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
hath chosen and refined him in it and whether it be in this or in the other World that he shall please to bring him forth they who have most intimate converse with him are perswaded he will come forth as Gold The Lord grant that the same presence of Divine Grace which attended these Sermons in the Preaching of them may accompany them in the Publication that many more Souls may be enamoured and drawn to the love of that fairest of ten thousand the Lord Jesus that so knowing him and adhering to him they may be saved eternally by him by whom all that have been are or shall be saved are brought to Life and Glory So prayes The unworthiest of Christ's Servants John Rowe The best Match OR The Souls Espousal to Christ From 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chast Virgin unto Christ CHAP. I. Wherein an Introduction is made into our intended Discourse the Foundation thereof laid and the Matters to be inquired into in our procedure therein proposed ANew Covenant-relation to Christ is certainly a concern of the greatest weight and highest importance to the Sons of Men of any in the World 't is what lies at the foundation of all true happiness both in Time and Eternity without it as a Learned Divine hath well observed * A Christ si sejung aâ—â—ur non suâ—â—us Christiani sed cadavera tanturn Chrisi morum Davenant we are not Christians we are only the carkasses of Christiants nor may we expect any saving advantage by any thing that Christ hath either done or suffered for poor sinners And this relation of so much weight and importance to us the Scripture represents under various Notions and Expressions to us 't is represented to us sometimes under the notion of a King and Subjects hence Christ is called King of Saints Sometimes under the notion of a Father and his Children hence he is called the Everlasting Father and they are his own words unto God the Father Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me Sometimes under the notion of Head and Members hence Christ is said to be the Head of the Body the Church and on the other hand Believers are said to be the Body of Christ and Members one of another And to mention no more sometimes as in my Text and frequently elsewhere 't is represented to us under the notion of Husband and Wife Bridegroom and Bride or the Souls espousal to Christ as its one and only Husband and under this notion I shall God assisting speak a little of it and but a little no more than to make way for a practical Design I have in my eye which is to woo and allure poor Souls into an espousal or Marriage-Covenant with this Blessed Husband the Lord Jesus Christ That then which is before us to be treated of is the Marriage or Espousal between Christ and Believers and the better to make way hereunto you may observe that there is a three-fold Marriage as relating to Christ and us 1. There is the Personal Marriage and that is between the Person of the Son of God the Second Person in the Trinity and our Nature This Calvin calls Verbum Incarnatum the Incarnate Word or as the Evangelist expresses it the Word made Flesh John 1.14 this we generally call the Hypostatical Union 2. There is the Mystical Marriage and that is between the Person of Christ God-Man and the Person of Believers as Militant here on Earth whole Christ and the whole Believer being made one this the Apostle calls A being joyned to the Lord and being one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 and this we usually call the Spiritual Union 3. There is the Heavenly Marriage and that is between Christ and the Church Triumphant above which indeed is the consummation of the two former and this I would call the Glorious Union and what that is I can't tell but do hope am going to see In the first of these lies the foundation of all our happiness by the second we are brought into an initial participation of it by the third we are put into the full possession and enjoyment thereof for ever Now 't is neither the first nor last but second of these that the Apostle here speaks of when he saith I have espoused you to one Husband even to Christ Which accordingly I shall make the Subject of my ensuing Discourse which as also the sum of the Apostles intendment you may take in this short Position viz. That there is a blessed Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers or that Believers are married or espoused to Christ as their only Husband I have espoused you sayes the Apostle to one Husband not to many but to one and who is that why Christ God-man So the next words declare I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ The same is also hâ—ld forth in other Scriptures John 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom saith John Baptist concerning Christ and his Church And again Rev. 21.9 Come hither sayes the Angel to John and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife That is the Church which is the Wife and Spouse of Christ but I forbear What this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is as also how 't is made up and accomplisht are the principal things to be enquired into for the clearing of what lies before us which therefore I shall address my self unto CHAP. II The Espousal or