't is not an ordinary power that is and must be put forth therein but even the greatness of the power of that Grace a power no less than that which was put forth in raising Christ form the dead So the Apostle tells us Ephes 1.18 19 20. That you may know sayes he what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead So then here is power mighty power the mighty power of God the greatness of the mighty power of God the exceeding greatness of the mighty power of God the same exceeding greatness of the mighty power of God which raised Christ from the dead and all put forth to enable us to believe and so to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant Thus this Work is every way from Divine Grace But here more particularly the enquiry will be What those Acts or Works of Divine Grace are by which poor sinners come to be espoused to Christ I shall reduce them all to two Heads they are either first more remote being Acts of Divine Grace put forth for us and towards us or secondly more near being Acts of Divine Grace put forth in us and upon us In the first the Father and Jesus Christ work more immediately by and from themselves In the second they work by the influence and ministry of the Blessed Spirit I 'le speak a little of each CHAP. IV. Wherein are contained the more remote Acts of Divine Grace put forth more immediately by the Father and Jesus Christ for us and towards us in order to the accomplishment of the Espousal between Christ and us THere are some more remote Acts of Grace Acts of Grace put forth more immediately by the Father and Jesus Christ for us and towards us in order to the making up of this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and us and of these I shall mention five all which do necessarily concur and have their influence into this business and indeed there is much of the Mystery of God in them They are those I. God the Father marries and espouses our Nature to the Person of his Son and thereby sits and prepares him to be an Husband for us this God has done once for all and the influence thereof concurs unto the accomplishment of the Espousal between Christ and every Believer I shall illustrate this unto you from that Parable Matth. 22. beg where we read of a King who made a marriage for his Son by which King we are to understand God the Father and by his Son Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of that Eternal Father He who proceeded from him by eternal generation God the Father then is here said to make a marriage for his Son But pray who is the Spouse 't is observed by Divines that the Spouse is not here mentioned Who or what then is she 't is answered Christ has a two-fold Spouse our Nature and the persons of Believers Both which may be intended here though the first chiefly and principally and so by the Marriage here we are to understand the Personal Marriage the Marriage between the Person of the Son of God and our Nature Per nuptias intelligitur verbum in carnatum Calvin and so Calvin and others expound it This primarily but secondarily by consequence the Spiritual Marriage the Marriage between Christ and Believers and we are to look on the one as laying a foundation and making way for the other So that the whole resolves into this that God the Father hath married and espoused our Nature to the Person of his Son in the hypostatical union and thereby has fitted and prepared him to be an Husband for us and made way for the marriage of our persons to his Person in the Spiritual Union And indeed unless our Nature had been first married to him in the one our persons could never possibly have been married to him in the other for pray observe the glory of Christ considered as the Eternal Son and so as God is too bright and the distance between him and us too great for us to come to him and he made one with him in a Marriage-relation Christ considered in his own naked glory as God is too bright an Object for us to look upon much more to have so near an union to and communion with one sight of him thus considered is enough to swallow us up and even to overwhelm our Spirits We cannot thus see him and live But now our Nature being married and espoused to his Divine Person that is to say he having assumed our Nature into union with himself as the eternal Son which the Evangelist calls his being made flesh John 1.14 And the Apostle his partaking of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 Hereby the overwhelming brightness of his Glory is vailed and the dreadful terror of his greatness together with the affrighting distance between him and us is taken away Yea hereby his glory is brought down as one hath it to our eye to our beholding Hereby he has marvellously sweetned and endeared himself to us and made way for us for a free access to him and the nearest union and communion with him Hence Divines give this as one reason of Christs incarnation that he might thereby become a fit Husband for his People and they might be capable of union and communion with him * Hac de causâ Filius Dei factus est homo ut posset verus esse sponsus Ecclesiae Therefore as a Learned Man has observed was the Son of God made Man that he might be a true a fit Bridegroom for the Church and 't is rightly observed by Divines that in strict propriety of speech neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit but the Son the second Person in Trinity is the Churches Bridegroom and they give this reason for it because he only was made Man he only was incarnate O had not the Son of God been incarnate had he not as Austin's expression is married our Nature to himself in the Womb of the Virgin none of us had ever been capable of such a priviledge such an happiness as a conjugal-union and communion with him That therefore is the first Act of Grace in this business II. God the Father gives Christ unto the Soul and the Soul to Christ he gives Christ for an Head and Husband to the Soul and he gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ First He gives Christ for an Head and Husband to the Soul in John 4.10 Christ is called the Gift of God And how the Gift of God two wayes
1st in that he gave him for us he gave him to be incarnate to suffer to bleed to dye to be made sin and a curse for us he gave him as an Offering and a Sacrifice for us and secondly in that he gives him also to us he gives him to be an Head and Husband to us Hence 't is said That he gave him to be Head to the Church and such an Head as has the command and dispose of all things He gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.22 both in the Counsel of his Will from Eternity and also in the Act or Worlt of his Grace here in Time he thus gives Christ to us And O how richly and gloriously doth his Grace shine forth herein In giving Christ to us he gives his best and his dearest for he has nothing better nothing dearer to him than his Christ as afterwards may be shewn Secondly He gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ Believers you know are often said to be given by the Father to Jesus Christ My Father which gave them me sayes Christ concerning Believers is greater than all Joh. 10.29 And thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17.6 with many other places which might be mentioned God gives all the Elect to Christ to be his Spouse he gives them to him first in the eternal purpose and counsel of his Grace in the day of everlasting love when God first set his heart upon his chosen onâ—s then gave he them to his Son and will'd their union to him in a Marriage-Covenant and he gives them to him also secondly in the work of Vocation which makes way for the working of Faith in Christ in the Soul Fater hanc 〈…〉 The Father sayes one hath given this Spouse to his Son speaking of his Church and joyns her to him by his Spirit And my Beloved without this Act of Grace put forth by God towards us the Match would never be made between Christ and any poor Soul for this indeed is that which brings the Soul to Christ So much Christ himself tells us John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Mark 't is the Fathers giving us to Christ that brings us to him and were we not by the Father given to him we should never come to him by believing and if we never came to him by believing there could never be a Marriage-union and relation between him and us III. Christ readily approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift being willing yea longingly desirous to espouse them unto himself whom his Father gives him in order thereunto In the making up of a Marriage 't is not enough that the Father gives such or such an one to his Son and his Son to her but there must also be the consent of the Son he must approve and accept of the Fathers Gift and so does Christ here he approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift the Father wills his taking such and such poor sinners to Wife and accordingly gives him to them and them to him and the Will of Christ falls in with and is conformed to the Will of the Father herein and so the Match goes on this you have clearly held forth John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me cometh unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Mark Here are among others two things 1. Here is the Fathers giving of poor sinners to Christ and therein his will and consent that they should be espoused to him that in these words All that the Father hath given me 2. Here is Christs approbation and acceptation of this Gist of the Father with his will and consent to espouse them to himself that in these words And him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out that is I will assuredly receive him and accept of him I will take him into a conjugal union and relation to my self Christ here plainly declares his acceptance of the Father's Gift giving poor sinners to him to be his Spouses 'T is a great Saying and sutable to this I am speaking which I have read in a great Divine Praecedit aeterna Dei voluntas Christus vero sponus non potest non velle quod vult Pater ideo nos â—ccipit ut sponsam suam The eternal will and good pleasure of God precedes sayes he but Christ the Bridegroom cannot but will the same thing which the Father wills his Will is conformed to the Fathers and therefore does he accept us as his Spouse In a word in this Act of Grace Christ's Language is such as this Father dost thou give such and such poor sinners to me and is it thy Will that they should be espoused to me Content I do freely accept of them and am willing to espouse them to my self for ever 't is true they are poor worthless Creatures altogether unsutable to my dignity and greatness but Father they are thy Gift and I accept of them as such true there is no beauty in them that I should desire them but they are thy Gift and I will marry them and make them beautiful and Oh what Grace is this IV. The Lord Jesus Christ not onely approves and accepts of the Fathers Gift but moreover he redeems them thus given to him with the price of his own Blood he ransoms them from Sin and Death and Hell whereunto in themselves they were all in bondage which also necessarily concurs to the accomplishment of the espousal between him and them 'T is observed by some that in the Eastern Countries it was the manner for men to buy their Wives and indeed so much seems to be intimated in that Message of Saul to David 1 Sam. 18.25 where when he would perswade David to marry his Daughter in pretence at least he sends him word that he desired not any Dowry but so and so It seems then that it was usual to expect a Dowry The same also appears by the practice of Shechem Gen. 34.11 12. where being in love with Dinah Jacobs Daughter he profered to give a Dowry for her Give me sayes he but thy Damosel to Wife and ask me never so much Dowry and Gift and I will give it thee To be sure so 't is here Christ buyes all his Spouses and gives a vast Gift for them Christ indeed is in love with poor sinners given him by the Father and desires to marry them to himself but he must buy them if he means to have them and buy them he does and at a dear rate he gives a great Dowry for them even his Life his Blood his Glory and all for a time Hence he is said to give himself for us Ephes 5.25 and to purchase us by his Blood Acts 20.28 Hâ—nâ—e we are said to be bought by him with a price with a great price a price of inestimable value even his own most precious Blood 1 Cor. 6.20 The case lies thus the
