bing her beloved, Cant. 5. 4, 10. &c. inftantly are stirred up to feek him together with her, chap 6.1. Whither is thy beloved turned afide, that we may feek him with thee? what Paul fays of them that crucified him, may be fpoken of all that reject him, or refufe communion with him. had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Himself calls them fimple ones, fools and scorners, that defpife his gracious invitation, Prov. I. 24. There is none defpife Chrift, but only they that know him not; whofe eyes the God of this world hath blinded that they should not behold his glory; The fouls of men do naturaly feek fomething to reft and repofe themselves upon; fomething to fatiate and delight themselves withall, with which they hold communion; and there are two ways whereby men proceed in the pursuit of what they fo aim at. Some fet before them fome certain end; perhaps, Pleasure, Profit, or, in Religion it felf, acceptance with God; others feek after fome end, but without any certainty, pleafing themselves now with one path, now with another; with various thoughts and ways, like them, Ifa. 57.10. because fomething comes in by the life of the hand, they give not over though weary; in what condition foever you may be, either in greediness pursuing fome certain end, be it fecular or religious, or are wandring away in your own imaginations, wearying your felves in the largeness of your ways, compare a little what you aim at, or what you do, with what you have already heard of Jefus Chrift; if any thing you defign be like to him, if any thing you defire be equal to him, let him be rejected as one that hath neither form nor comelinefs in him; but if indeed all your ways be but vanity and vexation of fpirit in comparison of him, why do you spend your thoughts for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which fatisfies not;

S. 18. 1. You that are yet in the flower of your days, full of health and ftrength, and with all the vigor of your fpirits, do purfue fome one thing, fome another: confider

F 2

I pray,

I pray, what are all your beloveds, to this beloved? what have you gotten by them? let us fee, the peace, quietness, affurance of everlasting blessedness that they have given you? their paths are crooked paths, who ere goes in them fhall not know peace. Behold here a fit object for your choiceft affections: one in whom you may find reft to your fouls: one in whom there is nothing will grieve and trouble you to Eternity: behold he stands at the door of your fouls and knocks: O reject him not, leaft you seek him and find him not; pray ftudy him a little, you love him not because you know him not. Why doth one of you fpend his time in idleness and folly, and wafting of precious time, perhaps debauchedly; why doth another affociate and affemble himself with them that fcoff at Religion and the things of God? meerly because you know not our dear Lord Jefus: Oh when he shall reveal himself to you, and tell you he is Jefus whom you have flighted and refufed, how will it break your hearts, and make you mourn like a Dove, that you have neglected him? and if you never come to know him, it had been better you had never been born: whilst it is called to day then, harden not your hearts.

2. You that are perhaps feeking earnestly after a Righteoufnefs, and are Religious Perfons, confider a little with your felves: hath Chrift his due place in your hearts? is he your all? do he dwell in your thoughts? do you know him in his excellency and defirableness? do you indeed account all things lofs and dung for his exceeding excellency? or rather, do you prefer almoft any thing in the World before it? But more of these things afterwards.

CHA P. III.

Of the Way and Manner whereby the Saints hold Communion with the Lord Christ, as to perfonal Grace: The Conjugal Relation between Chrift and the Saints, Cent.2016. Ifa. 54.

5. &c. 3. 11. opened. The way of communion in Conjugal Relation. Hof. 3.3 Cant. 1. 15. On the part of Christ. On. the part of Saints.

He next thing that comes under confideration, is,

TH

the Way whereby we hold Communion with the Lord Chrift, in respect of that perfonal Grace whereof we have spoken. Now this the Scripture manifests to be by the way of a conjugal Relation. He is married unto us, and we unto him; which spiritual Relation is attended with fuitable conjugal affections. And this gives us fellowship with him, as to his perfonal excellencies.

S. 2. This the Spouse expreffèth, Cant.2.16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. He is mine, I poffefs him, I have interest in him, as my Head, and my Husband; and I am his, possessed of him, owned by him, given up unto him, and that as to my beloved in a Conjugal Relation.

