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D ISCOURSES 
 
 Solomon s Song. / 
 
 PREACHED AT 
 
 St. DUNSTAN's CHURCH, in the WEST, 
 LONDON. 
 
 y 
 
 By W. R O M A I N E, M. A. 
 
 LECTURER OF THE SAID CHURCH. 
 A NEW EDITION 
 
 REVISED BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 V/E HAVE KNOWN AND BELIEVED THE LOVE THAT 
 GOD HATH TO US. GOD ISLOVEj AND HE THAT 
 DWELLETH IN LOVE, DWELLETH IN GOD, AND 
 GOD IN HIM. 1 JOHN iv. l6. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by T. CHAPMAN. 
 
 Sold by H, TRAPP, Paternoster-Row, axd 
 
 J, PRIDDON, Fleet-Stfeet. 
 
 1789. 
 

TO THE 
 
 PARISHIONERS 
 
 O F 
 
 St, DUNSTAN's in the WEST, 
 
 Afy dear Brethren^ 
 
 1TAKE this opportunity of acknowledging; 
 the many and great favours which I have 
 received from you. My gratitude cannbt 
 better appear, than in labouring to the beft 
 of my power in that ftation to which you 
 have called me. Ever fmce you were pleafed 
 unanimoufly to choofe me your Lecturer, I 
 have endeavoured to difcharge my duty as 
 one who muft give an account; and in what 
 manner I difcharge it, let thefe Sermon.'?, 
 which I now dedicate unto you, bear wnt- 
 nefs. There is a great and awful day at 
 
 A a 
 
iv DEDICATION. 
 
 hand, in which the righteous fcarcely fhall 
 be faved, and where then fliall the wicked 
 and ungodly appear? On this day at the bar 
 of the ahnighty Judge I muft ftand to give 
 an account of my miniilry among you : know- 
 ing therefore the terror of the Lord, I have 
 not fhunned to declare unto you the whole 
 counfel of God. He knoweth my heart, 
 and he has feen how honeftly I have preach- 
 ed the word, and how earneft I have been 
 with him in prayer for a blefling upon it. 
 Oh that I may deliver my own foul! And 
 God grant you may deliver yours. You 
 have heard me for fome years, and chiefly 
 upon the fame fubje£t. I hope you are not 
 tired of hearing of the love of Jefus to poor 
 helplefs finners; I am fure I am not tired of 
 fpeaking upon it. The firft Sermon I preach- 
 ed among you was upon this text, i Cor. ii. 
 I, 2. " And I, brethren, when I came to 
 " you, came not with excellency of fpeech, 
 " or of wifdom, declaring unto you the tefti- 
 " mony of God: for I determined not to 
 " know any thing among you, fave Jefus 
 ^* Chrift, and him crucified," What I then 
 
 determined 
 
DEDICATION. v 
 
 determined in God's ftrength, I have thus 
 far been enabled to perform. The great 
 fubjedl of all my preaching, as ye know, is 
 Chrifl: Jefus the Lord, inviting and calling 
 carelefs fmners from the error of their ways, 
 and prefling them to come to Chrifl for the 
 pardon of their fnis, for ftrength to fub- 
 due fm, and for grace to do good works 
 pleafant and acceptable unto God. This 
 pardon, ftrength and grace are not to be had, 
 but from Chrift. He alone has them to give; 
 and that you might fee the neceflity of ap- 
 plying to him for them, I have been con- 
 tinually fetting forth the mifery of fallen 
 man, until he receives Chrift Jefus the Lord 
 for his Saviour and his God, and the com- 
 plete happinefs he enjoys after he has re- 
 ceived him. With what fuccefs I have 
 preached you muft give an account at the 
 fame awful bar, at which I am to be tried, 
 and before a judge who is no refpeder of 
 perfons. Oh that I may not appear againft any 
 of you in that great day. I have good reafon 
 to believe that many of you will then be, 
 I pray God you may all then be, my joy and 
 
 A 3 crown 
 
n DEDlCAflOK 
 
 crown of rejoicing. Happy will it be for 
 you g^nd me, if I fhould fee the judge place 
 you all on his right hand. And whether 
 you was brought to this blelTednefs by my 
 iiiiniflry or not, if you do but enjoy it, 
 t fhall have caufe to glorify God on your 
 behalf. 
 
 My brethren, the time is fhort. Work 
 while it is day: for the night cometh, in. 
 which no man can workw It is but a fliort 
 day, in which you have to finifh the work 
 of eternity; therefore give all diligence to' 
 make your calling and eledion fure. Get 
 poffefhon and enjoyment of the prefent gra- 
 ces of falvation, without which you cannot 
 have any well-grounded hopes of eternal 
 falvation. Jefus mull fave you from the 
 guilt, and fave you from the dominion of 
 fm, he muft juftify you by his righteouihefs, 
 and fandify you by his fpirit, before you 
 can fee the lace of God with joy in his 
 kingdom of glory. And have you then 
 received thefe graces from him? This, my 
 beloved brethren, is the moft interefting 
 
 queftion 
 
D E D I C A T I K vli 
 
 queftlbn you can put to yourfelves. Upon 
 the decifion of it depends an eternity of 
 happinefs or mifery. Have you received 
 thefe graces, or not? May he, that teach- 
 eth man wifdom, teach you to anfwer it 
 to yourfelves, as you will anfwer it to him. 
 May he lead you into all truth. Save you 
 from all fm. Enable you to live to his 
 glory, and make you happy in his love here 
 in time and in eternity. 
 
 God knoweth, that this is the prayer of 
 my heart. When that folemn day (hall 
 come, in which all fecrets fhall be laid 
 open, then it will be known with what 
 view I have written this Dedication. God 
 grant my defign in it may be anfwered, 
 and may it then appear that you have reaped 
 the profit from it which I moft heartily de- 
 fired. Having taken this occafion of thank- 
 ing you for all temporal favours, my love 
 to your fouls would not let me lofe an op- 
 portunity of fpeaking a word for Chrift, 
 although it was out of the pulpit. He 
 has unfearchable, ineftimable and eternal 
 A 4 riches 
 
viii DEDICATION, 
 
 riches in his power, and to perfuade yotl 
 to feek them has been and Ihall be the la* 
 hour, and to intreat him to beftow them 
 upon you, fliall be the prayer, of 
 
 Tour faithful Minifler arid 
 
 Serva?it in the Lord Jefus^ 
 
 William Romaine. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Reader, 
 
 T Here offer thee a Volume of Sermons tipon 
 fome parts of the Song of Songs. "They 
 were compofed and preached at a time^ when 
 I had fome thoughts of treating the 'whole book 
 in a plain praElical way; but that defign being 
 laid aftde^ I have made fome of the Sermons 
 public^ hoping they may be the means of re- 
 moving inens prejudices^ and of recoficiling their 
 minds to this fweet portion of God^s holy word. 
 
 It is a certain^ but a melancholy matter of 
 fa&^ that there has been more ridicule isoafied 
 upon the Song^ tha?i upon any other portion of 
 God\ ivord. And we need not marvel at it. 
 The devil has a particular fpite againfl this 
 hook; he hates the fubjeB, and he hates the 
 compofition. He ca?inot bear to hear of majts 
 being reflored to that fellowfljip and commimion 
 with God which himfelf once had^ but can 
 never hope for again : and therefore this trea- 
 tife upon it is the objedf of his mofi devilifh 
 
 malice^ 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 malice^ and he is always Jlirring up his agents 
 to write a7id to /peak contemptibly of it, Ajid 
 he has been too fuccefsfid in his temptation. 
 Marly perfons fell into it^ becatfe it flattered 
 their pride. They fet up themf elves for judges 
 of all fubjeEls^ divine as well as human ^ and 
 made their reafon the criterion of all truth. 
 They tried this book by their reafon^ and they 
 did not underfland it^ therefore they thought 
 no body did. Upon the foi~ce of this conclufioit 
 they took a general licence to ridicule it; but 
 the conclufion is not logical: for certai?ily the 
 book may be intelligible^ although they do not 
 underfland it. Modefl reafon would incline 
 them to be of this opinion^ becaufe many learned 
 men in every age have thought it uitelUgible^ 
 and many good inc?i without much learning 
 have under flood it, The true caufe of "which 
 was this: They underflood the fubjcEl treated 
 of in this book, "which the enemies of it did 72ot, 
 A deaf man is as good a judge of a flne piece 
 of mufic^ as a man ivho has no real heart-love 
 for God is of a treaiife upon the love of God: 
 for as he has no knowledge of the fubje£t, how 
 can he undafland what is written upon it? 
 If a man ignorant of mathematics was to take 
 up Sir Ifaac Newton'j Principia, and to cry 
 out. What fluflF is this? Who can make any 
 
 thing 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 thing of thefe Jircjige lines and figures^ and 
 thefc A's and B^s? A great mathematician 
 Jianding by would pity the poor maris igno^ 
 ranee. In like manner when any perfon takes 
 up a book upon communion with God, and ei- 
 ther does not believe there is fuch a thing, or 
 has had 710 experience of it, how can he under- 
 Jland ivhat is ivritten ? It miift appear to hiin 
 7nere jargon a7id gibberifd) and if he has a 
 talent at I'idicule, here is a tempting occafion 
 for him to difplay it, JVhereas the fault is 
 not in the book, but in the man 'who reads it. 
 It ?nay be a perfcB compofition, and he may 
 be no judge of it. I'he book is plain enough 
 to them w^ho are properly qualified to read it. 
 If you underfand the true genius of the tongue 
 in njohich it is written, and have fome infight 
 into the fubjeSl of ivhich it treats, it 'will then 
 be as intelligible as any other portion of fcrip- 
 tiire; but the enemies of this book underfand 
 7ieithcr of thefe particulars, 'They are 7iot 
 qualifed to judge, and yet they venture to 
 condemn it : for 
 
 Firfl, They are not acquainted with the 
 nature of the Hebrew tongue, without which 
 710 man Jhould pretend to be a critic upon the 
 writings of the Old Teftament. If a7iy peifon 
 
 fjould 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 Jhould write profejfedly againji Homer, and 
 try to prove there isoas no genius. Invention^ 
 or fuhUmity m his poems , with what contempt 
 *would the learned treat his perfoi''mance, ef- 
 pecially if they knew that this ignoramus did 
 not underjiand one word of Greek, no nor 
 one letter. If fiich an attack upon Homer 
 appear ridiculous to men of learning, hoiv 
 much more ridictdous fdould an attack of the 
 fome nature appear upon a treatife in Hebrew: 
 becaufe the Hebrew is more difficult to be 
 tranfated word for word, than any Greek 
 author can be. It has fome peculiar proper^ 
 ties and idiums, which no other language has^ 
 with which every critic fldotdd be acquainted, 
 leji he foould raife obje&ions that ivould only 
 betray his own ignorance, The Hebrew is a 
 fixt language. It is not like ours, arbitrary 
 and changeable. We are continually gaining 
 fome new word, or dropping fome obfolete one, 
 or afixiiig fome new idea to a word, which 
 we have done remarkably in the word charity. 
 When our liturgy was compiled, and afterwards 
 when the prefent tranfation of the Bible was 
 made, charity fignified love, but now we ife it 
 for nothing but giving of alms. If you were 
 to ufe it in its ancient fenfc, and to talk of the 
 charity of God, who would not be underfood. 
 
 But 
 
PREFACE. jclii 
 
 But the Hebrew is free from thefe imp erf ec- 
 tiotis. It is fxt in ?iature^ and cannot change 
 iinlefs nature fhonld. Every word Jiands for 
 fonie material and fenfible objedi^ which God 
 created to reprefent and to give us ideas of 
 fome correfpondent and fpiritual obje&. Like 
 as in parables there is an outward and literal 
 fenfcy by vohich an inward and fpiritual fneati- 
 ing is conveyed^ fo is it in every Hebrew 
 ivord. And a critic fhould 7inderf and Hebrew 
 upon this plan. He fhoidd be acquainted 
 with the getiius of the Hebrew tongue^ and 
 with its man?ter of exprejfmg fpiritual things 
 tinder their appointed images in nature. And 
 it is tnore neceffary he fhotdd have this know^ 
 ledge in order to underfland this book^ becaife 
 it is the worjl tranflated of all fcripture. 
 Our tranfators have not failed more in any 
 part of the Old Teftament, than they have 
 here, Jnfead of giving us the fpiritual mean- 
 ing of the words^ they have feldom given us 
 any thing but the literal fenfe^ and fometimes 
 they have given us the Hebrew word without 
 any tranfation at all. If they had tranfated 
 the prophecy of Ifaiah in the fame ijtjudicious 
 ftiannery it would have been as abfrife as this 
 book is. I hope to fee it made as intelligible 
 as the prophecy of Ifaiah, 'There are feveral 
 
 perfons 
 
xiv PREFACE. 
 
 perfons at' pl^efent in our church df great lei- 
 
 Jure and great abilities^ and it is much to be 
 wi/hed they would employ them in explaining 
 this book, 'The mojl proper method they could 
 take fcems to me^ to fettle Jirjl the true literal 
 
 fenfe of every word in the Song^ and then, as 
 it is entirely a fpiritual book treating of com- 
 munion with God, to fix the fpiritual idea to 
 each word] and ivhere we have net a proper 
 *word in Englifh to exprefs the fidl ferfc of a 
 Hebrev*r word, they ?night give it in a fJoort 
 
 paraphrafe. Whenever this is done the mouths 
 of our ignorafit mockers will be fioppcd, and 
 it will appear that all their objections arofe 
 
 from their ignorance. 
 
 Thus the enemies of this book are ignorant 
 of the true genius of the Hebrew tongue, in 
 *which it is written, and they borroiv their 
 arguments agaitifi it not from the fatdts of 
 the book itfelf but from the faults i?i the 
 tranfiation ; and they are alfo ignorant of the 
 fubjeSi upon 'which it treats. It is one of the 
 deep things of God, ivhich the natural man 
 cannot imderfiand. He has none of this love 
 to God which is here defcribed, nor can he at- 
 tain it by any m.eans in his own power. It 
 is a love that comes dozvn from God, He is 
 
 the 
 
PREFACE. XV 
 
 the giver of it^ and it is JJoed abroad in the 
 heart by the Holy Spirit^ who bcjloivs the com- 
 forts of it 7ipon thc?n, that are pardotied and 
 reconciled to the Father in the Son of his love^ 
 and that can therefore truly fay with the 
 apofle John — " We knoiJi) and have believed 
 *' the love that God hath to ?//." JVhoever 
 fits down to read this book^ be he ever fo learn- 
 ed in other matters^ yet if he has no know- 
 ledge of God^s love to him^ he cannot nnder- 
 Jland what he reads. 'The objeBors to this 
 book are fo far from pretending to have any 
 cf this experimental love of God^ that they 
 laugh at it and ridicule it; w^hereby they plain- 
 ly declare^ that they are not judges of the fub- 
 jeB upon which this book treats^ and therefore 
 they are not ft to ft in judg?nent upon it, 
 
 Thefe are the tvDo principal reafons ivhy 
 this book is fo little underfood, and fo much 
 ridiculed, I need not enlarge upon them here, 
 becaufe they are often taken notice of in the 
 Sermons, to which I refer the reader. When 
 I firf thought of making them public, I did 
 not forefee hozv feafo?iable they would be. It 
 appears to me quite providential, that thcfe Ser- 
 mons upon the love of God fjould be pitblified 
 jiift at this time, when I am fiiriovfy attacked 
 
 by 
 
xvi PREFACE. 
 
 by a namelefs writer^ and charged with pi'each-^ 
 ing nothing but hell and damnation. It would 
 have betn as true a cloarge^ if he had faid I 
 alivays preached in Hebrew. This volume fi all 
 anfwer for me. Here my doElrine is. Believe 
 and thou fjalt be faved, love God and thou 
 foalt he happy. May he voho has this faving 
 belief and this happy love to give^ for his 
 mercy s fake befow them upon this my bitter 
 enemy and open perfecutor* 
 
 I have nothing more to add^ but to intreat 
 the bleffer of all nations to accompany the read-, 
 ing of thefe Sermons wnth his bleffing. J^ay 
 he water them with the dew of his heavenly 
 gracSy and render them ufeful and prof table 
 to every perfon into whofe hands they jnay falL 
 Reader^ if thou fndef any un£lion from the 
 Holy One in thern^ and reapefl any benefit from 
 them^ give God the glory ^ and pray for the 
 author. Thou canfl not do me any fervicc 
 'which I more ivant or value than thy prayers. 
 Pray^ that the grace of Chrijl may do more 
 in mCj and that I may do more for Chri/l, 
 And in retu7~n I will pray for thee^ that the 
 Spirit of the living God may enable thee to 
 underfand this divine Song^ and to experience 
 the comforts of its dodlrine^ and then thou 
 
 wilt 
 
PREFACE. xvii 
 
 ^ilt he in pqffeffion of the greatejl happhiefs 
 thou canjl enjoy on this fide of heaven. 
 
 Upon revifing thefe fheets for a new edition 
 of the follozmng Sermons^ I had great reafon 
 to blefs the Lord God, that my views of this 
 fuhjeS: were the fame as they were feveral years 
 ago — only confrmed by long experience. It is 
 a good thing to be efablifjed in the truth, and 
 by confant ife to get into holy and happy 
 pra&ice. When the believer has received Chrifi, 
 it is his privilege to be growing up into him in 
 ell things. Flourifhing like the palm tree, and 
 mounting icp like the cedar iti Lebanon, Certain 
 doctrines are then not to be difputed. The effen- 
 tial glory of Immanuel — The abfolute perfection 
 of his favi?ig ivork — The effeSiual applicatio?i 
 of it to the confciences, to the hearts, and to the 
 lives of believers by the Holy Spirit; hi thefe it 
 is good and right that there fhould be no vari- 
 ablenefs 7ior fhadow of turning, Jefus Chrifl^ 
 and his work, and his Spirit, and his fulnefsy 
 being the fame, yejlerday^ to day, and for ever. 
 
 Much has been written and fpoken agai?iji 
 
 thefe Sermons, as if I had therein made too 
 
 much of Chrift, I think it impofible. His per- 
 
 fon is above all blejfmg and praife. His falva^ 
 
 B tion 
 
xViii PREFACE. 
 
 tioti is hifinitely perfeEl^ and contains an eternal 
 fulnefs of all graces and glories. His promifes 
 are exceeding great^ and exceeding precious — 
 already made good to him^ as the head^ and by 
 him made good to all his people. When the f pi- 
 rit of life that is in himfets them free from the 
 laiv of fn and of death ^ they are pardoned, 
 and righteous, and holy, and bleffed in the Be^ 
 loved. Which of them can come up to the great- 
 fiefs offuch a fiibjeB? Who can f jew forth all 
 the prafes of fuch a Jefusf I cannot. Inflead 
 of thinking that I have fpoken too highly of him, 
 I am very fenfible of my many and great fail- 
 ings, . M^ay the glorificr of Jefus enable me 
 to fpeak more worthily of him in earth and 
 heaven. 
 
DISCOURSES 
 
 U P N T H £ 
 
 SONG^/SOLOMON. 
 
 SERMON I, 
 
 Chap. i. Ver. i. 
 The Song of Songs which is Solomon'/, 
 
 GOD is love. The whole fcripture is a 
 hiftory of the wonders which his love 
 has done for the children of men. It 
 was love which firft gave being to tlie 
 univerfe. The fame continued love has 
 preferved it. But the defcriptiori of the 
 works of creation and prefervation takes up 
 a fmall part of the facred volume. The great 
 fubjedi of it is redeeming love. In this fweet 
 iind amiable light God has propofed himfelf 
 to our confideration. When his juftice was 
 offended at the tranfgrefTion of his holy law, 
 
 B a hit 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 his love contrived how to get glory to every 
 divine attribute, by pardoning and faving the 
 tranfgrefTor. He had provided the covenant 
 of grace, in which was the richeft difplay of 
 his infinite love. In this covenant he glories. 
 He fets it forth and recommends it, as the 
 greateft work of God, and has revealed the 
 Old 'Tejlamait and the Nens) to demonftrate 
 to fmners, that our redeeming God is love^ 
 When Mofis defired to fee his glory, he did 
 not refer him to the works of creation, or to 
 the inftances which he had feen of his al- 
 mighty power; but he fent him to the mer- 
 cies of redemption, in which he might have 
 the ftrongeft evidences of God's glory. He 
 proclaimed himfelf as the Old TeJIainejit God, 
 tmder the ftile and title of — " The Lord, 
 *' the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 
 *' long fuffering, and abundant in goodnefs 
 *' and truth, keeping mercy for thoufands, for- 
 *' giving iniquity and tranfgreliion and fin." 
 {Efod. xxxiv. 6, 7.) This defcription was ful- 
 filled, when the brightnefs of divine glory 
 was revealed in the perfon of Jefus Chrift. 
 When he came into the world to fave men 
 from their fins, then his difciples beheld his^ 
 glory, and believed that God was love: then 
 they faw the eompletioa of what was written 
 
 ia 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 in all the fcriptures, more efpecially in the 
 Soug of So?igs, concerning the greatnefs of 
 redeeming love : for though all fcripture 
 treats largely of it, yet this is an entire trea- 
 tife upon the fubje<St. It contains a lively 
 defcription of the perfe<^ love which our 
 redeeming God has for returning finners, 
 and of the grateful afFedion which his lov€ 
 ftirs up in them. He relates what graces 
 and bleffings he would bellow upon them, 
 and they exprefs their happinefs in the enjoy- 
 ment of his graces and bleffings. He finds 
 them black and deformed fmners, and he 
 prefents them fair and without fpot in the 
 fight of God, and they, knowing him to be 
 tbeir beloved and tbeir friend, fee him alto- 
 gether lovely. Upon this fubjed: they dif- 
 courfe, fetting forth the happinefs of their 
 mutual love 
 
 The yews call this book " The Holy of 
 " Holies," and fo it is to every one, who 
 has the love of God flied abroad in his heart. 
 Here he converfes with the moll holy per- 
 fons and things, and has a foretafte of thofe 
 pleafures which are at God's right-hand for 
 evermore. But here the carnal and unre- 
 generate man reads at the peril of his own 
 B 3 foul 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 foul. He enters as it were into the holy of 
 holies, which was death by the law. He 
 is ignorant of God's being in this place. He 
 puts not off his fhoe, although it be holy 
 ground. He puts not off concerning his for- 
 mer converfation the old man, who is cor- 
 rupt according to the deceitful lufls, and who 
 neither does underftand the things of God 
 treated of in this book, nor can underftand 
 them for want of a fpiritual difcernment. 
 He cannot know them, fays the word 
 of truth, becaufe they are fpiritually dif- 
 cerned; and therefore if he meddle with 
 them he muft prophane them. The more 
 facred they are, the more contrary are they 
 to his nature. The more wholfome they are 
 to the fpiritual man, the more poifon will 
 the natural man extract from them; and 
 that which is a favour of life, proves to hii^ 
 a favour of death. 
 
 Away then ye prophane. Come not near to 
 the holy of holies, nor prefume to look into it, 
 left ye die. You are no more fit to read this 
 book, than you are to partake of the facred 
 elements at the Lord's table. With your carnal 
 unregenerate heart you will read the one, and 
 partake of the other to your greater condemna- 
 tion, ph keep back then, and prefume not to 
 
 lool^ 
 
r 23 ) 
 
 look into, or to judge of the facred myfteries of 
 this divine fong. But if you. will venture to 
 read it, and to ridicule it, remember that it 
 is one of the treafures of divine wifdom ; and 
 though you may level your wit againft a Song 
 of Solomon s^ yet it falls upon the Almighty 
 God who infpired it. And are you arrived 
 at fuch defperate wit, as to break jefts upon 
 God, and to make fport with his omnipo- 
 tence ? Oh fear and tremble for yourfelves, 
 left while you are Ihooting up your arrows, 
 even your bitter words againft heaven, God 
 fhould fend them back upon your own heads 
 with a fwift deftrudion. May his grace 
 fliew you your danger, and difpofe you to 
 leave your fms ; and whenever you are ftirred 
 up to feek pardon and peace in Chrift Jefus, 
 then you will begin to underftand this book; 
 and when you have any experience of God's 
 love to you, then you will find comfort and 
 profit in reading it. 
 
 I propofe through God's affiftance to treat 
 of fome parts of it in a practical way, and to 
 make our future confideration of thefe par- 
 ticular paflages more plain and eafy, I fhall at 
 prefent lay before you a general plan of the 
 book. And this we have in the words now 
 B 4 read. 
 
( 24 ) 
 
 read. They are the title prefixed to it by its 
 divine author, and ferve as a fhort comment 
 to explain its principal ufe. I fliall therefore 
 endeavour, 
 
 Ftrjl^ To fettle the true fenfe and mean- 
 ing of the vsrords — From whence we may 
 gather, 
 
 Secondly y That the fcope and defign of this 
 fweet portion of fcripture is to defcribe the 
 mutual love of Chrifl and his church. 
 
 Thirdly^ I fhall bring fome arguments to 
 prove, that this is the fcope and defign of 
 it. And, 
 
 Lqftly^ I will reduce thefe truths to prac- 
 tice, and make fome ufeful inferences from 
 them. 
 
 And Firji^ The words now read are the 
 title, which the Holy Spirit prefixed to the 
 book, that they might ferve as a key to open 
 its fcope and defign. The Song of Songs which 
 is concerning Solomon^ which treats of Solomon. 
 A fong in the fcripture ufage of the term, 
 confifts in fetting forth the praifes of God. 
 
 It 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 It IS a hymn to his honour and glory. The 
 fpiritual fongs of fcripture have no other ob- 
 jed but the God of love, and no other end 
 but to raife and to exalt our ideas of him, 
 and of his v^rorks, efpecially of his works of 
 grace, whereby he brings loft fmners to an. 
 happy fence and fweet experience of his love, 
 St. Paul has given us a fhort, but it is a very 
 full comment upon the fcripture fongs i^Col, 
 iii. 1 6.) " Let the word of Chrift dwell in 
 " you richly in all wifdom, teaching and 
 " admonifhing one another in pfalms, and 
 *' hymns, and fpiritual fongs, fmging with 
 " 'grace in your hearts unto the Lord." 
 Hence we learn the nature of thefe fongs; 
 they are the words of Chrift, reavealed by him 
 and concerning him, and in them we are to 
 teach and to admonifti one another, to the 
 end that the word of Chrift may dwell in 
 us richly in all wifdom: for they are fpiri- 
 tual fongs; and he that fmgs them muft have 
 grace in his heart, without this qualification 
 he will fmg the fong of fools ; and he muft 
 alfo fmg " to the Lord," to the glory and 
 honour of his holy name. After this apofto- 
 lical rule we may explain this fong. It is the 
 word of Chrift, revealed by him, and concern- 
 ing him, and we are to teach and to admonilh 
 
 one 
 
{ 26 ) 
 
 one another in the things of Chrlft cut of 
 this fong. We have the apoftle's command 
 to do it, with this encouragement, that the 
 word of Chrill may dwell in us richly in all 
 wifdom: for this fong is of a fpiritual na- 
 ture, treating of fpiritual perfons and things, 
 and cannot be fung aright unlefs grace 
 be in the heart, nor with proiit, unlefs 
 we have an eye to the Lord in every word 
 of it. If we look off from him to any lower 
 objed:, we not only lofe fight of its fcope 
 and defign, but we alfo form a judgment of 
 it contrary to the judgment of the Holy Spi- 
 rit, who has exalted this above the reft of 
 the fcripture fongs, and has dignified it with 
 the high title of " The Song of Songs." 
 There are many divine fongs, but this is by 
 way of eminence above, and in copioufnefs 
 comprehends, them all. It is the fum and fub- 
 ftance of them, and the point to which they 
 tend. God is the fubjed: of every fpiritual 
 fong, and what can we find in God which 
 calls for louder fongs of praife, than that 
 love which is above all his works; which 
 was before them, for it gave them their be- 
 ing, v/hich is with them to preferve it, and 
 v/ill be with them to the boundlefs ages of 
 eternity. Surely a hymn upon thi^ exalted 
 
 fubje^t 
 
( ^7 ) 
 
 fiibjed deferves the title of " The Song of 
 " Songs;" efpecially when the divine per- 
 fon, of whom he treats, is confidered in it un- 
 der his mofl amiable character, and fet forth 
 under the ftile and title of the prince of 
 peace; for this is the meaning of the word 
 Solomon in Hebrew, 'The Song of Songs which 
 is Solomon's, our tranflation reads; but the 
 Hebre-w particle put before Solomon is the fign 
 not of the gehetive, but of the dative cafe, 
 and is frequently rendered concerning or 
 touching fuch a perfon or thing. Thus, 
 Jfa'iah V. I. Now will 1 fmg to my well- 
 beloved a fong of my beloved, touching his 
 vineyard. And agaiiv, Pfahn xlv. i. I fpeak 
 of the things which I have made touching 
 the king. It is alfo ieveral tim-is rendered 
 concerning^ as Gen. xix. 21. I have accepted 
 thee concerning this thing; and in yer, xlix. 
 it is frequently translated conceriting. In this 
 fence it is here ufed. The Song of Songs 
 which is concerning Solomon — not liing 
 Solomon^ but the prince cf peace, Jefus 
 Chrift, of whom Solomon was a type and 
 figure, as it appears from the Ixxild Ffahvy 
 Vsrhich has the fame title with the Scnf~, Ix. 
 is infcribed to Solomon — Is concerning hini, 
 jnd treats of hijn ; but^feveral pailages cf it 
 
 can 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 can be applied to none but Jefus tbe prince 
 of peace, of whom only it could be truly 
 faid that he had dominion from one end of 
 the earth to the other, that all kings Ihould 
 fall down before him, and all nations fhould 
 ferve him, that he fliould fave the fouls of 
 the needy, and fhould redeem their fouls, 
 and that prayer fhould be made unto him 
 continually, and all nations fhould call him 
 bleffed. Thefe things cannot be fpoken of 
 king Solomon — but they are flrid:ly true of 
 the prince of peace, Jefus the Lord of life 
 and redeemer of fmners. — Therefore the 
 title of the ixxiid Pfalm has the fame mean- 
 ing with the title of the Songy and when the 
 Holy Spirit fays, " The Song of Songs which 
 " is concerning the Lord and giver of peace," 
 he would plainly point out to us the principal 
 life of this fcripture. It is a treatife concerning 
 the God of love, under the charader of the 
 prince of peace, defcribing how happy we 
 are in Chrift Jefus, when we, who fome- 
 times were far off, are made nigh by th« 
 blood of Chrift: for he is our peace. And 
 this leads me to confider. 
 
 Secondly^ The fcope and defign of this 
 fweet portion of fcripture. It is to defcribe 
 
 the 
 
( 29 ) 
 
 the peace, which Chrift has given to the 
 faithful foul, and fets forth the happinefs of 
 the foul in the enjoyment of it, Chriflian 
 peace is the fruit of that love which the 
 Holy Spirit has manifefted to fmners, and 
 flows from a fence of their reconciliation with 
 God through Jefus Chrift their Lord, of 
 which the apoftle thus fpeaks: " Being jufti- 
 " fied by faith we have peace with God 
 " through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and re- 
 ** joice in hope of the glory of God." And 
 when we have thus tafted how gracious the 
 Lord is, then we cannot but love him, who 
 firft loved us, and the fenfe of this love fills 
 the mind with joy and peace: in this order 
 St. Paul has placed thefe graces, " The fruit 
 " of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." — Our 
 iove is by nature placed upon a wrong obje<fl» 
 Sin alienated our hearts from God. Our af- 
 fections are turned from him, and feek for 
 happinefs in creature-comforts. And al- 
 though dally difappointed, yet they continue 
 to feek it, until the Holy Spirit convince 
 them, that they are feeking happinefs in a 
 vain fhadow, and difquieting themfelves in 
 vain. And when he has fhewn them that 
 neverthelefs they may be compleatly happy 
 in God the Saviour, and has ftirred them up 
 
 earneftly 
 
( 3° ) 
 
 carneftly to defire his falvation, then he has 
 prepared them to read this divine treatifc 
 with profit : the fcope and defign of which 
 is to fet before us Jefiis Chrift as the only 
 excellent and lovely objed: of our aifedions; 
 and v/hen we by the eye of faith behold 
 him, and by the power of faith are united 
 to him, then we know what the apoftle 
 meant when he faid, " To them that be- 
 " lieve Jefus is precious ;" and we can take 
 up the words of the believer in the Sojig and 
 declare, that he is altogether lovely, the 
 chiefeft among ten thoufand. And thus 
 every other objedl will fade away in our ef- 
 teem, and grow mean and worthlefs in com- 
 parifon of God our Saviour ; whereby we 
 fhall be able to enter into the fpirit of the 
 fong. We fhall know fomething of that 
 fpiritual fellowihip and communion of which 
 it treats : for it dwells largely upon the 
 mutual joys, and mutual praifes of Chrift 
 and the believing foul, defcribing the com- 
 plete happinefs which they have in each 
 other. This is the general plan of the book, 
 which is very well exprefTed in the argument 
 put before it, in the Bible that was in ufe 
 in queen Eiz-iabetFs time — " In this Song 
 ** Solomon^ by moft fweet and comfortable 
 
 " allegories- 
 
*% 
 
 ( 31 ) 
 
 ^' allegories and parables, defcribeth the per- 
 ** fedl love of Jefus Chrift, the true Solomon 
 *' and king of peace, and the faithful of his 
 *' church, which he hath fandified, and ap- 
 pointed to be his fpoufe, holy, chafte, and 
 " without reprehenfion. So that here Is de- 
 " clared the fingular love of the bridegroom 
 " toward the bride, and his great and excel- 
 *' lent benefits wherewith he doth enrich 
 •' her of his pure bounty and grace, without 
 ** any of her defervings. Alfo the earneil 
 '* afFediion of the church, which is inflamed 
 *' with the love of Chrift, deliring to be 
 " more and more joined to him in love, and 
 *' not to be forfaken for any fpot or blemifli 
 " that is in her." 
 
 This was the judgment of our reformers — 
 and they were not fmgular in it, as I pro- 
 pofe to fhew under my Third head, which 
 was. To bring fome arguments to prove, 
 that this is the fcope and defign of the 
 book. 
 
 The firft argument, which would occur 
 to every ferious perfon, is the univerfal con- 
 fent of . expofiters. All the yewijh writers 
 fuppofe it to treat; of the fpiritual union be- 
 tween 
 
( 32 ) 
 
 tween Chrift and the believer. All chriftlan 
 writers underftand it in the fame fenfe. And 
 the unanimous opinion of all learned and 
 good men ought certainly to have great 
 weight with us : for the fcope and defign of 
 the book muft be very plain and clear, fmce 
 there never was any difpute about it in the 
 church of God. This then being the re- 
 received fenfe, I may proceed to examine up- 
 on what principles it came to be fo uni- 
 verfally received. I fuppofe men were led 
 to confider it in this light from the eftablifhed 
 method of explaining fcripture; and this is 
 the fecond argument I fhall ufe. 
 
 The fcriptures are fuited to man in his 
 prefent ftate. While he is here in the body 
 he cannot converfe immediately with fpiri- 
 tual obje£ts: he can only fee them compara- 
 tively, as compared to and illuftrated by ma- 
 terial and fenfible objects. The fcriptures 
 take this method of inftrudion. They teach 
 us fpiritual and heavenly things under their 
 expreflive images in nature. Whoever con- 
 fidered the fcriptures in this light, could not 
 reft in the literal fenfe of the Song, He 
 knew that all fcripture had a fpiritual fenfe, 
 and therefore in reading the Sofig he would 
 
 confider 
 
C 2>2> ) 
 
 confider what the fpiritual fenfe could be, 
 and he could not ealily miilake it, when he 
 recolled:ed what was the one great end and 
 aim of ail fcripture. Every part of it was to 
 lead men to fome knowledge of Chrift, which 
 1% the third argument tending to open td^us 
 the fcope and defign of this divine book. 
 
 Search the fcriptures, fays he of whom they 
 write, for thefe are they which teftify of 
 me — The Song is part of thefe fcriptures, 
 and therefore it teftihes of Chrift ; and what 
 other teftimony does it bear of him, than in 
 fetting forth the love which he has for his 
 faithful people ? 
 
 The teftimony of Jefus, fays St. yohfi^ is 
 the fpirit of prophecy. If you underftand 
 the prophetical fpirit of this book, you will 
 read in it the teftimony of Jefus : therefore 
 if yon don't fee how it bears teftimony to ^ 
 him, you have no infight into its. propheti- 
 cal fpirit. 
 
 Again we read, " That the holy fcriptures 
 
 ■*' are able to make a man wife unto falva^- 
 
 ^' tion, through faith which is in Chrift Je- 
 
 *' fug ; for all fcripture is given by infpirar 
 
 Q " tiou 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 " tion of God." (2 Tim, iii. 15, 16.) From 
 whence I infer, that the Song being part of 
 fcripture, is given by infpiration of God, and 
 was therefore given, that it might make the 
 man of God wife unto falvation, and this it 
 does by eftabliihing him in the faith, which 
 is in Chrift Jefus. 
 
 Another proof may be taken from the 
 xlvth Pfalm^ which is a fong of loves. The 
 fubjedt and the manner of the compofition 
 are the fame with Lhis divine book. They 
 treat of the love of Chrift to his church, and 
 after the manner of a dialogue, and the xlvth 
 Ffalm is applied to Chrift by an infallible in- 
 terpreter. St. Paul in the ift of the He- 
 brews and the 8th verfe fays, that it was 
 written of God the Son : from whence we 
 may conclude, that the So?ig being upon the 
 fame fubjedt, and drawn up in the fame man- 
 ner, treats alfo of the love of God the Son 
 to his faithful people. And to confirm the 
 interpretation of thefe more general proofs, 
 I may mention a fourth argument, taken 
 from thofe places of fcripture wherein Chrift 
 is fpoken of in the very terms ufed in the 
 Softg, The fcripture often fpeaks of him 
 under the charader of the bridegroom. In 
 
 the 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 the 25th of St Matthew we have the para« '^ 
 ble of the ten virgins who went out to meet 
 the bridegroom, who in the 13th verfe is 
 called the fon of man. In the 5th of the 
 Ephefians^ St. Paid is treating of the love and 
 union between hufbands and wives, and in 
 the 3 2d verfe he fays, " This is a great myf- 
 " tery, but I fpeak concerning Chrift and his 
 *' church," in the fame manner, and v/itli 
 the fame expreffions, which are ufed in the 
 fong, and which are carried on through the 
 Nczv l^ejlament : for thus we read in one of 
 the laft fcenes of the Revelatio?i of St. John^ 
 that the multitude of the heavenly hoft cried 
 aloud as the voice of mighty thunderings, 
 faying. Hallelujah, for the Lord God omni- 
 potent reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice 
 and give honour unto him: for the marriage 
 of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made 
 herfelf ready. And in the 2 1 ft chapter St. 
 yohn informs us who the bride the lamb's 
 wife is, the church, the yerufalem that is 
 above, which is the fpiritual mother of us 
 all, even of every one of us who fhall be fo 
 happy as to be called to the marriage-fupper 
 of the lamb. 
 
 From thefe authorities it appears to m« 
 
 undeniably evident, that it is common in 
 
 C 3 fcripture 
 
( 36 ) 
 
 fcripture to fpeak of Chrift in the very fame 
 manner that he is fpoken of in the Song ; and 
 therefore fumming up all thefe arguments 
 together, confidering that the expofitors, yews 
 and Chriftians, are agreed about the plan and 
 defign of it, and that the received fenfe is 
 agreeable to the general rule for interpreting 
 fcripture, and is founded upon clear reafon- 
 ing from many particular paiTages, and more 
 efpecially from thofe paffages wherein exprefs 
 mention is made of Chrift's love to the faith- 
 ful, under the very images ufed to reprefent 
 it in the Song^ we may certainly from hence 
 conclude, that the fcope and defign of this 
 fweet portion of fcripture is to fet forth in 
 the mofl lively and affeding manner the mu- 
 tual joys and mutual praifes of Chrift, and 
 the faithful. 
 
 Having thus far endeavoured to fettle and 
 eftablifh the principal ufe of this facred book, 
 I come in the fourth and Iqft place to reduce 
 what has been faid into pradice, and to draw 
 fome ufeful inferences from it. 
 
 The Song^ as you have heard, is of the na- 
 ture of a parable, wherein fpiritual things are 
 defcribed by material. It is one of the offices 
 of the wifdom that is from above, to underftand 
 
 a parable 
 
( 37 ) 
 
 a parable and the interpretation thereof. I 
 have endeavoured to give you the interpreta- 
 tion of one of the fweeteft of all the divine 
 parables. And are there any of you, my bre- 
 thren, who after what has been faid are not 
 yet reconciled to this book? Do you think, 
 that it had better have been left out of the 
 facred volume ? Confider, that your opinion 
 weighs nothing againft the unanimous con- 
 fent of the church of God, and your opinion 
 is fouded upon your ignorance of the things 
 of God. If you underftood this book, you 
 could not think meanly of it ; but in order 
 to underftand it, you mull have fome ex- 
 perience of that love of which it treats — 
 having never tailed of it, you cannot enter 
 into the fpirit of the defcriptions of it here 
 made by Chrift and by the faithful. Inilead 
 then of looking into the book for matter of 
 cenfure, look into your own hearts, and beg 
 of God to ihew you how much you ftand 
 in need of having the love of Chrift ftied 
 abroad in them ; and whenever he enables yoii 
 to fay Vv^ith the apoftle, Jefus Chrift loved me 
 and gave himfelf for me, then you will tafte 
 and fee how exceedingly fweet every image 
 and defcription is in this divine fong, 
 
 C 3 If 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 If you catiriot he perfuaded to defire the 
 love of God may be fhed abroad in your 
 hearts, you will entertain a mean opinion of 
 this treatife upon it. But for the fake of 
 your dear and immortal foul, fuifer not your- 
 felf to fpeak irreverently of it. If God ever 
 revealed himfelf to man, this is part of his 
 revelation. The holy and eternal Spirit, who 
 infpired all fcripture, fpake this by his un- 
 erring wifdom. He is the author, and the 
 fubjed; is the deep things of God. Let not 
 then a difrefpedlful word come out of your 
 mouth againfl it. But if you will fuffer your 
 wit to run into licentioufnefs, remember that 
 you ridicule this book at the peril of your foul. 
 You are guilty of blafphemy againft the Moil 
 High. And how can you think it fafe, to 
 jeil upon the Almighty, and to make fport 
 wnth his omnipotence ? Y/hy Vv^ill you fet 
 God at defiance, and add frefli fuel to his 
 WTath, as if all your other fnis would not 
 fmk you deep enough into the pit of deftruc- 
 tion ? If you have any love left for your eter- 
 nal intereft, forbear this defperate wit ; and 
 beg of God to enlighten the darknefs of your 
 underftanding, that you may fee the fcope and 
 defign of this facred fong. And to thofe per- 
 fons who defire this, I make my fecond remark. 
 
 You 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 You do not clearly comprehend the things 
 Written in this book, but you defire to com- 
 prehend them. If this defire be from God, it 
 will put you upon praying for the experience 
 of that love, which is here treated of. You 
 may poffibly come at the meaning of fome 
 things in it, but you cannot know them prac- 
 tically nor profitably, until you are taught 
 them of God. You cannot tell what the 
 love of God is, until it be £hed abroad in 
 your heart. No defcription can make you 
 acquainted with it; and therefore look up 
 to God who has it to give. Afk him out 
 of the riches of his grace to beftow it upon 
 you; and when he gives you the comfort- 
 able fenfe of it, then you will have the beft 
 key to open the myfteries of this divine fong. 
 And for your encouragement in feeking 
 
 &' 
 
 re- 
 
 member that this love is free. Though it be 
 inejftimable, yet it is to be had without money 
 and without price. God had no motive to 
 fhew it to fmners but his own inherent mercy, 
 and he waits for no merit or qualification in 
 them: for it is to fupply the want of all 
 merit and qualification: and he has already 
 begun to beftow the riches of this free love 
 upon you,, by making you fenfible of your 
 want of it. and by putting you upon feeking 
 C 4 for 
 
( 40 ) 
 
 for It. Wait upon him then in the ways of 
 his ordinances, and he will finifli what he 
 has begun. He will enable you to love him, 
 becaufe he firft loved you. Afk this out of 
 a due fenfe of your unworthinefs, and the 
 Father for the fake of his Son will fhed 
 abroad his love in your hearts by the Holy 
 Ghoft. And thus he will bring you into the 
 happy number of thofe believers, to whom 
 I make iily third and laft inference. 
 
 You,' my chriflian brethren, can read this 
 fweet portion of fcripture with delight and 
 profit. You know it to be true by your own 
 experience. You look upon Jefus Chrift in 
 the light here defcribed : for he is your 
 peace, and you find his dealings with your 
 fouls are the very fame which the So?jg men- 
 tions. For what the So?ig fays of the church 
 in general, muft be true of every individual 
 who is a member of it — For the church is 
 nothing more than a congregation of believers 
 united by faith and by the bond of the fpirit 
 to Chrift the head of the fpiritual body, and 
 by love to one another — United to him, as 
 the members are to the head, and united to 
 one another as the members are in the fame 
 body. What therefore is fpoken in the Song 
 
 of 
 
( 4> ) 
 
 of the whole church, as the fpoufe of Chrift, 
 is true of every particular chriftian. And 
 what is Hiid of the church is briefly this: 
 In the iirft chapter the church expreffes a 
 ftrong defire for nearer communion v/ith 
 Chrift, and then there follows fome declin- 
 ing of her affedion. After this we have her 
 recovery, a regaining of her firfl love : and 
 yet fhe afterwards declines again in her af- 
 fedion, her love grows cold, and Ihe falls 
 into a ftate of defertion. Chrift hides his pre- 
 fence from her more than he did in her for- 
 mer coldnefs, and this continues, until per- 
 ceiving Chrift's conftant affedion to her, 
 notwithftanding her unkind treatment of him, 
 flie recovers, and follows him more clofely, 
 and with a more conftant love than before* 
 
 t 
 
 Thefe pafTages agree v/ith the experience 
 
 of the beft chriftians in the courfe of their 
 own lives, and therefore the So?ig is not a 
 dark unintelligible book to them. They 
 find it to be an experimental treatife upon 
 the love of Jefus Chrift to his people. And 
 all of you, my chriftian brethren, underftand 
 it in this light. You have read it with care, 
 praying the holy infpirer of it to enlighten 
 your underftandings, that you might fee its 
 
 true 
 
{ 42 ) 
 
 true fenfe and fpiritual meaning ; and he has 
 opened to you the truth of its defcriptions. 
 The Holy Spirit has drawn you to Chrift, 
 and has made you happy in the fenfe of his 
 love, and thus he has given you the befb com- 
 ment upon the Song, The more he enables 
 you to tafte of this love, the more clearly v/ill 
 you underftand the Sojig. You will have the 
 greater infight into it, the nearer accefs you 
 have to the Father, with confidence through 
 the faith that is in Chrift : for what is written 
 concerning communion w^th God muft cer- 
 tainly be beft underftood by thofe, who live 
 in clofe com.munion with him. This is 
 your privilege. Remember how great and 
 high it is, and a6t worthy of it. You have 
 fellowfhip with the Father, and with his Son 
 Jefus Chrift. The Holy Spirit is the bond 
 of this communion, and therefore it is called 
 the " communion of the Holy Ghoft." Oh 
 beware then of every thing that would grieve 
 or oiTend him. As his is an holy office, en- 
 tirely relating to holinefs, nothing can dil- 
 pleafe this Holy Spirit fo much as fin. He 
 is of purer eyes than to behold the leaft ini- 
 quity. The leaft thought of fin offends him : 
 for it is fin that pollutes his facred refidence, 
 and defiles the temple of the heart. Sin 
 
 makes 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 makes him withdraw and hide the light of 
 his countenance, and with-hold the fweet 
 fenfe of his comfortable prefence. Oh be- 
 ware then, as you love your own peace of 
 mind, as you love your God and his glory, 
 as you' love Jefus Chriil and his falvation, 
 beware of the leaft approach to fin. Pray, 
 watch, ftrive againft it. Refift unto blood 
 ftriving againft fm. Wait upon God in all 
 his ordinances to get power over it. And 
 the more you are dead to fm and alive unto 
 God, the nearer fellowfhip will you have with 
 the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chriil, and 
 as this fellowfhip is the fubje£t of the So7ig^ 
 you will therefore underftand it the better, 
 and experience more of its fweetnefs. 
 
 My chriftian brethren you have tafted of its 
 fweetnefs. You know the loving kindnefs of 
 the Lord, and if you would have the conftant 
 abiding fenfe of it, earneflly befeech the Holy 
 Spirit to keep you from oiiending him in 
 thought, word, and deed. Intreat him to 
 give you grace never to grieve him. Stand 
 in awe, and fm not. Sin is your great ene- 
 my. Nothing makes God hide his face from 
 you, but fm. All the darknefs and blindnefs, 
 and depravity, that are in the foul concern- 
 ing 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 ing the things of God, come from fm : from 
 it came all mifery. Oh watch then and pray 
 always againft it. Pray that you may be 
 kept from the works of darknefs, and from 
 every error and vice which would cloud the 
 underftanding, and hinder your reading this' 
 portion of fcripture with profit. Look up 
 to the fpirit of wifdom, and intreat him to 
 open to you the true fenfe and meaning of 
 the Songf and to give you the happy expe- 
 rience and comforts of its dodlrines. And 
 that we may all receive the benefits from it 
 which he intended it fhould adminifter to 
 his people, let us humbly afk it of him in 
 the words of our church, which hath taught 
 us to pray, faying, 
 
 BlelTed Lord, who haft caufed all holy 
 fcriptures (^nd this portion of them in par- 
 ticular which we have been confidering) to 
 be written for our learning; grant that we 
 may in fuch wife hear them, read, mark, 
 learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by pa- 
 tience and comfort of thy holy word, we 
 may embrace, and ever hold fail the bleffed 
 hope of everlafting life, which thou haft 
 given us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Afiieti* 
 
[ 45 ) 
 
 SERMON 11. 
 