Elect as well as others were all gone into captivity sold under sin and Satan in bondage to Death and Hell and Wrath which is the condition of all by Nature and if Christ will have them as his Spouse he must ransom and redeem them from all which accordingly he does he bleeds he dies he gives himself a ransom for them in order to the marrying of them to himself He had indeed a mind to a Spouse among the Children of Men and was in love with them from all eternity as he himself tells us Prov. 8.31 and so in love with them as that he does in effect say unto the Father as Schechem did to Jacob Ask me never so much Dowry and I will give it Why my Son sayes the Father if thou wilt have them and marry them to thy self thou must give thy Blood thy Life for them thou must redeem them from Sin and Death and Hell whereunto they are in bondage which can't be done by less than thy giving thy self a ransom for them all which Christ assents unto and complies with and that with delight freely giving himself for them And oh what Grace is this Oh to give such a price for such a Spouse a price so great for a Spouse so black and unworthy this is glorious Grace indeed V. Christ makes love to them tenders himself unto their embraces and withal wooeth them for their acceptance of him and that with the greatest and most affectionate importunity How much soever it has cost Christ to redeem poor sinners and how great a Dowry soever he has given for them yet they are unwilling to close with him they have no mind no heart Christward and so the Match is not like to be made up unless something further be done therefore after all Christ as one phrases it comes a wooing to them he makes love offering himself to them and earnestly follicites them for their love and acceptance he importunes them and that in such a way as if he were resolved to take no denyal in Ezek. 16.8 we read of a time of love a time that is of Christ's making love to sinners lying in their blood and gore And indeed Christ has his times of love times when he makes love and offers himself with all his Riches and Treasures to poor sinners when his language to them is Behold me behold me Isa 65.1 and look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa 45.22 Now he comes and tells over the stories of his love to them how much he has done and suffered for them how much his desire is towards them what great things he will bellow upon them and instate them into and all to win and allure them to himself to gain their love and consent to accept of him and to be his in a Marriage Covenant Time was when Christ came and did this himself in person when he stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7.37 Time was when in his own Person he importuned poor sinners from day to day he made love to them time after time as he did you know to Jerusalem Matth. 23.37 for some years together he wooâ—d them and offered himself and his grace to them in his own person and though he does not now come in person yet as David sent his Servants to Abigail to commune with her and to acquaint her with his purpose and desire to take her to Wife 1 Sam. 25.39 so Christ sends us his Servants his Ministers to poor sinners to commune with them and to declare the love and purposes of his heart towards them and to woo them for him yea and as Ambassadors for Christ we do woo poor Souls and as in Christ's stead beseech them to be reconciled to God to give up their Names and Souls to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant 2 Cor. 5.20 And because we can prevail nothing by and of our selves upon the spirits of men in this great Matter Christ over and above sends his own blessed Spirit to woo them and gain upon them making them willing in the day of his power Psal 110.3 And this leads me to the consideration of those other Acts of Grace in this business wherein the Father and Jesus Christ work by the Spirit in us and upon us for the making up of the Match between Christ and us Only by the way let us still see and admire the Grace of Jesus Christ to poor sinners O that he should woo such poor vile Creatures as we are and make love to us Should you see a King a great King wooing a Begger coming now himself in person and then sending his Servants to her to sollicite and importune her love you would look on this to be great Grace but oh this is nothing to the Grace of Christ in condescending to woo such as we are sinners lying in our Blood CHAP. V. Which gives an account of those which I call more near Acts of Grace which the Father and Jesus Christ by the Spirit do put forth in us and upon us for the effecting of the Espousals between Christ and us DIvine Grace has not yet done its work no there are other Acts which it does and must put forth if ever the Marriage be made up between Christ and us and these I call more near because they are wrought in us and upon us and do more immediately conduce to the tying of the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul And as in the former the Father and Jesus Christ wrought more immediately of and by themselves so in these the blessed Spirits influence comes in and his Grace shews its self they in these acting by him and the truth is the Match is all this while but half made but now God comes and by his Spirit working in and upon the Soul carries on and compleats it which he does by these five Acts of Grace I. The Soul is by the Spirit of God divorced from its old Husband the Law and thereby is fitted and prepared for an espousal to Christ Naturally we are all married to another Husband even to the Law and we must be divorced from that or we can never be married and espoused to Christ So much the Apostle clearly holds forth Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Pray mark marryed to another the Law then was their Husband to which they were married and that they must be dead to and divorced from if ever they would be married to Jesus Christ Look sayes he for 't is his own Argument and Allusion in vers 2 and 3 as a Woman can't be the Wife of two Husbands at once but her present Husband must be dead before she can be married to another so neither can a Soul be espoused to these two Husbands
at once the Law and Christ but he must be dead to or divorced from the one e're ho can be married to the other Observe ye are dead to the Law What is it to be dead to the Law or divorced from the Law To be dead to the Law is to have no hope no expectation of Life and Righteousness by the Law 't is to be sensible that the Law cannot save us yea there is more in it than so To be dead to the Law is to see our selves dead by the Law 't is to see our selves lost and condemned by the Law for sin as the transgression thereof and thus we must all be dead to the Law or divorced from the Law or we cannot be married to Christ Now this the Spirit of God effects by a work of the Law upon the Conscience He divorces the Soul from the Law by the Law i. e. by bringing home the Law to the Conscience This the Apostle felt in his own Soul I through the Law sayes he that is the Spirit of God bringing home the Law to my Conscience am dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 So again Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed I was alive without the Law once that is I thought my self to be alive I apprehended my state to be good and happy but this was without the Law i. e. before the Spirit of God by the ministry of the Law convinced me of my sin and misery therefore it follows when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed i. e. when the Law came in its convincing power through the Spirit upon my Soul then I saw my sinful dead and miserable state thus was he himself divorced from the Law that he might be married to Christ the sum is this the Spirit of God comes and shews the Soul the strictness and holiness the purity and spirituality of the Law and makes him sensible how large the Duty is that it requires how impossible it is for him to keep it and how many wayes he has broken it he withal lets him see the dreadfulness of that curse and condemnation it has justly laid him under for the breach thereof and thus he is divorced from it and this is all one with the Spirits convincing us of sin and our lost and miserable condition by reason thereof which is you know his first work in order to Faith and so to our espousing to Christ John 16.8 Thus by the Spirit of God the Soul is divorced from the Law he is taken off from all expectations of life and happiness by that and is made to see his own sinfulness and so his infinite need of Christ whereby he is fitted for this other and better Husband II. The Soul being thus divorced from the Law and so fitted and prepared for Christ then the Spirit of God reveals and offers the Lord Jesus Christ in the promise of the Gospel as a better Husband to him Now the blessed Spirit comes and does as Abrahants Servant did who was sent to take a Wife for Isaac he told Rebecca of his Masters Greatness of his Flocks and his Herds his Silver and his Gold his men servants and his maid-servants and withal that he had given all to Isaac Gen. 24.35 36. So the Spirit of God now sets before the Soul the riches and the greatness the beauty and the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ he tells him what a full what a sweet what a rich what an amiable one he is and withal tenders him to his embraces he reveals and offers him to him as one full of Grace and Truth as one that has all fulness dwelling in him all fulness of Life and Peace or Righteousness and Salvation as one every way able to save him to the very utmost