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1. She refolves to put her felf upon another course, a more vigorous inquest. I will arife and make use of other means befides thofe of private Prayer, Meditation, felfSearching, and inquiring into the Promises, which fhe had infifted on before. It carries, Firft, Refolution and a zealous violent cafting off that frame wherein she had lost her Love. I will arife, I will not reft in this frame. I am undone if I do. So fometimes God calls his Church to arife and shake it felf out of the duft: abide not in that condition. Secondly, Diligence, I will now take another coufe, I will leave no way unattempted, no Means untried whereby I may poffibly recover Communion with my Beloved.

This is the condition of a foul that finds not the wonted Prefence of Chrift in its private and more retired inquiries. Dull in Prayer, wandring in Meditations, rare in thoughts of him! I will not bear this frame, whatever way God hath appointed,I will in his strength vigorously purfue until this frame be altered, and I find my Beloved.

2. Then, the way fhe puts her felf upon, is to go about the City. Not to infist upon particulars, nor to strain the parts of the Allegory too far, the City here intended is the City of God, the Church; and the paffing through the broad and narrow streets, is the diligent inquiry that the Spouse makes in all the Paths and Ordinances given unto it. This then is the next thing the foul addreffes it felf unto, in the want of Chrift; when it finds him not in any private endeavours, it make vigorous application to the Ordinances of Publick Worship, in Prayer, Preaching, in Adminiftration of the Seals doth it look after Christ. Indeed the great enquiry the fouls of Believers make in every Ordinance is after Chrift. So much as they find of him, fo much sweetness and refreshment have they and no more. Efpecially when under any defertion they rife up to this enquiry. They liften to every Word, to every Prayer, to find any thing of Chrift, any.

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light from him, any life, any love appears to them. that Chrift would at length meet me in this, or that Sermon, and recover my poor heart to fome fight of his love, to some taste of kindness. The folicitoufness of a Believer in his inqueft after Chrift, when he finds not his Prefence, either for Grace or Confolation, as in former days, is indeed inexpreffible. Much of the frame of fuch a heart is couched in the redoubling of the Expreffion, I fought him, I fought him; fetting out an inconceivable paffion, and fuitably induftrious defire. Thus being disappointed at home the Spouse proceeds.

But yet fee the Event of this alfo; fhe fought him but found him not. It doth fometimes fo fall out; all will not do, they fhall feek him and shall not find him; they fhall not come nigh him: let them that enjoy any thing of the prefence of Chrift, take heed what they do if they provoke him to depart, if they loofe him, it may coft them many a bitter inquiry before they find him again. When a foul prays and Meditates, fearches the promises in private,when it with earnefnefs and diligence attends all Ordinances in publick, and all to get one glimpfe of the face of Jefus Christ, and all in vain, it is a fad condition.

§. 15. What now follows in this eftate? v. 3. The watchmen found me &c. That these watchmen of the City of God are the Watch-Men and Officers of the Church, is confeffed: and it is of fad consideration that the Holy Ghost doth fometimes in this Book take notice of them on no good account plainly, chap.5.7. they turn perfecutors. It was Luthers's faying,nunquam periclitur religio nifi inter reverendiffimos. Here they are of a more Gentle temper and feeing the poor difconfolate foul, they feem to take notice of her Condition.

It is the duty indeed of faithful watchmen to take notice of poor, troubled, deferted fouls: not to keep at a distance, but to be willing to allift. And a truely pressed foul on the account of Chrifts Abfence cannot cover its love, but must be enquiring after him; far you him whom my foul

loveth? This is my Condition! I have had sweet enjoyment of my bleffed Jefus, he is now withdrawn from me; can you help me? can you guide me to my Confolation? what acquaintance have you with him? when faw you him? how did he manifeft himself to you, and wherein ? All these labourings in his Abfence fufficiently difcover the fouls delight in the prefence of Chrift. Go one step farther to the discovery that it made of him once again, and it will yet be more evident, v. 5. It was but a little while that I paffed from them, but I found him whom my foul loveth, I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mothers Houfe, and into the chamber of ber that conceived me, I charge ye, Oye Daughters of FeruSalem &c,

