The Best Match

Or The Souls Espousal to Christ.

By Edward Pearse.

Joh. 3.29, 30.

He that hath the Bride, is the Bridegroom: but the Friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice: This my joy therefore is fulfilled.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

London, Printed for Jonathan Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and Brabazon Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill, 1673.

This text has been initially updated from EEBO-TCP by Project Puritas (Logan West, with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf.) www.puritansearch.org

Further revision and editing done by Monergism. Copyright Monergism via universal text usage permission from the above.

Editor’s Note – During the TCP Transcription Process, all the archaic text were hand transcribed according to visual representation; and as such, sometimes the letters s, l, f & t are misconstrued with each other, these letters regularly being almost illegibly similar in the original facsimiles. Though it is rare for these errors to remain post-edit, unfortunately they may if uncaught. My apologies in advance where this error does occur.

Table of Contents

READER

TO THE READER

CHAPTER I - Introduction

CHAPTER II - The Espousal or Marriage-Relation between Christ and Believers opened

CHAPTER III. In which the way and means of the accomplishment of this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is inquired into, and a general account thereof given.

CHAPTER IV. The Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers

CHAPTER V. 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.

CHAPTER VI. Being a Call to and Treaty with Souls, in order to an Espousal between Christ and them.

CHAPTER VII. Which shows what manner of Husband Christ is, and how qualified for the endearing of him to Souls, and rendering him desirable in a Conjugal-Relation.

CHAPTER VIII. Which shows what great things Christ does for all his Spouses.

CHAPTER IX. Which opens a little the heart of Christ, and shows how much he is Jet upon an Espousal with Sinners.

CHAPTER X. Which Directs Souls, and shows them the way, how to Attain unto this sweet and Blessed Espousal with Jesus Christ.

READER,

Next to the full and immediate Vision and Fruition of the God of Glory above, the greatest happiness of Souls lies in Union and Communion with Christ here: Nor indeed can we ever attain unto the one without an acquaintance with the other. Now to bring thee into, and build thee up in this Union and Communion with Christ, and thereby to fit and dispose thee for that glorious Vision and Fruition Above, is the principal design of the ensuing Discourse. If thou requirest a reason of the publication hereof, I desire thee to satisfy thyself with this; God in his all-wise and holy Providence, hath seen good now for several months to call the unworthy Author out of his Vineyard, and lodge him in a sick Chamber; and he also seems to be speedily calling him out of this World, and to bring that Night upon him wherein no man can work, wherein nothing is to be done either for God or a Man's Soul, John 9.4. And being never like to do more for Christ on Earth, he was willing, in hopes of advancing his dear Lord's Kingdom, in the drawing of Sinners to him, and building up of Saints in him, & communion with him, to make these poor Contemplations public. God was pleased some few years since to make a more than ordinary use of the preaching of them, many Souls being through his Grace espoused to Christ and more brought nearer to him thereby: and had I not some hopes that he would also, through that same Grace of his, make some use of the reading of them for thy good, and the good of others, I think they had never seen the light: Thy good then, and Christ's Glory in the enlargement of his Kingdom, is the thing aimed at herein, which the good Lord by his Grace accomplish. I am lying daily by the brink of the Grave, waiting upon the Will, and for the Call of my Sovereign Lord; the only reason swaying with me to desire life, next to the more through working out of my own Salvation, is to reveal, and make known Christ to Souls, and to publish the glad Tidings of Peace and Salvation to a lost and sinful World: But if God will make no further use of me that way, his Will be done. I comfort myself with what a holy Man speaks, Sinless glorifying of God, saith he, is better than sinful glorifying of God. His meaning I suppose is, that 'tis better to glorify God in a sinless than in a sinful state: Truly bere we sin in our best Actions; and if we bring a little glory to God, yet woe and alas! how much dishonor do we also bring him? and what iniquities do there cleave to our most holy things? But above we shall glorify him without sinning; we shall love him, praise him, admire him, adore him, delight in him, and ascribe glory to him without the least taint or tincture of sin cleaving thereunto; having not only all tears wiped off our eyes; but which is infinitely, infinitely, infinitely better, all sin purged from our hearts and actions. Farewell, I leave thee and this poor Treatise to the Blessing of Heaven.

E. P.

TO THE READER,

There are two main ends for which the Gospel-Ministry is ordained; the one is, the winning of Souls, and bringing them into Christ; the other is the edification and building up of such as are already brought in. It hath pleased Christ, the Head of the Church, who distributeth Gifts in order to the salvation of men, unto whom, and in what measure he pleaseth, to furnish the Author of this Discourse, with good abilities as to both these Works. As to the first, the Lord had given him a peculiar Gift, to qualify him above many, to Preach the Gospel for the winning of Souls; and the Grace of God in him did inflame his heart with ardent desires, and did excite great longings in him after the conversion of Souls; and he was pleased to crown his own Gifts and Grace in him with great success, many a Soul having been turned unto God by his Labors. And it having pleased God to cast the Author into a languishing Distemper for some months, whereby he was wholly taken off from his Work in Preaching, so great did the desire of doing good to Souls remain in him, and such were the yearnings of his Bowels towards them, that being not able to speak to them any longer out of the Pulpit, he could not satisfy himself, but he must needs speak to them in this small Tract, wherein his great Scope and principal Design is, to allure and draw Souls unto Christ. As to the Matter of the Treatise, I need say little, it will sufficiently speak for itself; only thus much I may say, Union with Christ is the foundation of our Happiness. The Apostle telleth us, that Christ in us is the hope of Glory; We cannot have any sure or sound title to eternal Life and Glory, but by Union with Christ; whoever are saved, are saved by being brought under Christ as their Head. Ephes. 1.10. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ; that he might bring them under one Head; so Zanchi and others interpret the Greek word there used: The Son of God incarnate is the true Vine into which the Elect are implanted. There are but two Roots of Mankind, the First and the Second Adam, the first Adam is the Root of Sin and Death unto all that abide in him; the second Adam is the Root of Righteousness and Life unto all who are implanted into him. The scope of this Discourse, is to persuade men not to be content to abide in the Root upon which they naturally grow, viz. the Root of the first Adam, but to seek after a new Relation unto Christ the second Adam. The Arguments by which the Author presseth Souls to come to Christ, are most pathetical and strong; and as there is a Vein of Heavenly Affection which runneth through the whole body of the Discourse to allure such who are yet strangers to the Lord Jesus to fall in love with him, so there is much solid Matter interwoven, whereby those who are already called, and have attained to some acquaintance with spiritual things, may receive farther advantage. It pleaseth the Al-wise God to leave the Author at a great uncertainty as to Life; the Lord hath kept him in the Furnace long, but he 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 persuaded, 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 enamored 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 prays,

The unworthiest of Christ's Servants, John Rowe.

THE BEST MATCH:

OR, THE SOULS ESPOUSAL TO CHRIST.

I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you a chaste Virgin unto Christ. From 2 Cor. 11.2.

CHAPTER 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.

A New 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: 'tis what lies at the foundation of all true happiness both in Time and Eternity; without it (as a Learned Divine hath well observed) we are not Christians; we are only the carcasses of Christians; nor may we expect any saving advantage by anything 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: 'tis 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) 'tis 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 joined 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 cannot 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 forever. Now 'tis 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, says 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 chaste Virgin to Christ. The same is also held forth in other Scriptures, John 3.29. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom, saith John the Baptist concerning Christ and his Church: And again, Rev. 21.9. Come hither, says the Angel to John, and I will show 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 'tis made up and accomplished, are the principal things to be inquired into, for the clearing of what lies before us; which therefore I shall address myself unto.

CHAPTER II

The Espousal or Marriage-Relation between Christ and Believers opened, and the import thereof laid down in five 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; which indeed is a great Mystery, that is, a hidden secret Thing; a thing hid from human 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: 'It is that spiritual conjunction or relation that is between Christ and Believers, 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 Union.

III. Sweet and lasting Communion.

IV. Strong and ardent Affection.

V. Mutual rest and complacency forever.

I. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it free and cordial Donation; a giving of themselves each to other. In Marriages or Espousals, the Parties give themselves each to other; the Husband gives himself unto the Wife, and the Wife, by way of return, gives herself unto the Husband; they consent to take each other in that relation, and accordingly do give up themselves each to other: So in this Spiritual Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and his People, there is a giving of themselves each to other; they consent to take each other, and accordingly do give up themselves each to other. — Christ, on the one hand, gives himself unto the Soul: I will be thine, says he, to the Soul; thine to love thee; thine to save thee; thine to make thee happy in me, and with me: I, with all my Riches and Treasures, will be fully and forever thine: I will be for thee; that is the language of his Espousing Love unto the Soul, Hos. 3.3. And oh how sweet is this Language! What can Christ give to poor Souls like himself? In giving himself, he gives the best Gift that either Heaven or Earth affords: In giving himself, he gives Life, he gives Peace, he gives Grace, he gives Righteousness, he gives the favor of God, he gives Heaven, he gives all. Oh sweet Gift! — On the other hand, the Soul by way of return gives himself to Christ: I will be thine, says the Soul to Christ, I will be for thee and not for another: Hence 'tis said, They gave themselves to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. they freely and willingly yielded up themselves to Christ, to be his, and his forever; Sweet Jesus, such as I am, and have, I give to thee. I am a poor, a sorry Gift (says the Soul) infinitely unworthy of thine acceptance; my best is too bad, my All is too little for thee: but seeing 'tis thy pleasure to call for, and accept of such a Gift at my hands, I do with my whole Soul give up my Self, my Strength, my Time, my Talents, my All forever to thee. And though, the truth is, this be a sorry Gift, yet you little think, how pleasing, how grateful it is to Christ, and what a value he puts upon it. You have the whole of this owned and asserted by the Spouse, Cant. 2.16. My Beloved is mine, and I am his.

II. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it near and intimate union. In Marriage there is a very near union and conjunction between the Parties: As they give up themselves each to other, so they become one each with other; They are no more twain, but one flesh, Mat. 19.6. So in this Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a very near union and conjunction between them; they two are made one; and thus the Apostle sets forth the Marriage between Christ and them, Ephes. 5.31, 32. For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother, and shall be joined unto his Wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great Mystery; but I spake concerning Christ and the Church, that is, I speak of the Marriage-relation which is between Christ and the Church, which consists in union: Hence also Believers are said to be joined to the Lord, and to be one Spirit with him, 1 Cor. 6.17. So that espousing to Christ, and being joined to Christ, are all one. The truth is, herein lies the very soul and substance of this Spiritual Marriage, viz. in a spiritual union between Christ and the Believer: though Christ and the Soul were two before; two, that were strangers each to other, yet in this Marriage or Espousal they become one, and so one, as that all the World can never make them two again, never dissolve this union. By this usual, but of all others most pleasant Metaphor of a Bridegroom and Bride (as a learned Man hath observed) is expressed and set forth the Spiritual Union that is between Christ and the Church, Christ and every Holy Soul. And this Union is a full Union, an Union between the whole Person of Christ, and the whole Person of the Believer; the whole Person of Christ is united unto the Believer, and the whole Person of the Believer is united unto Christ. Neither is our Soul alone (saith a Learned Man) joined with the Soul of Christ alone; nor is our flesh alone joined with the flesh of Christ alone; but the whole Person of every Believer is truly joined with the whole Person of Christ.

1. On the one hand, the whole Person of Christ is united to the Believer; the Believers union with Christ, is neither with the Divine nor Human Nature considered apart; but it is with the whole Person consisting of both Natures; and indeed, else they could not be said to be united to [Christ], for neither of the Natures, considered apart, is Christ: We cannot say, that the Divine Nature is Christ, or that the Human Nature is Christ; but Christ is both the Divine and Human Nature, God-man, in one Person. Christ (saith a Learned Man) is not a Name of either Nature, but of the Person consisting of both Natures, together with his Office. Besides, were we united only to one Nature, and not to the whole Person of Christ, what would our Union avail us? Surely it would be vain and ineffectual. Were we united to the Human Nature only, and not to the Divine, then to be sure our Union must be ineffectual; For Christ himself tells us, That it is the Spirit which quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, John 6.63. That is (as judicious Interpreters expound it) the flesh or Human Nature of Christ considered alone, and without the influence of the Divine, availeth nothing to Souls as to their spiritual or eternal good: Nor indeed, can the Human Nature of Christ, without the Divine, give Grace, or any spiritual good thing. On the other hand, were we united to the Divine Nature alone, and not to the Human, then our Union would be as ineffectual: for how full soever the Divine Nature is of Grace and Life in itself, yet nothing can thence be derived and communicated to us, but by and through the Humanity: And indeed, as the Humanity profiteth nothing without the Divinity; so I may say, the Divinity will profit us nothing without the Humanity. Hence it is, that Christ so often speaks of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood, and withal asserts the necessity thereof in order to life and happiness by him, John 6.53, 54, 55. What doth eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood signify, but an Union with his Humanity? And therefore in verse. 56. he addeth, He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him; which is an expression of Union; and without this we have, we can have no Life, no Grace from him. In a word, as the humanity hath nothing to give or communicate to us, no Life, no Grace, no Spiritual Blessing without the Divinity; so the Divinity is incommunicable to us without the Humanity; and therefore were our Union with the one only without the other, it must needs he ineffectual. I will close this with the saying of an eminent Divine, Although all Life, all Salvation floweth from the fullness of the Deity that is in Christ, yet notwithstanding it is not communicated to us but in the flesh, and by the flesh of Christ. For the Deity is as the Fountain whence all good things flow, Life and Salvation; but the flesh, or humanity, is as the Channel, by which all these good things, and all Gifts and Graees are derived unto us; therefore unless a man apprehendeth this Channel, and be united to it, he cannot possibly be made a partaker of these Waters which do flow from this Fountain.

2. On the other hand, the whole Person of the Believer is united to Christ; not his Soul only without his Body, nor yet his Body only without his Soul, but his whole Person consisting of both Soul and Body in conjunction: As Christ is the Savior, so he is the Head of the whole Person of every Believer, for he saves none but those whom he is a Head unto: And as Christ is the Head of, so he must have union with the whole Person of every Believer; for his being an Head implies union, and that union must extend as far as his Headship doth, even to the whole Person: In short, the Believers Soul is united to Christ, therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit; and the Believers Body is united to Christ, and therefore the Bodies of Believers are said to be Members of Christ, 1 Cor. 6.15. thus this union is a full union: And as it is a full, so it is a very near union. Next to those two great Unions, the essential Union, the Union of the three Persons in One, and the same Divine Essence, and the Personal Union, the Union of the two Natures, Divine and Human, in the Person of Christ; this is the nearest Union. Hence it is expressed, sometimes by their being in each other, John 14.20. Ye shall know, that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you: sometimes by their dwelling in each other; John 6.56. He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. And what can be nearer, than to be and dwell in each other? It is a nearer Union than that between the Husband and the Wife, for that Union may be broken, and is at last, but this never is, never can be broken, (as in its place will be shewn).

III. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it full and lasting communion: In Marriage-relations there is a full and free communion between the Parties, both in what they are, and what they have: The Husband admits the wife into a participation in all he is and hath; on the other hand, he communicates with her in all she is and hath; and indeed union is in order to communion: So here, in the Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a full and free communion between them in all they are and have. On the one hand, Christ communicates himself unto the Believer, he admits him into a fellowship and participation with him in all his riches and fullness; hence is, that John 1.16. of his fullness have all we received, and that Grace for Grace: verse. 14. He is said to be full of Grace: And what Grace is that? Why all Grace, Personal Grace, Purchased Grace, Grace of Privilege, and Grace of Influence: And here it is said, that of his fullness have all we received; not some only, but all, great and small have received, and that not in a low, poor, scanty measure only, but in great abundance; therefore it's added, and Grace for Grace; or Grace upon Grace, heaps of Grace, Grace in a plentiful manner, all Grace needful for the Soul, Righteousness, Remission of Sins, Sanctification, Renovation of the Spirit, and the like. Look whatever Christ is, or hath, which Believers are capable of, it is all theirs, and they all hold communion with him therein: His beauty is theirs; and how black and deformed soever they are in themselves, yet they are fair and comely in him: Hence saith the Spouse, I am black, but comely, Cant. 1.5. that is, black in myself, but comely in Christ; black by Nature, but comely by the Redeemers Grace, comely through the comeliness which he puts upon me, Ezek. 16.14. His Righteousness is theirs; and how guilty and unrighteous soever they are in themselves, yet in him they are Righteous, and do stand perfectly righteous in the sight of God: Hence his Name is said to be, The Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23.6. and they are said to be made the Righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5.21. His Privileges and Dignities are theirs; and how vile and base soever they are in themselves; yet in him they are highly dignified and advanced. Is he a Son? so are they through him: To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, to as many as believed in his Name, John 1.12. Is he an Heir, an Heir of God? so are they, they are Heirs, yea coheirs with him of God, Rom. 8.17. Is he beloved by the Father, and that with a choice and singular love? so are they, they are beloved in him, Ephes. 1.6. yea, they are beloved with the same love, wherewith he is beloved by the Father, John 17.23. Is he a King? so are they, he hath made them, and doth make them all Kings, and they do, and shall reign with him forever, Rev. 1.6. Is he in Heaven, in possession of happiness and glory? so are they: Hence they are said to sit together with him in heavenly places, Ephes. 2.6. What shall I say? his glory is theirs: The glory which thou gavest me (saith he to his Father) I have given them, John 17.22. Yea all his divine fullness is theirs; and how empty and imperfect soever they are in themselves, yet they are perfect and complete in him, and in his fullness, Col. 2.9, 10. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the God-head bodily; bodily, that is, truly, perfectly, unchangeably, and not typically only, as in the Temple of old. All the fullness and perfection of the God-head dwelleth truly and perfectly in him: And what then? why it follows, and ye are complete in him, q.d. You are poor and empty things in yourselves, but your Head and Husband hath all the fullness of the God-head in him, and it is always in him; for it dwelleth in him; and it is all yours, and you do communicate with him in all, so far as you are capable of it, to complete you both in Grace and Glory. Thus Christ communicates himself unto the Believer, and admits him into a participation with him in all he is and hath.

On the other hand, Christ partakes and holds communion with Believers in all they are and have: And what is their All? truly a poor All; in and of themselves, they have nothing but sins and sorrows, guilt and afflictions. Indeed in marrying of them, he gives them Gifts, Graces, Comforts, and the like: and having given them these, he holds communion with them in all: their Gifts and Graces, their Joys and Comforts are his: but, I say, in and of themselves they have nothing but sorrows and sins, and he in a sort holdeth communion with them in both: he holds communion with them in their sorrows; hence it is said, that in all their afflictions he is afflicted, Isa. 63.9. He looks upon their sorrows as his, and their sufferings as his. I was an hungry, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, naked, imprisoned, &c. Mat. 25.35, 36. And often (you know) in Scripture, their Sufferings and Afflictions, are called the Sufferings and Afflictions of Christ: And why the Sufferings and Afflictions of Christ? not only because for the most part they suffer for his sake; but also because he suffereth and is afflicted in them, and with them: He communicates with them in their afflictions: And, as in their sorrows, so also in some sort in their sins too: Hence he calls their sins, as well as their afflictions, his. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, Psal. 40.12. Which Luther, and others, understand of Christ speaking of our sins, and calling them his: Not, my Beloved, that he doth admit of any the least stain or tincture of sinful defilement upon himself; but he so looks upon our sins as his, as to take them off from us, and looks upon himself responsible to the Fathers justice for them: so he was said to be made sin for us, 2 Cor. 5.21. O what Grace is here! I close this head with a great and sweet saying, which I have read in one of the Ancients, suitable to this purpose. The like sweet Names are not to be found, by which the sweet Affections of Christ and the Soul are expressed each to other, as those of the Bridegroom and the Bride, for why, all things are common with them, nothing proper, having nothing separate and apart each from other; they have both one Inheritance, one House, one Table, one Marriage-bed, also one flesh: The sum is, they communicate with each other in all they are and have.

IV. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it strong and ardent Affection. In a Marriage-relation, there is the dearest, strongest, and most intimate Affection that is to be found among the Children of Men: 'It is a Relation made up of love: Love is not only a concomitant of Marriage, but it is even a part of it, and is essential to it: In Marriages, Hearts must be joined as well as Hands, or they are not right: So here in this Spiritual-espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, there is a very dear and intimate Affection each to other; their hearts are indeed knit, and do intimately cleave to one another: The Saints (says one) are called the Spouse of Christ, Propter amoris magnitudinem; because of that great and unparalleled love that is between them. And it is a sweet saying, which I have read in one of the Ancients to this purpose. Christ (says he) calls himself our Bridegroom, that he might insinuate the greatness of his love to us, which decays not with time; and he calls us his Spouse, not his Wife, noting that our love to him should be always new, always lively and vigorous. The truth is, no love like that between Christ and his Spouse; Christ loves and espouses, and the Soul loves and is espoused; and both being espoused, do love forever; and so this relation is both founded in love, and perfected in love; 'tis both made up and managed with love on all hands; Christ sets his love upon the Soul, and in that love espouses him to himself; and having in this love of his espoused him to himself, then he loves him as his Spouse: often in the Book of Canticles his Spouse is called his Love; as also he on the other hand is called her Beloved: and what doth this note, but that the whole relation consists mainly in love, and that they are most dearly and intimately beloved by each other? Christ having espoused the Soul to himself, now his love runs out in full streams towards him; he loves him above all the rest of the Creatures, in some respects above the Angels themselves, as standing in a nearer relation to him than they do. On the other hand, the Souls love is drawn out to Christ, and loving him, he is espoused to him, and being espoused to him, he loves him yet more; now Christ is laid between his breasts, in his most intimate Affections, he has the Throne in his heart, Cant. 1.13. yea the Soul by degrees comes to be sick of love to him, (as you have it) Cant. 2.5. Stay me with Flagons, (says she) comfort me with Apples, for I am sick of love; to whom? to Christ: And truly this (as one of the Ancients hath observed) is a sweet sickness, a blessed languor, a pleasant love: And this love between Christ and his Spouse, is a chaste love, a Virgin love, a love that is pitched upon the person of each other; Christ loves the person of the Believer, and the Believer loves the Person of Christ. (Of which more in its place.)

V. This Espousal, or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, carries in it a mutual rest and complacency forever. In a Marriage-relation, there is great delight and complacency the Parties have, or should have each in other, especially in the day of Espousals. You know how Solomon speaks, Rejoice with the Wife of thy Youth: let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe: let her Breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love, Prov. 5.18, 19. All noting that joy, rest, and complacency, that that relation carries in it, and the Parties have in each other; and we read (you know) of the joy of the Bridegroom, as the highest and purest that is found among the Sons of men: So in this spiritual Espousals between Christ and Believers, there is a mutual rest and complacency which they have in each other: They are, as it were, the rest, the joy, the satisfaction of each other; the solace of each other's Soul. On the one hand, Christ rests and rejoices in the Believer, as one would do in the Wife of his Youth: This his Spouse is to him, as a loving Hind, and pleasant Roe, and he lives joyfully with her: hence she is called his delight, and that as being married to him: Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, (says he to her) for the Lord delighteth in thee, thou shalt be the joy and delight of my Soul, Isa. 62.4. And again, As a young man marrieth a Virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee; and as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee, verse. 5. The sum of all which amounts to this, That Christ marrying his People to himself, delights in them, and rejoices over them, and that with the highest and purest delight and complacency of all others, a delight and complacency suitable to the relation: The truth is, he speaks as if all his delight were in them, as if he had forgotten to delight in the Angels, or in any of the works of his hands, but in them alone. My goodness (says he to the Father) extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints, in whom is all my delight, Psalm 16.2. Yea, he declares himself ravished with them, as his Spouse; Cant. 4.9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister my Spouse; thou hast ravished my heart: And he speaks as one ravished indeed. Cant. 7.6. How fair and pleasant art thou, O Love, for delight! and Chap. 6. v. 5. he acknowledges himself captivated by her, Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: Yea, he has declared them to be his Rest, Psal. 132.14. This is my rest forever, (says he) here will I dwell, for I have desired it: It's spoken of Zion, as a Type of the Church, and Spouse of Christ, and his rest in her; and indeed they are his Rest, his Soul is at rest in them, in them is his highest joy: Hence that sweet word, Zeph. 3.17. The Lord thy God, in the midst of thee is mighty; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love upon thee, he will joy over thee with singing; as much as to say, his whole rest, solace, and delight shall be in thee. On the other hand, the Believer rests and rejoices in Christ, as in his Head and Husband: I sat down under his shadow (says the Spouse) with great delight, Cant. 2.3. She did suaviter requiescere (as one expresses it) sweetly rest, and repose her Soul in him: Her Soul was at rest, and filled with delight, great delight, she had great springing's of joy within her, and all this in Christ her Bridegroom; in his Person, in his Presence, in his Protection, in the fruits of his Grace and Love: And therefore it follows, and his Fruit was sweet to my taste; as if she should say, O with what joy, what solace, what delight and satisfaction of Soul did I converse with him, and feed upon him! Thus in these Espousals there is a mutual delight and satisfaction between Christ and Believers; and O how sweet is this! this makes this Espousal to relish strongly of Heaven, and to set the Soul down even at the Gate thereof. Thus I have shown you what this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is.

CHAPTER III.

In which the way and means of the accomplishment of this Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers is inquired into, and a general account thereof given.

Having seen somewhat of the nature of the Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, the next thing to be inquired into is, How this Espousal or Relation is made up and accomplished: To be sure, naturally we are all strangers to it, and unacquainted with it, being (as the Apostle speaks) without Christ, that is, without union with him, or any spiritual Relation to him, Ephes. 2.12. But how then, and in what way is it brought about? In general, it is from Divine Grace, the Grace of God in Jesus Christ acting and laying out itself for us and upon us; and it is from Divine Grace two ways; or as that Grace carries a double opposition with it. First, As it stands in opposition to anything of worth or deserving's in us; and so it flows from the riches of Divine Grace, as its only Spring and Fountain: And, secondly, as that Grace stands in opposition to anything of power or ability in us; and so it is effected by the Power of Divine Grace as its Principle and Efficient: Accordingly take this General in these two Propositions.

I. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, flows from the Riches of Divine Grace, as its only Spring and Fountain: that any of the Sons of Men are Married or Espoused to Christ, is not from anything of worth or deserving's in them, but purely and entirely from free Grace and Love dwelling and working in the heart of God and Christ towards them; and this account the Scripture gives us of it, Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with in everlasting, love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee: as if he should say, I have drawn thee out of thy sins, out of thy unbelief, out of all thy carnal rests and refuges, and I have drawn thee to myself, into union and communion with myself, into a Marriage-covenant and Relation with my, self; and all this from mine own free love, that love, that kindness, that has been in my heart towards thee from everlasting: So again, Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving, kindness, and in mercies. Mark, It is mercy and loving kindness, which espouses Souls to Christ. God (says one upon this place) espouses us to Christ, indeed thereunto by no merits of ours, but by his own goodness and mercy. And indeed, my Beloved, what have we, or what have any of the sons of men, that should speak the one or the other worthy of a conjugal-relation to Christ, or that should invite and induce him to take us into such a relation to himself? Have we Birth or Parentage to induce him? No, alas! as to our state, we are all of the brood of Hell, and thence, as sinners, we all have our descent and original, John 8.44. Have we beauty and amiableness? No, for we are all black and deformed in ourselves, we have the spirit of the Devil in us, and the image of the Devil upon us: we are blind, and deaf, and dumb, and lame, and crooked: so the Scripture speaks of us in our natural state, we are all in our blood and gore, cast out into the open field to the loathing of our persons, Ezek. 16.5, 6. And as their case is represented, Isa. 1.6. such is ours spiritually, Even from the sole of the foot, to the crown of the head, there is no soundness in us; nothing but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: In a word, we are all sin, and have nothing but sin. Know, O Spouse of Christ, (says one of the Ancients) that thou hast nothing of thyself but sins; as for all thy good things, they are the Grace of thy Bridegroom to thee, to whom therefore give the glory of it: I say, we have nothing but sins, and is there any beauty, any comeliness in that to attract a Holy Jesus? Surely no. Have we Riches and Treasures? No; for indeed we are poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. Treasures, it is true, we have, but they are black ones; treasures of sin and wickedness, treasures of guilt and wrath, which surely cannot render us worthy, but most unworthy of such a Relation. Have we wisdom and parts to invite him? No; we are altogether brutish and foolish, Jer. 10.8. Wise we are, but it is to do evil; to do good we have no knowledge: Jer. 4.22. Have we love and kindness in us towards him, good nature? No; for naturally we love him not; yea, we hate him, and are enemies to him, Luk. 19.14. We hate both him and the Father, as he charged the Jews of old: Yea, we are enmity itself to him, Rom. 8.7. We are enemies to his Person, to his Kingdom, to his Grace, to his Righteousness, to his Ways, and to all acquaintance and communion with him: Thus we have nothing to induce him to take us into such a Relation: at the best, we are but poor worms, whose Foundation is in the dust: And what can it be, but free and rich Grace in Christ to marry and espouse such unto himself?

II. This Espousal or Marriage-relation between Christ and Believers, is wrought and effected by the Power of Divine Grace, as its principle and efficient: When Souls are married and espoused to Christ, 'tis not done by any power or ability of their own, nor yet by the power and efficacy of means and instruments, but 'tis purely from the power and efficacy of Divine Grace: Indeed, God makes use of Means and Instruments, he makes use of the Gospel and Gospel-Ministers for the espousing of sinners to his Son, and these are the only ordinary way and means whereby he doth it; therefore says the Apostle in my Text, [I] have espoused you to one Husband; that is, I by my Ministry, I by preaching the everlasting Gospel, have been an Instrument in God's hand for your espousing to Christ: but though God thus makes use of means and instruments in this Work, yet still the Work itself is from pure Grace, and to Grace doth Christ attribute it, excluding all other power but this as sufficient hereunto, John 6.44. No man can come to me, or believe on me, close with me in a Marriage-Covenant, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him: that is, except the power of Divine Grace be put forth upon him in order hereunto: the drawing here Christ speaks of, is comprehensive of the whole business; it's the enabling of us to come to Christ, to believe on him, and close with him as our Head and Husband. It notes (as one observes) not any violent coaction or constraint, but a sweet bowing of the Will, which in itself was averse from, and opposite to God and Christ; and withal, a carrying of the Soul to Christ, and an enabling of him to close with him in this Relation: and this Christ ascribes wholly to the power of Divine Grace: the truth is, in and of ourselves we have no power or ability for such a work; we are without strength, Rom. 6.5. Yea, when we are brought into Christ by the power of Divine Grace; yet then, in and of ourselves, we can do nothing; So Christ tells us, Joh. 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. Yea, when we are brought into Christ, and have had some communion with him; yet we cannot follow after him, nor draw one tittle nearer to him, unless a fresh influence of Divine Grace be put forth upon us, enabling us thereunto; so much the Spouse was sensible of, and therefore prays thus, Draw me, and we will run after thee, Cant. 1.4. As if she should say, Lord in myself I cannot stir one foot towards thee; but do thou 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 'tis the Act or Work of the mighty Power of that Grace; 'tis 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 (says 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 will speak a little of each.

CHAPTER 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 a 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? 'tis observed by Divines, that the Spouse is not here mentioned: Who or what then is she? 'tis answered, Christ has a twofold 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: 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 veiled, 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 marvelously sweetened 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 Christ's incarnation, that he might thereby become a fit Husband for his People, and they might be capable of union and communion with him: 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 'tis 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 privilege, 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 a Head and Husband to the Soul, and he gives the Soul for a Bride or Spouse to Christ. (First) He gives Christ for a Head and Husband to the Soul, in John 4.10. Christ is called the Gift of God: And how the Gift of God? two ways, (1st) in that he gave him for us; he gave him to be incarnate, to suffer, to bleed, to die, 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 'tis 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 Work 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 (says 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 ones, then gave he them to his Son, and willed 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. The Father (says one) hath given this Spouse to his Son, (speaking of his Church) and joins 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, 'tis 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, 'tis 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 Christ's 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 myself. Christ here plainly declares his acceptance of the Father's Gift, giving poor sinners to him to be his Spouses. 'It is a great Saying, and suitable to this I am speaking, which I have read in a great Divine, The eternal will and good pleasure of God precedes (says 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 myself forever: 'tis true, they are poor worthless Creatures, altogether unsuitable 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 only 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. 'It 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 persuade David to marry his Daughter, in pretense 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, Jacob's Daughter, he proffered to give a Dowry for her; Give me (says 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 'tis here, Christ buys 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. Hence 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 Shechem did to Jacob, Ask me never so much Dowry, and I will give it. Why, my Son, says the Father, if thou wilt have them, and marry them to thyself, 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 cannot be done by less than thy giving thyself 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 solicits them for their love and acceptance: he importunes them, and that in such a way, as if he were resolved to take no denial; 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 cried, 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 today, he made love to them time after time, as he did (you know) to Jerusalem, Matth. 23.37. for some years together he wooed 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 ourselves 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 Beggar, coming now himself in person, and then sending his Servants to her to solicit 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.

CHAPTER 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 shows 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 completes 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, married 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, says he, (for 'tis his own Argument and Allusion in verse. 2 and 3) as a Woman cannot 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: 'tis 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 ourselves dead by the Law; 'tis to see ourselves 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 (says 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 died. I was alive without the Law once, that is, I thought myself 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 died; 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 shows 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 ways 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 Abrahams 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 fullness dwelling in him, all fullness 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 fullness, 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 fullness, 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 only 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 'tis 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 verse. 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 shows her a Well of Water, whence she fetches a full supply. So here, the poor Soul having been under the convincing power of the Law, sees himself in a woeful, miserable, distressed 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 shows him Christ, and Christ as infinitely suitable to him: Look, says the Spirit to the Soul, being now desolate and undone, look, here is a Savior 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 satisfy all thy Desires, to answer all thy Love, and to give thee perfect happiness and satisfaction in and with himself forever: 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, sinfulness, 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 does not make a naked ender and revelation of Christ only 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 Myrrh 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 hungering and thirsting after Christ, and has a blessedness annexed 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 itself in the very bosom and embraces of that Beloved; 'tis 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, says the Soul, or else I die, I perish, and that forever: In a word, nothing but Christ will satisfy 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 fullness of both, are nothing to him without Christ, and a 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 embraces! 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 a hairs breadth, as it were, between Christ and the Soul. Therefore,

IV. The Soul being thus inclined Christward, and drawn forth in holy Longings after Union and Communion with him; 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, 'tis 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: 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 Christ's 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 (says 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: 'tis 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 only Head and Husband forever; and so the Match is made up between him and us: 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, as Divines observe, Christ hath a double Will, his Divine and Human; 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 choose Christ as his only Head and Husband, his Lord and Savior, 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 someone 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 Savior before all others: It singles him out, as it were, from all others, whether persons or things, in Heaven and Earth, and embraces him as the best Husband, the best Savior, 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 enticements; 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 embracing of Christ, Joh. 1.12. 'It 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 Savior, as one who has not only an infinite fullness and sufficiency in him to redeem and save, but also an infinite suitableness and amiableness in him to endear and delight the Soul; and accordingly the Soul accepts and embraces 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 savior like this Savior for my Soul: This is the Head, the Husband, the Savior that I need, and that indeed my Soul desires: No love like his Love, no beauty like his Beauty, no blood like his Blood, no righteousness like his Righteousness, no fullness like his Fulness; He therefore, and he alone shall be my Head, my Husband, my Savior, and my All forever. Sweet Jesus (says he) dost thou tender thyself for a Head and Husband to me, and art thou willing to be embraced 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 Privileges; 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 forever.

II. An Act of Trust or Dependance: As in the Work of Faith the Soul is, by the Spirit of God, made to choose 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 lays 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 anything 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 virtue of his Blood, the infinite efficacy of his Spirit, the infinite fullness 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 will build, (says he) here I will bottom, here I will rest, here I will hang and depend, here I will live; yea, and if die I must, here I will 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, 'tis 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 'tis with them in this case, as 'twas 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 anywhere 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 will 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 says 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? 'It is true, I am a mighty sinner, but he is a more mighty Savior: 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 will lean, and live, and hope. 'It is true, I am utterly unworthy of any Life, any Grace, any Favor; 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 rejoicing 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 Abyss of sin, a very Hell of sin and wickedness; in his life he finds innumerable evils, sins of a crimson-die 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 righteousness's 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, satisfy Justice, answer all the demands of the Law, fully deliver him from sin and guilt, and make him both holy and happy forever; 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 chooses 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 Lord's, Isa. 44.5. that is, he shall give or resign up himself to the Lord to be forever 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 only 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, says 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 will 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 Savior, 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 cannot challenge Christ as a Savior, 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 myself to thee, I will have no Lord but thee; take the whole Throne to thyself within me; I know thy Yoke is an easy 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 Righteousness, 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 thyself: 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 forever in that Soul, as the Pledge and everlasting Bond of this Marriage-union and Relation between them. The sweet Spirit does not only 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 joined to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. one Spirit with the Lord he is joined to; that Spirit which did join 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 virtue 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 only 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 tied 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 tied this happy Knot between him and thee.

CHAPTER 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 ('tis said) and arose, and went to David, and became his Wife, verse. 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 today: 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 anything can make up the loss of these? Can Sin and the Creature afford anything comparable hereunto? Surely there is more sweetness, more happiness, in one kiss of the mouth of this blessed Lord, in one embrace 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 forever, 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 forever; Know you not (says 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 favor, 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, (says the Apostle) or as the words are, nothing of condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8.1. But, as is there implied, 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 forever? 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 forever: 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, 'tis 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, or do not close in with Christ in a Marriage-Union and Relation here: Why then should you stand off from him? Yea, why should not this be the day of espousals between him and you? Oh, be not shy, be not coy to Christ, but embrace his love: surely his Arms are wide open to receive you, his Heart is upon you, and his desire is towards you; Lift up therefore the everlasting Doors, and let this King of Glory in: Give up your Names and Souls unto him forever. Some of you are young, and have your Affections green and fresh: Oh that you would now go with me to sweet Jesus, and become his Spouse; you cannot love him, nor be married to him too soon: Oh, let him have your hearts before this World hath defiled and debauched them: Others of you are older, and have outstood the Calls and Offers of Christ long; yet loe, he once more tenders himself to you: Oh now close with him, and all will be well yet. But for the better succeeding of this Treaty, I shall, in the managing of it, speak to three things. (1.) I will show you what manner of Husband the Lord Jesus Christ is, and how he is qualified to render him desirable in that Relation. (2.) I will show you what great things he does for all his Spouses. (3.) I will show you how much his heart is upon a Match with you. And now as Abraham 's Servant, when he was to get a Wife for Isaac, Prayed saying, O Lord God of my Master Abraham, send me good speed this day, Gen. 2.12. So would I, upon the bended knees of my Soul pray, O Lord God, the God and Father of my Royal Master, Jesus Christ, send me good speed this day, that I may win, through thy Grace, a Spouse for him.

CHAPTER VII.

Which shows what manner of Husband Christ is, and how qualified for the endearing of him to Souls, and rendering him desirable in a Conjugal-Relation.

What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved, that thou dost so charge us? So the Daughters of Jerusalem spake unto the Spouse, Cant. 5.9. In like manner may some say to me; Who, or what is this Christ, that you do so press us to an espousal with him? What is there in him to render him desirable to us? Who, or what is he? Truly I cannot tell, nor could I, had I the tongue of Men and Angels; and I am almost afraid to speak of him, lest I should darken his Glory instead of displaying it: This I am sure of, He is (as one speaks of him) Earths Wonder, and Heavens Wonder both; and has all that in him, and that in infinite eminency and perfection, that should render him grateful and desirable to Souls in a Conjugal-Relation: Look therefore upon him, and view him a little, and see if there be anything you can desire in such a Relation, that is wanting in him. I will lay this more fully before you in these following Particulars.

I. Are you for Dignity and Greatness? This goes far among men, and makes many a Match: for this, none like Christ, none so great, so glorious, so honorable as he: pray view him a little: As to his descent, He came forth from God, viz. by eternal Generation, and is the eternal Son of the Eternal Father, John 16.28. View him in his Person, and there you will see nothing but greatness; for he is no other than God-Man, and has all the excellencies of both Natures in one Person: He is Emmanuel, God with us, God in our Nature, Mat. 1.23. He is God, Heb. 1.8. The true God, John 5.20. The great God, Titus 2.13. The mighty God, Isa. 9.6. God over all, or the most high God, Rom. 9.5. God equal with the Father, having the same Divine Essence, and Essential Perfections in him, that the Father hath in him, Phil. 2.6. He is the brightness of his Fathers Glory, and the express Character of his Person; one, in whom the whole Majesty, Luster, and Glory of the Father shines forth; one, on whom the Father has engraven all his eternal Excellencies, Heb. 1.3. Some small Beams and Rays of God's Glory do shine forth in the Saints and Angels; but in Christ the Fulness, Luster, and Brightness of it appears. View him in his Office and Relation, with the Dignity that even here he is advanced unto: He is a King, a great King, King of Kings, and Lord of Lord's, Rev. 19.6. King of Saints, Rev. 15.3. King of Nations, Jer. 10.7. King of Glory, Psal. 24.7. He is the head of all Principalities and Powers; and 'tis their glory that they have such a Head, Col. 2.10. He is the Fellow of the Lord of Hosts, Zech. 13.7. He is the firstborn of God, higher than the Kings of the Earth, Psal. 89.27. He is set down at God's own right hand in heavenly places, far above all Principalities, and Powers, and Might, and Dominion, Ephes. 1.20. He is made higher than the Heavens, Heb. 7.26. Among all Persons, and in all Things, whether in Heaven or Earth, he has the preeminence, Col. 1.18. Such is his greatness, that the whole Creation is bound to perform Homage and Worship to him, the Angels themselves not excepted: Let all the Angels of God worship him, says the Father, Heb. 1.6. & Phil. 2.9, 10. God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things on Earth, and things under the Earth; i. e. Angels as well as Men must perform worship to him: And indeed, a refusal so to do, would turn Angels into Devils: He is to be loved, feared, believed on, obeyed, prayed unto, praised, admired, and delighted in by all: He is to have equal honor from all with the Father; All must honor the Son, as they honor the Father, Joh. 5.23. What shall I say? He has the sovereign Lordship and disposal both of Grace and Glory in his hand; The Son quickeneth whom he will, John 5.21. He says unto one, Live, and he lives; and to another, Live, and he lives, and the rest of the dead live not: He has the Keys of Death and Hell, Rev. 1.18. He has the Government of the whole World in his hand; His Kingdom ruleth over all, Psalm. 103.19. He is in full possession of a Kingdom over the whole Creation, all Judgment being committed to him, John 5.22. And O how glorious is he in the whole of it!

Glorious in his Throne, which is at the right hand of God, Heb. 1.3.

Glorious in his Commission, which is all power in Heaven and Earth, Matth. 28.18.

Glorious in his Scepter, which is a Scepter of Righteousness, Psal. 45.6.

Glorious in his Attendants, 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 forever, 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 embraced 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 Dunghill, 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 woos you and solicits you for your love: And will you yet be shy 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 sways with most: for this none like Christ, he has Riches as well as Greatness to recommend him to you; Riches and Honor 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 Honor 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 sudden they are gone and disappear; but Christ's 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 (says 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 fullness dwelling in him, Col. 1.19 even all the fullness 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 forever! 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 forever: 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 Joys, full Comforts, and full Happiness forever; These things speak I unto you, (says 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 satisfy 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 forever.

IV. Are you for Wisdom and Knowledge? Wisdom and Knowledge render a person lovely and desirable; 'tis 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 showeth 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. 'It 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 is in them, John 2.24, 25. He knows the State, the Spirits, the Frames, the Thoughts, the Ends, the Counsels, the Ways, the Wants, the Burthens, the Temptations of all: In a word, he is infinite in Wisdom and Counsel, and he knows perfectly, as how to promote his own Glory, so how to defend, save, and comfort his Spouses, and carry on their happiness in the best way: O who would not have such an Husband! Soul, if thou reject him, know, that his Wisdom will fight against thee; and he does know how to damn and destroy forever.

V. Are you for Beauty? That takes with most; for this none like Christ: For Beauty and Comeliness, he infinitely surpasses both Men and Angels. We read of Moses, that he was exceeding fair; and of David, that he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance; and Josephus reports of the one of them, that all that saw him, were amazed at, and enamored on his beauty. O but what was their beauty to Christ's? Were their beauty, and with theirs, the beauty of Men and Angels put together, it would all be nothing to the Beauty of Christ: Not so much as the light of a Farthing-Candle is to the light of the Sun at noon-day: He is Beautiful and Glorious, Isa. 4.2. Was Moses fair? Christ is infinitely more fair: He is fairer than the Children of Men, Psal. 45.2. And had you an eye to behold his Beauty, you could not but be amazed at it, and enamored on it: Was David ruddy, and of a beautiful Countenance? See what the Spouse says of Christ, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand: which notes the perfection of his Beauty; and therefore she concludes all with this, (having spoken of the Beauty of his several parts) He is altogether lovely, verse. 16. or he is all loveliness: as if she should say, What do I do? there is no end of his beauty and amiableness; there is nothing in him but what is lovely, and there is nothing lovely but what is in him; neither is there anything in the whole Creation, that has beauty and amiableness enough in it to be a shadow and resemblance of his beauty and amiableness. O fair Sun (says Rutherford) and fair Moon, and fair Stars, and fair Flowers, and fair Roses, and fair Lilies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas, I have wronged him (says he) in making the comparison this way: O black Sun and Moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black Flowers, and black Lilies and Roses! but O fair, fair, ever fair Lord Jesus! O black Heaven! but O fair Christ! O black Angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! In short, Divines observe that there is somewhat in Christ more amiable than Salvation; and indeed there are those Heart-endearing Beauties, those Soul-ravishing excellencies in the person of this Beloved, that are unspeakably beyond Salvation itself: He is the brightness, the luster, the shining forth of his Fathers Glory, Heb. 1.2. O who would not be ravished with, and enamored on his Beauty? A small sight and report thereof set the Daughters of Jerusalem a seeking after him, Cant. 6.1. And shall it have no influence upon you to draw and allure you to him? Does one so fair and beautiful make love to such black and deformed Creatures as you and I are, and shall we refuse him? Shall we reject this lovely Lord? O that his Beauty might enamor us!

VI. Are you for Love, as well as Loveliness? for a sweet, kind, loving Disposition? This is desirable to all, for this also none like Christ: He is of a most sweet, loving, tender, affable Disposition: He indeed is love itself, kindness itself, tenderness and compassion itself: God is love, 1 Joh. 4.16. His love to his Spouses has all dimensions, heights, breadths, depths, lengths in it; Yea, it passes Knowledge, Ephes. 3.18, 19. which shows the immensity and unmeasurableness of his love; as if he should say of it, 'tis higher than Heaven, and deeper than the Sea; 'tis broader than the Orb of the Earth, and longer than all Time, during throughout Eternity; yea, and it passes Knowledge. There are two things which exceed our knowledge; our Sins, and Christ's Love; the one is almost, the other is altogether boundless, and bottomless. Though a man has never so many accomplishments to commend him, yet if he be of a rough, crabbed, sour disposition, this renders him unacceptable for such a Relation: But to all his other perfections, Christ has this added, That he is infinitely loving as well as lovely, and of a most kind, tender disposition to his Spouses. Hence we read in Scripture of his Love, his Kindness, his Meekness, his Gentleness, and the like; all noting the admirable sweetness and amiableness of his Disposition: he wept over his very enemies, even them that finally refused him, Luk. 19.41, 42. Yea, he had a kindness for his Murderers, and prayed for them, and that whilst they were murdering of him; yea, and his Prayer carried many of them to Heaven, Luke 23.34. O what love, what kindness their must he have for his Spouses? He that has love for Enemies, and such love, what must he have for his Friends? 'It is a sweet gloss which one of the Ancients has upon the place last quoted, Father forgive them, they know not what they do: This (says he) is a Word becoming the eternal Word, the Word of the eternal Father; he prays not only for his Persecutors and Reproachers, but even for his Murderers, improving all his interest in his Father for them; saying, in effect, Father I entreat thee, by that fatherly love thou hast for me, and by which we are one, hear me for these my Murderers in forgiving of them, own the love of thy Son, that thou mayest pardon his enemies. O what kindness does this argue? In a word, his love is as an Ocean, which has neither brim nor bottom; neither can he but be kind to his: The Law, indeed, of kindness (as 'tis said of the good Wife, Prov. 31.26.) is in his lips; yea, and in his heart and carriages too, all being full of love: Oh! that his love might draw you: Surely no love like his love, none so full, none so free, none so sweet, none so fruitful, none so ravishing, none so lasting; his love, where he loves, never fails, nor can it ever be broken off; Who shall separate us (says the Apostle) from the love of Christ? That is, nothing can separate us from his love, Neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things present, nor Things to come, nor Heighth, nor Depth, nor anything else can do it, Rom. 8. 35, 38, 39. And I think, says an Holy Man, his unchangeable love hath said unto me, I defy thee to break me or change me: Oh sirs, experienced Souls will tell you, how sweet, and good, and rich Christ's love is: They will tell you, one sight, one taste of it, makes Heaven in the Soul; that 'tis better than Wine, Cant. 1.2. And will you reject him and his love too? Will you pour contempt upon so much kindness? O how justly then will you perish under his wrath? He has wrath in him, as well as love; wrath for Enemies, as well as love for his Spouses; and his wrath is as hot and terrible, as his love is sweet and comfortable; yea, his love will, if rejected by you, turn into wrath, and no wrath like that that is the result of abused love: Oh therefore close, close with Christ this day.

VII. Are you for a Person of esteem, one that is much valued and beloved? An ingenious Soul would desire this: and for this none like Christ: As there is none so kind and loving as he, so there is none so much valued and beloved as he: He is beloved by all whose love is worth the having; He is highly valued and beloved by all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth; the Saints in Heaven they admire and adore him; 'tis a part of their happiness to love him, and delight in him forever: and the Saints on Earth, they love and value him above all others whatever; he is the dearly Beloved of their Souls: How often does the Spouse call him her Beloved, and her Well-Beloved? And once and again, she declares herself sick of love to him; she is enamored on him; he is indeed the desire of all Nations, Hag. 2.7. That is to say, He whom all the faithful in all Nations do love, desire, and delight in: Hence also that of the Apostle, to you that believe he is precious, 1 Pet. 2.7. The Saints love and value Christ above all their Natural or Creature-Enjoyments, above Father, and Mother, Husband, and Wife, and Children, and Houses, and Lands, and the like: So much is intimated Mat. 10.37. & 19.29. they love and value him above all their Spiritual Attainments, accounting them but Dung for Christ, Phil. 3.8. They love and value him above their lives, being ready to die for him, Acts 21.13. Rev. 12.11. Oh how dear is Christ to Saints? He is also highly valued and beloved by all the Holy Angels: He is the great object of their Love and Admiration: Hence he is said to be seen of Angels, that is, to be beloved and delighted in by Angels, 1 Tim. 3.16. The blessed Angels do see that in Christ, which does enamor them on him, and fill them with love to him, and delight in him; yea, which does fill them with perpetual admiring's and adoring's of him, Rev. 5.12. Yea, which is more than all this, He is infinitely valued and beloved by God the Father also: The blessed God sees that in Christ that renders him infinitely amiable and desirable in his Eye, and to his Soul; both as Son, and also as Mediator, he is even infinitely dear and precious to the Father: As he is the Son of God, the Son of the Father, as the Apostles expression is, so is he the Darling and Delight of the Fathers Soul, and was so from all eternity; so much he himself tells us, Prov. 8.30. So he is the infinite and eternal Favorite of the infinite and eternal Father; so he is one in essence with the Father, and accordingly must be infinitely dear to the Father: Hence he is said to be in the Fathers bosom, and as Son, he was so from eternity, John 1.18. Now the Bosom is the seat of Love, and his being in his Fathers Bosom, notes that strong, ardent, intimate love which the Father has for him; yea, even as Mediator the Father loves him, John 3.35. Yea, he loves him with a choice, a signal, and an eminent love, with a love of the highest strain, the choicest excellency, the sweetest influence; a love that has a stamp of special glory upon it: Hence he is called the Beloved, Ephes. 1.6. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, that is, in Christ, who is most dear to God: Hence God calls him his beloved Son, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Mat. 3.17. Yea, he is called the Son of his Love; he hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, the Greek is the Son of his Love, Col. 1.13. Yea, the Father proclaims him to be the delight of his Soul: Behold (saith he) my Servant whom I have chosen, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth, Isa. 42.1. What shall I say? God loves himself infinitely, and next to himself he loves Christ and delights in him: 'tis true, he loves all the works of his hands as such, especially rational Creatures; and among them, he has a peculiar love for his Saints and the Holy Angels, but he loves Christ unspeakably more than all: He indeed is first Beloved, and most Beloved, and best Beloved by him of all others. God, as the School-men observe, does love the very flesh or Human Nature of Christ more than all the Angels: In a word, he loves him so, as that he is even ravished with him, and he cannot but love all that are in him, or related by Covenant to him; and that though altogether unlovely in themselves. Now, Sirs, will you not love and embrace this beloved one, one that is thus valued and beloved by Saints, by Angels, and by God the Father? And let me say, one that is hated and despised by none but Devils and devilish ones: Soul, if thou reject him, whom all the Saints and Angels love, admire, and adore; then never expect to live with them in the fruition of him, But reckon upon living with Devils and damned spirits in Hell forever: If thou reject him whom the Father loves and delights in, then expect to be rejected both by him and the Father forever; but, Soul, rather be prevailed with to love him too.