 Chap. i. Ver. 4. 
 Draw me^ we will run after thee, 
 
 THE Saviour of fmners is God and 
 man united in one Chrift. As God 
 he has all the perfection of heaven, and 
 as man he has all the beauties of this 
 earth ; he has every grace of time and every 
 bleffing of eternity, which ought to ' draw 
 and to attradl our love. But while men are 
 in their natural unregenerate ftate, they fee 
 none of his perfed:ions and beauties. They 
 behold no form nor comelinefs in him, that 
 they Ihould defire him. The world, and 
 the things of it, appear more defireable 
 than he does. The bafe perifhing joys of 
 fenfe have the entire poiTeiTion of their af- 
 fections. Sin is more lovely in their eyes 
 than God the Saviour, and they give up 
 their hearts to its enjoyments in preference 
 to him and his heaven. While they con- 
 tinue to place their love on fuch unworthy 
 pbjcd's, they are incapable of judging of 
 
 this 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 this divine fong : for they are not only ftran- 
 gers, but alfo enemies to that love, of which 
 it treats ; and how then can they fee the beau- 
 ties of its compofition, or judge of the juft- 
 nefs of its fentiments ? So long as they love 
 fin, tliey cannot love Jefus Chrift, and there- 
 fore they cannot love the fweet defcriptions in 
 this poem, which fet forth the happinefs of 
 loving him above all things. But when their 
 eyes are opened to fee the exceeding fmful- 
 nefs of fin, and their hearts are once drawn 
 from the love of fm ; when they have found 
 that it cannot make them happy, then they 
 are glad to hear of a Saviour ; and when 
 they have tafted of his love, then they begin 
 to underftand and to admire the beauties of 
 this divine fong, and the more they love 
 him, the greater beauties do they find in it. 
 
 The fubje£t of it is the union between 
 Chrift and the faithful foul. In this all the 
 expofitors of fcripture antient and modern 
 are agreed. It is a fpiritual fong, compofed 
 in the manner of a dialogue. The fpeakers 
 are Chrift, and the believer. The infpirer 
 of it is the Holy and Eternal Spirit, who de- 
 livered it by the mouth of Solomon. He 
 knew it to be true by his own experience, 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 as every believer does to this day. After he 
 had left God, he fought for happinefs in the 
 creatures, but was difappointed. He turned 
 from one object to another, tried the whole 
 circle of worldly enjoyments, and as he pafl 
 on he wrote upon each vanity and vexation 
 offpirit. It pleafed God to ihew him his 
 error, and to make ufe of him as a proper 
 perfon to warn others, from fetting their 
 hearts upon any objecc but God ; for if Solo^ 
 mon could not find happinefs in the world, 
 what can the man do that cometh after the 
 king ? This is the fubje^t of the book of £r- 
 clefiajles. After Solomon had turned from 
 thefe worldly vanities to ferve the living God, 
 he wrote this divine fong, to fhew v/hat true 
 happinefs he had found, and every believer 
 will find, in being united to Chrift in the 
 bonds of love and affe(3:ion. The Holy Spi- 
 rit had drav/n his heart from the love of all 
 inferior objects to God the Redeemer, and 
 had given him faith to fee his own intereft 
 in what the Redeemer was to do and fufFer 
 for him. By thefe bonds the union was 
 formed and perfected. The Holy Spirit on 
 Chrift's part, and faith on the believer's united 
 them to each other. And the believer here 
 defcribes what happy effedts flowed to him 
 
 from 
 
( 48 ) 
 
 from this union, and Chrift defcribes the de- 
 light he had in it. The defcriptions of their 
 mutual love and happinefs run through this 
 fong of loves. 
 
 The awakened foul begins with expreffing 
 its defire to receive fome fenfible tokens of 
 Chrift's love in the fecondverfe, fettino; forth 
 the excellency of it in the third, and at the 
 fame time its own utter inability and infuf- 
 ficiency to attain it, unlefs Chrift would be 
 pleafed to draw the affed:ions from all other 
 objedls unto himfelf — Draw me^ as it fol- 
 lows in the fourth verfe, and we mill run 
 after thee. — Draw me, Lord Jefus, from 
 the love of the world, and the things of it ; 
 draw me from the love of fm and felf. I 
 feel my bondage, I find that I am a flave, 
 and am without ftrength to deliver rnyfelf. 
 O draw me then by the fweet impulfe of thy 
 good Spirit from my bondage and flavery. 
 And when thou art pleafed to fet my feet at 
 liberty, then we will run after thee ; we in 
 the plural number : for when the heart is 
 once drawn after Chrift, it commands all the 
 faculties, and they which could not ftir be- 
 fore now run, they which had no ftrength 
 now run againft all oppofition, they which 
 
 werg 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 Were enemies to Chrifl:, now run after him 
 with joy in the ways of his commandments* 
 Draw me by thy grace, and we, every fa- 
 culty of foul and body, will obey, we will 
 follow the divine attradion, and thou fhalt 
 be our God and king ruling over us, and 
 getting thyfelf glory by fetting up thy king- 
 dom within us. May thefe be the defires of 
 all your hearts. While we are here met 
 together, may the Lord Jefus draw your 
 thoughts from every vain and fmful objed:, 
 and keep* them fixed upon this fubjed. Oh 
 that he may fend his good Spirit to open 
 your underftandings clearly to fee, and to 
 influence your affedions readily to receive, 
 
 Fir/i, The reafons, which induced the 
 awakened fmner to defire Chrift would draw 
 him. 
 
 Secondly, The fcripture method of drawing 
 the foul unto Chrift. 
 
 Thirdly, The certain effeds which follow 
 Upon its being drawn. And then, 
 
 Fourthly, 1 will reduce thefe particulars 
 to pradice, and will apply them elofely, as 
 
 D God 
 
( 50 ) 
 
 God fKall enalle me, to every one of your 
 confciences. 
 
 And Firjl^ We need. not look farther than 
 the text for the reaibns which Induced the 
 awakened finner to deiire Chrift would draw 
 him. He found he could not run after 
 Chriil, unlefs he was drawn: for although 
 God be the fountain of all good to his crea- 
 tures, and the God-man Chrift Jefus be the 
 fountain of all good to his fmful creatures, 
 yet they are not willing to go and receive 
 good at his hands. Sin has corrupted all the 
 faculties of the foul, and has turned and 
 alienated them from God; infomuch that 
 they leave God to feek good in the creature, 
 and idolize it by placing their happinefs in it. 
 The god of this world, and his riches, and 
 honours, and pleafures have poiTefTion of 
 their hearts, and the God of heaven w^ho 
 promifes them heavenly riches, and honours, 
 and pleafures, has none of their affedlions: 
 nay, they hate him. While they love pre- 
 fent and fenfual gratifications they are haters 
 of God. They hate him, becaufe their (in- 
 ful nature is oppofite to his perfed: holinefs, 
 and becaufe he has forbidden them thefe gra- 
 tifications, which thev are determined to 
 enjoy ; and they hate him the more, becaufe 
 
 he 
 
( 5' ) 
 
 lie has threatened to punifh thetn, and con- 
 fcience informs them that they deferve the 
 threatened punifhment. This is the ftate 
 of all men by nature. They are lovers of 
 fm, and haters of God, Rom. i. 30. And 
 imtil this hatred be conquered, how can they 
 come to God with any kind of love? Their 
 afFed:ions will lead them farther from him 
 every ftep they take, and how can they re- 
 turn, unlefs he draw them to himfelf? If 
 they can but be convinced of the vanity and 
 emptinefs of all thefe creature-comforts, up- 
 on which they have fet their hearts, and can 
 fee reafon to think that God vvdll be recon- 
 ciled and love them, notwithftanding their 
 former oppofition to him, then they will be 
 difpofed to feek his love ; but until they be 
 convinced of thefe two truths they cannot 
 be drawn to feek happinefs in God. 
 
 This is the plain dodrine of fcripture. 
 Our divine Lord and mafler thus inftrudts 
 his difciples [yohft vi. 44.) " No man can 
 " come unto me, except the Father, which 
 '' hath fent me draw him." No maji,, be 
 he ever fo moral, civil, and learned, let him 
 have ever fo many natural gifts and acquired 
 accomplifhments, can come^ has either will 
 or poweir to come unto me for the ^aces and 
 D 2 bleffings 
 
( 5^ ) 
 
 blefTmgs which I have to give, unlefs the 
 Father which hath fent me draw him^ by the 
 fweet attradion of his good Spirit. 
 
 Our church teaches the fame dod:rlne in 
 her tenth article. " The condition of man 
 *' after the fall of Adam is fuch, that he 
 *' cannot turn and prepare himfelf by his 
 " own natural ftrength and good works to 
 ** faith and calling upon God ; wherefore 
 *' we have no power to do good works plea- 
 " fant and acceptable to God, without the 
 *' grace of God by Chrift preventing us, 
 *' that we may have a good will, and work- 
 *' ing with us when we have that good will. 
 Here we are taught, that man by his fall is 
 turned away from God, and has no ftrength 
 to return, unlefs the grace of Chrift go be- 
 fore to give him a good will, and then work 
 w^ith him when he has that good will. 
 He has no ftrength in any of his faculties : 
 they are all turned from God, and the grace 
 of Chrift alone is able to draw them back 
 again. The uuderftanding has no light. It 
 Is entirely in darknefs, as to the things of 
 God [Eph, iV. 1 8.) and the eye of the mind 
 can no more enlighten itfelf, than the eye 
 of the body can enlighten itfelf without light. 
 
 When 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 When the firft ray of grace breaks In upon 
 us, it finds us as it did the heathens at the 
 coming of Chrift fitting in darknefs and in 
 the fhadow of death. And unlefs the rays 
 of his grace fhine into the underftanding, it 
 cannot be enUghtened. Chrill is the only 
 light of the world. He is in the kingdom 
 of grace, what the fun is in nature. Stop 
 the influence of his bright beams, and the 
 underftanding will never fee any reafon to 
 follow him, nor can the will choofe him,. 
 The will of the natural man is depraved. It 
 has a wrong biafs, and is, diredly oppofite to 
 the will of God, and never can defire to be 
 reconciled, unlefs the Holy Spirit draw it. 
 
 But does not the Holy Spirit's thus draw- 
 ing it deftroy our free-will ? By no means : 
 for it cannot deftroy what is not. Fallen 
 man has no free will but to fm ; if that may 
 be called free, " which is tied and bound 
 " with the chains of fm," as our church ex- 
 preffes it. The fcripture is abfolutely poll- 
 tive upon this point, declaring {Rom.Yui, y.y 
 ** that the carnal mind (the will of our cor- 
 *' runt nature) is enmity againft God : for 
 *' it is not fubjed: to the law of God, neither 
 
 " indeed can be," until it be delivered from 
 D 3 the 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 the bondage and flavery of fin. It cannot be 
 fubjedt to the will of God, unlefs his grace 
 draw it to himfelf : for by nature it is drawn > 
 to fin. " The flefh always lulleth againft 
 '• the fpirit," fays the fcripture. " Fallen 
 *' man is of his own natur einclined toevil,'* 
 as our ninth article teaches. We run faft 
 enough into evil. We want nothing to draw 
 us. Sin ftrikes upon our nature and catches, 
 like a fpark upon gun-pov;der. Surely we 
 can all remember with what different tem- 
 pers we ufed to go to the playhoufe, and to 
 the church — how much greater delight we 
 took in fpending an evening over the deviFs 
 books, at an innocent game at cards, as his; 
 children call it, than in reading the word of 
 God. — And are there none of you, who 
 now find more joy in many things, than you 
 do in prayer ? Thefe are evident proofs that 
 you are ftill governed by the will of the fieih, 
 which the fcripture fays lufteth always 
 againPc the fpirit, and therefore how can a 
 defire ever arife in it after God or the things 
 of God, unlefs Chrifl df aw it to himfelf ? 
 But the worft part of our corruption confifts 
 in the depravity of our afFedions : for they 
 are alfo governed by the will of the flefh, 
 and are ?iccording to the apoftle to be cru- 
 
i 5S ) 
 
 cified [Gal. v. 24.) " And they that are 
 " Chrlft's have crucified the flefh with the 
 " affedions and lulls." And they that are 
 not Chrift's are ftill under the power of the 
 afFedions and hifts of the flefh. The heart, 
 which is the commanding faculty, is in them 
 fhut againft God, but is open to receive fm, 
 loves it, dotes upon it, yea is fo enamoured 
 of it as to prefer its fhort and empty joys to 
 the folid felicity of an eternal heaven. ' And 
 what power is able to break thefe chains ? 
 Who can fet our hearts at liberty, and turn 
 them from fin to riehteoufnefs ? Who, but 
 the fame God that created our hearts at fi.rft. 
 He alone can draw the affedions from the 
 love of the world, and from the love of fin 
 and felf up to the things above, where 
 Chrifl fitteth at the right hand of God. 
 
 Upon all thefe accounts it appears, that 
 man is incapable even of going to Chrift, 
 and much more of running after him, unlefs 
 he be drawn. The fcripture is exprcfs, 
 " No man can come unto Chrift, except the 
 " Father draw him." Our church is clear 
 in her opinion, " Such is the condition of 
 *' fallen man, that he cannot turn liimfelf to 
 " God, unlefs the grace of Chrift go before 
 D 4 *^ to 
 
( 56 ) 
 
 " to give him a good will, and then work 
 " with him when he has that good will." 
 And this is alfo evident from matter of fa£t 
 and from experience. We find, that all 
 men by nature, inftead of turning themfelves 
 to Chrift, who is the fountain of every good, 
 turn to fm which is the fource of every evil. 
 Among learned and polite nations profejffing 
 chriftianity, there is the fame ignorance of 
 the things of God, as among the darkeft 
 heathens, the fame depravity of the will, the 
 fame corruption in the heart and the affeclions. 
 Which are clear and full proofs of our in- 
 ability ever to go to Chrift, unlefs he draw 
 us to himfelf. The fpeaker in the text faw 
 thefe proofs in a ftrong light. He found his 
 want of a Saviour, and he felt how unable 
 he was to do any thing towards attaining or 
 meriting the Saviour's love ; he w:is quite 
 helplefs, and without ftrength, therefore he 
 begs the grace of Chrift would draw him. 
 My brethren, are you in this ftate ? Do you 
 fee the reafons, which I. have now laid be- 
 fore you, in a clear and convincing light ? 
 If not, may the ever-blefled God of whom 
 we are fpeaking draw you by his grace unto 
 himfelf; but if you are convinced, then you 
 will gladly follow me to the confideration 
 
 of 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 of the fcripture method of drawing the foul 
 to Chrift, and this is the fecond point upon 
 which I was to fpeak. 
 
 It is evident fallen man wants drawing to 
 Chrift, becaufe the fcripture has taught us 
 the eftablifhed method by which he draws 
 us. The feveral fteps of it are there par- 
 ticularly marked out for our inftru^ion, that 
 we might be certain how the work of grace 
 advances in our own fouls. The word of 
 God is the outward means of drawing us. 
 The Holy Spirit applying the word is the 
 inward means. He begins his application by 
 awakening the carelefs fecure fmner, and by 
 convincing him deeply and thoroughly of his 
 being a fmful helplefs creature. He fliews 
 him how entirely he is departed from God, 
 and how unafcle he is to return, and then he 
 makes him deeply fenfible of his mifery, un- 
 til he does return. By which means the 
 awakened fmner finds his want of a Saviour, 
 and it is the daily prayer of his heart, that 
 he may find pardon and peace through the 
 blood of the Lamb of God ; but at the fame 
 time he feels fo much of his corruption, that 
 he knows thefe prayers could never have 
 arifen in his heart, unlefs the Holy Spirit had 
 
 begun 
 
( 58 ) 
 
 begun to draw him unto Chrift. He who 
 could before boaft of the light of nature, and 
 of the great ftretch of his reafoning faculties, 
 now finds nothing but blindnefs and darknefs 
 in his underftanding. He who ufed to think 
 highly of the dignity of humane nature, and 
 of man's reditude, and of the moral fenfe, 
 ^c. now fees that his will is by nature in- 
 clined to evil, and that our dignity and recti- 
 tude, and moral fenfe, are the mere chime- 
 ras of metaphyfical dreamers. Now he fe^ls 
 himfelf to be a poor loft fmner, whofe heart 
 and affedions are fo far turned from God, 
 that unlefs the Holy Spirit create in him a 
 new heart he can never return. Being thus 
 convinced of his fmfulnefs and mifery, and 
 of his own helpleffnefs to take one ftep to- 
 wards his deliverance, he is prepared for the 
 next work of grace, which is to draw him 
 and to unite him to 'thrift by faith. If the 
 Holy Spirit had never convinced him of fm, 
 he would never have found any want of a 
 Saviour ; and if he had never feen his 
 own helpleffnefs, he would not have feen 
 any neceflity for being drawn to Chrift by 
 his grace ; but being now convinced that he 
 is both a fmner and alfo a helplefs fmner, 
 the defires of his foul are drawn out after 
 
 God, 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 God, and he is in a right temper to v^rait 
 iipon God, until he be gracious unto him. 
 And it is the ofRce of the Holy Spirit to 
 keep him waiting in the ways of the ordi- 
 nances, until in God's due time he is fent 
 to convince him of righteoufnefs, and to 
 bear witnefs with his fpirit that the Father 
 has accepted him and pardoned him through 
 the merits of his beloved Son. Hereby he 
 receives a well grounded faith in the obe- 
 dience and fufferings of Jefus Chrift. He 
 can fafely apply the merits of them to him- 
 felf, and has great joy and peace in believ- 
 ing that they are imputed unto him for 
 righteoufnefs. He has the fure witnefs of 
 this in himfelf, even the witnefs of the Holy 
 Spirit, bearing teftimony that Chrift is his 
 Saviour, and that God is his reconciled Fa- 
 ther. This fpirit of adoption enables him 
 to cry Abba, Father, and to go to God with 
 filial love and confidence. He now loves 
 God becaufe he knows that God firfl loved 
 him, and thus he is drawn to God by the 
 cords of a man, by the bands of love, and 
 is ready through grace to give outward evi- 
 dence of the reality of the inward work, by 
 rimning after Chrift ir> tlie way of his com- 
 jiiandments, 
 
 Thus 
 
( 6o )■ 
 
 . ■ Thus the Holy Spirit is the convincer of 
 lin, and the convincer of righteoufnefs, and 
 by thefe two convictions he draws the linner 
 and unites him unto Chrift. He fhews him 
 that he wants a Saviour, and then he {hews 
 him his intereft in the Saviour. He firft 
 makes him feel that he is a loft fmner in him- 
 felf, and then that he is faved by the righ- 
 teoufnefs of Jefus Chrift. This is the efta- 
 bhflied method, in which the Holy Sjnri^ 
 draws the fmner unto the Saviour, and this. 
 is a farther proof of its being neceflary he 
 fhould be drawn, fmce the fcripture has in- 
 formed us both of the agent by whom, and 
 alfo of the method by which, he is drawn 
 unto Chrift. 
 
 My brethren, have you experienced this? 
 Has the Holy Spirit drawn you from the 
 love of fm and felf? Have you left the 
 world, and all that is called great and happy 
 in it to follow Chrift ? Is no objed: more 
 deftreable than he is, in your eyes ? Can you 
 take up the crofs, and run after him with 
 joy, although reproach, ridicule, and oppo- 
 fition meet you at every ftep ? Examine your 
 own hearts, and try them by the certain ef- 
 feds, which follow upon the Holy Spirit's 
 
 drawing 
 
{ 6i ) 
 
 drawing the foul to Chrifl ; and this is the 
 third particular in the text. Draw me, and 
 *' we will run after thee." 
 
 The natural man cannot follow Chrift, 
 becaufe his heart and his affedions are in 
 another intereft. He loves to follow the 
 world and its pleafures. And if he w^as 
 convinced it was right to follow Chrift, he 
 would meet with many infuperable difficul- 
 ties, before he could fet out and run after 
 him. But when the Holy Spirit draws him, 
 he then removes that unwillingnefs which 
 made the way appear fo difficult, and when 
 he renews the faculties, he then gives them 
 ftrength to overcome every difficulty. By 
 his grace the inbred oppofition is lubdued. 
 The underftanding is enlightened, and fees 
 the way clearly ; the will folloV'/s it readily ; 
 the heart and the affedtions purfue it chear- 
 fully. They follow their Lord and Saviour, 
 whitherfoever he goeth. They, run after him 
 with eafe, in the way that was before diffi- 
 cult, with pleafure in the way, that was be- 
 fore painful, and with continuance in the 
 way, v/herein before they could not take a 
 ftep. When the Holy Spirit has drawn the 
 fmner to Chrift, and really united him by 
 
 faith 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 faith to the head of the myftical body, he i^ 
 then a new creature ; old things are pafled 
 away, behold all things are become new, 
 both in his ftate and adions. The branch 
 of the wild olive tree is grafted in and par- 
 takes of the root and fatnefs of the good 
 olive tree, whereby its nature is changed. 
 There is a real and. an entire change made, 
 which appears evidently to the common ob- 
 ferver, by the outward change in a man's 
 life and converfation. He adts upon different 
 motives to what he did before. He purfues 
 different en,ds and by different means. Be- 
 fore he run after the world, now he runs 
 after Chrift. Chrift is now become all his 
 treafure, and the heart will be where its 
 treafure is, and where the heart is the other 
 faculties will follow. No oppofition fhall 
 difcourao'e them. Let them be drawn and 
 united to Chrift, and none of his command- 
 ments will be grievous. Even felf-denial, 
 the hardeft commandment, will be eafy. 
 Place the love of Chrift in the heart, and 
 the man who before flirunk from and trem- 
 bled at reproach, is nothing moved at it. 
 He that was afraid of having his name caft 
 out with contempt, now can rejoice in being 
 defpifed for Chrift's fake. He can give up 
 
 his 
 
( 63 ) 
 
 his chara£ter; he was once reckoned a learn- 
 ed and a good man, but now he can bear to 
 be called a madman and a fool. He takes 
 up his crofs daily, and runs on rejoicing. 
 The contempt of the world haftens his fleps. 
 It fpurs him on. It drives him nearer to his 
 Saviour, and makes him live in clofer com- 
 munion with him. If worldly men knew 
 what infinite fervice they do us by their op- 
 pofition, they would alter their behaviour ; 
 for they are our real friends, though they do 
 not intend us any kindnefs. They make us 
 fit loofer and freer from the world than we 
 otherwife fhould do, and when we are wil- 
 ling fometimes to take a little reft, and our 
 love and zeal begin to abate fomething of 
 their ardor, then they ftir us up, and make us 
 mend our pace homewards. Thus the Holy 
 Spirit caufes all things to Vv^ork together for 
 our good ; even outward oppofition, fand:i- 
 fied by his grace, helps us forward, and 
 enables us to run the failer after Chrift : 
 And I hope there are many of us, who can 
 fay with the Apoftle, that nothing ihall fe- 
 parate us from our blefled Lord and Saviour 
 — - " / af7i perfuaded., fays he, that neither 
 " tribulation nor diftrefs, perfecution, fa- 
 .'' mine, nakednefs, peril or fword, fhall be 
 
 " able 
 
<c 
 
 ( 64 ) 
 
 able to feparate us from the love of GoJ- 
 which is in Chrill Jefus our Lord." 
 
 My brethren, if you have been draw^n to 
 Chrift, have thefe effeds followed ? Are you 
 running after him in the ways of his com- 
 mandments, and running with delight, as 
 after the greateft happinefs you can enjoy in 
 time and in eternity ? If this be your ftate, 
 then in you is this fcripture fulfilled. May 
 he keep you by his almighty grace, and lead 
 you on fafely, ur^il he draw you up to him- 
 felf, and make you blefled with him for 
 ever and ever. But if this be not your ftate, 
 then it is incumbent upon me to warn you 
 of your guilt, and of your danger, and to 
 call upon you by every thing that is dear 
 and valuable, to refled: ferioufly upon the 
 fituation you are in ; and this brings me to 
 the fourth and laft particular upon which I 
 was to fpeaki While I am applying it as 
 clofely as God fhall enable me. Oh may he 
 fecond my application by his grace, and 
 carry it with his effedtual working to every 
 one of your confciences. 
 
 And firft, in the fpirit of love, I addrefs 
 myfelf to. thofe perfons,. whofe afFe<^ions are 
 
 not 
 
• ( 65 ) 
 
 not drawn out after Chrlft, by the fweet in^ 
 fluence of his fpirit. Although Chrifl has 
 every beauty, every perfe6:ion in himfelf, 
 and is willing to communicate to us of his 
 fulnefs grace for grace, yet alas ! few perfons 
 defire him, and fewer run after him. You 
 may eafily dra.w them to a play, to a concert, 
 or to a ball ; but to the God of all grace and 
 glory what arguments, what motives can 
 draw them ? Propofe to fhem a fair oppor- 
 tunity of getting a great fortune, Ihew them 
 the way to honour and grandeur, their hearts 
 meet the propofal with raptures : but change 
 the difcourfe, and offer to them the inefti- 
 mable riches of Jefus Chrifl:, and the eternal 
 honours and grandeur which he has to give, 
 they feel no emotion. What can be the 
 caufe of this ftrange inconfiftency ? Whence 
 is it, that men who love pleafure, fhould 
 neverthelefs be fo abfurd, as to prefer fenfual 
 to fpiritual, and temporal to eternal pleafures ? 
 nay fo monftroufly and wickedly abfurd, as 
 to let the love of the world fhut out the love 
 of that God who made it, and who will foon 
 deftroy it. What can be the reafon of this ? 
 but that man is a corrupt fallen creature, de- 
 praved in every faculty of foul and body, 
 infomuch that in fpiritual matters he is as 
 
 E incapable 
 
( 66 ) 
 
 incapable of ad'ing aright, as a dead man i$ 
 of acting at all : for he is dead in trefpaffes 
 and fins. Before he can move or ftir a ftep 
 he muft be awakened, and convinced of his 
 own helpleflhefs. Then he will have reafon 
 to wait upon God for his help. But if he 
 never finds himfelf fick, he will never fend 
 for the phyfician. If he be never convinced 
 that he cannot go to Chrift unlefs he be 
 drawn, he will never defire the Holy Spirit 
 to draw him. And if any of you be in this 
 cafe, awake, thou that fleepeft in death. 
 Oh awake — awake — open thine eyes — 
 and confider thy guilt. Whither can fm 
 draw thee, but to hell ? Confider thy dan- 
 ger, how^ near thoii art to it. Thy heart 
 and affedlions have never been drawn after 
 Chrift ; but they are ftill placed upon thofe 
 objeds, which draw the love of all natural 
 men unto themfelves. Either money, or 
 pleafure, or ambition are their favourite pur- 
 fuits, fo far as to exclude Jefus Chrift, yea 
 the very hungering or thirfting after him. 
 You have not even a defire to experience his 
 love. And therefore you may be afllired, 
 that you have no work of grace in you. 
 You are ftill in your natural ftate. At an 
 infinite diftance from God. You have the 
 
 guilt 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 guilt of your nature and the guilt of your 
 lives to anfwer for at his great tribunal. His 
 holy law has already condemned you. and 
 has pafled fentence upon you, threatening to 
 pour out all its curfes upon your guilty heads. 
 The righteous judge is bound to fee them 
 executed upon you. And you know not 
 how foon he may call you to judgment. 
 Oh may God roufe up your fears, my bre- 
 thren, and alarm you at the fight of your 
 danger. Shall you, who fly with eager hafte 
 from temporal danger, be eafy and carelefs, 
 while the almighty God is your enemy, and 
 he may this moment come and get glory 
 to all his attributes by your everlailing de- 
 ftrudion ? Can you think yourfelves fecure 
 in this cafe, while there is only this little 
 hght vapour in your noftrils between you 
 and hell ? Lord Jefus forbid it. If any per- 
 fon hear me this day, who came hither with- 
 out any intention to be made uneafy about 
 the ftate of his foul, Oh let him now feel 
 the mifery of being feparated from thee the 
 fountain of good, and draw him to thyfelf, 
 dear Lord, now draw his heart, from fin, 
 and fatan, from the world, and the things 
 of it, that he may follow me with profit, 
 E 3 and 
 
( 68 ) 
 
 and be edified and comforted from what I 
 have to apply, 
 
 SecoTidly^ To thofe perfons, whofe defires 
 the Holy Spirit has begun to draw unto Chrift. 
 I hope many of you are brought thus far, 
 and can truly fay, " Draw me, and we will 
 '* run after thee." If you can dehre this 
 fmcerely, then the Holy Spirit has already 
 begun to fet your hearts at liberty. Wait 
 upon him, and he will enable you to follow 
 Chriil with delight, whitherfoever he calleth 
 you. He will let you fee fo much of your 
 want of Chrift, and of his all-fufficiency to 
 fupply your wants, that you will refolve to 
 give up all for him. You wdll fee nothing 
 more worthy of your purfuit, than the know- 
 ledge of your intereft in Jefus. There is in- 
 deed nothing elfe worth your purfuit. Un- 
 lefs you are found in him, God the Father is 
 your enemy, as you are a fmner in yourfelf ; 
 but when he fees you in the Son of his love, 
 a living member of his body, all his bleffings 
 are yours in time and in eternity. Oh then 
 be earneft, be unwearied at the throne of grace, 
 until you are drawn effedually to Chrift, and 
 by faith united to him. Whatever keeps you 
 from him, pray that it may be reraoved. 
 
 And 
 
( 69 ) 
 
 And be it ever fo dear nn objecl, a right 
 hand or a right eye, look up to him, and 
 he will give grace fafficient for you. If it 
 be fin, he is almighty to fave you from it. 
 If it be great fin, his merits and righteoufnefs 
 are infinite. If they be many fins, what pro- 
 portion do they bear to infinity ? Are you a 
 poor loft finner, did not he come to feek and 
 to fave that which was loft ? Are your fms 
 of a deep die ? The greateft have been par- 
 doned. But none you think were ever fo 
 great as yours. How can that be ? Is it not 
 written, Jefus Chrift came into the world 
 to fave fmners, of whom I, fays Paiily am 
 chief. But ftill the fenfe of your great un- 
 wOithinefs fills you with doubts' and fears. 
 You forget that Chrift is the Saviour of the 
 unworthy ; and when he gives you PaiiVs 
 faith, and you can fay with him, Jefus 
 Chrift loved me, and gave himfelf for me, 
 then your doubts and fears will fly before it. 
 Whatever keeps you from clofing in with 
 Chrift is an enemy to your foul. Pray there- 
 fore againft it. Intreat the Holy Spirit to 
 remove it, that you may be drawn to the 
 loving Saviour of finners, and united to him 
 by living faith. And until he produce this 
 grace in you, feek him diligently in all his 
 E 3 ordi- 
 
( 7° ) 
 
 ordinances. They are the inflituted means 
 by which he draws finners to himfelf, and 
 more clcfely unites behevers. The word is 
 the ordinance which he chiefly ufes to the 
 awakening of fmners. Glory be to him for 
 that atirad:ive virtue and powerful efficacy 
 which ilill accompanies the preaching of it. 
 By his bleffing it is daily effedual to the con- 
 vincing and converting of carelefs fmners, 
 ana to the building up, and eftablifhing of 
 believers. Wait then under it, and look up 
 to God for the quickening Spirit to enable 
 you to mix faith with what you hear. Be 
 much in prayer. Pray to have your affec- 
 tions drawn from the world, and fixed upon 
 God. Seek his prefence in every ordinance, 
 and when you find him in it, he will give 
 you that grace which he intended it fhould 
 convey. And thus perfevere in the ufe of 
 the means, until he bring you to the end. 
 You fhall find him whom your foul feeketh. 
 He will draw you to himfelf, and then you 
 will be able to run after him to whatever he 
 calls you to do or to fuffer. I hope there 
 are feveral of you in this happy condition^ 
 ;and to you, my chriftian brethren, I addrefs 
 myfelf in the third and laji place, 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 You know the truth of this fcripture by 
 your own experience. Having been con- 
 vinced that you could not come unto Chrift* 
 except the Father had drawn you by his good 
 Spirit, you waited Upon him, until he gave 
 you faith, and united you to Jefus Chrift : 
 Joeing united to the Lord and giver of grace 
 and glory, all things are become yours. You 
 are now the fons of God, and your heavenly 
 Father will make all things work together 
 for your good. You are heirs of God and 
 joint heirs with Chrift : Oh remember then 
 your privileges, and walk as children and 
 fons of the moft high God. Keep near to 
 your reconciled Father, and be ever looking 
 to Jefus your dear Redeemer, and feek to be 
 drawn nearer to him daily by waiting upon 
 him in his ordinances, that you may have 
 more of his life and love. And let the great 
 things he hath done for your fouls be mani- 
 fefted by your outward walking. Shew 
 that you have nearnefs to God the Father 
 through the Son of his love, and accefs with 
 confidence through the faith that is in him. 
 Let this appear by your living upon Chrift's 
 fulnefs, and receiving from thence grace for 
 grace. And the more grace you receive, in 
 the ftr*:ngth of it run the fafter after Chrift 
 E 4 for 
 
( 7^ ) 
 
 for more grace. Run in the ways of his com- 
 mandments. Follow his example. Prefs 
 clofe after him in his fteps. And be affured 
 the clofer you follow him upon earth, the 
 nearer will you come to him in heaven. 
 The more you are conform.ed to him in ho- 
 linefs, the more fhall you be like him in 
 glory. 
 
 Happy are you, my chriftian brethren, 
 who have been thus drawn to Chrift, and 
 are thus running after him. Hold on your 
 courfe, determined in God's flrength not to 
 ftop upon account of what he fliall either 
 call you to do or to fuffer. Purfue the way 
 of duty, in which Chrift walked, whatever 
 difficulties you may meet with, and fear not 
 but he will give you ftrengt-h to go on con- 
 quering and to conquer. Whatever his will 
 is concerning you, rely upon him, and he 
 will make you more than conquerors. You 
 know where your ftrCngth is. God is your 
 refuge and ftrength. Go to him in every hour 
 of temptation, and he will give you grace 
 fufficient for you. Afk and you Ihall have. 
 The Father will give whatever you afk in 
 his Son's name. This is your great privi- 
 legCj and God grant you may ever make ufe 
 
 of 
 
{ 73 ) 
 
 ©f it in time of need. Let us now ufe it to 
 crave a blefling upon what we have heard. 
 And the whole of this difcourfe is excellently 
 fummed up in the colle(f^ of our church for 
 this day. 
 
 " Grant to us, Lord, v/e befeech thee, the 
 *' Spirit to think and do always fuch things 
 *' as be rightful, that we who cannot do any 
 *' thing that is good without the, may by 
 *' thee be enabled to live according to thy will 
 " through Jefus Chrifl our Lord. Amen^'^ 
 
( 75 ) 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Chap. I. Ver. 4. 
 'The upright love thee, 
 
 TH"F firft part of this verfe has been. 
 alrer.dy confidered. The perfon who 
 fpeaks it, perceiving the form and come- 
 iinefs of Chrift, and finding a fweeter fa- 
 vour ill his name than in the moll fragrant 
 ointment poured forth, was defirous of clofe 
 imion and fpiritual fellowfhip with him. 
 But being fenfible of his own helpleflhefs to 
 come to Chrift, had therefore prayed he 
 might be drawn, " Draw me and we will 
 *' run after thee.'* The prayer was heard, 
 and anfwered. Chrift drew the foul by the 
 cords of love unto himfelf, and as the fol- 
 lowing words ftiew, he brought it nigh, and 
 gave it free accefs with confidence through 
 the faith that is in him. He fhed his love 
 abroad in the heart, which drew it out in 
 love to him. The believer found himfelf 
 enriched with fo many graces, and enjoyed 
 fuch fweet communion with Chrift, that he 
 
 rejoiced 
 
( 76 ) 
 
 rejoiced in him always, and declared that 
 nothing but fm and ignorance could hinder 
 men from feeing and admiring the excellen- 
 cies of Jefus Chrift. If they were not in a 
 fallen corrupt ftate, they would certainly ad- 
 mire and love him : for the upright love 
 him. 
 
 If you were to afk the generality of men, 
 who call themfelves chriftians. Whether they 
 loved Chrift ? They would anfwer. What do 
 you think we don't love our Saviour ? Moft 
 certainly we do, for who can help loving 
 him ? We are taught to pray to him, and 
 to love him from our very infancy, and we 
 always have loved him. 
 
 But if you enquire upon what account 
 they love Chrift ? What knowledge they 
 have of him and of his falvation, and what 
 proof they can give of their love to him ? 
 They are then at a lofs. They can only tell 
 you, that their parents had them baptized, 
 and brought them up in the church of Eng- 
 land, and that they keep conftant to their 
 church, and have done their duty as well as 
 they could, they never wronged any body, 
 no one is without faults, and they have theirs. 
 
 Thi& 
 
( 77 ) 
 
 This is the religion of the greateft part of 
 our people, but how far fhort is this of the 
 fcripture charader of one that loves Chrift I 
 A man may do all this, and much more, 
 without one grain of love. He may prac- 
 tice many duties in his natural fallen ft ate 
 from feveral other motives than a fenfe of 
 love to Chrift, and a fmgle eye to his glory. 
 Thefe are the chriftian motives to obedience, 
 by which no natural man can be influenced. 
 The Holy Spirit muft have convinced him 
 of his fallen ftate, muft have raifed him from 
 it, muft have opened his eyes to fee what 
 Jefus has done for his falvation, and muft 
 have ftied abroad in his heart the love of 
 God, before he can come up to the fcripture 
 charader of them that love Chrift : for they 
 are upright who love him. 
 
 That we may hav^ a clear and full view 
 of the dodrine in the text, it will be proper 
 to confider, 
 
 Fi?;/^, What is the fcripture idea of the 
 word upright. 
 
 Secondly, That man is not upright by 
 
 nature. 
 
 Thirdly, 
 
( 78 ) 
 
 Thirdly, That he muft be made upright 
 before he can love Chrift. 
 
 Fourthly^ That being made upright he 
 will fhew his love to Chrilt by walking \\\ 
 love ; and in the 
 
 Laji place, I will draw fome practical in- 
 ferences from the whole. And may the Spi- 
 rit of grace accompany and blefs our medi- 
 tations upon thefe particulars : may he direct 
 our hearts into the love of Chrift, and ren- 
 der what fhall now be fpoken upon it the 
 means of increafing it in all our fouls. Un- 
 der his guidance let us cofider 
 
 Fifji, What is the fcripture idea of up- 
 rightnefs. 
 
 The Hebrew word which Is here tranflated 
 upright is in the plural number. As a verb it 
 is rendered to make ftraight, Ifa'iah xl. 3, 4, 
 to diredt in the way, Ifaiah xlv. 13. and to 
 walk ftraight in it, as i Sain. vi. 12. " And 
 " the kine took the Jlraight zvay to the way 
 " of Bethjhemejh, and went along the high 
 *' way, lowing as they went, and turned not 
 " afide to the right hand or to the left." 
 
 This 
 
( 79 ) 
 
 This is its received feiife in the lexicons ; 
 and from this idea the noun fubflantive is 
 ufed for a directory, whatever guides in the 
 right way, and the plural mafculine denotes 
 thofe perfons who are in the right way, and 
 who walk ftraight in it, whom we properly 
 term upright men, alluding to their having 
 been once in a fallen ilate, and having loll the 
 right way, but being now raifed up they are 
 brought into it again, and made upright. 
 
 " Made upright," fay our moralifts, " how 
 abfurd is this expreffion ! What neceffity is 
 there for making us upright ? Are we not fo 
 by nature ? Have not we all a moral red:i- 
 tude ? Have we not in ourfelves the rule of 
 right, and obligations to follow it ? We are 
 moral agents and upright, why then do you 
 talk of making men what they already are ?" 
 
 This is the language of m^odern reafoners, 
 who would be wife above v>rhat is written. 
 " For the foul that is lifted up, faith God, 
 " is not upright in him." [Hab. ii. 4.) And 
 yet the pride of their hearts loves flattering 
 compliments, be they ever fo falfe, and they 
 are fond of being told of the dignity and rec- 
 titude of their nature, although thefe are 
 
 mere 
 
( 8o ) 
 
 Riere metapliyfical chimeras. They are con- 
 trary to matter of fa£t, and to every day\s 
 experience, and contrary to the exprefs word 
 of God, which proves that man is not up- 
 right by nature, as I am to ihew under my 
 fecond head. 
 
 The whole vohime of revelation gives us 
 this character of mankind, " they have all 
 " finned, and come Ihoit of the glory of 
 " God." And what can be the dignity of a 
 poor loft finner, who has robbed God of his 
 glory ? And where is the reditude of fallen 
 man, of whom " there is none righteous, no 
 not one ?" The fcripture ftrikes at the very 
 root of our fancied dignity and rectitude, 
 when it declares [Mich. vii. 2.) " There is 
 " none upright among rnen,'* no not one is 
 there in the rediitude of nature, in which 
 man was at firft created : for " God hath 
 " made man upright," faith another fcrip- 
 ture, " but they have fought out many in- 
 " ventions," finful as well as foolifh, which 
 prove that they are not upright as they firft 
 came out of the hand of God. And indeed 
 the fcripture fpeaks fo much of the fail and 
 con'uption of nature, as if it left man with- 
 out any power or ftrength to recover himfelf. 
 
 The 
 
( 8i ) 
 
 The prophet yeremtah praying to God fays^ 
 (x. 23.) " O Lord I know that the way 
 " of man is not in himfelf: it is not in man 
 " that walketh to dired his fteps." To 
 which agree the words of the apoftle [Rom* 
 iii. 9, 'k^c.) " We have before proved both 
 " yews and Gentiles, that they are all under 
 " fm; as it is written, There is none righ- 
 *' teous, no not one, there is none that un- 
 " derltandeth, there is none that feeketh 
 " after God, they are all gone out of the 
 " way:" fo that there is no uprightnefs in 
 any of them. Fallen man is gone out of 
 the right way, and he does not underftand 
 how to return into it, nay he does not fo 
 much as feek after God, that he may be fet 
 right. His defires and his affcdions are 
 turned from God: they are fet upon fin, as 
 our church expreiTes it in the ninth article, 
 " Original fin is the fault and corruption of 
 
 " the nature of every man whereby 
 
 " man is very far gone from original rlgh- 
 " teoufnefs, and is of his own nature inclined 
 " to evil, fo that the flefh lufteth always con- 
 " trary to the fpirit." How can man under 
 the guilt of original fin have any moral recti- 
 tude ? Can he be upright who is very far 
 gone from original righteoufnefs ? Can he 
 
 F "be 
 
( 82 ) 
 
 be in the right way who is very far gone out 
 it? And how can he be inclined to love 
 Chrift, who by the fault and corruption of 
 his nature is always inclined to evil ? While 
 there is no fear of God before his eyes, how 
 can there poffibly be any love of God in his 
 heart. The love of Chrift is abfolutely incon- 
 fiftent with the blindnefs and depravity of fal- 
 len man, who is in love with fni. Sin and 
 Chrift are as oppofite as heaven and hell, to 
 which they lead. And as all fallen men are 
 inclined to fm, and love it, the flefli lufting al- 
 ways contrary to the fpirlt, confequently while 
 they continue In this ftate, they cannot love 
 Chrift; for none but the upright, who are 
 raifed from their fallen ftate, love him. 
 
 Men and brethren, examine thefe autho- 
 rities. Do they appear to you clear and de- 
 cifive ? Here are the exprefs words of fcrip- 
 ture, and the determination of our church 
 upon this very point, declaring that man in 
 his natural ftate is not upright. I would in- 
 fer from your prefence here that you do be- 
 lieve this truth, and if you do, may it be a 
 practical belief. AO: under the fenfe of it. 
 As you are convinced that you are not up- 
 tight by nature, certainly you will feek to 
 
 be 
 
( 83 ) 
 
 he made upright, and will therefore gladly 
 follow me to the ibird point I was to con- 
 fider, viz» that you muft be made upright 
 before you can love Chrift. 
 
 There is no other method, but what the 
 gofpel propofcs. You would not go to the 
 law, and fet about keeping it more carefully 
 for the future, in order to recover your recti- 
 tude : becaufe the law allows of no failing. 
 Upon the iirft offence it puts you under the 
 curfe, and condemns you. And as all have 
 fmned and come fhort of the glory of God, 
 therefore by the works of the law Ihall no 
 fiefh be juftified in his fight. The law is a 
 miniftration of condemnation, it is ufeful to 
 ihew linners that they are not upright, but 
 it can afford them no hope, neither doth it 
 offer them any remedy. It can only fcourge 
 and wound the confcience with the fenfe of 
 tranfgreflion, and fend the guilty to the 
 gofpel, for the recovery of their uprightnefs. 
 And the gofpel difcovers to them the rich 
 plan of grace, the covenant of the Eternal 
 Three, with the diflincft ofhces of each per- 
 fon in the osconomy of man's recovery. The 
 Father's juftice requires and receives, the 
 Son's love pays, the Holy Spirit's grace ap- 
 
 F 2 plies. 
 
( 84 ) 
 
 plies , the atonement. The application is in 
 the hand of the Spirit Jehovah. It is the 
 work of his grace to apply to fallen man the 
 benefits of the atonement, and to unite him 
 by faving faith to Jefus Chrift, whereby he 
 is made upright. 
 
 The fcripture has laid down, and all the 
 upright have experienced, the method which 
 the Holy Spirit purfues in bringing fallen 
 man into a ftate of uprightnefs. Firft he 
 fhews the finner his guilt and his danger, 
 and lets him fee that he is not upright. 
 When the Holy Ghoft the Comfortor is 
 come, fays our Lord, he will convince the 
 world of fm. When he comes to the 
 natural man, he finds him fecure and un- 
 concerned about the ftate of his foul or 
 the pardon of his fins: for the whole world 
 lieth afleep, yea dead in trefpafl^es and fins, 
 until av\^akened and quickened by the pov'er 
 of God's Spirit. He, that can be heard 
 even by the dead, calls, " Awake, thou that 
 '* fleepell, and arife from the dead, and 
 " Chrift fhall give thee life." This awakens, 
 and alarms the confcience. The finner is 
 made fenfible of his guilt and condemnation, 
 and convinced of his helplefsnefs, and thus 
 
 humbled 
 
( Ss ) 
 
 humbled under the fenfe of his want of up- 
 rightnefs, he is enabled to follow that divine 
 teaching, which is to convince him where 
 his wants may be fupplied. 
 
 He hears the report of the gofpel, that 
 all fmners who are fenfible of their wants 
 may have them fupplied out of the exceed- 
 ing riches of Chrift's grace, who has every 
 thing to give that they can Hand in need of. 
 They may receive out of his fulnefs grace fop*"' 
 grace. Are they ignorant of the things of 
 God ? He is an all-wife prophet to enlighten 
 their underflandings. Are they under the pol- 
 lution and guilt of fm, and under the condem- 
 nation of the law ? He is an all-m-eritorious 
 prieft, whofe blood can cleanfe them from 
 the pollution and guilt of fin, and by whofe 
 righteoufnefs fmners are freed from the con-, 
 demnation of the broken law, and ftand ac- 
 cepted in the fight of the holy God. Are 
 they enflaved and in bondage to their fpiri- 
 tual enemies ? He is an almighty king, who 
 can fubdue in them the dominion of fm. 
 When the awakened finner hears thefe things 
 out of the gofpel, he affents to them as truths, 
 and the Holy Spirit draws his defires out after 
 the experience of them. As he is made to 
 feel his wants, fo doth he willi for a fiipply 
 F 1 from 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 from Chrlft'sfulnefs. He pants with fervent 
 defire and earneft breathings of foul, to know 
 his union with Jefus by faith, and would 
 gladly receive him in all his offices ? as a 
 king to fubdue fm in him, as well as a pro- 
 phet, and a prieil to free him from the guilt 
 nnd deliver him from the punifhment of fm. 
 The Holy Spirit cherilhes and ftrengthens 
 thefe good defires, and in his own good time 
 he compleats them, which is the third ftep 
 in the work of experience. 
 
 He convinces the awakened fmner of rlgh- 
 teoufnels, by giving him faith to believe that 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift is imputed unto 
 him for juftification to life. The fcripture 
 fays exprefsly, that it is his office to convince 
 men of righteoufnefs, and thereby to give 
 them peace in believing, that God the Father 
 is reconciled unto them through the righte- 
 oufnefs of his Son : " For being juftified by 
 " faith we have peace with God through 
 " our Lord Jefus Chrift." [Rom. v. i.) And 
 when the mind is at peace with God upon 
 account of its being juftified by faith, then 
 it is made upright, and the evidence of juft- 
 tifying faith is an upright walking. He 
 that is in a juftified ftate is upright, and in 
 confequence thereof he will in his life and 
 
 converfation 
 
( 87 ) 
 
 converfation walk uprightly. As he has re^ 
 ceived Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo he walks in 
 him, and defires to live to the glory of his 
 divine Saviour. He would have every 
 thought, and word and work a teftimony of 
 his gratitude. It is the prayer of his heart, 
 that he may walk worthy of the Lord unto 
 all pleafing, and may fhew forth the praifes 
 of his God by being fruitful in every good 
 work: for " this is the love of God, that 
 " we keep his commandments, and (to the 
 " upright who keep them out of love) his 
 *' commandments are not grievous." 
 
 My beloved brethren, confider thefe things, 
 and weigh them attentively. Have you been 
 made to fee the exceeding fmfulnefs of fm ? 
 That it has robbed you of your innocence 
 and uprightnefs ? That you are thereby ex- 
 pofed to the condemnation of the law, and 
 to the wrath of infinite juftice ? Have you 
 fled for refuge to Jefus ? Do you perceive 
 that he is the end of the law for righteouf- 
 nefs unto you ? And therefore knowing your- 
 felf upright in him, can you fay, Chrift is 
 precious ; he hath made me upright, there- 
 fore I love him ; it is the grief of my foul 
 to offend him ; it is the greateft joy and de-* 
 F 4 light 
 
{ 88 ) 
 
 light of my heart to live and walk To as to 
 pleafe him? If you are as yet ftrangers to 
 this happy knowledge, deceive yourfelves no 
 longer, do not think you have a fmcere love 
 to Chrift: for you knov^ not the power of 
 Chrift's love to you. But if you have been 
 thoroughly humbled, and convinced of your 
 loft helplefs ftate, and have received Chrift 
 and his righteoufnefs with love, joy, and 
 peace, then being made upright, it is in- 
 cumbent upon you to walk uprightly. It is 
 your bounden duty to have a heart full of 
 gratitude to God : and it is your privilege 
 and happinefs to be able to exprefs your gra- 
 titude in your life and converfation. In 
 them let it appear that you love Chrift. Let 
 the world fee it in your chriftian walking, 
 and give them continual occafion to glorify 
 God on your account. And this brings me 
 to the fourth particular I was to confider, 
 namely, that being made upright, you 
 will fhew your love to Chrift by walking in 
 love. 
 