1. She tells you how fhe came to him; fhe found him: What ways and by what means, is not expreffed. It often falls out fo in our Communion with Chrift; when private and publick Means fail, and the foul hath nothing left but waiting filently, and walking humbly, Chrift appears, that his fo doing, may be evidently of Grace. Let us not at any time give over in this condition. When all ways are paft, the Summer and Harvest are gone without relief, when neither Bed nor Watchmen can affift; let us wait a little, and we hall fee the Salvation of God. Chrift honours his immediate, abfolute actings fometimes; tho ordinarily he crowns his Ordinances. Chrift often manifefts himself immediately, and out of Ordinances, to them that wait for him in them. That he will do fo to them that defpife them, I know not. Tho he will meet men unexpectedly in his way; yet he will not meet them at all out of it. Let us wait as he hath appointed; let him appear as he plea feth. How he deals with him when found, is nextly declared. She held him, and would not let him go, &c. They are all expreflions of the greatest Joy and Delight imaginable. The fum is, having at length come once more to an enjoyment of fweet Communion with Chrift, the Soul lays faft hold on him by

faith [to hold faft is an act of Faith] refufes to part with him any more in vehemency of love; tries to keep him in Ordinances, in the Houfe of its Mother, the Church of God, and fo ufes all Means for the confirming of the mutual love between Chrift and her: All the Expreffions, all the Allufions fed, evidencing delight to the utmost capacity of the Soul. Should I purfue all the Inftances and Testimonies that are given hereunto in that, one Book of the Song of Solomon, I muft enter upon an Expofition of the greatest part of it, which is not my prefent business. Let the hearts of the Saints that are acquainted with these things, be allowed to make the close. What is it they long for? they rejoice in? What is it that fatisfies them to the utmost,and gives sweet complacency to their fpirits in every condition? What is it whofe lofs they fear, whofe abfence they cannot bear? is it not in their Beloved, and he alone?

S. 16. This alfo they further manifeft by their delight in every thing that peculiarly belongs to Chrift, as his, in this world. This is an Evidence of delight, when for his fake whom we delight in, we also delight in every thing that belongs to him. Chrifts great intereft in this world, lies in his People, and his Ordinances; his boufhold, and their provifion now in both thefe do the Saints exceedingly delight for his fake. Take an instance in both kinds in one man viz. David, Pfal. 16. 3. in the Saints and the excellent, or the noble of the Earth, is all my delight; my delight in them. Chrift fays of his Church, that she is Hephzibab, Ifa. 62. my delight in her: here fays David of the fame, Hephzibam, my delight in them. As Chrift delights. in his Saints, fo do they in one another on his account. Here, fays David, is all my delight. Whatever Contentment he took in any other perfons, it was nothing in comparison of the delight he took in them. Hence mention is made of laying down our lives for the Brethren, or any common caufe wherein the intereft of the Community of the Brethren does lie.

2. For the Ordinances, confider the fame perfon; Pfa. 42. and 84, and 48. are fuch plentiful Teftimonies throughout, as need no farther enquiring; nor fhall I go forth to a new difcourfe on this particular.

And this is the first mutual confequential Act of Conjugal Affections in this Communion between Chrift and Believers. He delights in them, and they delight in him; He delights in their profperity, hath pleasure in it; They delight in his honour and glory, and in his prefence with them for his fake they delight in his fervants, (tho by the world contemned) as the moft excellent in the world; and in his Ordinances, as the wisdom of God, which are foolishnefs to the world.

CHAP. V.

Other confequential affections; 1. On the part of Chrift. He values bis Saints. Evidences of that valuation. 1. bis. Incarnation. 2. Exinanition. 2 Cor. 8. 9. Phil. 2.6,7. 3. Obedience as a Servant. 4. In his death, his valuation of them in comparison of others. Believers eftimation of Chrift. 1. They value him above all other things and perfons. 2. Above their own lives. 3. All Spiritual Excellency's: The fum of all on the part of Chrift, The fum on the part of Believers. The third Conjugal Affection on the part of Chrift, Pitty or Compaffion, wherein manifefted. Suffering and Supply, fruits of Compallion. Several ways whereby Chrift relieves the Saints under temptations. His Compaffion in their afflictions. Charity the third Conjugal affection in the Saints. The fourth on the part of Chrift, Bounty on the part of the Saints, Duty.

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HRIST values his Saints, values Believers. Which is the second branch of that conjugal affection he bears towards them, having taken them into the Relation whereof we speak. I fhall not need to infift long on the demonftration hereof. Heaven and Earth are full of eviden

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