VIII. Are you for Immortality, for one that lives forever? This added to the rest is desirable; and for this none like Christ: Yea, none but Christ, he and he alone is a never-dying Husband; the best Husband here below is mortal, and may leave you in a moment; but Christ is immortal, he is the King immortal, eternal, 1 Tim. 1.17. and he only hath immortality, 1 Tim. 6.16. He, and he only lives for evermore: Behold! I live for evermore, (says he) Rev. 1.18. He will never leave you in the desolate state of Widow-hood; yea, not only does he live forever himself, but moreover he makes all his Spouses to live forever too: So you find John 11.25, 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life, (says he) he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Oh what a Husband is this! an Husband that lives forever himself, and that makes his Spouses live forever too; he gives all his Spouses such a life as never dies, an immortal life. In a word, close with him, and as he will live forever, as thy Husband, so thou shalt live forever as his Spouse: Oh who would not accept of such a Person? Soul, if thou receivest him, know, he lives forever, to love thee, to comfort thee, to delight thee, to make thee happy in and with himself; but if thou rejectest him, know, that he lives forever to punish thee, to inflict wrath and vengeance upon thee, and to make thee completely miserable; but oh reject him not. Thus I have shewn you a little what an Husband Christ is to his Spouses; and upon the whole, I would say to you as the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. 5.16. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend; this is he that offers himself to your embraces, surely he is no mean, no despicable Person, but one infinitely desirable. Now, what do you say? will you have him, or will you not? possibly this is the last tender he will ever make of himself to you; possibly the Match must be made now or never; therefore now close with him, accept him upon his own terms, who surely is worthy of all acceptation.

CHAPTER VIII.

Which shows what great things Christ does for all his Spouses.

True, may some say, Christ's Person is desirable; but what will he do for his Spouses? What may our Souls expect from him, in case we should close up with him in a Marriage-Covenant? What will he do? What will he not do for you? Surely he acts like himself, and does great things for all his Spouses: And oh happy, happy they that are indeed espoused unto him! I shall, for the more effectual drawing of poor Souls to him, show you what he does for his Spouses in these following Particulars.

I. He pays all their Debts.

II. He supplies all their Wants.

III. He heals all their Maladies.

IV. He bears all their Burthens.

V. He sweetens all their Afflictions.

VI. He subdues all their Enemies.

VII. He minds and manages all their Concerns.

VIII. He enjointers them in eternal Life and Glory.

I. He pays all their Debts, fully discharging their Souls from all Sin and Guilt. No sooner is a Woman married to a Husband, but presently all her Debts become his; he pays all, at least is liable so to do; In like manner, no sooner is a Soul espoused to Christ, but all his Debts to Law and Justice become Christ's, and he pays all: And O how great a thing is this! Friends, we are all in debt, deeply in debt to the Law and Justice of God: We owe each one of us more than our ten thousand Talents, Matth. 18.24. We lie under whole Mountains of Sin and Guilt: The truth is, our first Father left us and all his Posterity in debt; we brought Sin and Guilt into the World with us, and the first day we were born, Divine Justice might have arrested us, and have cast us into the dismal Prison of utter darkness. I came of those Parents (says one of the Ancients) who made me damned before I was born; they sinners begot me a sinner in their sin. And to the same purpose another of them speaks, No man is free from sin (says he) in the sight of God, no not an Infant of a day old. And to give you a greater authority than these, the Holy Apostle asserts the same thing, Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entered into the World, and death by sin; and death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Adam sinned, and we all sinned in him, we all being in him, as in a common Head; and the guilt of the act of his sin is as truly ours, as if we had each one of us acted it in our own persons; and we all stand justly condemned for it. Hence also, verse. 18. he tells us, That by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Besides, we have all contracted a vast Debt upon ourselves, and do lie under much actual guilt, and that of a scarlet-die and crimson-tincture: Alas, we have done little but sinned ever since we came into the World; and indeed, as long as we are out of Christ, either all we do is sin, or at least we sin in all we do: We are every day running upon new Scores, adding sin to sin, and guilt to guilt: And O how great then must our Debts to Law and Justice needs be? You look upon that man to be deeply in debt indeed, whose Debts are so many and great, as that he can neither know nor count them: And thus it is with us, so many and so great are our Sins, and consequently our Debts to Law and Justice, that we can neither know nor count them. David, though a holy Man, cries out, Who can understand his errors? Psal. 19.12. Alas, who of us can count the sins of one day? they pass our knowledge: And which is worse still, we are under a necessity, whilst in our natural state, of increasing our sin and guilt every day and hour. Now how shall all this Debt be paid, this Sin and Guilt be expiated and done away? Why only by Christ, close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and your Souls are discharged from all. Justice, that stands upon Satisfaction, it calls for full payment; its language is, Pay, or perish; pay, or be damned; and nothing have we of our own to pay the least of all our Debts, nor can we possibly right God for the wrong we have done him by the least fin; and, which adds to our misery, we are every day in danger of Arrests, nor know we how soon Justice will by the hand of that grim Sergeant, Death, clap an Arrest upon us, and cast us into Prison, whence there is no redemption, until we have paid the utmost farthing, which can never be, Matth. 5.26. Now sinner wouldst thou have thy Debts paid, thy Sins Pardoned, and thy Soul freed from the danger of those Arrests? then give up thyself to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant: O this is the only way to discharge all. Christ says to Justice concerning all his Spouses, as Paul sometimes did to Philemon concerning Onesimus; If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee anything, put that upon my account: So says Christ to God concerning thee immediately upon thy close with him; Father, if this Soul hath wronged thee, and oweth thee anything, place it on my account, I have taken all his Debts upon me, I will be responsible to thee for all: Father, this Soul I bled and died for, this Soul I was made sin and a curse for, whereby thy Justice is fully satisfied; let him therefore be discharged. O Soul, how should this draw thee to Christ? Canst thou be content to lie under so great a Debt? And is it a small thing to thee to be in danger of so terrible an Arrest as that of Justice, which we have spoken of, is? Suppose a man owed ten thousand pounds, and had nothing wherewith to pay, and he saw himself in danger every moment of being cast into Prison; how sad wouldst thou look upon his case to be? and how gladly, thinkest thou, would he embrace an offer from any to discharge him from all? Soul, thy case is ten thousand times more sad, and how gladly shouldst thou embrace the Lord Jesus, who would, and who alone can discharge all for thee: In short, we read of Spirits already in Prison, 1 Pet. 3.19. Justice has already clapt its Arrest upon thousands and ten thousands, and lodged them in the Prison of eternal darkness; and what canst thou expect from it, but to be dealt with in the like manner speedily, unless thou closest with Christ, as thy Righteousness, to make satisfaction for thee? His Righteousness is such, as makes a full satisfaction, and is every way answerable to the strictest demands of Law and Justice; and by it, he being closed withal by thee, all thy Debts are paid at once.

II. He supplies all their Wants, and makes blessed provision for them: 'It is the part of an Husband to supply the wants of his Wife, and to make provision for her: And this Christ does for all his Spouses; he supplies all their needs according to his riches in glory: They have Wants, and he has Fulness; they have Needs, and he has Riches; and he brings his Fulness to their Wants, and freely communicates of the one to the other: Truly we are full of Wants of all sorts, Wants in the Soul, and Wants in the Body, We are poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. Yea, our Wants are such, and so pinching upon us, that with the Prodigal, we are even perishing with hunger. Luke 15.17. Even the Saints themselves are a poor and needy people, full of wants, Isa. 40.17. Now how shall these Wants be supplied? Only by Christ, and do but close with him, and he will supply all plentifully: Let it be but a day of Espousals between Christ and you, and all your Wants are supplied forever. The truth is, Christ is all; He is the great All, (as one calls him) Heaven, and Earth, Time and Eternity, Grace and Glory are all in one Christ: He supplies the Spiritual Wants of his Spouses: Do you want Life? He that hath the Son, bath Life, 1 Joh. 5.12. Do you want Grace? Close with Christ and he will give you Grace, abundance of Grace, John 1.16. Do you want Peace? Close with Christ and he will give you Peace, John 14.27. Do you want Strength and Righteousness, Righteousness for Justification, and Strength for Sanctification and Obedience? Close with Christ and he will supply you with abundance of both, Isa. 45.24. Do you want Joy and Consolation? Close with Christ, and he will in due season fill you with joy and consolation, he will comfort your hearts, 1 Thes. 2.16, 17. He supplies all the outward Wants also of his Spouses, and that so as that they want no good thing, Psal. 34.10. They want no outward good thing; but what the want thereof is better for them, than the enjoyment of it would be: True, they may, and often have but a little of outward Comforts; but yet then they have much in a little, much Love, much Blessing, much of Christ and the Covenant: And therefore a little which they have, is said to be better than the riches of many wicked, Psalm 37.16. Besides, wherein they are cut short in Temporals, Christ often makes it up to them in Spirituals: They are poor in this World, but rich in Faith, Jam. 2.5. They have not much of the Streams, it may be, but they have the more of the Fountain; more love, and the sweeter communion with Christ: In a word, whatever either Heaven or Earth affords, so far as they need it, they shall have it: The Lord will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, Psal. 84.9. O who would not close with this Christ? Soul, why standest thou off from him? Is there any can supply thy Wants but he? Is there any can give thee Life, and Peace, and Pardon, and Righteousness, and Salvation, but he? Or hadst thou rather die in thy Wants, than come to this Fountain to be supplied? Hadst thou rather perish in thine own poverty, than come to this Treasury to be enriched?

III. He heals all their Wounds, and cures all their Maladies: He is a Physician to his Spouses, and such a Physician; as that though the Wound be never so deep, and the Disease never so desperate, yet he never fails to work the Cure for them: O how should this allure us to him? We, my Beloved, have our Wounds as well as our Wants; we are full of Maladies and Diseases of Soul: The truth is, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, there is no soundness in us, Isa. 1.6. The Saints themselves have their Wounds, yea wounds many times, that stink, and are corrupt, (as David speaks) Psal. 38.5. Indeed, they are apt to get fresh Wounds every day, Wounds in their Grace, and Wounds in their Peace; Wounds in their Comforts, and Wounds in their Consciences; Wounds that smart sorely, and which many times bleed, as if they should bleed to death of them: Well, but Christ heals all their Wounds, and do but close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and he will heal all thine too, whoever thou art: He is that good Samaritan that has Oil and Wine, his Blood and Spirit to pour into the Wounds of his People for the healing of them: By his stripes we are healed, Isa. 53.5. His Blood and Spirit are a sovereign Balm, which can heal the deepest Wounds and deadliest Discases: His Spouses find it so, He restoreth my Soul, says David, Psal. 23.3. His Soul was subject to many ails and infirmities; but Christ restored him under all: Need we say, Is there no Balm in Gilead? is there no Physician there? Surely there is. Indeed there is none but Christ and his Blood that can heal our Wounds. O Soul, why shouldest thou not close with him that thou mayest be healed? Do not thy Wounds stink? and are they not ready to rankle and gangrene? And unless Christ heals them for thee, must thou not unavoidably die of them and perish forever? Must thou not suffer a cutting off, a cutting off from God, a cutting off from Christ, a cutting off from Heaven and all happiness forever? and wilt thou suffer such a cutting off? Wilt thou be content to die and perish eternally, rather than come to Christ for healing?

IV. He bears all their Burthens: We are commanded to bear one another's Burthens; especially Husbands should bear the burdens of their Wives: And this Christ does, he bears all the Burthens of his Spouses. Sirs, we all have our Burthens, many and great Burthens, which we labor under, Burthens within, and Burthens without; Burthens in the Flesh, and Burthens in the Spirit; Burthens that make us groan under them: Being burdened, we groan, says the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.4. Burthens that are too heavy for us to bear, as David complained his were, Psal. 38.4. Burthens sometimes that make us a burden to ourselves, as Job complains of himself, Job 7.20. Yea, Burthens that make our very lives a burden to us: My Soul is weary of my life, says Job, chap. 10.1. Now how shall all these Burthens be born? Why Christ will bear them all, he bears all the Burthens of all his Spouses; and if we will close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, there shall not that Burthen lie upon us, that he will not bear for us. He bears all his Peoples Burthens two ways.

1. In a way of Sympathy and Compassion: He weeps with all their tears, and sighs with all their groans: If they are troubled, he grieves; if they are wounded, he bleeds: in all things he bears the other end of the burden; In all their afflictions he is afflicted, Isa. 63.9. He does <H&G>, suffer together with us; or (as the Apostle renders it) he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, Heb. 4.15. He is deeply sensible of all our Burthens, all our Sorrows: Such sometimes is the case with the Saints, that among men they have none to pity them, and sympathize with them under their Burthens; as was David 's Case, Psal. 69.20. But even then Christ bears the other end of the Burthen, he pities them, and sympathizes with them, and that according to the weight of their Burthen. And O how sweet is that? No matter, says a Holy Man, how heavy the burden be, so long as Christ bears the other end of it.

2. In a way of Succor and Corroboration: He does not only bear with them, but also he gives them strength to bear, and stand up under the burden: He puts his everlasting arms underneath them, Deut. 33.27. And with the promise of this he encourages them to cast their Burthens upon him; Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and be shall sustain thee; succor, and support thee, Psal. 55.22. He strengthens and succors them, and that answerable to the weight of their Burthen: He gives them great strength for great Burthens, great succors for great Temptations, and so makes good his Promise to them, not to suffer them to be tempted above what they are enabled to bear, 1 Cor. 10.13. The poor Soul many times cries out, Oh, I shall sink under the Burthen, 'tis too heavy for me to bear: But, Soul, though it be too heavy for thee; yet 'tis not too heavy for Christ to bear, and he bears with thee and for thee: yea, he does not only bear, but in due time he bears away all their Burthens for them: There is not that burden lies upon any of his Spouses, but he so bears it, as at last to bear it utterly away for them, so as they shall never need to groan under it more. He has already born the heaviest burden of all for them, even the guilt and punishment of their sins; He bare our sins in his body upon the Tree, 1 Pet. 2.24. And again, He bare the sin of many, Isa. 53.12. And 'tis well for us that he hath born this Burthen; for otherwise it must necessarily have sunk and crushed us forever: We could never have stood under it, and as he has born this, so he bears, and in due time will bear away all for them: Are their sins, the iniquities of their holy Things, a burden to them? These he bears away for them, Exod. 28.38. Are the remainders of original Corruption a burden to them? These make them groan indeed; these in due time he bears away for them, Rom. 7.24, 25. Are their conflicts and temptations a burden to them? These lie heavy upon some; in due time he bears these away also: He turns their Conflicts into Triumphs: Oh how should this comfort the hearts of Saints? And how should it draw and allure sinners to him? O, Sirs, will you sink under your burdens, rather than have Christ to bear them for you? Oh be not so cruel to your own Souls!

V. He sweetens all their Afflictions for them: Afflictions they may, and often do meet withal, many and great Afflictions. Christ tells us, That in the World we shall have tribulation, John 16.33. But he sweetens all for them; he turns their Wormwood into Wine, and therefore at the same time, with the same breath he says, In me ye shall have peace: As if he should say, I will sweeten all your tribulations to you. Christ sweetens his Peoples Afflictions to them two ways.

1. By his presence with them, and the communications of his love to them under their Afflictions: Christ has promised to be with his People, and to minister comforts to them in their afflictions, Isa. 43.2. When thou passest through the Waters, I will be with thee; and through the Fire, it shall not burn thee: that is, I will be with thee in all the sharpest Afflictions thou meetest withal: They meet with many Afflictions, Sickness, Poverty, Reproach, Persecution, and the like; but Christ is with them in all, and shows them his love; and this sweetens all to them. The truth is, Christ is never more with his People, and he usually never communicates more of his Love and Consolations to them than when in Affliction: Then usually 'tis that they have the sweetest embraces of his Bosom, then they have the clearest sights, the fullest tastes, the choicest and most eminent sealings of his love to them: Then he leads them into his Banqueting-house, and displays the Banner of his Love over them; he stays them with Flagons, and comforts them with Apples: his left hand is under their head, and his right hand doth embrace them, Cant. 2.4, 5, 6. Then he ministers his strongest Consolations to them, comforting them in all their tribulations, 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. The truth is, their sharpest Afflictions are but to prepare them for his sweetest Consolations; and indeed he therefore oftentimes afflicts them, that he may manifest his Love, and minister Consolations to them; according to that of Hosea 2.14. I will allure her into the Wilderness, and there will I speak comfortably to her: and indeed, as strong Consolations often times prepare for great Afflictions; so great Afflictions usually make way for strong Consolations. Afflictions (says a worthy Divine) is the Air, in which Christ's love especially breaths; and Christ and the Cross (says he) are sweet company: This, viz. Christ's love and presence with his People in their Afflictions, is what turns their night into day, their darkness into light, their pains into ease, their sorrows into joys, their losses into gains; yea, and Death itself into Life: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet will I fear no evil, because thou art with me, Psal. 23.4. It turns a Prison into a pleasant Palace; yea, it turns a fiery Furnace into a delightful Walk; as in the case of the three Children, and this experienced Souls find: O how sweet are Afflictions when Christ and his love come with them!

2. By sanctifying their Afflictions to them, and working good to their Souls out of all: Sanctified Afflictions are sweet Afflictions; they meet with Afflictions, but Christ gives them the sweet Fruit, and a blessed issue of them; makes them all work together for good to them, according to that great Oracle, Rom. 8.23. All things shall work together for good to them that love God. By these he proves their Graces, and improves their Experiences; he makes them all to be, as the Gibeonites sometimes were to the Congregation of God, as so many hewers of Wood and drawers of Water to their Faith, to their Comforts, to their Holiness on Earth, and Happiness in Heaven: The Faith of this sweetened all Jobs great and heavy Afflictions to him: When I am tried, (says he) I shall come forth as Gold, Job 23.10. Hereby he tries their Faith, which is better than Gold, 1 Pet. 1.7. Hereby he refines them, and purges away their dross from them, Behold, I have refined thee, but not with Silver; I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction: Or, as you may read it, I have made a choice one of thee in the Furnace of Affliction, Isa. 48.10. Hereby he makes them partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12.10. By this he purgeth away their iniquity, and taketh away their sin, Isa. 27.9. In short, hereby he humbles them, and seals instruction to them; hereby he weans them from the World, draws them nearer to himself, quickens their hearts in his good ways, and raises them up to higher strains of Grace and pitches in Holiness, then they were got up to before: Yea, hereby he increases their Revenue of Glory, and adds to their Crown in Eternity. Our light Afflictions, which are but for a moment, (says the Apostle) work out for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Thus he sanctifies all; and O how doth this sweeten all? Here is a Cross, 'tis true, may the Soul say, but by this Cross Christ does crucify me to Sin and the World, he weans me from the Creature, sets me a longing after Heaven; and so long welcome Cross, how heavy soever: Here is an Affliction, 'tis true, and 'tis an heavy one, but by it Christ proves and brightens my Graces, and that sweetens all: O what owe I (says Rutherford ) to the File and Hammer of my sweet Lord Jesus? He hath taught me more (says he) by my six months imprisonment, then ever I learnt in my nine years past Ministry. Luther was wont to say, three things made a good Minister; Temptation, Affliction, Supplication: The same also conduce much to the making of a good Christian: And indeed, 'tis seldom that ever a Soul comes to any eminency in Grace, until he has been exercised with sanctified Afflictions and Temptations: And doubtless, there is many a Soul who may and must say, That next to Christ, his Afflictions have, through his Grace and Blessing, been his best Mercies. O how should this draw Souls to Christ, and allure them into a Marriage-Covenant with him? Poor Soul, it may be that which keeps thee from Christ, is the fear of what Afflictions thou mayest meet with in his ways: But know, (1.) thou mayest meet with Affliction, yea, first or last thou wilt assuredly meet with Affliction, though thou never closest with Christ: Alas, wicked men and unbelievers meet with Troubles and Afflictions, and that even in this World ofttimes: However, to be sure at last, they will have a full Cup, yea, the very dregs of God's Wrath poured out unto them: They will meet with, and fall under sorer and more dreadful Afflictions, then any thou canst meet withal in the way, and for the sake of Christ; for pray consider, is there any Trouble, any Affliction thou canst meet withal for Christ like to this, for a man to die in his sins, to be separated from God forever, to have infiniteness and eternity combined against thee? Is there any Trouble or Affliction like to the torments of the Infernal Pit, and being the object of infinite Wrath forever? and yet this will be the lot at last of all that close not with Christ in a Marriage-relation. (2.) Whatever Afflictions thou mayest meet withal in the way of Christ, closing with him, he sweetens all for thee; and that so as that thou wouldest not have been without them for a World: Oh scare not at the Cross, but close in with Christ.

VI. He subdues all their enemies for them: True, the poor Saints and Spouses of Christ are beset with Enemies on all hands; they have many Enemies, and mighty Enemies, Enemies within, and Enemies without, and all in a confederacy against them to destroy them, to destroy their Lives, to destroy their Graces, to destroy their Peace and Comforts, to destroy their Souls and Happiness forever; all like so many roaring Lions seeking to devour them: Well, but Christ, who is their Captain as well as their Husband, subdues and conquers all for them; and, first or last, makes them to set their feet upon their necks, and triumph over them: He makes them Conquerors, yea more than Conquerors over all, Rom. 8.37. He makes them so to conquer them, as sooner or later to gain by all their conflicts and oppositions: Indeed Christ has already conquered all his Peoples Enemies for them. The Saints have five great Enemies, Sin, Self, the World, the Devil, and Death; and Christ has long since conquered them all for them, and by degrees brings them into the joyful triumph of that conquest.

1. He has conquered Sin for them: He by being made Sin, hath obtained an eternal victory over Sin for all his People: Sin is the Saints great Enemy; 'tis that which wars against their Souls, Rom. 7.23. 1 Pet. 2.11. And indeed this is that which gives all the rest an advantage against them; but even this greatest Enemy Christ has conquered for them: Hence he is said to have condemned sin in the flesh; he for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, Rom. 8.3. i.e., He by being made a Sacrifice for Sin, hath killed and subdued Sin, past a sentence of Death and Condemnation upon Sin forever: Hence also our old Man is said to be crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, Rom. 6.6. Hence also he is said to destroy sin, to take away sin, and the like: And how? Why as to the Reign and Power, as well as the Guilt and Curse of it: And this Paul, acted by the Spirit of Faith, could triumph in, even whilst he was in the sharpest conflicts with sin, Rom. 7.23, 24, 25. I thank God through Christ, (says he); For what? why, for victory over, and deliverance from that Law of Sin he was now conflicting with.

2. He has conquered Self for them: Self, as well as Sin, is our deadly Enemy: This indeed is a near close Enemy, and most difficult to be slain; This is an Enemy that we are too too loath many times to have destroyed, and yet an Enemy which makes woeful spoil upon us and our happiness: I often think of the Speech of an Holy and Learned Divine; Oh, says he, if I could be Master of that House-Idol, my Self, my own, my own Will, Wit, Credit, and case, how blessed were I! O but we have need, says he, to be redeemed from ourselves, rather than from the Devil and the World! And presently again he cries out, O wretched Idol, my Self! When shall I see the wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy room? And who that have any acquaintance with themselves, do not find cause to cry out in like manner? Oh this Self, this wretched Self, how great an Enemy is it! Well, but this Christ hath conquered, and closing with him, thou shalt by degrees find it to die and fall under thee. Paul did so, I am crucified with Christ, says he, nevertheless I live, yet not I, Gal. 2.20. He had an I, a Self which ruled in him; but by Christ 'twas crucified and slain for him, and he was a conqueror over it.

3. He has conquered the World for them: Take the World in what notion you will, and 'tis in one respect or other an Enemy to the Saints; the Men of the World, the Things of the World, the Frowns of the World, the Flatteries of the World, they all one way or other fight against them, and are Enemies to them. The World, as well as Sin and Self, is a mortal Enemy to them: But this Enemy also Christ has subdued and conquered for them, and he has told them so much for their comfort, under the oppositions they meet with from it; Job. 16.23. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the World, (says he) q. d. the World is your Enemy, but 'tis a conquered Enemy; 'twill molest and oppose you, but it shall not be able to hurt you, for, have conquered it for you. And as he has conquered it for us, so he will enable us, closing with him, by Faith to conquer it: so 1 John 5.4. This is the victory which overcometh the World, even our Faith: The World shall not always annoy and infest the Saints.