So Ifa. 54. 5. Thy maker is thine Husband (the Lord of hofts is his name) and thy Redeemer the boly one of Ifrael, the God of the whole Earth fhall be be called. This is yielded as the Reason, why the Church fhall not be ashamed nor confounded, in the midst of her Troubles and Trials, shee is married unto her Maker, and her Redeemer is her Husband, And Ifa. ch. 61. 10. feting out the mutual Glory of Chrift and his Church in their walking together, he faith it is, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with orna-, ments, and as a Birde adorneth her felf with Jewels, fuch is their condition, because such is their Relation which he also farther expreffeth ch. 62. v. 5. As the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, fofhall thy God rejoice over thee. As it is with fuch perfons in the day of their Efpoufals, in the day of the Gladness of their hearts, fo is it with Chrift and his Saints in this Relation: He is a Husband to them, providing that it may be with them, according to the state and condition whereinto he hath taken them.

S. 3. To this purpose we have his faithful engagement, Hof.2.19. I will (faith be) betroth thee unto me for ever, yea

I will betroth thee unto me in Righteoufnefs and in Judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies, I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness. And it is the main defign of the Ministry of the Gofpel, to prevail with men to give up themfelves unto the Lord Christ, as he reveals his kindness in this engagement. Hence Paul tells the Corinthians, 1 Epift. 11.2. that he had efpoufed them unto one Husband, that he might prefent them as a Chaft virgin unto Chrift. This he had prevailed upon them for, by the preaching of the Gofpel, that they should give up themfelves as a Virgin, unto him who had betrothed them to himself, as an Husband,

§. 4. And this is a Relation wherein the Lord Jefus is exceedingly delighted; and inviteth others to behold him in this his Glory. Cant. 3. 11. Go forth (faith he) Oye Daughters of ferufalem, and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him, in the day of his Efponfals, and in the day of the Gladness of his heart. He calls forth the daughters of Jerufalem, all forts of Profeffors to confider him in the condition of betrothing and efpoufing his Church unto himself. Moreover, he tells them that they fhall find on him two things eminently upon this account. 1. Honour; it is the day of his Coronation, and his fpoufe is the Crown wherewith he is crowned. For as Chrift is a Diadem of beauty, and a Crown of Glory unto Sion, Ifaiah, 18. 5. So Sion alfo is a Diadem, and a Crown unto him, Ifa. 62. 3. Chrift makes this Relation with his Saints, to be his Glory and his Honour. 2. Delight: The day of his Efpoufals, of taking poor finful fouls into his bofom, is the day of the gladness of his heart. John was but the friend of the Bridegroom, that stood and heard his voice, when he was taking his Bride unto himself, and he rejoyced greatly, John 3. 29. how much more then must be the joy and gladness of the Bridegroom himself, even that which is expressed Zeph. 3. 14. He reioyceth with Foy, he joys with finging.

S5 It is the gladnefs of the heart of Chrift, the joy

of

of his foul, to take poor finners into this Relation with himself. He rejoiced in the thoughts of it from Eternity, Prov. 8. 31. And always expreffeth the greatest willingnefs to undergo the hard task required thereunto, Pfal 40. 7, 8. Heb. 10. 7, 8. yea he was pained as a woman in travail, untill he had accomplished it, Luk. 12. 5. because he loved his Church he gave himself for it, Ephef. 5.26. defpifing the shame, and enduring the Crofs, Heb. 12. 2. that he might enjoy his Bride; that he might be for her, and fhe for him, and not fot another, Hof. 3. 3. This is his joy, when he is thus crowned by his Mother. It is believers that are Mother and Brother of this Solomon, Math. 12. 49. 50. They crown him in the day of his efpoufals, giv-. ing themselves to him, and becoming his glory: 2 Cor. 8.

23.

S.5. Thus he fets out his whole Communion with his Church under this Allufion: and that most frequently. The time of his taking the Church unto himself, is the day of his marriage, and the Church is his Bride, his Wife, Revel. 19. 7. 8. The entertainment he makes for his Saints, is a Wedding Supper. Math. 22. 3. The Graces of his Church, are the Ornaments of his Queen, Pfal. 45. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. And the Fellowship he hath with his Saints, is as that which those who are mutually beloved in a Conjugal Relation do bold, Cant. 1. Hence Paul in defcribing these two, makes fudden and infenfible Tranfitions from one to the other: Ephef. 5. 22.32. concluding the whole with an Application unto Chrift and the Church.

S. 6. It is now to be enquired in the next place, how it is that we hold communion with the Perfon of Christ, in respect of Conjugal Relations and Affections, and wherein this doth confift. Now herein there are fome things that are common unto Chrift and the Saints, and fome things that are peculiar to each of them, as the Na ture of this Relation doth require. The whole may be reduced unto these two heads.