Marriage-Relation between Christ and Believers opened and the import thereof laid down in sive things BUt what is this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers The Apostle speaking of it calls it a great Mystery This saith he is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church Ephes 5.32 I speak of that Spiritual Marriage that is between Christ and his People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat rem occultam per se arcanam non simpliciter sed rengiosam quae ab humana ratione abscondita est non potest percipi sine Revelatione Divinâ Spiritus Sancti lumine Zanch. in locum which indeed is a great Mystery that is an hidden secret Thing a thing hid from humane reason and not to be understood but by Divine Revelation and the Light of the Holy Spirit So far as we apprehend it you may take this short account in general of it 'T is that spiritual conjunction or relation that is between Christ and Bellevers between the Person of Christ and the Person of Believers arising from his inhabitation in them by his Spirit and their close with him by Faith Much might be said for the opening of this general Conclusion but I shall wave it and give you the true nature of the thing under consideration more particularly as carrying these five things in it viz. I. Free and cordial Donation II. Near and intimate
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
thou art full of sorrows thy dayes are spent in grief and thy years in sighing but then there shall be no more sorrow sorrow and sighing both shall flie away for ever Now thou art full of pains yea as the holy Prophet of old complained Thou art pained at thy very heart in the sense of thy own Afflictions and in the sense of the Churches Afflictions in the sense of thine own sins and in the sense of the Worlds sins thou art pained at the very heart but then there shall be no more pain Now thou sowest in tears but then thou shalt reap in joy Now thou goest forth weeping yet bearing precious Seed then thou shalt return rejoycing bringing thy sheaves with thee Now thou art in a storm a storm of Affliction a storm of Temptation a storm of Persecution thou art afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted it may be as the Church sometimes was Isa 54.11 But then he will make thy storm a calm and so bring thee into the desired Haven to allude to that Psal 107.30 Now the Devil and his messengers are buffetting of thee and will give thee no rest then they shall be all troden under foot and thy Soul shall act one eternal triumph over them saying as she of old in her Song did O my Soul thou hast trodden down strength 2. Then Christ will turn all thy blackness into beauty all thy sinful deformity into perfect purity and holiness for ever and this is much more sweet than the former Alas sayes the Soul turn my Water into Wine true that is sweet but there is that which lies heavier upon me than all the troubles and afflictions in the World and that is my sinful blackness and deformity O this stained polluted defiled nature of mine this fountain of sin and enmity against God that is within this is that which is the burthen too heavy for me to bear Well for thy comfort know that thy Husband sweet Jesus will come and when he comes he will turn thy blackness into beauty thy sin into holiness then he will sanctifie thee and cleanse thee that he may present thee to himself a glorious Spouse Ecclesiam esse gloriosam non habentem maculam nequâ— rugam est ultimus finis ad quem perducimur per passionem Christi â—unde hoc erit in statu patriae non autem in statu via Aqui. not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5.26 27. Poor Soul thou hast now many stains many spots and those such as thou art apt sometimes to think are not the spots of Gods Children but then all these spots shall be wiped out and thou shalt be without spot yea thou shalt not onely be without spot but without wrinkle too There may be wrinkles where there may be no spots and these are blemishes Significat nullum planè peccatum velminimum futurum in corpore Ecclesiae nullumque veteris Adaemi vestigium sed futuram eam totam gloriosam Zanch. in loc O but then thou shalt have neither spot nor wrinkle thou shalt be perfectly freed from lesser as well as greater sins yea thou shalt have neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing nothing that looks like sin nothing that thou canst suppose to be in the least a blemish or defect there shall not be the least print or foot-step of the old Adam as one speaks upon the place left in thee or upon thee but thou shalt be altogether holy and without blemish Christ will then perfectly fill thee with his own Spirit beautifie thee with his own Image deck thee with his own Ornaments enamel and irradiate thee with his own Glory for then he will make thee like himself both in holiness and happiness 1 Joh. 3.2 Poor Soul now thou art groaning under a body of Sin and Death under the unclean motions of sin the impure lustings of the flesh the cursed imposings of a base vile unbelieving heart that is imposing upon thee in every Duty in every Condition in every Relation Now thou art pestered with the springings buddings blossomings and ebullitions of lust and corruption within thee but when sweet