1. A Mutual Refignation of themselves one to the other. 2. Mutual Confequential Conjugal Affections.

5. 7. 1. There is a mutual Refignation or making over of their Persons one to another. This is the first Act of Communion, as to the perfonal Grace of Chrift. Chrift makes himself over to the Soul to be his, as to all the love care and tenderness ofan Husband, and the foul gives up it felf wholly unto the Lord Chrift, to be his, as to all loving, tender obedience. And herein is the main of Chrift and the Saints Efpoufals. This in the Prophet is fet out under a parable of himself and an Harlot, Hof. 3:3. thon fhalt abide with me (faith he unto her) thou shalt not be for another, and I will be for thee. Poor Harlot, faith the Lord Chrift, I have bought thee unto my felf with the price of mine own Blood, and now this is that which we will confent unto, I WILL BE FOR THEE and THOU SHALT BE FOR MEE, and not for another.

§. 8. 1. Chrift gives himself to the Soul with all his Excellencies, Righteousness,Precioufnefs, Graces and Eminencies, to be its Saviour, Head and Husband, for ever to dwell with it in this holy Relation. He looks upon the fouls of his Saints, likes them well, counts them fair and beautiful, because he hath made them fo, Cant. 1. 16. Bebold thou art fair my Companion, behold thou art fair, thou haft Doves Eyes. Let others think what they please, Chrift redoubles it, that the Souls of his Saints are very beautiful, even perfect through his Comeliness which he puts upon them, Ezek. 15. 14. behold thou art fair, thou art fair; particularly that their Spiritual Light is very Excellent and Glorious, like the Eyes of a Dove, tender, difcerning, clear and fhining. Therefore he adds that Pathetical wish of the Enjoyment of this his Spouse, chap. 2. 14. 0 my dove (faith he that art in the clefts of the Rocks, in the fecret places of the fairs, let me hear thy voice, let me fee thy countenance, for fweet is thy voice, and thy Countenance is tomely. Do not hide thy felf as one that flies to the clefts

of

of the Rocks,be not dejected as one that hides her felf behind the stairs, and is afraid to come forth to the Company that enquires for her? let not thy fpirit be caft down at the weakness of thy fupplications, let me yet hear thy fighs and groans, thy breathings and pantings to me, they are very fweet, very delightful; and thy fpiritual countenance, thy appearance in heavenly things, is comely and delightful unto me. Neither doth he leave her thus, but chap. 4.8. preffeth her hard to a closer Communion with him in this conjugal bond. Come with me from Lebanon (my fpoufe) with me from Lebanon, look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the Lyons dens, and the mountains of the Leopards. Thou art in a wandring condition, (as the Ifraelites of old) among Lions and Leopard, fins and troubles; come from thence unto me, and I will give thee refreshment Math. 11. 27. upon this Invitation the Spouse boldly concludes, ch. 7. 10. that the defire of Chrift is towards her that he doth indeed love her, and aim at taking her unto this fellowship with himself. So in carrying on this union, Chrift freely bestoweth himself upon the Soul. Precious and excellent as he is, he becometh ours. He makes himfelf to be fo, and with him, all his Graces. Hence faith the spouse, my Beloved is mine: in all that he is, he is mine. Because he is Righteousness," he is the Lord Our Righteoufnefs, Jer. 23. 6. Because he is the Wisdom of God and the power of God, he is made unto us Wisdom &c. 1 Cor.1, 30. Thus the Branch of the Lord is beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the Earth is excellent, and comely to them that are escaped of Ifrael, Ifa. 4. 2. This is the first thing on the part of Chrift, the free donation and bestowing of himself upon us to be our Chrift, our beloved, as to all the Ends and Purposes of Love, Mercy, Grace, and Glory, whereunto in his Mediation he is defigned, in a Marriage-Covenant, never to be broken. This is the

b.45.24.45.

Sum

Sum of what is intended. The Lord Jefus Chrift fitted and prepared by the Accomplishment and Furniture of his Perfon as Mediator, and the large purchase of Grace and Glory which he hath made, to be an Husband to his Saints, his Church, tenders himself in the Promises of the Gofpel to them in all his defirableness, convinces them of his good-will towards them, and his alfufficiency for a fupply of their wants, and upon their confent to accept of him, which is all he requires or expects at their hands, he ingageth himself in a Marriage-Covenant to be theirs for

ever.

§. 9. 2. On the part of the Saints: It is their free, willing confent to receive, embrace, and submit unto the Lord Jefus, as their Husband, Lord and Saviour, to abide with him, fubject their fouls unto him; and to be ruled by him for ever.

Now this in the foul, is either initial, or the Solemn Confent at the first entrance of Union, or Confequential, in renewed Acts of Confent all our days. I fpeak of it efpecially in this latter fenfe, wherein it is proper unto Communion, not in the former, wherein it primarily intendeth Union.

There are two things that compleat this felf Refignation of the foul.