 When love is in the heart, it will appear 
 outwardly. It will have its proper works. 
 It will manifeft itfelf, like light, and fpread 
 abroad its fweet influence. Light cannot 
 
 propagate 
 
( 89 ) 
 
 I 
 
 propagate darknefs, nor can the love of 
 Chrift produce hatred to his will : it is the 
 doctrine of one apollle to his Colqffians^ chap, 
 ii. 6. " As you have therefore received Chrift 
 *' Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him;" and 
 of another apoftle, " If any man faith, he 
 *' abideth in Chrift, he ought himfelf alfo 
 *' to walk, even as Chrift walked." (i yohn 
 ii. 6.) He is to prove that he abideth in 
 Chrift by following Chrift's example, and 
 by walking in his fteps : for as Chrift has 
 made him upright, he will enable him to 
 -walk uprightly, becaufe his outward walk- 
 ing is to bring glory to God, and good to " 
 to mankind. The love of Chrift in the heart 
 is that pradlical love which the apoftle fays 
 is the fulfilling of the law : for it operates 
 in the love of God and in the love of our 
 neighbour, and on thefe two command- 
 ments hang all the law and the prophets. 
 
 The upright man has a lively fenfe of 
 God the Father's being reconciled to him 
 in Chrift. Without this he could not love 
 God : for a finner, confcious of his having 
 offended God and broken his holy law, can 
 never be brought to love God until he be 
 convinced that God loves him. He may as 
 
 foon 
 
( 90 ) 
 
 foon love pain and torments, as love an 
 offended God, whofe almighty juftice is to 
 get itfelf glory by his deftrudion ; but when 
 he is perfuaded that God is reconciled ta 
 him., then he has with joy and delight re- 
 ceived the word of reconciliation : for " we 
 " love him," not abftra£ted|y, or metaphy- 
 fically, but experimentally, " becaufe he firil 
 " loved us.'' And when the Holy Spirit 
 fheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, 
 and reveals to them God's firft loving us, 
 then YiQ fee God in a new light. We look 
 upon him as our reconciled Father, and in 
 this character he appears altogether amiable 
 and lovely. Having tafted hov^r good and 
 gracious he is, we defire from our hearts to 
 pleafe him, and this defire will certainly ope- 
 rate in the two great commandments, the 
 love of God and the love of our neiehbour. 
 
 o 
 
 The upright man loves God and walks 
 "with God. Love attracts, and unites, and 
 thereby produces communion. The believer 
 has communion with the Father and the Son 
 by the bond of the Spirit; from whence are 
 derived to him all the graces and blefTmgs 
 of the gofpel, which he receives with a 
 thankful heart, and ihews his gratitude by 
 
 lovincr 
 
( 91 ) 
 
 loving what God loves. We know what 
 God loves from his revealed will. This Is the 
 copy of his mind. And when the fame 
 mind is in us that was in Chrift, then each 
 of us Ihall be able to fay, " I delight to do thy 
 ** will, O my God." The will of the up- 
 right man is reconciled to God's will, and 
 therefore the way of the commandments be- 
 comes pleafant. There may be difficulties 
 in it, but his love rejoices to overcome them. 
 His fpiritual enemies may tempt him out of 
 the way, but love fets him above their temp- 
 tations. When the world tries to fhare his 
 heart with God, he rejects its offers with 
 fcorn, for he remembers that if any man 
 love the world the love of the Father is not 
 in him. Does it offer him pleafure ? His 
 love has found other kind of pleafure than 
 the world has to give, even pleafures laid 
 up at God's right hand for evermore. Does 
 it offer him money ? His affedlicns are placed 
 upon the unfearchable riches of Chriil. 
 There is his heart, and there is his treafure. 
 Does it tempt him with honour ? He defires 
 only the honour that is of God. And thus love 
 arms him againft the temptations, which try 
 to make his will a£t differently from God's 
 will. His love being llncere he has upright 
 
 intentions, 
 
( r- ) 
 
 intentions, has a flraight view of things, fees 
 them with a fmgle eye, and therefore is not 
 eafily drawn afide. God's glory is his one 
 great end and aim. He has refped: to it 
 in every thing he does, and is as careful of 
 avoiding whatever tends to injure it, as if it 
 were wounding the apple of his own eye. 
 And thus the upright man Ihews his loA'^e 
 to God agreeably to what is written, " If 
 " ye love me keep my commandments." 
 
 And his love to God not only enables him 
 to do all things, but alfo to fuifer all things. 
 This is a very hard lefTon to flefh and blood, . 
 but love makes it eafy. Every difciple of 
 Chrlll is called to follow him in the way of 
 fullering. The crofs is our portion. Self 
 indeed would be gladly excufed the taking it 
 \ip, but love to Chrift enables us to deny 
 feif, and to take up the crofs daily : " For 
 " love endureth all things." (i Cor. xiii. y.) 
 Love can endure the fharpefl: crofs, and 
 chriftlans have rejoiced and been exceeding 
 glad in bearing it. They have had trials of 
 cruel mockings and fcourgings, yea more- 
 over of bonds and imprifonment — They 
 were ftoned, they were fawn afunder, were 
 tempted, were flain with the fword — They 
 
 wandered 
 
( 93 ) 
 
 wandered about in deferts and mountains, in 
 dens and caves of the earth, deftitute, af- 
 flided, tormented ; and yet they were happy 
 under all their fufferings. Many waters could 
 not quench their love, nor could the floods 
 drown it : for they loved not their lives un- 
 to the death. In the very flames they tri- 
 umphed in their love to Chrifl:, and in what- 
 ever lliape death came they rejoiced in it, 
 becaufe it would bring them to their beloved 
 Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrifl:. And thank 
 God we have fl:ill fome men of the fame 
 fpirit, v/ho know in whom they have be- 
 lieved. Chrifl: is dearer to them than life ; 
 and if he fliould call them to give proof of 
 it, his fl:rength would be perfected in them, 
 and he would enable them to fay Ynih the 
 apoftle — " Who fliall feparr.te us from the 
 *' love of Chrifl ? Shall tribulation, or dif- 
 " trefs, or perfecution, or famine, or naked- 
 ** nefs, or peril, or fvvord ? Nay in all thefe 
 ** things we are more than conquerors through 
 *' him that loved us : for I am perfuaded, 
 " that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor 
 *' principalities, nor powers, nor things pre- 
 *' fent, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
 depth, nor any other creature fhail be able 
 
 « to 
 
 if 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 " to feparate us from the love of God which 
 " is in Chrift Jefus our Lord." 
 
 And after the upright man has thus learnt 
 to do and to fuffer all things out of love to 
 Chrift, he will certainly keep the fecond 
 great commandment, which is like unto the 
 firft, and love his neighbour as himfelf. 
 There is no brotherly love in the natural 
 man. He may talk and write about it, but 
 he cannot practice it fincerely and difmte- 
 reftedly: becaufe his views are narrow and 
 felfifh. *S't. Pauls character of the Romans^ 
 (chap, i.) is true of all natural men • they 
 had every temper that was hateful, and they 
 were haters of God and hating one another. 
 But how then is brotherly love to be attained ? 
 It is from above, from whence cometh every 
 good and perfect gift. The apoftle Paul 
 iays, we muft be taught it of God [Thejf. 
 iv. 9.) And another apoftle fays, " Let us 
 " love one another, for love is of God; and 
 '' every one that loveth is born of God and 
 " knoweth God.'* From thefe fcriptures it 
 is evident, that God teaches us brotherly 
 love, and when we are born of God, are 
 made his adopted children in Chrift, and 
 know him to be our loving Father, then 
 
 have 
 
( 95 ) 
 
 have we tliat faith which worketh by love, 
 to God and to man. This working love 
 prays for, and labours to ferve both their 
 fouls and bodies. It goes about doing them 
 good, feeking opportunities, and willingly 
 negleding none. This is the upright man's 
 walking with refpedt to his neighbour. He 
 is knit to him in love, and fliews it by the 
 labour of love, by doing every kind and 
 good office that is in his power. And thus 
 he walks in love, as Chrift hath loved him, 
 which is the higheft degree of brotherly love: 
 for it is our Lord's new and great command- 
 ment, that we fhould " love one another as 
 " he hath loved us." 
 
 Judge now, whether there be not good 
 reafon for the affertion in the text, " The 
 " upright love thee r" Can fmuers be fenfible 
 of Jefus's having done fuch great things for 
 them, can they experience fuch a happy 
 work wrought in them by the Divine 5'pirit 
 and not love God ? It is impoffible. They 
 have been made thoroughly fenfible of their 
 being by nature eftranged from God, and 
 wanderers from the right way, and of their 
 having no power in themfelves to return into 
 tX again. They found that they had no up- 
 
 rightnefs 
 
( 96 ) 
 
 rightnefs in them : for they loved what God 
 hated ; yea they hated God himfelf, becaufe 
 he is the jufl: avenger of fm. But upon hear- 
 ing the report of the gofpel, that Chrift will 
 receive all fniners who come unto him, they 
 were fcirred up to come. And they waited 
 upon Chrift, until the Holy Spirit brought 
 them good tidings of great joy. He fhed 
 abroad the love of God in their hearts, bear- 
 ing teftimony with their fpirits, that God was 
 their reconciled Father, and they were his 
 adopted children in Chrift. And being thus 
 made upright before God, in the ftrength 
 of the Lord they walk uprightly. In their 
 lives and converfations they make the two 
 commandments, upon which hang all the 
 law and the prophets, the rule of their ac- 
 tions, loving the Lord their God with all 
 their hearts, and with all their fouls, and 
 with all their ftrength, and their neighbour 
 as themfelves. And thus they give evidence 
 of their love to Chrift. This is the dodlrine 
 from which in the ffth and laft place I am 
 to draw fome pradical inferences. 
 
 And is what you have now heard agree- 
 able, my brethren, to your experience ? If 
 it be, you are fafe and happy. If it be not, 
 
 I befeech 
 
( 97 ) 
 
 I befeech you fufFer the word of exhortation. 
 It is an awful and a folemn word, and may 
 God accompany it with the efFedual work- 
 ing of his power. If you were upright, you 
 would love Chrift, but as you do not love 
 him, hear and tremble if you have any love 
 left for your poor fouls — " If any man 
 *' love not the Lord Jefus Chrift, let him 
 " be anathema maranatha." (i Cor, kyi. 22.) 
 Confider what it is to be under an anathema, 
 to be curfed of God — curfed by his holy 
 law; and to be finally excommunicated by 
 that fentence which is never to be reverfed — 
 " Go ye curfed into everlafting fire." If you 
 make light of this at prefent, yet unlefs you 
 repent, a time will come when you will wifh 
 you had never been born, rather then have 
 died- under the anathema of God. Oh may ' 
 he now touch the hearts of thofe ungrateful 
 men who love not the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 and may he of his grace and bounty give 
 them to tafte of that love, which pafleth' 
 knowledge. May he that heareth prayer 
 hear and anfwer, while I am fpeaking a word 
 to the formalift, who has fomething of the 
 fhew, but no more of the power of diwne 
 love, than the carelefs fmner. 
 
 G . The ' 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 The formalift is rather decent in his out- 
 ward behaviour — • he attends regularly up- 
 on the ordinances — goes a great way in out- 
 ward matters, and has the air and appearance 
 of a chriilian. If you afk him, whether he 
 loves Chrift, he is very confident he does, 
 and is fomewhat offended that you fhould 
 fufpec:! his love ; but bring it to the teft of 
 fcripture and it will not Hand the trial ; for 
 the formaliil not only has not that true love 
 of God, of v>^hich the fcripture treats, but 
 he is alfo an enemy to it. He is the firft to 
 cry out enthufiafm, if he hear, that the love 
 of God arifes from the knowledge of our 
 being reconciled to him in Chrift. It is with 
 him the very mark of this new religious mad- 
 nefs for any man to fay, that he loves God. 
 from a fenfe of his having freely forgiven 
 him all trefpafles. So thrit the forraalift, 
 with all his outward decency and profefTion, 
 is rather farther from the true love of God 
 than the carelefs fmner : for the one has it 
 not, but the other thinks it enthufiafm and 
 madnefs to pretend to have it. And yet the 
 fcripture is full of this enthufiafm. It has 
 thus afligned the grounds and reafons of our 
 love to God, " We love him, becaufe he 
 " firft loved us." — Here we are taught, that 
 
 our 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 our love to him arifes from his firft loving 
 us; but how can we know he firft loves 
 us, unlefs he manifeft it, and fhed it abroad 
 in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft. And in 
 this way he does manifeft it. He fends his 
 good Spirit into our hearts to let us know 
 that he firft loves us. Hear ye formalifts, the 
 exprefs teftimony of God's word: " The 
 *' love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts 
 " by the Holy Ghoft, which is given unto 
 " us." [Ro?}i. V. 5.) And until the Holy 
 Ghoft give you this love, be ye ever fo de- 
 cent in your outward walking, you have 
 none of the life and power of religion, but 
 are dead in your fms. This is the opinion 
 of our church concerning you : for thus fhe 
 teaches you to pray — O Lord, who haft 
 taught us, that all our doings without cha- 
 rity (or love) are nothing worth: fend thy 
 Holy Ghoft and pour into our hearts, that 
 moft excellent gift of charity (or love) the 
 very bond of peace and of all virtues, without 
 which whofoever liveth is counted dead be- 
 fore thee, ^<:. [Collect for ^imqttagejima.) 
 Charity fignifies nothing more than love. 
 And in this collect the fenfe, as well as the 
 epiftle to which it refers, determine it to be 
 the love of God j and if you have not this 
 G 2 love 
 
( loo ) 
 
 love poured into your heart by the Holy 
 Ghoft, let whatever elfe be in youi' heart, 
 you are counted dead before God. Oh that 
 he may bring you out of that dead lifelefs 
 ftate, in which you are at prefent, and raife 
 you up to newnefs of life, and place you 
 among the upright who love Chrift. And 
 
 Whatever others may do, the upright will 
 love Chrift. Though other men may fee 
 no form nor comelinefs in him that they 
 fhould defire him, yet in their eyes he is al- 
 together lovely. They love him for making 
 them upright, and they give evidence of their 
 love by walking uprightly. His will is theirs. 
 They love what he loves. His revealed will 
 is the copy of his mind, and therefore it is 
 the rule of their converfations. Being made 
 upright, and the fame mind being in them 
 that was in Chrift, there will be the fame 
 outward walking. They will follow his ex- 
 ample, and tread in his fteps : for how can 
 their love to Chrift a(fl againft its own na- 
 ture, fo as to hate his will ? Certainly there- 
 fore their love to him will fhew itfelf in love 
 to his commandments. And if a man fay, I 
 love Chrift, and hateth his commandments, 
 he is a liar, for he that loveth not the will 
 
 of 
 
( lOI ) 
 
 of God, how can he love God? And this 
 commandment have we from him, that he 
 who loveth God loveth his commandments 
 alfo. 
 
 Is this your experience, my brethren ? En- 
 quire ftridly, and intreat the Holy Spirit to 
 help you in enquiring, whether Chrift has 
 made you upright, and you therefore love 
 him and his commandments. I have put 
 you upon this enquiry, becaufe the fcrip- 
 ture puts you upon it, and becaufe there is a 
 general miftake concerning it. The fcrip- 
 ture has exprefsly mentioned the efFedts, 
 which will flow from the love of Chrift in the 
 heart ; thefe effeds we defire you to manifefl 
 in your lives. We don't fend convinced 
 finners to the law, and tell them. If ye 
 would enter into life, keep the command- 
 ments. No. We fend them to Chrift, be- 
 caufe they have broken the commandments, 
 and they muft be pardoned, and receive juf- 
 tification to life from him, before they can 
 keep any one commandment well-pleafmg 
 to God. But when the Holy Spirit gives 
 them the knowledge of their pardon and juf- 
 tification, then they receive a faith that 
 worketh by love, a faith that proves itfelf 
 G 3 to 
 
( 102 ) 
 
 to be from God by working in love to what 
 God loves. Thefe workings of faith by- 
 love to God and man are the marks and 
 evidences we defire to fee in your lives and 
 converfations. We are authorifed from God's 
 word to call upon you for them, not as if 
 they were your falvation, but as the certain 
 effedts of your being in a ftate of falvation. 
 The fun cannot be without fending out 
 light : fo love cannot be without producing 
 its proper works — works as certainly flow- 
 ing from it, as light does from the fun. If 
 works flow not out, we are certain there is 
 no love in the heart : for there is no caufe, 
 if there be no effed:s. Examine then, I be- 
 feech you, the nature of the love which you 
 think you have to Chrift ; fee if it has the 
 fcripture marks of true love. Happy is he 
 who looking into his own breaft: is able to 
 fay, " Lord, thou knoweft: all things, thou 
 '' knowefl: that I Ioyc thee ; whom have I 
 " in heaven but thee, and there is none up- 
 ** on earth I defire in comparifon of thee." 
 My brethren, can you take up thefe words, 
 and repeat them with praife and thankful- 
 nefs ? If you can, may you go on rejoicing, 
 daily receiving larger meafures of divine love, 
 and bringing forth richer and riper fruits to 
 
 the 
 
( I03 ) 
 
 the glory of God. But if you cannot, do 
 you fee your want of love to Chrift, and 
 are you hungering and thirfting after it ? If 
 you are, look up and afk it of the God of 
 love. Pray him to beftow it upon you out 
 of the riches of his free grace. And let us 
 all -with, one heart and one voice intreat him 
 in the words of our church to give us the 
 experience of what has been nov,^ faid, pray- 
 ing as fhe hath taught us. — " O almighty 
 " God, who alone canft order the unruly 
 " wills and afFedions of fmful men : grant 
 *' unto thy people, that they may love the 
 " thing which thou commandeft, and de- 
 ".fire that which thou doll promife, that fo 
 " among the fundry and manifold changes 
 " of the world, our hearts may furely there 
 " be fixed where true joys are to be found ; 
 " through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amenr 
 
 G 4 
 
( 1^4 ) 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Chap. i. Ver. 7. 
 
 H'ell me, thou whom my foul lovethy tvhere 
 thou feedeji, where thou makejl thy Jlock to 
 rejl at nooti, 
 
 THESE words are part of a prayer^ 
 which the faithful offer up to the 
 great and good fhepherd. He had drawn 
 them to himfelf, had pardoned all their 
 wanderings, and had fhed his love abroad 
 in their hearts, which made them pray 
 for his fupport and defence. They ftill 
 found that they had many wants, for which 
 they expected a fupply out of his fulnefs, 
 and many infirmities, from which they 
 defired deliverance in his ftrength. His 
 grace was needful every moment. That 
 fpiritual and divine life, which he had be- 
 gun in their fouls, could not be carried on 
 without his continual help. They wanted 
 the bread that cometh down from heaven, 
 and which is the life of the fpirits of men, 
 
 as 
 
( 105 ) 
 
 as much as they want the bread which is 
 the life of the body. And in time of trouble 
 they wanted divine ftrength. When aflaulted 
 with powerful temptations from within and 
 from without, they durft not think of at- 
 tacking them, and much lefs of overcoming 
 them with the arm of flelh, but they fought 
 to be ftrong in the Lord and in the power 
 of his might. This is the fubjedl of the 
 words now Bead; in which the faithful pray 
 the great and good fhepherd to tell them 
 where he feeds his flock, and where he Ihel- 
 ters them from the fcorching heat of the fun 
 at noon — " Tell me, O thou whom my 
 *' foul loveth, where thou feedeft, where 
 " thou makeft thy flock to reft at noon.'' 
 Here we have 
 
 Firjl^ The amiablenefs of Chrift's paftoral 
 oflSce; every faithful foul can fay to the good 
 fhepherd, " O thou whom my foul loveth.'* 
 
 Secondly^ The reafon afllgned for loving 
 him, he feedeth his flock like a ihepherd. 
 And 
 
 Thirdly^ He gives them tomfort and 
 ftrength in the time of great trials, he makes 
 
 his 
 
( 10.6 ) 
 
 his flock to reft in the burning heat at noon. 
 And 
 
 Fourthly^ He faves his flock from the great 
 trial of all, fro\n death. 
 
 And while I am fpeaking to thefe par- 
 ticulars, may the Spirit of the living God 
 apply them to all your hearts. May he con- 
 vince you pra<5lically of the amiablenefs of 
 Chri^^'s paftoral office, that you may be able 
 to fay from your own experience, " O thou 
 " whom, my foul loveth." Chrift is the good 
 fliepherd, and in this character he is alto- 
 gether lovely. It is one of the fweeteft rela- 
 tions that he ftands in to his people, and is 
 to them the fulleft of comfort ; but then 
 they muft derive their comfort from know- 
 ing him to be their fhepherd, and themfelves 
 to be his people and the iheep of his pafture. 
 Without this knowledge, fpeaking of his love- 
 linefs would be like talking in an uknown 
 tongue : for what excellency can fmners fee 
 in him that they fhould defire him, if they 
 were never convinced that they were loft 
 fheep, who muft for ever perilh, unlefs the 
 good fhepherd bring them back again into 
 his fold ? They fee no form or comelinefs in 
 
 him. 
 
( I07 ) 
 
 Iiim, until they begin to find their want of 
 him, and therefore when grace comes, its 
 firft work is to convince them of their wants. 
 The firft ftep it fets them in their way to 
 God is to make them fenfible of their having 
 wandered from him. And all of you^ my 
 brethren, whatever your Hate may be at 
 prefent, had wandered from God. You 
 had gone every man after the error of his 
 own ways, and in the maze of thefe errors 
 you had wandered fo long that you were; 
 quite loft. You could not difcover the way 
 back again to God, or if any one was to fhew 
 it you, you had neither will nor power to 
 take one ftep in it. Sin had impaired, yea 
 had deadened the faculties of the foul. It 
 left the underftanding In darknefs, the will 
 corrupt and always inclined to evil, and the 
 heart and aff*e6lions at enmity vv'ith God. In 
 this loft and helplefs ftate, and this is the 
 ftate of every man by nature, you were like 
 Iheep that have wandered from the fold. 
 This is a common image in fcripture. Fallen 
 man is there compared to a loft ftieep, and 
 this is a juft and beautiful pi£lure of him : 
 for flieep, as you all know, are fimple weak 
 creatures, who have neither force to refift 
 their enemies, nor wifdom to avoid themj 
 
 they 
 
( io8 ) 
 
 they want fagacity to find out the beft paf- 
 tures, to defend themfelves from the incle- 
 mency of the weather, and to find the way 
 back again to the fold after they have once 
 ftrayed from it. There is not a creature in 
 the world more helplefs than a loft fheep. 
 It muft perifh unlefs the fhepherd feek it out 
 and bring it back. Now all the fons of 
 jidam are in this loft and helplefs condition, 
 and the firft ftep towards their deliverance is 
 a convidtion of their not being able to do any 
 thing towards delivering themfelves. Whether 
 they be learned or unlearned, rich or poor, 
 they are alike wanderers from God, and alike 
 unable in their own ftrength to return. It is 
 exceeding difficult to convince natural men 
 of this truth, and yet the gofpel can do them 
 no good, until they be convinced. They 
 muft fee, that they are poor loft ftieep before 
 they will feek after the falvation which the 
 great ftiepherd has purchafed for them ; and 
 becaufe it was neceflary they Ihould fee them- 
 felves in this ftate, God has therefore been 
 pleafed to give them abundant proof of their 
 being in it. The prophet David fays [Pfahn 
 cxix. 176.) " I have gone aftray, like a loft 
 " ftieep, feek thy fervant.'* But left this 
 fhould be thought his own particular cafe, 
 
 God 
 
( I09 ) 
 
 God by the mouth of another prophet de- 
 clares that it is the cafe of us all. " All we 
 " like ftieep have gone aftray, we have 
 " turned every one to his own way." ^Ifaiab 
 liii. 6.) Here all men without exception are 
 faid to have gone aftray like (heep, and to 
 have turned from the way of God to their 
 own ways, and naturally they are like loft: 
 fheep, helplefs and unable to return. The 
 people of the ytws were certainly in this 
 condition : for our Lord fays, he was fent 
 to the loft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael^ and 
 not to them only, as if they alone were loft : 
 for " other ftieep, fays he, I have, which 
 *' are not of this fold, them alfo I muft 
 '* bring" (back again to God from their wan- 
 derings, therefore they were loft ftieep as well 
 as the Jews) " and there fliall be one fold and 
 " one fliepherd." 
 
 If the fenfe of thefe fcriptures was not 
 clear, and their authority dcciftve, I might 
 bring more proofs, but I hope thefe are fuf- 
 ficient. They muft be fatisfadory to the 
 members of our church, becaufe this is her 
 eftabliftied dodrine both in her articles and 
 homilies. The homilies upon the mifery of 
 man are written entirely upon this fubjed, 
 
 and 
 
( no )' 
 
 and the tenth article fays, that fuch is the 
 condition of man after the fall, that he can- 
 not turn or prepare himfelf to any good, un- 
 lefs the grace of Chrift go before to give him 
 a good will, and then work v/ith him, when 
 he has that good will. If you never found 
 yourffclf unable to do any good unlefs Chrift 
 fciculd give you both the will and the power, 
 you may call yourfelf a member of our 
 church, but you are indeed a ftranger to her 
 conftitution. And though you attend upon 
 her ordinances, and take her words in your 
 mouth, yet you deny them in your heart. 
 What a mockery is it of God for a man to 
 come to church, and upon his bended knees 
 in the prefence of an all-feeing God to de- 
 clare (which you have all done this day) 
 " Almighty and moft merciful father, we 
 *' have erred and ftrayed from thy ways like 
 *' loft ftieep," and afterwards to confefs 
 *' There is no health in us." Is not this 
 mocking God to his face, if a man does not 
 believe, or does not experience what he fays? 
 Let every perfon, who would be thought a 
 member of our church, weigh the force of 
 thefe words, and if he cannot fubfcribe to 
 his being a wanderer from God, and as un- 
 able to return as a loft fheep, never more let 
 
 him 
 
him join with us in our church's confeffion, 
 until he can fay from his heart, that he has 
 erred and ftrayed from God's ways, Uke a 
 loft Iheep, and has no health in himfelf, or 
 llrength to return. 
 
 It is then a plain matter of fa61:, that fallen 
 man is in a loft helplefs condition. He is in 
 it, but the worft part of his fall confifts in 
 his being infenfible of his danger. He is 
 loft, but he does not know it; he is helplefs, 
 but his pride gives him high ideas of his own 
 ftrength. While he continues in this fmful 
 fecurity, he fees no want of a fhepherd ; and 
 though he never fends up one wilh or prayer 
 for help, yet the great and good fliepherd 
 does not forget his own. He is Jehovah, 
 the true felf-exifting God, the creator of all 
 things vifible and invifible ; and this almighty 
 and eternal Being vouchfafes to reveal him- 
 felf to his people under the fweet and amiable 
 character of a fhepherd. Whatever is lovely 
 in an earthly fhepherd is to be found fpiri- 
 tually in cur incarnate God. Is it exped:ed 
 of a fhepherd, that if he lofe any of his flock 
 he ftiould feek diligently until he find it? 
 Is he to fpare no pains, to refufe no difficulty 
 or danger in fearch of it ? Herein we have a. 
 
 beautiful 
 
(• "2 ) 
 
 beautiful image of our Lord's paftoral love. 
 He looked down from heaven upon the chil- 
 dren of men, and faw them wandering every- 
 one after the error of their own ways, he 
 faw that deftrudtion and mifery were in their 
 ways, he faw the enemy of their fouls, like 
 a roaring lion, going about and feeking whom 
 he might devour. His eye pitied them. At 
 the fight of their loft and helplefs condition 
 the bowels of his tendereft compaffion were 
 moved. He could not fee them perilli; and 
 therefore he came down from his eternal 
 throne, veiled the brightnefs of divine glory 
 under a tabernacle of fiefh, humbled himfelf 
 to the loweft abafement, td be born a fer- 
 vant under the law, to fuffer, to die, yea the 
 accurfed death of the crofs. To this infinite 
 condefcenfion he ftooped in order to fave 
 his loft fheep. This he exprefsly declares 
 was the gracious purpofe for which he came 
 into the world: " The Son of Man is come 
 " to feek and to fave that which w^as loft." 
 Even they whom he has fought and faved 
 were loft as well as others, and as helplefs 
 as loft jfheep. They had no defire, and 
 much lefs power to return to God, but were 
 pleafmg themfelves with the errors of their 
 own ways, when the Lord Jefus ftopt them. 
 
 He 
 
( "3 ) 
 
 He called to them, and gave tliem ears to 
 hear. He fpake, and gave them hearts to 
 obey. He drew them to himfelf, and faved 
 them with a great falvation. And thus he 
 was found of them that fought him not. 
 And whoever thou art, whom he has fought, 
 thou haft been made to fee thy wanderings. 
 If thou art indeed brought home to God, 
 thou haft been deeply humbled for thy turn- 
 ing away from him ; and thou art convincecl 
 that if Jefus Chrift had not come down from 
 heaven to feek thee, thou muft have been 
 loft for ever and ever. But now, being fought 
 out by his tender care, and found, thou 
 canft tell of the love of this good fhepherd, 
 who has not only brought thee home to 
 God, but has alfo pardoned thee, wafhed 
 thee clean in his own blood, and juftified 
 thee with his infinite righteoufnefs. Thoii 
 art now admitted into his fold, and the fenfe 
 of what he has already done for thee will 
 enable thee to go to him continually with 
 faith, and fay, " Tell me, O thou whom 
 " my foul loveth, where thou feedeft; froni^ 
 " what I have already experienced of thy 
 " love, I doubt not but thou wilt feed me 
 " v/ith the bread that endureth unto ever- 
 *' lafting life." And this leads me fccondly 
 
( "4 ) 
 
 to confider a reafon here afligned for loving 
 him, namely, that he feedeth his flock like 
 a fhepherd. 
 
 The earthly fhepherd is not only to bring 
 back the loft Iheep, but it is alfo part of his 
 paftoral office, to provide for its future fup- 
 port. He is to fee that it lack nothing, but 
 is to feed it in green paftures, and to lead it 
 befide the ftill waters. And herein we have 
 a lively pidure of our Lord's paftoral love. 
 When mankind left God and turned into the 
 ways of fm, they loft that divine fupport, 
 v/hich is the happinefs of the foul, and they 
 were feparated from the fountain of life. 
 The apoftle fays, they were alienated from 
 the life of God. And they had no means 
 to recover it, nor indeed any fenfe of their 
 want of it. They were laying dead in tref- 
 paffes and fms, when the Lord Jefus brought 
 it down for us from heaven, and they are 
 ftill in this dead ftate, when he fends his 
 good Spirit firft to convince them how much 
 they want it, and then freely to beftow it 
 upon them : " For the bread of God (that 
 *' bread which fupports the life of God in 
 ** the foul) is he, which cometh down from 
 *' heaven, and giveth life unto the world.'^ 
 
 This 
 
( "J ) 
 
 This is our Lord's account of himfelf. ltd 
 came down from heaven to give this bread 
 of God unto a world dead in fm, and when- 
 ever a fmner receives it of him, then he be- 
 gins to live unto God. This bread is the 
 fupport received from Chrift's body and 
 blood, from the merits of his obedience and 
 fufferings, which are applyed to the fmner 
 by the Holy Spirit, and made efFe(Sual by 
 the reviving ftreams of his grace. And this 
 method of feeding his flock is beautifully 
 painted in the 23d F/alm ; the truth of which 
 every believer experiences as well as David^ 
 and can therefore truly fay, " The Lord is 
 " my Ihepherd, therefore can I lack no- 
 " thing : he fhall feed me in green paftures, 
 " and fhall lead me forth befide the waters 
 *' of comfort. He (hall convert my foul, 
 " and lead me in the paths of righteoufnefs 
 *' for his name's fake.'* The fhecp of the 
 Lord's pafture lack nothing : for he fupports 
 them with all things that pertain to life and 
 godlinefs ; and when they find themfelves' 
 thus fupported, they will be full of love to' 
 their good ihepherd, and they will love the 
 meanSj which he has appointed to convey 
 nourifhment to his flock. In thefe means- 
 they have grown in grace, their love has 
 H 3 increafedj 
 
( n6 ) 
 
 increafed, and their hearts have been more 
 inflamed with pure afFe£tion to their diving 
 jfhepherd, and therefore they can always joiit 
 with the believers in the text in defiring to 
 be led by his grace, to the places and means, 
 in which he feeds his flock. " Tell me, O 
 " thou whom my foul loveth, where thou 
 *' feedell thy people, and the fheep of thy 
 " pafl:ure." 
 
 My brethren, c2in you join with them ? Is 
 the good fhepherd altogether lovely in your 
 eyes for giving you the bread of God which 
 com.eth down from heaven ? Have you re- 
 ceived it from him ? Do you find it fl:rength- 
 ening your hearts, enabling you to die more 
 to fm, and to live more to God, to get 
 power over inward corruption, and outward 
 oppofition. Happy are ye, if this be your 
 cafe, for you need not fear his comfort and 
 fl:rength in time of great trials and troubles, 
 as it follows in the third part of my text, 
 he will make his flock to reft in the burning 
 heat at noon. 
 
 The heat of the fun at noon is in Jtida^- 
 very violent and fcorching. The faithful 
 jttiepherd will take care to drive his flock; 
 
 during- 
 
i ^'7 ) 
 
 during thefe fultry hours to fome cool fliade. 
 There he will defend them from their ene- 
 mies : for they are weak and defencelefs 
 themfelves. All the beafts of prey can with 
 eafe devour them, and in hot ccuntries where 
 the beafts of prey abound, the Ihepherd is 
 forced to watch his flock in the cold of the 
 night, as well as in the heat of the day : • for 
 thus we find yacoh defcribing his care of 
 Labans flock, " I was in the day confumed 
 " with heat, and with froft in the night, 
 *' and my fleep departed from mine eyes." 
 And in the New Tejlament we read, that in 
 the depth of winter, when our Lord was 
 born, there were fliepherds in the open field 
 watching over their flocks by night. How 
 beautifully is our Lord's paftoral care hereby 
 reprefented ? For the fhepherd of Ifrael never 
 flumbers nor fleeps, watching over his flock 
 continually night and day, and he fufters no 
 enemy to come near to hurt them. He him-* 
 felf is a fhadow in the day-time from the 
 he^t, and a fafe refuge from the power of 
 all their enemies. They have a formidable 
 hoft to contend with. Sin, and fatan, and 
 the world, and the temptations and troubles 
 in it, had taken captive the loft flieep, and 
 kw and juftice allowed them to be kept in 
 H 3 bondage, 
 
> ( ii8 ) 
 
 bondage, until death fliould feize upon them,' 
 and deliver them over to the place of tor- 
 ments, where the v^^orm dieth not, and 
 the fire is not quenched. From thefe ene- 
 mies the Lord Jefus came to fave his flock. 
 He fubdued all thefe enemies in his own 
 perfon, and does fubdue them by the grace 
 of his alm.ighty Spirit in all his people. 
 When he has fought them, and brought 
 them back to God, and fed them with the 
 bread of life, then in the ftrength of this 
 bread he enables them to fight againft their 
 ^enemies, who are alfo his, and it is for his 
 glory that they get the vidtory over them^ 
 The weaker they are, the more does his 
 ftrength appear, which worketh mightily iri 
 them and by them. And to encourage them 
 to fear nothing but fm, he thus exhorts 
 them — " Fear not little flock, for it is your 
 *' Father's good pleafure to give you the 
 *' kingdom ;" and as it is his good pleafure 
 to give you the kingdom itfelf, he will cer- 
 tainly fupport you in the way to it. You 
 may be poor and weak fheep, but your fhep- 
 •herd is the Lord God omnipotent. You 
 may have many infirmities, but he knows 
 them, and is touched with the feeling of 
 ^hem. You may have many temptations, 
 
 but 
 
( 119 ) 
 
 but he will not fufFer you to be tempted 
 above what he will enable you to bear. Your 
 troubles may be great, but he fays, "' Fear 
 *' not, for I am with thee, I will be with 
 *' thee in trouble, yea, I will deliver thee, 
 *' and bring thee to honour." Who can 
 doubt of his paftoral love, that reads this 
 fweet defcription of it in Ifaiah^ " He fhall 
 " feed his flock like a fhepherd, he fhall 
 " gather the lambs with his arm, and carry 
 *' them in his bofom, and fhall gently lead 
 " thofe that are with young." In what a 
 tender and affedting manner is our Lord's 
 pafloral love here reprefented ? He feeds all 
 his flock, fo that they lack nothing. If any 
 of them wander from the fold, he gathers 
 them with his arm. Thofe that are with 
 young he leads gently. And thofe that can- 
 not go at all, he carries in his bofom, and 
 lays near his heart. Oh what a wonderful 
 love is this ! Certainly there never was greater 
 love, except what our Lord fhewed, when 
 he laid down his life for the fheep. In which 
 inftance of his love he is unrivalled. Other 
 fhepherds may have fuch care for their flock, 
 as to feek the loft fheep, to feed them all, 
 to watch over them, and to defend them 
 from their enemies, and nothing farther is 
 H 4 expected 
 
( 120 ) 
 
 expected of them. But our Lord fhewed 
 his greateft love, where theirs ends. They 
 feed and fatten the flock, that they may feed 
 and cloath themfelves with it. They live 
 upon the flock ; but he laid down his life 
 for the helplefs loft fheep. He died to 
 give them life : for the good fhepherd giveth 
 his life for the fheep ; which leads me to 
 the fourth particular I was to confider, 
 namely,, That Chrift faves his flock from 
 the great Uial of all, from death. 
 
 The faithful in the text certainly included 
 this, when they prayed for a refting-place 
 from trials and troubles. The raging heat 
 at noon properly exprefl^es the fharpeft trial 
 with the laft enemy. "When fin and fatan 
 try their utmoft efforts, and fet the King of 
 terrors to attack and alarm the confcience* 
 And they fucceed with all natural men. To 
 unpardoned fmners how fearful is death. The 
 approach of it is to them the beginning of 
 cndlefs forrows. But our Lord's paftoral 
 iove has engaged to deliver the fheep of his 
 pafture from the power and from the fear 
 of death. And here his divine afFedion for 
 them fhines forth in a wonderful manner, 
 3?^hich can no more be defcribed, than it 
 
 can 
 
( 121 ) 
 
 can be imitated : for if all the holy angels 
 in heaven, and all the creatures in the uni- 
 •verfe were to lay down their lives to fave one 
 loft fheep, it would be in vain. The Lord 
 Jefus alone was equal to this great work: 
 for he was God and man united in one 
 Chrift, and therefore his death was of in- 
 eftimable and infinite value. By it he made 
 a full, perfect, and fufficient facrifice, obla- 
 tion, and fatisfaition for fin. St. Paul tells 
 the QorinthianSy " I delivered unto you firft 
 *' of all that which I alfo received, how that 
 *' Chrift died for our fins according to the 
 *' fcriptures." The fcriptures of the Old 
 Tejlament fhewed in the facrifices of the law, 
 that he was to die and to ihed his blood for 
 fin. One prophet fays, that Chrift fliould 
 fwallow^up death in vid:ory. [Ifaiab xxv. 8.) 
 And in another Chrift himfelf fays, " I 
 " will ranfom them from the power of 
 " the grave, I will redeem them from 
 " death : O death, I will be thy plagues, 
 " O grave, I will be thy deftrudion." 
 (Hofca xiiif 14.) And the New Teftament 
 fhews how he fulfilled thefe fcriptures ; by 
 the one facrifice of himfelf he abolifhed 
 death, fo that it has no longer any power 
 gver the children of God. 
 
 But 
 
( 122 ) 
 
 But do not the children of God die as 
 well as other men? Yes. It is appointed 
 unto all men once to die; but death has no 
 power to hurt God's children, and they 
 know, by faith, that it has not. Here is 
 their comfort. Each of them can fay with 
 PW, Jefus Chrift loved me and gave him- 
 felf for me. By his death I live. I know 
 him, and the power of his refurredlion : for 
 I have experienced this power raifmg me up 
 from the grave of fm to newnefs of life, and 
 therefore when I go through the fhadow of 
 death I will fear no evil, for thou my 
 almighty fhepherd flialt be there with me, 
 and thy rod and thy ftaff Ihall then comfort 
 me. 
 
 And thus Chrlfl has delivered the flieep 
 of his pafture from the power of death, and 
 thanks be to God v/ho gives us the vidiory 
 over the fear of it through Jefus Chrift our 
 Lord. He came to deliver thofe, who 
 through fear of death had been all their life- 
 time fubjed: to bondage. And he does de- 
 liver them. We fee many happy inftances 
 of his power to deliver. And if there be 
 any of you, my brethren, whofe hearts tell 
 you that you are not delivered, confider what 
 
( 123 ) 
 
 IS the reafon. Why do you, who call your- 
 felves chriftians, fear to die? What is there 
 terrible in death to a true believer? And yet 
 it is terrible to you; if it fhould come this 
 day, it would furprife you. Nay the very 
 thought of it is painful. You put it afide, 
 and wifh to forget it. All this proves that 
 you have nothing more of chriftianlty than 
 the name. You have experienced none of 
 the life and power of it: for your fms are 
 not pardoned. You fear death, becaufe the 
 fenfe of guilt is not taken out of the con-* 
 fcience. " For the fting of death is fm, 
 *' and the ftrength of fm is the law." While 
 fm ftings the confcience, and the broken law 
 gives ftrength to. fm, fo that it ftings the 
 deeper, you muft fear death. And this is 
 the reafon fo many people called chriftians 
 are afraid to die. They don't know that 
 their fms are pardoned, and that all the 
 demands of the law upon them ^re fatisiied, 
 by their good fhepherd's laying down " his 
 life for them. Nay they are fo far from 
 knowing this, that they never defired, and 
 perhaps many of them think it prefumption 
 and madnefs to pretend to know it. My 
 brethren, if thefe be your thoughts, you 
 may be aflured, you can never meet death 
 
 with 
 
( 124 ) 
 
 with joy, until faith give you a clear view 
 of your intereft in Chrift: but when it en- 
 ables you to fee him, obeying, fuffering, and 
 dying for your fms, and as your all-prevailing 
 interceiTor pleading your caufe before God, 
 then the fting of death will be taken away. 
 You will have nothing to fear : for then 
 you will know, that ail things are yours, 
 whether life or death, or things prefent or 
 things to come, all are yours, and ye are 
 Chrift's, and Chrift is God's. 
 
 If we fum up, and lay together what has 
 been faid, it will appear that Chrift is alto- 
 gether lovely in the character of the fhep- 
 herd and bifhop of our fouls. What more 
 could be done, than he has done for the 
 fheep of his pafture? He has brought them 
 back to God from the error of their ways, 
 has fupported them when they were brought 
 back, has defended them in their trials and 
 troubles, and has given to them eternal life 
 as the purcliafe of his death. Thefe with 
 all the other benefits of the gofpel were ob- 
 tained ])y the good fhepherd's laying down 
 his life for the fbcep, and are now freely 
 beftowed by his grace, and thankfully re- 
 ceived by faith. At prefect it is the great 
 
 privilege 
 
 ft 
 
 • 
 
( 1^5 ) 
 
 privilege of all Chrift's fheep to know b^ 
 faith that they belong to his fold, and that 
 they have an intereft in the bleffings which 
 he has to give. Thefe faith receives and en- 
 joys: for we are in pofTeffion of none of them, 
 until they be applied, and it is faith that 
 makes the application. When we receive 
 faith from the operation of God, then we 
 know that all the benefits which the good 
 Ihepherd has to beftow are ours : for the lan- 
 guage of faith is this — " The Lord is my 
 " fhepherd, therefore can I lack nothing. 
 '' He ihall feed me in a green pafture, and 
 " fhall lead me forth befide the waters of 
 " comfort. Yea though I walk through the 
 " valley of the fhadow of death, I will fear 
 " no evil." When faith fears no evil, no 
 not even death, than hope can reft itfelf 
 upon the care of the good fhepherd, and the 
 fenfe of his love will produce love and grate- 
 ful obedience. Thus the graces of the Spi- 
 rii:, faith, hope and love, are produced in 
 the hearts of all that belong to Chrill's flock, 
 and are the fheep of his pafture. They 
 know their good fhepherd, and are known 
 of him. They know his voice and follow 
 him, yea they follow him with joy, whether 
 
 he 
 
( 126 ) 
 
 he calls them to do or to fiifFer for his 
 name's fake. 
 
 If any of you think this is not to be clearly 
 known, your denial does not prove, that God 
 has not promifed to give this faith, nor that 
 he does not give it, but only that he has not 
 given it to you ; for the fcripture has ex- 
 prefsly promifed it, and it is a certain mat- 
 ter of fad, that God is daily fulfilling his 
 promifes. And when they are fulfilled to 
 any perfon, he cannot but know it. He had 
 been all his life a loft fheep, wandering from 
 God w^ithout any defire to return, does not 
 he know, when he began to pray earneftly, 
 that God would heal his wanderings, and 
 bring him home again ? How can he pof-r 
 fibly be ignorant of fo great a change in his 
 own mind ? When his defires take a new 
 turn, he that fought for happinefs in the 
 world, now feeks it in Chrift, and has 
 turned his back upon all that worldly men 
 call rich and honourable, defiring only the 
 riches of grace, and the honours of eternity, 
 how can the man himfelf not know this,^ 
 when every body about him fees it ? When 
 God has given him thefe defires, and he is 
 refolved by the help of divine grace to feek 
 
 until 
 
( 127 ) 
 
 until lie find by faith, that Chiifl is his Sa- 
 viour and his God, when his conftant dif- 
 courfe is, " Nothing but Chrift, nothing but 
 " Chrift," does not the man know all this 
 time what he is fpeaking and doing ? Its 
 certain he does, becaufe his neighbours know 
 it and ridicule him for it, and when they 
 cannot laugh him out of his religious notions, 
 they leave him for an incorrigible enthufiaft, 
 .But if he does not leave feeking God, God 
 will convince him by many undoubted 
 proofs, that he is one of the flieep of Chrifl's 
 pailure. God will enable him to know 
 that he is a partaker of all the exceeding 
 great and precious promifes of the gofpel by 
 means of his union with Jefus Chrift through 
 faith, and he will fend the fpirit of adoption 
 into his heart, bearing teftimony with his 
 fpirit, that he is a child of God. This tef- 
 timony cannot poffibly be a delufion, be- 
 caufe it is followed by a change, which the 
 Almighty alone is ' able to effedt : for being 
 united to Jefus by faith, he is made partaker 
 of a new nature, with a new heart, and re- 
 newed affettions; he is a new creature, the 
 old things of his former ftate and converfa- 
 tion are done away, and behold ail things 
 are become new. His foul is filled with 
 
 love 
 
( 128 ) 
 
 iove to his God and Saviour, for doing thefe 
 great things for him, and Ihew its love by 
 love to his commandments. When all this 
 is done, may not the man confidently fay 
 with the prophet, " The Lord is my fhep- 
 " herd, I am one of his people, and one 
 *' of the fheep of his paflure." 
 
 Since then believers may be as certain of 
 Chrift's being their fhepherd, as they were 
 in the text, and can truly fay with them, 
 " Tell me, O thou whom my foul loveth, 
 " where thou feedeft thy flock, where thou 
 *' makeft them to reft in the raging heat of 
 " noon," I have now brought the difcoUrfe 
 to the point I aimed at, vs/^hich was to pre- 
 pare the way for this queftion, and may God 
 enable you to anfwer it to yourfelves honeftly 
 and fairly, " Is Chriil your fhepherd ? Let 
 every one of you afk his own heart, " Is 
 *' my foul under the paftoral care of this 
 " good Ihepherd ?" If you know by the 
 marks before laid down, that he is yours, 
 and you are the Iheep of his pafture, you 
 will love him and ferv^e him without fear in 
 holinefs and righteoufnefs before him all the 
 days of your life. But if you know it hot, 
 or are not feekin^ it, it is incumbent upon 
 
 me 
 
( m ) 
 
 me to warn you of your guilt, and of your 
 danger. You know not as yet that you have 
 any right to ufe the words of the text. You 
 cannot fay to the great and good fhepherd 
 from a fenfe of what he has done for you, 
 *' O thou whom my foul loveth." You know 
 not that he feeds you with the bread of God, 
 which endureth unto everlafting life, nor 
 that he is your defender in danger, your re- 
 fuge in time of trouble, your ready helper in 
 an hour of temptation, and your almighty 
 fupporter under perfecution. Nay perhaps 
 you may think thefe things cannot be known. 
 From hence it is certain, that you are not at 
 prefent a part of Chrift's flock, and there- 
 fore you have none of the bleflings or privi- 
 leges which belong to it, no pardon of lin, 
 no fenfe of juftification to life, you have 
 none of the life which Chrift came to give 
 to linners, no grace, no holinefs, no happi- 
 nefs. God the Father is your enemy, his 
 law has condemned you, his juflice is con- 
 cerned to fee the fentence of the law exe- 
 euted upon you, and the judge himfelf has 
 given you an awful defcription of its execu- 
 tion in the xxvth of St. Matthew, Confi- 
 der thefe things, ir.y brethren. Weigh the 
 importance of them, and fee whether you 
 
 I iiave 
 
( 13° ) 
 
 have not reafon to look up to the great an^ 
 good fhepherd, and to intreat him to bring 
 you back to God from the error of your 
 xvays. May the Spirit of the living God 
 fhew you the danger of your prefent flate, 
 and ftir up defires in your hearts for deli- 
 verance. May he enable you to feek it a$ 
 his free gift, and in the ways of his ordi- 
 nances, until you experience the fweet and 
 comfortable do£trlne in the text, and can 
 join in gratitude and praife w^ith the Lord's 
 people, and the fheep of his pafture, to 
 whom I fhall in the lall place make a ihort 
 application. 
 