which is that which Christ calls his convincing the World of Righteousness John 16.9 he reveals and offers him to him in the transcendent Beauty Excellency and Amiableness of his Person on the one hand as also in the glorious fulness largeness sufficiency of his Grace and Righteousness on the other hand Thus I say he reveals and offers Christ unto the Soul and withal opens his Glory and causes it to shine forth before him so that now the Soul sees that in Christ that fulness that beauty that love that amiableness that sweetness which he never saw before Christ is now another thing in the Souls eye than ever before he was Now the Soul as those John 1.14 Beholds his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son full of grace and truth Yea not only does he thus reveal Christ unto the Soul but withal fixes the Souls eye upon him He makes him to pore and gaze upon Christ as the most excellent and amiable Object and as one infinitely needful for him and this is called a seeing of the Son and that in order to believing whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life Joh. 6.40 The blessed Spirit deals by the Soul herein as God by the Angels did with Hagar Gen. 21.19 where 't is said He opened her eyes and she saw a Well of Water for her relief She was in a very distressed condition as you may see vers 15 16. full of bitterness she and her Child both in a perishing condition being in the Wilderness and her Water in the Bottle being spent Now God shews her a Well of Wate whence she fetches a full supply So here the poor Soul having been under the convincing power of the Law sees himself in a woful miserable distessed condition whereupon he is full of bitterness crying out with Hagar How shall I see the Child die How can I bear it to perish eternally But now the Spirit of God comes and opens his eyes and shews him Christ and Christ as infinitely sutable to him Look sayes the Spirit to the Soul being now desolate and undone look here is a Saviour for thee a Husband for thee another and a better Husband than the Law could ever have been even the Lord Jesus Christ who is infinitely able to pay all thy Debts to supply all thy Wants to heal all thy Wounds to relive all thy Distresses to pardon all thy Sins to satisfie all thy Desires to answer all thy Love and to give thee perfect happiness and satisfaction in and with himself for ever Look here he is here he is in the Promise here he is in the Covenant here he is in the Tender Invitation of the Gospel here he is at the very door of thy heart knocking and calling for admission thereunto Rev. 3.20 Here he is with his Arms wide open to receive and embrace thee and that notwithstanding all thy vileness finfulness and unworthiness Look therefore to him and be saved III. With this Tender and Revelation of Christ unto the Soul the Spirit of God comes and works a secret love and longing in the Soul after Christ he
as one who has not onely an infinite fulness and sufficiency in him to redeem and save but also an infinite sutableness and amiableness in him to indear and delight the Soul and accordingly the Soul accepts and imbraces him he cleaves to him and fastens upon him resolving to have none but him alone his language of him now is There is none like Christ no head like this Head no husband like this Husband no saviour like this Saviour for my Soul This is the Head the Husband the Saviour that I need and that indeed my Soul defires No love like his Love no beauty like his Beauty no blood like his Blood no righteousness like his Righteousness no fulness like his Fulness He therefore and he alone shall be my Head my Husband my Saviour and my All for ever Sweet Jesus sayes he dost thou tender thy self for an Head and Husband to me and art thou willing to be imbraced by me Lo then I do with my whole Soul accept of thee and that for all times and in all conditions with all thine Holiness as well as thy Love with all thine Inconveniences as well as thy Priviledges to suffer for thee as well as to reign with thee and this the Soul does upon the deepest counsel and most mature deliberation and accordingly he abides by his choice for ever II. An Act of Trust or Dependance As in the Work of Faith the Soul is by the Spirit of God made to chuse Christ so also to trust and depend upon him for all Grace Righteousness and Salvation Now it bottoms upon Christ anchors upon Christ rests and relies upon Christ for all Life and Peace for all Grace on Earth and Glory in Heaven He layes the whole weight and stress of his Salvation upon him He commits all to him ventures all upon him expects all from him This the Scripture calls sometimes a trusting in Christ Ephes 1.13 sometimes a leaning upon Christ Cant. 8.5 sometimes a hoping in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 And in this respect Christ is called our Hope 1 Tim. 1.1 our Hope that is the Object of our Hope and Trust as to Life and Salvation The Soul has no hope in himself no hope in the Creature no hope in the Law or first Covenant no hope in any thing in Heaven or Earth on this side Christ He looks here and there to this and that but he can find no solid ground of hope no bottom to build or rest upon for Life and Salvation but then he turns his eye upon Christ and there he sees abundant ground of hope he beholds him upon the Cross and there 's hope he beholds him upon the Throne and there 's hope he looks upon him dying and there 's hope he looks upon him rising ascending sitting at the Father's right Hand making intercession for us and there 's hope He looks upon the infinite vertue of his Blood the infinite efficacy of his Spirit the infinite fulness of his Grace the infinite dimensions of his Love the infinite freeness and faithfulness of his Promise and in these he sees infinite ground of hope and trust and accordingly he rolls and ventures all upon him Here I 'le build sayes he here I 'le bottom here I 'le rest here I 'le hang and depend here I 'le live yea and if die I must here I 'le die His language to Christ now is like that of the Psalmist to God in another case Psalm 39.7 Now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee This is to cast anchor within the Vail Heb. 9.6 And indeed 't is with poor Souls many times as with persons at Sea the Storm arises the Waves lift up themselves which beating upon them they are ready to sink every moment and their very Soul is melted because of heaviness but anon they sound bottom cast anchor and are at rest So poor Souls are under storms of sin guilt and wrath perishing in their own apprehension every moment but anon they drop an anchor of hope upon Christ and do rest upon him or 't is with them in this case as 't was with the Dove when she was first sent out of the Ark she found no resting place abroad for the sole of her foot but at length returned to the Ark and there found rest Gen. 8.8 9. So the poor guilty Soul finds no rest any where else but in Christ His language in this Act of Faith is such as this I am a poor lost sinful distressed Creature and there is but one door I can expect relief from and that is Christ and at this door I 'le lie and wait I know he is able to help me for he can save to the uttermost and surely he hath bowels great bowels towards poor sinners he is a merciful High-Priest He sayes concerning him as they sometimes did concerning the King of Israel Behold we have heard that the King of Israel is a merciful King peradventure he will save us yea he has bid me look to him and be saved and he invites all that are weary and heavy-laden to come to him and promises them rest Why then should I not rest and rely upon him 'T is true I am a mighty sinner but he is a more mighty Saviour Have I sinned to the utmost He has satisfied to the utmost What shall I say True I am Death but Christ is Life I am Darkness but Christ is Light I am Sin but Christ is Holiness I am Guilt but Christ is Righteousness I am Emptiness and Nothingness but Christ is Fulness and Sufficiency I have broken the Law but Christ has fulfilled the Law and his Life is infinitely able to swallow up my Death his Light my Darkness his Holiness my Sin his Righteousness my Guilt his Fulness my Emptiness on him therefore I 'le lean and live and hope 'T is true I am utterly unworthy of any Life any Grace any Favour but Christ does all for sinners freely he loves freely he pardons freely he saves freely how vile therefore and unworthy soever I am yet I will rest and depend upon him Who knows but he may cast an eye of love upon me This is that Act of Faith which is held forth Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have neither strength nor righteousness of my own but I have all righteousness and strength in Christ all righteousness for Pardon and Justification and all strength for Holiness and Sanctification this is that the Apostle calls a rejoycing in Christ Jesus having no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 To draw towards a conclusion of this Head Which way soever the Soul looks on this side Christ he meets with nothing but discouragement If he looks to himself there he sees nothing but sin and guilt blackness and deformity in his heart he sees a Fountain of sin an Abysse of sin a very Hell of sin and wickedness in his life he finds innumerable evils sins of a crimson-die
onely does he remain in the Soul as the Pledge and Bond of this Union but also to deck and adorn the Soul with Grace and to make him ready for the consummation of the Marriage above you know when Abraham's Servant saw that Rebekah consented to be Isaac's Wife he then gave her Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold and rich Rayment Gen. 24.53 So the blessed Spirit of God having gained the Souls consent to be espoused to Christ and the Marriage-Knot being tyed between them now he dwells in the Soul to deck and adorn him now he gives him Jewels of Gold and Silver furnishes and beautifies him with all Divine and Heavenly Graces He dwells in him as an indeficient Spring and Fountain of all Grace and gracious dispositions till he has lodged him safe in the Arms and Bosom of his sweet Husband above Thus at length the Espousal or Marriage-Relation is made up between Christ and the Soul And oh how blessed is the Soul that is thus espoused to him I must say to such a Soul Blessed be the day that ever thou wert born blessed the Womb that bear thee and blessed the Paps which gave thee suck blessed Gospel which revealed this sweet Christ to thee and blessed Spirit that has tyed this happy Knot between him and thee CHAP. VI. Being a Call to and Treaty with Souls in order to an Espousal between Christ and them WEll and what is the meaning of all this Surely it should have a mighty influence upon the Spirits of men to draw and allure them to Christ to induce them at least to look after an acquaintance with this blessed espousal to him and indeed I would take occasion hence to treat with eternal Souls in order to a Match between Christ and them And oh that I could do it effectually Look my