4. He has conquered the Devil, yea all the Devils in Hell for them: The Devil is the Enemy of the Saints, and indeed he is a formidable one; an Adversary that goes about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. He is a subtle, a potent, a malicious, a cruel, and an indefatigable Enemy: But so formidable an Enemy as he is, Christ hath conquered him for them; hence he is said to have destroyed the Devil; he partook of flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death; that is, the Devil, Heb. 2.14. and to have spoiled Principalities and Powers, and to have made a show of them openly on his Cross, triumphing over them, Col. 2.15. dragging them at his Chariot-Wheels; as was the manner sometimes for Conquerors to deal by their vanquished Enemies: The sum is, that he hath made a complete and glorious conquest over all the Devils in Hell for Believers: He has conquered them even to triumph: Christ has conquered the Devil for his Spouses, as to his ruling, reigning, and commanding power, and he will, and does conquer him at last, yea speedily, as to his tempting, vexing, and seducing power; The God of Peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly, Rom. 16.20. Shortly, Soul, the Devil shall vex thee no more, molest thee no more, infest and annoy thee by his temptations no more.

5. He has conquered Death for them: Death is an Enemy. and 'tis the last Enemy that is to be destroyed, so the Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 15.26. and in itself considered, a terrible Enemy 'tis, 'tis the King of terrors, Job 18.14. But this Enemy hath Christ conquered for all his; He has taken away all its killing power, its sting and curse, in so much that they may holily triumph over it, and rejoice in its approach; the Apostle did so, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. Death (says he) is swallowed up in victory, O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? The sting of Death is Sin, the strength of Sin is the Law, but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. O what a triumph does he here act over Death through the conquest Christ has gotten over it for him? Truly, this Enemy is so far conquered by him for them, that 'tis become indeed a friend to them; and they can, when in a right spirit, embrace it as such, and long for it as such: Christ by Death has unstung Death, and in a sort undeatht it: Thus Christ has conquered all his Peoples Enemies, and they being made one with him in a Marriage-Covenant, all his Victories are theirs, and his Conquests theirs, and they are conquerors over all in him; and oh how sweet, how encouraging is this! and how should it win Souls to a close with him! poor Soul, thou seest thyself environed with Enemies, thou art hard beset on all hands, legions of Lusts and Devils, attended with Self, Death, and the World, oppose themselves against thee; and thou art often crying out as David in another case, 2 Sam. 3.19. I am weak, and these men, the Sons of Zeruiah, are too strong for me: yea, thou art ready to say of them, as he sometimes in his unbelief did of Saul, 1 Sam. 27.1. I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul: Alas, I am a weak, nothing-Creature, and am unable to grapple with the least of all mine Enemies; and how then shall I stand up against them all? surely I shall perish by them at last: Well Soul, but know for thy encouragement, that all thine Enemies are conquered by Christ, and though they are too strong for thee, yet they are not too strong for Christ to grapple with, and make thee a conqueror over. When the Prophets Servant saw what a great and formidable Host compassed the City, he cried 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 criest 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 cheer up, give up thyself unto him; and the victory over Sin, Self, World, Death, Devil, and all is thine forever. Oh, who would not have such a Husband?

VII. He minds and manages all their Concerns for them: 'It is the part of a Husband to mind and manage the Concerns of his Wife, and to have a natural care both of her and them: And thus 'tis 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 perfumes them with the odors 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 cannot pray, when we cannot speak for ourselves, 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 Affairs 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, says he, the Father worketh hitherto, and I work, Joh. 5.17. I am always 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 difficulties 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 them 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 only 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 cannot 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 perfecting of it: O how should this draw us to Christ, and encourage us to accept of the offers of his love?

VIII. He enjointers them in eternal Life and Glory: Husbands use to make Jointers to their Wives, they entitle them to such or such Lands and Inheritances: So Christ enjointers all his Spouses in no less than eternal Life and Blessedness: He makes over a great Jointer 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, Matth. 25.34. A Crown of Life, Rev. 2.10. A Crown of Righteousness, 2 Tim. 4.8. A Crown of Glory, which never fades, never, withers, 1 Pet. 5.4. The truth is, he endows them with all his Riches, with all his Treasures, with all his Dignities, with all the Privileges of his House, with all the Purchases of his Blood, with all the Blessings of his Love, with all the Treasures of Heaven, with all the Glories of Eternity: Look, whatever is in the Promise, whatever is in the Covenant, whatever is in the glorious Counsel of Election: Look, whatever the Presence of God; the Face of God, the Bosom of God can afford: Look, whatever the heart of God could give, the Wisdom of God contrive, the Power of God produce, or the Blood of God purchase; that, all that does Christ enjointer his People in. O Sirs, how should this draw and allure us to Christ! Is Heaven and eternal Life worth nothing? Are all the Glories of Eternity of no value? O who are you, that Christ should be willing to instate you into all this? In yourselves you are lying in the lap and bosom of Hell, Heirs of Wrath and Condemnation, in danger every moment of sinking into the infernal Pit: But loe! Christ comes and makes love to you, and if you will accept of him, he will entitle you unto Life and Blessedness, to such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of, 1 Cor. 2.9. Take him therefore, I beseech you, into your most intimate embraces. Thus you see in part, what great things Christ does for his Spouses: Now will you accept of him, or will you not? May I not say to you, as Saul sometimes did to his Servants? Hear now, will the Son of Jesse give to every one of you Fields and Vineyards, and make you Captains of thousands? 1 Sam. 22.7. So will Sin, or the World, or the Law, to which you are naturally wedded, do such great things for you as Christ will? Will these pay your Debts for you, supply your Wants for you, heal your Wounds for you, and the like? Will these secure your eternal Interest for you, and make you happy in the other World as Christ would? Alas! they can do none of all this: O close, close therefore with Christ, who can and will do all.

CHAPTER IX.

Which opens a little the heart of Christ, and shows how much he is Jet upon an Espousal with Sinners.

Surely Christ is the best Husband, and none can do such great things as he for his Spouses, which renders an Espousal to him very desirable: but will he take such as we are into so near a Relation with him? has he any mind, any heart to the business? any mind, any heart? his heart is set upon nothing more, then an Espousal with Sinners; he is not only content to admit Sinners coming to him, but his Soul longs after them: never did the most passionate Lover more long for an Espousal between him and his Beloved, than Christ does for an Espousal between himself and Sinners; and because Love is the Loadstone of Love, and the most powerful attractive; in order to the more effectual drawing and alluring of your Souls to Christ, I shall a little in a few particulars open my sweet Lord's heart to you in this business: And O that the reports of his Love to you, and his willingness to Espouse you to himself, might draw your hearts out a little in Love to him, and work you into a willingness to be Espoused.

1. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he willingly became incarnate, bled, and died in order hereunto; and oh, how should this draw us to him? Should you see a Man do some great Act of self-denial and abasement, and withal freely venture his Life in order to his obtaining such or such an one to his Wife, you would easily conclude, that his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her: Lo then! Christ has greatly denied and abated himself, he became incarnate, and not only freely ventured, but laid down his Life in order to an Espousal between himself and Sinners; and how much then must his heart be in the business?

1. He became incarnate in order hereunto; had not Christ been incarnate we could never possibly have been Espoused unto him, nor have enjoyed conjugal Communion with him: but that we might be capable of, and arrive unto such an happiness, he who in himself was the Eternal Son, freely became incarnate, assumed human Nature into Union with his Divine Person: hence 'tis said, that the Word was made flesh: Joh. 1.14. not that there was a transmutation of God into Flesh; but the Word, that is, God the Son, the Second Person in Trinity, assumed Flesh, human Nature into Union with himself; and so near is that Union into which the human Nature is assumed with the Person of the Son of God, as that that Nature hath no subsistence but what it has in his Divine Person, and for that end, among others (as a Learned Divine hath observed) its so expressed; the Word was made Flesh, namely, to note the infinite nearness of that Union which our Nature is taken into with the Divine Person, it being so near, as that it hath no subsistence of its own, but is, as it were, wholly melted into the Personality of the Son of God: hence also he is said to partake of Flesh and Blood, to be manifested in the Flesh, and the like: and oh! what an Act of self-denial and abasement was this! and how great was Christ's condescension herein? in Phil. 2.6, 7. the Apostle speaks of it as the greatest abasement he could-stoop unto: who (says he, speaking of Christ) being in the form of God, thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of Men: pray, mark, he was in the form of God; that is, he was truly and really God, as the Father was; and he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God; i.e. he had all those Divine Excellencies and perfections in him, which the Father had in him; and yet (says he) he took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of Men: that is, he became incarnate, he became Man: Well, and what does this argue? Even infinite condescension; therefore he tells us, that herein he became of no Reputation, or, as the Greek is, he emptied himself, to wit, of his glory; his glory was veiled and clouded hereby; the glory of his God-head was Eclipsed; 'tis true indeed, his Godhead was not hereby lost, or laid aside; no, he was as much, and as truly God after his Incarnation, as he was before: he did not cease to be God, by becoming Man; but (as one of the Ancients expresses it) he was made that which he was not; and yet remained that which he was: he was made Man, yet so as that he still remained to be God: but though his God-head was not lost, or laid aside hereby; yet hereby was the glory of it veiled and lost for a time, and he was not content to have it so; oh! how great a condescension was this? oh! for him that was God, God equal with the Father, to become Man, to cover himself with the course Veil of our Flesh, and be content for so long a time to lose the glory of his Deity which was infinitely dear to him; and all this to make way for an Espousal between himself and poor Sinners; what self-abasement was this? and how should it encourage Souls to look after an Espousal to him!

2. He not only became Incarnate, but also freely bled, and died in order hereunto, which is a further discovery of his heart herein, being (says the Apostle) found in fashion as a Man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the Cross, i.e., to the most formidable Death, a Death of pain, a Death of shame, an accursed Death, Phil. 2.8. Hence also 'tis said, that he gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for us, Eph. 5. 2. Yea, not only did he bleed, and suffer, and die; but he did all freely, and with much readiness, and enlargedness of Soul: hence he is said to have poured out his Soul unto Death, Isa. 53.12. He seemed in a holy manner prodigal of his Life in the case; he thought neither Blood, nor Life, nor anything too much for them: Oh! how much does this argue his heart to be upon the business? It spake Jacob 's heart to be much set upon Rachel to have her to Wife, that he could be content to undergo so much hard Service for her as he did, even seven years Service. Jacob ('tis said) served seven years for Rachel, yea, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the Love he had to her, Gen. 29.20. So surely it argues Christ's heart to be much set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he was content, not only to serve, but even bleed, and die for them in order hereunto. Oh, Sirs, behold, and wonder; Christ comes from Heaven, quits his Throne, leaves the bosom of his Father, in which he had with infinite delight lain from Eternity! behold and wonder, the Lord of Life dies, the God of Blessing was made a Curse. The infinitely beloved Son treads the Wine-press of the Father's wrath, Heaven descends into Hell, glory veils and Eclipses itself under shame and ignominy, the infinitely holy one is made sin; and all this to redeem, and redeeming, Espouse poor Sinners to himself! and is not his heart upon the business think you? And has he not Love for them? Oh, be not faithless, but believing.

2. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners, that he condescends sweetly to woo them, and solicit them for their Love and acceptance of him: Should you see a Man with all earnestness and importunity wooing a Virgin; and making Love to her, following her from day today with renewed offers and solicitations, you would conclude his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her: And is it not thus with the Lord Jesus towards poor Sinners? Does he not woo them, and make Love to them, and that with all earnestness and pressing importunity, following them with renewed offers and solicitations from day today? Now he meets them in this Ordinance, and there he woos them, and makes Love to them; anon he meets them in that Ordinance, and there woos them, and makes Love to them: now he sends his Ministers, and by them woos them, and makes Love to them; anon he sends his Spirit: and by him woos them, and makes Love to them: thus he is every way, and upon all occasions wooing them, and in his wooing of them.

How earnestly does he call, and invite them to himself; 'tis not a cold offer or a slight motion only, that he makes to them, but he moves, and offers, calls, and invites with all earnestness and importunity: Hoe, everyone, that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters, come ye, yea, come, Isa. 55: 1. and again, the Spirit and the Bride say, come; and let him, that is a thirst, come, Rev. 22.17.

How vigorously does he plead and expostulate the business with them? Christ does not only call, and invite; but he also pleads, and expostulates with sinners in the case; and that in the most winning way, and with the most weighty arguments, that possibly may be: Hoe, everyone that thirsteth, come unto the waters, wherefore do you spend your Money for that which is not bread, And your labor for that which satisfieth not? incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live, and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant, even the sure mercies of David, Isa. 55.2, 3. And again, turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O house of Israel; Ezek. 33.11. I have no pleasure in your damnation; but had rather, that you would come unto me, and live: why will you die? is not life better then death? is not Heaven better then Hell? is not my love better than a Lust? are not the Pleasures of any Presence, and at my right hand, which are for evermore, better than the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, a short season? why will you die? is there no balm in Gilead, is there no Physician there? am not I able to save you to the uttermost? and are not my Arms wide open to receive you? have not I died for that very end, that you might live? look, here's my Blood, here are my Wounds; behold me in the Garden, and see me bleeding there for you: behold me upon the Cross, and see me bleeding, yea, bleeding to death there for you; and then see, if you can find in your hearts to refuse me any longer? In short, would you not lose all your cost and all your labor? would you enjoy good, the best good, the most satisfying good? have you any mind to life and would you have your souls live forever? 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 only 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. the repetition of the name shows 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, Luke 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, everyone, whoever will, though never so vile, and sinful; never so black, and deformed, 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 entreat them? The tender trembling Child cannot more affectionately entreat and beseech his offended Father to spare him, and be reconciled unto him, then Christ does entreat and beseech offending Sinners to be Espoused to him, and be made happy by him forever: Now then, we are Ambassadors for Christ (says 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. 'tis 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 (says 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 (says 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 Myrrh 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 forever: 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 Kingdom 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 voice of his Spirit, makes love to him: Come, poor Soul (says he) look upon thy bleeding, dying Savior; 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 Bosom, make thy Bed in it, and see if it be not a warm Bosom: Come, Soul, though thou hast no Love for me, yet I have Love for thee, and would fain have thee happy forever: why therefore shouldest thou stand at such a distance from me? Thus he sweetly woos and solicits 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 always last: yea, and the time will come, when, though thou callest, and criest, 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 unkindness's 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 unkindness's does he bear with at their hands? Behold, I stand at the door and knock (says 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 enter, if the Soul will at all open to him: so again, all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying People; a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face, Isa. 65.2, 3. Rom. 10.21. all the day Iong; Christ waits day after day, and week after week, and month after month, and year after year upon Sinners: yea, and many affronts and indignities does he put up, and pass by from them; all the day long have I stretched forth my hands, opened the Arms and Bosom of my Love, and that to a gain-saying and rebellious People, an opposing, refusing, resisting People, a people that provoketh me to my face continually every day; a People that are daily loading me with their sins and provocations, a People that will not let me go one day without affronting me, and that to my face; a People that are every day daring me to damn them: O, what patience is this? So, Mat. 23.37. O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldest not? How often? not once, or twice, or ten times; but very often: it notes, that he waited long upon them, and strove long with them, and that after many and often repeated affronts and refusals on their part; he still tendered himself and his love to them, and thus he deals by Sinners still, he tenders himself and his Love to them, but they will have none of him; he renews his offers, and they renew their refusals: they spurn at his Love, yet he makes love still: he tells them, what great preparations he has made, and how all things are ready, and how welcome they shall be to the Marriage-Feast; but they make light of all, preferring a Worldly interest before him and it, Mat. 22. beginning. Well, however he leaves them not, but sends again, and calls again, notwithstanding all. They do in effect tell him, they desire neither him nor his Grace, that they had rather enjoy their Lusts, then his Love: they abuse his Grace, they despise his corrections, they slight his calls, they resist his Spirit: O, what affronts are these! And after all this, it may be, he renews his suit, laying himself and his Love at their feet, if yet he may win them to him: Oh, how much must his heart be upon an Espousal with them? Soul, let it melt thee into Love to him: Oh, who would withstand such a Lord, such a Lover! What? woo, and wait so long too, put up such, and so many affronts, and still make Love? Was ever Love like this, and patience like this?

4. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with sinners; as that he has laid himself under Bonds to receive them, and accept of them, in case they are willing to be Espoused to him; and what greater Discovery of his heart then this? Should a young man lay himself under Bonds to Marry such or such a Woman, though as yet she hated him, and were utterly averse from him; you would surely conclude, that his heart was much set upon a Match with her: and truly this is no more than Christ the Lord of Glory hath done: he is become bound to Marry poor Sinners to himself, yea though at present they hate him, and are altogether averse from him; yet in case they shall at last be willing to close with him, he is become bound to receive them: he is become bound both to the Father, & to them.

1. He is bound to the Father to receive Sinners & Espouse them to himself, in case they come to him, so much is held forth in Jo. 6.27: Labor not for the Meat that perisheth, but for that which endures unto Everlasting life, which the Son of man shall, [mark] shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father Sealed: That is, God the Father hath ordained and appointed Christ, he has laid a Law upon him to give Eternal Life; and therefore himself, to Sinners, coming to him; and we may therefore rest assured that he will do it: yea, Christ looks upon himself as under a law from the Father to do it, and therefore Says, thy Law is within my heart; Psal. 40.8. thy Law: what Law? why, the Law of his Mediatorship, which commands him as to die for Sinners, so to accept of Sinners when they come unto him, and surely he that so freely fulfilled it in the one, will not be disobedient to it in the other: in a word, in that Covenant (by Divines called the Covenant of Redemption) which past between the Father and Jesus Christ from Eternity concerning the Salvation of Sinners, Christ became bound to the Father to receive all that should come to him, and he will be faithful.

2. He is bound to Sinners themselves in the case: he has indeed given them his Bond, he has given them his promise, which is his Bond, and a strong one too, an invincible obligation, and the soul may look on it as such: but where is his promise? truly the whole Gospel is but as it were one general promise made by him to this purpose: but take one for all the rest, Joh. 6.36. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out; i.e. I will most assuredly receive him, and bestow myself and eternal life upon him; and how often has he renewed this Bond of his? yea, and that it might be Firm and valid to our Faith as well as in itself, he hath hereunto added his Seal, and that such a Seal as renders it altogether unquestionable: for 'tis the Seal of his own Blood: Hence the Gospel is called the New Testament in his Blood, that is, Sealed and ratified in his Blood, Luke. 22.20. And his Blood is called the Blood of the Covenant; because the Covenant and promises thereof are Sealed with that Blood, Heb. 9. Latter end. Yea, more yet, if his promise and his Seal be not enough, they shall have more, for to both these he has added his Oath for their further security in the case; Verily, verily (says he) he that believeth on me; hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, and again, verily, verily, the hour cometh, and now is, when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that bear shall live, Joh 5.24, 25. As I live, was the form of God's Oath in the Old Testament, & he there Swears he hath no pleasure in the death of Sinners, but had rather they would turn and live, Ezek. 33.11. and verily, verily is the form of Christ's Oath in the New Testament, and he there (you see) Swears that Souls shall live coming to him. O happy we (as one of the Ancients Cries out) for whose sakes God doth Swear, but O unbelieving we, if we do not believe him swearing. Thus Christ hath given us his Bond, his promise, and that sealed with his Blood, and to all added his Oath for the further encouragement of our Faith; and what can we desire more? If you have a man's promise to you for the performance of this or that, you think you are well: you judging him to be both able and Faithful: but if you have his Seal added to his promise, then you look upon yourselves secure of the business indeed: but if to both these you have his Oath added, then you look on the business past all doubt, and you dare not question it: why lo! Christ has given poor Sinners all this to assure them that he will embrace and accept them coming to him; and Oh how firm may their Faith stand upon all this? and what horrid wickedness must it be so much as once to question it? true neither his seal nor his Oath adds anything to the truth and certainty of the promise in itself; but to our sense and apprehension it does; and merely out of indulgence to us & our weakness is the one and the other added, so the Apostle tells us, Heb. 6.17, 18. God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his Council confirmed it by an Oath, that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us. Mark, 'twas not to confirm, or add anything to the truth and certainty of God's council or Covenant, that his Oath was added; but 'twas to confirm, and encourage our Faith: Thus you see Christ is under Bonds to receive and accept of sinners, if they come to him, and are willing of an Espousal with him: and how much does this argue his heart to be in the business? O let none ever say, will Christ accept and receive me coming to him? for indeed Bonds bind him so to do: The truth is, were he under no bonds, we need not question it; for his bowels would constrain him, and had he no Bowels, we need not to doubt it; for Bonds would bind him to it. Christ must deny his Word, Promise, Seal, Oath and all; if he refuse any soul that indeed comes to him, and desires to close in a Marriage-Covenant with him: Oh what encouragement is this?

5. Such is the heart of Christ, and so set upon an Espousal with sinners; as that he has given them a full and unquestionable assurance that nothing what ever shall stand between him and them, nor prejudice their acceptance with him, in care they be willing to be Espoused unto him: should a man not only make love to a person, wait long upon her in the tenders thereof, and the like, but also given full assurance that nothing shall stand between him and her to hinder the Match; in case she be willing to accept of him, this would argue his heart to be much upon het indeed: Now his also Christ hath done. He hath given sinners a full and firm assurance that nothing shall prejudice their acceptance with him, nor hinder the Match between him & their souls in case they be willing of it: and is not his heart then much upon the business? this is no other then what he himself declares, Joh. 6.37. And certainly he doth not delude souls with vain words. Him that cometh unto me, (Says he) i.e. He that believeth on me he that is willing to be mine, him I will in no wise cost out: in no wise, or by no means, upon no accounts whatever: Nothing shall obstruct his acceptance with me; but I will receive him with a notwithstanding; notwithstanding all his Vileness, all his unworthiness, all his unkindness, all his unsuitableness: Notwithstanding all that, either Men, or Devils, Law, or Conscience can charge upon him, yea, or that unbelief its self can pretend or allege; be it what it will, notwithstanding all I will receive him into the Bosom of my love. Christ language to poor sinners in this promise of his, and many more of like import is such as this: come, poor souls, be not afraid of me, whatever your condition be, and how ever things stand, and are stated with you, yet if you have a mind to me, and an Espousal with me, assure yourselves, that nothing shall obstruct your acceptance with me, nothing shall shut up my Bosom against you; but I will betroth you to myself forever. Oh, what encouragement is here? Come to Christ, and close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant, who would not do that, may some say? but alas there are a thousand things that will hinder the Match, and stand between him and me, should I go to him: poor soul, this is apparently the plea and Language of unbelief, and let it be silenced forever, Christ having (as thou seest) fully assured us of the contrary: But besides, what is it that thou fearest, (or that any soul can fear) will stand between Christ and thee, to hinder an Espousal with him? Bring forth thy strong pleas, and see if they will bear any weight in the Sanctuary-balance.

1. Is it outward meanness and baseness? possibly thou art low and mean, and base in the World; thou art a poor, forlorn, despicable Creature; and this thou thinkest will stand between Christ and thee; surely (sayest thou) Christ will never take such a Contemptible Worm, as I am, into such a Relation with himself: But sinner, this shall not hinder in the least; for Christ is no respecter of Persons; High, and Low, Rich, and Poor, Bond and free, are all one in Christ, and to Christ, Gal. 3.28. Yea, does not the word tell us, that he chooses the poor of this World, Heirs of the Kingdom, and rich in Faith? Jam. 2.5. And again, ye see your calling, Brethren (Says the Apostle) how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many Noble are called; but God chooses Foolish, and weak, and base ones, 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28. As greatness is no furtherance, so meanness and baseness is no hindrance in this case: Men indeed mind Honor and greatness, they will have such as are suitable to themselves: But 'tis otherwise with Christ: Poor sinner, though thou beest never so low, and mean, and base in the World; though thou shouldst be clothed with Rags; yet if thou hast a mind to Christ, he will accept thee, and Marry thee to himself; yea, and thy soul will be as dear to him, and as precious in his sight, as the soul of the greatest Prince or Monarch in the World.

2. Is it inward Blackness and deformity? perhaps, sinner, if thou art not outwardly mean and base; yet thou seest thyself inwardly Black and deformed; thou liest 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 anything 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 (says he) and covered thy nakedness, yea, I swear unto thee, and entered into Covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine: Yea, not only so, but he puts a Beauty, yea, his own Beauty and comeliness upon them, thou art come to Excellent Ornaments, and art comely through my comeliness 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 Heinousness of thy sin and guilt? O my sins, my sins (says the poor foul) they are exceeding many, and exceeding great, they are many and great in themselves and they are clothed 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: Come now (says he) And let us Reason together, though your sins are as Scarlet, they shall he white as Snow; though they are red like Crimson, they shall be as Wool, Isa. 1.18. Though your Sins are as Scarlet. and as Crimson, i.e. Though they are great, foul, enormous Sins; Sins of a heinous and crying nature, and clothed with the greatest aggravations, yet they shall be White as Snow and Wool: i.e. They shall be fully done away and pardoned; so fully done away and pardoned, 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 heinous 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 abundantly to pardon, and to nothing pardons, 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 Blasphemy shall be forgiven, 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 only 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 him no answer, he has long wooed 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 mightest 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 'tis 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 Crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the Streets, she crieth 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 Scorners 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 scorned the offers of Christ and, his Love, and yet here he renews 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 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 thyself 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-sliding of thine from him: Possibly thou hast sometimes 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 closing 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 go to him: And the truth is, this also is very sad: For hereby Christ has been eminently Dishonored, 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 v. 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 forever, 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 encouragement, yet, know, Christ has received multitudes that were every way as vile, sinful, and unworthy as thou art: What dost thou think of Manasseh, who was a Sorcerer, and an Idolater? What dost thou think of Paul, who was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer? What dost thou think of Mary Magdalene, who had seven Devils in her? What dost thou think of Rahab, who was a 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 hating 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 ways, 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 Manasseth among the true Worshippers of God: There's oppressing Zacchaeus among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect: There's Blasphemous Paul among the Host of Angels, Lauding, Praising, and singing Hallelujahs to God and the Lamb; and there is Mary Magdalene, 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, qualify thee for Christ and his free Grace: My sinful wants and unworthiness (says Rutherford) have qualified me for Christ and his grace: Cast thyself 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 rejoices 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 rejoicing 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 rejoices 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 rejoiced and delighted himself in the thoughts of from all Eternity: thus much he himself tells us, Prov. 8.30, 31. Then, namely, from Everlasting, was I by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing 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 rejoiced before him; but what did he rejoice in? truly, next to his Father and himself, his rejoicing 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 rejoiced in the thoughts of it before hand; so when at any time a poor Soul is Actually Espoused to him, then he rejoices 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 rejoicing to the Father, a day of gladness and rejoicing to the blessed Spirit, a day of gladness and rejoicing to the Holy Angels, and Spirits of just men made perfect: For there is joy in Heaven, at this, Luk. 15.7. But 'tis especially a day of gladness and rejoicing 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 satisfaction of his soul: Hence 'its said, he shall see of the travel of his soul, and be satisfied, Isa. 53.11. 'It 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 do; 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 Luke. 19.41, 42. Behold the joy of the whole Earth weeping! And why? Because of their refusals of him, and his Grace, and the woeful Destructions that for these refusals were coming upon them: Indeed this is what reflects great Dishonor upon his name, pours 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 rejoices 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 rejoices when souls are Espoused to him; so being Espoused to him, he delights and rejoices in this Espousal forever: Men Marry such or such, and they rejoice therein at present, but their joy does not last: 'It is otherwise with Christ, he did rejoice in the thoughts of it from all Eternity, he does rejoice in the being and accomplishment of it here in time, and he will rejoice in the consummation of it in Heaven forever; the truth is, his joy is not complete, till the Marriage be complete; 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 heart 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 nuptial 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? 'It 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 wooed 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, showed 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 labored 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.