 My chriftian brethren, you have expe- 
 rienced the love of the divine fhepherd, and 
 therefore you love him, and can with full 
 truft and confidence addrefs him in the 
 words of the text, " O thou, whom my 
 ** foul loveth." In the fenfe of this love you 
 are happy. Knowing that the incarnate 
 God ftands related to you as your all-loving 
 fhepherd, you can call all your care upon 
 him : for he careth for you. He has en- 
 gaged, and your faith can reft itfelf upon 
 his promifes, that you fhall lack nothing. 
 All things are yours : for they are in the 
 
 hand 
 
( 131 ) 
 
 hand of your kind fhepherd and loving Sa-* 
 viour, who will make them all work toge- 
 ther for your good. He knows what is beft 
 for you, and he will give it you. And you 
 know it to be beft ; be it ficknefs or health, 
 poverty or riches, they are alike fandified 
 vifitations. You tafte of God's love in 
 them, and you love him for them. No- 
 thing can hurt you but fin, and you need 
 fear nothing but it : for all things but fin 
 iliall do you good. Outward trials and 
 troubles fhall be real bleffings. They will 
 drive you nearer to Chrift, and keep you in 
 clofer communion with him, and thereby 
 you will not only be a conqueror over them, 
 but will alfo make great advances in the di- 
 vine life. " What fliall feparate us from 
 " the love of Chrift, fays the apoftle. Shall 
 " tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or 
 " famine, or nakednefs, or peril, or fword I 
 " Nay, in all thefe things we are more 
 " than conquerors through him that loved 
 " us. 
 
 Now is not this a ftate greatly to be de- 
 fired ? If Ibmething did not blind men's eyes 
 and pervert their judgment, would not they 
 all out of felf-love feek the happy know- 
 
 i 2 ledge 
 
( 132 ) 
 
 ledge of tlieir being the llieep of the Lord's 
 pafture, who lack nothing, and who have 
 all manner of things that are good ? The 
 great fhepherd and bifhop of fouls watches 
 over them by his almighty power, fuffering 
 nothing to hurt them in their real intereft> 
 but ordering all things for their benefit. 
 His very judgments upon the wicked arc 
 mercies to them. And fmce he can thus 
 make outward calamities work for their 
 good, what mufl his a£ts of grace and love 
 be ? Who can tell, how blefled the man is 
 Whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe 
 fms are covered ? Who has joy and peace 
 in believing that he is pardoned and jufti- 
 fied, who has the fpirit of adoption in his 
 heart, enabling him to cry, Abba, Father, 
 and abiding with him to ftrengthen, to 
 comfort, and to fandify him, fhedding 
 daily more and more of the love of God 
 abroad in his heart, and making him fit 
 and meet for glory. Mull not fuch a man 
 he blefled indeed ! Can you conceive a more 
 happy ftate on this fide of heaven I And 
 do you not then defire it ? If you do, O 
 come, tafte, and fee what happinefs this 
 great and good fhepherd does beftow, pray 
 to hira for the experience of his love and 
 
 power 
 
( ^33 ) 
 
 power, and let us join In calling upon him, 
 and faying, 
 
 O Lord Jefu Chrlft, the great fhepherd 
 of the fheep, who haft redeemed them by 
 the blood of the everlafting covenant, look 
 down upon this congregation, and be gra- 
 cious to thofe who have no defire to know 
 thee to be the fhepherd and bifhop of their 
 fouls. Shev>/' them their guilt, convince 
 them of their danger, and enable them w^ith 
 thofe who are now feeking, to wait upon 
 thee, until thou bring them into thy fold; 
 and there feed them with the bread of 
 <}od, and fupport them in all troubles and 
 trials, until death be fwallowed up in vic- 
 tory. Oh bleffed and adorable Jefus, give 
 this whole congregation the fweet experience 
 of the dod;rine we have been confidering, 
 and although we have all been as fheep 
 going aftray, yet grant we may all return to ' 
 the fhepherd and bifhop of our fouls, and be 
 happy with him in time and in eternity. 
 So be it, to the honour and glory of Father, 
 Son and Holy Spirit, three perfons in one 
 Jehovah, to whom be equal praife and wof- 
 fhip, now and for ever. ^t7ieu and Ame?u 
 
C ^34 ) 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Chap. i. Ver. 8. 
 
 Jf thou know not^ thou fairejl among 
 women^ go thy way forth by the footjieps 
 of the fock^ and feed thy kids befide the 
 fhepherds tents, 
 
 THESE words are an anfwer to the 
 prayer, which the behevers had of- 
 fered up in the preceding verfe. They 
 had tailed of the love of the great and good 
 fhepherd, and knew they belonged to his 
 flock, and therefore they intreated him to 
 feed them with the bread of God — Give us 
 this day our daily bread, and to lead them 
 in time of trouble and temptation to a place of 
 refuge and fafety. Each of them could thus 
 pray for himfelf, " Tell me, O thou whom 
 " my foul loveth, where thou feedeft, where 
 " thou makeft thy flock to reft at noon : for 
 *' why fliould I be as one that turneth afide 
 " by the flocks of thy companions ?" Why 
 fhpuld I be inifled by them ? If he followed 
 
 the 
 
( us ) 
 
 the flocks of thefe companions he would be 
 turned afide,- and confequently they were not 
 true fincere companions of Chrift, but only 
 in name and pretence. 
 
 In the words which I have now read we 
 ^ave the fuccefs of this prayer. They con- 
 tain a gracious anfwer from our Lord Jefus, 
 the great Ihepherd and bifhop of fouls. The 
 prayer confifted of two parts, and he makes 
 a reply to each. " If thou know not, fays 
 " he, O thou faireft among women, go thy 
 *' way forth by the footfteps of the flock,'* 
 there you will find food, " and feed thy 
 *^ kids befide the fliepherds tents," there you 
 will find fafety. May his good Spirit en- 
 lighten all our underftandings clearly to fee 
 the fenfe of thefe words, and may he enable 
 us to experience the power of them, and if 
 it be his good pleafure by means of what 
 ihall be fpoken, 
 
 Firfiy In A fhort paraphrafe upon them, 
 and 
 
 Secondly, In the practical ufe and appli- 
 c.auoa I fhall make of them. 
 
 I 4 Our 
 
( «36 ) 
 
 'Cur blefled Saviour is the great and good 
 iliepherd of fouls. His greatnefs makes his 
 goodnefs i:ft)re defireable: for he is almighty 
 to give whatever he fees his people want. 
 Whatever they aik of him, he is able and 
 willing to grant it : for he is a God hearing 
 prayer. His ears are always open to receive, 
 his love is always difpofed to anfwer the 
 prayer of faith. So foon as the faithful in 
 the text had fent up their petitions to the 
 great fhepherd and bi£hop of fouls, the an- 
 fwer came down. Yea he himfelf brought 
 it. He that fpake and all things were 
 made, he that commanded, and they ftill 
 obey his commandment and hearken unto 
 the voice of his v/crds, he the God and king 
 of heaven and earth fays, If thou know noty 
 if thou doll not clearly and fully know, but 
 Cornell to me for direction and aflillance, O 
 ihoufairejl cmo7ig womefi. The foul is here 
 fpoken of, as the church often is under the 
 fimilitude of a woman, and faid to be fair, 
 fair even in the eyes of Chrill, the bride- 
 groom of the church. And by what means 
 was fhe made thus lovely in his fight ? In 
 herfeif flie was black and fmful, and there is 
 notlimg fo ^^.lthy end abominable in the fight 
 of the ail-pure God, as fin, He cannot behold 
 
 the 
 
( ^37 ) 
 
 the leafl iniquity, and mankind is conceived 
 and born in iniquity, and by nature fubjed: to 
 the wrath of God, how then can he behold it 
 with approbation ? Not until it be cleanfed 
 from all fin in the blood of the Lamb. 
 When it is juftified by his righteoufnefs, and 
 cloathed with his graces, then it will be in- 
 deed fair and beautiful; yea perfect through 
 my comelinefs, which I had put upon thee, 
 faith the Lord God. When Chrift has thus 
 prefented the foul to himfelf not having fpot 
 or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but holy and 
 without blemilh, then he fpeaks to her as 
 perfect in beauty, " If thou know not, O 
 " thou faireft among women, go thy way 
 " forth by the footfteps of the flock." The 
 great fhepherd has but one flock. Although 
 it confifts of a great multitude, which no mart 
 could number, yet they have but one fpirit 
 in them all, but one Lord, one faith, and 
 one baptifm. They are of one heart, and 
 of one mind ; they walk by the fame rule, 
 and mind the fame thing. Though part of 
 them be already entered into reft, and others 
 are ftill in the world, yet they have fweet 
 fellowfhip and communion with each other 
 in the unity of the fpirit. And e'er long 
 they will be all gathered into one place. 
 
 There 
 
( 138 ) 
 
 There will be but one fold, and one iliep- 
 herd: for in the difpenfation of the fulnefs 
 of times God will gather together in one all 
 things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, 
 and which are on earth, even in him. 
 
 And as the flock is one, fo is the way. 
 There never was but one way, in which 
 the Lord's flock walked. In the fame good 
 old way, they that are gone before, and we 
 that are following after them muft walk. 
 Many difputes indeed have been raifed about 
 it by men who are gone out of the way. 
 The philofophers of Greece and Rome fought 
 by the light of nature, but could not find it, 
 and our modern reafoners are feeking it by 
 the fame light, and fl:ill mifs it; but be- 
 lievers are at no lofs, becaufe their Lord en- 
 ded all difputes about it, when he declared, 
 " I am the way." He is the only way, be- 
 caufe no fmner can come to the Father but 
 by him. You muft walk with him in his 
 way, if ever you be reconciled to the Father, 
 and fee his face with joy. And what is it 
 that brings us into his way? Faith, the one 
 faith which unites the believer to Chrift, and 
 v^rhich is juftifying faith, becaufe there is no 
 faying faith but this. You may divide faith 
 
 into 
 
( ^39 ) 
 
 into many branches according to its feveral 
 offices, and may give it feveral names, but 
 if it be faving faith it is that which juftifies, 
 which by uniting us to Chrift fets us in the 
 right way, and keeps us in it. And this 
 faith all believers had under the Old Tefia- 
 ment difpenfation, as certainly as we have it 
 under the New. They proved that they 
 had the one faith, hy the adings of their 
 faith, as St. Paul has taught us at large in 
 the 1 1 th chapter to the Hebrews ; wherein 
 he fets before us the moft celebrated per- 
 fonagcs in fcripture, and fhews what great 
 things their faith enabled them to do and to 
 fuifer, in order to encourage us to follow 
 the fteps of their faith. 
 
 Some perhaps may enquire, whether the 
 faith that juftified and faved them was the 
 fame that we have now: the iipoftle replies 
 that there is but oue failh^ and if theirs was 
 not the one faith, how could he propofe 
 their faith to us, and exhort us to follow 
 them, looking, as they did, unto Jefus the 
 author and finifher of faith? Our reformers 
 have coniidered the 1 1 th chapter to the He- 
 brews in the fecond part of their homily upon 
 faith, and they fum it up in thefe w^ords: — 
 
 " This 
 
( HO ) 
 
 " This IS the chriftian faith which thefe- 
 " holy men had, and we alfo ought to have. 
 ** And although they were not named chrif- 
 " tian men, yet was it a chriftian faith that 
 " they had, for they looked for all benefits 
 " of God the Father, through the merits of 
 " his Son Jefus Chrift, as we now do. This 
 " difference is between them and us, that 
 '^ they looked when Chrift ftiould come ; 
 *' and we be in the time, when he is come: 
 " therefore faith St. Augujl'me^ the time is 
 " altered and changed, but not the faith." 
 In effed they and we be all one; we have 
 the fame faith that they had, and they the 
 fame that we have, and therefore in the text 
 we are directed to follow their faith, and 
 more efpecially the actings of their faith, 
 *' Go thy way forth by the footfteps of the 
 " flock." You may fee in what way they 
 walked by the marks and prints of their 
 feet, which they have left behind them. 
 Obferve thofe, and tread in their fteps. See 
 what great things, how impoffible to flefti 
 and biocd, their faith enabled them to per- 
 form, and go and do thou likewife. St. 
 Faid has determined, that this is the mean- 
 ing of treading in their fteps, in Rom. iv. 1 2, 
 \vhere he is fpeaking of Abrahams being 
 
 the 
 
( 141 1 
 
 the father of all thofe who tread in the fteps 
 of that faith, which he had, being yet un- 
 circumcifed — he is the father of all thofe 
 who can tread in the fteps of his faith, who 
 follow him in the adings of his faith, and 
 can give fuch marks of its fmcerity as hs 
 did. 
 
 Try yourfelves then, my brethren, in this 
 point, and examine whether you are fol- 
 lowing the footfteps of the flock. Can you 
 tread in the fteps oi Abrahams faith? When 
 God called Abraham to leave his country 
 and his father's houfe, he obeyed, and he 
 went out not knowing whither he went: 
 God does call you to leave the world, and 
 the things of it, and to fet your affedions 
 upon the things above; and can you, have 
 you obeyed? Do you live in the world, like 
 Abraham^ a ftranger and a pilgrim, know- 
 ing that here is not your home, but that 
 you have a better country, namely a hea- 
 venly, provided for you? Can you live upon 
 the promifes of God, as Abraham did, when 
 all things make againft you, and rely with 
 full truft and confidence upon the divine 
 faithfulnefs and truth ? Can you give up the 
 deareft oLjei^ of your heart, be it an onlvchild, 
 
 if 
 
{ H2 ) 
 
 if the God of all grace and love fliould think 
 proper to take it from you? Are you thus 
 ftrong in faith, giving glory to God? Can 
 you copy after thefe adings of Abrahams 
 faith? If you cannot follow his fteps, con- 
 fider what is the reafon. Do you defire it? 
 If you do, have you not the promife of the 
 fame grace which Abraham had, to enable 
 you to walk by faith and not by fight? Are 
 not all things poffible to him that believeth? 
 Why then are you behind Abraham f Oh 
 haftcn your fteps, and get to the head of the 
 flock. Let none be before you. You have 
 the very fame help that the father of the 
 faithful had, therefore call afide every weight, 
 and the lin which does fo eafily befet you, 
 (it is fm that ftops your courfe) and prefs 
 toward the mark, for the prize of the high 
 calling of God in Chrift Jefus. 
 
 But perhaps fome perfon may afk, where 
 fhall I meet with the footfteps of the flock 
 of Chrift? Where are there any marks of 
 them to be found? That you might not be 
 at a lofs, God has been pleafed to leave a 
 lively and exa^t print of them in the fcrip- 
 ture. There you have an impreffion of all 
 the footfteps, which you are to follow: for 
 
 th^. 
 
 k 
 
( 143 ) 
 
 the word IS. a lanthorn unto our feet, and a 
 light unto our paths, to guide our feet into 
 the way of peace, and then to order our 
 fteps in it. St. Pcmly i Cor. x. having drawn, 
 the great outlines of the JezviJJj hiftory, fays, 
 " That all thefe things happened unto them 
 *' for examples, and they are written for our 
 " admonition." And having, Heb. xi. defcri- 
 bed the adings of the faith of the Old TeJIa- 
 metit faints, he applies them to us for our ex- 
 ample, exhorting us to follow their faith ; s^nd 
 he alfo propofes himfelf for a pattern to the 
 Corinthians^ " Be ye followers of me, even 
 " as I alfo am of Chrift" — follow my fteps 
 fo far as I follow Chrift' s. In this light we 
 are to confider the footfteps of the flock. 
 Chrift is at the head, and goes before his 
 flock, they follow him and tread in his 
 fteps, and we who come after tread in theirs, 
 following them in the way, wherein they 
 followed Chrift. And all this is recorded 
 for our ufe in fcripture. We are to take no 
 ftep, unlefs we fee fome marks of the flock's 
 having gone before, and taken that very 
 ftep ; and when we are united by faith to 
 Chrift, and under the guidance of his good 
 Spirit, we Ihall then fee directions left in 
 fcripture, for every ftep we are to take. 
 
 And 
 
( 144 ) 
 
 And thus though it be not in man that 
 walketh to dired: his fteps, yet the Lord 
 ■will hold up our goings in his paths that our 
 footfteps flip not: for the fteps of a good 
 man ai'e ordered by the Lord, and he maketh 
 his way acceptable to himfelf. 
 
 This is I think the fenfe of the firft part 
 of my text, namely, of treading in the foot- 
 fteps of the flock: the next words have very 
 Tittle difhculty, " and feed thy kids befide 
 *' the ftiepherds tents." Thefe ftiepherds 
 are the fervants of the chief fliepherd, whofe 
 own the ftieep are. The minifters of the 
 Lord who have the care and charge of his 
 flock are throughout the fcriptures called paf- 
 tors or ftiepherds. And their tents here men- 
 tioned are not fuch tents as earthly ftiepherds 
 pitch, when they are watching their flocks, 
 but certain ftated fixed dwellings, wherein 
 they ofiiciated as fpiritual paftors and ftiep- 
 herds. The original word is not what our 
 tranflators commonly render tents, but ano- 
 ther which always fignilies to dwell or to in- 
 habit, and which is of the fame root with 
 Sheclnah^ the habitation of the divine glory 
 in the tabernacle and temple. The firft 
 time it occurs is in the third of Genefir^ 
 
 where 
 
{ 145 ) 
 
 where the ufe and defign of the cherubim 
 is mentioned — " And God drove out the 
 " man, and he placed^ he dwelt in, or in- 
 " habited the cherubim." We read of God's 
 appearing in the moft holy place of the ta- 
 bernacle and temple over the cherubim; for 
 which reafon St. Faul calls them the cheru- 
 bim of glory. And the whole tabernacle 
 and temple, including the holy as well as 
 the moft holy place, with all their facred 
 vefTels and apparatus, are generally called by 
 the fame word that is in my text, viz. the 
 dwelling. Indeed it is commonly tranflated 
 tabernacle^ but it fignifies the dwelling-place 
 of the God of Ifraely the place where he 
 had put his name to dwell there. And 
 accordingly when the tabernacle and temple 
 were reared up, the glory of the Lord, that 
 glorious and divine perfon who was the 
 reality of all their types and ceremonies, came 
 and filled them. And it was upon account 
 of his prefence in them, that the faithful 
 could fay, " Lord, I have loved the habita- 
 " tion of thine houfe, and the place where 
 " thy glorv dwelleth." Thefe circumftances 
 may lead us to confider the dwellings, men- 
 tioned in my text, as places appropriated to 
 a religious ufe, dwellings facred rather than 
 
 K civil, 
 
( 146 ) 
 
 Civil, fuch as the fliepherds dwelt in, when 
 they were ading in their office as paftors over 
 the flock of Chrift. In thefe dwellings they 
 refided in order to difpenfe the word and the 
 facraments, and to adrainifter the ordinances 
 to the Lord's people, and to the fheep of his 
 paflure: for here they were to feed the kids; 
 the original word is ufed for the young of 
 the fheep as well as of the goats ; for whom 
 the chief fhepherd has a particular love and 
 tendernefs. He carries them in his bofom. 
 And they lay near the heart of all the Lord's 
 faithful paftors, who watch with the greatell 
 care over the young and weak part of their 
 flock, ufing every likely means to preferve 
 and ftrengthen them, and withal ftriving 
 much for them with God in prayer. No 
 tender parent can be more concerned for the 
 health of a weak and fickly child, than they 
 are for the weak in the faith. Knowing to 
 what temptations they are expofed, and what 
 difficulties they have to encounter, they la- 
 bour earneftly to keep them near the Ihep- 
 herds dwellings, in clofe attendance upon 
 the ordinances, for here they will be fafe 
 from danger, and will find food to ftrengthen 
 their hearts, and to enable them to grow in 
 grace. 
 
 I hope 
 
( H7 ) 
 
 I hope It now appears from what has been 
 faid, that the Lord's anfwer is direct and 
 full to his people's prayer. They had defired 
 to learn where he fed his flock, and where 
 he made them reft in times of great trials and 
 troubles. He replies, with lips full of grace, 
 If thou art at a lofs, O my beloved, whom I 
 have purchafed with mine own blood, and 
 made fair and lovely with mine own righ- 
 teoufnefs, go thy way forth by the footfteps 
 of the flock, fee in what way they have 
 always walked, mark the ad:ings of their faith, 
 imitate them, and you will find the more 
 you ad faith the ftronger it will grow. If 
 temptations are powerful, and troubles many 
 and heavy, and the heat of perfecution rages, 
 and faith is ready to ftirink back, and to 
 give way, then keep near the fhepherds 
 dwellings. There are the ordinances, upon 
 which in time of danger young and weak 
 believers ftiould attend clofely. The more 
 they wait upon the Lord with the paftors of 
 his flock, the more food they will get for 
 their fouls, and the greater fafety and ftrength 
 will they find: for where can the believer 
 hope to grow fl:ronger in grace than under 
 the means of grace? Thefe are the inftituted 
 means of malting believers ftrong in the 
 K. 3 Lord> 
 
( 148 ) 
 
 Lord, and in the power of his might, able 
 to withftand in the evil day, and having 
 done all to ftand, reiifting unto blood, ftri- 
 ving againft fin. 
 
 This is the doctrine of the text, in which 
 there are two rules laid down for the con- 
 duct of believers. At all times they are to 
 tread in the footfteps of the flock, and to 
 follow the adings of their faith, and in 
 troublefome times they are to keep near the 
 Ihepherds dwellings, that they may receive 
 comfort and ftrength from the ufe of the 
 ordinances. Thefe are Chrift's own direc- 
 tions to them that are in the faith. As to 
 tiiofe perfons, v/ho have never feen their 
 want of faith and are not feeking it, they are 
 not concerned in what has been faid. They 
 have no lot nor fhare with us in this matter: 
 for how fhould they follow the footfteps 
 of the flock, who are not yet got into 
 the way in which the flock walks ? All 
 men by nature have turned afide from the 
 right way, they have erred and ftrayed from 
 the ways of God like loft fheep, and have 
 neither will nor power to turn into it. While 
 ihey are in this ftate, they don't belong to 
 Chrift's flock, and therefore how fliould they 
 
 follow 
 
( 149 ) 
 
 follow the adings of their faith, who them- 
 felves have no faith? My brethren, are any 
 of you in this ftate? Do you know nothing 
 of your having received faith from God as 
 his gift, and wrought in your heart by the 
 operation of his Spirit? Then you fliould 
 fear and tremble for your guilt and your dan- 
 ger. Confider your guilt. You have all your 
 fins, original and adiual to anfwer for, and 
 before a God who is of purer eyes than to 
 behold the leaft iniquity. Confider your 
 danger. Have you not read, " He that be- 
 " lieveth not fhall be damned," and are you 
 not afraid of damnation ? For while your fins 
 are unpardoned every ftep you take tends to 
 hell beneath. And what is there between 
 you and it? Think how neap you are to it. 
 There is nothing but this thin partition of 
 flefli, and this little vapour of life, this light 
 air that you breathe, nothing elfe keeps you 
 out of everlafting burnings. And if God 
 was to take away your breath this moment. 
 Oh where would your poor foul be? Medi- 
 tate on an eternity of torments, and while 
 there is a moment left, ufe it, and flee from 
 the wrath to come. Flee to Jefus, the great 
 and good fhepherd, and try, whether he will 
 not fave thee, for there is falvation in none 
 K 3 other. 
 
( 150 ) 
 
 Other. If thou art fenfible of thy guilt and 
 of thy danger, fear not. Apply to him, and 
 he will get himfelf glory in bringing thee 
 home to God, and in making thee one of 
 the fheep of his pafture. 
 
 Although the diredlons in the text relate 
 only to the faithful, yet I could not help 
 fpeaking a word to thofe who neither have, 
 nor are feeking, the true faving faith. I pray 
 God to make it ufeful to their fouls, and I 
 now come to apply the firft rule here laid 
 down. It is an anfwer to the prayer of the 
 faithful. They had intreated Chrift to in- 
 form them, where he fed his flock; his an- 
 fwer is, Go thy way forth by the footfteps 
 of the flock, fee in what way they were led 
 and fupported, and what prints and marks 
 they left behind them, thefe follow, and you 
 will be carried fafe through, as they were. 
 Chrifl; himfelf is the way, faith fets be- 
 lievers in it by uniting them to Chrifl:, the 
 footfl:eps are the actings of faith recorded in 
 fcripture, the great things which by faith the 
 faints of old were enabled to perform, and 
 thefe things the fcripture holds out to us for 
 our example, and admonition. Now my 
 baethren, when you read of the power of 
 
 faith 
 
( ^Si ) 
 
 faith in former times, do you find it as 
 powerful in you? Faith is the fame: for 
 there is but one faith, and one Lord who 
 gives it, he changeth not, he is the fame 
 yefterday, to-day, and for ever. His pro- 
 mifes are Uke himfelf, truth itfelf, and un- 
 changeable. Why then is not faith as mighty 
 in operation as it ever was ? Why does it not 
 perform the fame wonders now, which it 
 did formerly? In the nth of the Hebrews 
 we read of many fignal ^idtories, which the 
 old faints obtained by the power of faith, 
 and our church fays (fecond part of the homi- 
 ly upon faith) " St. Paul fo much extolleth 
 " their faith, becaufc we fhould not lefs, but 
 " rather more, give ourfelves wholly unto 
 *' Chrift, both in profefTion and living, now 
 *' when Chrift is come, than the old fathers 
 *' did before his coming. And by all the 
 *' declarations of St. Paul it is evident, that 
 *' the true, lively, and Chriftian faith is no 
 *' dead, vain, or unfruitful thing, but a 
 " thing of perfe(5t virtue, of wonderful ope- 
 *' ration or working, and ftrength, bringing 
 " forth all good motions and good works." 
 When you read of the actings of faith in 
 former times, try yourfelves, my beloved bre- 
 thren, and fee whether it has the fame won- 
 K 4 derful 
 
( IJ2 ) 
 
 derful operation and working in you. Try 
 whether you can follow the footfteps of the 
 flock. The vidlories of their faith are marked 
 out for your example, can you then with 
 them triumph over all the enemies of faith, 
 over fm and fatan, the world and the flefh, 
 death and the grave? Thefe are the enemies 
 with whom you are to fight the good fight 
 of faith ; and thefe the faithful have defeated. 
 Their faith conquered nn by apprehending 
 and applying Chrift's righteoufnefs for par- 
 don and j unification, and by drawing from 
 his fulnefs grace for grace to fubdue the 
 dominion of fin. And are you growing in 
 grace, and fo ftrong in faith, that when fm 
 puts on its moft alluring drefs you can with 
 Jofeph and Mofes nobly reject its flattering 
 pleafures? When the devil throws his fiery 
 darts at you, have you the fhield of faith 
 ready to hold up in your defence, againft 
 which the rage and force of his darts is 
 quenched and fpent, fo that you can fay 
 with P^///, I have fought the good fight, I 
 have finifhed my courfe, I have kept the 
 faith? When the world invites you with its 
 riches and honours, can you with Abraham. 
 and his defcendants live a wanderer and a 
 fojourner upon earth, knowing that God is 
 
 your 
 
( '53 ) 
 
 your God, and that he hath provided for you 
 a city not made with hands eternal in the 
 heavens? This is Uving by faith, and not by 
 fight, and this is the victory that overcometh 
 the world, even our faith. Do you know 
 that the will of the flefh is enmity to the 
 w411 of God, and therefore can your faith 
 fubmit to fuffer the will of God, and v/ith 
 yob to bear it patiently? In fhort, can you 
 with Paul rejoice alike in poverty and riches, 
 in pleafure and pain, in honour and difgrace, 
 yea, can you with him do all things through 
 Chrift that ftrengtheneth you ? That is a great 
 word — all things — I can do all things. And 
 yet faith can fpeak it Vsrithout prefumption: 
 for all things are poffible to him that be- 
 lieveth. It is poffible with David to fear 
 no evil, no not when you are going through 
 the valley and fhadow of death; yea, faith 
 can with the bleffed Paul give thanks to God 
 for giving it the victory over death through 
 Jefus Chrift our Lord. 
 
 Thefe are fome of the vi<5tories of faith, 
 which it has already attained, and which 
 are recorded in fcripture for your imitation. 
 And if you find any of them too hard for 
 you, it is not becaufe faith has loft any of 
 
 its. 
 
( 154 ) 
 
 its virtue and efficacy, but becaufe you don't 
 put faith upon ading. Faith is ftill al- 
 mighty. Set it to work, and try its power, 
 and you will find it can do whatever it has 
 done, and why fhould you doubt of its 
 doing what God has promifed it fhall do? 
 Surely the Lord*s hand is not fhortened. 
 He can ftill make faith as victorious as it 
 ever was: for he left thefe great exploits 
 of faith upon record for your ufe, Thefe 
 footfteps of the flock were left on purpofe 
 for your encouragement, that you might fee 
 how pofTible it was to conquer fm and fatan, 
 the world and the flefh, death and the grave. 
 Thefe are your Lord's enemies as well as 
 yours. It is for his honour that you ftiould 
 conquer them. And he promifes you his 
 help, the fame help which he gave to thefe 
 faithful foldiers, who having fought the good 
 fight of faith now ftand confirmed in blifs, 
 with crowns of eternal glory upon their 
 heads, and palms of vidtory in their hands. 
 Is it not a privilege to be enabled to tread in 
 their fteps ? Can there be a greater privilege ? 
 Can there be greater happinefs, than to con- 
 quer and to be crowned with them? Oh 
 difparage not then your Lord nor his gifts, 
 
 by doubting of the power of faith? Fear 
 
 not. 
 
{ 155 ) 
 
 not, only believe. Bring your belief into 
 a£t. Oppofe it to your enemies, and fee 
 whether it will not make you more thaa 
 conquerors over them. Whatever God has 
 promifed faith fhould do in you, and for 
 you, is he not almighty to perform? Doubt 
 not then whenever you are following the 
 footfteps of the flock, but his omnipotence 
 will be prefent with you to fulfil his pro- 
 mifes, and you will find that all things are 
 poffible to him that believeth. 
 
 Thefe victories indeed may he attained by 
 them that are ftrong in faith — but perhaps 
 fome of you may fancy, I am weak in the 
 faith — I muft not afpire to fuch great tilings. 
 Why not? Faith is the gift of God. And 
 it is mighty by his operation. Faith does 
 not work in the fi:rength of nature, but in 
 the omnipotence of grace. And grace is 
 free — as free for you who are a weak be- 
 liever, as for the ftrongeft. So that you 
 may afpire to great things. Put your faith 
 upon acting, and fee whether it will not 
 make you equal to the greateft things: For 
 
 Allowing you are weak at prefent, yet 
 It is not Xj^od's intention, that you fhould 
 
 continue 
 
( 1^6 ) 
 
 continue fo. He has appointed the means 
 of grace for your growth in grace. Attend 
 upon the ordinances, keep near the fhep- 
 herds dwellings, and there you w^ill find 
 yourfelves ftrengthened and eftablifhed : for 
 there is food for your foul. God has pro- 
 mifed that his quickening Spirit fhall be in 
 the ordinances, and that he will render them 
 effedlual for the ends for which they were 
 inflituted. It is his' grace that animates and 
 enlivens them : for without it they are but 
 dead letters, mere carnal ordinances, which 
 profit nothing to the edifying of the foul, 
 but when he quickens them with his divine 
 prefence, then they build up and ftrengthen 
 the believer, and are the means of his grow- 
 ing in grace. 
 
 If then any of you are fenfible of your 
 having but weak faith, wait upon God for 
 the ftrengthening of it. And wait in the 
 ways of his ordinances. In them he has 
 promifed to be found of thofe that feek 
 him. You will find his Spirit prefent in the 
 word, in prayer, and in the facrament of 
 the Lord's fupper. Keep near to them, and 
 God will give you food for your fouls, ena- 
 bling you in the ftrength of it to get more 
 power over fin, and to be more alive unto God. 
 
 The 
 
( «57 ) 
 
 The word is exprefsly fald to be the 
 means of fpiritual Xii^^ Pfalm cxix. 50. Thy 
 word bath quickened me : and it is alfo the 
 means of the growth of this fpiritual life^ 
 according to the apoftle, " As new born 
 " babes defire the fmcere milk of the word, 
 " that ye may grow thereby." But then 
 in order that we may thus grow by the 
 word, faith muft be mixed with it —^ St. 
 Paul tells the TheJfalonianSy i Epiftle Chap. 
 ii. 13. " When ye received the word of God 
 " which ye heard of us, ye received it not 
 " as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) 
 " the word of God, which effedually work- 
 " eth alfo in you that believe." Faith makes 
 it work effectually, and unlefs faith be mixed 
 and incorporated, as it were, vfith it, it 
 does not profit : for we are affured that the 
 antient yews had the fame gofpel preached 
 unto them that we have, but the word 
 preached did not profit them, not being 
 mixed with faith in them that heard it. 
 
 If you cannot mix faith with the word 
 preached, fo as to find yourfelf growing in 
 grace and ftrength, can you pray ? Prayer is 
 the appointed means of receiving a fupply 
 of all your wants, from the fulnefs of Chrift 
 Jefus. Alk and ye fhall have, all that he 
 
 has 
 
( 158 ) 
 
 has purchafed, and all that he has to give : 
 for his promife is very extenfive, Matt, xxi, 
 22. All things^ without any exception, what" 
 foever yejloall ajk in prayer believ'wg, if faith 
 has any ground in the word of promife to 
 beheve, that it {halt receive what it afks, ye 
 JJjall receive it. Encouraged by this pro- 
 mife, afk humbly whatever God has pro- 
 mifed to give. Do you find yourfelf unable 
 to follow the footfteps of the flock ? Cannot 
 you keep near the fhepherds tents ? But are 
 you drawn away from attending upon the 
 ordinances by the manifold temptations of 
 fm and fatan, of the world and the flefh ? 
 Pray for power to fight againft thefe ene- 
 mies, and Chrift will make you more than 
 conqueror. The more you pray, the ftronger 
 you will grow. Out of weaknefs you fhall 
 be made ftrong. And by waiting confi;antly 
 upon the Lord you fliall renew your ftrength, 
 ftrength to mortify fm, and ftrength to be 
 alive unto God : yea, by waiting upon God 
 you will receive the fulnefs of joy ; for thus has 
 the God that heareth prayer encouraged you to 
 pray always and not to faint — " Afk and you 
 " fhall receive, that yourjoy may be full." And 
 
 Where fhould we wait upon God for the 
 renewing of our ftrength and for the fulnefs 
 
 of 
 
( "59 ) 
 
 of joy, but at his own table? Has not the 
 Lord appointed that his body fhould be meat 
 indeed, and that his blood fhould be drink 
 indeed, being the true fpiritual food and 
 ftrengthening of our fouls. Our reformers 
 certainly looked upon the Lord's Supper in 
 this light; for to the queftion in the Cate- 
 chifin^ " What are the benefits whereof we 
 *' are partakers thereby?" they have given 
 this anfwer, ** The ftrengthening and re- 
 " frefhlng of our fouls by the body and blood 
 *' of Chrift, as our bodies are by the bread 
 " and wine. The elements are the infti- 
 tuted figns of that life, which Chrift pur- 
 chafed by the offering of his body, and by 
 the ftiedding of his blood. They are figns 
 to all who underftand their meaning, but 
 feals to thofe perfons only who are united to 
 Chrift by faith, and grafted as branches into 
 the true vine. Wait upon him then, my 
 brethren, in the appointed means for the 
 continuance and growth of this divine life. 
 Be found obedient to his command — Eat 
 this bread and drink of this cup — Do this 
 in remembrance of me, and you will receive 
 fomething more at the Lord's table, than 
 mere figns. In the bread you will by faith 
 partake of the body, and in the cup you 
 
 will 
 
( i6o ) 
 
 Will partake of the blood of Chrlft, admlni- 
 flering to your foul that divine life, which 
 he begins here in grace, and carries on for 
 ever and ever in glory. 
 
 Thefe are the inllituted means in which the 
 weak in faith ought to wait upon the Lord, 
 and he has encouraged them to wait upon 
 him in thefe means with a promife, that he 
 will therein be found of them that feek him, 
 and will flrengthen and eftablifh their hearts 
 in the faith. We are his witnefles, that he 
 is faithful and juft to fulfil his promifes. 
 We atteft this upon our own experience. 
 We found ourfelves growing in grace by 
 attendance upon the ordinances. We ex- 
 pected to receive freely what God had freely 
 promifed, and we are not difappointed of 
 o\ir hope. And this wdll be your happy ex- 
 perience, my brethren, who are now endea- 
 vouring to follow the footfleps of the flock. 
 Keep near the ihepherds tents. Attend clofe 
 upon the ordinances, and you will grow 
 ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his 
 might. And when you are ftrong, beware 
 of fpiritual pride. Beware of being drawn 
 away from the ordinances, as if they were 
 not as neceffary for you now, as they were 
 formerly. Remember that you ftand in the 
 
 Lord's 
 
( i6i ) 
 
 Lord's ftrength, and he expects yoU flioidd 
 wait upon him for the continuance of it. 
 And if you leave off attending upon the or* 
 dinances, becaufe you think you are ftrong 
 in faith, it is juft as if a ftrong man ihould 
 fancy he had no occafion to eat any more, 
 becaufe of his great ftrength. Our fouls 
 want continual fupplies of grace, as our 
 bodies ftand in need of daily bread. And 
 God has promifed to make the ordinances 
 food for his children, and he daily fulfils his 
 promifes to them. They find the quicken- 
 ing Spirit in the ordinances, communicating 
 to them life and comfort and ftrength, accord- 
 ing to their feveral wants and neceffities. 
 
 And as if thefe were not fufficient motives 
 to encourage you to wait upon God in the 
 ways of his ordinances, he has promifed to 
 do more for thofe who wait therein, than 
 they can either afk or think : " For fince 
 " the beginning of the world men have not 
 " heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither 
 " hath the eye feen, O God, befides thee, 
 " what he hath prepared for him that waiteth 
 *' for him. Thou meeteft him that rejoiceth, 
 *' and worketh righteoufnefs, thofe that re- 
 " member thee in thy ways." [Ifaiah Ixiv. 
 4, 5.) Let us then remember God in his 
 
 L waysj 
 
( l62 ) 
 
 ways, and in thefe ways he will meet u» 
 with a blefling. Whatever he has promifed, 
 he will certainly fulfil. Wait upon him 
 and you ihall not be afhamed. Follow the 
 flock, and you fhall be fafe. Follow them, 
 as they followed Chrift, and you will be kept 
 as they were. And let us look up to him 
 for his gracious help to enable us to follow 
 the fteps of their faith, humbly praying 
 to him in the words of our church, and 
 faying — 
 
 *' O almighty God, who haft knit to- 
 *' gether thine eled in one communion and 
 " fellowihip, in the myftical body of thy 
 *' Son Chrift our Lord ; grant us grace fo 
 ** to follow thy blefled faints in all virtuous 
 " and godly living, that we may come to 
 *' thofe unfpeakable joys, which thou haft 
 " prepared for them that unfeignedly love 
 " thee, hrough Jefus Chrift our Lord, 
 *' Amen'^ Colled for Ml Saint's Day. 
 
( «63 ) 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 Chap. iv. Ver. i6. 
 
 Awake^ 7iorth zvind^ and come thou 
 fouthy blow upon my garden^ that the 
 fplces thereof may Jloisj out, 
 
 IN the foregoing chapter the believing 
 foul had been in a dull heavy frame, 
 but being concerned and uneafy about it, 
 had defired the quickening influences of 
 Chrift's grace. Chrift here anfw^ers thefe 
 deiires. He calls for the v>"ind to come and 
 blow upon his garden. The wind is the 
 fcripture emblem and reprefentative of the 
 Holy Spirit. When he defcended upoii the 
 difciples on the day of Pentecoji^ he came 
 in this his known emblem, in a rufhing 
 mighty wind, and it follows, " they were 
 " all filled with the Holy Ghoft,'* filled 
 with his gifts and graces. For the fame 
 good purpofe his influence is here required. 
 He is to blow upon the garden with his 
 feveral operations, to quicken thofe things, 
 L % that 
 
( i64 ) 
 
 that were ready to die, and to bring forth 
 the fvNTeet perfumes of the graces of his own 
 planting. " Awake, O north wind, and 
 " come thou fouth • — blow upon my garden, 
 '' thgt the fpices thereof may flow out." May 
 the enlivening Spirit bring the fweet expe- 
 rience of thefe words to all your hearts. As 
 he is the omniprefent God, he is here with 
 lis; Oh that he may be prefent in thefe his 
 gracious offices. Like the Iharp penetrating 
 north wind may he awaken conviction, and 
 then come like the mild and foft fouth wind 
 with his comforts, that he may plant his 
 ■graces in us, and caufe the fpices of them 
 to flow out. God grant thefe may be the 
 happy effeds of our confidering 
 
 Thjl^ The fenfe and meaning of the 
 words. 
 
 Secondly^ Of our defending the doClrine 
 tontained in theni. And 
 
 Thirdly y Of our applying them to our fpiri- 
 tual ufe and benefit. 
 
 And Firjl^ Let us confider the fenfe of 
 the words. Chrill is the fpeaker. He had 
 
 been 
 
( j65 ) 
 
 been comparing the church to a garden, 
 which he had enclofed from the wildernefs 
 of the world. He had taken it in for his 
 own ufe, and had fet in it trees of righteouf- 
 nefs, which he had moved out of the com- 
 mon wafte, where they grew wild by na- 
 ture, and had tranfplanted them into his 
 garden. The faithful are the trees, which 
 the heavenly hufbandman fets in his own pa- 
 radife. And by his cultivation, by being 
 watered with his grace, and by clear fhining 
 after rain, from being wild and barren by 
 nature they are changed, and they become 
 trees of righteoufnefs, the planting of the 
 Lord, that he may be glorified : For here- 
 " in, fays the bleiTed Jefus, is my Father 
 " glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit." 
 The Lord has no barren trees in his para- 
 dife. Before he tranfplanted them they were 
 a feminary of all evil weeds, they brought 
 forth nothing that was good ; but when once 
 fet in his garden they had a new fpirit 
 put into them, from whence come the feeds 
 of all graces. For thus Chrift in this chap- 
 ter defcribes his garden. Its plants are an 
 orchard of pomegranates, with pleafant fruits, 
 camphire with fpikenard — fpikenard and 
 faffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all 
 L 3 trecu 
 
( i66 ) 
 
 trees of frankincenfe, myrrh and aloes, with 
 all the chief fpices. Upon this garden thus 
 enriched like the paradife of God he calls 
 the wind to blow, that it might bring forth 
 the fragrancy of all its chief fpices. The 
 wind is the agent, that was to make them 
 flow out. And wind is air in motion — air 
 in action. This was the firft mover in the 
 formation of the world, and it is ftill the 
 principal mover in the formation and growth 
 of every tree and plant. Natural hiflorians 
 have lately demonflrated by undoubted ex- 
 periments, that none of them can live with- 
 out air. They want it as much as animals 
 do. By it the odoriferous kind diffufe 
 their fragrancy. The air is the caufe that 
 firft draws out, and then fpreads abroad their 
 fweet perfumes. And by it the fruit-bearing 
 kind will foon be adorned with beautiful 
 bloflbms, and in their feafon with rich and 
 ripe fruit. Their vegetable life with all the 
 operations of it depends upon the air, in like 
 manner as our fpiritual life with all the ope- 
 rations of it depends upon the Holy Spirit, 
 of whom the air was the inftituted type. In 
 our prefent embodied ftate we cannot fee 
 fpiritual, but through the glafs of material 
 objeds. We are confined to fenfe. And 
 
 there- 
 
( i67 ) 
 
 fore God has been pleafed to make ufe 
 of fenfible things in nature to reprefent the 
 fpiritual things in grace. He has drawn a 
 juft and perfect parallel. In the works of 
 creation he has given lis an expreffive image 
 of every fpiritual objedl, with which he faw 
 it needful for us to be accquainted. Of 
 himfelf, of his effence, of his perfonality, 
 and of the offices of the divine perfons in 
 the oeconomy of the covenant, he has fet 
 before our eyes in the agency of nature a 
 lively pidture : for the grand agent in nature 
 is the air, which is one in effence, whether 
 it be rarified to its fmalleft parts in the ac- 
 tion of fire at the orb of the fun, or fent out 
 in light, or returned in grofs air to maintain 
 and carry on this a(f;iion of fire at the orb of 
 the fun, in which foever of thefe three dif- 
 tin(5t operations it be imployed it is ftill air : 
 and accordingly this unity of its effence, and 
 diftindition of its threefold agency, is declared 
 in fcripture to be the inftituted type, in which 
 we are to read the unity of the divine effence 
 and the offices of the three divine perfons. 
 The Pfalmijl referring to the created image 
 fays, T^he heavens declare the glory of God. — 
 The heavens are not empty fpace, for that 
 could declare nothing, but th ij are the air 
 
 L 4 in 
 
( i6S ) 
 
 iti its three dlftindt offices, each of which is 
 a record of God's glory. For as the apoftle 
 explains the point, " The invifible things of 
 ** God are clearly feen from the creation of 
 *' the world," the invifible things themfelves 
 cannot be feen, but they may be feen by the 
 creation, " and underftood by the things 
 " that are made, even his eternal power and 
 *' Godhead." So that there is a pidure in 
 the things which are made, whereby we 
 may underftand the things of God which are 
 not made. And this pid:ure, fo far as I am 
 concerned to explain it at prefent, is the 
 threefold agency of the air, in which are 
 reprefented the offices of the three divine 
 agents in carrying on the work of falvation. 
 The covenant itfelf, and the diftind: offices 
 of the perfons, were for the equal glory of 
 each. It pleafed the Father to get glory to 
 the divine julHce and holinefs by demanding 
 full fatisfadtion for fin, <-^ He was the aven- 
 ger of fin, and therefore air in the adtion of 
 f.re is his emblem : he is called in fcripture 
 a confuming, a devouring fire, and a jealous 
 God. It pleafed the Son to get glory to the 
 divine love and mercy by paying this fatif- 
 fadtion, and therefore his conftant name in 
 fcripture is light, which is the life of the 
 
 material 
 
( '69 ) 
 
 material world, as he Is the life of the fpiri- 
 tual world. And it pleafed the Eternal Spirit 
 to get glory to all the divine attributes by 
 infpiring dead finners with a defire to be 
 raifed to newnefs of life, and then by 
 breathing it into their fouls, and carrying it 
 on through the life of grace until he bring 
 them to the life of glory, and therefore 
 he knows no other name in fcripture than 
 fpirit, or air in motion. The very fame 
 word that Hands for the breath we breathe, 
 both in the Hebrew and Greek, fignifies the 
 Holy Spirit. Why was this the ufage of 
 fcripture ? Was it from the poverty of thefe 
 languages ? No. It was to Ihew us the per- 
 fed: likenefs and refemblance there is be- 
 tween what air does to the body, and what 
 the Holy Spirit does to the foul. He is the 
 breath of its life. Our fouls can no more 
 live to God, without his grace, than our 
 bodies can without air. And after we have 
 received his grace, are quickened and made 
 alive by it, we want its influence every mo- 
 ment to fupport and to carry on the life 
 which he has given, in like manner as we 
 want breath every moment to fupport and 
 to carry on our animal life ; without it the 
 body ^an do no work — without his grace 
 
 the 
 
( 170 ) 
 
 the foul can do none. The neceflity of his 
 continually breathing into our fouls the 
 breath of life, is beautifully reprefented in 
 the text. Ke is there defcribed under his 
 known emblem, wind or air in motion, and 
 what air is to the trees of the garden, that is 
 he to the fpirits of men. Both are alike ne- 
 cefTary. Nothing can grow in the garden 
 v/ithout air, neither can any grace grow in 
 our fouls unlefs the Holy Spirit ad: in thefe 
 his two offices. Aivake^ north ivind^ and 
 coive thou foiith wind. The fun is never in 
 the northern point of the heavens, and there- 
 fore the north wind is cold, {harp, and pierc- 
 ing — But the fun is always in the fouth, 
 and therefore the fouth wind is of a contrary 
 quality, being warm, foft and comforting — 
 the influences of both are neceflary. The 
 north wind was to awake. It was to be the 
 firft mover : the Holy Spirit was to begin in 
 this office. For all men lay in the dead 
 ileep of fm, without the leaft motion of fpi- 
 rituai life, until the Holy Spirit awaken them. 
 And his general method of awakening fm- 
 ners is to infpire them w^ith convidion of fm. 
 He opens their eyes, fhews them their guilt, 
 and lets them fee their danger. And this is 
 very painful a»d diftreffing, and therefore it 
 
 is 
 
( '7' ) 
 
 is compared to the north wind, which m 
 the firft work of grace awakens and ads 
 with all the fliarpnefs of convid:ion upon the 
 fmners heart. Here Chrift calls it to a£t 
 upon the faithful members of his church, 
 not to brirtg them into the deep diftrefs 
 which perfons under convidion of fin are 
 commonly in, but to preferve in them a 
 lively fenfe of their own infufficiency, and 
 of their dependance upon him. This is ne- 
 cefTary to keep them always humble, and to 
 make them always ready to afcribe the glory 
 of what God has done in them to the riches 
 of his free grace. And therefore we find 
 that the Holy Spirit works this temper in all 
 the faithful. None have fuch clear hum- 
 bling views of themfelves as they have, 
 which empty them of felf, and difpofe them 
 to receive more and more of the fweet in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit. And thefe are 
 here defcribed under the character of the 
 fouth wind — gentle, and mild, and com- 
 forting. It is obfervable, that the fouth 
 wind was not to awake, but to come — the 
 finner muft be awakened, and convinced of 
 his guilt and danger before he is comforted. 
 This is God's method of adling. His good 
 Spirit iirft makei men feci how miferable 
 
 they 
 
( 172 ) 
 
 they are without a Saviour, and then he 
 gives them the comfort of knowing their in- 
 terefl in him. He awakes and blows upon 
 them Hke the fharpeft blafts of the pinching 
 north wind, and then he comes with the 
 comfortable breathings of the gentle fouth. 
 Both thefe are neceflary : for Chrift calls for 
 both to blow upon his garden. The origi- 
 nal word here rendered to bloiv^ is tranflated 
 in the 2d chapter of Genefis^ to breath — 
 when fpoken of God's infufmg an immortal 
 fpirit into the body of Adam, " And th^ 
 *' Lord God formed the man of the dufl of 
 " the ground, and breathed into his noftrils 
 " a foul of lives." Ulihu afcribes this to 
 the Holy Spirit, as an oeconomical ad: of his 
 office, Job xxxiii. 4. " Ihe Spirit of God 
 " hath made me, and the breath of the Al- 
 mighty hath given me life." In the very 
 fame manner our Lord reprefented the ope- 
 ration of the Holy Spirit, John xx. 22. " He 
 *' breathed on his difciples and faid, receive 
 " ye the Holy Ghoft," he breathed on them 
 to denote by this outward and vifible fign, 
 the inward and fpiritual breathing of the 
 Holy Spix'it, which he then gave them. Our 
 fouls are not alive to God, until he infufe 
 into them this divinje breath, as you may 
 
 read 
 
( 173 ) 
 
 read at large in the parable of the dry bones, 
 E^ek. xxxvii. And his continual breathing 
 upon the faithful foul is as neceffary as this 
 lirft adk, and therefore it is fpoken of in the 
 text by the fame word. " Breathe with 
 *' every gracious influence, O divine Spirit, 
 " upon my faithful people, that the fpiccs 
 " in them may flow out." The fpices are 
 certainly the graces of Chrifl:, which he 
 freely befl:ows upon us who are united to 
 him the head of life and influence, and which 
 are quickened and exercifed by his good 
 Spirit. And when he enables us to bring 
 them into continual ufe and practice, then 
 they become an odor of a fweet fmell, a fa- 
 crifice acceptable, well pleafmg unto God. 
 