Beloved as David sent his Servants to Abigail to commune with her in order to his taking of her to Wife 1 Sam. 25.39 40. so has the Lord Jesus sent me his poor unworthy Servant to you this day to commune with you in order to the espousing of you to himself and oh that you would do in this case as she did in that for she hasted 't is said and arose and went to David and became his Wife vers 42. Oh that you would all arise arise out of your sins arise out of your unbelief arise out of your carnal security and go to Christ and become his Spouse And not only so but as she did make haste in the business close speedily with him in a Marriage-Covenant even to day O blessed day might I succeed as they did How happy would it be for you how comfortable for me and how joyful for us all in the day of the Bridegrooms coming Sirs let me say Oh that I might say of you at least some of you as Paul of his Corinthians here I have espoused you to one Husband even to Christ And why should it not be thus Why should you not arise and go with me to sweet Jesus and be espoused unto him Can you make light of all that Love that Comfort that Sweetness that Happiness that blessed Union and Communion that Delight Solace and Complacency of Soul which this Espousal carries in it Or is there any thing can make up the loss of these Can Sin and the Creature afford any thing comparable hereunto Surely there is more sweetness more happiness in one kiss of the mouth of this blessed Lord in one imbrace in his Bosom one moments communion with him than in all the delights of Sin and the Creature If you doubt it come and see experienced Souls will tell you that one descent of love from Christ one beam of the light of his Countenance one turn with him in his Galleries is infinitely beyond all earthly delights whatsoever Again can you be content to die and perish eternally rather than live and be made happy in such a sweet and desirable way as this of being espoused to Christ is A more sweet and desirable way of being made happy than this of an espousal to Christ surely neither Men nor Angels could ever have thought on And can you O eternal Souls be content to die to perish to be damned and miserable for ever rather than be saved and made happy this way If you get not Union with and a Marriage-Relation to this sweet Lord you must die and perish for ever Know you not sayes the Apostle that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 If Christ be not in us we are certainly reprobates we are rejected of God and out of his favour and then surely we must perish Naturally we are all dead all lost all condemned Judgment is come upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 and we are all the children of wrath by nature Ephes 2.3 And if ever we be justified and saved it must be by a Marriage-Union and Relation to Christ There is no condemnation sayes the Apostle or as the words are nothing of condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 But as is there implyed there is nothing but condemnation to them that are out of Christ Jesus Once more can you be content to be shut out from the Marriage at last for ever Think of that Scripture and bear the dread of it if you can Matth. 25.10 And they that were ready went into the Marriage and the door was shut shut against others who then would fain enter To be shut out from the Marriage-Supper at last is to be shut out from God from Christ from the Comforter from all the Saints and Angels from all happiness yea and from all hopes of happiness for ever and thus you must expect to be shut out from the Marriage at last if you come not into an espousal to him here And can you bear it think you Can you be content to hear Christ say unto you at last Depart from me depart You would have none of me on earth though I wooed and besought you with tears and therefore now you shall have none of me in Heaven you might have been happy in a union and communion with me and the arms of my love were open to have received you but you would not therefore now depart from me I know you not And can you bear this Besides what is it that keeps your Soul from a close with Christ in this Marriage-Relation A vain World a filthy Lust a painted perishing Pleasure a sensual Appetite And are these better than Christ Are these indeed things to be laid in the Ballance by you against Christ yea and to down-weigh him in your values O monstrous stupidity In short Sirs the Matter I am treating with you about is no trifle 't is of no less moment and importance to you than eternal Life or Death eternal Salvation or Damnation comes to your eternal All depends upon it for you must live or die be saved or damned eternally according as you do
ten thousand times ten thousand of his Holy Ones even thousands of Angels Dan. 7.10 Glorious in his way of Rule full of Grace and sweetness towards his People full of terror and majesty towards his Enemies his Arrows being sharp in their hearts Psal 45.5 And as he governs all now so he will judge all at last and all must stand or fall live or die be saved or damned for ever according to what Sentence he shall pass upon them Acts 17.31 Rom. 14.10 O how great is this Lord and how worthy to be imbraced by us O Sirs will you deny so great so glorious a Person when he makes love to you Should you see some great Prince wooing a Beggar in Rags upon the Dunghil you would wonder to see her slight him and make him wait time after time upon her Why there is an infinitely greater Person than the greatest of Kings that wooes you and sollicites you for your love And will you yet be shie of him and make him wait Will you refuse him Then wonder at your own sordid ingratitude II. Are you for Riches and Treasures This swayes with most for this none like Christ he has Riches as well as Greatness to recommend him to you Riches and Honour are with me Prov. 8.18 Yea and his Riches are the best sort his are Spiritual Riches Treasures in Heaven Matth. 6.20 Riches of Life and Love Peace and Pardon Grace and Glory Righteousness and Salvation Riches of Glory and Riches in Glory And O what poor things are the Riches of this World to these His are true Riches Luke 16.11 The riches of this World are but painted riches his are substantial Riches I will cause them that love me to inherit Substance Prov. 8.21 The riches of this World are vain they are not Prov. 23.5 But the Riches of Christ have a reality in them His are lasting and durable Riches Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8.18 Worldly riches are perishing and uncertain things 1 Tim. 6.17 Now we enjoy them but all of a suddain they are gone and disappear but Christs are eternal Riches for an eternal Soul And as his Riches are thus of the best sort so he has great abundance of them his Riches are boundless and unsearchable To me sayes Paul it is given to preach the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 He is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 All the Treasures of Heaven and Earth are his He has all fulness dwelling in him Col. 1.19 even all the fulness of the God-head whole God dwells in him He has enough to supply all our wants and to answer all our desires Do we want Grace He is full of Grace John 1.14 Do we want Life With him is the Fountain of Life Psal 36.9 Do we want Redemption redemption from Sin from Death from Hell from Wrath With him is plenteous Redemption Psal 130.7 Do we want Peace He gives peace My Peace I give unto you Joh. 14.27 Do we want Righteousness He has fulfilled all Righteousness he is become the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 Now will you reject this rich Lord You are poor and miserable and naked and will you not embrace this Christ tendering himself with all these Riches to you O how justly then will you perish for ever O that there were some covetous Soul here this day that would be taken with the Riches of Christ III. Are you for Bounty for a noble and generous Spirit That 's desirable in such a Relation and takes much with many for this also none like Christ He is a bountiful Lord of a noble and generous Spirit as well as Rich Many a Man has riches enough but has a base narrow covetous Spirit and so his Wife has little of them but Christ has a noble generous bountiful heart He is not only rich but he is also willing to lay out all his Riches Treasures upon his Spouses All the Treasures of his Love and Grace all the Treasures of his Righteousness and Consolation He would have them abundantly filled abundantly comforted abundantly enriched for ever What a generous Spirit towards them does he express Cant. 5.1 Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abundantly O Beloved As if he should say I have enough infinitely enough for you and I would have you to have enough I would have you to have your Souls full of all Good He would have them to have full Graces full Joyes full Comforts and full Happiness for ever These things speak I unto you sayes he that your joy may be full John 15.11 And again Ask that you may receive that your joy may be full John 16.24 He wills them like happiness with himself Like love and embraces in the Fathers Bosom Joh. 17.24 26. Like Grace and Holiness John 17.22 O what a noble generous bountiful heart has this sweet Lord towards his Spouse Soul shall it not draw and allure thee to him Nothing will satisfie him less than their participating with him in his own blessedness Soul if thou rejectest this bountiful Lord know that he has Treasures of Wrath and Vengeance also which he will plentifully pour out upon thee for ever IV. Are you for Wisdom and Knowledge Wisdom and Knowledge render a person lovely and desirable 't is indeed one of a persons highest excellencies and perfections for this also none like Christ He is the Wisdom of God and the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 The infinite Wisdom of the Eternal God does shine forth in him and through him Yea in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Which may be understood Actively as well as Passively he knowing all as well as having all that is worth knowing in him He is the only wise God Jude 25. There is no true wisdom but in him and there is no true wisdom to be had but by him and from him he is often in Scripture called Wisdom to note that infinite wisdom that is in him He knows all Persons and all Things he knows the Father and that as he is known of him Joh. 10.15 He knows the Mind and Will of the Father hence said to be in his Bosom which is the place of Secrets as well as Love Joh. 1.18 He knows all his Fathers Counsels and Decrees which have been of old touching the Salvation and Damnation of Man Hence we read of the Lambs Book of Life and Names written therein Rev. 13.8 He knows all the Works of God the Father The Father loveth the Son and sheweth him whatsoever he doth John 5.20 He knows the Attributes and Perfections of God and he only Matth. 11.27 John 4.56 He knows the whole Word of God being himself the Word Joh. 1.1 'T is observed by one that the Angels themselves do not know all the Word of God but Christ does And as he thus knows God and the Things of God so he also knows Man and the Things of Man He knows all men and what