CHAPTER X.

Which Directs Souls, and shows 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 anything 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 'tis 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 labor to be deeply Sensible of thine utter estrangement from him by nature, as also of thy woeful 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. Labor, therefore for this.

1. Labor to be deeply sensible of your estrangement 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 'twas with the Ephesians, so 'tis with us all by nature, they were and we are without Christ in the World, Eph. 2.12. And not only without him, but also far from him as it follows, &. 13. I may truly say to every natural man and woman in this, as Peter did to Simon in another case, Acts. 8. 21. Thou hast neither part nor Lot in this matter; Thou knowest not what Union and Communion which this sweet Lord means: Yea, not only are we by nature estranged from Christ; but moreover we are at Enmity with him, and filled 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 everything that is his, with his Person, with his Presence, with his Spirit, with his Kingdom, with his Laws 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, says 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 estrangement 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 begin to bleed and relent over it.

2. Labor to be deeply sensible of your exceeding great misery by reason of this estrangement: As we are all naturally without Christ; so our misery herein is exceeding great: So much the Apostle holds forth, in the place before quoted, Ephe. 2.12. Where he speaks of our being without Christ, as our misery; yea, as the spring and Foundation of all our misery; and therefore that is first mentioned: the Ephesians were, and we are (as he there tells us) without the Covenant, without hope, and without God in the World; misery enough for any Soul to lie under; and the inlet and Foundation of all is, their and our being without Christ: As to have Christ (says a learned Interpreter upon this place) is the Foundation of all good; so, to be without Christ is the beginning and foundation of all evil; an inlet into all woe and misery, and what leaves us in a most deplored state forever: Take a taste, and but a taste of this your misery, and then work the sense of it upon your own Souls.

1. Being without Christ, you are destitute of all good, you are without Life, without Grace, without Peace without Pardon, without Comfort, without Righteousness, without Heaven, without Salvation, without Hope, and without God (as you have it in the same place) Eph. 2.2. without the Favor of God, without the Presence of God, without the Life of God, without the Image of God, without the Spirit of God, and being thus without God, you are without all true good, and true happiness: According to the old and true Maxim Sine Summo bono nihil Bonum: Without the chief good there is nothing good.

2. Being without Christ, you are in Bondage to sin and Satan, which is the worst Bondage in the World. Naturally all are the Slaves and Vassals of these cruel Lord's: Hence we are said to fulfill the Devils lusts, Je. 8, 44. and as the lusts of the Devil, so the wills and lusts of the flesh, Epe. 2.2. to be the servants of sin, to serve divers lusts, and pleasures, and the like: And as naturally all are thus in Bondage to sin and the Devil; so there is no redemption from this Bondage but by Christ, and that in a way of Union with him: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, saith he himself to the Jews, Je. 8.36. They were Glorying in their privilidge, that they were Abrahams seed, and never were in Bondage to any man: True, says Christ, but ye are in a worse Bondage then a Bondage to man, in Bondage to sin, in Bondage to your lusts: For he that committeth sin is the servant of sin: and this Bondage none but the Son can free you from; and therefore, until freed by him, you remain under it. O how sore a Bondage is this? To be under the command of sin, to be at the beck of every base, unclean lust, and to be carried Captive by the Devil at his will: This is such a Bondage as that the Bondage of Israel under their task-makers in Egypt, and the bondage of Turkish slaves, who are kept at the Oar and Galley is freedom to it: as to serve Christ is the greatest liberty, so to serve sin is the cruelest Bondage.

3. Being without Christ, and Union with Christ, you are rejected of God: Know ye not (says the Apostle:) that except Christ be in you, ye are Reprobates; 2 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not? As if he should say, 'tis a most clear, manifest, and evident truth, that unless you have Union with Christ, you are Reprobates; i.e., you are unapproved of God, you are out of his Favor, both your persons and services are rejected by him: To the same purpose is that, Gal. 4.22. Where we read, of 2 Mothers, and 2 Sons: The two Mothers were types of the 2 Covenants, the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace, as appears by v. 24. The 2 Sons are types of 2 sorts of persons living in the Church; one born after the flesh, the other by promise; one belonging to the first, the other to the second Covenant: Well, what's the condition of these? Why, the one is in a state of rejection, and the other of acceptation: They, that belong to the second Covenant are owned, and embraced in the arms of Love; the other are cast out (as you may see in the sequel of the Chap:) Besides, all our acceptation with God is in Christ, and through Christ, Eph. 1.6. Out of him therefore we are in a state of rejection: O, how sad does this speak your condition to be? for men, yea, for good men to reject, and disown us, is what may be born, especially when God owns, and smiles: But for God to disown, and reject us, this is terrible indeed, though all the World should own us, and smile upon us: How terrible is that word? Reprobate silver shall men call them: for the Lord hath rejected them, Jer. 6.30— If God owns, and smiles, 'tis no matter who frowns; but if he frowns, and rejects, who can own or smile to the relief of the Soul?

4. Being without Christ, you are under the Law, and so under the curse; and how sad is this? as there are but 2 Covenants, the old, and the new; and but 2 heads of those Covenants; the first, or the second Adam; so all men do belong to, and are found in the one or the other of these: Whilst therefore you are strangers to Christ, you are under the Law, and being under the Law you are under the curse: For, says the Apostle, As many as are under the Law are under the curse: For it is Written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things that are Written in the Book of the Law to do them, Gal. 3, 10. The Law has no pity, no sparing for offenders; But for every breach thereof lays the Soul under the curse: Now, we have all broken the Law, we all broke it in Adam, being in him as in an head; and we have all broken it 10. Thousand times over in our own persons; and by both are fallen under the curse thereof: And, Soul, dost thou know what the curse of the Law means? It carries in it Death and condemnation forever: Being under the Law, we are cursed in our persons, and cursed in our comforts: The wrath of God lies upon our souls, and the curse of God is in all our enjoyments, our very Blessings are accur'st to us, Mal. 2.2. We read in Scripture of the people of God 's curse; and thou art one of them, Soul, whoever thou art, that art out of Christ: O how woeful, how deplorable a condition is this!

5. Being without Christ, and estranged from Christ, you lie under the guilt of innumerable sins, which you alone must bear forever? 'tis in, and by Christ alone, that Souls are Discharged from the guilt of sin: And who are they, whom he discharges from guilt; but such as are found in him, are under a Marriage-Covenant with him? those his Blood cleanses from all sin, 1 Jo. 1.7. and in him have they redemption through his Blood, even the forgiveness 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, & ten thousands of Scarlet, Crimson sins, sins clothed 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 forever, how miserable does this speak thy condition to be.

6. Being estranged from Christ, you are under a necessity of sinning, and so of greatening 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 man's condition to be very doleful: To be always sinning against God, and always 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 satisfy Divine justice, which is ready to seize upon you; nothing to pacify Divine wrath, which is ready to break forth against you; nothing to stand between Divine 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 ten thousand talents 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 estrangement from Christ, and also your misery (in part) by reason of that estrangement. Now, as ever you would get Union and Communion with him, labor to be deeply sensible of both these.

2. Would'st thou indeed be Espoused to Christ? Then labor to be soundly convinced, and deeply sensible of the greatness, and Heinousness of the sin of refusing Christ, and the offers of his Love; poor Soul, thou standest it out against Christ, he woos, 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 heinous 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 horrid things: Indeed well thou mayest; for they are sins of a more than ordinary heinous 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, says 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 Gospel? 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 heinous 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 horrid 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 only 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 (says 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; because 'tis of God's operation (as you have it elsewhere) or that which God works in us; but because 'tis the great thing which he commands, and requires of us. To reject, and refuse Christ then, is a sin against a signal and eminent command; indeed against the great command of the Gospel; and therefore must needs be a great, and crying sin: more particularly.

1. The neglect and refusal of Christ, and his love, is a sin against a clear and express command of God, a command wherein the authority of God does peculiarly and eminently shine forth: So much is held forth in the place mentioned before 1 Joh. 3.28. this is his commandment (says he speaking of the commandment of Faith) his express Commandment, a Commandment wherein his authority is evidently and peculiarly seen; the authority of God shines forth in all his commands, but especially in this above the rest: Therefore this you see has an emphasis put upon it: This is his commandment: Now the more clearly and eminently the authority of God shines forth in any command, the greater our sin and guilt is in transgressing that command.

2. The neglect and refusal of Christ and his love, is a sin against a command, wherein the heart of God and Christ does much lie; and is therefore a great sin: This is a true Rule: That the more the mind or heart of the Law-Giver is in any law or command, the greater is our sin and guilt in the breach and transgression of that law or command: Now God's command to us to receive Christ by believing, is a command wherein his own heart, as well as the heart of Christ, does much lie: indeed there is nothing in all the World, that the heart of God and Christ is more set upon, or desirous of, then this; that Souls should embrace Christ by believing, and become one with him in a Marriage-Covenant: Witness the freeness of their offers, the frequency of their calls, the importunateness of their pleas, the patientness of their waiting's, the affectionateness of their entreaties, the friendliness of their upbraiding's, the patheticalness of their lamenting's, the sweetness of their wooing's, the unweariedness of their drawings, and the graciousness of their dealings in reference hereunto: But you have already seen, how much the heart of Christ, and in him the heart of the Father is in this business: now to transgress such a command, a command wherein the heart of God and Christ does so much lie, and to run counter to that, which they so much desire, O what a sin must this needs be?

The neglect and refusal of Christ, is a sin against a command which has virtually all the commands of God in it, and so in the breach and transgression thereof we break and transgress all; and O how great a sin then must this be? to believe on Christ is comprehensive of all that God commands and requires of us; this is so his Commandment, as that in obeying this we obey all; And in violating this we violate all; and so he esteems and accounts it: This is evident from Joh. 6.28, 29. What shall we do (say they) that we may work the works of God? This is the work of God (says Christ) to believe on him whom he hath sent: Pray, mark, they speak of [works] in the plural Number: They would know what all those works were which God required, and what the extent of the command was: And Christ in his Answer reduces all to one, and that is Faith; by which he shows that as all is vain without Faith, so Faith is virtually all that God requires: This is the Work of God: (says he) as if he should say, here's all in one, to believe on, and receive me is comprehensive of all; and accordingly, my beloved, to reject Christ and his love is to break all at once, and to violate all at once? 'It is to rebel against and pour contempt upon the whole mind and will of God at once, and in effect to renounce all duty and allegiance to him: Suitable whereunto is the observations of a learned Man upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9. Christ here (says he) calls unbelief [Sin] Simply and absolutely because that sin comprehends all sin in it: O how great a sin then must this be?

4. The neglect and refusal of Christ, is a sin against a command of much love: All God's commands have love in them: They are designed by him for our good (as the Scripture tells us) but especially this command of his, that we should receive and embrace his Son: For what is this command, but a command to us, to be saved, a command to us, to be happy? What is this, but a commanding of us, to Live forever more, to be eternally blessed, in and with himself? And O how great a sin must the transgression of such a command be? Did God command us any hard or severe thing, something that tended to our prejudice, and not our happiness, that were somewhat; but when he commands us nothing but to be happy, and to be happy in the best way: O how great a sin must it be to transgress such a command?

2. Consider, the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which in a peculiar manner derogates from him, and pours great contempt upon him, and therefore a great sin: The more contempt any sin pours upon Christ, and the more it derogates from him, the greater that sin is: Now what sin derogates more from Christ, or pours greater contempt upon him, then the neglect and refusal of him, offering himself to us, does? This is a sin which takes the Crown off from Christ's head, and throws it in the Dust: It every way, and in all respects pours great contempt upon him.

First, this sin vilifies and pours contempt upon the Person of Christ: Christ's Person is infinitely excellent, and infinitely amiable, and accordingly to vilify and contemn his Person must be a great sin, and contract great guilt, and this the refusal of him, does: Hence, called a treading underfoot of the Son of God (which Argues the highest contempt imaginable) Heb. 10.29. Every refusal of Christ carries that Language concerning him in it, Isa. 53.2. When we see him, there is no Beauty in him, for which we should desire him: He has neither form, nor comeliness in him: He is a person of no worth, no desirableness: O what contempt is this to be cast upon Christ, and how much does it derogate from him?

2. This sin vilifies, and pours contempt upon the work, office, and undertaking of Christ, as Mediator; upon all that he has done, and suffered, withal the riches of his Grace, and Love, manifested therein: Hence 'tis called, as a treading of the Son of God underfoot, so an accounting his Blood a common and an unholy thing, a thing of no worth, no use, no value, no excellency, Heb. 10.29. Great, my Beloved, was the work, and undertaking of Christ, as our Mediator, and great were the things, which he both did and suffered in the discharge of that work and undertaking; great also was his Grace, and Love towards us in all, and accordingly, great must our sin and guilt be, in pouring contempt thereon, which we do by our refusing of him: Hereby we pour contempt upon all his acts and all his offices, as Mediator, upon all his Merits, and all his Purchases, upon all his Grace and Love in bleeding and Dying for us: We do hereby in effect say, that neither Christ, nor anything which he has purchased, is worth accepting and embracing: That we had rather, that he had never died, never become a days-man between God and us; that he might have kept his Blood to himself, and we will not thank him for shedding of it; that we need neither him, nor anything that is his: Hereby we do in effect say, that the whole Gospel is a Cheat, a lie, a mere Delusion: That Christ is an hard Master, and rules with Rigor; that Salvation is little worth, and the like. O what horrid contempt of Christ is this?

3. This sin plainly prefers a poor, Base, Vile lust before Christ, and all the Glorious Riches and Treasures of Christ: and O what contempt of him is this? Why do men refuse Christ, and the offers of his Love? Surely 'tis for the sake, and from the Love of some lust or other, either the lust of the Flesh, the lust of the Eye, or the pride of Life; and if so, then by refusing of him they do really prefer this Lust before him, and all the Treasures of his Grace and Love: And thus indeed you find it to be, Mat. 22. Beginning, as also Luke. 14.18, 19, 20. Where Christ offers himself, withal his Treasures, to poor Sinners, who yet slight and refuse both him and them: And why so? The one hath a farm, the other a Merchandize, and all have some carnal concern, to mind: the Sum is, they have a lust to be satisfied; and therefore Christ, and all the Treasures of his Love, must be rejected; By refusing of Christ we do in effect say, that there is more good, more sweetness, more happiness in a lust, in a little carnal, worldly pleasure and advantage, then there is in Christ, and all that is his: Hereby we do in effect say, that men are deceived in Christ, that the Word of God makes a false report of him, that he is not such a Savior, nor is his Salvation so great as the one, and the other is represented to be: O what contempt is this to be cast upon Christ? Esau (yow know) is said to despise his Birth right; and how? By preferring a mess of pottage or a morsel of Meat before it, Gen. 25.34. But O how much more do we contemn Christ and his Love by preferring a base, vile lust before him and it? Surely greater contempt of Christ than this cannot well be found: And how great then must the sin of the refusal of Christ be, and how much should we tremble at it?

3. Consider, that the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin which in an eminent manner darkens and opposes the Glory of God, and reflects the highest Dishonor upon him of all others; and therefore a great sin: The more any sin darkens and opposes the Glory of God, the greater the guilt of that sin is: For (first) the more any sin opposes the Glory of God, and reflects Dishonor upon him, the more contrary it is to the highest good; and the more contrary any sin is to the highest good, the greater the guilt of it must needs be: And Secondly, the more any sin opposes the Glory of God, and reflects Dishonor upon him, the more it thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man; and the more any sin thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man, the greater the guilt of that sin is:

Now the neglect and refusal of Christ is what eminently opposes the Glory of God, and reflects Dishonor upon him: The reception and entertainment of Christ puts an honor upon the Father: Indeed every act of Faith honors God, Rom. 4.20. And especially this great and Fundamental act of Faith, in embracing Christ: So on the other hand, the neglect and refusal of Christ is what reflects Dishonor upon God, it throws his Glory in the dust; and hence 'tis, that this sin is so exceeding provoking to him, as in the Scripture it is represented to be: Particularly take here two things.

1. This sin of refusing Christ is what slights and contemns all the Glorious excellencies and perfections of God at once; and so cannot but cast very great Dishonor upon him, and be very opposite to his Glory: In Christ, my Beloved, all the Glorious excellencies and perfections of God are eminently manifested and displayed: In him do all the Glorious counsels of his Grace and Love meet, and in refusing him we despise and pour contempt upon all. In him does his love eminently shine forth, and the fullness of it rest, 1 Jol. 4.9, 10. In him is his Justice, Righteousness, and Holiness eminently manifested and displayed, Rom. 3.25, 26. In him does his wisdom, yea, his manifold wisdom, appear and reveal its self: In a word, whole God is manifested and revealed in him, and withal tendered to the embraces of our Faith and Love: In every offer of Christ made to us in the Gospel, God does in effect say to us, whatever I am, or can do, as God, that I will be to, and do for you, to make you happy forever: accordingly to refuse Christ must needs pour contempt upon all: It slights and pours contempt upon the Grace of God, the wisdom of God, the power of God, the justice of God, the Holiness of God, the Fulness and All-sufficiency of God, and all the Ancient Glorious counsels of his Love concerning Souls: to refuse Christ is in effect to say, that the Grace of God is no Grace, at least not worthy of our acceptance: That his justice and holiness are not to be regarded, and that we value them not: That his wisdom is folly, and his power weakness; that his fullness has little in it, and is no way able to satisfy us, and make us happy: that a broken Cistern is as good, as that Fountain of living waters: And hereby we down-right deny his Faithfulness, and put the lie upon him, 1 Joh. 5.10. We do in effect say, that the God of truth is a liar, that his witness and testimony is not to be credited, that his word of promise is a mere delusion, and for no other use, then to beguile Souls: O what contempt, what Dishonor must all this cast upon the blessed God, and what horrible wickedness must it be? to make God a liar (says a Learned Man) is an horrible and execrable impiety: thereby we take that from him which is most dear and proper to him. O tremble, Soul, tremble at the Blackness and hellishness of this sin.

2. This sin of refusing Christ is what is directly opposite to the highest design of God for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is most dear to him: what, my Beloved, was the highest design that ever God laid and carried on for his own Glory? Verily 'twas Christ, and the Salvation of sinners by Christ: He designed himself a revenue of Glory in making the World, and he does design himself a revenue of Glory in all he does in governing the World: But that wherein he has designed the highest revenue of Glory to himself, is the mystery of Christ, and Salvation by Christ: So much is evident from Eph. 1.11, 12, 14. In whom says he speaking of Christ) We have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his Glory; And again, v. 14. unto the praise of his Glory: The sum is this, that God's Glory was his great end in the dispensation of Christ, and our Salvation by him; and also that in and by that dispensation he did design the highest revenue of Glory to himself: For pray observe, first he calls it the praise of his Glory, the splendor, and highest emanation of his Glory: (Secondly) he repeats this design of God to the praise of his Glory, and again, to the praise of his Glory; which notes this to be his grand design for his Glory. Again, what is that Glory that is most dear to God? Verily 'tis the Glory of his Grace: Grace is his darling attribute, and the Glory of his Grace is most dear to him: Hence this has been peculiarly his design in the whole of the mystery of Christ: So the same Apostle tells us, Eph. 1.6. Who having before spoken of the great mysteries of predestination and redemption by Christ; here in the 6. v. tells you, what was God's great design in all, viz: The praise of the Glory of his Grace: 'It is the crowning of Grace, and the enthroning of Grace, which God in a peculiar manner delights in: Now if the highest design of God for his own Glory be by the mystery of Christ, and our Salvation by Christ, and the Glory of his Grace be most dear to him; then 'tis clear, that our refusing of Christ is most opposite to the highest design that God ever carried on for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is most dear to him: For alas! This is in effect to say, that God has laid out no Grace upon sinners in the dispensation of Christ, and that he deserves no Glory upon the account of that dispensation: This is in effect to tell him, that neither his Christ, nor his Grace in him, is worth minding, worth receiving; and that we are no ways beholding to him for the one, or the other: And O what Dishonor must this reflect upon God, and how darkening to his Glory? And accordingly, Soul, let thee and I tremble at it, and at the Blackness and horridness of that sin, that has such a dreadful effect.

4. Consider, that the neglect and refusal of Christ, is a sin which directly and immediately murders the soul, and damns it eternally; and therefore must needs be a great sin: That sin that does most directly and immediately murder the Soul, and destroy it eternally, that must needs be a great sin, and should be greatly dreaded by us: And what sin is it that does this, but our neglect and refusal of Christ? And, Soul, that thou mayest be the more deeply convinced of this, seriously weigh these following propositions.

First, that the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which rejects the only remedy of sinful souls: Poor Sinners are in themselves dead, lost, undone, and perishing forever: They are sick, and sick to death; they are sinful, and sinful to damnation; and there is one, and but one remedy for them, and that's Christ; Christ and his Blood, Christ and his Grace, Christ and his fullness; Besides this, there is no Balm in Gilead, no Physician there for them; neither is there Salvation in any other, Acts. 4.14. Therefore by refusing and rejecting him, they refuse and reject the only remedy: He indeed is a Complete, as well as an only, remedy: He is able, and as willing, as he is able, to save to the very uttermost, as the Scripture tells us: But they by rejecting of him exclude themselves from his saving efficacy, and so thereby do directly murder their own souls.

2. That the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin, which binds all a man's other sins fast to him: 'It is a great and weighty saying which a worthy Divine has. Unbelief, says he (which is properly the neglect and refusal of Christ) binds all a man's sins fast to his Soul, and Damnation fast to his sins: 'It is indeed the Bond of all our guilt, and all our misery; that which makes the curse cleave close to us forever: And while a man remains in this sin, 'tis impossible, that he should be acquitted and discharged from the guilt of any one of all his sins: 'It is (I remember) Austin 's observation upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9. Where Christ tells us, That his Spirit shall convince the World of Sin, because they believe not in him: Christ (says he) instances in the sin of infidelity in a special manner, because that sin remaining, all our other sins remain: But that being taken away, all others are forgiven: Faith (as one of the Ancients expresses it) delet omnia peccata, blots out all sins; but unbelief that binds all fast upon us: Hence that word of Christ, If ye believe not, ye shall die in your sins: i.e. your sins shall cleave close to you to the very death, Jo. 8.24. This will be further evident in the next proposition: Therefore

3. That though all sin be killing and damning, yet no sin shall ever damn or destroy us, unless we add thereunto the sin of the neglect and refusal of Christ: 'It is true, every sin is damning; sin within, sin without: The wages of sin is death, Rom. 6. last. And the Apostle tells us, there is a just recompense of reward due to every transgression and disobedience, Heb. 1.2. But though every sin be damning, yet whatever a man's sins are, though never so many, never so great; they shall, they can never damn him, in case he receives, and embraces Christ: Nor indeed can any of all a man's sins be said to be the immediate cause of his damnation, but his refusing of Christ: Indeed under the Law the immediate cause of men's perishing was sin in general: But under the Gospel the only immediate cause of men's perishing is the rejection of Christ and his Grace through unbelief: So much Christ himself tells us in that known place, Joh. 3.18. He that believeth on the Son is not condemned, but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God: He that believeth on Christ is not condemned: And why so? Is it because he has no sins to condemn him? No, but because believing on Christ all his sins are done away: But he that believeth not on him is condemned already: And why? Is it because he is a sinner in general, or because his sins are many and great sins? No, but because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God: The sum of all is this: The immediate cause of men's condemnation is not this sin or that sin, but their refusing of Christ by unbelief: Hence you have it so frequently up and down the Gospel: He that believeth shall be saved: He that believeth not shall be damned, and the like; Well then, if our refusing of Christ be the rejecting of the only remedy of sinful Souls; if it be what binds all a man's sins fast upon him; and if none of all a man's other sins, though many and great, should or could ever damn him, were not this sin of refusing Christ added to them; then certainly this is that sin which does most directly and immediately murder the Soul: O how great a sin then does this speak it to be? Murder is a great sin; an iniquity to be punished by the judge; nor do we look upon a murderer fit to live: But no murder like to Soul-murder, nor should we suffer this Soul-murderer to live one moment.

4. Consider, that the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin which argues you to be really in Love with your sins, which truly and indeed chooses Death rather than Life, loves Darkness more than Light, and which leaves you without the least color of excuse or room of appeal forever: And O what a black and horrid sin must this then be? A little of each.

1. This sin of neglecting and refusing Christ, is, what really argues you to be in Love with your sins, and to have slight thoughts of them: For men to act sin is bad; but to have slight thoughts of sin, and to be in Love with it, is much worse; sin being against an infinite good, even infinitely contrary to the blessed God, has in a sort an infinite evil in it; and to be in love with that which has an infinite evil in it, O how dreadful a thing is this? Yet this your refusal of Christ carries in it: For pray, mark, had you not slight thoughts of sin, you would not refuse the pardon of sin, when offered you; but would account it worthy of all acceptation; and were you not in Love with your sins, yea, greatly in Love with them, you would not choose and desire to continue in your sins; much less would you refuse and reject so great a good, as Christ is, for the sake of your sins: Should a condemned Malefactor refuse the Kings free pardon, would not this argue him to have slight thoughts of Death; yea, to be in Love with it, and to prefer it before life? As clearly does your refusing of Christ argue you to have slight thoughts of sin, and to be in Love with it: O were you not in Love with your sins, you would be glad of a discharge and deliverance from them, and would withal readiness and joyfulness embrace it, when freely offered to you, as in Christ it is.