 The words thus explained offer thefe par- 
 ticulars to our ferious confideration. Firfl^ 
 We are here reminded of the fl:ate in which 
 all men are while they continue in the bar- 
 ren defolate wildernefs of nature. Secoiidlyy 
 We learn by what means Chrift's people are 
 tranfplanted out of the wildernefs into the 
 garden of the Church, where they grow and 
 flourifli ; and thirdly^ the caufe is defcribed 
 that makes the fpices in them to flow out, 
 and enables them to bring forth fruit unto 
 
 ever- 
 
{ 174 ) 
 
 cverlafting life. Thefe are the great truths 
 contained in the text, which I am under 
 my fecond general head to defend from the 
 authority of God's word. 
 
 And firft, our ftate by nature is not a 
 ftate of grace. We are not born in the gar- 
 den of the church, but in the wildernefs 
 of the world, in a dry barren land, w^here ■ 
 no water is — no dew nor rain, no kindly 
 influence of heaven, to make us grow in 
 grace. In this barren foil we are like the 
 w41d olive tree — we bear no fruit, until the 
 heavenly hufbandman move us, and graft us 
 contrary to nature into the good olive tree : 
 for you know it is contrary to nature to graft 
 a wild fcion upon a good flock, it is againft 
 the common pra^ice in all other trees but 
 the olive. And therefore the apoftle, Rom» 
 xi, ufes this inftance to reprefent the taking 
 of the Gejitiles into the church of God. 
 The wild olive, like man in his natural ftate, 
 bears no fruit, but w^hen he is grafted like 
 the wild fcion upon the good olive, then he 
 bears forth fruit abundantly. He can bear 
 no fruit of himfelf : for our blefl'ed Saviour, 
 fpeaking of the branches not bearing fruit, 
 except they abide in the ftock upon which 
 
 they 
 
( '75 ) 
 
 they were grafted, declares, No more can ye 
 except ye abide in me, for without me ye 
 can do nothing. In yourfelves you are like 
 the ground, which was curfed for your fakes, 
 and which naturally brings forth nothing but 
 thorns and thiilles. 
 
 When the Holy Spirit firft begins to move 
 in our hearts, he convinces us of thefe truths. 
 He lets us fee how barren we are by nature, 
 and unfruitful. He lliews us that in us 
 dwelleth no good thing, and that v/e have 
 nothing but fm in ourfelves - — He makes us 
 feel the burden of our fnis — It preiTeth us 
 fore, and forceth us to cry out earneftly for 
 deliverance ; when he has thus like the north 
 wind, pierced us with the fharpnefs of con- 
 viction, then is he ready to adminifter com- 
 fort, by tranfplanting us out of the wilder- 
 nefs into the garden of his church, where, 
 under his mild influence we may grow and 
 fiourifh; and this is the fecond dodrinal 
 point in the text worthy of ovir confidera- 
 tion. 
 
 We cannot tranfplant ourfelves, any more 
 than a tree in a bad foil can tranfplant itfelf 
 into a good one. But all the faithful are 
 
 the 
 
{ '76 ) 
 
 the trees of the Lord^s planting. They are 
 taken out of the wildernefs, and removed into 
 the paradife of God, where they are fet, that 
 they may be called trees of righteoufnefs, the 
 planting of the Lord, that he may bfe glo- 
 rified in their bearing much fruit. The 
 whole work of bringing us from a barren 
 to a fruitful ftate, from a bad foil to a good 
 one, is the Lord's. It is he who maketh 
 us to be like a tree planted by the water- 
 fide, that will bring forth his fruit in due 
 feafon, his leaf alfo fhall not wither, and 
 look, whatfoever he doth it fhall profper. 
 As it is the adion of the air, which firft be- 
 gins and afterwards carries on the vegetable 
 life in every tree and plant — fo is it the 
 adion of the Spirit which firft begins and 
 afterwards carries on fpiritual life. We fhould 
 not even have a defire for it, unlefs he put 
 it into our hearts, and the carrying of it on 
 is the continuance of his work, as much as 
 the life of a tree depends on the continuance 
 of the adion of the air upon it: for we are 
 helplefs and without ftrength either to begin 
 or to carry on fpiritual life, but as we are 
 endued with power from on high. All the 
 work is the Lord's: for it is he who worketh 
 
 in us both to will and to do* 
 
 Now 
 
( ^77 ) 
 
 Now It IS the fame hand, which firft 
 plants us, that afterwards waters us with the 
 dew of his heavenly grace, and makes us 
 fruitful. This is the third dodlrinal point in 
 the text. All our graces come from the 
 Holy Spirit. He firft plants them in us, and 
 then makes the fpices of them to flow out. 
 We cannot doubt of thefe truths, becaufe 
 we have often aflented to them, when we 
 repeated the Nicene Creed, I wifli we had 
 all experienced the truth of the words- — " I 
 " believe in the Holy Ghoft the Lord and 
 " giver of life" — he is the Lord and giver 
 of all fpiritual and divine life. The life it- 
 fclf, whereby we live unto God, and all the 
 offices of it, worketh in us that one and the 
 felf-fame Spirit, dividing unto every man his 
 own gifts, as he will. His own gifts are all 
 the graces of the chriftian life. Faith, hope, 
 love, with every fweet and heavenly temper 
 are his gifts: for they are called the fruits 
 of the Spirit. Sin is our own. Our foil 
 bears nothing elfe. It grows weeds, thorns 
 and thiftles, without any cultivation. Our 
 earth is a mother to them, but a ftep*mother 
 to every grace. Whatever there is in us be- 
 fides weeds, is the free gift of the Holy Spirit. 
 £very good thought, and word, and work, 
 
 M every 
 
( 178 ) 
 
 every ftep we take in our Chrlftian life is 
 from him. And when he has infpired any- 
 thing good into us, he does not leave us to 
 ourfelves to improve it. No. It is God 
 "that giveth the increafe. He worketh in us 
 both to will and to do, according to the 
 Pfalmift\ prayer, " Stablifh the thing, O 
 " God, that thou haft wrought in us." He 
 ftirs up his own gifts and graces — keeps 
 them in exercife — and makes the fpices of 
 them to 'flow out. When we work in his 
 ftrength, we work what is well pleafmg. 
 God the Father fees us in his Son, parta- 
 kers of his righteoufnefs, and led by his Spi- 
 rit, and then the fweet odour of our fervices 
 afcends with acceptance to the throne of 
 his grace. St. yoh?i has given us a beautiful 
 image of the manner in which our very 
 heft fervices, even the prayers and praifes of 
 God's own people, become acceptable. It is 
 not for any merit in them. It is not becaufe 
 they flow from fervent affedions, that they 
 are fet before God as incenfe, and that the 
 lifting up of our hands is an evening facrifice. 
 But it is through Chrift that our very prayers 
 are pleaiing unto the Father; for thus we 
 redd — Rev. viii. 2. " That the angel of 
 " the covenant, our Lord Jefus Chrift, came 
 
 " and 
 
( 179 ) 
 
 and flood at the altar having a golden cen-^ 
 fer, and there was given unto him much 
 incenfe, that he fhould offer it with the 
 prayers of all faints upon the golden altar, 
 which was before the throne, and the 
 fmoke of the incenfe, which came with 
 the prayers of the faints, afcended up 
 with acceptance before God out of thei 
 angel's hand." Here we fee that our beft 
 prayers are nothing worth unlefs prefented 
 before God by the Redeemer, and perfumed 
 with the fweet incenfe of his merits. When 
 he prefents them before the throne of grace^^ 
 they then become his prayers, and how can 
 the Father deny the requefts of his beloved 
 Son? He will anfwer them, either by giving 
 us what we afk, or fomething elfe, that 
 he fees will be much better for us. If then 
 we would profit and be fruitful under the 
 means of grace, if we would have the fpices 
 of our prayers and praifes and our other re^ 
 ligious fervices to afcend with acceptance be- 
 fore God, let us look up to the Holy Spirit, 
 and intreat him to enable us to apply what 
 has been faid to our own hearts. And may 
 he blow upon us with his gracious infpira-s 
 raton: while I am in the 
 
 U 'Z ' Third 
 
( i8o ) 
 
 Third place, Drawing fome pradlcal in- 
 ferences from what has been £aid. 
 
 The church is here compared to a garden, 
 
 the faithful to trees of righteoufnefs, which 
 
 the Lord hath planted, the Holy Spirit to 
 
 •wind, which is to blow upon the trees, and 
 
 which makes the fpices thereof to flow out, 
 
 as the Holy Spirit brings forth into ufe and 
 
 exercife the graces of the faithful. This is 
 
 the doctrine; and that we may improve by 
 
 k, let us examine ourfelves, whether we are 
 
 as gardens and trees, whom the Lord hath 
 
 planted, and in whom he is glorified. Have 
 
 we been taken out of the wildernefs, and 
 
 tranfplanted into the paradife of God? Has 
 
 the Holy Spirit awakened the north wind to 
 
 convince us of fm, and come with the fouth 
 
 wind to comfort us? -Has he united us to 
 
 Chrift, engrafted us into the true vine, and 
 
 do our tender grapes give a pleafant fmell? 
 
 Does he call forth the graces which he has 
 
 given us, and let the fpices of them flow out 
 
 in daily exercife, fo that men feeing our fruit- 
 
 fulnefs glorify our Father which is in heaven. 
 
 Happy are they w'ho thus flourifli like a 
 
 palm-tree, and grow like a cedar in IJhanus* 
 
 If you be thus happy, my brethren, you can-* 
 
 not 
 
C i8i ) 
 
 not but kno-vO- it, and feel it and be thankful 
 to God for it; and to thofe amongft you who 
 are not in this happy cafe I will make my 
 iirfl application. May the Spirit of the living 
 God open your underflandings to profit from 
 what I have to fay. 
 
 If you be not united to Chrift by f^iith on 
 your part, and by the bond of the Spirit on 
 Chrift*s part, and thereby enabled to bring 
 forth fruit unto everlafting life, confider how 
 dangerous your fituation is. There are two 
 fpirits, which divide the world between 
 them : you muft be led by one or the other, 
 by the Holy Spirit, or by the evil fpirit. 
 And you cannot be at a lofs to know under 
 •whofe influence you are. By their fruits ye 
 may know them. This is an infallible mark; 
 which the apoftle has largely infilled upon 
 in the 5th chapter of the Galatians^ where 
 he has given us a defcription at length of the 
 fruits of the Spirit, and of the abominable 
 deeds oiF the flelh, which are the fruits of 
 the devil. Read the defcription, and then 
 judge to whom you belong. What flows 
 out of your hearts? What do your tongues 
 delight to be talking of, and your hands to 
 handle, and your feet to run into? What 
 M 3 appears 
 
( i82 ) 
 
 appears in your lives and converfations ? 
 Surely you cannot be at a lofs to know what 
 fort of fruit you bear. You cannot be 
 ignorant whether you live to the flefh, or 
 to the Spirit. If you abound in the fruits of 
 righteoufnefs, and the fpices thereof are con- 
 tinually flowing cut, a fweet fmelling favour 
 acceptable to God and to all around you, if 
 thus through the Spirit you bear jpur fruit 
 unto holinefs, then the end will be everlafting 
 life ; but if ye live to the flefh, fays God, ye 
 fhall die, die from God and glory, ye {hall 
 die both the firft, and the fecond death. 
 
 While you are in this dangerous fl:ate, how 
 do you keep your confciences quiet? Have 
 you perfuaded yourfelves, that the dodrine 
 is not true ? Do you think there is no 
 neceflTity for bringing forth the fruits of the 
 Spirit? But remember that you mufl: be 
 bringing forth fome fruit; and which would 
 you bring forth? Whether, what is pleafnig 
 to God, or what is difplealing? Certainly 
 what is pleafmg. And by whofe power and 
 might can you bring it forth ? Not by your 
 own. You are by nature helplefs and with- 
 out ftrength to bring forth any acceptable 
 feit: for Chrill himfelf fpeaking upon this 
 
 very 
 
( i83 ) 
 
 very lubjed fays, " Without me ye can do 
 " nothing." Be perfuaded then to apply to 
 him for faith, that ye may be ingrafted into 
 him the true vine, and may bear much and 
 ripe fruit to the glory of God. 
 
 But flill the doctrine does not appear to 
 you in a clear light. What is the reafon? 
 It is becaufe you are in the flefh, in your 
 natural ftate, and the motions of fm which 
 are by the law do work in your members to 
 bring forth fruit unto death. Sin has fuch 
 power over you, that you love its dead works, 
 and you hate holinefs. You would thank 
 God for making you holy juft when you are 
 dying; at the laft hour you would like well 
 enough to bring forth fruit unto God, and to 
 have your fpices flowing out, but you can- 
 not bear the thoughts of living an holy life. 
 Is not this your cafe? If it be, is not your 
 faith a dead faith? And how then can you 
 be a living member of Chrift ; for you were 
 never ingrafted into him the true vine ? 
 And if you Ihould be cut oif in this ftate, 
 read your fentence. The God who is to 
 judge you, has already declared — " If a 
 *' man abide not in me he is caft forth as a 
 branch, and is withered, and men gather 
 M /(. ^' them, 
 
t i84 ) 
 
 *' tliem, and cafl them into the fire, and 
 *' they are burned." May the Holy Spirit 
 fet this fcripture home with full convidtion 
 upon your confciences, that you may follow 
 me with profit in my 
 
 Second application, to thofe who are feek- 
 
 ing to be united to Chrift, and are defirous 
 
 of glorifying him by bringing forth much 
 
 fruit. Examine carefully, my brethren, 
 
 whether you feek aright. Have you a fmgle 
 
 eye to God's glory? And do you indeed 
 
 pray, that his will may be done in you; 
 
 Would you receive Chrift in all his offices? 
 
 Do you defire him as your king, and would 
 
 you have his kingdom fet up within you to 
 
 deftroy in you the reign of fm, as well as 
 
 your prophet and prieft to fave you from 
 
 the guilt and punifhment of fm? Are you 
 
 willing he fhould make you holy as well as 
 
 happy? If it be the fmcere defire of your 
 
 heart to have the dominion of fm deftroyed 
 
 in your mortal body, then you may take; 
 
 courage. And if you are alfo fet upon 
 
 attaiming the graces of Chrift, and would 
 
 have them in ufe and exercife, the fweet fpices 
 
 of them continually fiowing out, then feek, 
 
 and you fhall find. You have the promifes 
 
 of 
 
( »8i ) 
 
 of God to rely upon, and he cannot deny 
 hlmfelf. Seek him with humility in the 
 ways, wherein he has promifed to be found 
 of them that feek him. Attend upon him 
 in the v/ays of the ordinances. In them 
 wait, and be aflured, that when it will be 
 for God's glory and your comfoit, the Holy 
 Spirit who has already awakened the north 
 wind to convince you of fin, will alfo come 
 with the mild fouth wind to refrefh and 
 comfort your hearts, and to unite you to 
 Jefus Chrift, in whom you may bring forth 
 much fruit. And to thofe who are in this 
 happy ftate I make my third and laft 
 inference. 
 
 The faithful in the text defired the Holy 
 Spirit would make them more lively and 
 fruitful. And the faithful ftill have the 
 fame defires, which are at this time more 
 fervent and earneft, becaufe they hear it ob- 
 jected to their moft holy faith, that it makes 
 no change in mens lives and converfations: 
 for which reafon they pray for more grace, 
 and to have it more in ufe and exercife, that 
 they may adorn the dodlrine of God their 
 Saviour in all things. They would have all 
 men, w^ho fee their lives, to behold the great 
 
 change? 
 
( i86 ) 
 
 change that the Holy Spirit has wrought in 
 them. While they grew in the wildernefs 
 they were like other wild barren trees, but 
 being removed into the garden of the church 
 of Chrift, and become trees of the Lord's 
 planting, they now bear much fruit. And 
 like as the air draws forth the rich fragrancy 
 of the aromatic flowers, and diffufes their 
 fweet odours all around : fo the Holy Spirit 
 keeps in adlion the graces of the faithful, 
 and makes the fpices thereof to flow out to 
 the glory of God, and to the delight and 
 good of mankind. 
 
 Pray then, my chrifl:lan friends and bre- 
 thren, for the continual influences of the 
 Holy Spirit: thefe are as necefl^ary for the 
 growth of grace in your foul, as the blowing 
 of the air is to the growth of the fruits of 
 the garden. Convinced of this great truth, 
 and you are convinced of it ' by happy expe- 
 rience, apply to the Holy Spirit for what you 
 (land in need of every moment. And pray 
 him to awaken the north wind, whenever 
 its fharp influences are neceflary, either to 
 awaken fecure fmners, or to quicken and 
 {lir up the graces of the faithful, and then 
 to come like the fouth wind with his mild 
 
 and 
 
( i87 ) 
 
 and comforting influences, blowing upon the 
 garden, upon the beUever, and making the 
 fpices thereof, the graces in him, to flow 
 out. And thus may the Holy Spirit enable 
 you and me to experience this fcripture in 
 its fulleft fenfe to the glory of God, and to 
 the good of others, and to the comfort of 
 our own fouls. May the bleflfed and adorable 
 Jefus fend his good Spirit to lead us all to, 
 and to graft us all into, him the true vine, 
 that we may live unto God, and flourifh, 
 and be fruitful. Grant, O gracious Saviour, 
 that every branch in thee, which beareth 
 fruit, may be purged, and may bring forth 
 more fruit, even rich and ripe fruit, which 
 endureth unto everlafting life, to the honour 
 of the holy, bleflfed, and glorious Trinity, 
 three felf-exiftent perfons in one Jehovah, 
 to whom we give equal praife, majefty, and 
 (dominion, now and for ever. Amen, 
 
( i58 ) 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 Chap. V. Ver. i6. 
 Y'ea, he is altogether lovely, 
 
 TH E Holy Spirit puts thefe words into 
 the mouth of the believer. He has 
 been drawing a character of his beloved 
 Jefus, and has compared him to the mofl 
 ufeful and noble objefts in the creation, in 
 order to fet forth his due praife. But upon 
 reviewing the character he finds it fall fhort 
 bf the perfection of his divine Saviour. It 
 did not come up to the idea which he 
 himfelf had formed of him, and therefore 
 he finifhes in one word, Yea^ be is altogether 
 lovely. He is all lovelinefs. — Whatever is 
 lovely and defireable upon earth, whatever 
 is lovely and defireable in heaven — all the 
 graces of time, and all the bleffings of eter- 
 nity, center in him as their proper fource, 
 and flow from him as their proper fountain. 
 Whatever can be propofed to the underftand- 
 ing as excellent, whatever the will rightly 
 difpofed can defire, whatever the heart and 
 
 the 
 
( i89 ) 
 
 the afi'edions can be fet upon and find hap- 
 pinefs in, all this is to be met with in the 
 Lord Jefus, and no where elfe: for he is 
 altogether lovely^ all beauty, all excellency 
 in himfelf. And, this confideration fhould 
 endear to us his inherent excellencies, that 
 he is willing to communicate them. This 
 fhould give a new grace to each, and make 
 it more valuable in our eyes. He is not 
 only altogether lovely, but will alfo make vile 
 and abominable fmners, when they apply to 
 him for his righteoufnefs, altogether lovely 
 in the fight of God. He will wafh them 
 clean from all their fins in his moft precious 
 blood, and will clothe them with his all- 
 perfed: righteoufnefs, in which they fhall 
 appear at the bar of juftice without fpot of 
 fm unto falvation. 
 
 Now fince the Lord Jefus is all lovellnefs, 
 w^hat can be the reafon, that he does not 
 appear altogether lovely in the eyes of men? 
 The generality of them fee nothing lovely 
 in him. What was formerly faid upon the 
 occafion is ftill true, Lo?'d^ ivho hdth believed 
 our report^ The word of God reports him 
 to be altogether lovely, and the minifters 
 of God preach his lovelinefs as teftified by 
 
 fcripture 
 
( 190 ) 
 
 fcripture and their own experience, but 
 worldly men fee no form nor comelinefs in 
 him that they fliould defire him. They fee 
 more lovelinefs in fm, in pleafure, in money, 
 in diverfions, than they hope to find in our 
 Lord and Saviour. This dangerous miftake 
 arifes either from the judgment or the af- 
 fections — either they do not fee how per- 
 fectly lovely Jefus Chrift is, or elfe the af- 
 fections are prejudiced againft him ; but 
 wherever the miftake lies, I will offer fome 
 fcripture arguments to remove it, and may 
 God accompany them with the effectual 
 working of his power, while I am fetting 
 before you 
 
 T'lrjly What Jefus Chrift is as man, 
 
 Secondly^ What he is as God. And 
 
 TJjh'dly^ What he is as the incarnate God 
 •—as God and man united in one perfon. 
 And in each of thefe refpeCts I hope the 
 Holy Spirit will convince you, that Jefus 
 Chrift is altogether lovely. 
 
 And Firjl^ Let us view him as man. I 
 mention not his perfon, though the Ffalmiji 
 
 fays, 
 
( 191 ) 
 
 fays, he was fairer than the children of inenJ 
 The excellencies and endowments of his 
 mind were fo great and uncommon, that I 
 need not infift on a lefs important part of the 
 fubjed:. For confider, what is it that you 
 admire and love in any perfon? Do extra- 
 ordinary gifts or graces draw your efteem? 
 Great abilities or great virtues ? Behold every 
 thing that can adorn or dignify the human 
 nature meets in the man Chrift Jefus. If 
 true wifdom and learning be your admiration, 
 it is written, that in him were laid tip all 
 the treafures of ^vifdom and knowledge. Do 
 you think, that learning never appears io 
 graceful, as when it is fet off with the 
 charms of virtue? Then look upon Jefus. 
 In him you fee not this or that particular 
 virtue only, but virtue itfelf in a body of fieih; 
 and therefore made flefh, that he might let 
 his graces iliine before men, and communi- 
 cate their fweet influence. He was goodnefs 
 itfelf, and he went about doing good to the 
 fouls and to the bodies 'of men, teaching and 
 enlightening the ignorance of their under- 
 ftanding, and regulating the depravity of the 
 will and affecl:ions, and healing all manner 
 of ficknefs, and all manner of bodily infir- 
 mities. There was not a malady, which fm 
 
 had 
 
( 192 ) 
 
 had brought upon foul or body, but what 
 he proved himielf almighty to heal. Was 
 there ever fuch a character as this? So uni- 
 verfally amiable and lovely? Here is a perfon 
 of all the fons of men the greateft and 
 happieft in himfelf, and capable of making 
 us great and happy: yea therefore made 
 man, that he might communicate to us his 
 greatnefs and happinefs. And fliall any of 
 us be fo far loft to all fenfe of what Is great 
 and happy, as not to admire this character? 
 Shall men adore and idolize the true patriot, 
 w^hofe breaft burns with love for his country, 
 and who freely hazards his all to fave It? 
 And fhall the very fame men be wanting In 
 efteem for the great patriot of the whole 
 world? How abfurd, how inconfiftent would 
 this be? What a contradiction is it to throw 
 away all our admiration upon lefler excellen- 
 cies, and to have none to fpare for him, who 
 had every excellency that can adorn the 
 human nature either for beauty or ufe, and 
 who confequently had every thing that could 
 make him altogether lovely? 
 
 If I Ihould ftop here, enough has been 
 laid to place the man Jefus high above the 
 fons of men 3 but I have mentioned the leaft 
 
 and 
 
( ^9y ) 
 
 and loweft part of his charader. He was 
 not only great and good, but had alfo one 
 thing pecuUar to himfelf, that no finfiil frailty 
 or weaknefs ever fullied his greatnefs or his 
 goodnefs. He was a perfed man. You will 
 not find any other character without its fpots 
 and blemifhes, becaufe there is no man living 
 without fm, our nature itfelf being fmful, 
 and fm is the caufe of all our imperfecftions. 
 The darknefs of the underftanding in the 
 things of God comes from fm, and the weak- 
 nefs of the memory, and the continual incli- 
 nations of the will to evil, and the ftrong and 
 unlawful attachment of the heart to the world 
 and to the things of it, fpring from the fame 
 fountain of fm. But the holy Jefus had no 
 fm, and confequently none of the imperfec- 
 tions which fm has brought upon us. When 
 a truth was propofed to his underftanding, 
 there was no obftrudion in the faculty ; he 
 comprehended it clearly and fully. His will 
 was in harmony with God's will — "I de- 
 light, fays he, to do thy will, O my God ;" 
 and he did it with all his heart, always and 
 perfectly. And accordingly we read of him 
 in the Pfalms^ " That he fpake the truth in 
 '' his heart," his tongue and his heart always 
 went together — " he had clean hands," not 
 
 N once 
 
( ^94 ) 
 
 once defiled with any finful pollution — 
 *' and a pure heart," not one evil thought 
 had ever arifen in it — nay, " his mind had 
 " never been lift up unto vanity," not one vain 
 thought had ever paft through his mind. 
 Judge then how perfectly immaculate he 
 muft have been : for who is there among us, 
 that has not had a thou£and, yea ten thou- 
 fand vain and wandering thoughts ? Who 
 does not find them pafTmg through his mind 
 againfl his will, and intruding into his hours 
 of devotion, from which he had fhut them 
 out, and haunting him even at the Lord's 
 table ? But Chriil's pure and fpotlefs mind 
 never admitted one vain thought. He was 
 the very image of God, in which the firft 
 Adam was made, and he did not deface it 
 as the firft Admn did, but he kept it holy 
 and undefiled. The fcripture afTures us of 
 it — " He was made fin for us, who knew 
 " no fin." He aflerts it of himfeif — " The 
 " prince of this world cometh, and hath no- 
 " thing in me. Happy for us fatan could 
 find in him no part of our fallen image, and 
 therefore the accufer of the brethren could 
 lay no cliarge againft his perfon, nor confe- 
 quently againft the merit of tliofe actions and 
 fufferings, whereby we, who have by nature 
 
 borne 
 
( 195 ) 
 
 borne the image of the earthy, may through 
 grace bear the image of the heavenly Adam^ 
 who is the Lord from heaven. 
 
 My brethren, v^eigh and confider this part 
 of our Lord's charader. Is he not altogether 
 lovely ? And have you then no praife or ad- 
 miration to beftow upon him ? Whatever 
 you fee reafon to admire in any man, if it 
 be indeed praife-worthy, it v^as in its perfect 
 degree in Chrift Jefus ; and therefore cer- 
 tainly you will not with-hold from him his 
 tribute of praife. If your praife follow 
 excellency, behold here is a man not only the 
 chief among ten thoufand, but alfo the chief 
 of the human race. A man that never had 
 his fellow — a perfe<Sl man. He has every 
 good gift, and every grace that can be in 
 man. And will you not admire and efteem 
 fuch a character ? Does he not appear to you 
 altogether amiable ? If you fee any thing 
 wanting in him, it is an argument of your 
 own imperfection ; for he, whofe all-fearching 
 eye trieth the very hearts and reins, faw no way 
 of v^ickednefs in him. He pronounced him. 
 to be his beloved Son, in whom he was well 
 pleafed, and he honoured him with a won- 
 derful glory, never communicated to any 
 N 2 creature, 
 
( '95 ) 
 
 creature, but to the man Jefus ; ht was 
 united to God the Son in fo clofe and inti- 
 mate an union, that God and man were one 
 Chrift, as much as the reafonable foul and 
 flefli are one man. O how great is the 
 myftery of godhnefs — God manifejl in the 
 JleJJj ! How can we fufficiently admire and 
 adore it ! And how greatly fhould it endear 
 to us the humanity of our Lord, that it was 
 the facred temple of the Godhead, inhabited 
 by God the Son, and honoured with the 
 more immediate prefence of the Father and 
 the Holy Spirit: for it pleafed the Father 
 that in him fhould all fulnefs dwell, even 
 the fulnefs of the Godhead bodily. Surely 
 then the man Jefus was altogether lovely ; 
 fmce he was lovely in the eyes of the eter- 
 nal Trinity, who vouchfafed to dwell and 
 to make their abode in him. Oh blufh then 
 and be afhamed, ye fmful worms who fee 
 nothing lovely in Jefus Chrift, fmce the 
 moft bleifed God fees him altogether lovely. 
 Can ye find no comelinefs in him^ of whom 
 the Father hath faid — " This is my be- 
 " loved Son, iA whom I am well pleafed." 
 And are not ye well pleafed with him, ye 
 ungrateful men, for whom he was made 
 man ? Pardon, Lord Jefus, our low opinion 
 
 of 
 
( ^97 ) 
 
 of the dignity of thy human nature. . Let 
 thy good Spirit teach us to form more ex- 
 alted ideas of thee, while I am 
 
 Secondly^ Speaking of the glory of thy 
 divine nature. 
 
 All lovelinefs is certainly in God, inhe- 
 rent in him as the fountain, from whence 
 flows whatever is lovely in the creation. 
 And if Jefus Chrift be the true God, then 
 he muft have every attribute and perfedtion^ 
 that can endear him to his creatures, and 
 make him altogether lovely in their eyes: 
 and that he is the true God is as certain as 
 that there is a God. The fcripture has given 
 him the names and the attributes of God, 
 and has afcribed to him the works, which 
 none but the almighty Creator, and the all- 
 wife Preferver of the world could perform. 
 He is called Jehovah, the incommunicable 
 name of the Divine Effence, and Immanuel, 
 which being interpreted is, God with us. 
 He is faid to be omnifcient and omniprefent, 
 lo have created all things, and to uphold 
 them by the word of his power : he came 
 in the flefh to redeem them, and there is a 
 day at hand, when he will come to judge 
 N 3 them, 
 
( .98 ) 
 
 them. And will any man fay, that thefe are 
 the attributes and works of a creature ? Do 
 they not evidently belong to the blefled and 
 only potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord 
 of Lords, of whom the Old T^ejlament fays, 
 that he is God the Saviour, and that there is 
 none other, as Ifaiah xlv. 21. 22. " There is 
 " no God elfe befide me, a juft God and a 
 *' Saviour, there is none befide me — Look 
 " unto me, and be ye faved all the ends 
 *' of the earth: for I am God, and there 
 *' is none elfe." The apoftle teaches the 
 fame doctrine in the New T" eft anient^ where 
 he fays [Rorn. ix. 5.) " that Chrifl is over all 
 '' God bleffed for ever. Amen. 
 
 In thefe two paiTages (not to mention 
 others) the Saviour is exprefsly faid to be 
 God — God over all, and confequently he 
 mull be altogether lovely; for every per- 
 fection which has any claim to our love is 
 inherent in him, and whatever we fee of 
 lovelinefs in the works of nature owes its 
 being to his divine wifdom and power and 
 goodnefs; fo that whenever you fee any 
 thing worthy of your admiration, it fhould 
 lead your thoughts up to Jefus Chrift, the 
 almighty creator and preferver of it. If you 
 ilop j[hort of him, you rob him of his honour: 
 
 becaufe 
 
( 190 ) 
 
 becaufe its lovelinefs is his. And what then 
 mull he be, how perfectly lovely and amia- 
 ble, who is the great parent and author of 
 all lovelinefs ? Whatever fweetnefs and ex- 
 cellency you find in the creatures is but a faint 
 fay of the Creator's perfedions, and was re- 
 flected from him upon them, to give you an 
 idea of his lovelinefs. Admire him there- 
 fore in it. In all the beauties of nature, you 
 may trace the beauties of Jefus Chrift the 
 God of nature, who is the firft caufe, from 
 whom they all flow, and who is the laft 
 end, into whom they will be all finally 
 refolved. 
 
 But I need not enlarge upon this point. 
 God has certainly every perfection in him- 
 felf; He is altogether lovely. But in what 
 refpeds does he appear fo to finners ? While 
 they are under guilt, and fenfible of their 
 danger, they have no reafon to love God : 
 for being tranfgreffors of his holy law, con- 
 demned by its juft fentence, which confcience 
 owns to be juft, fubjed to prefent death and 
 to eternal mifery, how can they fee any thing 
 lovely in that God who may get glory to all 
 his attributes by their deftru(flion ? In this 
 view they muft fee every thing that can 
 N 4 make 
 
( 20O J 
 
 make God terrible, but nothing to render 
 him lovely. Until they know, that he will 
 be reconciled unto them, and forgive them 
 all their ims, they can have no reafon to love 
 him The gofpel alone can fet forth to them 
 the lovelineft of God ; which it does by re- 
 vealing unto us an incarnate God, God and 
 manunued in one Chrift, who is altogether 
 lovely in the eyes of his redeemed people, 
 as I purpofed in the third place to confider: 
 
 All our hopes of heaven are founded upon 
 this truth, tlut God was in Chrift reconcil- 
 ing the worid unto himfelf : for if the man 
 JeJus was not united to the moft blelFed God 
 our religion is the groffeft idolatry, and chrii:.' 
 tians are of all men moft miferable. But the 
 fcnpture has left no room to doubt of the 
 union of the two natures in one Chrift The 
 ■word -was God, and the word was made fie/h 
 fays St. John, fo that God the word was 
 made fielh and incarnate. God was mamfc/i 
 m the flejh, fays the beloved apoftle Paul. 
 And the reafon was, he was manifefted for 
 our falvation. And it was expedient, that 
 the Saviour Aould be both God and man, 
 becaule he was to obey and to fuffer for us 
 as man, and to merit by his obedience and 
 
 llifFeringa 
 
1 201 ) 
 
 fufFerings as God, and thereby to be a com- 
 plete Saviour. Accordingly he who thought 
 it no robbery to be equal with God the Fa- 
 ther, took upon him the form of a fervan^f 
 and was made man. He obeyed, he fuf- 
 fered, he became obedient unto death, even 
 the death of the crofs; and when all the 
 ends for which he obeyed, fuffered, and died, 
 were anfwered, then it was not poflible that 
 he fhould be holden any longer of death. 
 Juftice releafed him on the third day from 
 the prifon of the grave, and he rofe again 
 triumphant from the dead ; whereby be- 
 lievers had full evidence given them, that all 
 the demands of the law were fatisfied, that 
 Chrift's fufFerings had made a full atonement 
 for what they ihould have fufFered, that he 
 had taken out the fling of death, and had 
 opened unto them the gate of everlafling Ufe: 
 for as he flood in their place, as their great 
 reprefentative, all his vidlories are theirs, and 
 by faith they know and are afTured of their in- 
 terefl in them. And through him, who loved 
 them and gave himfelf for them, they fhall 
 be faved from fm, and fatan, from fulTering 
 and death, from hell and everlafting tor- 
 ments. And they fhall not only be faved 
 through him from thefe their fpiritual enemies, 
 
 but 
 
( 202 ) 
 
 but they fliall alfo receive joys unfpeakable 
 and full of glory, a happinefs greater than 
 tongue can utter or heart conceive, a crown 
 incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth 
 not away: for they fhall be made kings and 
 prlefts under God and the Father, and they 
 ihall reign for ever and ever In fulnefs of joy 
 both in body and in foul ; and all this fhall 
 be the free gift of God through Jefus Chriil 
 our Lord. 
 
 Thus the Lord Jefus under the character 
 of the incarnate God is altogether lovely. 
 He has every grace and perfedion, that can 
 render him amiable in the eyes of believers: 
 for to them that believe he is precious. And 
 he has every thing that can recommend him 
 to the efteem of awakened and convinced 
 fmners. He is juft fuch a Saviour as they 
 want. He has every thing to give, that they 
 ftand in need of. The God-man has an in- 
 exhauftible fountain of grace, which always 
 ftands open for the relief of weary and heavy- 
 laden fmners, who come unto him feeking 
 reft unto their fouls. He calls unto them 
 Tvith his fweet voice — Ho eveiy one that 
 thirfteth, come ye to the waters of comfort 
 and falvation. Lo, here is pardon and peace, 
 
 righteoufnefs 
 
( 203 ) 
 
 rigKteoiifnefs and holinefs. All the graces 
 that can make you lovely in the fight of 
 God the Father — all the glories that can 
 make you happy with him in eternity, are 
 in my power to give. I purchafed them for 
 fuch fmners as you are, and I give them 
 freely — Afk and ye fliall have, feek and 
 ye fhall find. And what fhould hinder them 
 from anfwering him ? Yea, they will anfvx^er. 
 This is the very language of their hearts — 
 Lord Jefus, help our unbelief. We are 
 convinced, that all the graces of time and 
 all the glories of eternity are thy free gift, 
 and we blefs and praife thy holy name for 
 putting it into our hearts to feek for the en- 
 joyment of thofe graces and glories. All 
 the lovelinefs of this lower world, all the 
 lovelinefs of heaven itfelf is thine, centers in 
 thy perfon as in the incarnate God, and flows 
 from thee as God made man, on purpofe to 
 make us filthy and abominable fmners lovely 
 in the fight of thy heavenly Father. Oh 
 that we may fee clearly our intereft in thee, 
 and may know the incarnate God to be our 
 Lord and our Saviour, and then our faith 
 will behold thee altogether lovely, and fhall 
 admire no lovelinefs, unlefs it bear thy fair 
 
 image, 
 
(204 ) 
 
 image, and what leads us through its beauties 
 to adore and praife thine. 
 
 And if Chrift appear in this amiable light 
 to thofe, who are only feeking, and defir- 
 ing to experience his love and mercy, what 
 thoughts muft believers entertain of him ? 
 How muft they value him ? Certainly, he 
 is with them altogether lovely. And have 
 they not good reaibn to think him fo ? For 
 what lovelinefs is their in heaven or earth 
 but his ? Is there not in his manhood every 
 grace that can adorn the human nature ? Is 
 there not in his Godhead every infinite and 
 eternal perfedion ? And do not thefe per- 
 fections flow through the manhood of the 
 incarnate God to render vile and polluted 
 finners altogether amiable and lovely ? God 
 and man were united in one Chrift in order 
 to fave them from their fms, and he puts 
 them into perfed: pofleflion of many of the 
 benefits of his falvation, as pledges and ear- 
 nefts of his beftowing more: for he now 
 awakens them and raifes them from the death 
 of fin to newnefs of life, he pardons their 
 paft rebellions, fends his good Spirit into their 
 hearts to ftied abroad in them the comforts 
 of his pardoning love, to fill them with joy 
 
 an4 
 
{ 205 ) 
 
 and peace in believing, to enable them to 
 mortify the body of fm, and to put on the 
 new man which after the image of God is 
 created in righteoufnefs and true holinefs. 
 All this is prefent falvation, the happinefs of 
 which is great beyond defcription. Oh come 
 then my brethren, tafte, and fee what the 
 Lord Jefus has to give. Whatever your Hate 
 and circumftances are, he can make you 
 completely happy : for he has engaged that 
 all things adverfe as well as profperous fhall 
 work together for good, for prefent and 
 eternal good, to them that love him. And 
 when you can love him, becaufe he firft 
 loved you, then you will find that he is able 
 to do exceeding abundantly for you, above 
 all that you can either afk or think. 
 
 Upon this fhort view of our Lord's charac- 
 ter it appears that he is altogether lovely. He 
 certainly has, as man, as God, and as the in- 
 carnate God, every perfedion of heaven and 
 earth. All that is amiable in itfelf, or ought 
 to appear amiable to us, meets in him, and 
 therefore if we love what is amiable in itfelf, 
 or what is good to us, we ought to give the 
 firft pl^ce in our hearts to the Lord Jefus. 
 And does he then reign in them ? Is he the 
 
 fole 
 
( 206 ) 
 
 fole Lord of your afTedllons ? Do you, my 
 brethren, love him in fincerity, with a pure 
 uncorrupt iove, and with all your hearts, 
 and with all your minds, and with all your 
 ftrength ? Is his kingdom fet up within you, 
 and is it your delight to do the will of your 
 Lord, and of your God ? Grace be with all 
 them, who thus love the Lord Jefus. But 
 alas ! their number is but fmall : for melan- 
 choly it is to fee, how little the generality 
 of men called chriflians love him, who is 
 altogether lovely. The tranfient perilhing 
 objeds of fenfe, the vanities, the follies of life, 
 appear more lovely and have more of their 
 hearts than that God whofe fervants and 
 woi'fhippers they profefs themfelves to be. 
 Nay the abominable deformity, and horrid 
 uglinefs of fm feem to them more lovely. 
 What can be the reafon, that men profefling 
 chriftianity flicukl be fo inconfiftent, and 
 fhould make fuch a wrong judgment in fo 
 plain a cafe ? Surely they mull lay under 
 fome great delufion : for not to love him 
 whom they call their God, and who is alto- 
 gether lovely, is both a difgrace to their 
 boajfted reafon, and is alfo ad:ing againft their 
 own prefent and eternal intereft. Sin is the 
 caufe of this monflrous delufion. It blinds 
 
 the 
 
{ 207 ) 
 
 the linners underftanding, that he does not 
 fee his want of a Saviour, and confequently 
 he cannot judge of the Saviour's worth. 
 "While he thinks himfelf whole, he fees no 
 occafion for the phyfician. But fo foon as 
 confcience awakes, and he is made fenfible 
 of his guilt, and feels his mifery, then he 
 will defire the afTiftance of the great phy- 
 fician of fouls, and will begin to value him. 
 The more deeply he is convinced of fm, the 
 more earneftly will he apply to the Lord 
 Jefus who is able to fave him from his fms. 
 And as he partakes of the graces and blef- 
 lings of falvation, the Saviour will grow 
 more and more lovely in his eyes. And 
 when confcience ceafes to accufe, when the 
 law no longer condemns, but he finds joy 
 and peace in believing, then the Saviour will 
 be altogether lovely. The believer will form 
 higher ideas of him, than he can find words 
 to exprefs: yea, he knows, that his ideas 
 of him cannot rife up to the greatnefs of his 
 Lord's merits. As man he is far exalted 
 above the children of men, as God he is over 
 all blelTed for ever, and as God incarnate, he 
 is the continual joy of the believer's heart, 
 and the fweet fubjed: of his praife here in 
 time, and the fong of the glorified fpirits in 
 heaven will be upon the riches of his grace, 
 
 and 
 
( 208 ) ' , 
 
 and they will never be able to exhauft the 
 fubjed, or to fearch it to the bottom, be- 
 caufe the riches of Chrift sre unfearchable 
 and infinite, and eternal. 
 
 Here then we are come to the root of the 
 matter, Jefus is altogether lovely; but why 
 do not all men who profefs to worlhip him 
 think him fo ? Becaufe they do not find their 
 want of him. They are under no concern 
 about their fins, and have no defire to 
 know the pardon of them, and therefore 
 they fee no reafon to efieem the Saviour of 
 finners. They are ignorant of their own 
 wants, and therefore they know not his worth ; 
 but bafely, wickedly prefer the worthlefs things 
 of this life to the Lord and giver of life and 
 glory. Is not this the fad fi;ate of the gene- 
 rality of our people ? And does not this evi- 
 dently prove, that they are chrifl;ians only 
 in name ? They have none of the fpirit and 
 powder of their religion, but in their lives dif- 
 honour that holy name by which they are 
 called. 
 
 My brethren, are any of you in this fi:ate? 
 Look up to God and beg of him to ihew 
 you the true ftate of your fouls, that you 
 may fee how much you are concerned in 
 
 what 
 
( 209 ) 
 
 \vhat has been faid. Are you indeed lovers 
 of the Lord Jefus? is he in your eyes alto- 
 gether lovely? When the objects of fenfe 
 flatter, and prefent themfelves to your choice 
 in the moft alluring drefs, then do you fee 
 your beloved Saviour the chief among ten 
 thoufand? Can you give up ten thoufand of 
 them for him? For him can you reject with 
 difdain all that the w^orld calls great and 
 honourable, looking upon Jefus to be all and 
 in all? If you are not in this ftate, be aflured 
 that your hearts are not right with God: and 
 if you neither fee the perfect lovelinefs of 
 Jefus Chrift, nor defire to fee it, then you 
 are ftill under the power of fni, deluded and 
 blinded by it, and if God does not open your 
 eyes to fee the delufion, death will foon open 
 them to your everlafting confufion. But if 
 God has convinced you of fm, and you find 
 your want of a Saviour, wait upon him, and 
 he will give you many happy proofs of his 
 perfect lovelinefs. You will experience his 
 love in pardoning your fms, in juftifying you 
 from the guilt of them, in making you the 
 children of God, and in fitting you for his 
 heavenly kingdom. Daily as you find your 
 intereft more clearly in his redeeming love, 
 you will partake more and more of his 
 O exceeding 
 
( 210 ] 
 
 exceeding great and precious promifes, where- 
 by your love to him will increafe, and you 
 will find him more lovely. Faith will open 
 to you the riches of his love, and fhew you 
 how precious he is : for to them that believe 
 he is precious — He is precious indeed to the 
 believer: and he is not precious to all men, 
 becaufe they do not fee their want of him, 
 nor know what his free grace can do for them: 
 for he has invited all weary and heavy-laden 
 fmners to come and experience how happy 
 lie can make them. Whatever their wants 
 may be, he is willing and able to fupply 
 them. If ye be but fenfible of them, afk, 
 my brethren, and he will relieve you. Be 
 ye ever fo black in yourfelves, he can make 
 you comely. Be your fms ever fo many, 
 ever fo heinous, in his rlghteoufnefs you may 
 be prefented before God the Father without 
 fpot of fm unto falvation. Have you thought 
 ever fo meanly of him, his good Spirit cart 
 give you reafon to entertain more noble 
 fentiments. Your ingratitude, your very 
 blafphemies againft him may be pardoned, 
 and much ingratitude, and many blafphe- 
 mies are no bar to his free grace. This is the 
 fweeteft part of our Lord's character, and 
 ought above all to endear him unto thofe who 
 
 fee 
 
( 2,1 ) 
 
 fee their want of his help. Let them come 
 ever fo late, ever fo guilty, the arms of his 
 mercy are open to receive them* If you fee 
 nothing but fm in yourfelves, yet go to him. 
 His blood cleanfeth from all fm. Implore his 
 mercy, and fee whether he will caft you out. 
 Be not difcouraged by looking into your- 
 felves; you may be deformed enough, but 
 remember that he is altogether lovely; and 
 by faith you will know his lovelinefs is yours. 
 He will walh you clean from every ftain of 
 fm in his moft precious blood, and will pre- 
 fent you before his Father in fpotlefs purity. 
 Be ye ever fo defiled with uncleannefs, have 
 luft, drunkennefs, or gluttony polluted the 
 body, and the love of the world, and of the 
 things of the world Hill more polluted the 
 foul, yet the fountain is open. Go, wafh, 
 and be clean. Sins deep as fcarlet fhall be 
 as white as fnow, fms like crimfon fhall 
 be as wool. They that are wafhed in the 
 Redeemer's blood, ftand before God's tribu- 
 nal, as white as fnow, without fpot of fm 
 unto falvation. 
 
 My dearly-beloved brethren, can ye be- 
 lieve thefe things, do ye alfent to them, and 
 yet are you not determined to apply to Jefus 
 O 3 Chriil 
 
( ^12 ) 
 
 Chrlft for his graces and bleffings? He 
 invites you to come to him, and will you 
 not come? Be ye ever fo unworthy, he wiM 
 make you worthy. Be ye ever lb abomi-» 
 nable in the fight of God, he will make you 
 lovely. All your wants he is able and wil- 
 ling to fupply. Why then do you chufe to 
 live without his graces and bleffings? They 
 may be had freely. Afk, and ye fhall have. 
 Only exprefs your wants. Beg a fupply from 
 his bounty, and he, that has done all for you, 
 will do all in you. Go then with your 
 wants whatever they be, to the throne of 
 grace, and the incarnate God will fupply 
 them. He is more ready to give than ycii 
 can be to afk. His heart is large and open. 
 It is the fame tender heart which once bled 
 to death for fmners, it cannot want love. 
 And he is now -on the throne of glory; he 
 cannot want power. Apply to this loving 
 God and Saviour of ilnners, and he will con- 
 vince you of your wants, and of bis worth. 
 He will beftow upon you out of his fulncfs 
 grace for grace, until you acknowledge 
 with thankful hearts that the Lord Jefus is 
 altogether lovely. 
 