Jesus comes there shall be an end of all this Christ he overlooks all this now but then he will do it all away and thou shalt shine with the perfection of beauty 3. Then Christ will solemnly present thee to his Father as his Spouse in the presence of all his holy Angels And O how glorious and joyful will this be In Gen. 24. lat we read that Isaac took Rebekah and brought her into his Mothers Tent So when dear Jesus comes to consummate the Marriage between him and thee he will being attended with all his holy Angels bring thee into his Fathers House and will there present thee to him as his Spouse saying Father here is my Spouse here is one whom in the day of everlasting love thou gavest unto me one whom I have redeem'd to my self by my Blood and married to my self by my Spirit in the Gospel this is he that I was made sin and a curse for and though he was in his blood and gore when I first made love to him yet loe now here he is spotless and faultless before thee Father own him as thy Sons Spouse and delight in him for ever O how sweet how glorious will this be Suppose some great Prince were married and upon his Marriage should take his Spouse in his hand and lead her into the Presence-Chamber of the King his Father and there present her to him to the end he might take notice of her as his Sons Spouse and shew sutable respect and favour to her what a sweet thing would this be But alas what is this to the presentation Christ will make of thee to his Father at his coming Who will then present thee faultless into the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude v. 24. When David and the Elders of Israel brought up the Ark from the House of Obed-Edom 't was with great joy and shouting 1 Chron. 15.25 28. But O when Christ attended with all his holy Angels shall bring and present thee into the presence of his Father what joy and shoutings will there then be surely there will be great rejoycing on all hands God the Father will greatly rejoyce Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce God the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoyce the Angels will greatly rejoyce thy Soul also will greatly rejoyce God the Father will greatly rejoyce to see his Sons Spouse come home to him so richly deck't and adorn'd Christ the Son will greatly rejoyce that he has gotten his Spouse into his Arms and Bosom never to part with hen more the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoyce to see his work in tying the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul compleated the Angels will greatly rejoyce as being Friends both of the Bridegroom and Bride and as partaking with them in the Marriage-Supper and thou thy self wilt greatly rejoyce in that
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
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
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
endearing 't is the worth and excellency of his Person that gives Authority to all the commands of Faith and does aw the heart to obedience and 't is the worth and excellency of his Person that is one of the most powerful attractives to draw and allure the hearts of the sons of men to him if therefore his Person be undervalued if the dignity and glory of that be not seen we are never like to enter into a Marriage-Covenant with him Therefore soul if ever thou would'st be Espous'd to this Christ always maintain honorable thoughts of his Person Behold his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father and beg him more and more to reveal his Personal worth and excellencies to thee 2. Be sure always to maintain good thoughts of his ways Kingdom and Government Admit not of one jealousie of Christ as if he were an hard severe Husband as if he carried it with rigour and severity towards his spouses If the Devil and unbelief fail in their other attempts then they endeavour to prejudice souls against Christ perswading them that he is an hard Master an austere Husband that rules with intolerable rigour and severity I know sayes he in the Gospel that thou wast an austere man Mat. 25.24 And hereby the soul is seared off from Christ But soul as ever thou would'st be Espous'd to him take heed of any such jealousie of him or prejudice against him keeping up good thoughts of him and his ways him and his government and be much in contemplating the sweetness both of him and his wayes Is he severe Pray where lies his severity Does he call you to bear his Yoak He does but 't is an easie yoak Does he enjoin you to bear his Burthen He does but 't is a light Burthen My yoak is easie and my Burthen is light Mat. 11.29.30 Does he expect you should take up the Crosse He does but 't is a sweet Cross a gainful Crosse an honorable Crosse a Crosse that is inlaid with love and overlaid with Divine sweetness a Cross that has a Crown annext to it even a â—rown of Life Rev. 2.10 A Cross that is a Crown here for 't is an honour to suffer for Christ Asts 5.41 And a Cross that will greaten and brighten your Crown hereafter Mat. 5.11 12. blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you for great is your reward in Heaven Does he call you to perform such and such services He does but withall he gives you strength to perform them hetping your infirmities by his good