2. This sin of refusing Christ is what truly and indeed speaks you to love darkness more than light, and to choose death rather than life: 'It is what prefers sin and death before Christ, and life, and Grace; O what a black sin then must it be? This Christ himself asserts concerning it, and that as a high aggravation of it, and what makes it doubly damning, Joh. 3.19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the World, and men love darkness rather than light. Christ and the good things of Christ are here called light; on the other hand sin and death, sin and the miseries that attend it, are called darkness: Now (says Christ) men by unbelief and refusing of me do declare, that they love this darkness before this Light: Men by refusing of me do in effect love, choose, prefer sin, and death, and darkness before me, and my Grace, me and that eternal life which I would give them: O what a sin is this? Christ may truly say to Sinners, as Moses to them of old, Deut. 30.19. I call Heaven, and Earth to record this day, that I have set before you, Life and Death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that ye may live: Now, for them to choose death and reject life, to choose the curse and reject the blessing: This is a dreadful sin indeed and the more dreadful: On the one hand, because the light is so lovely and amiable; and on the other hand, the darkness is so odious & terrible: as also because the obligations which lie upon us to love, choose, and prefer the light before darkness, are so weighty and forcible: For Christ earnestly desires it, he graciously counsels it, he strictly commands it, and no less than a whole eternity of Glorious and unspeakable happiness depends upon it: O think of these things.

3. This sin of refusing Christ is a sin which leaves you without the least color of excuse, or room of appeal forever; which must argue it to be a great sin indeed: First, it leaves you without the least color of excuse, without the least color of excuse for sin, and without the least color of excuse why you should not die for sin: This Christ himself is express in, Joh. 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no Cloak for their sin: If I had not come, and spoken to them (viz. in the Gospel) revealing my Father's will; and offering myself and my Grace to them; They had not had sin. i.e. Not so great sin: But now they have no Cloak, no excuse for their sin: Now they have no pretense to make, nothing wherewith to color or extenuate their sin: The neglect and refusal of Christ leaves men altogether inexcusable, and it will do so to be sure in the last day: O when God in the day of his righteous judgment shall demand of men that have lived under the Gospel; why they sinned, and having sinned, why they are found in their sins, and being found in their sins, why they should not die forever: what will they have to say by way of excuse or apology for themselves? Verily nothing; but will be Speechless, as he is said to be, Mat. 22.12. They cannot say, they were not warned of the evil of sin: They cannot say, that pardon and Salvation were not offered them: They cannot say, that the offer was not full, and free, and clear: They cannot say, they had to do with an hard Master; nor can they say, that sin is not worthy of death: They will have nothing to say. Secondly, it leaves you without the least room or place of appeal forever: I may say here, as 'tis said in another case, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? So if a man sin against the Law by transgressing of it, he may appeal to the Gospel, and the grace of Christ there: But if a man sin against Christ and his Grace offered in the Gospel, where then shall he appeal? Verily there is no appeal to be made, no relief to be found for him. If a man be condemned at the seat of justice, as having sinned against the Law, he may appeal unto the mercy-seat, the throne of Grace, and sinned sweet relief; but if he sin against the mercy-seat, and the throne of Grace, then he has nothing to appeal to, that may administer relief to him: Now by refusing of Christ we sin against the Throne of Grace, we pull down, what in us lies, the mercy-seat: and where then shall we appeal? O consider these things, and learn by them to dread this sin of refusing Christ: I might say much more to convince you of the heinous evil of it; but let this suffice: Sure I am, 'tis enough to; and had we the due sense of it upon our Spirits, it would, make us tremble at it forever.

3. Wouldest thou indeed be Espoused to Christ? Then give not way to the discouragements of sense; but bear up thy Soul upon the encouragements of Faith, upon such Gospel-principles & considerations, as do tend to draw sinners to Faith in Christ: Possibly, upon reading and considering the woeful misery of thy condition without Christ, and the dreadful heinousness of thy sin and guilt, in thy long and frequent refusing of him, discouragements not a few may arise within; and indeed no sooner usually does a poor Soul look towards Christ, or think of closing with him in a Marriage-Covenant; but presently multitudes of discouragements arise to deter him there from: O, says he, what a monstrous sinner am I? How have I despised Christ and his grace? How long have I stood it out against him? I have served my lusts all my days, and rejected his calls: To what purpose do I now talk of closing with him? These, and multitudes such like discouragements do arise in the Soul, which being given way to, do effectually keep him from Christ: But if ever, Soul, thou wouldest attain to Union and communion with him, thou must shut thine eyes and heart too against all discouragements of this nature; and though they press in upon thee again and again; yet thrust them out fixing thine eye and heart upon the encouragements of Faith; dwell much in the thoughts of them, and bear up thy soul upon such Gospel principles and considerations, as do tend to weaken unbelief, & beget Faith in the soul; and for thy help herein I shall mention some of these encouragements of Faith, or Gospel-principles, which I would have thee to be serious and frequent in the contemplation of.

1. The first Gospel-principle, or encouragement of Faith, which thou shouldst bear up thy Soul upon, and be frequent in the contemplation of, is this; that there is a rich, a glorious, and an overflowing fullness of all good treasured up in Christ for poor Sinners; and that his Grace does abundantly exceed both our wants and sins: 'It is the work and nature of unbelief, to little and limit the fullness of Christ in the eye of the soul: It shows the soul the multitude of his sins and wants; but it conceals and Locks up Christ's treasures and fullness: And, whatever we pretend, the ground of our not closing with Christ, at least one principal one, is this, that we doubt of his fullness, we do not see enough in Christ to supply our wants, and relieve our distresses: Unbelief persuading us, that Christ is not the Christ, the Scripture represents him to be: But, Soul, away with all such apprehensions, and dwell thou in the contemplation of Christ's infinite fullness: Look to him, as one infinitely able to supply thy wants, to pardon thy sins, to healthy maladies, to subdue thy lusts, to sanctify thy heart, and to save thy Soul eternally: Look upon him, as the Scripture represents him: The Scripture tells thee, That it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell, Col. 1.19. All fullness of Grace and life, all fullness of peace and pardon, all fullness of Righteousness and Salvation: There is in Christ not only a fullness of abundance, but of redundance, an over-flowing fullness; a fullness infinitely superabounding our sins and wants: The Scripture tells us, That he is able to save unto the very uttermost, all that come unto God by him, Heb. 7.25. Save, able to save, able to save to the uttermost; and that not one or two, but all that come unto God by him: The Scripture speaks of Christ's unsearchable riches, Eph. 3.8. The Ocean of his Grace is not to be sounded by the longest line of the largest created understanding: Paul experienced the superabounding fullness of his Grace, and has left it upon record for our encouragement, 1 Tim. 1.14. The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant; it was more than enough: I found more Grace in Christ (as one expresses it) then I knew what to do withal; and yet what was this Paul? Himself tells you in the very v. before and after, he was a Blasphemer, a Persecutor, and the chief of Sinners, a man every way of as many sins and wants, as thou art: Accordingly view him, and bear up thy Soul in the face of all discouragements: Reason thus with thyself: True, my condition is sad, my wants are exceeding many, and my sins exceeding great: But what then? Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Is not Christ able to save me, and that to the utmost notwithstanding all: Look, O my soul, yonder is sweet Jesus upon the Throne at the Fathers Right Hand, full of Grace and truth; look upon him, and consider: What are all thy wants to his Riches and fullness? What are all thy miseries and distresses to his Bowels of Mercy? What are all thy sins to the merit of his Blood, thy provocations to his satisfaction? Were thy wants more and greater than they are, his fullness could supply them all; were thy sins greater and more heinous than they are, his Blood could cleanse thee from all: The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, 1 Jo. 1.7. There is infinitely more worth in his merits to pardon and justify thee, then there is evil in thy sins to damn & destroy thee: True, I have a Fountain of sin, and guilt, and death in me: But here's a deeper Fountain of Grace, and life, & righteousness in him: see, O my Soul, see how vast and large his treasures of Grace and Glory are, and bear up thyself upon them: O did Sinners dwell more in the view of the Glorious fullness of Christ, they would be more in love with him; and hereby would counter-work and undermine unbelief in one of its greatest artifices, whereby it keeps souls from him. I shall here for thy encouragement only subjoin the saying of a worthy Divine. Christ (says he) can, and it becometh him well to give more then my narrow soul can receive. If there were ten thousand thousand millions of worlds, and as many heavens full of men and Angels, Christ would not be pinched to supply all their wants, and to fill them all. Christ is a Well of Life, but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom?

2. The second Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou shouldest bear up thy soul upon, and be frequent in the contemplation of, is this: That as there is such a Glorious and in-exhaustible fullness in Christ, so this fullness is in him, not for himself, but to be dispensed and communicated to poor Souls coming to him: True (may the Soul say) here's fullness enough, riches and treasures enough of all good in Christ; but what's this to me, or wherein does it concern me? Wherein does it concern thee? Why, 'tis wholly thy concern, and the concern of such, as thou art: For whatever fullness he has in him, 'tis treasured up in him for Souls, for Sinners, yea, for the worst of Sinners: How sweet is that word? Psa. 68.18. where, speaking of Christ, the holy Ghost tells us, that he hath received gifts for men: He hath received gifts. i.e. He has a fullness of all good in his hand, and at his dispose, and this for men: I but I am a devil (says the soul) a rebel, & what's this to me? observe, what follows, and thou wilt find it concerns thee, yea, thee especially: He hath received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also: Hence also 'tis, that he is said to be made Head over all things to the Church, Eph. 1.22. He has all fullness dwelling in him, but 'tis as a head, and so 'tis all for the use and service of the body, for every poor soul that comes to him: And therefore 'tis added, Head over all things to the Church. i.e., For the Churches use and service of which he is Head: Take a view of all that fullness that is in Christ, and 'tis all as much and as really for the use and service of such as come to him, and are made members of his body, as the treasures and endowments of the natural head are for the use and service of the natural body, and the members thereof: And O what an encouragement is this to Faith? 'It is the observation of a learned man upon the place last quoted. Lest (says he) we should think this great glory of Christ to be a thing that does not concern us, he is here declared to be constituted and appointed by the Father to be Head of the whole Church. Well then, soul, bear up thyself upon this encouragement: Say, look, O my soul, look unto sweet Jesus, who hath received Gifts for men: View him as one that has received a fullness of all Grace from the Father on purpose to be dispensed and communicated to thee, and to such as thou art: He has life in him, and he has it for thee; he has peace and pardon in him, and he has it for thee: He has wisdom, and righteousness, Grace, and Glory in him, and he has it for thee, and for such as thou art; and therefore go to him, expect all from him, cast all upon him.

3. The third Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou shouldst bear up thy soul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this, that there is a perfect freedom and willingness in Christ, yea, 'tis even genuine and natural to him to bestow himself, with all his Glorious riches and fullness, upon poor souls coming to him: Christ (as you heard) has all this fullness in him as an head; so you have it expressly, Col. 1.18, 19. Now as 'tis genuine and natural to the head to minister influence to the members: So 'tis even genuine and natural to Christ to communicate his Grace to poor souls: Besides, all that fullness that is in Christ, 'tis in him not as God only, but as man: 'It is deposited and treasured up in his human nature: It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell, Col. 1.19. In him i.e. (as a learned man expounds it ( in the man Christ, or in that human nature in which he died and transacted the business of our Salvation: 'It is true, the God-head or Divine nature is the first spring or Fountain of all Grace; but the human nature of Christ is as it were a second spring and Fountain of Grace: That is as a treasury or Store-house, wherein all Grace is laid up for us: Hence 'tis said, that as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son to have life in himself; because he is the Son of man, Joh, 5.26, 27. Christ as God hath life, i.e. all Grace originally and independently in him, as the Father hath: Indeed as God he is the same infinite and independent Fountain of Life and Grace with the Father: but 'tis as man that he is said to have Life and Grace given to him: The sum then is, That that Glorious fullness of Grace that is in Christ for Sinners, is Fountain'd up in his human nature, and being Fountain'd up in his human nature it will, and cannot but slow, yea, overflow to, and upon poor souls, that cast themselves upon him: The truth is, 'It is to charge Christ with unkindness and unfaithfulness both at once, to suppose him unwilling to communicate himself and his fullness to Sinners coming to him; and, soul, canst thou find in thy heart to lay so black a charge upon so sweet and good a Christ? 'It is the way and work of the devil and unbelief to persuade Souls, that Christ will not receive them, nor communicate his Grace and fullness to them; though they should come to him, which they endeavor to do from the consideration of his greatness and holiness, together with their vileness and sinfulness: Christ, say they, is choice and peculiar in his Love and respects, as great Persons use to be: He will know his distance, and he will make Sinners know theirs: But, Soul, deal with this, as from the devil and unbelief, reject it as a reproach thrown upon Christ, and dwell much in the contemplation of his infinite willingness to receive and save the worst of Sinners that come to him: Reason it a little with thyself: Why did he become incarnate? Why did he bleed, and die? Why does he woo, and wait, and offer, and call, and strive with poor Sinners to win them to himself? Does it not all argue a willingness and readiness in him to give forth both himself and his fullness to them?

4. The Fourth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou shouldest bear up thy soul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That the only spring and principle of all that ever Christ does for poor Sinners from first to last is his own Sovereign Grace and Love: 'Twas his Love that brought him down from Heaven, and that led him out to Bleed and die for them: Hence Eph. 5.25. he is said to Love his Church, and give himself for it: 'It is his Love, his free Love, that first draws them to himself, and allures them into Covenant with him: I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee, Jer. 31.3. 'It is his Love that receives them, that pardons them, that bestows life and Salvation upon them: Hence all is said to be of Grace, even the whole of our Salvation, Eph. 2.8. Hence he is represented to us as sitting upon a Throne of Grace, and there 'tis that he invites us to come to him, and from thence give out all to us, Heb. 4.16. and therefore to that Throne we, though Sinners, may come boldly: He is upon a Throne; and therefore we may assure ourselves, that he will do great things for Sinners coming to him; he will act like a King, pardon like a King, save like a King, do all with Kingly greatness and magnificence: And 'tis a Throne of Grace, a Throne that reigns Grace, a Throne whereon Grace sits in imperial Majesty, and decrees all for poor Sinners coming to it; and so does all freely, all in a way of Sovereign Grace and Love: Hence that Language, I will have mercy, because I will have mercy, I will pardon, because I will pardon, and I will save, because I will save: Now what an encouragement is this to Faith, and how, if rightly weighed and considered, would it dash all the pleas of unbelief to pieces, and sweetly draw the Soul on to a close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant? For pray consider, what is the nature of Sovereign Grace and Love? The nature of it is to act from itself to itself without any consideration of anything in us, without respecting either the worthiness or the unworthiness of the creature at all: The nature of it is such, that 'tis neither constrained to, nor restrained from doing good to souls by anything either of good or evil in them; but all runs freely: And therefore no matter what I am, though never so vile and wretched in myself, while I have to do with such love, and such love is the spring of all Christ's dealings with me, and Carriages towards me.

5. The Fifth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou shouldest bear up thyself upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That the great design of Christ in all his undertakings for, and dispensation towards Sinners, is the illustrating and enthroning of his own Grace; and the more vile, sinful, and forlorn a wretch thou art, the more will his Grace be enthroned and illustrated in thine acceptance with him. Christ in his dealings with and for Sinners does not only act from a principle of Sovereign Grace, but in all he carry on a design to enthrone that Grace of his, and to make it Glorious forever; yea, and he acts, and will act suitably to such a design: 'It is not what such and such Sinners do or do not deserve (says Christ) that I am to mind, but what my Grace can do for them, and what will make most for the Glory of that Grace, what will set the brightest Crown upon its Head: This is evident, Eph. 1.6.12.14. Which was opened before upon another occasion: Hence those whom he saves, he saves in such a way, as may most lift up his own Grace, his design therein being, that Grace might reign, as you have it, Rom. 5.21. Hence you read of his justifying the ungodly, Rom. 4.5. He will have his Grace triumph over every Soul, whom he saves. Now what an encouragement is this to Faith? Christ not only sits upon a Throne of Grace, but also his design in dealing with Sinners is to set his Grace upon the Throne. Sinner, the more vile and sinful thou art, the more suitable it is to Christ's design to save thee; for the more vile and sinful thou art, the greater name and Glory will his Grace get in thine acceptation and Salvation by him: The more vile and sinful thou art, the greater will be the declaration of Grace on Christ's part in thine acceptance and Salvation: O when Christ shall pardon a soul so guilty, receive a soul so sinful, reconcile a soul that is such an enemy, as thou art, how will this declare the Glorious riches of his Grace in the view both of men & Angels? This will show forth the exceeding riches of his Grace, as the Expression is, Eph. 2.7. And the more vile and sinful thou art, the greater will be the admiration of Grace forever on thy part; Where much is forgiven, there will be the return of much Love, much praise, Luk. 7.47. O, who am I (says the soul, when once received to mercy, though more than ordinary vile and sinful) who am I, that I should find Grace in Christ's sight? What, such a rebel, and yet pardoned? Such an enemy, and yet reconciled? Such a Black devil, and yet washed, and made white in the Blood of the Lamb? Such a Fiend of Hell, and yet made a Favorite of Heaven? Such a filthy, deformed wretch, and yet taken into the pure and Lovely Bosom of sweet Jesus? O Grace, Grace! How rich and free is Grace? And O what praise and Hallelujahs will there be tuned upon the Tongues and spirits of such to God and the Lamb forever? When therefore thou wouldst go to Christ, and discouragements arise to keep thee back from him, thou shouldst dwell in the thoughts of and bear up thy soul upon this consideration, reasoning thus with thyself: True I am a vile wretch, the chief of Sinners, one on all accounts worthy to be abhorred, and cast off by Christ: But what then? Christ acts towards Sinners purely from a principle of Grace and Love, he regards neither worthiness nor unworthiness; whether a great sinner or a little sinner, 'tis all one to him, as to his 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 myself upon him, and put in for an Espousal with him.

6. The sixth Gospel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou shouldest bear up thyself upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That 'tis the Glory and perfection of Christ as Mediator to receive Sinners, and to give out himself and his fullness 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 Bosom and embraces of Jesus Christ: To understand it aright you must know, that Christ has a twofold 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 infinitely complete and full, that admits neither of diminution nor augmentation, being unchangeably the same forever: But the Glory and perfection 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 complete and perfect himself, as head and Mediator: Hence the Church is called his fullness, Eph. 1.13. God gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his Body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all: Now if the Church is Christ's fullness, then the more that is filled and completed by his receiving Sinners to himself, and giving out Grace to them; the more full and complete he himself, as to his Mediatory honor and perfection grows: 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 only because they do, or should actually glorify him; but also because he has received them, and laid out his grace upon them; and 'tis his grace only that shines forth in them: Hence that observation of Galvin upon the place. They (says he) that excel most in grace and holiness, 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 says Expressly that the Spirit shall Glorify him, because he shall receive of his, and give it unto us, Jo. 16.14. By all which it appears, that 'tis 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 full influences on us and our Salvation: And as Christ receives his name and Denomination of a Savior 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 lie 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 improved? True (may the soul say) I am vile, sinful, and unworthy; but 'tis the honor of Christ to receive me; 'tis his glory to bestow himself and his grace upon me; 'tis his perfection, 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 myself 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 Espoused 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 only 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: 'It 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 itself 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 Jews so generally reject him: They saw no Beauty in him for which they should desire him, nor did they discern form or comeliness in him; and therefore rejected him, Isa. 53.1, 2. They Looked no further 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, 'tis the Person of Christ that puts worth and vertue into all his doings, and all his sufferings; all his offices, and all his promises: 'It 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 endearing: 'tis the worth and excellency of his Person, that gives Authority to all the commands of Faith, and does awe the heart to obedience; and 'tis 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 wouldest be Espoused to this Christ, always maintain honorable thoughts of his Person: Behold his glory, as the glory of the only 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 jealousy of Christ, as if he were an hard, severe Husband; as if he carried it with rigor and severity towards his spouses: If the Devil and unbelief fail in their other attempts, then they endeavor to prejudice souls against Christ, persuading them, that he is an hard Master, an austere Husband, that rules with intolerable rigor and severity: I know, says 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 wouldest be Espoused to him, take heed of any such jealousy 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 ways: Is he severe? Pray, where lies his severity? Does he call you to bear his Yoak? He does, but 'tis an easy yoke: Does he enjoin you to bear his Burthen? He does, but 'tis a light Burthen: My yoke is easy, and my Burthen is light, Mat. 11.29.30. Does he expect you should take up the Cross? He does, but 'tis a sweet Cross, a gainful Cross, an honorable Cross, a Cross that is inlaid with love, and overlaid with Divine sweetness, a Cross that has a Crown annexed to it, even a crown of Life, Rev. 2.10. A Cross that is a Crown here; for 'tis an honor to suffer for Christ, Acts 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 withal he gives you strength to perform them, helping 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, Mal. 3.17. Can you do nothing, only 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 cannot 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 ways are all ways of pleasantness, and his paths 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 freedom but in his ways and service: 'It is a great saying which I have read in one of the Ancients, who (says 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 ways, 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 infinitely 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, says Christ to the woman, the gift of God, and who it is that speaketh to thee, thou would have asked of him, and he would have given thee living waters, Joh. 4.10. Truly did men know Christ, and his infinite acceptableness, 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 'tis worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1.16. And if so, what acceptation must Christ himself, yea Christ, withal 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: suitableness and conveniency: Sweetness and delight: Durableness and unchangeableness 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 scattered up and down among the creatures; the Saints, and Angels, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the like: But alas! It is scattered, and 'tis scattered 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 (says one) O that the Saints would dig deeper into the treasures of his wisdom and excellencies: Truly 'tis 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, and shine forth in Christ: What shall I say? He has in him all the excellencies of both worlds; and is indeed deservedly the wonder of both: In him there is a confluence of all the lovely properties, the drawing attributes, the ravishing Beauties, the Bright-shining and glorious perfections of the infinitely blessed Deity: Hence, says he, all that the Father hath is mine; which may be understood of his Divine perfections, Joh. 16.15. Hence also he is said to be equal with God, Phil. 2.6. i.e. Look, what ever Divine perfections there are in God the Father, they all are found in Christ: in him is expressed the whole Person of the Father, the whole Essence, Being, and Beauty of the Father: And (as a Learned man has observed) Christ the Son is in all things like the Father, this only excepted, that he is not the person of the Father: Hence also he is said to be the brightness of his Father's Glory, and the express image of his Person, Heb. 1.3. All the Fathers glories and excellencies do shine forth in him, and he perfectly represents the Father to us: Thus Christ is a person of excellency; and so most acceptable: And O who would not accept and embrace such a Christ? And how great a wickedness is it to reject him? I cannot but here take up the complaint of an holy man: O pity, pity for evermore (says he) that there should be such an one, as Christ Jesus, so boundless, so bottomless, so incomparable, so infinite in excellency and sweetness, and so few that will take him: they miserably lose their love (says he) who will not bestow it upon this lovely one.

2. There is usefulness and serviceableness in Christ: As Christ is a person of the highest excellency, so of the greatest and most absolute need, use, and service to poor souls: Indeed he is the one needful good, Lu. 10.42. Christ is so much needed by, and of so much use and service to poor souls, that they cannot possibly do well, and be happy without him: Pray, consider, we provoke God, and he is angry with us; and by Christ alone 'tis, that we receive the atonement. Rom. 5.11. We sin, and load ourselves with guilt; and by Christ alone 'tis, that we are or can be discharged from it: In him have we redemption through his Blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Eph. 1.7. We have a hard and impenitent heart, a heart that cannot repent; and by Christ, and Christ alone 'tis, that we can obtain repentance, he being exalted to give repentance unto Israel, as well as remission of sins, Act. 5.31. We are at a dreadful distance from God, afar off (as the Scripture speaks) and by Christ and him alone 'tis, that we are made nigh: What shall I say? The best of Saints, as well as the worst of Sinners, have an absolute need of Christ, and he is of daily use and service to them; neither can they live one day or one hour without him: Indeed he is their life, and without him therefore they are dead and undone, as well as others: without him they can do nothing, Jo. 15.5. Without him every duty will be too hard, every burden will be too heavy, every temptation will be too strong, every lust will be too mighty for them: without him they would yet fall short of the eternal rest, and would make ship-wrack of Faith, souls, and all forever. Without him neither Saints, nor Sinners can have any access to God, any intercourse or communion with him, in which notwithstanding the whole of our happiness both in time and eternity lies. I am the way (says he) and no man cometh to the Father, but by m, Jo. 14.6. And through him, says the Apostle, we have access unto the Father by one Spirit, Eph, 2.18. Without him we could have no peace with God; for he alone is our peace, Eph. 2.14. And having peace with God, without him we could not maintain our peace one hour, it being he alone that is our advocate and propitiation with the Father, 1 Jo. 2.1, 2. Thus he is every way most needful, and most useful to eternal souls: O how grateful, how acceptable then is he, or ought he to be to us?