 ^ly 
 
( 213 ) 
 
 My cHrifllan brethren, you can bear me 
 witnefs, that I have fpoken but a fmall part 
 of the Redeemer's praife: for you beUeve 
 him to be true and very man, and true and 
 very God, united in one Chrift, and you 
 know by fure fcripture-marks and evidences, 
 that the one Chrill is your Saviour; vs^here- 
 by you are interefted in all that he did and 
 fuffered as man, and merited as God, and 
 has now as king-mediator to bellow. Being 
 thus enabled to fay, " My beloved is mine, 
 " and I am his," you are convinced that your 
 beloved is above all bleffing and praife. You 
 cannot reach the greatnefs of his merits. 
 The poverty of language, the weaknefs of 
 the human underflanding, the coldnefs of 
 your affections are fo many hindrances to 
 your fpeaking of your God and Saviour as 
 he deferves. And when you try to get over 
 thefe obftacles, and have fome hopes of fuc-^ 
 cefs, yet then you find the corruptible body 
 fo prefleth down the foul, and the earthly 
 tabernacle fo weigheth down the mind, that 
 praife dies away upon your lips. But you 
 hope there is a time at hand, vrhcn your 
 praifes will be more perfed:. When ycu 
 fliall be freed from all the frailties of this 
 O 3 mortal 
 
( 214 ) 
 
 mortal life, you will then be better able to 
 difcover, and more conftantly difpofed to 
 celebrate, the lovelinefs of your redeeming 
 God. But even then you will not be equal 
 to the fubje6t. Your praifes will be but 
 finite, and the adorable Redeemer is infinite. 
 There is no proportion between them. No 
 more than between time and eternity; and 
 fuppofe you continue your praifes to eternity, 
 yet your happinefs, your crowns of glory and 
 palms of vidtory, your ftanding confirmed 
 in blifs are the free gift of God in Jefus 
 Chrifl: our Lord. And how then can you 
 worthily extol the riches of his free grace? 
 How can you pay the debt, that you owe 
 to free grace? When you have praifed him 
 for millions of years, Jefus is ftill as lovely, 
 your praife as much due, your joy in offering 
 it as great, as when you began. There is 
 ftill the fame majefliy in the brightnefs of 
 that glory, which fhines in the face of Jefus 
 Chrift. He is the light of the heavenly 
 yerufalem^ and light you know is fweet, yea 
 a pleafant thing it is to behold the fun. Oh 
 how fweet, how pleafant then muft it be 
 to fee the fun of righteoufnefs fliining in bis 
 glory? Surely he will then appear altogether 
 lovely. BlefiTed are the eyes that jQiall then 
 
 fee 
 
( ^t5 ) 
 
 fee tlie king in his beauty, and happy, for 
 ever happy, are they who fhall then praife 
 him; but even then the higheft ftrain of 
 praife of angels and men united will not 
 come up to the greatnefs of his merit. He 
 will be more lovely than all the tongues of 
 iill the heavenly hoft will be able to exprefs. 
 And if the glorified fpirits thus fail, 
 
 O thou incarnate God, whofe glory the 
 heaven and heaven of heavens cannot con- 
 tain, pardon the low opinion we entertain of 
 thine infinite excellencies, pardon the imper- 
 fect manner in which we have been fpeaking 
 and thinking of thee. Thou knoweft. Lord, 
 that we defire to know thee more, and to 
 praife thee better. Arife then, O thou 
 bright and morning-ftar, and fhine into 
 ©ur hearts, difpelling the darknefs of our 
 underftandings, and taking away the depra- 
 vity of our wills and affections, that we may 
 fee thy lovelinefs, and our intereft in it; and 
 enable us daily to love thee more and more, 
 until we behold thee face to face, and then 
 we fhall know, that our Saviour and our 
 God is altogether lovely. Oh thou adorable 
 Jefus, admit us all to this bleffed vifion 
 and fruition of thy Godhead, May all this 
 O 4 congre- 
 
( 2i6 } 
 
 congregation be in the happy number of thy 
 redeemed people, who are to praife and ad- 
 mire thine infinite loveUnefs for ever and 
 ever. So be it to the honour and glory of 
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three perfons 
 in one Divine Eflence, to vv^hom be equal 
 praife and w^orfhip in heaven and earth, in 
 time and in eternity. Amen and Amm^ 
 
( 217 ) 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Chap. V. Ver. i6. 
 7hts . is my beloved^ mid this Is jny friends 
 
 IN the laft difcovirfe I endeavoured to re- 
 commend to you fome of the lovelinefs 
 of Jefus Chrift. It w^as only fome part of 
 his lovelinefs: for we know it at prefent 
 but in part. It is infinite, and furpafTeth 
 all underftanding. The moft enlightened 
 mind cannot fully comprehend it, no not 
 in heaven. We fhall not be able in eternity 
 to difcover all the perfections of our incar- 
 nate God, and how then can we think or 
 fpeak worthily of them at prefent? We muft 
 fall below the majefty of the fubjed, but 
 that is no reafon we fhould not treat of it. 
 It is our duty and intereft to think and to 
 fpeak of our bleffed Saviour in the moft 
 fublime ideas, and in the higheft expreffions, 
 becaufe we cannot exceed the greatnefs of his 
 merits. He is above all blefling and praife; 
 
 and 
 
( 2l8 ) 
 
 and fo you will believe, when you know 
 him to be your Saviour. When the fpirit of 
 wifdom and revelation enlightens the eyes of 
 your underftanding, then you will behold 
 fome of Chrift's lovelinefs; and when you 
 are enabled to fay with true faith — "This is 
 my beloved^ and this is my friend — then his 
 lovelinefs will appear to you with a new 
 grace and excellency, becaufe you will then 
 fee your intereft in it. 
 
 This is the particular view, in which I 
 fliall confider our Lord's lovelinefs at prefent. 
 The believer knows him to be his beloved, 
 and the perfections of Chriil appear with a 
 peculiar beauty through this endearing re- 
 lation, becaufe he can truly fay — He that 
 has thefe perfedions is my beloved, and my 
 friend, he has them for me, I have a fure 
 intereft in them in time and in eternity. 
 My brethren, do the perfedions of Chrift 
 appear to you in this light? Can you take 
 up the words of the text, and repeat them 
 from your own experience? I fear there 
 are not many of us who can: for the ge- 
 nerality of men, called Chriftians, choofe 
 other beloveds, and other friends, than Jefus 
 Chriil. Many of them have no love for 
 
 him, 
 
( 219 ) 
 
 him, or if he has any place at all, yet he 
 has not the firft place in their heartsand 
 afFediions, no not even in theirs, to whom 
 he has been moft bountiful. Where his 
 favours have been great, there one might 
 expert great returns of love, but we find no 
 fuch thing in fadt. Not many worldly- wife 
 and learned, not many rich and noble repay 
 his favours with thankfulnefs. Though Chrift 
 be altogether lovely, and ought to appear fo 
 to them, yet few of them love him. What 
 can be the reafon, that men of genius, whom 
 Chrift has bleiTed with great gifts and talents, 
 ihould make him no fuitable returns of grati- 
 tude ? And that men who profefs themfelves 
 to be his worfhippers fhould have no love 
 for their God? The true caufe is, they are 
 in love with fin, and it blinds them. Chrift 
 is all beauty, but they have no eyes to fee 
 it; no not even a defire to fee it, until 
 they begin to find the exceeding fmfulnefs 
 of fin. When confcience is uneafy about 
 the pardon of their fms, and they feel their 
 want of a Saviour, then they will begin to 
 defire his falvation, and God will hear their 
 defires, and will open their eyes to fee a 
 precious Chrift, and will give them faith to 
 believe in him to the faving of the foul. 
 
 Faith 
 
( 220 ) 
 
 Paith makes Chrift appear precious: for it is 
 the proper office of faith to enable us to be- 
 hold Chrifl's excellencies, and it is the proper 
 work of that faith, which worketh by love, 
 to let us know our intereft in them, by which 
 every excellency appears to us more lovely. 
 And the text deicribes this office, and alfo 
 this work of faith. The believer firft declares 
 that Chrift is altogether lovely, and then 
 that he knew Chrift's lovelinefs was his. 
 This is my beloved^ and this is my friend. — 
 He is my beloved on whom my heart and 
 mine affedions are entirely placed, becaufe 
 he iirft loved me^ and gave himfelf for me. 
 He has fhed abroad his love in my heart, 
 and I know that my beloved is mine, and I 
 am his. — He is mine — my friend — who has 
 my welfare at heart, and who will deny me 
 nothing, that can make me happy in time 
 and in eternity. May the Spirit of the Lord 
 jefus open all your underftandings to fee, and 
 all your hearts to receive thele comfortable 
 truths, while I am difcourfing upon the 
 words, and opening the fweet dodrine con- 
 tained in them, by fhewing 
 
 FirJ}^ What Chrift has done to make 
 
 himfelf the beloved and the friend of every 
 
 believer. 
 
 Secondly^ 
 
{ 221 ) 
 
 Secondly^ The believers knowledge of his 
 intereft in it, before he could fay, this is my 
 beloved, and this is my friend. 
 
 Thirdly^ From whence arofe the certsdnty 
 of his knowledge. 
 
 Fourthly^ The happinefs he had in know- 
 ing certainly, that Chrift was his beloved and 
 his friend. And then I w^ill apply the whole 
 as God ihall enable me to your confciences. 
 
 And jP/Vy?, I am to fhcw what Chrift has 
 done to make himfelf the beloved, and the 
 friend of every believer. 
 
 If men followed tlie common inftinc^s of 
 nature, and had no bias to turn them from 
 their own intereft, he would be the beloved 
 friend of the whole world: for is there a 
 more natural or ftronger inftin«£t, than the 
 love of pleafure and the hatred of pain? We 
 are fubjedl to innumerable pains both in body 
 and foul, in this world and in the next, and 
 we have very few enjoyments, that can be 
 called real pleafures. Sin was the caufe of all 
 our mifery. It robbed us of our pleafures, 
 and brought upon us our pains. All was 
 
 good. 
 
( 222 ) 
 
 good, until fill entered into the world ; but 
 when it entered, all evil entered with it, the 
 evil of pain to torment our bodies and bring 
 them down to the grave of death, the evil 
 of guilt to torment our confciences, and the 
 evil of punifhment beyond the grave, where 
 foul and body were to receive the wages of 
 fm. From thefe evils the Lord Jefus came 
 into the world to fave his people. And he 
 took our nature that in it he might bear our 
 griefs and carry our forrows. The holy law 
 of God accufed us of tranfgreffion, and he 
 came to anfwer the demands of the law, 
 which he did by paying it a full and perfed 
 obedience, and this obedience, being the ad 
 of a divine and infinite perfon, had therefore 
 a divine and infinite merit to atone and fatisfy 
 for fin. For tranfgreffing the holy law of 
 God we were liable to fuffer the threatened 
 pains and penalties, Chrift in our nature 
 fufFered them for us, taking our fins upon 
 him, and bearing the griefs and forrows and 
 death due to them; for the fcripture declares, 
 that he was made fin for us who knew no fin, 
 and that he bare our fins in his own body 
 upon the tree, and that by his ftripes we are 
 healed. And he demonftrated that thefe 
 fufferings were infinitely meritorious, when 
 
 he 
 
( 223 ) 
 
 !ie rofe from the dead for our juftification. 
 And thus by his active and pafTive obedience 
 he wrought out an all-perfed: righteoufnefs 
 for us, and when the Holy Spirit enables us 
 to lay hold of it by the hand of faith, then 
 being thus applied and made ours, we are 
 not only freed from condemnation and re- 
 deemed from the curfe of the broken law, 
 and from all the pains and penalties due to 
 the breach of it, but do alfo receive a right 
 and title to the prefent graces, and to the 
 eternal bleffings purchafed for us by the 
 obedience and fufferings of our moft bleffed 
 Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. 
 
 Now let us examine how the foremen- 
 tioned inftind: operates in the prefent cafe. 
 We all love pleafure, and hate pain. This 
 is an univerfal principle in human nature. 
 And here is a Saviour who promifes to de- 
 liver us from the prefent and eternal pains to 
 which fni had fubje£ted us, and to give us 
 of his fpiritual and heavenly pleafures here 
 in time and in eternity. He is able to fulfil 
 his promife, for he is the Almighty God. 
 He is willing: for as his power is, fo is his 
 love; both are alike infinite. And indeed 
 he is daily fulfilliiig his promife unto all true 
 
 believers. 
 
( ^H ) 
 
 believers. But are all men feeking freedom 
 from pain and enjoyment of pleafure at his 
 hands ? Do their deiires, their affedtions 
 move to him, with the fame natural inftind: 
 with which they would fly from ficknefs 
 and purfue health? Let matter of fdO: fpeak. 
 How are men found to a<^ with refpe£t to 
 Jefus Chrift, who has prefent falvation to 
 give them from fm and its effefts in his king- 
 dom of grace, and the pleafures of eternal 
 falvation to beftow in his kingdom of glory? 
 Alas! he is defpifed and rejected of men; 
 although he became a man of forrows on 
 purpofe to carry our forrows, and acquainted 
 with grief, that he might bear our griefs, yet 
 they hide as it were their faces from him. 
 The haters of pain choofe fm with all its 
 miferies, rather than accept of the great fal- 
 vation of our God, and the lovers of pleafure 
 prefer the empty perifhing joys of fenfe to 
 the folid and everlafting joys of his heaven. 
 In \yhat relates to the foul they a<Sl againft 
 that very inftind, by which they are inva- 
 riably guided in what relates to the body. 
 What can be the reafon, that the fame men 
 ihould ad: fo inconfiflently in a cafe fo ex- 
 actly parallel? Sin is the true caufe. Sin has 
 deftroyed the ufe of the intelledual faculties 
 
 in 
 
( 225 ) 
 
 in all fpliitiial matters, and by cutting off 
 all communion with God who is the foun- 
 tain of fpiritual life, has left the foul in a 
 ftate of death, even dead in trefpafles and 
 fins. The foul of every natural man is re- 
 prefented in fcripture to be as dead to all 
 motions of grace, as dead to God and to the 
 things of God, as a lifelefs corpfe is to the 
 things of this world. Talk to it of its wants, 
 it feels them not. Recommend to it the 
 Redeemer's fweet graces and divine excel- 
 lencies, it has no defire to find an intereft in 
 them : becaufe it feels not its wants of them. 
 To perfons in this ftate Jefus Chrift cannot 
 appear lovely. Notwithftanding all that he 
 has done and fuffered to endear himfelf to 
 finners, yet while they fee an engaging form 
 and comelinefs in fin, they can fee no form 
 or comelinefs in the Saviour that they ihoulJ 
 defire him. 
 
 . But when one of thefe perfons is awakened 
 from the dead fleep of fin, when his eyes 
 iare opened to fee himfelf, when he has a 
 clear view given him of his finful heart and 
 of his wicked life, and the Spirit of God 
 fets home the convidtion of fin upon his con- 
 fcience, and makes him fenfibie of his guilt 
 
 P and 
 
( 226 ) 
 
 arid of his danger, then he will find hb 
 Want of a Saviour, and will fee a peculiar* 
 fuitablenefs and fitnefs in Jefus Chrift to fup- 
 ply all his wants. He has every office, and 
 every qualification that an awakened finnei* 
 could wi£h. He is juft fuch a Saviour as 
 his heart could defire ; and when he begins 
 to fee Chrift in this light, then he will begin 
 to appear lovely in his eyes. And when out 
 of the riches of his grace he begins to fup- 
 ply the finner s wants, then he will become 
 more lovely : for the more any man knows 
 of Chrift, the more he will love him. But 
 when the pardoned finner taftes the fweet- 
 nefs of redeeming love, and finds joy and 
 peace flied abroad in his heart by the Holy 
 Spirit, when he can fay jefus Chrift loved 
 me and gave himfelf for me, then the be- 
 loved Saviour appears altogether lovely, be- 
 caufe lie fees his intereft in the obedience 
 and fufferins-s of the God-man. He can 
 take up the v/ords of the text, and fpeak 
 them upon his own experience, Vv^hich leads 
 me 
 
 Secondly^ To confider the believers know-- 
 ledge of his intereft in Chrift, before he could 
 fay, This IS my beloved, and this is my friend. 
 
 H^re 
 
t ^27 ) 
 
 Mere lie applies to himfelf what Chrifl Had 
 done for fmners, as the ground of his love 
 and friendlhip to him. He had been made 
 to fee his wants. The foul being awakened 
 had found the burden of fm intolerable, and 
 had gone weary and heavy laden to Jefus 
 Chrift, and he had given it reft. The foul 
 being convinced of fm, felt the torments of 
 a guilty confcience, which nothing could 
 quiet and comfort, but the atoning blood of 
 the lamb of God; and when this was fprink- 
 led upon the confcience, it felt the fovereign 
 healing virtue: for the blood of Jefus quench- 
 ed the hell within, and brought down hea- 
 ven into the foul. The Holy Spirit bore his 
 inward witnefs, that this was the work of 
 God; and he continued the heavenly joy of 
 his firft teftimony, by enabling the believer 
 to fhew the reality of the inward work by 
 the outward evidence of his life and conver- 
 fation, by bringing forth the rich and ripe 
 fruits of the Spirit to the glory of God. 
 And thus he had good evidence of his being 
 interefted in the obedience and atonement, 
 in the righteoufnefs and fandifying grace of 
 Jefus Chrift, and lived in fure and certain 
 hope of inheriting through him immortality 
 and endlefs glory. 
 
 P 2 The 
 
( 228 ) 
 
 The finner muft experience thefe things 
 before he can fay of the Redeemer, This is 
 my beloved and my friejid. He muft find in 
 himfelf thefe proofs of Chrift's love and 
 friendfliip, which he was to fhew to fmners. 
 He had wifdom and pardon, righteoufnefs 
 and holinefs, and eternal redemption to give 
 them ; but my gratitude and love cannot 
 arife from his having them to give to fmners 
 in general, but to me in particular. I muft: 
 have reafon to call them mine^ he muft ena- 
 ble me to apply and to appropriate them 
 to myfelf, before I can fee his lovelinefs in 
 giving them ; becaufe it is not what he does 
 to others, but what he does to my foul, that 
 makes him my beloved and my friend. And 
 hence came the wife remark, which was fo 
 often made by our firft reformers, " That 
 *' an unapplied Chrift is no Chrift*" All 
 that he has done and fuftered for fmners 
 muft be applied to me, before I can call 
 him 7nine. He is the wifdom and the light 
 of his people, but how can he appear to me 
 altogether lovely in this character, if I am 
 ftill in ignorance and darknefs ? How can 
 I love him for being made unto me wifdom, 
 until he has enlightened me with faving 
 truth ? He has pardon to give to the greateft 
 
 fmners, 
 
( 229 ) 
 
 fmners, but if it be never made out to me, 
 I can have none of the comforts of it ; and 
 how then can 1 love him for being the par- 
 doner of fm, " unlefs I feel my confcience at 
 " peace w^ith God, through the remiffion of 
 " my fm," as our church exprefles it in the 
 third part of the homily for Rogation Week ? 
 He has the robe of perfed: righteoufnefs to 
 bellow, but if I know nothing of my being 
 cloathed with it, the law will ftill condemn 
 and my confcience will be full of guilt and 
 horror ; and how then is it poiTible for me 
 to love him for being the righteoufnefs of 
 the faints, if I never find joy and peace in 
 believing that his righteoufnefs is imputed 
 unto me for my juftification? He is the be-^ 
 lievers holinefs and fandihcation, but how is 
 he mine, while I find myfelf enflaved to fm, 
 and kept under its dominion ? How can I 
 love Chrift for being the fandlification of his 
 people, v/hile I am under the abfolute power 
 of fin ? Chrift is alfo made unto the believer 
 redemption, but if I know nothing of my 
 having received redemption through his blood, 
 even the forgivenefs of fins, how can I lift 
 lift up my head with joy, when the almighty 
 Judge is coming in the clouds, as knowing 
 that my redemption then draweth nigh.? in 
 P 3 lim 
 
( 230 ^ 
 
 like manner all Chrlft's gifts and graces arer 
 matter of joy to the pardoned fmner, fo far 
 as he receives them, and knows by faith his 
 intereft in them ; without this knowledge^ 
 of what benefit can they be, or what comfort 
 can they adminifter to any perfon ? For if 
 you be fick, and have an excellent remedy 
 that would cure you; yet it can do you no 
 fervice, unlefs you take it. Suppofe you are 
 perifhing of hunger and thirft, fetting meat 
 and drink before you will not fave your life, 
 vmlefs you ufe them. If you are naked and 
 like to be frozen to death, will thofe cloaths 
 warm you and fave your life, which you 
 never put on ? So Chriil is the medicine of 
 the fm-fick foul, but if Chrifc's virtue be not 
 applied to heal, if the medicine be not 
 taken, how can it work a cure ? So he is the 
 bread of life, but unlefs he be taken and ve- 
 rily and indeed received as fpiritual food, 
 how can he fupport the life of God in the 
 foul of man ? So Chrift is the cloathing of 
 his people, but liow can he be their cloath-i 
 ing, if they never put him on ? How can 
 they appear before God in fpotlefs purity, 
 if they have never put on Chrift Jefus the 
 X-ord ? Surely then there is great judgment 
 in that wife faying, which our reformers, 
 
 hacj 
 
( 231 ) 
 
 iiad fo often in their mouths, " An unap- 
 *' plied Chrift is no Chrift" — he is no Chrift 
 to that fnmer to whom he is not applied, 
 and therefore he is not his beloved nor his 
 friend, ^ 
 
 From hence appears the manner and kind 
 of knowledge on which the believer grounded 
 the words of the text. He was able to ap- 
 ply to himfelf all that Chrift had done and 
 lufFered for fmners. He knew it experi- 
 mentally. He had the comforts of it in his 
 own heart, and feeing clearly his intereft in 
 Chrift, he therefore faw him altogether 
 lovely. 
 
 But perhaps fome one may afk. Can 1 
 apply the merits of Chrift's obedience and 
 fufferings fo clearly and fafely to myfelf, 
 that I may be fure I am not deluded ? This 
 is a very important enquiry, which I fhall 
 purfue, under my third head, wherein I was 
 to confider what certainty I can have of 
 Chrift's being my beloved and my friend. 
 The fcripture promifes us full and complete 
 evidence, and it is the office of faith to ena- 
 ble us to reft upon it. Our certainty arifes 
 from, ovir faith, and from what faith ihews 
 P 4 ua 
 
( 232 ) 
 
 US of our own particular intereft in God's 
 promifes. The word of promife and the 
 Holy Spirit applying the word muft go 
 together : for the word is but a dead letter, 
 unlefs the Holy Spirit animate and quicken 
 it, by working faith in the heart to apply it 
 favingly. Faith is a divine grace given us 
 by the Spirit of God on purpofe to convince 
 us of our intereft in Jefus Chrift, and to en- 
 able us to apply the prorriifes to ourfelves : 
 for it is exprefsly faid to be the gift of God — ' 
 and to be wrought in us by the operation of 
 God -— By his almighty operation he works 
 in my heart a clear conviction of my being 
 accepted at the bar of juftice, as juft and 
 righteous, through the righteoufnefs of Jefus 
 Chrift. When the Holy Spirit has given 
 the believer this clear convidion, then he 
 has divine authority both from the word of 
 truth and the fpirit of power, to call the 
 Saviour his beloved and his friend. The 
 Holy Spirit muft enable him to do this : 
 far no man can fay that fefus is the Lord 
 but by the Holy Ghofl\ and therefore with- 
 out the Holy Ghoft how can any man 
 fay, that Jefus is my Lord ? Indeed he 
 will be fo far from faying it, that he will 
 queftion whether it can be faid with cer* 
 
 taintjr, 
 
( 233 ) 
 
 tainty. The natural man who has not the 
 divine grace of faith is always reafoning 
 againft it, and concludes with himfelf, that it 
 is altogether prefumption. He cannot fee, 
 how it works full alTurance in the mind. 
 And how fhould he ? As he is a ftranger to 
 the thing, how fhould he judge of the na- 
 ture of the evidence which it gives ? He is 
 a more improper judge, than a blind man is 
 of colours: for until he receive faith from 
 God as his gift, and by the operation of God 
 as the work of his Spirit, he can form no 
 idea of the nature of the certainty, w^hicli it 
 produces in the mind. The fcripture teaches 
 him, that faith is the evidence of things not 
 feen, even fuch evidence as gives them a pre- 
 fent fubftance and reality ; fo that the whole 
 man, and every faculty of foul and body reft 
 upon the certainty of them with full aflur- 
 ance, and dired: every word and work to- 
 wards the attainment of them : but the na- 
 tural man receiveth not thefe things. How 
 the eye of faith fhould be open to fee what 
 is to the natural man invifible, feems to him 
 a great myftery. And fo it will be, until 
 God open his eyes. He only can do it: 
 yea, he only can convince him that he is 
 pow bhnd. Oh that the enlightening Spirit 
 
 may 
 
( 234 ) 
 
 may open the eyes of every perfon here pre* 
 fent who has no certainty of his intereft in 
 Chrift, that he may not only be convinced 
 fuch a thing is to be attained, but may alfo 
 be led to feek, until he find, all the comforts 
 of it, which comforts I propofed in xht fourth 
 place to confider. 
 
 The comforts which I here fpeak of 
 are realities — promifed in God's infallible 
 word — beftowed by his Spirit — and re- 
 ceived by faith. They no more depend up- 
 on fancy and imagination, than the objed:s 
 do w^hich we fee with our eyes and handle 
 with our hands. The foul has as true a per- 
 ception of them, as the bodily fenfes can have 
 of any folid fubftance. And you may as 
 well fay, we are deluded at our common 
 meals when we are eating or drinking, or 
 w^hen we are hearing a fine piece of mufic, 
 as fuppofe righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy 
 in the Holy Ghoft to be a delufion. Thank 
 God the believer knows, and is happy in 
 knowing the reality of thofe things. When 
 he can fay with the apoftle, Jeus Chrift loved 
 Viey and gave himfelf for me — And with 
 the faithful in the text — He is my beloved, 
 and he is mj friend, then he has the prefent 
 
 poITeffioa 
 
( ^35 ) 
 
 poffelTion of the graces and blefllngs pur^ 
 chafed by the Redeemer's obedience and fuf- 
 ferings, and the eternal poffeifion is fecured 
 to him under the feal of two infalUble wit- 
 neffes, viz. the word and the Spirit of God. 
 The comforts, which he enjoys in this ftate, 
 can no more be defcribed than the joys of 
 heaven. He has a love which paiTeth know- 
 ledge, a peace which fm'paiTeth all under- 
 ftanding, a joy which is unfpeakable and full 
 of glory. In one word — the Comforter is 
 his. The eternal Spirit, whofe name, whofe 
 office, whofe glory it is to be the comforter 
 of God's people, is his. He is the applier 
 of all comfort, and he dwells in the heart 
 to apply it ; what comfort then can be 
 wanting? He is the fnmer's comforter: for 
 he comes to give him faith, and to affure 
 him of his pardon and acceptance. He is 
 the believer's comforter in all times and 
 Hates, ftrengthening and eftablilhing him, 
 fhedding abroad in his heart that love, 
 which makes prbfperity fafe, and adverfity 
 fweet, and which renders even the way 
 of the commandments delightful. And this 
 divine comforter is the deareft pledge of our 
 Lord's love : " for he fhall take of mine, 
 ♦* fays the bleffed Jefus, and Hiall iliew it unto 
 
 ** you, 
 
( n^ ) 
 
 ** you," even to all his difciples and followers 
 to the end of the world. He ihall take of my 
 graces and bleffings, and fhall ihew thenx 
 unto you, fhall manifell them and your 
 intereft in them to your hearts. I will fend 
 him for this purpofe. In this one gift, he 
 fent you all: becaufe he fent you that Spirit 
 who lets you know your intereft in all ; 
 knowing this you are happy, yea happier 
 than tongue of men or angels can defcribe. 
 Your loftieft defcriptions fall fhort of the 
 liappinefs, which the Lord Jefus gives by 
 his Spirit in the prefent life: and they who 
 tafte of it find that he is altogether lovely, 
 and are affured that he is their beloved and 
 their friend. May the God of all mercy 
 and confolation afTure every one of you of 
 your intereft in the Redeemer's friendfliip, 
 that you may receive many happy proofs 
 of it in time, and in eternity. 
 
 And now let us look into ourfelves,' and 
 apply what has been faid to our own hearts. 
 You have heard what the Lord Jefus did and 
 fuiFered to make himfelf the beloved and the 
 friend of all believers, and what knowledge 
 he gives them of their intereft in his obedi- 
 ence and fufferings, nay what certainty they 
 
 have 
 
( m ) 
 
 have by faith of their intereft in him, from 
 whence flows a continual fource of pure and 
 fpiritual comfort. Since thefe things are io^ 
 the matter is now brought to a point, and 
 that is ; can you, my brethren, take up the 
 words of the text, and upon the clear evi- 
 dence of your own experience declare, Jefus 
 Chrift is my beloved and my friend — He is 
 mine, and I am his — His good Spirit bears 
 teftimony of it in my heart — The word of 
 God bears teftimony of it in my life : for I 
 am become a new creature, and live a new 
 life in Chrift Jefus. If you can fay this with 
 truth, then you are happy. But if you can- 
 not, you want the true foundation of gofpel 
 comfort which is laid in Chrift Jefus, and in 
 the evidence I have of my intereft in him. 
 
 But perhaps fome of you may think, that 
 there is no knowing for certain, and others 
 may think it prefumption for a man to de- 
 clare, that he knows fo much of the ftate of 
 his foul, as to be certain that Chrift is his 
 beloved and his friend. Hear what the fcrip- 
 ture fays: ^' Jefus Chrift," fays the blefled 
 apoftle Paul^ " loved me, and gave himfelf 
 *' for me." Certainly this was not prefump- 
 tion in Faul^ nor yet in the beloved John^ 
 
 when 
 
Vfhth fce {'did — " The Son of God hatft 
 *' given us an underftanding, that we may 
 *' know him that is true, and we are in him 
 *' that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift." 
 He did not think it any prefumption to de- 
 clare that he was* in Chrift, rooted and built 
 up in him. 
 
 But thefe apoftles fome will fay were in-- 
 fpired: they knew this by infpiration, but is 
 it the common privilege of all believers ta 
 know it ? It is. Every true believer knows 
 that Chrift Jefus is his Saviour and his God. 
 Faith manifefts it to him ; and faith is 
 wrought in him by the operation of the 
 Holy Spirit for this very purpofe. So fays 
 our church in the third part of the Homily of 
 SalvatioUy " The true faith is a fure truft 
 '' and confidence in God that by the merits 
 '' of Chriil my fnis be forgiven, and I am 
 " reconciled to the favour of God and am 
 *' partaker of the kingdom of heaven by 
 " Chrift." And in the third part of the^ 
 Homily for Rogation Week our church faysJ 
 " that a man may feel his confcience at peace] 
 " with God through remiffion of his fni." So-j 
 fay the living members of our church. Theyj 
 can ufe her words without prefumption, andi 
 
 declareJ 
 
ti 
 
 ( 239 ) 
 
 declare, that they have a fure truft and con^ 
 fidence in God that by the merits of Chriil 
 their fins are forgiven, and they are recon- 
 ciled to the favour of God, and are partakers 
 of the kingdom of heaven by Chrift, and 
 that they feel their confcience at peace with 
 God through remiffion of their fm. What 
 can you obje(fl to thefe authorities ? The li- 
 turgy will not fuffer any member of our 
 church to make the leaft obje<^ion : for in 
 the prayer after the communion fervice we 
 are taught, " That God does ojfnre them, 
 who have duly received thefe holy myf-* 
 " teries, of his favour and goodnefs towards 
 '' them; nay more affures them that they 
 " are very members incorporate into the 
 " myftical body of his Son, and alfo aflures 
 " them, that they are heirs through the hope 
 '* of his everlafling kingdom." Here out 
 church plainly teaches, that a believer may 
 knov/ Chrift to be his beloved and his friend: 
 for he may have alTurance of God's favour 
 and goodnefs towards him, the afTurance of 
 his being united to Chrift, and incorporated 
 into his myftical body, and the aflurance of 
 his being an heir of Chrift's everlafting king- ^ 
 dom. The warmeft contenders for the af- 
 furance of faith could not have exprefled 
 
 their 
 
( 240 ) 
 
 tlieir opinion in ftronger terms, thati out 
 church ufes in this prayer. And now, my 
 brethren of the church of England, what do 
 you think of thefe authorities ? Are they not 
 clear and dicifive ? And will you not be de- 
 termined by them ? Here you have the word 
 of God, and the Spirit of God, and the 
 people of God with one voice declaring, 
 that a man not only may know, but that it 
 is the very office and work of faving faith 
 to let him know, and to ajfu?'e him of, the 
 favour and goodnefs of God towards him, 
 and that he is a member of Chrift, and an 
 heir of glory. Do not then, my brethren, 
 deny a fadl fo well attefted. Your denial of 
 it will only prove your want of true faving 
 faith. And it is a very ftrong proof to j| 
 others, would to God you faw your want 
 of it yourfelves. At prefent you difpute 
 gainft the certainty which faith gives, becaufe 
 you have not received it, nor have any de- 
 fire for it. Is not this the cafe ? This fhews 
 your want of that faith, which is the opera- 
 tion of God. When faith is the work of his 
 .grace, it brings abfolute certainty. Accord- 
 ing to the apoflle it gives fubftance to the 
 things ho^ .d for, and evidence to the things 
 not feen. If you have not this kind of faith, 
 
 don' I 
 
( 241 ) 
 
 tlon't difpute agalnft Itj left you iKould be 
 found diiputing againft God. Rather beg of 
 God to give it you. Afk him, if it be the 
 privilege of believers to know Jefus Chrift 
 to be your beloved and your friend, to give 
 you this knowledge. Afk it for the fake of 
 your prefent and eternal peace. If you de- 
 fire a calm ferene confcience f^ee from the 
 guilt of fm, and faved froyi^^pe power and 
 dominion of it, beg you TiiT-i^ know your 
 intereft in the Lord, Jefus : for until you 
 know it, you cannot live upon the promifes 
 nor enjoy the comforts of the gofpel. You 
 cannot live upon the promifes but by faith, 
 by that faith which makes the things hoped 
 for fubftantially prefent, and realizes the 
 things not feen, and thus enjoys the com- 
 forts of the gofpel. But as you have not this 
 faith you live without Chrift in the world, 
 and if you fhould come to die without any 
 hope in him, Oh think what your condition 
 would then be. All your fins would ftand 
 unatoned againft you. Confcience would ac- 
 cufe. The broken law would condemn you. 
 Juftice muft give you your due ; and what ? 
 but the wages of fin, even eternal deftruc- 
 tion of foul and body. Are not thefe very 
 interefting and alarming confiderations ? I 
 
 Q^ pray 
 
( 242 ) 
 
 pray God to give them their proper weight 
 and influence upon your minds. May he 
 convince you of your want of faith, and ftir 
 you up to feek it as the free gift, and as the 
 work and operation of the almighty Spirit. 
 Thus feek and you fhall find. Continue 
 feeking with humiUty in the ways of the or- 
 dinances, and you will be brought to the 
 knowledge of a loving Saviour, who will 
 give you many reafons to call him your be- 
 love4 and your friend. 
 
 If then you. are convinced of fm, and fee 
 your guilt and your danger, what fhould 
 hinder you from accepting the blefhngs of 
 Chrift's love ? Is it the fenfe of your unwor- 
 thinefs ? He is the Saviour of the unworthy. 
 Are you afraid he will not receive you, be- 
 caufe you are great fmners ? He came to fave 
 the greateft. But you have been high and 
 long in rebellion againft him. Then you 
 ftand in greater need of pardon. Make 
 more hafte to obtain it, and apply more 
 earneftly for it. But you find fo much weak- 
 nefs and backwardnefs in yourfelf that you 
 are at a lofs how to take one ftep : this is . 
 another motive for applying to him. Read 
 for your encouragement that fweet fcripture, 
 
 " The 
 
( 243 ) 
 
 ** The fon of man Is come to feek and to 
 '' fave that which was loft." Go then to 
 him fuch as you are, go as poor loft fmners, 
 for fuch he came to feek and to fave. He 
 is the beloved Saviour and friend of fmners. 
 His love to them brought him down from hea- 
 ven — carried him through a blafpheming per- 
 fecuting world — nailed him to the crofs, and 
 laid him in the grave. Can he want love for 
 finners, who did fo much, who bled to death 
 for them ? What can he with-hold from 
 them, who is now their advocate, pleading 
 their caufe, and interceding for them at the bar 
 of juftice ? Oh fmner, confider what a blef- 
 fmg it is to have an advocate with the Father, 
 Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is willing 
 and able to fupply all thy wants. Make 
 them known to him. Open thy heart be- 
 fore him, and acknowledge thy great and 
 numerous fms. Confefs them, and they will 
 be no bar to his love and friendftiip. He 
 will do honour to his free grace by making 
 thee out a full pardon. The Holy Spirit 
 will be fent to bear his teftimony of it in 
 thy heart, he will give thee love and joy ia 
 believing, he will cloath thee with the per- 
 fed righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, he will 
 enrich thy juftified foul with his fandifying 
 0^2 graces. 
 
( 244 ) 
 
 graces, mortifying fin in thee, and making 
 thee alive to God ; and he will make thee 
 happy in having the moft high God and Sa- 
 viour for thy beloved and thy friend here in 
 time and in eternity. 
 
 All this and more than this the Lord 
 Jefus vv^ill do for every unpardoned fmner, 
 who will apply to him. No tongue can re- 
 late the greatnefs and number of the graces 
 and bleffings which he has to give to fmners. 
 Faith has a prefent tafte of them, and hope 
 now enjoys them, and though imperfedly, 
 yet no defcription can come up to what the 
 believer feels ; and who then is able to 
 defcribe, how great they will be when faith 
 and hope fliall ceafe, and the foul fhall be 
 filled with the love of God. Oh what hap- 
 pinefs, what a heaven will it be to fee our 
 Saviour in the brightnefs of divine glory \ 
 To behold him face to face — and then to 
 be able to fay of hlm^ whom all the hoft of 
 heaven worfhip, of the eternal and almighty 
 God whom all the redeemed adore — this is 
 my beloved and this is my friend; that will 
 be joy unlpeakable. Oh how lovely, how 
 altogether lovely will this blefled God then ap^ 
 pear in the eyes of fmners, when his love and 
 
 friend- 
 
( 245 ) 
 
 friendfhlp fhall have brought them fafe to 
 the enjoyment of his eternal glory ! How 
 will they then admire and praife the wonders 
 of his redeeming love ! What fubjedl of joy, 
 and gratitude, and thanks will their confi- 
 deration of his free grace afford them, which 
 raifed them from the loweft ftate of wretched- 
 nefs to the higheft happinefs of his heaven. 
 Certainly their bleffednefs furpafTeth all un- 
 derftanding. No tongue can utter or heart 
 conceive, how great it is. And yet, fmner, 
 all this may be thine. The Lord Jefus pro- 
 mifes it freely. Come then and accept of it. 
 Unlefs thou thinkeft thy fms can make thee 
 happier than God can, return to them no 
 more. Now clofe in with the invitation that 
 is made thee. Take Jefus for thy God. Go 
 this day, this hour to the throne of his grace. 
 Commit thyfelf into his hands, fmful as thou 
 art, and he will fend his good Spirit into thy 
 heart, to give thee prefent comforts of falva- 
 tion, and to prepare thee for the eternal fal- 
 vation of thy Lord and thy God. 
 
 And now what wait we for, O thou nioft 
 
 bleffed God and moft loving Saviour, but 
 
 that we may all experience the truth of this 
 
 fcripture. Write it Lord Jefus in all our 
 
 0^3 hearts. 
 
( 246 ) 
 
 hearts. Send us away with warm Impreffions 
 of it upon our minds. Oh that every foul 
 here prefent had reafon to fay, Yea, he is al- 
 together lovely — ^Whatever is lovely in hea- 
 ven and earth meets in the incarnate God, 
 and this incarnate God is my beloved and this 
 is my frierid. May the grace of the EternaJ 
 Three, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ma- 
 nifeft to your fouls the perfect lovelinefs of 
 Jefus Chrift, and keep him your beloved and 
 your friend in time, until you fee him face tq 
 face in his eternal glory. Amen and Ame?i^ 
 
( 247 ) 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 Chap. vi. Ver. i. 
 
 Whither is thy beloved gone^ thou falrejl 
 amofig 'women^ whither is thy beloved 
 turned afide^ that we may feek him with 
 thee, 
 
 IN the beginning of the 5th chapter we find 
 the believer fallen into a fpiritual flumber. 
 After much fweet communion with Chrift, 
 and long walking in the light of his coun- 
 tenance, he grew negligent. While the 
 bridegroom tarried he flumbered and flept. 
 He left off ftirring up the gift of God that 
 was in hin, and ceafed to be watchful and 
 to llrengthen the things which remain. 
 And thus he forgot the rule laid down 
 for the condud of believers — " Let us not 
 *' fleep, as others do, but let us watch and 
 " be fober." 
 
 Chrift is reprefented as coming to the foul 
 
 fleeping in this fecurity, but it was not a total, 
 
 0^4 univerfal 
 
( 248 ) 
 
 unlverfal fleep, like the dead fleep of fm: 
 for he found the heart awake, and capable 
 of diftinguifhing it to be his voice, that 
 knocked at the door of the heart for ad- 
 mittance and faid, " Open to me, my filter, 
 " my love, my dove, my undefiled, for I 
 " have been waiting till my head is filled 
 " with dew, and my locks with the drops 
 " of the night." The foul, willing to enjoy 
 its indolent flumber, excufes itfelf from rifmg 
 to let him in. Upon which he withdrew 
 himfelf, and hid his face. He took away 
 the fenfible feeling of his comforts, but at 
 the fame time left fomething in the heart, 
 which made it fenfible of its paft unkindnefs, 
 and put it upon endeavouring earneftly to 
 recover its former communion and fweet 
 fellowfhip with Chrifi. The foul is reftlefs 
 until they be recovered, — goes out to feek 
 for Chrift, but cannot find him — calls, but 
 he gives no anfwer — meets with reproach 
 and perfecution in the fearch, and yet gives 
 it not over — turns to the daughters of Jeru^ 
 falcm^ the outward members of the church, 
 and charges them if they found her beloved 
 to tell him, that fhe was fick of love; fhe 
 had enjoyed the fweetnefs of his prefence, 
 and now fo diilindly difcerned his abfence, 
 
 • as 
 
{ H9 ) 
 
 as to be Tick and in pain for the return of 
 his love. Inftead of anfwering direftly, they 
 enquire, " What is thy beloved more than 
 " another beloved, O thou faireft among 
 " women, what is thy beloved more than 
 *' another beloved, that thou fo chargeil us." 
 This quefiion gave occafion to the believer to 
 defcribe his beloved. He draws a charader 
 of Chrift, and paints his excellencies under 
 the moft fublime images nature could afford; 
 but finds all too mean to exprefs Chrifl's 
 worth, and his value for it. He therefore 
 fums it up in thefe words—" Yea he is 
 " altogether lovely — This is my beloved 
 *' and this is my friend, O daughters of 
 « ycrufalcm^ — Although he has withdrawn 
 himfelf, yet ftill he is altogether lovely in 
 my eyes: for I know that I am interefted 
 in him, and this gives a new grace to his 
 every excellency. Still he is my beloved 
 and I am his, ftill he is my friend and I am 
 his. Although he has for a time hid his 
 face from me, yet I believe that e'er long I 
 fhall again walk in the light of his counte- 
 nance. This enlivened defcription of Chrift 
 fired the daughters oi yenifalem. They now 
 faw there was fomething more in this be- 
 loved, than in another beloved. And they 
 
 had 
 
( 250 ) 
 
 had good defires ftirred up in their hearts, 
 earneil and fervent defires, to fliare in his 
 love, and to partake of his graces and blef- 
 fings : for thus they now reply, in a very 
 different temper to wh^t they fhewed be- 
 fore — " Whither is thy beloved gone, O thcu 
 " faireft among women, whither is thy be- 
 " loved turned afide, that we may feek him 
 " with thee." May the Holy Spirit by his 
 gracious influence difpofe every one of us to 
 feek, as they did, until we find, an intereft in 
 the bleffed Jefus. And to this end may he 
 accompany with his grace and blefling what 
 iluill now be offered, 
 
 Firjl^ Concerning the character of the per- 
 fons who fpeak the words of the text. 
 
 Secondly^ Concerning the fubjeQ:-matter of 
 their fpeech. And 
 
 Thirdly^ Concerning the ufe we are to 
 make of it. 
 
 And -F/r/?, The perlbns who fpeak in the 
 text are called " the daughters of Jerufalem^'* 
 yerufalem is the church. The fcripture ap- 
 pUes the word, both to the congregation of 
 
 the 
 
( 251 ) 
 
 the faithful here below, and alfo to the hea- 
 venly yerufalem that is above. The daugh- 
 ters of the church are its members, who 
 were bred and educated in it. They lived 
 in her communion, and partook of her or- 
 dinances. And yet they feem to have had 
 no experience of that fweet and fpiritual 
 union which the believer enjoyed with his 
 beloved Saviour : for they enquire what he 
 faw in Chrift more than in any other be- 
 loved, and being made acquainted with his 
 graces and excellencies, then they defire to 
 feek him along with the believer. Thefe cir- 
 cumftances plainly prove that they were not 
 intimately and vitally united to Chrift by 
 faith. They were not joined to him as the 
 head of the myftical body, nor as his living 
 members were they drawing nourifhment 
 and ftrength from him for the fupport and 
 carrying on of their fpiritual life. They were 
 not as living branches grafted into the true 
 vine, and bearing much fruit by their union 
 with him ; but they contented themfelves 
 with living within the pale of the vifible 
 church, and thought themfelves fafe and 
 happy in church memberfhip. They were 
 the children of Jhraham^ admitted into the 
 covenant on the eighth day, lived among 
 
 God*s 
 
( 252 ) 
 
 God's chofen people, who had the law and 
 the promifes, and they w^ere ftrid: in the ob- 
 fervance of the inftituted rites and ceremo- 
 nies. Eafy and fecure in this ftate, none of 
 them enquired — All thefe have I kept, what 
 lack I yet ? One thing thou iackeft — fpiri- 
 tual communion with Chrift, without which 
 church privileges and outward ordinances do 
 not anfwer the end of their appointment. It 
 is the Spirit that quickeneth, the fiefh profiteth 
 nothing. The flefh, the outward fervice, pro- 
 fiteth nothing, unlefs the quickening Spirit go 
 along with it. And the quickening Spirit has 
 not gone along with it, until he has begun to 
 draw the foul to Chrift, and to unite it to him 
 by faith. 
 
 If WQ look among the members of our 
 church, we fhall find too many followers of 
 thefe daughters of yeriifalem. We have fome, 
 -who becaufe they live in the communion of 
 a found apoftolic church, therefore think 
 themfelves fafe, while their lives give open 
 fcandal and offence to all good men. Their 
 opinion about good mother church is very 
 much like the opinion of the Paplfts^ who 
 think the living in the church can fave them, 
 although they live in their fins. And we 
 
 have 
 
( ^53 ) 
 
 have others, who make the greateft boall of 
 their love to our church, and fpeak of her 
 in the higheft terms, who are only outward 
 members of her communion. They will 
 contend with all their might for the purity 
 of her rites and ceremonies, and will draw 
 their fwords to defend the divine inftitution 
 of epifcopacy, and to cut off from all com- 
 munion with Chrift thofe vile fchifmatics 
 who will not live in the communion of the 
 church of E?igla?id ; while they have not a 
 word to fay for the neceffity of being united 
 to the head of the catholic church, and of 
 being joined to him by living faith. Nay, 
 perhaps, when they hear, that unlefs the Holy 
 Spirit be the bond on Chrift's part uniting 
 him to the believer, and faith on his part 
 uniting him to Chrift, it will be of very little 
 confequence in what outward communion a 
 man lives : when they hear this, it is too 
 hard a faying, they cannot bear it. They 
 think, that a found church with a good li- 
 turgy, fcripture articles and homilies, and a 
 regular difcipline, are the main things, 
 Doubtlefs they are good things. God for- 
 bid our church Ihould be without them, 
 and God forbid any member of our church 
 fhould reft in them: for in this communion, 
 
 excellent 
 
( 254 ) 
 
 excellent as it is, a man believing it to he 
 excellent may yet live without the grace of 
 Chrift, and perifh from glory for ever. The 
 church is not a Saviour. We Protejlants 
 have one Saviour, even Chrift Jefus our Lord. 
 The Papifts indeed make a Saviour of the 
 church, and a far greater Saviour than 
 Chrift : for the holy mother church can fave 
 a man who dies in his fms unrepented of, 
 which Chrift has no where in fcripture pro- 
 mifed to do. And our high churchmen in 
 the heat of their party zeal fpeak and ad; in 
 the very fpirit of Popei-y. By laying fo much 
 ftrefs, nay laying all the ftrefs, as fome of 
 them do, upon outward communion, they 
 omit the weightier matter of inward commu- 
 nion with the head of the church, without 
 which, of whatever reformed church or Pro- 
 tejiajit congi'egation a man be a member, he 
 is no member of the true church of Chrift, 
 He has not the fpirit of Chrift uniting him 
 to the head of the myftical body, and with- 
 out the fpirit of Chrift he is none of his. 
 Reft not then, I befeech you my brethren, in 
 outward memberftiip to this or that com- 
 munion. Don't place your religion in exter- 
 nals. You may live in the beft communion 
 upon earth, and fuch indeed I take the church 
 
 of 
 
( ^55 ) 
 
 of England to be, and yet you may be out of 
 Chrift's kingdom. Outward things of them- 
 felves will not avail : for the kingdom of God 
 does not confnl: in meat and drink, or in any 
 thing external, but in righteoufnefs, and peace, 
 and joy in the Holy Ghoft. His kingdom is 
 a fpiritual thing. It is formed within us, in 
 the heart. There Chrifl muft rule and go- 
 vern. Seek then to have his kingdom fet up 
 within you by an inward work of his grace. 
 Beg of God to Ihew you your want of it, and 
 when it fhall pleafe him to convince yoUj that 
 no outward things can avail, not even his ov\^n 
 inftitutions, unlefs his quickening Spirit be in 
 them, then he will bring you into a proper 
 frame and temper of mind to join with the 
 daughters of yertifalem in the text in feeking 
 the knowledge of your intereft in Chrift, 
 which is the fecoiid particular to be confi- 
 dered. 
 