sying good have you any mind to life and would you have your souls live for ever have you any mind to my Covenant and all the riches and treasures of that then accept of me and my love in whom you shall have all How sweetly do he melt and how tenderly do his Bowels yearn towards them and over them he comes to them not onely with invitations in his Lips but also with tears in his eyes and tender compassions in his heart strongly working towards them now he weeps and then he groans now he drops a sigh and then a tear and all to melt their hard and unbelieving hearts to draw and allure them to himself O Jerusalem Jerusalem says he how often would I have gathered thee Math. 23.37 Repetitis nominis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in dicat amoris commiserationis Pare 9 in Loc. the repetition of the name shews the depth of his love and commiseration towards them And indeed methinks I see how the tender heart of my dear Lord melts and even bleeds over this unbelieving City and in them all unbelieving sinners to whom he offers himself he is melted into tears towards them so you have it Lukt 19.41 42. in Mat. he groans only but in Luke he both Weeps and Groans loe then here is sweet Jesus weeping and groaning here 's the joy of the whole Earth weeping and groaning and that over Jerusalem a bloody City a City embroiled in the blood of his Saints and a City thirsty of his own blood a City full of wickedness full of the contempt of his Gospel his Grace his Salvation How freely and openly does he reveal and offer himself to them The offer Christ makes is not a Limited offer but general and extensive to all nor is it an offer made upon hard and severe terms but upon terms of Grace Love Look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the Earth Isa 45.22 Hot every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Isa 55.1 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Whoever is a thirst let him come unto me and drink Joh. 7.37 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any Man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in Rev. 3.20 And again Whoever will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely Rev. 22.17 Mark all every one whoever will though never so vile and sinful never so black and deform'd though he has been never so desperate an Enemy to me and my glory Surely were not his heart much in the business he would not thus freely and unlimitedly offer himself How affectionately does he beseech and intreat them The tender trembling Child cannot more affectionately intreat and beseech his offended Father to spare him and be reconciled unto him then Christ does intreat and beseech offending Sinners to be Espoused to him and be made happy by him for ever Now then we are Embassadors for Christ sayes the Apostle as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Pray mark here is praying and beseeching the Lord of Glory as it were upon his knees to poor Sinners begging them to accept of him and his Love We pray you in Christ's stead h. e. 't is not we but Christ by us that prays and beseeches you O what condescension is this once more How sweetly does he draw and allure them draw me sayes the Spouse and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 And indeed he does draw and allure Souls and that with admirable sweetness I drew them with Cords of Love with the bands of a man sayes he Hos 11.4 Now he sets his Beauty Riches and Glory before them thereby to draw and allure them anon he drops a little Myrrhe upon the handle of the Lock he gives them some little taste and feeling of his Grace and Love thereby to draw and allure them Now he sweetly insinuates his Love to them he tells them how much his heart is upon them what great things he has done and suffered for them and how that he has no design upon them but to make them happy for ever anon he lets them see how infinitely happy a Marriage-Union and Communion with him would make them he lets in some small glimpses of Heaven and Glory upon them he opens the Treasures of his Covenant and Kingdome to them And all this to draw and allure them to himself and over and above all this he ever and anon comes and as it were takes the Soul aside and by the still voyce of his Spirit makes love to him Come poor Soul says he look upon thy bleeding dying Saviour come see what I have done and see what I have prepared for thee see what Treasures of Life and Love of Grace and Glory there are in me look here is my Love taste and see if it be not better than Wine here is my Bosome make thy Bed in it and see if it be not a warm Bosome Come Soul though thou hast no Love for me yet I have Love for thee and would fain have thee happy for ever why therefore should'st thou stand at such a distance from me Thus he sweetly woos and sollicits them for their Love and acceptance of him Now Soul does he thus woo thee And wilt thou refuse him If so know that the time of Love will not alwayes last yea and the time will come when though thou callest and cryest yet he will not hear let me therefore say to thee as Paul to his Corinthians Receive not the Grace of God in vain for behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation 3. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he not only thus woos them but also waits long upon them often renews the offers of his Love to them and puts up many horrid affronts and provocations at their hands if at last he may prevail with them Suppose a Man should not only make Love to a Person but he should also wait long upon her in the tenders of his Love and that though he met with many affronts and unkindnesses from her this you would say would argue his heart to be much set upon her and is it not thus with Christ towards poor Sinners O how long does he wait upon them how often does he renew the offers of his Love to them And what affronts indignities and unkindnesses does he bear with at their hands Behold I stand at the door and knock sayes he Rev. 3.20 standing is a waiting posture Christ does not give a call or a knock at the door of the Sinners heart and away no he stands knocking he gives call after call and knock after knock being ever ready to
refuse long and stand it out long against the offers of Christ and his grace e're they close with him who yet are received embraced by him Be not therefore discouraged poor soul because of thy former neglects and refusals of Christ but throw thy self into the Arms of his love which thou wilt certainly find wide open to receive and Embrace thee 5. Is it any revolting or Back-sliâ—ing of thine from him Possibly thou hast souretimes been on thy way towards Christ thou hast had some workings some good Resolutions and affections within thee for him I and thou hast made some profession of him thou hast sometimes been even upon the turning point the point of closeing with Christ and the Match has been near made up between him and thee And yet after all this thou hast revolted and Back-sliden from him Playing the Harlot with many lovers which makes thee fear that he will now reject thee shouldest thou goe to him And the truth is this also is very sad For hereby Christ has been eminently Dishonoured and thy Soul has been eminently endangered But yet be not discouraged for this shall not stand between Christ and thee if yet thou art but willing to be Espoused to him Christ offers himself and his grace to such as these he promises to heal Back-slidings Jer. 3.1 Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord and â— 12. Return thou Backsliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you For I am merciful so Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me Thee who Why as revolting and Backsliding a People as ever were in the World so you will find in the beginning of the Chap. There is hope then you see for revolters and Backsliders therefore be not discouraged but go to him and he will not cast thee out Well soul Here 's encouragement enough for thee notwithstanding all thy Vileness Sinfulness and unworthiness and to add to thy encouragment yet know Christ has received multitudes that were every way as vile sinful and unworthy as thou art What dost thou think of Manasseth who was a Sorcerer and an Idolater What dost thou think of Paul who was a Persecuter and a Blasphemer What dost thou think of Mary Magdalen who had seven Devils in her What dost thou think of Rahab who was an Harlot What dost thou think of multitudes of those who Crucified Christ but afterwards believed These were all great Sinners and yet Christ received them into the Arms of his Love What dost thou think of the black List and Catalogue of Sinners among the Corinthians mentioned 1 Cor. 6.9 10. who were Drunkards Thieves Murderers Adulterers Idolaters abusers of themselves with Mankind and the like What dost thou think of them Titus 3.3 who were Foolish Disobedient Living in Envy Hateful and hâ—â—eing one another serving divers Lusts and pleasures Surely these were as vile as sinful as worthless as thou art and had as much to stand between Christ and them and yet they found grace in Christ's sight upon their looking to him Indeed there is never a Soul now in Heaven but was by Nature every way as vile sinful and unworthy of Christ as thou they lay under the same pollution they wallowed in the same Blood they were filled with the same Spirit of opposition against God and his wayes that thou dost and art yea and multitudes of them were as vile and sinful by practice also as thou they Acted out the sin and enmity of their Natures as highly against God and Christ as thou hast done and yet these Christ received else they had not been in Heaven In a word Heaven as one observes is an House full of the Miracles of Christ's free Grace There 's Idolatrous Manisseth among the true Worshippers of God There 's oppressing Zacheus among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect There 's Blasphemous Paul among the Host of Angels Lauding Praising and singing Halelujahs to God and the Lamb and there is Mary Magdalen that had seven Devils among the Saints of the most High who are filled even to overflowing with the seven Spirits of God O who then would be discouraged Yea Soul all thy vileness sinfulness and unworthiness does but as it were qualifie thee for Christ and his free Grace My sinful wants and unworthiness sayes Rutherford have qualified me for Christ and his grace Cast thy self therefore fully upon him notwithstanding all not doubting thine acceptance with him 6. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with sinners as that he delights and rejoyces in nothing more hardly then in the Nuptials between him and them and oh how should this draw and allure us to him Should you see a Young Man rejoycing in the sense of an Espousal between himself and such or such an one whom he Loved you might well conclude that his heart was much upon her and is it not thus here Christ rejoyces in the sight and sense of an Espousal between himself and sinners and how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business This I will give you in three propositions 1. This is what he rejoyced and delighted himself in the thoughts of from all Eternity thus much he himself tells us Proâ— 8.30 31. Then namely from Everlasting was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men These are Christ's words and in them he tells you where he was and what he had been doing from Eternity he was with the Father and rejoyced before him but what did he rejoyce in truly next to his Father and himself his rejoycing was in the habitable parts of the Earth and his delights were with the Sons of Men He delighted himself in the thoughts of saving poor sinners and Espousing them unto himself in order thereunto Oh how much does this Argue his heart to be in the business 2. As he thus delighted and rejoyced in the thoughts of it before hand so when at any time a poor Soul is Actually Espoused to him then he rejoyces afresh and is delighted afresh Hence the day of Espousals is called the day of the gladness of his heart Cant. 3.11 the day of Espousals between Christ and a poor Sinner is a day of gladness and rejoyceing to the Father a day of gladness and rejoycing to the blessed Spirit a day of gladness and rejoycing to the Holy Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect For there is joy in Heaver at this 〈◊〉 15.7 But 't is especially a day of gladness and rejoycing to Christ the Bridegroom O to see poor Sinners come in and give up themselves to him in a Marriage-Covenant this is the joy the rest the sat is faction of his soul Hence ' its said he shall see of
the travel of his soul â—nd be sarisfied Isa 53.11 'T is a great grief and trouble to Christ that which wounds his very soul when having wooed poor Sinners and time after time made Love to them they notwithstanding are Shy of him and will not close with them in a Marriage-Covenant Hence he complains as he doe Jo. 5.41 You will not come to me that you might have life and Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not He speaks complainingly as one grieved at heart at their neglects of him yea this was that which made him Weep as he did over Jerusalem â—uks 19.41 42. Behold the joy of the whole Earth weeping And why Because of their refusals of him and his Grace and the woful Destructions that for these refusals were coming upon them Indeed this is what reflects great Dishonour upon his name poures great contempt upon his Grace and is directly contrary to the whole design of his undertakings as mediator and so cannot but be grievous to him So on the contrary when souls come freely in and give up themselves in a Marriage-Relation to him this glads and rejoyces his heart Oh how should this draw souls to him Sinner why may not this day be made the day of the gladness of Christ's heart by being a day of Espousals between him and thee He has seen many a day of grief of heart and trouble of heart because of thy standing out against him and refusing the offers of his Love Oh now let him see one day of joy of heart and gladness of heart by thy closing up with him in a Marriage-Covenant 3. As Christ delights and rejoyces when souls are Espoused to him so being Espoused to him he delights and rejoyces in this Espousal for ever Men Marry such or such and they rejoyce therein at present but their joy does not last 'T is otherwise with Christ he did rejoyce in the thoughts of it from all Eternity he does rejoyce in the being and accomplishment of it here in time and he will rejoyce in the consummation of it in Heaven for ever the truth is his joy is not compleat till the Marriage be compleat nor will his joy ever end till that end which will never be as in its place may be shewn Thus you see a little what Christ's lieart is and how much set upon this Business as well as what manner of Husband he is and what great things he does for all his Espouses and now after all what do you say Art thou for Christ or no Shall the nuptiall go on between him and your souls or shall it not Soul what answer must I give my Lord and Master that sent me to thee 'T is but a little while and he will call both thee and me to an account concerning these things and I must say Lord I woo'd that soul for thee I besought him to be Espoused unto thee and so far as I was able I displayed thy Beauty thy Riches thy Glory before him I opened thine heart to him shewed him thy Love and thy willingness to be Espoused to him hoping that the cords of thy Love would draw him and with my whole strength entreated him to give up himself in a Marriage Covenant to thee Well and what was the Issue Lord thou knowest But soul what answer must I return Must I be put to say Lord I laboured in vain and spent my strength in vain for he made light of all and would have none either of thee or thy Love O put me not to make this Dismal answer rather let me have cause to say Behold I and the Children which God hath given me Behold this soul and that soul and many souls were won over to thee Amen CHAP. X. Which Directs Souls and shews them the way how to Attain unto this sweet and Blessed Espousal with Jesus Christ AN Espousal with Christ what more sweet what more desirable And who that understands himself would not covet it before any thing this World affords no Husband like Christ and no happiness like to an Espousal to him but the question is how we may attain hereunto Truly soul the work is great and 't is the Divine Spirit alone that does and can tie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and thee but he works in this as well as in other cases in and by the use of means and there are several things highly incumbent upon thee and which must be attended by thee as ever thou wouldst attain to an acquaintance with this Blessed Espousal 1. Would'st thou be Espoused to Christ Then labour to be deeply Sensible of thine utter estrangement from him by nature as also of thy woful misery by reason of that estrangement A deep sense of our Estrangement from Christ and of our misery by reason of that estrangement is one good step towards a conjugal-Union and relation to him and without the one we are never like to attain unto the other Labour therefore for this 1. Labour to be deeply sensible of your estrangment from Christ by nature Naturally we are all strangers to Christ strangers to all conjugal-Union Communion with him We know not what any such thing means As 't was with the Ephesians so 't is with us all by nature they were and we are without Christ in the World Eph. 2.12 And not onely without him but also far from him as it followes 13. I may truly say to every natural man and woman in this as Peter did to Simon in another case Acts. 8. â—1 Thou hast neither part nor Lot in this matter Thou knowest not what Union and Communion which this sweet Lord means Yea not onely are we by nature estranged from Christ but moreover we are at Enmity with him and fill'd with hatred and opposition against him we as those mentioned Lu. 19.14 Do hate him and would not have him to reign over us Naturally we are at Enmity with Christ and with every thing that is his with his Person with his Presence with his Spirit with his Kingdome with his Lawes and Ordinances with his Graces with his Righteousness and the like His person is too holy for us his presence too pure his Spirit too convincing his Kingdom to Spiritual his Laws and Ordinances too strict his Graces too bright his Righteousness to opposite to self and so we hate all and are at Enmity with all Yea we are at Enmity with the very way of Life and Salvation by him Touching the Gospel they are Enemies sayes the Apostle which is spoken of the Jews but true of all by nature Rom. 11.28 We would live but not by Christ We would be Saved but not by Christ Thus naturally we are all estranged from him and thus high does our estrangment rise which we must be deeply sensible of if ever we get Union and Communion in a conjugal way with him Therefore work this a little upon your thoughts till you find your heart
with him those his Blood cleanses from all sin 1 Jo. 1.7 and in him have they redemption through his Blood even the for giveness of sin Eph. 1.7 As for others he tells them plainly they shall die in their sins Jo. 8.24 O how sad a condition is this Soul thou art guilty of multitudes of sins the least of which has evil enough in it to damn thee eternally Thou hast thousands 10 thousands of Scarlet Crimson sins sins cloathed with black and crying aggravations lying upon thee and to have all these in the full weight of the guilt and punishment of them charged upon thee by the great God for ever how miserable does this speak thy condition to be 6. Being estranged from Christ you are under a necessity of sinning and so of great'ning your own damnation daily A man out of Christ does do can do nothing but sin for he is not subject to the Law of God nor can he be Rom. 8.8 And as he is ever sinning so he is ever treasuring up wrath unto himself Ro. 2.5 O how sad a condition is this This is Dura necessitas as Austin calls it and speaks a mans condition to be very doleful To be always sinning against God and alwayes treasuring up wrath to a man 's own Soul this is next to Hell in some sort worse To give you thee Sum of all Being estranged from Christ you have nothing to satisfie Divine justice which is ready to seize upon you nothing to pacifie Divine wrath which is ready to break forth against you nothing to stand between Divin revenges and your sinful souls What shall I say you have many accusers and by them many heavy charges brought in against you and being without Christ you have no Advocate to plead your cause none to speak a good word in Heaven for you and is not that sad you are deeply in debt you owe your 10 thousand tallents to Divine justice and being without Christ you have nothing to pay but are in danger of being cast into the Prison of eternal darkness whence there is no redemption And is not that sad you are under an obligation to much Duty and being without Christ you are under an utter impossibility of performing any of it acceptably You are under a judgment of condemnation and being without Christ you have nothing that can secure you one day one hour one moment more on this side everlasting Burnings and O how sad and miserable is this Thus you see both your estrangment from Christ and also your misery in part by reason of that estrangment Now as ever you would get Union and Communion with him labour to be deeply sensible of both these 2. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ Then labour to be soundly convinced and deeply sensible of the greatness and Hainousness of the sin of refusing Christ and the offers of his Love poor Soul thou standest it out against Christ he wooes and calls and invites thee to himself but thou slightest and refusest all and this thou thinkest a small matter but let me tell thee this is a most hainous and crying sin To Swear to Murder to Steal to be Drunk to be Unclean and the like these thou look'st upon as black and horred things Indeed well thou mai'st for they are sins of a more then ordinary hainous and abominable nature But yet know that thy sin in rejecting Christ and the offers of his Love is greater and more provoking then all these This indeed is the great sin and the sin thou must in a especial manner be sensible of if ever thou art United to Christ so much Christ himself tells us in that known place Joh. 16.8 9. he sayes he speaking of the Spirit whom he promised to send shall convince the World of sin because they believe not in me unbelief then is the great sin that the Spirit convinces souls of And what 's unbelief but the neglect and refusal of Christ and the offers of his Love made to us in the Cospel He shall convince the World of sin because they believe not in me i.e. de illo magno grandi incredulitatis peccato He shall convince them of that grand sin of unbelief as a learned man expounds it as if Christ should say he shall make men see the black and hainous nature of the sin of rejecting me and my Love He shall humble them for it and set them a bleeding over it This sin of rejecting Christ some of the Shcool-men have called Maximum peccatum the greatest sin of all And indeed next to the unpardonable sin what greater This is a sin most directly and immediately against Christ and the Gospel O for a vile wretched sinner to shut the door of his soul against Christ the King of Glory and deny him entertainment to refuse and reject the free and frequent offers of him and his Love how great a sin must this be And soul to convince thee the better of it and make thee the more afraid of it I shall suggest a few considerations to thee holding forth a little of its black and horred evil 1 Consider that the neglect and refusal of Christ his Love is a sin against a special eminent command and therefore a great crying sin The greater and more eminent the command is which we transgress and sin against the greater our sin and guilt is in transgressing that command Now God does not onely command us to receive and embrace Christ and his Love but this command of his is a great signal and eminent command So St John tells us 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ whom he hath sent What is it to believe on the name of Jesus Christ but to receive and embrace Christ offering himself in the Gospel to us and to live upon him having so received and embraced him Now sayes he this is his commandment his great his special commandment his commandment in a most signal eminent manner and Christ himself asserts the same thing Joh. 6.28 29. In the 28 v. They ask him what shall we do that we may works the Work of God His answer in the 29. v. is This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent i. e. That ye receive and embrace me and live upon me by believing This is the Work of God the great work which he commands you and expects from you Believing as Calvin observes upon this place is not called the Work of God Non quia efficit deus in nobissed quid requirit Christus docet Calv. in Loc. because 't is of Gods operation as you have it else where or that which God works in us but because 't is the great thing which he commands and requires of us To reject and refuse Christ then is a sin against a signal and emenient command indeed against the great command of the Gospel and therefore
accepting of me Moreover his design is to Crown his Grace and render that Glorious and the more vile I am the more that design of his will take in mine acceptation and Salvation How vile therefore soever I am I will cast my self upon him and put in for an Espousal with him 6. The sixth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldest bear up thy self upon and dwell much in the contemplation of is this That 't is the Glory and perfection of Christ as Mediator to receive Sinners and to give out himself and his fulness to them when they come to him This if rightly weighed will mightily help on Faith and list the poor soul over his discouragements into the Bosome and embraces of Jesus Christ To understand it aright you must know that Chist has a two-fold Glory and perfection The Glory and perfection of his Person as he is the Son of God and the Glory and perfection of his office as he is Mediator and head of the second Covenant the Glory and perfection of his person as the Son of God that is infinitly compleat and full that admits neither of diminution nor augmentation being unchangeably the same for ever But the Glory and pefection of his Office as Mediator that in a great measure arises from his receiving Sinners and bestowing himself and his Grace upon them when they come to him and the more Sinners he receives and the more Grace he gives out to them the greater his Glory and perfection in this respect is and it may be truly said that Christ in receiving and giving our Grace to Sinners when they come to him does increase the revenue of his own Glory and more and more compleat and perfect himself as head and Mediator Hence the Church is called his fulnes Eph. 1.13 God gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Now if the Church is Christs fulness then the more that is filled and compleated by his receiving Sinners to himself and giving out Grace to them the more full and compleat he himself as to his Mediatorie honour and perfection growes Hence also Saints are said to be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 As Christ alone is their glory so they also are his glory And how his glory Not onely because they do or should actually glorifie him but also because he has received them and laid out his grace upon them and 't is his grace onely that shines forth in them Hence that observation of Galvin upon the place They sayes he that excell most in grace and holiness Quicunque pietate sanctimonia exceluut sunt Christi gloria quid nihil habent nisi dono Christi Calv. they peculiarly are the glory of Christ because they have nothing but by free gift from Christ Hence also Christ tells us that he is Glorified in them Jo. 17.10 And he sayes Expresly that the Spirit shall Glorifie him because he shall receive of his and give it unto us Jo. 16.14 By all which it appears that 't is the glory and perfection of Christ as Mediator to receive Sinners coming to him and to bestow himself and his grace upon them In short my beloved all that ever Christ has done for and is made of God to poor Sinners all his acts and all his offices as Mediator do receive their ultimate perfection in their sull influences on us and our Salvation And as Christ receives his name and Denomination of a Saviour from his Relation to and acting for poor Sinners to redeem and save them so the perfection of this office and those acts of his do lye in the full accomplishment of our Salvation And indeed they would all be but vain and weak acts should he not fully save us coming to him O what encouragement is here to Faith and how must unbelief sink and die before this consideration if rightly improv'd True may the soul say I am vile sinful and unworthy but 't is the honour of Christ to receive me 't is his glory to bestow himself and his grace upon me 't is his prefection as Mediator to accept and save me and such as I am and therefore why should I be discouraged I will go to him and cast my self upon him Thus bear up your souls upon and encourage your Faith with these Gospel-principles which is greatly necessary and will not a little conduce to an Espousal between Christ and you 4. Would'st thou indeed be Espous'd to Christ Then take heed of all jealousies of him and prejudices against him and be sure ever to maintain right thoughts of him One of the great designs of Satan and one of the most cursed workings of unbelief is to prejudice souls against Christ and to fill them with hard jealous thoughts of him which if they can prevail in they infallibly keep the soul from closing with him in a Marriage-Covenant If a woman has jealousies and hard thoughts of a man and be filled with prejudices against him she is never like to enter into a Marriage-Covenant with him And no more will a soul close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant as long as he is filled with hard thoughts of him and prejudices against him Watch therefore against this The Devil together with the unbelief of our own hearts will frame up a thousand strange Notions and representations of Christ in the soul thereby to prejudice us against Christ but take heed of all these and be sure to maintain right thoughts and apprehensions of him particularly here take onely two things 1. Be sure to maintain honorable thoughts of his Person Look upon him as a Person of glory and as having all excellencies in him 'T is the work and nature of unbelief to darken and obscure the Person of Christ to make that appear vile and contemptible in the eye of the soul whereby it does effectually strengthen it self with in him and indeed there is nothing more prevalent to keep the soul from Christ then an ignorance of or prejudice against his Personal worth and excellencies This was that which made the Jewes so generally reject him They saw no Beauty in him for which they should desire him nor did they discern form or comliness in him and therefore rejected him Isa 53.1 2. They Look't no surther then the outward form the veil of his flesh they saw not his Divine Beauty and glory and so despised him And my beloved unless we look within this veil and come to view and contemplate him as a Person of glory we also shall reject him to our eternal perdition Pray observe 't is the Person of Christ that puts worth and veâ—tâ—e into all his doings and all his sufferings all his offices and all his promises 'T is the worth and excellency of his Person that makes his Blood so precious his Promises so sweet his Righteousness so glorious his Grace so efficacious his Love so