3. There is suitableness and conveniency also in Christ to the souls of men: The suitableness and conveniency of any good renders it acceptable to us: How acceptable is bread to a hungry man, because a good suitable to him? How acceptable is drink to a thirsty man, because a good suitable to him? Now there is an admirable suitableness and conveniency in Christ to the souls of men, and that in all the cases of them: Why then should he not be acceptable to them? One (I remember) represents the suitableness of Christ to the souls and wants of Sinners thus, the whole person, nature, and offices of Christ (says he) are so suited and proportioned to all the variety of needs in us, that they are as a key for a lock, there is ward for ward, everything done in the key suitable to the lock: and indeed so 'tis here, Christ and his fullness being exactly suited to us and our wants: We are sick, and sick to death, and Christ is a Physician, Mat. 9.12. And what more suitable to the sick then a Physician? We are sinful, and sinful to damnation, we are lost Sinners, and Christ is a Savior; and who or what more suitable to lost Sinners then a Savior? We are poor captives, the captives of sin and Satan, in bondage to death and the curse; and Christ is a Redeemer; and who or what more suitable to Captives then a Redeemer? We are under the Tyranny and Usurpation of many mighty, powerful Lusts, Lusts that are imposing upon us every hour, and we are no way able to deal with them: But Christ is a great and puissant King, who can subdue all, and whose Arrows shall be sharp in the hearts of all his and our Enemies; and what more suitable to Persons in such a circumstance then such a King? We are dead, and Christ is Life; and what more suitable for the Dead then Life? We are poor, and miserable; and Christ is gold to enrich us. Are we naked? Christ is Clothing for us: Are we blind? He is Eye-salve for us: Are we in Prison? He is Liberty: Are we Hungry? He is Bread: Are we Thirsty? He is the Water of Life, which those that drink of shall never thirst: Are we troubled? He is Rest: Are we drooping and desponding? He is the consolation of Israel: Are we bewildered? He is a Guide: Are we born down in our spiritual conflicts? He is the Captain of our Salvation, who will fight for us: O how suitable every way is Christ to souls, and being so suitable, why should he not be acceptable to us? Poor sinner, is there any in Heaven or Earth that will so suit and answer the various wants and cases of thy soul, as Christ does and will? Why then shouldst thou not account him worthy of all acceptation?

4. There is sweetness and delight in Christ: Trahit sua quemque voluptas (says the Poet) everyone is drawn and allured by pleasure and delight: What is it that makes sin, that cursed thing sin pleasing and grateful to so many? Surely one great thing is that pleasure and delight which they find, at least promise themselves to find, in it: and indeed generally the more sweet and delightful things are, the more readily and greedily they are embraced by the Sons of Men: Why then should not Christ be grateful and acceptable to us? Is there any so sweet, so pleasant, so delightful, as he? He is a Fountain of sweetness, as well as Excellency: I find him so sweet (says an holy Man speaking of Christ) that my Love, suppose I would charge it to remove from him, it would not obey me. How sweet is his Love? Thy Love is better thon Wine, says the Spouse, Cant. 1.2. This is that best Wine which goeth down sweetly, causing the Lips of those that are asleep to speak, Cant. 7.9. Yea, this is that will cause a dead Man to speak and Live, as an holy Man speaks concerning it. Experienced Souls will tell you, that there is more sweetness in one descent of Love from Christ, then in all the delights of sin and the Creature: This is that which sweetens the sharpest affliction; yea, this is that, and that alone, which sweetens Death itself, and enables the soul truly to triumph over it, Rom. 8. latter end. O the sweet bathing that there is in the Fountain of Christ's Love! How sweet are his Fruits? I sat down under his shadow, says the Spouse, with great delight, and his Fruits were sweet to my taste, Cant. 2.3. By Fruits I understand the purchases of his Blood, and the effects of his Love, Peace, Pardon, Righteousness, Justification, Sanctification, and Holiness, Acceptation with God, and the like: And O how sweet are these? How pleasant are these? With what solace and satisfaction may a believing soul feed and feast himself upon these? How sweet is his presence, intercourse, and communion with him? This made the Spouse to be glad, and rejoice in him, Cant. 1.4. This indeed sets the soul down at the very Gate of Heaven, where he says, 'tis good to be here: 'It is a blessed exclamation which I find one of the Ancients breaks out into. O how good, and how sweet, O how good, and how pleasant is it, to dwell with thee, most sweet Jesus, to converse with thee, to reveal the concerns of our souls to thee, and to enjoy thy consolations! And again elsewhere, O thou most sweet and most loving Jesus, how sweet is it to think of thee! for while we are speaking and thinking of thee, thou art sweetly present with us, and our souls are filled with delight in the odors of thine Ointments: And yet once more, O Lord, when at any time I partake in this joy (speaking of the joy of Communion with him) I cry out, Lord, 'tis good to be here, les us build three Tabernacles here, me for Faith, one for Hope, one for Love. And indeed who is there that knows what Communion with Christ means, that does not find an incomparable sweetness, solace, and satisfaction in it? This is that which fills some with joy unspeakable and full of glory, even here; and this is that which will be the joy and delight of Heaven forever; Every way Christ is a very Field of pleasure, a very Paradise of Joys, and a very Fountain of delights: O why, why then should he not be more grateful and acceptable to us?

5. There is durableness and unchangeableness in Christ; which being added to all the former, renders him even infinitely the more grateful and acceptable: Possibly some worth, some usefulness, some suitableness, some sweetness and delight there may be found in the Creature, and Creature Enjoyments; but alas! this allays the acceptableness of all, that 'tis all fading, dying, and changing: and indeed whatever is short, and but for a season, cannot challenge any great acceptation: But now Christ he is lasting, durable, and unchangeable; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, Heb. 13.8. What he was, he is; and what he is, he always will be: He was most excellent, most useful, most suitable, most sweet and delightful to Souls; and so he is, and always will be: He (as one of the Ancients speaks of him) is immutable, he changes all things, but is himself unchangeable, never new, never old. Hence also Christ himself tells us, That he is the Alpha and Omega, he that was, and is, and is to come, Rev. 1.8. He is ever the same in love, in beauty, in fullness, in faithfulness, and in all his desirableness's: And O how grateful and acceptable does this render him! All our enjoyments here below fade and change; yea, we ourselves change: Changes and War are upon us, as Job speaks; yea, some of us are daily waiting for our last and great change: But O! blessed be God, Christ fades not, Christ changes not: What he was to, and what he has done for Souls formerly, that he is to, and that he can do for souls now; yea, and that he will be to, and will be able to do for Souls hereafter: For he is still to come; as he was, and is, so he is to come, which is a sweet word. Poor Soul, hitherto, it may be, thou hast gone along through thy work and warfare with some comfort and courage; but that which damps and terrifies thee, is the apprehension of what may be to come. O, sayest thou, the Trials that are to come, the Difficulties that are to come, the Temptations that are to come, the Storms and Tempests that are to come! Well, Soul, for thy encouragement under all, know, that whatever is to come, Christ is to come too: Are there Trials to come? Christ is to come too: Are there Difficulties and Temptations to come? Christ is to come too: Are there Storms and Tempests to come? Christ is to come too: And while Christ is to come, fear not, only close with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and make him thine; then come what will come, come what can come, all will be well. Thus Christ is every way acceptable, and infinitely acceptable; and as ever, Soul, thou wouldst be indeed espoused to him, dwell much in the study and contemplation of his acceptableness: Labor to be possessed with a deep and daily renewed sense of it, which will sweetly draw and allure thy Soul to him.

VI. Wouldst thou indeed be espoused to Christ? then be sure that thou pitchest thy Faith aright upon him, and closest in effectually with him in a way of believing: 'It is Faith that is both the great uniting, and the great interesting Grace; it unites us to Christ, and interests us in Christ: 'It is that, as has been formerly declared and evinced, that puts Christ and the Soul into the bosom and embraces of each other's love, and by which the Marriage-Knot is tied between them. If ever therefore thou wouldst be indeed espoused unto him, look well to thy Faith, see that thou dost pitch that aright upon him, closing with him, and embracing of him; not by halves, but thoroughly; not feignedly, but intimately and cordially. But here some may say, How may we do to pitch our Faith aright upon Christ, so as to get conjugal Union and Communion with him? Three things must be done in order hereunto, which I desire you to look well to.

I. See that you wholly quit and renounce yourselves.

II. Labor to get a right notion and apprehension of Christ.

III. Be sure to make a right choice of him, being so apprehended.

I. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, and be indeed espoused to him? Then see that you wholly quit and renounce yourselves. Self and believing are at the utmost distance from, and enmity with each other that is imaginable; they are irreconcilably opposit each to other; and where Faith takes place, there Self vanishes and dies away, and that in all its notions, and with all its accomplishments: Hence, says Christ, If any man will come after me, believe on me, be espoused to me, let him deny himself, Mat. 16.24. Let him deny himself, renounce himself, go out of himself, let Self become nothing with him: And indeed, the Soul that believes in Christ, does go quite out of himself, he sees and feels himself to be a poor empty Nothing in all respects, he sees and finds his Strength to be Weakness, his Wisdom Folly, his Beauty Blackness, his Righteousness Sin, his All Nothing: And thus must we, if ever we indeed believe and get Union with Christ. O, my Beloved, one of the great things which stands between Faith and us, Christ and us, is Self: This indeed is the Souls Darling, the first Born (as one calls it) of his Love and Delights, and he is loath to part with it; but part with it he must, and renounce it he must, or he can never believe aright, nor is he ever like to have any part or lot in Christ: Every step out of Self is a step towards Christ, and Faith in Christ; and we must be divorced from the one, if ever we be married to the other: particularly you must quit and renounce Self, especially in this three-fold Notion; Self-Will, Self-Worth, Self-Interest.

1. You must quit and renounce Self-Will: He that indeed believes, must in a sort have no Will of his own, but his Will must be wholly melted and resigned up into the Will of Christ: Hence the Church is said to be subject unto Christ, Ephes. 5.24. We are apt to live in our own Wills, and are exceeding fond of, and set upon having our Wills, and that how cross and contrary soever they be to the Will of Christ: But if ever we believe so as to get union with Christ, our stubborn Wills must bow, our proud Wills must down, and must in all things, as much as is possible, be referred and resigned into Christ's Will: and good reason, for his Will is the rule of goodness, as well as the first cause of all things: We must not think to say, we are Lord's, but we must bow to Christ as the great and only Lord.

2. You must quit and renounce Self-Worth, Self-Righteousness; you must renounce all Worth and Righteousness of your own in point of justification and acceptation with God. 'It is a great word which I shall speak, Men's duties, living under the Gospel, keep almost as many from Christ and believing, as their sins do: My meaning is, as the love of sin keeps some, so confidence in Duties, a confidence in Self-Worth, Self-Righteousness, keeps multitudes of others from Christ and believing: And the truth is; my Beloved, this piece of Self is the great Idol of the Soul, and that which men are marvelously loath to quit and renounce; and indeed 'tis oftentimes so painted, and, as it were, spiritualized, acted with so much state, and set out with so many ornaments, that it would make any one in love with it: but yet this Idol, so dear as 'tis to the Soul, must be denied and renounced, this Darling must be cast off, and that with loathing and abomination in respect of Soul-saving, if ever you believe, and are united to Christ: And the Soul that indeed does believe, looks upon himself to be the poorest, despicablest, and undonest Creature in the World notwithstanding all; he throws away not only his Rags, but his Robes too, all his Privileges, all his Performances, all his moral Excellencies and Attainments, as to a dependence upon them for Life and Salvation; as you know Paul did Phil. 3.8, 9. of which more hereafter. The Soul's language in the Work of believing is such as this; I am a poor, vile, empty nothing in myself; I am nothing, I can do nothing, and I deserve nothing; I am nothing but sin, I can do nothing but offend and provoke God, and I deserve nothing but frowns and death from him: If ever I be saved, 'tis Free Grace must save me; if ever I find favor in God's sight, it must be purely from Grace in Christ: Alas! I have walked contrary to God all my days; my heart and life both have been full of enmity and provocation against him, and my very Duties are damning, my best Righteousness being as filthy Rags, Isa. 64.6. And indeed, till it comes to this with us, we are like to remain strangers to Christ, and Faith in Christ. I shall only say this further as to this particular, That no men in the World are further off from Christ, and union with him through believing, then such as trust in their own Worth, their own Righteousness: Christ himself tells us, That Publicans and Harlots do enter the Kingdom of Heaven before such, Mat. 21.31.

3. You must quit and renounce Self-Interest; that is to say, you must be at a parting point with all, you must be willing to forgo all your outward interests and concerns for Christ, when he calls you to it, thinking nothing too much or too good for him: this Christ is express in, Matth. 10.37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me: And he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And again, Luke 14.33. Whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my Disciple. In a word, the meaning is not, that all that come to Christ must actually forsake all those things, and deny themselves as to the enjoyment of them; but the meaning is, (first) that we must have a very diminutive love for these in comparison of Christ. And (secondly) that we must be at a parting point with all for Christ's sake, and at Christ's call. And truly, 'tis but reason we should be so; he that actually parted with so much for us, does highly deserve that we should be in a readiness to part with our little All for him: Thus we must wholly quit and renounce ourselves, if we would indeed believe and have union with Christ.

II. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, and be indeed espoused to him? then labor to get a right notion and apprehension of him, as the great object of Faith. One great reason why many fail and miscarry in their Faith, and so fall short of Christ, is their ignorance of him; they have not a right notion and apprehension of Christ, as the great object of Faith; and indeed, unless Christ be rightly known and apprehended by us, we are never like to pitch our Faith aright upon him: How shall they believe (says the Apostle) in him, of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe? i.e., Men cannot believe aright on one that has not been revealed and made known to them: a blind, ignorant Faith, is never like to reach union and communion with Christ; and, my Beloved, if we would believe aright on Christ, we must know him aright, and apprehend him aright. Faith, in Scripture, is sometimes expressed by knowledge, John 17.3. Not that knowledge alone is all that is requisite to Faith; but it notes thus much to us, that the knowledge of Christ is such a requisite to believing, that there can be no true believing without it: Hence also Christ speaks of seeing the Son, and believing on him; seeing before believing, and seeing in order to believing: This is the will of him that sent me, That whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him, should have everlasting life, John 6.40. By seeing the Son, here we are to understand the true Knowledge of Christ: Hence also they that come to Christ, and believe savingly on him, are said, in order thereunto, to be taught of God, and to have heard, and learned of the Father, John 6.45. And, pray, what have they been taught of God? what have they learned of him, but the knowledge of Christ, as the great object of Faith? at least this is one great lesson, which all that believe do and must learn. As ever therefore you would pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, labor to know and apprehend him aright; labor to know and apprehend him, as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel. Particularly,

1. View and apprehend him in his Godhead and Divine Nature: The Gospel reveals him in his Divinity, it propounds him to our Faith, as God, the true God, the great God, the mighty God, God over all; and thus should Faith eye and apprehend him: Thus Thomas his Faith apprehended him, when he said, My Lord, and my God, John 20.28. And indeed nothing but a God-head, an infinite, eternal, unchangeable God-head is a Foundation strong enough for Faith to build upon.

2. View and apprehend him in his Personal-Relation; not only as God, but also as God the Son, and so as distinguish it from the Father: Thus the Gospel reveals and propounds him to our Faith, and thus also should our Faith view and apprehend him: Thus Peter 's Faith, with the rest in whose name he spake, did eye and apprehend him, John 6.69. We believe, and are sure (said he) that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God: There is a distinct honor due to every Person in the Sacred Trinity; and the more distinctly our Faith eyes and apprehends Christ in his Personal Relation, as Son, the more complete it is, and the more it gives him the honor of that Relation.

3. View and apprehend him in his Humanity, or as the Son of God incarnate: The Gospel reveals and propounds Christ as the object of Faith, to us, not simply as God, and as God the Son, but as God the Son incarnate, as the Word made Flesh, John 1.14. or as God manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. As having taken human nature into personal union with himself, and so is both God and Man in one person; and thus also should Faith eye and apprehend him: You believe in God, says he, believe also in me, Joh. 1.14. Hence also he speaks so often of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood, and of giving his Flesh for the life of the World; and withal tells us, that his Flesh is Meat indeed, and his Blood Drink indeed, Joh. 6.51, 53, 54, 55, 56. By all which he signifies to us, that our Faith must respect and apprehend him as Man, as well as God; as the Son incarnate; and indeed thus he is the next and most immediate object of Faith: The God-head or Divinity is the ultimate object of Faith; but Christ, the Son incarnate, is the next and most immediate object of Faith: Hence we are said by him to believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21. Faith first eyes Christ as Man, or the Son incarnate, and by him comes ultimately to object itself upon God: The humanity is janua ad Divinitatem, (as one speaks of it) a Gate to the Divinity, that by which our Faith passes to the God-head: 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 clothed 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 Savior of the World, as one sealed, 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 (says 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 Savior 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 only and all-sufficient Savior: as an only Savior; 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, whereby we may be saved, but his only, Acts 4.12. And as an all-sufficient Savior; My Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed, (says he) and he that eateth me, even he shall live by me, John 6.55, 57. It reveals him in the infinite virtue of his Blood, the inexhaustible fullness of his Grace, the completeness 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 labor for such a notion and apprehension of Christ as this is: as ever you would believe aright, and be indeed espoused to Christ, labor 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 yourselves.

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 'tis 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 choose 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, choosing, and embracing of him, and that in a way suitable 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: 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 Affections; accordingly to believe with the Heart, is for the Will and Affections to choose 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 choose 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, says Calvin, is nothing else but to choose and embrace Christ with a sincere affection of mind, as he is revealed and offered 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, says 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 forever. A little further to help you in this business, know that a right choice of Christ is accomplish it by these three steps.

1. The Soul apprehending Christ (as before) likes him, and approves of him, as the best and most suitable Savior, the most lovely and desirable object in Heaven or Earth: The Soul says 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, says the Soul, is an exceeding good Christ, this Savior is an exceeding good Savior; there's none like him, there's no beauty like his Beauty, no blood like his Blood, no fullness 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 called hungering 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 Savior, his rest, his treasure, his happiness, his all forever: 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 cannot but like him, and 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 choose and embrace Christ himself, and not somewhat else instead of him. 'It is a great and awakening saying which a worthy Divine has; Many now, says he, take Christ by guess; but be sure that it be he, and only 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 choose Christ's Portion, his Benefits, his Privileges, 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 it upon Christ, when Christ himself, not his Benefits and Privileges only, 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 Privileges of Christ, but to Christ himself. True, I donit say (first) but that true Faith gives the Soul an interest in all the Benefits, Privileges, 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 complete as it ought to be. Alas! 'tis 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 fixed 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 choose a whole Christ, and not a part of him only: My meaning is, see that you choose and embrace Christ in all his Offices, as a King as well as a Priest, as a Lord as well as a Savior; 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 Savior, and that as such he is revealed and offered in the Gospel to our Faith: Him hath God exalted a Prince and Savior to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins, Acts 5.31. and they that will have him, as a Savior 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 expressly, 1 Cor. 1.30. Accordingly, then do we choose Christ, and embrace him aright, when we choose and embrace him under each notion; when we choose and embrace him not as a Savior only, but as a Lord too; not only 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 justify us, but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy; and thus true Faith does choose and embrace him, Isa. 45.24. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: Mark, Faith chooses 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 myself, with all my fullness upon thee: But remember this, that I will rule and command thee: If I be thy Savior, I will 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, 'tis 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 myself to thy holy and spiritual Government, thy Yoke is easy, thy Scepter is Righteous, 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 choose 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 choose Christ singly and alone, and not join somewhat else with him: Some are for compounding with Christ, they would join 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. The Patriarchs (as one observes) had many of them a Wife and a Concubine, but it is not so here; no, as Faith chooses a whole Christ, so it chooses a naked Christ, Christ singly and alone, without joining anything else in Partnership with him: It matches the Soul to Christ with an absolute exclusion of all other Matches: Indeed Faith sees enough in a single Christ, a naked Christ, without the help of anything else, and accordingly chooses and embraces him: And so must your Faith choose and embrace him, or you are like to miss of Conjugal-Union and Communion with him: You must choose him singly and alone, joining nothing with him, and that especially in the great business of Righteousness and Acceptation with God: Some would fain compound with Christ in this business; they would have Christ, but they would have their own Duties too; they would have his Righteousness, but they would have their own Righteousness too; they would have theirs bear a share with his in the point of Righteousness and Justification before God. Thus 'twas with the Jews of old, Rom. 9.31, 32. with Ch. 10. beg. 'It is said, They followed after the Law of Righteousness, but attained not to the Law of Righteousness: And why? Because, says the Apostle, they sought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law: and Chap. 10.3. They went about, 'tis said, to establish their own Righteousness, and submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God. Pray observe, (first) they were addicted to, and looked for Salvation by their own Righteousness. (Secondly), Though they were addicted to their own Righteousness, and would fain live by it, yet they seemed not to cleave wholly to that, but would have Christ's and theirs joined together; therefore 'tis said, They sought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law, i.e. They were neither wholly for Christ, nor wholly for Self, but partly for the one, and partly for the other, joining Self with Christ. And (thirdly) this left them short of Righteousness, Life, Salvation, and all: For 'tis said, that upon this account they attained not unto the Law of Righteousness. To join Self with Christ in this Point, is as dangerous and destructive, as to set up Self against Christ. Thus (I say) 'twas with the Jews of old, and thus 'tis with the Papists now: But, my Beloved, if ever you would pitch your Faith aright upon Christ, you must not once think of thus compounding the business between Him and Self; but Christ must be all in all: We must shut our eyes against all other things in Point of Justification, and must go forth singly and nakedly to Christ, venturing our eternal All upon the alone bottom of his everlasting Righteousness. 'It is Calvin 's observation upon the place last quoted, That the foundation of, or first step towards our obtaining an interest in the Righteousness of God, is for a man to renounce and go out of his own Righteousness. Thus, I am sure, Paul 's Faith chose and embraced Christ, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. Those things which were gain to me, (says he) those I counted loss for Christ; yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. Pray mark, his Faith here chooses and embraces Christ for his Righteousness and Justification, and herein he joins nothing with him; he pitches singly and nakedly upon Christ alone, renouncing all other things whatever; he had as much of his own to have lent & depended upon in this point, as any mere man that ever lived, since sin entered the World; for, in Privileges, in Graces, in Services, and in Sufferings for Christ, (I am apt to think) he excelled all mere men; but yet he rests on none of these, no nor so much as joins anything of it with Christ, but rejects and renounces all, and that with the greatest loathing and detestation in the point of Justification, cleaving singly and nakedly to Christ alone: says he, I account all but loss, yea dung, that is, as the most vile and loathsome thing; and I would not be found in it for a thousand Worlds. The truth is, to join anything of our own with Christ in this business, is what excludes us from any share in Christ, or any benefit by Christ; so much the Apostle is express in Gal. 5.2, 3, 4. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole Law: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whoever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace. The sum of the Apostles design is to show, that to join anything of our own with Christ in the business of Righteousness and Justification, and not rest purely and entirely upon him, is what shuts us out from any part and lot in Christ, or any benefit and advantage by him; for pray observe, there were among the Galatians, some who did miscere Christum cum Lege, as Calvin 's expression is, they did join the Law with Christ, pressing and taking up Circumcision as a part of that Righteousness whereby they expected to be justified and saved: They were not so gross in their minds, (as that great Divine there observes) as to expect Salvation merely by the observation of the Law, and their own Obedience; but they were for sharing the business between this and Christ: Now what says Paul to them, and by what does he labor to antidote the Believers among them against this great error? Why, (first) he tells them plainly, that if they will join either Circumcision, or anything else of their own with Christ in this matter, then Christ shall profit them nothing, verse. 2. And he asserts the same thing, verse. 4. Christ, says he, is become of no effect to you; i. e. You shall have no part in Christ, no benefit by Christ; Christ is of no use, no benefit, no advantage to you no more than if he had never been: And indeed, as one observes upon the place, Whoever is but for an half Christ in this business loses all of Christ. (Secondly); He tells them, that if they will have anything of their own to bear share with Christ in the matter of their Salvation, they are Debtors to do the whole Law: If they will have their obedience to the Law, to have any share in their acceptation with God, then they must keep the whole Law, for else all were nothing; 'It is a great Speech of a Learned Interpreter upon these words; Whoever, says he, is a Debtor to do the whole Law, can never escape death, because he will always remain under guilt; for no one will ever be found, who will be able to fulfil or satisfy the Law, such an Obligation therefore is the certain damnation of the man that lies under it. Thus you see, there must be nothing else of our own joined with Christ in the matter of our Righteousness and Justification with God; but our Faith must cleave singly and nakedly to Christ alone: The truth is, Christ's Righteousness alone is sufficient to save and justify the worst of sinners: 'tis the Righteousness of God, 2 Cor. 5.21. and the Righteousness of the Law, Rom. 8.3. A Righteousness every way adequate and commensurate to the strictest demands of Law and Justice, a Righteousness as long, as broad, as deep, as high, as the sin and guilt of the most Scarlet, Crimson Sinners can be, and why should any think of joining anything therewith? Truly so to do, is to reflect great dishonor upon it, and upon the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordaining it for our Justification and Salvation. And as we must join nothing with Christ in the matter of Righteousness and Justification, so neither must we join anything with him in the matter of our Sanctification and Holiness: We should look for no Grace, no Holiness but what comes from him, and is wrought in us by him: Nor indeed will God own anything for Grace and Holiness in us at last, that does not come from him: In all respects therefore let the language of your Souls be, O none but Christ, none but Christ.