 The believer had defcribed the excellen- 
 cies and perfediions of his beloved Jefus, and 
 had fpoken feelingly of his own intereft in 
 them. The defcription ftirred up the daugh- 
 ters of yenifalem^ who wondered at firft 
 what he faw in his Jefus to be fo enamoured 
 with him, to defire that they might have the 
 
 fame 
 
( ^5^ ) 
 
 fame happy experience. And they, tvho 
 could enquire before what there was in h'lm^ 
 more than in another beloved, now afl^, 
 " Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou 
 " faireft among women ?" Chrift had be- 
 fore called her the faireft among women. 
 She had no beauty in herfelf — defiled and 
 deformed with natural and a<fl:ual guilt, fhe 
 was caft out to the loathing of her perfon. 
 He that is of purer eyes than to behold the 
 leaft iniquity, could not fee any thing in her 
 but uglinefs and fmful deformity; and yet 
 the love of the Lord Jefus has cleanfed her 
 from every fpot and ftain of fm. In the 
 1 6th chapter oi K%ekiel ^r^ have a fweet de- 
 fcription of his free grace and love. " When 
 " I pafled by thee," fays he, " and faw thee, 
 " polluted in thine own blood, I faid unto 
 " thee when thou waft in thy blood, Live; 
 " yea I faid unto thee when thou waft in 
 " thy blood, Live." — ^And after defcribing 
 the feveral fteps which he took to raife her 
 up, to ornament her, and to ennoble her, 
 he adds — " Thy renown went forth among 
 " the heathen for thy beauty : for it was 
 " perfect through my comelinefs, which I 
 f' had put upon thee, faith the Lord God." 
 He cloathed her with the unfpotted robe of 
 
 his 
 
{ '^Sl ) 
 
 his ovfn righteoufnefs, and made her perfect 
 through his comelinefs which he put upon 
 her. All our comelinefs now confifts ia 
 what Chrift puts upon us, and in what he 
 works in us. While man was innocent he 
 wanted no cloathing ; but when he loft the 
 image of God, then fhame and fm made 
 cloathing neceffary. The fmful body is 
 forced to go to the creatures to borrow a 
 covering from them, and the foul has no 
 covering but what comes from the head of 
 the church. The moon has no light but 
 what fhe receives from the fun. The fpoufe 
 of Chrift fhines in the beams of her huft)and. 
 Covered and ornamented with his righteouf- 
 nefs, and enriched with the graces of his 
 Spirit, ftie is the faireft among women, fair 
 in the fight of an infinitely holy God, in the 
 eye of the perfe<5t law fhe appears to be 
 without fpot or wrinkle or any fuch thing, 
 holy and without blemifh. In this amiable 
 light fhe now appears to the daughters of 
 Je7'iifalem, They fee and acknowledge her 
 perfed: beauty, and earneftly defire to par- 
 take of her Lord's love. Whither, fay they, 
 is thy beloved, whofe love was able to cloath 
 thee with this immaculate robe of righteouf- 
 •aefs, and whofe fpirit has enriched thee with 
 
 R io 
 
( 258 ) 
 
 fo many divine graces, whither is he gone ? 
 They knew he had withdrawn himfelf from 
 the believer, but it's plain from this queftion, 
 that they did not think Chrift had quite for- 
 faken him ; they fuppofed he ftill knew 
 Chrift, and was able to inform them whither 
 he was gone. The words immediately fol- 
 lowing the text Ihew, that he was acquainted 
 where Chrift then vouchfafed his prefence, 
 though he had hid his face from him — 
 " My beloved," fays he, " is gone down inta 
 *' his garden." — He is ftill in the garden of 
 his church. There he was to be found. 
 He was ftill prefent by his Spirit in the or- 
 dinances, and in them he was determined to 
 wait until he found his beloved. Chrift 
 had taken away the light of his countenance, 
 not only to chaftife his former fleepy fecu-, 
 rity, and to make him more earneft in feek- 
 ing his Lord, and to make him more thank- 
 ful when he fhould find him, but alfo to 
 render him the means as it here proved, of 
 ftirring up others to feek for a clear know- 
 ledge of Chrift, and the experience of his 
 love — " Whither is thy beloved gone," fay 
 they, " whither is thy beloved turned afide?" 
 — not wholly departed, but only turned alide, 
 tell us, " that we may feek him with thee." 
 
 How 
 
{ 259 ) 
 
 How wonderfully does grace appear to work 
 by the growth of thefe good defires in the 
 daughters of yerufalem ! And how ready 
 fhould we be to fpeak a word for Chrift, 
 fince fuch may be the happy effects? How 
 induflrious ought we to be to feek occafions, 
 how careful to negled: none ? As we know 
 not which word is to profper, either this or 
 that, let us take every opportunity of faying 
 fomething for Chrift. Let us inform men 
 what he is, and what we knov/ of him, and 
 who can tell but "a very imperfeO:, yet well- 
 meant defcription may receive a blefling. 
 Have we not great encouragement in the 
 morning to fow our feed, and in the evening 
 not to with-hold our hand, from the fuccefs 
 mentioned in the text ? When the daughters 
 of Jerufalem heard the believer enlarge up- 
 on the excellencies of Chrift, and fet forth 
 his own fhare and intereft in them, and faw 
 that no difcouragements could cool the 
 ardor of his love, they were hereby ftirred 
 up ; thefe were the means under God of 
 putting them upon defiring a nearer and 
 more clofe acquaintance with Chrift. They 
 knew him before by profeflion, but now 
 they wanted the pofleflion of him. They 
 wanted to know Chrift to be theirs. At 
 
 R 2 firft 
 
( 26o ) 
 
 firft they faw no form nor comelinefs in hinij 
 that they Ihould defire him. But now the 
 defires of their hearts are after him. They 
 fee their want of him, they are convinced of 
 his all-fufficiency to fupply their wants, they 
 believe he is able, and they hope he is willing, 
 they neither doubt of his power or of his 
 love to fave, and therefore they refolve to 
 feek him, untill they have experienced the 
 truth of the charader which they had heard 
 of him, and can call him their beloved and 
 their friend. '^ 
 
 Confidering the words in this light, they 
 hold out to us one plain leflbn. When the 
 daughters of yernfalevi heard of the beau- 
 ties and excellencies of God the Saviour it 
 wrought upon their hearts, and kindled fer- 
 vent and earneft defires to know their intereit 
 in him. Still God works in the fame man- 
 ner. When Chrift is fet forth in his divine 
 graces, and attributes, and oiBces, the Holy 
 Spirit thereby flirs up defires in the heart* 
 of finners to feek Chrift and his falvation, 
 and he alfo excites holy afFeitions in believer* 
 to follow Chrift more clofely. Has he, mv 
 brethren, wrought thus in any of your hearts? 
 How have you been affeded with thefe dif- 
 
 eourfes 
 
( 26i ) 
 
 courfcs upon the lovelinefs and perfedlons 
 of Jefus Chrifl? Have they made any good 
 imprelTion upon you? Have you had ftronger 
 dellres after Chrift, and have you feen hinx 
 more lovely than you ever did before I 
 Thefe efFedis ought to have followed : for 
 his " name is as ointment poured forth," the 
 preaching of his name is like opening a box 
 of the richeft perfume. It difFufes its fra- 
 grancy all around, fo that the houfe is filled 
 with the grateful odour of the ointment. Did 
 you perceive none of it poured forth, none 
 of this undtion from the holy one defcendlng 
 upon you this day? Did you find no fweel 
 favour of grace working in your hearts, while 
 I was attempting to draw a fhort characfler 
 of the lovelinefs of Jefus? Did he appear to 
 you altogether lovely, as man, as God, as 
 God-man united in one Saviour, and was it 
 the prayer of your foul, that you might find 
 ^ him your beloved and your friend ! If the 
 Holy Spirit accompanied the word, thefe 
 effedls have followed; if they have, give the 
 glory to God, and be thankful; and if they 
 have not, Oh that he may now enable m.e ta 
 fpeak a word to your confciences under my 
 third and laji head, which was to make a pro- 
 per ufe and application of what has been faid. 
 R 3 The 
 
( 262 ) 
 
 The believer, though under fp'irkual 
 defertion, could fee nothing worth feeking 
 after, but his beloved Saviour. He feeks 
 him, though he cannot find — calls, though 
 he has no anfwer — continues feeking and 
 calling, though he meets with difgrace and 
 perfecution. The pleafmg remembrance of 
 their love would not fufFer him to reft until 
 it was renewed. His love grew with feeking. 
 Oppofition made it burn the brighter. He 
 went on, nothing difcouraged, until he found 
 the daughters of yerufalem^ and made them 
 acquainted with his cafe. They afk, what he 
 found in this Jefus, that he was fo diftreft 
 at his withdrawing himfelf from him? this 
 gave him occafion to draw the character 
 of his beloved, which lie does in a very- 
 enlivened defcription, fetting forth in the 
 moft beautiful colours, what he was in him- 
 felf, and what he was to him, the perfect 
 lovelinefs of Chrift, and his intereft in it. 
 Upon this the daughters of yeriifalem take 
 fire. They become alfo in love with Chrift, 
 and defire to ftiare in thofe perfedlions, the 
 account of which had touched their hearts 
 and inflamed their affedions. 
 
 ,Now 
 
( 263 ) 
 
 Now if the Spirit of God be moving in 
 your hearts, this is, my brethren, the cafe 
 with you. You are convinced of your own 
 fpiritual wants, and of Chrift's being an all- 
 fufficient and a loving Saviour, and while I 
 have been defcribing him, you have fent up 
 many a wiih to heaven, praying him to reveal 
 himfelf to you, and to manifeft his love to 
 your foul. This is always the confequence of 
 preaching Chrift Jefus the Lord, when God 
 ieffed;ually works with the word preached. 
 When the Holy Spirit accompanies it with 
 his divine grace, it is then the power of 
 God unto falvation. But 
 
 If this has not been the effedl, if you have 
 had no defires awakened in your minds after 
 Chrift, confider I befeech you, what a ftate 
 of guilt and danger you are in. Jefus Chrift 
 has all the excellencies of heaven and earth, 
 every thing that ought to gain your efteem 
 in his human nature, every thing that can 
 demand your love in his divine nature, and 
 as God-man united in one Saviour he has 
 every grace and every blelling to give, that 
 can make you happy in time and in eternity. 
 And yet though he has every thing valuable, 
 that can win the underftanding, though he 
 
 R 4 has 
 
( 264 ) 
 
 has every thing defireable, that can gain the 
 will, though he has every thing lovely, that 
 can influence the heart and the affedions> 
 you can hear of him without any emotion. 
 You fee no form nor comelinefs in him 
 that you fhould defire him. Without an 
 interell In him you mufl be miferable for 
 ever. He alone can fave you from the 
 jufl punijihment due to your fms, and yet 
 your hopes and fears, your own intereft, 
 your love of pleafure and hatred of pain, 
 cannot prevail with you to love and efteem 
 the God of our falvation. What is the reafon 
 of this? Why are all the faculties of the foul 
 thus ftrongly biaffed againft their own inte-» 
 reft? Propofe to them any fenfual pleafure, 
 they eagerly defire, and ardently purfue it, 
 and with the fame propenfity they fly from 
 fenfual pain. But in matters relating to the 
 foul they slS. dired:ly contrary. Jefus Chrift 
 being the Saviour of the world has every 
 fpiritual pleafure to give, and yet they nei- 
 ther eagerly defire, nor ardently purfue it. 
 Without an intereft in him body and foul 
 will be in everlafting pain, and yet they do 
 not fly to him, that they may avoid it. 
 Whence is it that men ad thus abfurdly, 
 thus unnaturally? The fcripture gives this 
 
 reafon. 
 
{ 26j ) 
 
 rcafon. Sin has corrupted all the flicultles 
 of foul and body, and has got dominion over 
 them. It has blinded the underftanding, 
 which is dark, yea darknefs itfelf the apoftle 
 fays, not only without the adual knowledge 
 of God and of the things of God, but alfo 
 without the potential knowledge of them : 
 " for the natural man perceiveth not the 
 " things of the Spirit of God." From whence 
 we learn his ad:ual want of knowledge in the 
 things of God. But left fome fhould afcribe 
 this to his neglect of them, or to his not 
 being acquainted with metaphyfics or moral 
 reafoning, the apoftle adds, " neither can he 
 *' know them," let him ftudy them ever fo 
 much; from hence we learn his want of 
 power to know them, and this is the reafon, 
 ** becaufe they are fpiritually difcerned." — 
 An evident proof, that the faculties of the 
 natural man are as much under the power 
 of fin as a dead corpfe is under the power 
 of death. In all fpiritual matters he is like 
 a dead man, without any fpiritual difcern- 
 ment. He cannot turn his mind to think, 
 his will to defire, or his affedlions to love 
 them. Sin has abfolute dominion over him, 
 and forces him to ferve it with all the powers 
 of foul and body, even to theii" own deftruc- 
 
 tion. 
 
( 266 ) 
 
 don. In this ftate, dreadful as it is, you are 
 at prefent. If the defires of your heart be 
 not after Chrift, if you do not at this time 
 wifh from your fouls, that you may have an 
 intereft in the lovelinefs and excellencies of 
 Chrift, and may know him to be your Sa- 
 viour and your God, then be aflured that 
 you are ftill under the power of fm. It has 
 entirely blinded you, and I fhould be an 
 enemy to my blefled mafter, and an enemy 
 to your happinefs, if I did not fpeak to you 
 jEreely and openly, and warn you of your 
 danger. Out of love to your fouls I cannot 
 be filent, and whether you will hear or whe- 
 ther you will forbear, I muft deliver my 
 own foul, 
 
 I fuppofe, my brethren, you profefs your- 
 felves chriftians, and you believe that Jefus 
 Chrift is a perfect and complete Saviour, and 
 you believe farther, that you fhall fome time 
 or other ftand in need of his falvation ; but 
 you have no defire to experience it at prefent. 
 You do not want prefent falvation from fm. 
 You cannot but wifti to be freed from the 
 guilt and puniftiment of it, but then you 
 liave no wifties to be freed from its domi- 
 nion I is it not evident therefore that it ftiU 
 
 has 
 
( 267 ) 
 
 "has dominion over you: and being fo, you 
 are children of God's wrath, under the curfes 
 of his holy law, fentenced by it and con- 
 demned to everlafting torments, death will 
 foon come, and inflid: the curfes of the law 
 vipon you, even the moft terrible and dread- 
 ful of them. How awful and flriking are 
 thefe words ! Who but a man dead in fm 
 could ftand out againft the force of them? 
 *' If any man love not the Lord Jefus Chrift 
 " let him be anathema maranatha." You 
 .are here put under the heavieft and bittereft 
 of divine curfes, not only if you hate or op- 
 pofe Jefus Chrift, but alfo if you do not love 
 him. Oh confider thei;i and weigh this fcrip- 
 ture carefully, if you have not fome love for 
 the Lord Jefus, and are not feeking to love 
 him more. I leave it upon your minds, and 
 may God write it upon all your hearts, that 
 you may fly from this anathema maranatha 
 to the arms of that loving Saviour, who alone 
 can deliver you from it. Flee then from 
 fm. Flee then from fatan. Flee from all 
 the enemies of your fouls to this loving God, 
 who is almighty to fave. And to thofe who 
 are flying to him for falvation, and whofe 
 hearts have been fl:irred up to feek him along 
 with thefe daughters of ycrtifakm^ I make 
 Tsxyfecond pradical remark. 
 
 My 
 
,( 26^ ) 
 
 My brethren, you have great reafon to be 
 thankful for thefe £rft motions of grace. 
 
 God has begun to draw you to himfelf ■ 
 
 follow and run after him. Seek him, while 
 he may be found. And for your encourage- 
 ment remember how many fweet promifes 
 God has made in fcripture to them that feek 
 him.. " Thofe that feek me early, fays wif- 
 *' dom, fhall find me." Prov, viii. 17. 
 Chrift, who was made unto us wifdom, here 
 declares that he will be found of them that 
 ieek him. And again he fays, " Seek and 
 *' ye fhall find ; for every one that feeketh 
 ** findeth. Thefe are the words of the God 
 of truth, and they fhall ftand fafl for ever 
 and ever. His almighty power will againfl 
 all oppofition fulfil his promifes. And his 
 faithful people find them fulfilled. They 
 have the comfortable experience of them. 
 One of his people, a man after his own heart 
 has declared, " Thou Lord haft never failed 
 *' them that feek thee." — No, never — at 
 no time has he difappointed them. If they 
 fought happinefs in him, they infallibly found 
 it. And this is the experience of all God*s 
 people. They can take up the prophet's 
 words, and with one voice declare, " Thou 
 *' Lord haft never failed them that feek thee.'* 
 Here is comfort for them that feek the Lord 
 
 Jefus. 
 
( 269 ) 
 
 Jefus. How happy would worldly men 
 think themfelves, if they were upon this foot- 
 ing; if they were fure of finding what they 
 feek? Let them not rife up in judgment 
 againft you, my brethren, and condemn you 
 for not feeking what you could not but 
 have found, if you had fought aright: Chrift 
 is to be found in his own ordinances. He is 
 to be met with, not in the wildernefs of the 
 world, but in the inclofed garden of the 
 church. Thither he ftill comes down, and 
 manifefts himfelf to them that feek him. 
 In the aflemblies of his people he will be 
 made known by animating and quickening 
 the word, and by rendering it effediual to 
 awaken fmners from the dead fleep of fm, 
 to encourage feekers to go on until they find, 
 and to build up and ftrengthen them that 
 have found. He will prove himfelf to be 
 the God who heareth prayer, by hearing and 
 anfwering their petitions for themfelves, and 
 their fupplications for all men. He will 
 make himfelf known to them, by breaking 
 of bread, and by feeding and ftrengthening 
 their fouls with his body and blood at his 
 own table. He ftill comes down with his 
 gracious prefence into thefe ordinances, and 
 animates and enlivens them. We are his 
 wit.aefles; for we find his good Spirit in them. 
 
 Oh 
 
(270) 
 
 Oh continue then feeking, and continue in 
 the ways of his own appointing, and when 
 it will be moft for his glory, and for your 
 comfort and falvation, you have his word of 
 promife you JJjall Jind, And fooner fhall 
 heaven and earth pafs away, than the leaft 
 tittle of any of his promifes fliall fail : " Seek 
 and ye fhall find." And to them who have 
 found, I have a word of exhortation in the 
 third and loft place. 
 
 My chriflian brethren, fince you know 
 Chrift to be altogether lovely, and to be 
 your beloved and your friend, pray daily for 
 more and more of his love. Befeech the 
 Holy Spirit to fhed it abroad abundantly in 
 your hearts, that you may honour him more 
 In your lives, and praife him more with 
 vour lips. Hov/ meanly foever men may 
 think of him, be not ye afhamed to own 
 what he has done for your fouls. Publifh 
 his praifes. Proclaim to all about you, what 
 a loving Saviour you have found. If you 
 after what you have experienced, were filent, 
 furely the very ftones will cry out. Speak 
 nut then, and tell of his matchlefs excel- 
 lencies, and infinite perfections, and try to 
 ftir up others to feek. Prefs them to leave 
 fin, and to come to him, for nothing but fin 
 
 can 
 
( 271 ) 
 
 can keep them from him. Perfuade them 
 to leave the poor unfatisfying joys of fm, 
 and to feek his heavenly pleafures. Among 
 your accquaintance and friends, in your fa- 
 mily, in all companies, fpeak a word for 
 your dear Saviour. He fometimes bleffes a 
 well-meant fpeech, if it be neither learned, 
 nor elegant. But if it fhould not be a blefl- 
 ing to others, yet it will certainly be one to 
 yourfelf : for he hath promifed — them that 
 honour me, I will honour. 
 
 The fcope and defign of what I have fald 
 was to perfuade you all to feek the know- 
 ledge of your intereft in Chrift's love, as the 
 only means of making you happy. Know- 
 ing your intereft in him is the ground of 
 your love: for if you had no knowledge or 
 experience of his love, how could you love 
 him becaufe he firft loved you. Your love 
 IS only the reflex adt of his love. And you 
 muft know that he loves you, before you 
 can be truly happy, and you muft be happy 
 in him, before you can have any motive to 
 fmg his praifes from your heart. It is the 
 bleffed employment of the faithful upon 
 earth, and of the glorified faints in heaven, 
 to give honour and blefhng and praife to 
 the Lamb that was flain, and hath redeemed 
 
 them 
 
( 272 ) 
 
 them unto God by his blood. Can yotl, 
 my brethren, join your hearts and voices> 
 with theirs ? Are you able to praife the Lord 
 for his goodnefs, and to declare the wonders 
 that he hath done for your foul — to be tell- 
 ing of his falvation from day to day, every 
 day, and all the day. If you have not rea- 
 fon enough to be always giving of thanks, 
 you may be affured you are not a real mem- 
 ber of the church of Chrift. If you were, 
 you would find the truth of this fcripture — 
 " Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe, 
 '* they will be always praihng thee." This 
 is the fweet employment of tliofe who dwell 
 in the houfe of God, in the church here be- 
 low. It is meet, right, and their bounden 
 duty, that they fhould at all times and in all 
 places give thanks unto thee O Lord, holy 
 Father, almighty, everlafting God. It is 
 their duty, and they reckon it their privi- 
 lege ; and forry they are when they either 
 find themfelves interrupted by the necelTary 
 affairs of this life, or through coldnefs of 
 their affedions are indifpofed for the delight- 
 ful exercife of thankfgiving. But thanks be 
 to God who will foon deliver us from both 
 thefe hinderances. E'er long we fhall join 
 the glorified fpirits who are now Handing 
 round the throne, fuiging the praifes of God 
 
 siad 
 
( 273 ) 
 
 and the Lamb. This is their conftant and 
 happy employment. And his infinite ador- 
 able perfections will find them frefli matter 
 of praife to all eternity. Suppofe any of you 
 were to go out of the world in love with fin, 
 and void of the love of Chrift, you could 
 not join them, nor w^ould it be any pleafure 
 to you to hear them afcribe bleffing, and ho- 
 nour, and glory, and power to him that fitteth 
 on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and 
 ever. This is the felicity of an innumerable 
 company of angels, and of the fpirits of jufl 
 men made perfect : but it could be none to 
 you, becaufe your heart was not fitted for it. 
 If you believe this, and if God's word be 
 true you cannot deny it, then afk yourfelves. 
 Would you choofe to die unfit for the joys 
 of heaven ? Surely you would not. Why 
 then do you live unfit for them ? If ever you 
 relifii them, you mufl: begin to tafte their 
 fweetnefs here. In this life the praifes of 
 Chrift muft be your delight, if they ever be 
 in the next. Weigh thefe motives, and give 
 them the attention which they deferve. Con- 
 fider them under the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit. Pray for his grace. And may he dif- 
 pofe you to feek the knowledge of your in- 
 tereft in Chrift, and enable you to wait until 
 S his 
 
( 274 ) 
 
 his love be flied abroad in your hearts ; and 
 then you will have reafon to rejoice in your 
 redeeming God in time and in eternity. And 
 that this may be your happy experience, let 
 us pray for it. May he who fitteth upon the 
 throne hear and anfwer. 
 
 Look down with mercy, O thou almighty 
 and loving Saviour, upon this whole con- 
 gregation. All hearts are open, all defires 
 known, and no fecrets are hid from thee. 
 O cleanfe the thoughts of our hearts by the 
 infpiration of thy Holy Spirit, and enable 
 every one of us to form a right judgment of 
 what we have heard. Stir up, we pray thee, 
 thy power, and come among us, and with 
 great might convince thofe perfons of their 
 guilt and of their danger, who are feeking 
 happinefs in the world, and put it into their 
 hearts to feek it in thee. Teach them, blefled 
 Lord, that there is no true happinefs to be 
 found in a w^orld, which lieth in fm. Let 
 them experience the delufion of all worldly 
 joys, that they may feek for thofe joys which 
 thine almighty love has to beftow. And to 
 thofe, whom thou haft given grace to feek, 
 give more grace. Confirm and ftrengthen 
 the good dcfires of thofe who are waiting for 
 
 thy 
 
( 275 ) 
 
 thy falvatlon. Keep them by thy power, un- 
 til thou fave them from their fnis. And fave 
 us all, O thou Lord God omnipotent, fave us 
 from the power of fm. Deliver us more and 
 more from its dominion. May all the Lord's 
 people ferve him out of a pure heart, and with 
 love unfeigned 5 and may they go on re- 
 joicing to do or to fufFer his will, until he, 
 who got himfelf glory by them upon earth, 
 fhall be glorified in them in heaven, by be- 
 llowing upon them an exceeding and eternal 
 weight of glory. And when he cometh thus 
 to be glorified in his faints, and we know not 
 how near the day of his coming may be — 
 Oh may it be your happinefs and mine then 
 to be found at his right hand, to hear the al- 
 ' mighty Judge pronounce us bleffed, and to 
 enter into the joy of our Lord, there to praife 
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three felf- 
 lexiftent perfons in one Jehovah, to whom be 
 honour and glory, dominion and power, 
 thankfgiving and worfhip now, and for ever 
 and ever. Amen, 
 
 S 2 
 
{ ^7^ ) 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 Chap. viil. Ver. 5. 
 
 IV/jo is this that cometh up from the wildertiefs^ 
 leatiiftg upon her belovedi 
 
 WE have in thefe words a beautiful 
 reprefentation of our Lord's love 
 to his people. In whatever light we con- 
 fider him he is amiable and altogether 
 lovely. He is not only great and good, but 
 has alfo every thing that is great and good 
 united iri him, whereby he is able and wil- 
 ling to fave poor fmners vnito the uttermoft. 
 They can want nothing but Vv^hat he has to 
 give. And happy for them, his heart is 
 large and open. He is not ftraitned in his 
 bowels. He gave proof of it in the days of 
 his fiefh, when he- never refufed any perfoii 
 that came to afk his help. And no weary 
 heavy-laden fmner, who comes to him for 
 his promifed reft, has ever fmce been caft 
 out. He is free to pardon and to cleanfe 
 them from all their fms, and to bring them 
 
 into 
 
( 277 ) 
 
 into a ftate of acceptance with God ; and 
 then he is able to keep them through faith 
 unto fiilvation. This is a fweet part of our 
 Lord's character — he is able to keep them 
 from falUng. They are weak in themfelves, 
 but he is ftrong, and by faith his ftrength 
 becomes theirs. They are engaged in a dan- 
 gerous warfare, and have many powerful 
 enemies, but the captain of their fah/ation 
 has conquered them, and has promifed to 
 make them alfo more than conquerors. They 
 have many troubles from within and from 
 without, but he knows how to make them 
 all work together for their good. He is able 
 to carry them fafely and fweetly through all 
 dangers. In this amiable light he is con- 
 fidered in the text. He is here drawn with 
 every grace, which can recommend and en~ 
 -dear him to the afFed:ions of his people : for 
 he does not leave them to find their way 
 through the wildernefs, nor to overcome the 
 difficulties of their paflage through it, nor 
 to get fubfiftence in it, but he conducts and 
 carries them fafe through all, while they 
 lean upon him for ftrength : for he is here 
 fupporting the church, while flie is journey- 
 ing through the wildernefs of this world to 
 the promifed land of everlafting reft. And 
 3 3 )thg 
 
( 278 ) 
 
 the church is every believing foul — thott 
 makeft part of it wrhoever thou art, who 
 canft place thy trull and confidence upon 
 Jefus Chrift. Thou feeft the perfed beauty 
 of this image, and knoweft what it means 
 for the church to come from the wilder- 
 nefs leaning upon her beloved. O that the 
 Eternal Spirit may teach you all what it 
 means. He can open your eyes to fee the 
 fenfe of it, and can open your hearts to feel 
 its fweetnefs. The experience of it will make 
 it fweet indeed, and God grant you may now 
 enperience it, and may be able to lean upon 
 Jefus Chrift for his grace and bleffing orr 
 What you hear, while I fhall 
 
 Fh-Ji^ Take the words in the fame order 
 they lie in the text, and endeavour to give the 
 fenfe of them. And then 
 
 Secondly^ While I ihall apply the dodrine 
 to your fpiritual benefit and improvement. 
 
 The perfon celebrated in this divine fong 
 is Jefus Chrift, and his graces and infinite 
 perfections are here defcribed under the moft 
 fublime and affeding images. His love to 
 the church, that is, to every believing foul, is 
 
 the 
 
( 279 ) 
 
 tlie grand defign of this highly-finlfhed paint- 
 ing. The manner of the compofition is in 
 the way of dialogue. The principal fpeakers 
 are Chrift and the church, and twice or thrice 
 the daughters of yen/falem, or fome ftanders 
 by are introduced, in order to afk leading 
 queftions, which would give occafion to the 
 anfwerer to open the fubjed; more fully. 
 Thefe perfons are, I fuppofe, the fpeakers in 
 the text, and make the enquiry — Who is 
 this that Cometh up from the ivildernefs lean^ 
 2?ig on her beloved ? Who is this ? The an- 
 fwer is, it is the church, of whofe love to 
 Chrift this divine poem treats. And the 
 church is neither the yewifi nor the Gentile^ 
 neither the Pi'otejiant nor the Papiji^ neither 
 the Calvinijl nor the Lutheran : for the mul- 
 titude in all outward churches is the fame. 
 A man in his natural unregenerate ftate is 
 juft the fame, whether he be a Papijl or a 
 Frotejiaut ; but the few in thefe outward 
 churches who live and walk in the fpirit and 
 power of Chrift, they are the church. Every 
 believing foul is a part of it ; for of numbers 
 of them the church is compofed. Whoever 
 is united by faith to Jefus Chrift, who is the 
 head of the church, he is a living member 
 of it. All the reft are dead formal profeflbrs, 
 S4 of 
 
( 28o ) 
 
 of whom God knows we have too many, 
 The generality of our people content them-. 
 felves with a foolifh notion of their belong- 
 ing to the church of England^ and of their 
 being members of the eftablifhed church, 
 although they feldom fee the infide of a 
 church. They live in ignorance of her doc- 
 trines, and in difobedience to her difcipline. 
 But may not the perfons, who frequent her 
 fervices and conftantly attend upon the out- 
 ward ordinances, think themfelves mighty 
 good churchmen ? They may, if they be 
 united by faving faith to the head of the 
 church ; but without this union a parcel of 
 loofe ftones thrown together in a heap would 
 make juft fuch a church as they are. Where- 
 as the fpiritual building of which Chrift is 
 the chief corner-flone is fitly joined together 
 and compaded in every part ; and the ce- 
 ment or bond of union which keeps all the 
 lively ftones of this fpiritual houfhold in their 
 proper place and ftation is faith, as the apoftle 
 has taught us, Heh, iii. 6. " Chrift is a fon 
 " over his own houfe, whofe houfe we are, 
 " if we hold faft the confidence of faith, 
 " and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the 
 " end." If you attend ever fo much upon 
 tlje outward ordinances, yet if you have not 
 
 this 
 
( 28i ) 
 
 this confidence of faith, and this rejoicing of 
 hope, you make no part of the church of 
 Chrift. You want the proper cement of this 
 fph-itual building. You are but loofe ftones, 
 and therefore neither united to it, nor any 
 part of it. You come to prayers ^ — you at- 
 tend twice a day on Sundays — you go once 
 a month to the facrament — All this is veiy 
 V/ell, and you may go thus far, nay much 
 farther, and yet be no member of Chrift's 
 myftical body. For thefe outward fervices 
 profit nothing, unlefs the heart be rightly 
 difpofed : and the heart is then rightly dif- 
 pofed, when we go to thefe fervices in faith, 
 hoping to meet God in them, and to receive 
 fuch fupplies of grace from him as we ftand 
 in need of. But when men ufe the ordinances 
 in hopes of making themfelves good, and of 
 attaining fome felf-righteoufnefs, then they 
 abufe them, and the fi:rideft attenders upon 
 the ordinances with this view are the worfl 
 churchmen, becaufe they moft effedually 
 cut themfelves off from all union with the 
 head of the church. By going about to 
 eftablifh their own righteoufnefs, they en- 
 tirely deprive themfelves of that righteouf- 
 nefs of Jefus Chrift, without which no man 
 iliall fee the Lord. If the felf-righteous 
 
 could 
 
( 282 ) 
 
 couldrt>e made to confider this, they would 
 not reft in forms and ordinances, which are 
 only the beggarly elements of religion when 
 refted in, but would feek the grace of God, 
 which is the life and fpirit of the ordinances, 
 and then as they are his appointed means, 
 he would certainly be found in them. And 
 whoever finds him in them, and thereby 
 receives continual fupplies of grace for the 
 advancement of his fpiritual life, he is a 
 member of the true church of Chrift. 
 
 Our reformers have given us an excellent 
 defcription of the church in their 1 9th article. 
 " The viiible church of Chrift is a congre- 
 *' gation of faithful men, in the which the 
 " pure word of God is preached, and the 
 " facraments be duly adminiftered according 
 " to Chrift's ordinance." Here they aJlow 
 none to be members, no not even of the 
 vifible church, unlefs they be faithful men: 
 faith uniting them to Jefus Chrift is that 
 which makes them good churchmen, as it 
 will evidently appear from a farther confi- 
 deration of this fcripture: for the condition 
 of the church is the next particular — ^" She 
 *' is coming up from the wildernefs," from 
 the wafte howling wildernefs of this world, 
 
 and 
 
( 283 ) 
 
 and travelling on towards the promifed land 
 ©f everlafting reft. 
 
 When man was firft created he was placed 
 in a paradife of delight, where God had pro- 
 vided every thing neceflary for the fupport 
 both of foul and body. But when he tranf- 
 greffed the juft and holy law of God he was 
 driven out of paradife, and turned into the 
 wide barren world, where his body was 
 forced to labour for the bread that perifheth, 
 and to earn it by the fweat of his brow, and 
 his foul was banifhed from God and from 
 all fweet communion with him, w^hich had 
 made paradife fo much like heaven, and the 
 remembrance of its fweetnefs would make 
 the pleafanteft fpot upon the earth appear 
 like a defolate wildernefs. As God is the 
 life, and his prefence is the happinefs, of the 
 foul, what muft it be without God? More 
 uncomfortable furely, than the body would 
 be in the moft difmal howling defert: and 
 we are all by nature in this ftate. The 
 world is indeed a place of banifhment to 
 every fon of fallen Jdam, What will you 
 call it but a wildernefs, where not a morfel 
 of bread grows without human labour and 
 cultivation? And is not this a juft pidure of 
 
 the 
 
( 284 ) 
 
 the ftate of the foul, which has no divme or 
 faving knowledge of itfelf, and can receive 
 none from any of the arts and fciences? 
 This barren earth cannot produce one fingle 
 ray of heavenly truth. It muft all come 
 down from above, as manna did upon the 
 Jfraelites in the wildernefs, otherwife our 
 fouls will perifh for lack of knowlegde, as 
 their bodies would have perifhed for want 
 of bread. And fmce this is our condition, 
 how fhall we obtain deliverance? We are 
 kere in bondage. Sin has chained us down 
 in this wildernefs. Satan watches us and 
 tempts us to love our chains. The vain 
 world fmiles upon us, and would make us 
 believe, that we are ftill in paradife : and 
 God knows there are too many poor filly 
 creatures who take this world for their only 
 paradife. They are fo dotingly fond of it, 
 that nothing can break the enchantment. 
 Though pains and miferies come one upon 
 the back of another, like wave after wave, 
 yet ftill they cannot entertain one hard 
 thought of this dear world. They love it 
 with all their hearts, and with all their 
 fouls, notwithftanding the briars and thorns^ 
 which tear and fcratch their fiefh, and the 
 difappointments and vexation they daily meet 
 
 with. 
 
 i 
 
{ 283- ) 
 
 ■with. This fatal delufion is the worft part of 
 their cafe, becaufe to be in fuch a wildernefs 
 is a great calamity, but to be in. love with it 
 is a greater. It is a great misfortune to be fick, 
 but to be in love with ficknefs, is worfe than 
 the diftemper, and much harder to be cured. 
 And how then can the foul recover her 
 liberty? She is enflaved and chained down 
 to this wildernefs, and her enemies have 
 her abfolutely in their power. She cannot 
 ftir one ftep in her own might. Indeed 
 fhe would not defire to ftir. She loves her 
 bondage. And fmce Ihe has neither the Vv^ill 
 nor the pov/er, how can fhe efcape out of 
 this wildernefs? God be praifed, there is a. 
 way open, and this is through Jefus, who 
 has declared of himfelf, " I am the way," 
 and all that fly to him efcape from the 
 iniferies of this wildernefs, and are coming 
 \ip from it, though not in their own ftrength. 
 The firft defire to leave it was from Jefus 
 Chrift; he enabled the foul to feek deliver- 
 ance, and then gave her ftrength to break 
 loofe from the chains wherewith fhe was 
 bound, and in his might fhe is now travel- 
 ling on. He has given her a profpe£l of a 
 better country, and for it fhe has left off 
 feeking happinefs in the wildernefs. The 
 
 honours. 
 
( 286 ) . 
 
 honours, riches and pleafures there to be 
 found have loll their former value. She has 
 turned her back upon them, and has fet out 
 upon her journey heavenwards. And fee, all 
 the way {he is coming up from the wilder- 
 nefs file 
 
 "^ Leans upon her beloved." He fupports 
 every ftep. This is the chief part of the 
 beautiful image in the text. We here fee 
 the work of faith painted before our eyes iri 
 the moft beautiful colours. There could 
 not be a finer pidure of the believer's reli- 
 ance upon Chrifl for grace to fupport every 
 ftep, and for flrength to carry him on in the 
 chriflian life, than to draw the church lean- 
 ing upon her beloved. To lean and reft the 
 body upon any thing is the perfed: reprefen- 
 tation of faith leaning and refting itfelf upon 
 Chrift. An able expofitor upon the paflage 
 has thefe words — " She is leaning on her 
 '*' beloved ; that is, as they, who are weak, 
 " make ufe of a ftaff in climbing of a ftrait 
 " and fteep ground, or eafe themfelves by 
 " leaning upon one that is ftrong, and efpe- 
 *^ cially one v/hom they love for helping 
 " them in their way : fo the believer is faid 
 " to come up from the wildernefs, * leaning 
 " on her beloved,' becaufc flie being weak 
 
 " ill 
 
( 287 ) 
 
 '* in herfelf and unfit for fuch a difEcult 
 " journey, by faith refts on Chrift, for help- 
 *' ing her in the way, whereby ihe is fuf- 
 ** tained, and carried through in the duties 
 ** of an holy walk, and the difficulties in her 
 *' way, till fhe come through the wildernefs 
 ** unto the land of reft." 
 
 Every ftep flie takes, fpiritually by faith and 
 love, fhe cleaves to and relies upon Chrift. 
 There is a fufficiency, and efficacy in Chrift 
 to fave to the uttermoft, to begin and to 
 carry on, and to perfect the whole work of 
 falvation : he is the wifdom, righteoufnefs, 
 . fandlification, and redemption of believers ; 
 and therefore they would not only by faith 
 be united to him, and lean upon him for 
 the pardon of their fms by his righteoufnefs, 
 but they would alfo by faith depend upon 
 him for their fandlification, for their dying 
 to fm, and being alive unto God. And thus 
 by the exercife of faith they fulfil the com- 
 mandment— " Truft in the Lord with all 
 *' thine heart, and lean not to thine own 
 *' underftanding." If they overcome the 
 w^orld the vidiory is from trufting in the 
 Lord by faith, from the power of Chrift 
 apprehended and applied by fliith. If fin 
 be dying in them, it is by the efficacy of his 
 
 death 
 
( 288 ) 
 
 death apprehended and applied by faith* tt 
 they be ahve unto God, " it is not I," fays 
 Faul^ " but Chrift liveth in me." It is by 
 exercifmg faith on Chrift, that 1 receive 
 ftreno-th to get forward in the way of duty^ 
 and to make a progrefs in hoUnefs. I derive 
 continual fupport from him, and the more 
 I can depend and lean upon him by fidth, 
 the fafter I go, and the farther I advance in 
 the way : for leaning on him, and coming 
 up are joined together in the text. If you 
 <yain any ground it muft be by leaning upon 
 the beloved Jefus for his fupport and ftrength : 
 for he is " the beloved" here fpoken of. The 
 beloved Son of the Father, in whom he de- 
 clared he was well pleafed, and he is become 
 the beloved of the believing foul, v/hich is 
 now awakened by his Spirit, and ftirred up by 
 his power to leave this barren wildernefs, and 
 to feek a better country, /. e, a heavenly. 
 His love begun the firft defire, and ftill car- 
 ries it on. His Spirit opened the eyes of 
 faith to fee a better country, and lupports 
 every ftep towards it. And the believer lean- 
 ing and relying upon his beloved Jefus goes 
 on fweetly and fafely. He beholds infmite 
 excellencies, and daily difcovers new worlds 
 of delight in him ; and the fenfe of his own 
 
 intereft 
 
( 289 ) 
 
 intereft in -them increafes the deligtit. He 
 can call all thefe his owtu And to have a 
 property In them makes them ftill more va- 
 luable. In this divine fong he frequently 
 lays a great ftrefs upon this particular, efpe* 
 cially in the 5th chapter, w^here he has been 
 drawing a picture of his Lord, and he puts 
 the finilhing ftroke to it in thefe words — ' 
 *' This is my beloved — and this is 7ny friend." 
 All his excellencies appear with a double 
 grace to me, becaufe I can call them mine» 
 This is the happy experience of every faith- 
 ful foul. May the Holy Spirit bellow it 
 upon you, giving you a view of the Re- 
 deemer's excellencies, and convincing you of 
 your intereft in them, while I am 
 
 Secondly ^ Applying the dod:rine contained 
 in the text to your fpiritual benefit and im- 
 provement. " Who is this that cometh up 
 " from the wildernefs?" It is the believer, 
 whofe aifedions are now raifed above all 
 earthly things, and he is coming up from 
 the world leaning every ftep he takes in the 
 Way towards heaven, upon his beloved Je- 
 fus. The tjeliever's heavenly mindednefs is 
 here reprefented by his coming up or afcend- 
 ing from the wildernefs, wherein he fojourned, 
 
 T in 
 
( 290 ) 
 
 in his way to heaven, as the Ifraelites did in 
 the wildernefs, while they were on their 
 journey to the Fromifed Land, The behever 
 looks upon the pleafanteft and beft-cuhivated 
 fpot of this earth as a mere wildernefs, be- 
 caufe there is no true comfort or perfe(St reft 
 for the foul in any of the good things of it. 
 He has left off feeking happinefs in the en- 
 joyment of them, being convinced that all 
 worldly joys are empty and unfatisfying, and 
 therefore he has turned his back upon them. 
 He remembers Zo/'s wife. He would not 
 caft one wifhful look after them. He keeps 
 walking on with an unwearied courfe, be- 
 caufe he has an almighty fupport. He leans 
 upon one who is able to bea^r up every ftep, 
 who can ftrengthen the weak hands, and 
 confirm the feeble knees. Chrift is his fup- 
 port in his walk heavenwards. He takes 
 Chrift for his fandification, as well as for 
 his juftification, Chrift muft do all in him, 
 as well as for him. Chrift muft enable him 
 to do the works proper to a ftate of accept- 
 ance, as well as bring him into it: for the 
 believer knows of no power, whereby he 
 may be enabled to die unto fm, and to live 
 unto God, but his power only, who is al- 
 mighty to fave his jpeople from their fins. 
 
 This 
 
( 291 ) 
 
 This IS the dodrlne. From the firft yno- 
 ment our backs are turned upon the world 
 and we begin to leave the wildernefs of fin 
 and mifery, until we come to the promifed 
 land of everlafting reft, we muft lean all the 
 way upon Chrift. He muft be our ftay and 
 fupport. Faith muft rely upon him for the 
 fuccefs of every thing we undertake, and by 
 this reliance it fecures fuccefs. The greateft 
 part of our misfortunes and difappointments 
 in our temporal as well as religious affairs 
 come from the ignorance of this dodlrine. 
 "We know not how to truft all in the hands 
 of our loving Saviour. Worldly prudence 
 will be managing its temporal matters with- 
 out refigning all to him: and mens pride 
 and felf-fufficiency cannot bear to be ftript 
 of all merit, and to rely entirely for accept- 
 ance upon the merits of another. It is too 
 low and degrading an idea of the dignity of 
 man to fuppofe him to be in a ftate of con- 
 demnation until Chrift juftify him, and to 
 be unable to take one ftep in his chriftian 
 courfe unlefs the fpirit of Chrift affift and 
 fupport him. Thefe truths are too mortify- 
 ing to be generally received, but believers 
 know them to be truths by happy experience. 
 They are aflured, that there is no other way 
 
 T 2 to 
 
( 292 ) 
 
 to walk contentedly and chearfully home- 
 wards, but to lean and reft all the way up-* 
 on him, who is both their guide and their 
 ftrength, who has them and all their con- 
 cerns in his gracious hands. Although this, 
 ])e the only way to true happinefs, yet it is 
 extremely difficult to convince fmners of it. 
 Every error leads them away from it, and 
 error is infinite. I will endeavour through 
 .God's help to coiTetl: fome of the moft com- 
 mon errors. And 
 
 F'lrjl^ I fhall fpeak to thofe which all care- 
 lefs fmners fall into. Sin cut off^ll communion 
 with, and reliance upon, God, and whoever 
 lives in his natural unregenerate ftate cannot 
 rely upon him for any good; the fmner leans 
 upon fome worldly enjoyment for happinefs, 
 and the carelefs fmner is fecure in this worldly 
 enjoyment. He has no thoughts of feeking 
 happinefs in Jefus Chrift, and therefore has 
 no defire to lean with faith upon him. The 
 danger of this is evident, becaufe every man 
 in it is under condemnation and is a child of 
 wrath ; and it is wonderful that the devil 
 fhould be fo far able to delude fmners as ta 
 make them fit eafy under it: for did they 
 but kno-w and feel their condition a« it really 
 
 is* 
 
(' 293. > 
 
 is, rmful and dangerous, they would then- 
 acknowledge themielves to be miferable 
 finners ; and were they convinced of their 
 want of falvation, and that there is no Sa- 
 viour but Jefus Chrift, then would they in 
 'earneft feek falvation through him, and not 
 as they do, labour to deprive themfelves of 
 it with all their might: for they are daily 
 adding to their fni, and to their' guilt, and 
 to their mifery. When they read, " there is 
 *' falvation in none other than Jefus Chrift," 
 they ^re deluded into a falfe peace, although 
 they are not aiTured they have falvation in 
 him. Whent God declares, " that without 
 " holinefs no man fliall fee him," they know 
 they are not holy, and yet they never con- 
 fider what eternal mifery it will be not to fee 
 God. Thus thefe carelefs finners being out 
 of a ftate of falvation, are in danger of pe- 
 riftiing every moment. Jefus Chrift alone 
 can fave them, and yet they prefer fm to 
 him and his eternal falvation. The guilt of 
 this is fo monftrous, that men could not fall 
 into it unlefs they were under a ftrong delu- 
 fion. And yet the extreme folly of this con- 
 dud: is equal to the guilt of it. Men who 
 have no reft nor ftay upon Chrift cannot be 
 happy in the prefent world. They are not 
 ' T 3 upon 
 
( 294 ) 
 
 upon the foundation, the rock of ages. 
 Their happinefs is buih upon fand, againft 
 which when the rains defcend, and the floods 
 come, and the winds blow, it will fall. 
 When the evil day comes thefe carelefs fm- 
 ners have nothing to reft upon. When 
 afflidion prefles hard upon them, they fmk 
 under it. When ficknefs feizes them, down 
 fall their high fpirits, the approach of death 
 is moft dreadful, and they fometimes die for 
 fear of dicing. Or if they meet with heavy 
 troubles, they are often fo miferable, that 
 life is quite a burden ; and if natural con- 
 fcience fhould at this time begin to torment 
 them with its horrors, thefe added to their 
 other diftreffes vv'ould overfet them. Having 
 none of the comforts of the gofpel to fupport 
 them under this complicated mifery, they 
 often feek relief in felf-murder. This is 
 frequently the caufe of that dreadful crime, 
 which can never be repented of. And thus 
 thefe poor miferable cowards murder them- 
 felves r?tther than live in pain, and fly to hell 
 for refuge from the miferies of life. Are 
 not thefe evident proofs, that there is no folid 
 happinefs out of Chrifl:, and that whatever 
 men lean upon for happinefs but him, are 
 nothing better than fo many broken reeds ? 
 