§. 10. 1. The liking of Chrift for his Excellency, Grace and fuitableness, far above all other beloveds whatever, preferring him in the Judgment and Mind above them all. In the place above mentioned, Can. 5.9, 10. the Spouse being earneftly preffed by Profeffors at large, to give in her thoughts concerning the Excellency of her beloved in comparison of other Endearments, Anfwereth exprefsly, that he is the chiefest of ten thousand, yea v.16. altogether lovely infinitely beyond comparifon with the choiceft created good or Endearment imaginable. The foul takes a view of all that is in the world, the Luft of the Flesh, the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, and fees it all to be vanity, that the world paffeth away and the Luft

thereof

thereof, 1 John 2. 16,17. thefe beloveds are no way to be compared unto him. It views alfo legal righteousness, blamelefness before men, uprightness of converfation, Duties upon Conviction, and concludes of all as Paul doth, Phil. 3.8. Doubtless I count all these things lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord. So alfo doth the Church (Hof.14.3,4.) reject all appearing Affiftances whatever, as goodly as Afhur, as promifing as Idols, that God alone may be preferred. And this is the fouls entrance into conjugal Communion with Jefus Chrift as to Perfonal Grace, the conftant preferring him above all Pretenders to its Affections, counting all lofs and dung in comparison of him. Beloved Peace, beloved natural Relations, beloved Wisdom and Learning, beloved Rightousness and Duties, all lofs compared with Chrift.

S.11.2. The accepting of Chrift by the Will, as its only Husband, Lord and Saviour. This is called receiving of Christ, John 1.12. and is not intended only for that folemn Act whereby at first entrance we clofe with him, but also the conftant frame of the foul in abiding with him, and owning of him as fuch: When the foul confents to take Christ on his own terms, to fave him in his own way, and fays, Lord, I would have had thee and Salvation in my way, that it might have been partly of mine endeavours, and as it were, by the works of the Law; I am now willing to receive thee, and to be faved in thy way, meerly by Grace: And tho I would have walked according to my own mind, yet now I wholly give up my felf to be ruled by thy Spirit, for in thee bave I righteoufnefs and ftrength, in thee am I juftified and do glory, then doth it carry on Communion with Chrift as to the Grace of his Perfon. This it is to receive the Lord Jefus in his Comelinefs and Eminency. Let Believers exercise their hearts abundantly unto this thing. This is choice Communion with the Son Jefus Chrift. Let us receive him in all his Excellencies as he bestows himself upon us. Be frequent in thoughts of faith, comparing him with other Beloveds, Sin, World, legal Righteoufnefs, and prefer

ing

ing him before them, counting them all lofs and dung in comparifon of him. And let our fouls be perfwaded of his fincerity and willingness in giving himself, in all that he is, as Mediator unto us, to be ours; and let our hearts give up themselves unto him; let us tell him, that we will be for him, and not for another; Let him know it from us, he delights to hear it, yea he fays, fweet is our voice, and our Countenance is comely, and we shall not fail in the issue of fweet Refreshment with him.

DIGRESSION I

Some Excellencies of Chrift propofed to Confideration,to endear our hearts unto him. His Defcription, Cant.5. opened.

S.J. Oftrengthen our hearts in the Refignation (mentioned) of our felves unto the Lord Chrift as our Husband, as alfo to make way for the stirring of us up to those confequential, conjugal Affections, of which mention fhall afterwards be made, I fhall turn aside to a more full defcription of fome of the Perfonal Excellencies of the Lord Chrift, whereby the hearts of his Saints are indeed endeared unto him.

§. 2. In the Lord our Righteoufnefs then, may thefe enfuing things be confidered, which are exceeding fuitable to prevail upon our hearts to give up themselves to be wholly his.

§. 3. He is exceeding excellent and defirable in his Deia Num 21.5. 1 Cor. 10.9. Pfal.68.19. Eph.4.8,10. Pfal.97.7. Heb.2.10. Ffal.102.26. Ifai.8.13. Luk.2.34. Rom.9.30. 1 Pet.2.6. Ifa.40.3. 44.6. 45.22. 48.12: Rom.14.10. Revel.1.11. Mal.3.1. Pfal.2.12. Ha.35.4: 52.5,6. 45.14,15. Zecb.2.8,12. 3. 1. 12.10. Matth.16.17. Luke 1. 15,17. John 5.18,19. 10.30. 1.1,3,10,14. 6.62. 8.23,58. Col.1.16. Heb.1.2,10,11,12. John 3.13,31. 16.28. Mich.5.2. Prov.8.23. John 7.5. Fer.23.6. 1 John 5.20. Rev.1.18. 4.8. A.20.28. 1 fob.3.16. Phil.2.6,7,8. 1 Tim.3.16. Heb.2.16. 1 John 4.3. Heb.10.5. Fob.20.28 Rem 9.5. John 10.29,30,31. Matth.16.16. Rom.8.32. Fobn 3.16,18.: Col.1.15. John 17.10. Ifa.9.6. Col.2.9. 1 Cor.8.6. 2.8. Pfal.68.17.

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