4. Be sure that you choose Christ and embrace him as your Rest and Happiness; and not only as one that is to bring you unto Rest and Happiness: Christ, my Beloved, is not only the way and means to bring men unto Happiness, but he also is himself their Happiness, and as such he is tendered to us, and should be chosen and embraced by us: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (says he) John 14.16. that is, as one glosses upon it, I am the Beginning, the Progress, and Perfection of a Christians Happiness: Sure I am, as Christ, considered as the Way, is the Means, and what leads us unto Happiness; so Christ, considered as the Life, is himself our Happiness, our supreme Happiness; and indeed, we come to Christ as the Life, by Christ as the Way. Sweet is that saying which I have read in one of the Ancients on this place; We, thy People, (says he, speaking to Christ) do come by thee to thee, because thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Way in thy Example, the Truth in the Promise, the Life in the Reward: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: i.e. as another expounds it, I am the only right Way, the supreme Truth, the true Life, the blessed Life, the increated Life. And suitable hereunto is Calvin 's observation upon these words, The sum, says he, of this Sentence is this, He, whoever he be, that obtains and possesses Christ, can want nothing: whoever therefore is not content with him alone, aspires after something beyond the ultimate and highest perfection. And then he concludes thus, If any one turns aside from Christ, he can do nothing but err, if any one does not rest in him, he else-where feeds upon nothing but wind and vanity: If any one makes out after anything beyond him, he will find Death instead of Life. O there are infinite Beauties, Delights, and Perfections in Christ, whereby he is able to fill and satisfy us, and make us happy: And for my own part, as I desire never to be happy, if Christ be not able to bring me to happiness, so I desire no better or greater happiness than what Christ is, or can be to me. O, there's all in him, all to fill, all to comfort, all to delight and ravish, all to solace and satisfy the largest faculties of eternal Souls. May I have but Christ, says Rutherford, I shall think myself as well Heaven'd as any whatever. Truly he, and he alone is centrum quietativum, as the Schools speak, the quieting, resting center of the Soul. And so the Psalmist tells us, Psal. 116.7. Indeed he in his presence, and our enjoyment of him, is Heaven and Happiness: 'It is the highest happiness which Christ promises his People here, Joh. 14.21. and 'tis the highest happiness which his People reckon upon, or hope for hereafter. Phil. 1.23. Answerable whereunto is the Observation of one upon those words of Christ to the Thief upon the Cross, Luke 23.43. This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise: With me, (says he) O wonderful goodness! he does not say simply, thou shalt be in Paradise, or thou shalt be with Angels; but thou shalt be with Me, thou shalt be satisfied with him whom thou desirest. Thus Christ is the Rest and supreme Happiness of Souls; and accordingly our Faith should choose and embrace him: I will not say, there is not true Faith, where the Soul does not come up to such a choice of Christ, as this is; But this I will say, That though Faith at first may not thus choose Christ, yet afterwards, as it grows up more towards perfection, it does come to choose Christ under this notion: And the more distinct it is in choosing Christ, as the supreme Rest and Happiness of the Soul, the more complete and perfect it is. Faith's language to Christ, when come to any maturity, is such as this; Lord, as all my Life is in thy Death, all my Healing in thy Wounds, all my Righteousness in thy Obedience; so all my Happiness is in thy Presence, all my Heaven in the bosom and embraces of thy Love: Nor have I any in Heaven but thee, neither is there any upon earth that I desire besides thee, Psal. 73.25. O thus choose Christ! choose him as the Rest, the Solace, the Happiness of your Souls, and never think of anything else to be the least part of your Happiness besides Christ.

5. Be sure that you choose and embrace Christ with his Cross, and not only Christ with his Crown; Christ crucified, as well as Christ glorified; Christ upon terms of suffering for him, as well as reigning with him, he calling thereunto: Thus also Christ tenders himself to us, and thus must he be chosen and embraced by us, Mat. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his Cross, and follow me: And Luk. 14.27. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross, and come after me, cannot be my Disciple. Some are for Christ, and his Crown, but they stick at his Cross: They are for a reigning Christ, but not for a persecuted Christ: But, my Beloved, if you would so choose him, as to be married to him, you must choose him as upon the Cross Crucified, as well as upon the Throne Glorified: The meaning is, you must choose him with a firm resolution to suffer for him, if he calls you hereunto; you must choose him as one persecuted and distressed on Earth, as well as one dignified and glorified in Heaven: In a word, you must choose him for better for worse, in all estates and conditions, with all his Inconveniences, as well as his Privileges, with his Poverty, his Imprisonments, his Reproaches, his Deaths, his Dangers, his Conflicts, and the like: that is to say, you must choose him with a willing resolution of mind to undergo all this at his call, and for his sake; and this indeed is to close with him in his own way, and upon his own terms: Christ's language to the Soul, in the tender of himself to him, is such as this; Soul, I am willing to be espoused to thee, I am willing to bestow myself, with all my Riches and Fulness upon thee; but if thou wilt have me and these, thou must be content to suffer for me, to be reproached, to be persecuted, to be imprisoned, yea, to be killed all the day long for me, when I please to call thee thereunto: And indeed Faith, when right, closes with him upon these terms: Content, says the Soul, being acted by a true Spirit of Faith, Christ upon any terms that he thinks fit, Christ with the Cross, Christ with Reproach, with Imprisonment, with Death, with whatever he pleases rather than go without him: And indeed we need not be scared, nor terrified at the Cross; for there is no Cross so bitter as Christ is sweet; there is nothing we can suffer for Christ, that is worthy to be compared with the Glory we shall have in Christ, and with Christ: Besides, Christ is worthy to be suffered for; and therefore welcome Christ, and welcome his Cross too: Truly, my Beloved, Christ's Cross is sweet, very sweet, as he makes it: That sweet-smelled and perfumed Cross of Christ, says one, is accompanied with sweet refreshments, with the Kisses of a King, with the Joy of the Holy Ghost; therefore scare not at it, but choose him with his Cross as well as his Crown.

6. Be sure that you choose Christ often, and think it not one single Act or Work only to choose and embrace him: If you would indeed make sure of Christ, and an espousal to him, you should choose him and embrace him anew every day. We are apt to look upon the Work of choosing and embracing Christ, as one single Act or Work only; but, my Beloved, 'tis a Work that should be often repeated: by often repeating of it we should grow more sound, more strong, more distinct in it: As a second Edition corrects the Errors of the first, so after Acts of believing in this kind do supply the defects of the first Act: Indeed my advice to you is, that you would make as much conscience of choosing and embracing Christ afresh every day, as of praying every day; especially if you be either young beginners in believing, or older believers under clouds and darkness. St. Paul made fresh choices of Christ to the very last, Phil. 3.8, 9. And 'tis the duty of them that do believe to believe: These things write I unto you, says St. John, that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God, 1 John 5.13. They did believe, and he would have them to believe afresh every day; and so would I have you do, every day renew the first great Act of Faith in your closing with Christ, so shall every day be a day of espousals between Christ and you; and so by degrees shall you come to the sense and comfort of this espousal. I have read of some who never came to a sight and sense of their Union with Christ till they took this course. Thus I have now shewn you the way how you may come to be espoused to Christ, as well as what an Husband he is, what great things he does for his Spouses, and how much his Heart is set upon an espousal with sinners: Now will you take this course? Or shall all be lost with you? Possibly the whole will have a different effect upon those that read or hear these things: Some, I hope, will be won and gained to Christ by them; others, I fear, will reject and despise all, and that either out of a spirit of profaneness, or insensibility of their need of, and concernedness in these things: If any Soul shall reject them out of a spirit of profaneness, I would say to such a Soul, as Solomon to the Scorner, Prov. 9.12. If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it; thou alone shalt bear all thy sins, and all the wrath and vengeance of God due to them: If any shall reject these things out of a Spirit of insensibility of their need of, and concern in them, their case is the more to be pitied; for the more insensible they are of their misery without Christ, the greater is that misery of theirs. What more miserable, says Austin, then for a miserable man not to commiserate himself? Others, it may be, stand doubting and trembling, daring neither to reject, nor yet to embrace: not reject, because their need of Christ is so great, the worth of Christ so eminent, and the guilt of the rejection of Christ so black; nor yet embrace, because their sins are so many, and their unworthiness so great. To such I would say, cease thy trembling, and delay thy close with Christ no longer; it has been thy sin, let it be thy shame and sorrow that thou hast neglected and refused Christ so long, saying with Austin, I have loved thee too late, O thou so ancient and yet so new a beauty, I have loved thee too late. And for thy encouragement, I would say to thee, as the Servant did to his Lord upon such an occasion as this, Luke 14.22. Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. Though many sinners, and great sinners have been received to mercy, yet still there is room for thee, and for all that have a mind to Christ; There is room in Christ's Heart, there is room in Christ's Arms, there is room in his Covenant, there is room in his Kingdom, there is room upon his Throne with his Father for thee: But if yet any shall reject this offer of Love, and persist so to do, such will at last find, that there is room in Hell, room in the infernal Pit, room in the place of torment for them: Therefore as Life and Death are once more set before you, so I beseech you to choose Life and not Death, that you may live forever.

CHAPTER XI.

Being a contemplation of the infinite Love and Condescension of Christ to Souls, and the unspeakable Comfort and Happiness of Believers in this sweet Espousal.

In the view of all that has been hitherto declared, we may well take up an admiring contemplation of Christ's Love and Condescension, and Believers Comfort and Happiness; the one and the other being exceeding great and glorious: O! for Christ to marry poor Souls to himself, and for poor Souls to be married to Christ, how great is the Love of the one, and the happiness of the other herein!

1. How great is the Love and Condescension of Christ in marrying Souls to himself! Next to his becoming Man, and dying for them, Wherein can he testify greater Love and Condescension to them than in this? There are, among many others that might be mentioned, that will argue his Love and Condescension herein to be wonderful and glorious, two things. One is the infinite disparity and disproportion between the Parties, Him and Them; the other is the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them into with himself: Both which I desire you to contemplate.

1. Contemplate the infinite disparity and disproportion between him and them: What proportion is there between a King and a Beggar? What proportion is there between an Ant and an Angel; yea, between the smallest Worm, and all the Angels in Heaven? Infinitely less proportion is there between Christ and sinners; and yet he espouses them to himself: What shall I say? He is both High and Great, we are base and vile; He is Blessed and Glorious, we are wretched and despicable: He is a Great King, we are poor slaves and vassals; yea, the worst of slaves and vassals, being the slaves and vassals of Sin and Satan: And to sum up all in a few words; He is God, and we are Creatures; yea, he is an infinitely pure and holy God, and we are unspeakably impure and unholy Creatures: O how great is the disproportion! and yet he marries us to himself: What proportion is there between God and the Creature? The Creature at best is but a small drop of Being; but God is Mare essendi, a Sea, a Fountain, an Ocean of Being: The Creature is and has but a little good; but, Deus est Bonum insinitissime infinitum, as Bradwardine speaks of him, God is a most infinitely infinite Good; The Creature is a depending thing, the Being of the Creature is a depending Being, the very nature of the Creature lies much in dependence; but God is an absolute and independent Being, he being of himself, and from himself; indeed all other things are of him, and from him, and to him, as the Scripture speaks. Now for God to marry the Creature, and espouse the Creature to himself; O what love, what condescension is this! and yet greater love than this does Christ show: For what proportion is there between an infinitely Holy God, and universally sinful, defiled, and polluted Creatures? The distance between God and us, as we are Creatures, is great; but the distance between the infinitely Holy God and us, as sinners, is in some sort unspeakably greater: 'It is our duty, and should be our joy to know and keep our Creature-distance with God, we should rejoice to think that God is so infinitely above us; but 'tis our misery, and we should tremble to think of, our sinful distance from God, that distance I mean that sin is, and has caused between God and us: Now for an Holy God to espouse sinful Creatures to himself; yea for a God so infinitely Holy to espouse Souls, who are so utterly sinful, to himself, as the best of us all by nature are; this is greater love and condescension still. O wonderful commerce! (says one of the Ancients, speaking of Christ's dying for his People) the King dies for the Servant, God for Man, the Creator for the Creature, the innocent for the nocent. The like may I say here; O wonderful condescension! The King marries a Slave, God the Creature, the pure and holy One polluted and defiled sinners: True indeed, he makes them Saints by and upon his marrying of them, but he finds them sinners when he first makes it a time of love to them: O adore this Love, this Condescension!

2. Contemplate the unspeakable nearness and gloriousness of that Union and Relation which he takes them into with himself; as the distance and disproportion between the Parties is infinitely great, so the Union and Relation he takes them into, is very near and glorious: The Union between the Vine and Branches is near; the Union and Relation between the Head and Members is near; the Union and Relation between the Husband and Wife is near; but all these are but shadows and representations of that Union and Relation which Christ takes Believers into with himself, which must therefore be nearer and greater than all: 'It is indeed (as upon occasion has been before declared) next for intimacy and glory, to the essential and personal Union; yea, it comes so near the highest Union of all, the Union that is between the Father and the Son, as that it is set forth in Scripture by the same expressions that that Union is, viz. By being and dwelling in each other: Yea, Christ himself seems to bring it so near that great Union, as that he makes that the pattern of it, and accordingly prays for it for his People, Joh. 17.21. Neither pray I for these alone, but them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. Pray mark, he prays for the accomplishment of this Union for them, as the top and perfection of all their happiness; and not only so, but as that which comes as near the great Union between his Father and Himself, as can well be conceived. 'It is a sweet saying which one of the Ancients has upon these words of Christ; What more glorious, says he, than this Union? What further or higher, poor Soul, canst thou either have, or desire to have than this, thou shalt be one with thy Bridegroom? O happy, exceeding happy, yea, of all others most happy Union! In a word, nearer than this Creatures cannot well be taken unto Christ, nor can they have a greater glory put upon them, then there is put upon them in their being taken into this Union & Relation to him: how great therefore must the love and condescension of Christ herein to Believers be? O for him to take such so near himself, as to make them one with him, to lay them in his bosom, to communicate himself to them! This is love indeed, and this we should contemplate and admire.

2. How great is the comfort and happiness of Believers, in being thus married and espoused to Christ? We say of such or such a Woman that is well married, that she is well disposed of, and is very happy in a Husband: But, O Soul, how well art thou disposed of, who art disposed of to Christ? And how happy art thou in a Husband who art married to him? What, Soul, married to Jesus, to sweet Jesus, to lovely Jesus, to Jesus the Son of God! O what sweet, what strong consolation may this be to thee! and how should it fill thy heart with holy triumph and exultation forever? This alone may comfort thee in all the difficulties and troubles of Life, and in all the conflicts and agonies of Death. Cast thine eye back on the nature of this Espousal, and what a Husband Christ is, and what great things he does for his Spouses, as the one and the other of them has been declared; and then judge of thine own happiness, in being taken into this Relation to him: In Cant. 6.9. 'tis said concerning the Spouse of Christ, That the Daughters saw Her, and blessed Her; yea, the Queens and the Concubines, and they praised Her: They looked upon Her to be the most happy on Earth: And truly, Soul, when I look upon thee, as the Spouse of Christ, I cannot but in like manner bless and praise thee; and thou thyself mayst well bless thyself, and say, Blessed be the day that ever I was born, blessed be the Womb that bare me, and blessed be the Paps that gave me suck! But yet to raise this comfort and happiness of thine a little higher, that thou mayest rejoice in thy Lot, the lines being fallen to thee in pleasant places, consider three things;

I. Consider, that this Relation of thine to Christ, gives thee a full interest in him, and all that is his: This the Spouse much gloried and rejoiced in, as her Crown and Happiness; therefore she is frequently up with it in a way of holy boasting, My beloved is mine, and I am his, Cant. 2.16. And again, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, Chap. 6.3. Being espoused to Christ, Christ is thine; and Christ being thine, his Blood is thine, his Righteousness is thine, his Love is thine, his Fulness is thine, the Fruit of all his Sufferings, the Virtue of all his Offices, the Sweetness of all his Relations is thine: Christ being thine, all is thine, all the promises are thine, all the Ordinances are thine, Life is thine, Death is thine, Time is thine, Eternity is thine, Things present are thine, Things to come are thine, 1 Cor. 3.22. O what a goodly Heritage hast thou! and how should thy Soul bless the Lord, that ever he drew thee into this Union and Relation to him? What a spring of comfort may this be to thee in all conditions? Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed: Why? For thy Maker is thy Husband, Isa. 54.4, 5. The truth is, though possibly thou mayest have little of this World, yet in having Christ thou hast all thou needest and art capable of to make thee happy forever.

II. Consider, that this Union and Relation of thine to Christ remains firm and steadfast forever: And O what sweetness does this add unto it! True, may the Soul say, this Relation is a blessed Relation, and full of sweetness and comfort; But will it hold? Yea, it will hold, and that forever: the best comforts thou enjoyest here below, will shortly have a period, and the sweetest Relations thou standst in here, will after a while be dissolved and broken; but thy Union and Relation to Christ will last forever, that can never be dissolved: I will betroth thee unto me, says God, yea, I will betroth thee unto me: but Lord for how long? (may the Soul say) why, forever, says God, Hos. 2.19. O that word forever! this puts an infinite sweetness into this Relation of thine: This one word forever (as one observes upon this place) makes a misery, though but small in itself, an infinite misery; and a mercy, though but small in itself, even an infinite mercy: How much more does it make that which in itself is so great as thy Union and Espousal to Christ is, sweet and desirable?

O but, says the Soul, never was there such a wretch as I am; never did any carry it towards Christ as I do: True, he has made love to me, and I have some hopes that I have closed up with him in a Marriage-Covenant; but alas, never was there such a rebellious, revolting, backsliding heart as mine is: I am ever playing the Harlot, and going a whoring from him; by means of which, I fear, he will break Union and Communion with me, and at last cast me off. I answer, Truly Soul, this is very sad, and thou shouldst lie low in the dust in the sense of it; yet, to encourage thee against thy fears, consider three things.

1. Consider, that Christ is not forward to take advantage against Souls for their failings and breakings with him: He is not strict to mark what is done amiss, Psal. 130.3. He is not prone to cast off, and to put away, no 'tis what he hates, Mal. 2.16. True, he may, and many times does withdraw from us, and frown upon us; but putting away he loves not, yea, he pities and spares us under our infirmities, and his Bowels are moved for us.

2. Consider, that before ever Christ made love to thee, and took thee into this Relation with himself, he knew perfectly, what manner of one thou wouldst be, and how thou wouldst carry it towards him; and yet all could not hinder him from showing this favor 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 beforehand, in Deut. 31.21. 'tis said, That God knew what Israel would do beforehand: So Christ knew beforehand how thou wouldst slight his Love, grieve his Spirit, violate his Laws; he knew, how thou wouldst offend and affront him, by a proud, vain, wanton behavior before him; He knew, how thou wouldst backslide, 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 a 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 iniquities with a rod, and their transgressions with stripes: And what follows? Nevertheless, says 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 steadfast to them forever 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 backsliding Children, for I am married unto you. Mark, though they had backslidden, 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 steadfast forever notwithstanding all.

O but, says 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 farewell all. I answer, That Christ stands engaged to keep thee from; true, notwithstanding anything in and of thyself, 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: 'It 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 will 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 persuaded, 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 'tis 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 Labors into Reward, thy mournful Lamentations into joyful Hallelujahs: 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 art full of sorrows, thy days are spent in grief, and thy years in sighing, but then there shall be no more sorrow; sorrow and sighing both shall fly away forever: 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 rejoicing, 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 buffeting of thee, and will give thee no rest; then they shall be all trodden underfoot, 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 forever; and this is much more sweet than the former: Alas! says 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 burden 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 sanctify thee, and cleanse thee, that he may present thee to himself a glorious Spouse, 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 God's Children: but then all these spots shall be wiped out, and thou shalt be without spot; yea, thou shalt not only be without spot, but without wrinkle too: There may be wrinkles where there may be no spots, and these are blemishes: 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 footstep 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, beautify 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 lusting's of the flesh, the cursed imposing's 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 springing's, buddings, blossoming's, 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 redeemed to myself by my Blood, and married to myself 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 forever: 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 show suitable respect and favor 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, 'twas 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 shouting's will there then be? surely there will be great rejoicing on all hands; God the Father will greatly rejoice, Christ the Son will greatly rejoice, God the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoice, the Angels will greatly rejoice, thy Soul also will greatly rejoice: God the Father will greatly rejoice to see his Sons Spouse come home to him so richly deck it and adorned; Christ the Son will greatly rejoice, that he has gotten his Spouse into his Arms and Bosom, never to part with hen more; the Holy Ghost will greatly rejoice to see his work in tying the Marriage-Knot between Christ and the Soul completed; the Angels will greatly rejoice, as being Friends both of the Bridegroom and Bride; and as partaking with them in the Marriage-Supper; and thou thyself wilt greatly rejoice, in that now thy happiness is consummated, and that thou shalt forever lie in the bosom and embraces of thy Husbands love: O how sweet, how glorious will this be!

4. Then Christ will lead thee into the Bride-Chamber, the Mansion he has prepared for thee in the Fathers House, where thou shalt dwell forever in his presence, and sit down eternally with him and his Father at the Marriage-Feast: And O how sweet and glorious will this be? Being thus beautified and presented to the Father, what now remains for thee, but to enter upon thy lot with all the Saints, and to possess the jointer Christ made thee in the day of thine espousal to him, even eternal Life and Glory with himself forever? What now remains for thee, but to sit down in the full views of his Glory, the full visions of his Face, the full enjoyment of his Presence, the full embraces of his Bosom, the full incomes of his Love, and all forever? Here in the day of espousal thou hast had some views of him, thou hast seen his back-parts; but then thou shalt behold his glory forever: Joh. 17.24. Here thou hast seen him through a glass darkly, but then thou shalt see him face to face, thy visions of him shall be both full and immediate, 1 Cor. 13.12. Here there have been some intercourses of love and delight kept up between him and thee, thou hast had some of the kisses of his mouth, some embraces in his bosom; but then thou shalt have thy fill of his love, being sweetly immersed and swallowed up in the Ocean of it forever: O how sweet will this be! When Christ and thy Soul have met in an Ordinance, how often hast thou said with Peter, 'tis good to be here? And when he has given thee now and then a little taste of his love, how hast thou been ravished with it, crying out with the Spouse, thy love is better than Wine? But O what will it be to enjoy all this in its fullness, and that without the least moments interruption forever? When Christ and thy Soul shall meet, not in a Duty or Ordinance only, but in Heaven in the Fathers House: All thou hast here of him, is but now and then a kiss of his Mouth, now and then a taste, a visit, a descent of his Grace and Love; and yet this is sweet, and makes a little Heaven in thy Soul: but when he comes to consummate the Marriage, then thou shalt have everlasting embraces, and uninterrupted pourings out of love from him; then no more veiling's of his Face, no more withdrawing's of his Presence, no more suspensions of his Love from thee, but thou shalt sit down in the full enjoyment of all forever: Then no more need of Love-Letters to pass between Christ and thy Soul, for then there will be full and immediate embraces forever: Therefore rejoice in thy Lot, and say with the Church in a way of triumph, Isa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my Soul shall be joyful in my God; for be hath clothed me with Garments of Salvation, he hath covered me with a Robe of Righteousness, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments, and as a Bride adorneth herself with Jewels.

But may some doubting Soul say; True, here's comfort enough, and happiness enough for all Christ's Spouses; and were I assured of my espousal to him, I should think it enough to carry me through both Life and Death with comfort; but I am afraid I have neither part nor lot in this matter. I answer, If thou art one that lovest thy sins and livest in them; if thou art one that allowest of, and indulgest thyself in thy lusts, yea, in any known lust or sin, be it small or great, then thou hast too great ground for such fears; for I must tell thee, that the Spouses of Christ are of another disposition, they hate Sin, and love Holiness; and do what in them lies to fly the one, and pursue after the other: But I will at present look upon thee to be a poor doubting Spouse of Christ that makest this complaint, and so shall leave a double word of encouragement with thee as to this, and thereby put a conclusion to this Matter.

1. I would speak to thee, as Samuel sometimes did to Saul in another case, viz. when Saul told him that he had performed the Commandment of the Lord: If so, says Samuel, what then means this bleating of the Sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the Oxen which I hear? 1 Sam. 15.13, 14. So, if thou hast indeed no part or lot in Christ, and wert never espoused to him; then (first) what means the bleedings, mourning's, and lamenting's of thy Soul, under the sense of thy distance and estrangement from Christ, and thy utter unsuitableness to him both in Spirit and Life? Blessed are they that thus mourn, for they shall be comforted, Mat. 5.4. (2ly) What means thy high valuations of him, & the vehement hungering's and thirsting's of thy Soul after him? Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied, Mat. 5.6. (3ly) What means the holy trembling's of thy Soul in the thoughts of sinning against him, thy care and solicitude to please him, thy fear to offend him? 'It is the Character of a loyal Wife, that her care is to please her Husband, and not to offend him, 1 Cor. 7.24. (4thly) What means thy sensibleness of, and mourning under the dishonors of Christ, with the longings of thy Soul after his exaltation? The reproaches of them that reproach him do fall upon thee, Psal. 69.9. 'It is the true Spirit of a loyal Spouse to be concerned for her Husbands Concernments. These, and many more such gracious dispositions as are found in thee, do speak comfortably to thy Soul in this case; though still I would have thee press after the clearest evidences, and the fullest assurance of thine espousal to him.

2. Suppose the worst; yet for thy encouragement, I would speak to thee as the Disciples to the blind man, Mark 10.49. Be of good comfort, arise, Christ calleth thee; he calls thee into these blessed espousals with himself: And O that thou wouldest do, as that blind man there did, who arose, and came to Jesus; and assure thyself of this, his Arms are wide open to receive thee: truly, whoever, or whatever thou art that makest this complaint, whether Spouse or no Spouse, thy proper and immediate work is, now to close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant: For pray mark, the work of a convinced sinner, and of a doubting beclouded Saint, is the same here; the one, as well as the other, is to believe and close with Christ, as if he had never done it before: Suppose then the worst, even that thou wert never as yet espoused to Christ; yet do not despond, but let this be a day of espousal between him and thee, casting thy Soul upon him, not questioning his readiness to receive thee: For thy, encouragement, I would say to thee as one of the Ancients speaks in the same case, Why stickest and staggerest thou in thyself? Cast thyself upon him, and fear not, he will not withdraw himself so as to let thee fall; cast thyself upon him, resting secure and confident, that he will receive and save thee. Thus I have now done; Saint, Spouse of Christ, what remains, but that thou love, reverence, and obey thy Lord and Head, living a life of dependence upon him, as also of longing expectation of his coming to consummate the Marriage between him and thee? What remains, but that thou shouldest take up the words of the Apostle, making the same inference from thine espousal to Christ, that he does from the dissolution of all things, saying in thy own name, and others, 2 Pet. 3.11, 12. What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God. Sinner, what remains for thee to do, but to give up thy Name and Soul to Christ in a Marriage-Covenant, and be happy forever? I will conclude all with those words, Rev. 19.9. Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb.

Soli Deo Gloria.

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MONERGISM BOOKS

The Best Match by Edward Pearse, Copyright © 2023

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Table of Contents

READER

TO THE READER

CHAPTER I - Introduction

CHAPTER II - The Espousal or Marriage-Relation between Christ and Believers opened

CHAPTER III. In which the way and means of the accomplishment of this Espousal or Marriage-relation

CHAPTER V. Acts of Grace, which the Father and Jesus Christ by the Spirit do put forth in us and upo

CHAPTER VI. Being a Call to and Treaty with Souls, in order to an Espousal between Christ and them.

CHAPTER VII. Which shows what manner of Husband Christ is, and how qualified for the endearing of hi

CHAPTER VIII. Which shows what great things Christ does for all his Spouses.

CHAPTER IX. Which opens a little the heart of Christ, and shows how much he is Jet upon an Espousal

CHAPTER X. Which Directs Souls, and shows them the way, how to Attain unto this sweet and Blessed Es