will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with finging: which is a full defcription of delight in all the parts of it; joy, and exaltation, reft and complacence. I rejoiced, faid he, in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the fons of men, Prov. viii. 31. The thoughts of communion with the faints, were the joy of his heart from eternity. On the compact and agreement that was between his Father and him, that he should divide a portion with the strong, and fave a reninant for his inheritance, his foul rejoiced in the thoughts of that pleasure and delight, which he would take in them, when he fhould actually take them into communion with himself. Therefore in the proceeding verfe it is faid he was by him as one brought up with him, the 70 render it armozoufa, and the Latin with most other tranflations, cuncta componens, or difponens. The word taken actively fignifies him whom another takes into his care to breed up, and difpofeth of things for his. advantage: fo did Chrift take us then into his care, and rejoiced in the thoughts of the execution of his truft. Concerning them he faith, here will I dwell, and here will I make my habitation for ever. For, them hath he chofen for his temple and his dwelling-place, becaufe he delighteth in them. This makes him take them fo nigh himfelf in eve

ry

relation. As he is God, they are his temple. As he is a King, they are his fubjects; he is the King of faints; as he is a Head, they are his body, he is the Head of the church; as he is a First-born he makes them his brethren, He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

I fhall choofe out one particular from among many as an instance for the proof of this thing: and

that

that is this, Chrift reveals his fecrets, his mind unto his faints, and enables them to reveal the fecrets of their hearts to him. An evident demonstration of great delight. It was Sampfon's carnal delight in Dalilah, that prevailed with him to reveal unto her those things which were of greatest concernment unto him; he will not hide his mind from her, though it coft him his life. It is only a bofom friend unto whom we will unbofom ourfelves. Neither is there poffible a greater evidence of delight in clofe communion, than this, that one will reveal his heart unto him whom he takes into fociety, and not entertain him with things common and vulgár-ly known. And therefore have I choose this inftance: from amongst a thousand that might be given of this delight of Chrift in his faints.

He then communicates his mind unto his faints, and unto them only; his mind, the councel of his love, the thoughts of his heart, the purposes of his bofom for our eternal good. His mind, the ways: of his grace, the workings of his Spirit, the rule: of his fceptre, and the obedience of his gofpel. All fpiritual revelation is by Chrift. He is the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world. John i. 9. He is the Day-fpring, the Day-ftar, and the Sun. So that it is impoffible any light should be but by him; from him it is, that the fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he fhews them his covenant, Pfalxxv. 14. as he expreffes it at large, John xv. 14, 15. Fe are my friends if ye do whatfoever I command you: henceforth I'call you not fervants, for the fervant knoweth not what his lord doth, but I have called you friends, for all things: that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. He makes them as his friends

Q 32

and

and useth them as friends, as bofom friends, in whom he is delighted. He makes known all his mind unto them, every thing that his Father hath committed to him as Mediator, to be revealed, Acts XX. 24. And the apostle declares how this is done, 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. He hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit, for we have received him that we might know the things that are freely given us of God. He fends us his Spirit, as he promised, to make known his mind unto his faints, and to lead. thera unto all truth; and thence the apostle concludes, We have known the mind of Christ, ver. 16.. for he useth us as friends, and declareth it unto us, John . 18. There is not any thing in the heart of Chrift wherein thefe his friends are concerned, that he doth not reveal to them. All his love, his good will, the fecrets of his covenant, the paths of obedience, the miftery of faith is told them.

And all this is fpoken in oppofition to unbeliev-efs, with whom he hath no communion. These know nothing of the mind of Chrift as they ought;. The natural man receiveth not the things that are of God, I Cor. ii. 14. There is a wide difference between understanding the doctrine of the fcripture as in the letter, and a true knowing the mind of Christ. This we have by fpecial unction from Chrift, I John ii. 24. We have an unction from the holy one, and we know all things, 1 John v. laft.

Now the things which in this communion Chrift reveals to them that he delights in, may be referred to thefe two heads. 1. Himfelf. 2. His kingdom.

1. Himfelf, John xiv. 21. He that loveth me, Shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him,

and

and will manifeft myself unto him; manifest myself in all my graces, defireablenefs and lovelinefs; he fhall know me as I am, and fuch I will be unto him, a Saviour, a Redeemer, the chiefest of ten thousand. He shall be acquainted with the true worth and value of the pearl of price; let others: look upon him as having neither form nor comelinefs, as no way defireable, he will manifeft himfelf and his excellencies unto them in whom he is delighted, that they fhall fee him altogether lovely. He will vail himself to all the world; but, the faints with open face fhall behold his beauty, and his glory, and fo be tranflated to the image of the fame glory as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii

14..

2. His kingdom, they fhall be acquainted with the government of his Spirit in their hearts, as alfo with his rule, and the administration of authority in his word, and among his churches..

1. Thus, in the first place doth he manifeft his delight in his faints, he communicates his fecrets. unto them. He gives them to know his perfon, his excellencies, his grace, his love, his kingdom, his will, the riches of his goodnefs, and the bowels of his mercy more and more, when the world fhall neither fee nor know any fuch thing.

2. He enables his faints to communicate their mind, to reveal their fouls unto him, that fo they may walk together as intimate friends; Chrift knows. the mind of all. He knows what is in man, and needs not that any man testify of him, John ii. 25. He fearcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of all, Rev. ii. 23. But all know not how to communicate their mind to Chrift. It will not avail a man at all, that Chriit knows his mind; for fo he doth of

every one whether he will or no; but that a man can make his heart known unto Chrift, this is confolation. Hence the prayers of the faints are incenfe, odours, and thofe of others are howling, cutting off a dog's neck, offering of fwines blood, an abomination unto the Lord. Now three things are required to enable a man to communicate his heart unto the Lord Jefus.

1. Affiftance for the work, for of ourfelves we cannot do it. And this the faints have by the fpirit of Jefus, Rom. viii. 26, 27. Likewife the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with groanings that cannot. be uttered. And he that fearcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh interceffion for the faints, according to the will f God. All endeavours, all attempts for communion with God, without the fupplies of the Spirit of fupplications, without his effectual working in the heart, is of no value nor to any purpose. And this openin of our hearts and bofoms to the Lord. Jefus is that wherein he is exceedingly delighted.. Hence is that affectionate call of his unto us, to be treating with him on this account, chap. n. 14, O my Dove that art in the fecret places of the fairs, let me fee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for fweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely. When the foul on any account, is driven to hide itfelf, in any neglected condition, in the most unlikely place of abode, then doth he call for this communication of itself by prayer to him, for which he gives the affiftance of the Spirit mentioned.

2. A way whereby to approach unto God with our defires. This alfo we have by him provided

for