Spirit Rom. 8.26 and in case you sail and come short in and of what he calls for what then Why then he pities and spares you and Father doth his Son that serveth him he over-looks your failings and defects 〈◊〉 3.17 Can you do nothing onely you have a mind to serve him Why then he accepts of that willing mind according to what you have and not according to what you have not 2 Cor. 8.12 when you can't pour out a prayer a sigh a groan is accepted by him Will he have the throne in you and rule in your souls He will but his way of rule is most sweet for he rules with love and he rewards with life and he gives a throne for a throne a throne in glory for a throne in your souls What shall I say his wayes are all wayes of pleasantness and his pathes are all peace Prov. 3.17 and O what pleasure what delight what solace and satisfaction of soul is there to be found in walking in them In a word his whole service is perfect freedom and there is no true sreedom but in his wayes and service Quis regnare nolit Vis regnare faliciter Servi benigno Jesu regnabis quia ills servire regnare est Bern. 'T is a great saying which I have read in one of the Antionts who sayes he would not reign But wot last thou reign happily Serve kind Jesus and thou shalt reign because to serve him is true reigning Thus you see there is no just reason for hard thoughts of Christ in this respect but rather the contrary Accordingly answer and throw off all those black reproaches which the devil and unbelief cast upon this good Lord and be sure to maintain good thoughts of him and his wayes which will not a little conduce to the promoting of an Espousal between him and thee 5. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ Then study and contemplate much how infinitly grateful and acceptable Christ is Sinners know not or if they know they consider not who or what Christ is they mind not how acceptable a good he is to souls and therefore they slight him Had'st thou known sayes Christ to the woman the gift of God and who it is that speaketh â—o thee thou would have askt of him and he would have given thee living waters Jo. 4.10 Truly did men know Christ and his infinite aceptableness they would run to him and close with him in a Marriage-Covenant Study therefore and contemplate this much thereby possessing thy soul with a deep sense of it The Apostle speaking but of one truth concerning Christ tells us 't is worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.16 And if so what acceptation must Christ himself yea Christ withall his truths and all his treasures both be worthy of And how should our souls cleave to him take him into our embraces There are among others five things which speak a good to be eminently grateful and acceptable worth and excellency usefulness and serviceableness sutableness and conveniency Sweetness and delight Durableness and unchangableness in all all which are sound in Christ who tenders himself and his Love to us 1. There is worth and excellency in Christ yea incomparable worth and excellency The Apostle speaks of an excelling excellency that there is in the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 Now the knowledge of Christ is so excellent because Christ is excellent Christ indeed is all worth all excellency He is an infinite Ocean of Beauty and glory he is the chiefest among ten Thousand and all together lovely Cant. 5.10 16. All excellencies dwell in him as in their proper Fountain and they all meet and are united in him as lines in their proper center Some beauty some excellencies you find scatter'd up and down among the creatures the Saints and Angels the Sun Moon and Starrs and the like But alas T is scatter'd and 't is scatter'd but here and there a drop but in Christ you have all Beauty all worth all excellency in a blessed Union and conjunction You have all in one and that unchangeably O what a portion is Christ sayes one O that the Saints would dig deeper into the treasures of his wisdom and excellencies Truly 't is sweet digging there and there in some sort there will be room for digging to all eternity for even through eternity new wonders of glory will arise new Beauties and excellencies will appear
approve of him as such See that the desire of your Souls be indeed towards him above all others View him till you fall in love with him yea till you fall sick of love for him and be sure not to rest till you get your Wills sweetly and powerfully determined upon him so determined upon him as to make a free solemn deliberate choice of him passing by all other Lovers and taking him alone into the bosom and embraces of your Faith and Love Now that you may be sure to make a right choice of Christ such a choice of Christ as may make him yours and tie the Marriage Knot between him and you observe herein these five or six great Rules 1. Be sure that you chuse and embrace Christ himself and not somewhat else instead of him 'T is a great and awakening saying which a worthy Divine has Many now sayes he take Christ by guess but be sure that it be he and onely he whom ye embrace his sweet Smell his lovely Voice his fair Face his gracious working in the Soul will soon tell if it be he or no. So say I be sure that it be he many mistake the Object they close with somewhat else instead