perfectly what manner of one thou wouldst be and how thou wouldst carry it towards him and yet all could not hinder him from shewing this favour to thee Why then shouldst thou think it will cause him to break with thee now The Soul may be apt to say Did Christ think I would be such a Wretch that I would so grieve him so offend him that I would carry it so unworthily towards him under all his love as I do Yea Soul Christ thought it yea he knew it perfectly before-hand in Deut. 31.21 't is said That God knew what Israel would do before-hand So Christ knew before-hand how thou wouldst fleight his Love grieve his Spirit violate his Laws he knew how thou wouldst offend and affront him by a proud vain wanton behaviour before him He knew how thou wouldst backflide and go a whoring from him and had he not seen and known that he had love enough and bowels enough to cover and pass by all he would never have made love to thee Hence when he betroths he is said to do it in judgment Hos 2.19 Christ knew what he did and what an one he married when he married thee to himself And as all could not hinder his love at first so neither shall it take off his love from thee now 3. Consider that thou mayest have many failings and miscarriages be guilty of many breakings with Christ and departures from him and yet the Marriage-Covenant between him and thee not be broken A Woman may be guilty of many failings and miscarriages many defects and misdemeanors and yet all not break the Marriage-Covenant between her Husband and her And so here O how sweet is that Scripture Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their iniqui-quities with a rod and their transgressions with stripes And what sollows Nevertheless sayes he my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Pray mark Christ's People may sin and sin greatly and he may sharply chastise them for their sins yea he may seem to take away his loving kindness from them and may really for a time suspend the influences and manifestations thereof but his Covenant-love and faithfulness to them that remains firm and stedfast to them for ever notwithstanding all So again Jer. 3.1 14. Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Mark though they had backsliden though they had played the Harlot though they had played the Harlot with many lovers yet Christ owns his Covenant-Relation to them and with them yea and he sends as it were his Covenant after them and by that fetches them home to himself O! whatever thy miscarriages are whatever thy breakings with Christ and departures from him have been yet being once married to him the Marriage-Union and Relation between him and thee remains firm and stedfast for ever notwithstanding all O but sayes the Soul my heart is still bent to backsliding from Christ and I am afraid I shall at last totally and finally depart from him and then farewel all I answer That Christ stands engaged to keep thee from true notwithstanding any thing in and of thy self if left by Christ thou wouldst be apt totally and finally to depart from him but Christ himself stands engaged to keep thee to him 'T is the very tenure of his Covenant with thee Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me O Sirs not only is Christ's heart towards his People but he is engaged by Covenant to keep their hearts close to him and faithful with him at least so far as that they shall not totally depart from him and so their faithfulness to him does depend upon his faithfulness to them I 'le close this consideration with that known and great Scripture Rom. 8. latter end Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth and lest all these things should not reach the case of every Soul he adds nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. III. Consider that 't is not long e're the Lord Jesus thy dear Husband will come and consummate the Marriage between him and thy Soul And O how sweet will this be The Match here is but as it were begun between Christ and thee but Christ will shortly come and consummate it Behold the Bridegroom cometh Mat. 25.6 And again they that were ready went into the Marriage ver 10. and the Marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19.7 There is a time then when Christ will come to consummate the Marriage between him and Souls When he comes as to the World he comes as a Judge to condemn them to avenge the quarrel of his Gospel the quarrel of his Covenant the quarrel of his Blood all which they have rejected he comes to pass Sentence upon them for resisting his Spirit for contemning his Grace for breaking his Laws for neglecting his Salvation And O how dark will the day of his coming be to them But now to his own Spouses when he comes he comes as a Bridegroom And O how sweet will this coming of his be to them 1. Then he will turn all your Water into Wine Joh. 2. beg we read That Christ being at a Marriage he there turned Water into Wine And truly Soul when he shall come to consummate the Marriage between him and thee he will turn all thy Waters of Affliction into the Wine of sweet Consolation to thee He will turn thy Night into Day thy Darkness into Light thy Sorrows into Joys thy Mourning into Dancing thy Troubles into Rest thy Conflicts into Triumphs thy Labours into Reward thy mournful Lamentations into joyful Halelujahs Then will he fulfil that Scripture to thee Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more Death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Poor Soul now thine eyes are full of tears with holy David Thou goest weeping and mourning it may be all the day long but then all tears shall be wiped off thine eyes Now thou art in deaths often as the holy Apostle was but then there shall be no more death Now
thou seest thy self inwardly Black and deformed thou lyest in thy Blood and gore wallowing in thy sin and Filth neither is there any worth any Beauty in thee for which Christ should desire thee and therefore sayest thou surely Christ will have nothing to do with me nor so much as cast an eye or look of love upon me but soul this shall not stand between Christ and thee neither but if thou hast a mind to him he will Marry thee to himself notwithstanding For indeed Christ Marries not any for their Beauty but those whom he Marries he Marries to make them Beautiful He Marries them not for any worth of theirs but to put a worth upon them indeed there are none that he Espouses to himself but he finds them Black and deformed in their Blood and Gore as well as thee and so they are till he puts his Beauty upon them how sweet is that word Ezek 16.6 7 8. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy Blood i. e. in thy sin and filth I said unto thee live I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live yea when thou wast in thy Blood live Mark three times he mentions it in thy Blood in thy Blood in thy Blood To note the depth of that defilement we are all under well and what then will Christ have any thing to do with such yes he makes love to them Behold thy time was the time of love he Marries them to himself in an Everlasting Covenant I spread my Skirt over thee sayes he and covered thy makedness yea I swear unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Yea not only so but he puts a Beauty yea his own Beauty and comliness upon them hou art come to Excellent Ornaments and art comely through my comliness which I have put upon thee as Verse 14. O soul be not discouraged Christ will turn thy blackness into Beauty and not cast thee off because of it 3. Is it the greatness and Hainousness of thy sin and guilt O my sins my sins sayes the poor foul they are exceeding many and exceeding great they are many and great in themselves and they are cloathed with many and great aggravations Few in the World ever sinned at that rate that I have done therefore I fear that Christ will never own me so as to take me into such a Relation with himself Well be it so yet know that this shall not stand between Christ and thee if thou art willing to be Espoused to him He has promised to pardon great sins and to accept notwithstanding great sins in case the soul be but willing 〈◊〉 non says he And let us Reason together though your sins are as Scarâ—e◠〈◊〉 shall he white as Snow though they are red like Crimson they shall he as Hool Isa 1.18 Pecata vâ—stra sicut nix albescont c. Uoc est vos a peccatis 〈◊〉 iâ—â—mibas mundati 〈◊〉 niâ—is puâ—i eritis â—lais Gâ—ar Sâ—c Though your Sins are as Scarlet and as Crimsâ—â— i. e. Though they are great foul enormous Sins Sins of a hainous and crying nature and cloathed with the greatest aggravations yet they shall be White as Snow and Wool i. e. They shall be fully done away and pardon'd so fully done away and pardon'd as if they had never been So again Isa 43.24 25. in the 24 v. He speaks to some who had made him to serve with their Sins and wearied him with their iniquities These surely were great Sinners and their sins of a hainous crying nature and yet at the 25 v. what a full promise of pardon does he make to them I even 1 am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Poor Soul what shall I say Hast thou abundantly sinned Hast thou multiplied sins He has promised abandantly to pardon and to nothing pâ—â—dons Isa 55.7 Art thou guilty of all manner of sins and to thy other sins hast thou added Blasphemy He has promised that all manner of sin and Blâ—â—phemy shall be for given except that against the holy Ghost which thy complaining of the greatness of thy sins argues thou art not guilty of Mat. 12.31 O Soul be not discouraged because of the greatness of thy sins Christ marries souls not because they are not sinners great sinners but he Marries them to take away their sins and to discharge them from them for even And the greater thy sins are the greater will be the Glory of Christ's grace which is what he Aims at in receiving of thee into so near and Glorious a Relation with himself as this is Besides what wilt thou do with thy great sins unless thou goest with them to Christ Great sins argue a great need of Christ and call for great hastening unto Christ 4. Is it any former neglects or refusals of thine Possibly not onely are thy sins many and great but there is this added to all the rest long and frequent refusals of Christ and his love He has often called but thou hast given gim no answer he has long woo'd thee but thou hast not complied with him O the many sweet calls Gracious offers loving tenders which he has made to thee and thou hast Despised And this makes thee fear that he will now have nothing to do with thee And truly soul this is sad very sad hereby Christ has lost much Glory which thou mightest have brought him hereby thou hast lost much sweet communion which thou might est have enjoyed hereby Christ's heart has been much grieved which might have been prevented and hereby the work is made much more difficult then at first it was thy heart being grown more hard and Corruptions more strong Thus 't is every way very sad that thou hast thus neglected and refused Christ but yet neither shall this stand between him and thee in case thou art willing to be Espoused to him For this see Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. Wisdom Cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets she cryeth in the chief place of concourse in the openings of the gates in the City she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity And the Sconners delight in their Scorning and Fools hate Knowledge Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Pray observe Christ had offered himself and his love to them but they had refused him and it yea they had refused long and refused with much contempt How long ye Simple ones will ye love Simplicity c. They scorn'd the offers of Christ and his Love and yet here he renewes those offers to them wherein he tells them that none of all their refusals should prejudice their acceptance with him in case they are willing to be his Turn ye at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit c. And soul do not the most