of Christ at best they chuse Christ's Portion his Benefits his Priviledges his Purchases but not his Person But my advice to you is pitch on nothing short of the Person of Christ then is our Raith beyond all doubt rightly pitch't upon Christ when Christ himself not his Benefits and Priviledges onely are chosen and embraced by us A Marriage if right is between Person and Person not between Person and Portion Person and Estate that being a resulting thing So here in this Spiritual-Marriage Faith does not marry the Soul to the Portion Benefits and Priviledges of Christ but to Christ himself True I don't say first but that true Faith gives the Soul an interest in all the Benefits Priviledges and Purchases of Christ Nor secondly do I say that the Soul may not have an eye to these and a respect to these in his choice of and close with Christ yea usually these are the first thing that Faith has in its eye The first thing the Soul looks at and is taken with when he is drawn to Christ usually is that Peace that Pardon that Righteousness that deliverance from Sin Death and Hell which he sees is found and treasured up in Christ for Souls But though these things be so yet the Soul does and must go higher he must look at and pitch upon the Person of Christ or his Faith is not so right and compleat as it ought to be Alas 't is the Person of Christ that is the great Fountain of all Grace and all Manifestations from God to us and Faith accordingly does close in with his Person The Spouses Faith seems so to do Cant. 5.10 She had her eye upon the personal Beauty and Glory of Christ and accordingly embraced him with her Faith and Love Hence also you have so often those expressions I sought him whom my Soul loved and saw you him whom my Soul loveth Her love and so her Faith was fixt upon Christ himself and thus do you fix your Faith and Love upon him so shall you be sure not to miss of a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 2. Be sure that you chuse a whole Christ and not a part of him only My meaning is see that you chuse and embrace Christ in all his Offices as a King as well as a Priest as a Lord as well as a Saviour and as in all his Offices so for all those ends and uses for which God has designed him and the Gospel revealed him to us for Holiness as well as Righteousness for Sanctification as well as Justification I need not tell you that Christ is a Lord and King as well as a Saviour and that as such he is revealed and offered in the Gospel to our Faith Him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5.31 and they that will have him as a Saviour to give them pardon must have him as a Prince to give them repentance And you know Christ's Rest and his Yoke go together in the Gospel-Offer Mat. 11.28 29. Nor need I tell you that God has appointed him and the Gospel reveals him to be our Sanctification as well as our Justification So you have it expresly 1 Cor. 1.30 Accordingly then do we chuse Christ and embrace him aright when we chuse and embrace him under each notion when we chuse and embrace him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord too not onely as a Priest to procure pardon and reconciliation for us but also as a Prince to rule govern and command us not only as our Righteousness to justifie us but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy and thus true Faith does chuse and embrace him Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Mark Faith chuses Christ not only for Righteousness but for Strength too Righteousness for Justification Strength for Holiness and Sanctification Christ's language to the Soul in the tender of himself is such as this Poor Soul thou art in a dead lost undone condition God is wroth with thee Hell gapes for thee Justice calls aloud for vengeance against thee and there is no hope no help no salvation for thee but in and by me and union with me And loe I am willing to bestow my self with all my fulness upon thee But remember this that I 'le rule and command thee If I be thy Saviour I 'le be thy Lord and King too If thou wilt share in my Redemption thou must be content to bear my Yoke to bow to my Scepter to submit to my Laws and Kingdom Accordingly Faith's answer if right is this Content Lord 't is but fit that he that Saves should rule and reign that he that Redeems should be bowed and submitted to and I do willingly give up my self to thy holy and spiritual Government thy Yoke is easie thy Scepter is Righteouss thy Kingdom is full of Peace and Joy and I desire to come under them I would have thee to make me holy as well as righteous to subdue this rebellious heart of mine and to rule in me by thy pure Spirit as well as to save me by thy perfect obedience O see that thus you chuse and embrace whole Christ else your Faith is not right nor are you like to attain unto a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him 3. Be sure that you chuse Christ singly and alone and not joyn somewhat else with him Some are for compounding with Christ they would joyn somewhat else in Partnership with him but as Christ must not be divided so neither will he be compounded he will be all or nothing at all to Souls and so true Faith closes with him Hence with the new Creature Christ is said to be all and in all Col. 3.11