 Do 
 
( ^95 ) 
 
 Do we not fee ihefe proofs confirmed by- 
 daily experience ? When God fends any pub- 
 lic calamity, the fword or the peftilence, or 
 famine, fmners receive them as judgments, 
 and are terrified, but not reformed. If he 
 arife to fhake terribly the earth, their hearts 
 tremble more than the ground does under 
 their feet : they fear left it fhould open every 
 moment and fwallow them up. If it fliould, 
 their confciences tell them they cannot efcape 
 the pit of deftrud:ion. This is the miferable 
 condition of carelefs fmners, who have no 
 truft and confidence in Jefus Chrift. They 
 are an eafy prey to every enemy, and they 
 are made miferable by the fears and terrors 
 of their own confciences. And is it not the 
 foolifhnefs of folly to be always toft upon 
 fuch a tempeftuous fea, when you may be 
 faved from all the ftorms of life ? Who 
 would choofe to have his peace of mind lie at 
 the mercy of every wind and wave? Is this 
 prudent, is this fafe, when he that command- 
 eth the winds and the waves has only to fay, 
 " Peace, be ftill," and there will be a great 
 calm ? Thy tempeftuous foul will be com- 
 pofed. Thou wilt find a peace of mind that 
 pafleth all underftanding. Oh unpardoned 
 fmner, haft thou no defire, haft thou no wilh 
 T 4 now 
 
( 296 ) 
 
 now rlfing in thy mindforthe enjoyment of this 
 peace of God?^ May he without whom thou, 
 eanft not fo much as think a good thought, 
 put it into thy heart to feek it. And when 
 thou art once made fenfible of thy fore dif- 
 eafe, here is thy remedy. Chrift is the in- 
 falUble phyfician of the foul, and he' has a 
 fovereign bahn to heal every malady of fm. 
 Does thy confcience accufe and torment ? 
 The fprinkling of the blood of Jefus can 
 take out the {en^Q of guilt, and give thee joy 
 and peace in believing. Doft thou begin to 
 be weary of thy fms and thy fufferings ? Afk 
 Jefus Chrifl to take off thy burden. Com® 
 to him, who bore all thy fins, and he will 
 eafe thee of thy load, and thou fhalt find 
 peace and reft unto thy foul. He has pro- 
 mifed it to every I'eturning finner, and he is 
 a God of truth. " Caft thy burden upon 
 *' the Lord and he will fuilain thee;" this 
 is his promife, and he daily fulfils it. Look 
 among believers and thou wilt fee it literally 
 fulfilled. Thou caaft not deny but that 
 being juftified by faith tliey have peace with 
 G od, and are happy in the fenfe of his love 
 to them through Jefus Chrift their Lord ; 
 whereby they are fupported and comforted 
 ynder all God's dealings witii them, know- 
 ing 
 
( 297 )1 
 
 ing that he will make all things work to- 
 gether for their good. And accordingly we 
 read in fcripture of his having never failed 
 them, who leaned upon him for help. 
 When they were vifited with ficknefs, or 
 poverty or any other affliction, he enabled 
 them to bear his .fatherly correction without, 
 murmuring or repining. V/hen fm cries 
 aloud for vengeance, and juftice drav/ s the 
 fword, and cuts off the inhabitants of the 
 earth with a fwift deftruCtion, then believers 
 happily experience that their gracious God 
 in the midft of wrath remembers mercy. 
 His judgments upon his enemies are mercies 
 to them. When the earth quakes and trem- 
 bles under their feet, their foul does not melt 
 away becaufe of the trouble. The rock up- 
 on which they Hand cannot be moved, and 
 therefore in the midft of the earthquake, they 
 can triumphantly fay, " God is our refuge 
 *' and ftrength, a very prefent help in trou- 
 " ble, therefore will not we fear, though 
 " the earth be removed, and though the 
 " mountains be carried into the midft of the 
 " fea." Would not you think yourfelves 
 liappy if this was your cafe ? And yet be- 
 Jievers have ftill a greater happinefs. Whert 
 death itfelf approaches it is welconle: for 
 
 th^ 
 
( 298 ) 
 
 the ftmg of death is taken out, and they have 
 no fear left about any thing, but fin. They 
 are more afraid of fin, than of poifon. They 
 would not live in fin to gain the world, and 
 in the ftrength of their beloved Saviour on 
 whom they lean and rely, they can and do 
 conquer fm, fo that it does not reign in their 
 mortal bodies. What do you think of the 
 fafety and happinefs of thofe perfons, who 
 are afraid of nothing, but of offending their 
 reconciled Father ? Certainly they are the hap- 
 pieft men upon earth; and every fmner would 
 envy them, if the devil had not propagated 
 an opinion that they are all under a delufion. 
 If any of you, my brethren, have entertained 
 this opinion, weigh the matter carefully, and 
 you will find this makes nothing for your 
 €afe. For what you fuppofe to be delufion 
 is a fweet and comfortable ftate of mind, 
 promifed in the word of God, and bellowed 
 upon the children of God; and are they de- 
 luded, think ye, who fay they have received 
 nothing more than what God had promifed 
 to give ? That faith, by which ye fuppofe us 
 deluded, does certainly free us from the com- 
 miffion of many fins, and from many of the 
 miferies of the prefent life, and it deludes us 
 into a kind of fortitude, that not only enables 
 HS to bear reproach, contempt, injuries, and 
 
 afflictions, 
 
( 299 ) 
 
 afflidions, but alfo to rejoice under them, 
 when we meet them for following Chrift, 
 Oh happy delufion I We are deluded into a 
 ftrong belief that God loves us in Jefus Chrift, 
 and therefore we are confident, that whatever 
 he appoints for us is the beft. Be it poverty, 
 or ficknefs, or any outward evil, we can 
 refign ourfelves contentedly to his holy will, 
 being aflured that our loving Father would 
 fend us nothing, but what will be for our 
 good. Is all this a delufion? Can a man 
 be deluded into fuch real folid happinefs ? 
 Glory be to God, I have tafted a little of it, 
 and I would not part with the bleffing for 
 a thoufand worlds. Upon this earth there is 
 no happinefs like it. Heaven only exceeds it. 
 Therefore you gain nothing by giving credit 
 to the devils lie. He would have you to 
 believe that all God's people are under a 
 delufion, and that they only fancy they are 
 fafe and happy by leaning upon Jefus Chrift, 
 And can you believe this barefaced lie ? Who 
 but the father of lies could raife fuch an evil 
 report upon the good land, and who but his 
 children would give any credit to it ? For the 
 fpirit of truth fpeaks a different language. 
 Hear what he has promifed, and then judge, 
 whether we are deluded, who fay, he has 
 fulfilled his promife to us : " Thou wilt 
 
 ** keep 
 
* ( 3^.^ ) 
 
 *' keep him m perfed peace whofe mind is 
 " flayed on thee, becaiile he trufteth in thee. 
 " Triift ye in the Lord for ever: for in the 
 *' Lord Jehovah is everlafting ftrength.'* 
 Here he engages to keep thofe perfons in 
 perfect peace by his everlafting ftrength, 
 whofe minds are ftayed upon him. Fear then, 
 carelefs fmner, to call this perfedt peace a 
 dehifion: for thereby thou wouldeft afcribe 
 to the devil the glory of God's vv^ork; but 
 rather afk God to fhew thee thy guilt and 
 wretchednefs, that thou mayeft find thy 
 want of that peace which God has to give. 
 Haft thou no defire to afk? If thou canft 
 not fend up one wifh for it, may his good 
 Spirit now put it into thy heart. Oh that 
 thou couldft pray to be in the happy ftate 
 of the faithful .foul, " Coming up from the 
 " wildernefs leaning upon her beloved." 
 And to every one who deftres to be in this 
 llate 1 make mj/econd remark. 
 
 1 fuppofe you begin to find the heavy 
 bvu-den of fin, and it is growing intolerable ; 
 then look to Chrift, that he may take it 
 upon him, and eafe you. He can fuftain it; 
 for he hath borne the weight of the fms of 
 the world, and he v>'ill eafe you of your 
 burden, whenever you can caft it upon the 
 
 Lord. 
 
( 301 ) 
 
 Lord. But if you are difcouraged from 
 trufting In him, and find your fins to be fo 
 many and fo great, that you fear he will not 
 receive you: fear not. Be your fms ever fo 
 heinous, if you are fenfible of them, and can 
 afk mercy, he will be merciful. He never 
 ihut any one out of mercy becaufe he was a 
 great fmner. The greateft have found mercy, 
 ^nd fo may you, if you go as one of the 
 greateft to aflc it. Afk, and ye fhall have. 
 Pray to Jefus for his help, and he will raife 
 you up. Pray for faith, and he will enable 
 you to lean upon him for wifdom, and righte- 
 oufnefs, and holinefs, and eternal redemption*. 
 
 But you have, you fay, been praying and 
 waiting upon him, and yet you find nothing 
 but coldnefs and deadnefs in vour heart. 
 You make no progrefs. Though you defirc 
 to lean upon Chrift every ftep, yet you 
 cannot put your whole truft and confidence 
 in him, your mind is full of fo many doubts 
 and fears. Several perfons, when they firft 
 fet out in the ways of religion, get into this 
 temper. They are always difputing and 
 doubting, whether this ftep be right, and 
 that fervice accepted, looking too much into 
 their own hearts, and looking too little at' 
 Chrift, and fo they puzzle and perplex 
 
 themfelves, 
 
( 302 ) 
 
 themfelves, and can gain no ground. If 
 you would be freed from thefe difficulties, 
 follow the light which God gives, and make 
 ufe of the help which he offers; and that 
 is the way to receive more. You, my 
 brethren, are feeking his promifed falvation. 
 Enquire, what you are to truft to, and to 
 reft upon at prefent. If God has made a 
 ]()rovi{ion for your cafe, it ought to be your 
 fupport. And has he not left you the word 
 of promife to rely upon ? He has commanded 
 you, and it is your bounden duty, to believe 
 the report which God has given of his Son, 
 You are required to take him at his word, 
 and to believe, that Chrift is, as the fcrip- 
 ture has fet him forth, a Saviour willing and 
 able to fave every finner, who comes unto 
 him. This is the fcripture character of Chrift; 
 and if you do not believe what it fays con- 
 cerning him, you make God a liar. And 
 you will call in queftion both the faithfulnefs 
 and the goodnefs of God, if you think that 
 he has promifed any thing to them that feek, 
 which he will not fulfil to you who are feek- 
 ing. Heaven and earth ftiall pafs away, but 
 not one tittle of God's promifes fhall pafs 
 away, until all be fulfilled. 
 
 Is not this then, my brethren, the point 
 wherein you fail? You are feeking Chrift, 
 
 and 
 
( 3^3 ) 
 
 and his falvation, but you want fometKmg 
 more than the word of promife, before you 
 reft upon it in the manner God requires,. 
 You defire a particular application of the 
 promifes, and want the experience of them, 
 before you can wholly rely upon the faith- 
 fulnefs and truth of God who made them. 
 Examine, whether this be not the cafe ; 
 and if it be, confider how you difcredit the 
 word of God. You are commanded to be- 
 lieve it, and unlefs you think God is a liar, 
 you may fafely rely upon it. It is your duty^ 
 to receive Chrift, as he is there fet forth, and 
 to wait for the witnefs of the Spirit in the 
 application of Chrift, when and in what 
 manner he fliall think proper to give it you. 
 And fuppofe your belief of his word of pro- 
 mife, your faith of reliance, may be very 
 weak, yet however bring it into ad:. Let it 
 operate. Lean upon Jefus Chrift, as well as 
 you are enabled, and you will certainly go 
 on lamely perhaps at firft^ but however halt 
 on, and believe that he pities you, and lay 
 the care of bringing you fafely through upon 
 him. Don't lie complaining and arguing, 
 but believe his word,^ and ad: faith upon the 
 word of promife, and the Lord ihall be with 
 you. And the weaker you find yourfelf, 
 you have the more need to rely upon Chrift:. 
 
 Look 
 
( 304 ) 
 
 Look more at him, and lefs at yoiirfelf, and 
 wait humbly upon him, and you will not 
 long want his promifed comfort. He will 
 give you joy and peace in believing, and fhew 
 you. that you are in the happy number of the 
 redeemed of the Lord, to whom I make my 
 third and A//? remark. 
 
 My Chriflian brethren, you have expe- 
 rienced the truth of the dcdrine in the text, 
 and you know the happinefs of leaning with 
 faith upon Chrift. You are enabled to truft 
 the whole of your falvation on him. In all 
 your duties you lean upon him. You hear, 
 and read the word, and pray, and give alms, 
 and attend at the Lord's table, not to make 
 yourfelves righteous in the fight of God. 
 jfhis is not your motive. You know that 
 he who made your perfons righteous, mufl 
 alfo make your duties acceptable. He, that 
 juftified you, is the fame alfo that muft fanc- 
 tify you. Nothing can make you holy, but 
 his good Spirit. To this you trufl. And 
 as he has promifed that his grace fhall at all 
 times be fufficient for you, you can there- 
 fore lep.n upon Jefus in the worft of times, 
 and the foreft trials. The more you are 
 afBided, the more do you rely upon him, 
 and cleave the clofer to him, and therefore 
 
 the 
 
( 3^5 ) 
 
 the flronger you grow. Sicknefs cannot 
 weaken your hold ; death itfelf cannot break 
 it off: " for when I walk through the -valley 
 " of the fliadow of death, fays the Pfalmijl^ 
 " then thou art my fupport, then thy rod 
 *' and thy ftaff comfort me :" leaning upon 
 thee I neither fear death, nor him that hath 
 the power of death. 
 
 The text thus explained and applied teaches 
 us one of the mod ufeful lefTons for the con- 
 dudt of life. All men ate feeking happinefs, 
 but few find it ; becaufe they feek it where 
 it is not. It has been a general enquiry among 
 thinking men, how they might be able to 
 bear up under afflictions, how they might 
 keep the mind eaiy when the body was in 
 pain and ficknefs, and how they might be 
 happy in all circumftances ; but upon the 
 principles of moral philofophy they could 
 never fortify the mind againft the evils of 
 life. Various remedies were propofed, but 
 they all failed, when they were brought to 
 the trial. But the great fecret is revealed in 
 my text. If you would be ahvays happy, 
 lean upon Chrift ; take off all truft and con- 
 fidence from every other objed:, and place 
 them upon Chrift. It is a command, " Caft 
 " all your care upon him," he will bear it 
 U fof 
 
( 3o6 ) 
 
 for yon ; but in order to do this, you mufl 
 know by faith that "he carethfor you" — fen* 
 how can you trufi: yourfelf and all your af- 
 fairs in his hands, unlefs you have fome evi- 
 dence of his love to you ? But when you re- 
 ceive faith from the gift, and from the opera- 
 tion of God, and thereby know your inte- 
 reft in the promifes made through Chrift, 
 and, as our church exprelTes it, are affured 
 of the favour and goodnefs of God towards 
 yop, then you can lean upon him for his 
 promifed help. And this faith can carry 
 you fafely through all troubles and tempta- 
 tions, be they ever fo great, becaufe it is 
 almighty. Faith does not attack thtm in the 
 flrength of nature, but in the omnipotence 
 of grace. It relies upon the promife of God, 
 and believes that it fhall be done according 
 to his word. When faith can thus plead 
 the promifes and lean upon Chrift for the 
 fulfilling them, it will certainly receive what- 
 ever is promifed — power to fubdue fin — 
 power to live unto God — grace fufficient to 
 refift temptations — comfort under afflidions 
 — ftrength in the inner man when the body 
 is in pain and ficknefs — and victory over the 
 laft enemy death : " for all things are poffible 
 " to him that believeth," 
 
 Here 
 
( z^l ) 
 
 Here then is the infalUble fcripture remedy 
 for the evils of life. May the Lord God 
 difpofe all your hearts to take it. If you 
 would be fafe and happy, lean upon Chrift. 
 But if there be any of you, my brethren, 
 who are ftill determined to lean upon fome 
 other thing for happinefs, be affured it will 
 deceive you in the end. You may feem to 
 go on fmoothly and merrily for a while, but 
 there is a day coming, when you will fee the 
 fidfenefs of your confidence. In the day of 
 ficknefs, in the day of death, and much more 
 in the great day of judgment, you will have 
 nothing to fupport you, unlefs you lean upon 
 Jefus Chrift. Be perfuaded then in time to 
 put your whole truft and confidence in him. 
 If you fee your want of a Saviour, go to him, 
 and he will fupply all your wants. Afk and 
 feek the precious gift of faith, until you are 
 able to turn your backs upon all worldly 
 happinefs, and to come up from the wilder- 
 nefs leaning upon your beloved Jefus. And 
 whenever the grace of God brings you into 
 this happy ftate, you will then go on in your 
 chriftian courfe fweetly and cheerfully. You 
 will find the prefence of your God with you 
 every ftep, and being mightily ftrengthened 
 with his Spirit in the inner man, the work 
 of falvation will profper in your fouls. Oh 
 U 2 that 
 
( 3o8 ) 
 
 that we may be all ftrong in the Lord, and 
 in the power of his might to travel on in his 
 ftrength. May every one of you, who has 
 come up from the wildernefs of the world 
 to the houfe of the Lord this dav, be enabled 
 to lean and rely upon Chrift for his promifed 
 help, and may receive out of his fulnefs grace 
 for grace. If you have never yet been united 
 to him by faving faith, God grant his good 
 Spirit may blefs this difcourfe, and make it 
 the means of uniting you to Jefus Chrift. 
 And if you be now united, Oh may you find 
 the bond of union growing ftronger and 
 ilronger every day, until death perfed: it, 
 and eternity continue it in endlefs blifs and 
 glory. We look up unto thee, O moft gra- 
 cious God, for thefe bleffmgs, and we afk them 
 in that excellent form of prayer which our 
 church has taught us to ufe this day. Enable 
 us to pray in faith, while we fay, 
 
 " O Lord, we befeech thee to keep thy 
 " church and houfhold continually in thy 
 " true religion, that they who do lean only 
 " upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, 
 " may evermore be defended by thy mighty 
 " power, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. 
 " AmeTir Fifth Sunday after the Epiphafiy. 
 
( 3=9 ) 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 Chap. viil. Ver. 6, 7. 
 
 Set me as a feal upon thine hearty as a feat 
 upon thine arm : for love is Jlrong as 
 death, jealoiify is c?-uel as the grave, the 
 coals thereof are coals offre, ivhich hath 
 a moji vehement fame. Ma?iy waters 
 cannot quench love, ?ieither can the foods 
 drozvn it: if a man ivotdd give all the 
 fuhfance of his houfe for love. It would 
 utterly be contemned. 
 
 # 
 
 THIS fong of loves, which treats of the 
 pure and fpiritual affe£lion between 
 Chrift and the believer, is very little under- 
 ftood. Worldly and fenfual men read it 
 with worldly and fenfual tempers, and there- 
 fore find nothing divine in it. It is to fuch 
 perfons of all fcripture the moft exception- 
 able: and no wonder. St. Paid gives us the 
 U 3 reafon. 
 
( 310 ) 
 
 reafon, " The natural man, fays he, dlf- 
 " cerneth not the things of the Spirit of 
 " God, neither can he know them, becaufe 
 " they are fpiritually difcerned;" for want 
 of this fpiritual difcernment, he cannot fee 
 the things of the Spirit of God treated of 
 in this divine fong. But it is neverthelefs 
 a fine painting, ahhough thefe bUnd men 
 cannot judge of it. The fubjedt is the union 
 of Chrift with the believer. He that is not 
 a believer does not know what it is to be 
 united to Chrift; and therefore he is as 
 incapable of judging of this poem as a blind 
 man is of the expreffion of a beautiful pi6ture. 
 But he that has the love of Chrift in his heart, 
 who is one with Chrift and Chrift with him, 
 he knows what the believer means, when 
 fpeaking to Chrift in the text, he fays, " Set 
 *' me as a feal upon thine heart, as a feal 
 '' upon thine arm: for love is ftrong as 
 " death, jealoufy is cruel as the grave, the 
 " coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath 
 " a moft vehement flame. Many waters 
 *' cannot quench love, neither can the 
 " floods drown it: if a man would give 
 *' all the fubftance of his houfe for love, it 
 " would utterly be contemned." This is 
 the believers prayer. He has tafted of the 
 
 loving 
 
( 3" ) 
 
 loving klndnefs of his Lord. The Holy 
 Ghoft had fhed abroad the love of Chriil in 
 his heart, and he could truly fay, " I love 
 " him, becaufe he firft loved me." He was 
 happy in the enjoyment of his Lord's love ; 
 but he wanted more, as every one does who 
 has tafted of it. He hungered and thirfted 
 for more full experience of it, and earneftly 
 prayed to be rooted and grounded in love, 
 that he might be able to comprehend what 
 is the breadth, and length, and depth, and 
 height, and to know the love of Chrift that 
 pafleth knowledge. The believer knew it 
 was his intereft to ftudy this love, and to try 
 to take fome dimenfions of it, although it 
 furpafs all human underftanding, yea the 
 underftanding of all faints, of angels and 
 glorified fpirits, to comprehend it fully; but 
 the more he did comprehend, the happier 
 he found himfelf. When he confidered the 
 wonders of Chrift's love in his humiliation, 
 in his life, in his fufferings, in his death, in 
 his refurredtion, and afcenfion, and in the 
 glories of his mediatorial kingdom, he found 
 particular fweetnefs in this coniideration, that 
 he had an intereft in all the good offices of 
 this love. He knew, that whatever it did 
 for fmners was done for him. An woulcj 
 
 U 4 not 
 
( 312 ) 
 
 not this greatly recommend the ftudy of 
 Chrifl's love above ail other ftudies : for 
 how exceedingly delightful mufl it be to 
 trace out the fteps of his love, fmce every 
 new difcovery is a frelh addition to the be- 
 liever's happinefs? Upon this experimental 
 plan the fpeaker in the text confidered the 
 fubjedl. He prays for a more full and 
 perfect enjoym.ent of Chrift's love, and 
 urges his petition by feveral motives taken 
 from what Chrift did and fufFered for fm- 
 ners. He takes a view of the triumphs of 
 his love in the greatnefs of his ad:ions and 
 fufferings, and then by them pleads with 
 him for a more abundant meafure of love. 
 May the divine Spirit enable every one of 
 you to put up the fame prayer. May he 
 fhed abroad in your hearts that love, which 
 will make your confideration of this fcripture 
 ufeful, and profitable. Under his guidance 
 then let us enquire 
 
 F'trfl^ Into the fenfe and meaning of the 
 w^ords, and 
 
 Second'j^ Into the pradical ufe we can 
 make of them. 
 
 This 
 
( 3^3 ) 
 
 This divine fong is drawn up in the man^ 
 ner of a dialogue. The fpeakers are Chrift 
 and the church. The church is every faithful 
 foul, which is united to Chrift as the members 
 are to the body, or the branches to the vine. 
 When fome men hear the word church, they 
 are apt to apply it to national or congrega- 
 tional affemblies ; but the fcripture applies 
 it to believers, and to them only, allowing 
 none to be true members, not even of any 
 chriftian communion, unlefs they be mem- 
 bers of Chrift's myftical body. — And our 
 reformers in the 19th article give us this de- 
 finition of the vifible church — " It is a con- 
 *' gregation of faithful men, in Vv^hich the 
 " pure word of God and the facraments be 
 " duly adminiftered." One of thefe faithful 
 jnen (for of numbers of them a church is 
 compofed) is here expreffing the fervent 
 prayer of his heart, to have more full expe-- 
 rience of Chrift's love. He had no doubt 
 of the favour and goodnefs of God towards 
 him in Chrift, He had received many clear 
 proofs of it. He had the fcripture marks 
 and evidences in his own foul of Chrift's being 
 his beloved and his friend ; and he was happy 
 in knowing this. The fenfe of Chrift's love 
 to him had enabled him to love Chrift in 
 
 return. 
 
( 3H ) 
 
 return, and therefore he was led to pray for 
 the continuance, and for the increafe of 
 Chrift's love — " Set me as a feal upon thine 
 " heart ;" and convey to me under thy feal 
 all the graces and bleffings v\rhich thy love 
 has to give : for the foundation of God 
 ftandeth fure, having this feal. The Lord 
 knoweth them that are his ; he knoweth 
 them that have his feal upon them, O feal 
 me then for thine. When a man fets his 
 hand and feal to a will or to a deed of gift, 
 it is as if he fliould declare. This is my laft 
 will and teftament, this is my ad: and deed. 
 So when Chrift fets the believer as a feal up- 
 on his heart, it is as if he ihould declare — • 
 I feal this perfon for mine, and give unto 
 him freely all the benefits of the new tefta- 
 m.ent in my blood, and this is properly at- 
 tefted by my word and by my Spirit. The 
 word is the outward witnefs, the Spirit ap- 
 plying the word is the inward witnefs. The 
 fcripture very clearly affigns to him the office 
 of fealing believers, as Epb, i. 13. " After 
 '^ that ye believed in Chrift, ye were fealed 
 " vvdth the Holy Spirit of promife ;" and 
 chap. iv. 30. " Grieve not the Holy Spirit 
 " of God, by whom ye are fealed unto the 
 " day of redemption." Chrift redeemed 
 
 both 
 
( 3^5 ) 
 
 both our real and perfonal eftate, but we arc 
 not in pofTeffion of either, until it be con- 
 veyed to us under the feal of the Holy Spirit. 
 Chrift's redemption without the Holy Spirit's 
 application, is like a deed without a feal, 
 which you know can legally convey nothing. 
 It is the figning and fealing that makes it 
 good in law. And when the Holy Spirit 
 feals the believer, then he receives the ear- 
 neft of his inheritance. The believer in the 
 text had this earneft in himfelf, and there- 
 fore he prayed fervently for a greater mea- 
 fure of Chrift's love; and he prayed the 
 more fervently, as well from the lively re- 
 membrance he had of his former mifery, 
 while he was without Chrift in the world, 
 as from the pleafing fenfe of his prefent hap- 
 pinefs. All the time his heart had been fet 
 upon the world, he remembered in what a 
 vain Ihadow he had been walking, and how 
 he had difquieted himfelf in vain. From 
 whatever he fought happinefs, he was dif- 
 appointed; and therefore convinced of the 
 emptinefs of every creature-comfort, and of 
 the fmfulneis of refting in them — having 
 found the beft of them unable to fill the de- 
 fires of his foul, he had turned from the 
 creature to God : God had every thing to 
 
 give 
 
( 3i6 ) 
 
 give that could make him completely happy, 
 and God the Saviour was v^illing to give it. 
 As his power is, fo is his love ; they are alike 
 infinite. The fpeaker in the text had happy 
 experience of Chrill's love, and did not doubt 
 of his power to fave. With a grateful fenfe 
 cf what Chrift had already done, he prayed 
 that the Holy Spirit would make him in- 
 creafe and abound in love. My brethren, is 
 this your prayer ? Do you know fo much of 
 his love to you, as to pray for more love to 
 him ? If you are not feeking happinefs in his 
 love, in Vvhat have you been feeking it all 
 your life, or in what are you now feeking 
 it i Out of Chrift you could feek it in no- 
 thing but jn the fmful love of the creature. 
 And now afk yourfelves what you have 
 found ? If you deal honeftly with your fouls, 
 you muft confefs that you have met with 
 continual difappointments. And why then 
 will you not be wife from experience? Are 
 you tired and weaiy of the dull round of 
 worldly joys ? Then pray the Holy Spirit 
 to turn your affedions from thefe deluding 
 objeds to the Lord Jefus, and when your 
 hearts are fet upon him, he Vv'ill then make 
 you perfedly, eternally bleifed. BlelTednefs 
 Is his to give. The world has it not. Oh 
 
 turn 
 
( 317 i 
 
 turn then from it to our loving God, and 
 beg you may know fo much of his love as 
 to be able to pray v\rith the believer in the 
 text that Chrift would " fet you as a feal up- 
 *' on his heart," and let you know your in- 
 tereft in his love. When you are fealed for 
 his^ and find his affedtions are placed upon 
 you, then you will have the comfortable en- 
 joyment of his prefent graces, and fure and 
 certain hope of your inheriting the promifes 
 of eternal life : for then he will alfo " fet you 
 " as a feal upon his arm." His arm is his 
 power. The hand is the active part of the 
 body, by which the ftrength of it is exerted. 
 We labour and work with our hands; and 
 when the fcripture fpeaks of the arm of the 
 Lord, it means his active power, which the 
 faithful foul here defires may be exercifed 
 continually for its falvation. To be as a feai 
 upon his heart would be of no ufe, without 
 the feal upon his arm. His love would not 
 be a bleffing, unlefs it was an adive operative 
 love. But it is therefore defirable to partake 
 of Chrift's love, becaufe it will always awake 
 the arm of the Lord, and will bring falva- 
 tion. His love and his power are never 
 feparated ; his heart and his arm aditogether^ 
 and therefore the believing foul does not put 
 
 them 
 
( 3^8 ) 
 
 ibem afunder, but prays in the text, that 
 the beloved Saviour M'^ould give her ex- 
 perience of both — " O fet me as a feal 
 '' upon thy heart, that whatever thy love 
 " difpofes thee to do for fmners, I may Ihare 
 *' and partake in it — Oh fet me alfo as a 
 "■ feal upon thine arm, let me alfo, bleffed 
 '^ Jefus, be engraven upon the palms of thy 
 " hands, that in all thy v^orks thou mayeft 
 " remember me with mercy. Let thy love 
 "" engage thy power to make all things work 
 *' together for my good." 
 
 Thefe are the defuTS of the faithful in the 
 text ; and they are the fervent defires of every 
 true believer. And if there be any of you, 
 who are not convinced that thefe are the 
 breathings of true faith, then you are igno- 
 rant of the nature of Chrift's love. You 
 know it not, becaufe you have had no ex- 
 perience of it. If you had ever found your 
 want of his love, and had ever tafted of it, 
 you would bear your teftimony to the truth 
 of the following defcriptlon, vi^, " That his 
 " love is ftrong as death, the ardor of it is 
 " harder than the grave, the coals thereof 
 " are ccals of fire, which hath a moft ve- 
 " hement flame, burning with fuch an 
 
 " in- 
 
( 3^9 ) 
 
 " inextinguifhable affedion, that many wa- 
 *' ters could not quench it, neither could the 
 " floods drown it, and of fo ineftimable a 
 " price, that if a man fhould think of buy- 
 " ing it, or of meriting it, and would give 
 *' all the fubftance of his houfe for it, it 
 " would utterly be defpifed." Thefe are 
 the excellencies of Chrift's love, for which 
 the faithful foul fo earneflly defired farther 
 experience of it, and for which you will de- 
 lire it with the fame earneftnefs, as foon as 
 you are made fenfible of your wants. When 
 you find the mifery of fm, and the wretched 
 flavery of ferving fatan, and the world, and 
 the fleih, who have no wages to give you 
 but death, then you will wifli your fouls 
 under the protection of that love, which Is 
 *' ,'ftrong as death." The love of Chrift was 
 ftronger than death : for he conquered death, 
 and took out its fting. And the fling of 
 death will be taken out of your confcience, 
 when it is fprinkled with his atoning blood. 
 His love brought him down from heaven, 
 and he took a body of flefli, in v^^hich he 
 might obey and fuffer and die. Accordingly 
 he became obedient, obedient unto death, 
 even the death of the crofs. He died the 
 painful, ignominious, and accurfed death of 
 
 the 
 
( 320 ) 
 
 the crofs. Greater love hath no man than 
 this, that a man lay down his hfe for his 
 friend ; but how far does the love of Jefus 
 exceed this inftance ; he laid down his hfe, 
 not for friends but for iinners, for enemies, 
 the bittereft enemies, who perfecuted him 
 even unto death — He died for his perfecu- 
 tors. Greater love than this there cannot 
 be : for as he died to fave his enemies from 
 death, fo he rofe again, that they might rife 
 to a newnefs of life, whereby he fhewed 
 " his love to be ftronger than the grave.'* 
 Our tranllation reads, jealoufy is cruel as the 
 grave — The word rendered jealoufy denotes 
 the ardor and intenfenefs of Chrifl's love, not 
 what he thought of the love of others to 
 him, but the nature of his love to them, 
 the great degree, the flaming ardor and in- 
 tenfenefs of it, which made him fubmit not 
 only to death, but alfo to go down to the 
 grave. In the prifon of the grave, the 
 bodies of all the dead were Ihut up. The 
 prifon was fecured with bars and gates, and 
 guarded by him that had the power of death, 
 and he had fufFered not one prifoner for four 
 thoufand years to efcape. To this prifon the 
 Lord Jcfns v/ent down, and he was detained 
 in it for three days : but it was not poflible 
 
 that 
 
( 3^1 ) 
 
 that he fKould be holden any longer. On 
 the third day he broke through the gate of 
 death, and demonftrated that his love was 
 ftronger than the grave. And wrhen he is 
 defcribing his vi6tory to the beloved apoftle, 
 he reprefents it under a very beautiful image. 
 " I am he that liveth, fays he, and w^as 
 ** dead, and behold I am alive for evermore* 
 " Amen, and have the keys of hell and of 
 " death." My brethren, are any of you 
 afraid to die ? Has death ftill a fting, and the 
 grave vidory over you ? If they have, did 
 you ever confider what was the reafon ? Is 
 it not becaufe you either do not believe that 
 Chrift has the keys of death and the grave 
 in his hands, or elfe you have no certainty 
 that he will ufe them for your intereft ? You 
 have no knowledge of Chrift's love to you. 
 The Holy Ghoft never fhed it abroad in 
 yoiir heart, perhaps you never defired it, 
 and therefore you are ignorant of his having 
 died and rifen from the grave for your falva- 
 tion. If you knew your intereft in his death, 
 and had experienced the power of his refur- 
 redion, you would no longer fear death and 
 the grave : for then faith would enable you 
 to triumph over both. You would have no- 
 thing to fear, but every thing bleffed to hope 
 X for 
 
( 322 ) 
 
 for from tliera, after you knew that Chrift 
 had fet you as a feal upon his heart, and as 
 a feal upon his arm : for then death and the 
 grave, inftead of feparating you from the love 
 of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord, 
 would bring you to the more full and eternal 
 enjoyment of it. 
 
 My brethren, if you have not this love, 
 do you defire it ? Can you pray for it ? If 
 the. Holy Spirit . has difcovered to you your 
 want of it, and, has put you upon afking, 
 afk, and he will grant you your heart's de- 
 llre. You fliall know Chrift, and the power 
 of his refurredtion, knovv^ him to be your 
 Saviour and your God. And this experience 
 of his love to you, will open to your under- 
 ftanding the next words in the defcription, 
 viz. that the ardor of Chrift's love is like 
 coals of fire burning clear and bright with 
 a moft vehement flame, " fuch as many 
 *' waters could not quench." Thefe many 
 waters are the many troubles he met with, 
 and they were fo many, that they would 
 have quenched any love but his. He went 
 through a fea of troubles from the manger 
 to the crofs, but his love burnt all the time 
 with fuch a vehement flame, that the many 
 
 waters 
 
( r-?> ) 
 
 T/aters he waded through could not quench 
 it. Herod perfecuted him, while a child, 
 and forced him to flee his country, but his 
 love to his enemies brought him back. His 
 very huntiliation, until he entered on his pub- 
 lic miniftry, was a great trial. As God he 
 was the higheft in heaven, as man he was 
 one of the loweft on earth — That was con- 
 fequently the higheft love which ftooped 
 tlie loweft to fave fmners. You may read 
 in the Gofpels-the hiftory of the many trou- 
 bles he went through. His public life was 
 one continued fcene of oppofition. Trouble 
 came, like wave after wave, raging and lift- 
 ing up their heads on high, but the ardor of 
 his love mounted and flamed above them all. 
 You know, that nothing cools love fo much 
 as meeting with hatred ; he was hated, even 
 for doing good, and yet he loved his ene- 
 mies. They poured cold water upon his 
 love, by railing at his docftrine, blafpheming 
 his perfon, blafpheming his miracles, but his 
 love, being of an uncommon nature, burnt 
 the brighter. He went on doing good to 
 his revilers and his blafphemers. And though 
 the rulers and nation of the Jews^ a few poor 
 people excepted, would not receive him for 
 their promifed MeflTiah, yet thefe many waters 
 X 2 could 
 
( 3H ) 
 
 could not quench his love. It burnt v/ith a 
 pure flame, which neither the ingratitude 
 nor the vile treatment of mankind could in 
 the leaft damp, or abate. And we need not 
 wonder that many waters could not quench, 
 " for the floods could not drown the love 
 *' of Chrift." It fliill kept its ardor, when 
 the overflowing flood broke over his head. 
 When the floods of ungodly men rofe up 
 againfl him, and tried his love with every pain 
 and reproach, which is diflireflTnig to human 
 nature, they only ferved to make his love fliine 
 out the purer and brighter. In his laft fuf- 
 ferings thefe floods tried to drown his love, 
 but it mounted up triumphant above all. In 
 the garden on the eve of the paflTion he had a 
 profpe£t of what he was to undergo, and a* 
 there was no other way for man to be faved, 
 but for him to drink the bitter cup, he 
 therefore refolved to take it, and to drink it 
 up to the very dregs. No fooner had he 
 fpoken the words, " Father thy will be 
 *' done," but the cup was inftantly put into 
 his hands. He is apprehended, and all his 
 difciples forfake him. Not one, not Peter 
 himfelf, durft own him. As a malefador 
 he is brought before the high-priefl:, accufed 
 for faying he was the fon of God, Ihame- 
 
 fully 
 
( 3^5 ) 
 
 fully intreated and fplt upon, blindfolded 
 by way of infult on his prophetical office, 
 and ftruck upon the face, led to Pilate, 
 tried and acquitted, and yet whipt and 
 fcourged, crowned with thorns by way of 
 infult on his regal office, and the thorns 
 driven into his head by the barbarous foldiers 
 until the blood ran down his temples, and 
 then innocent, and pronounced fo by his 
 judge, neverthelefs given up to the rage of 
 the people — to the floods of ungodly men 
 that went about to devour him. They 
 thirfted for his blood, and fhed it as if it 
 had been water. Having gotten him into 
 their power, they led him out, marking the 
 way as he went with his blood, and having 
 reached mount Calvary, there they prepare 
 their inftruments of death. They drive the 
 nails through his hands and feet, faftening 
 his body to the crofs, and then lifting up 
 the crofs they ftand by to infult and blaf- 
 pheme him. O love divine, how trium- 
 phantly didft thou rife above all thefe floods 
 of oppofition, when that fweet prayer came 
 out of thy dying mouth, " Father, forgive 
 *' them, for they know not what they do." 
 But he had another flood of oppofition to 
 withftand, infinitely more dreadful than the 
 
 X 3 formerj 
 
( 32^ ) 
 
 former; he had the wrath and juftice of his 
 Father to fuftain, who finding all our fms 
 upon him, took full fatisfaction, even to the 
 uttermoft farthing. His Father had before 
 declared by a voice from heaven, " This 
 " is my beloved Son in whom I am well 
 " pleafed:" but now his juftice draws the 
 fword in wrath upon his beloved Son. 
 Whence was this ? What ! is there any vari- 
 ablenefs or fhadow of turning in God? No. 
 He was ftill the beloved Son of the Father, 
 but he was made fm for us who knew no 
 fm: he was wounded for our tranfgreffions, 
 and was bruifed for our iniquities; he bore 
 our griefs and carried our forrows, from the 
 time he fweat as it were great drops of blood 
 in the garden, until he expired upon the 
 crofs. And what he endured while that 
 fcripture was fulfilling, " Awake, O fword, 
 " againft my ihepherd, and againft the man 
 " that is my fellow, faith the Lord," and 
 juftice was taking full and perfecfl fatisfaction 
 for fin upon him, no tongue can tell, no 
 imagination can conceive. He fays himfelf, 
 *' All thy waves and ftorms are gone over 
 *' me." They broke upon his head, and 
 with fo much fury, that he complains in 
 the 88th PJalm^ ver. 7. " Thine indignation 
 
 " lyeth 
 
( Z^-l ) 
 
 " lyeth hard upon me, and thou haft vexed 
 " me with all thy ftorms." When all the 
 waves and ftorms of the Father's wrath, 
 which ftiould have fallen upon us, vexed 
 him, he might well fay, " Was there ever 
 " forrow like unto my forrow, wherewith 
 *' the Lord hath affli(fted me in the day of 
 " his fierce anger." There never was any 
 forrow like that, which occafioned this 
 lamentation, " My God, my God, why 
 " haft thou forfaken me?" All the powers 
 in heaven and earth heard this cry, and 
 were affeded with it — the fun hid his face 
 - — there was darknefs over the whole earth 
 ' — the rocks were rent — the graves opened — ■ 
 the dead arofe — the veil of the temple was 
 rent from the top to the bottom. What 
 the bleeding Lamb of God fuffered at this 
 time furpafleth human underftanding. But 
 however, in this day of the Lord's fierce 
 anger, the floods of divine wrath did not 
 drown our Lord's love. He bore up under 
 all, until love heard the happy words — It 
 is Jinijhed^ and then he bowed his head, 
 and gave up the ghoft. But his love did 
 not die. No. It gained the greateft victory 
 in death. We read of Samfon^ that the 
 dead, whom he flew at his death, were more 
 
 X A than 
 
( 3^8 ) 
 
 than thofe whom he flew in his life-^which 
 was a type and figure of the great victory, 
 which Chrift obtained by his death ; for he 
 then vanquifhed all the enemies of our peace. 
 His love was ftronger than death: becaufe 
 through death he overcame death, and him 
 that had the power of death. It was ftronger 
 than the grave, for he redeemed his own 
 body before it had feen corruption. And he 
 arofe from the grave as the firft fruits of the 
 dead, and behold he has in his hands the 
 keys of hell and of death, fo that neither 
 death nor hell jlhall have any power over 
 them that believe in him. And being rifen 
 from the dead, and afcended into heaven, he 
 is feated upon the throne of glory, and he 
 neither wants love nor power to beftow upon 
 them that believe in him, every grace, and 
 every blefling which can make them happy 
 in time and in eternity. 
 
 Surely then, the love of Chrift is beyond 
 all value. What price can you fet upon it? 
 Might not the faithful with good reafon fay 
 'of it in the text, " If a man would give all 
 *' the fubftance of his houfe for this love, it 
 " would utterly be defpifed," for it is a free 
 love, it cannot be bought. It is ineftimable, 
 
 and 
 
( 3^-9 ) 
 
 and the riches of it are imfearchable. With 
 
 what can you think of purchafing it? With 
 
 the fubftance of a man's houfe? Why, it is 
 
 one of the free gifts of this love, and can 
 
 you then think of meriting or buying it with 
 
 its own gifts? This love created all things 
 
 that are in heaven and that are in earth, fo 
 
 that you have nothing to offer it but what 
 
 is already its own. And if you are one of 
 
 the Lord's people, it redeemed you from the 
 
 bondage of fni and fatan, of death and the 
 
 grave, and you have only to receive its blei^ 
 
 fmgs, and to be thankful: for you yourfelf, 
 
 and all that you have, are not your own. 
 
 You are bought with a price. And what can 
 
 you offer the Lord, but what is already his 
 
 own? His by right of creation, by right of 
 
 redemption doubly his. And muft he not 
 
 then utterly defpife both you and your gifts, 
 
 if you think that the fubftance of your houfe 
 
 is to be compared with his love? He will 
 
 defpife you, and you will feel his refentment 
 
 through the ages of eternity, if you difparage 
 
 his love fo much, as to think that any thing 
 
 in the world, yea the whole world itfelf, 
 
 ought to be put in competition with his love. 
 
 They who have tafled of it, know it to be 
 
 invaluable. The leall experience of it is 
 
 worth 
 
{ 33^ ) 
 
 worth thoufands of worlds. And Oh that he 
 who has it to give may now fhed it abroad 
 in all your hearts, that you may feel the hap- 
 pinefs of it. May this be the dehre of every 
 foul here prefent — Set me, Lord Jefus, as a 
 feal upon thine heart, fet me as a feal upon 
 thine arm, for thy love to fmners is ftrong as 
 death, the ardor of it is mightier than the 
 grave — it burnt like bright coals of fire, 
 which hath a moft vehement flame, many 
 waters could not quench thy love, nor could 
 the floods drown it. If a man would give 
 all the fubllance of his houfe to purchafe 
 thy love, he and his gifts would be utterly 
 defpifed. 
 
 My brethren, can you make ufe of this 
 prayer? Are thefe the pious breathings of 
 your fouls? You have heard from the fenfe 
 of the words, that thefe were the pious 
 breathings of the faithful under the Old 
 Teftament^ and they muft be yours under 
 the New if you would experience the com- 
 forts of the dodrine in the text, and to ftir 
 you up to feek them is the fubjed of my 
 fecortd general head : under which I fhall 
 make two or three fhort practical inferences. 
 
 The 
 
{ 33^ ) 
 
 The firft relates to the manner, m which 
 the words are drawn up. They are in the 
 form of a prayer, founded upon paft expe- 
 rience of Chrift's love, and earneftly defiring 
 a larger fhare of it. And is this your heart's 
 defire ? Can you willingly and heartily pray 
 to have the love of other objects fliut out of 
 your hearts, and to find your happinefs in 
 the love of Chrift, and in being fealed for 
 his? If you can pray thus, may you daily 
 find more reafon to love Jefus Chrift. But 
 if you cannot, is it not expedient that you 
 fhould confider what is the reafon? For has 
 not Jefus Chrift every perfedtion in himfelf, 
 and every grace and blefling to give, w^hich 
 ought to draw the affedions of miferable 
 finners unto himfelf? And yet you have no 
 love for him. What is the caufe, which 
 makes you a6t fo dire6:ly againft your own 
 intereft? Is it not an unlawful attachment 
 to the world, or to fome object in it, which 
 you fet up againft Chrift? You prefer it to 
 him. You think it can make you happier 
 than he can, and fo you give up your hearts 
 to its fervice. Herein you are guilty of a 
 monftrous abfurdity ? becaufe you prefer 
 creature-comforts to God ; and you are 
 guilty of monftrous wickednefs, becaufe you 
 
 leave 
 
( 3^^ ) 
 
 leave God to idolize the creature. And 
 though after daily experience you find, that 
 the creature cannot make you happy, yet 
 ftill you idolize it. What prodigious power 
 muft fin have over a man, how entirely muft 
 it have blinded his underftanding, when it 
 can make him a6t againft the cleareft evidence, 
 even of his own fenfes? for upon whatever 
 object you place your hearts, in preference, 
 or in oppofition to Chrift, it cannot make 
 you happy: for this plain reafon, becaufe 
 you fin in giving that love to it, which 
 is due to him. " My fon, fays he, give 
 "ME thy heart." I will make thee happy 
 by taking guilt out of thy confcience, by 
 pardoning thee freely, and fliedding the Xovq 
 of God abroad in thy heart. Until this 
 be done, no creature can make you happy. 
 While fin is unpardoned, while guilt is in 
 the confcience, and while the broken lav/ 
 condemns, what can money, what can plea- 
 fure, what can honour give of happinefs ? 
 They may for a time footh the unealinefs 
 of the mind, but they cannot remove it. 
 Nothing can • remove it, but Jefus Chrift. 
 He has perfed: peace to give. And if ever 
 you obtain it, you muft receive it from his 
 free love and bounty. 
 
 My 
 
( 333 ) 
 
 My brethren, do you give your afTeut to 
 thefe truths ? How do they appear to you ? 
 Do they not carry conviction along with 
 them ? Certainly they do, unlefs men be 
 entirely blinded with fm. If they have con- 
 vinced you, and you begin to defu'e to know 
 the love of Chrift, then turn from feeking 
 happinefs in creature-comforts, where it can- 
 not be found, and feek it in Jefus Chrift, 
 and you will find in him true folid blifs, 
 when he fets you as a feal upon his heart, 
 and as a feal upon his arm-. But if you have 
 not been convinced from what has been faid, 
 then turn to the world, and get its feal upon 
 your hearts. If the world can make you hap- 
 pier than God can, idolize it. Serve it, as 
 too many do, with every faculty of foul and 
 body, and pay it that obedience which is due 
 to God only. But did you ever confider, 
 who is the god of this world, that ruleth 
 in the children of difobedience ? Is it not 
 that old ferpent, called the devil and flitan, 
 who deceiveth the whole world ? And what ! 
 would you be found, when you come to die, 
 with the devils feal upon you ? Do you nov/ 
 deliberately choofeto be marked for his, and 
 to have j^our portion with him in the lake 
 that burneth with fire and brimftone for ever 
 
 and 
 
( 334 ) 
 
 and ever ? If there be any of you thus far de- 
 luded and infatuated, let me entreat you to 
 read the 9th chapter of Ezekicl. You will 
 there find a lively image of your prefent 
 ftate; I pray God to make it the means of 
 fliewing you your danger. The Lord gives 
 a command to flay young and old, and to de- 
 ftroy the whole city ; but firft one cloathed 
 in linen goes to let a mark upon the Lord's 
 people, and they only were to be faved. You 
 have not the Lord's mark upon you, there- 
 fore in the day of his fierce anger his eye will 
 not fpare, neither will he have pity. When- 
 ever the deftroying angel is fent out, he has 
 no power to hurt the fervants of God, who 
 are fealed ; as you may read, Rev. vii. Four 
 angels had a comm.ilnon to hurt the earth, 
 and the fea, but they vv^ere not to execute it 
 until the Lord's people were fealed, then they 
 were to deftroy and fpare not. Are not thefe 
 awful fcriptures ? Have not they made you 
 fenfible of your prefent danger ? May the 
 Spirit of the living God apply them. Oh 
 may his grace now begin to work upon your 
 hearts I Now may he put it into your minds 
 from a due fenfe of your w^ants to feek a fup- 
 ply from the love of Chrlft, that you may 
 receive profit from w^hat I have to remark 
 
 upoa 
 
( 335 ) 
 
 upon the fecond part of the text, vJz, the 
 greatnefs of Ghrift's love. 
 
 But of this you can form no judgment, un* 
 lefs you have ken your guilt and your mifery, 
 and found how much you flood in need of his 
 love. It will appear great in proportion, as you 
 find your want of it, and greater as you expe- 
 rience it. In itfelf it is divine and infinitel It 
 partakes of the nature of its author. It is, 
 like him, above all blefQng and praife. If you 
 try to take the dimenfions of it, you will con- 
 clude with the apoftle, that it furpaffeth know- 
 ledge, yea the knowledge of angels as well 
 as of men ; the heigth, the depth, the lengthy 
 the breadth of it cannot be meafured by any 
 created being. Oh the height and depth of 
 that love, which brought our divine Lord 
 from the higheft heavens to the lowed hu- 
 miliation. Oh the length of that love which, 
 reaches as far as the eaft is from the weft, for 
 fo far hath he fet our fms from us. Oh the 
 breadth of it, which includes a great multi- 
 tude, that no man could number, of all na- 
 tions, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. 
 But although ChriiVs love be thus unfpeak- 
 ably great, and inconceivably divine, yet un- 
 til you feel the mifery of lin, you will not 
 think of applying to Chrift for his love. But 
 
 when 
 
( 33S ) 
 
 when guilt torments, death terrliies, the grave 
 and hell appear to you in all their horrors, 
 then you will think it a bleffing indeed, if 
 you could have that love in your hearts, 
 which is able to caft out thefe fears. 
 An(J the knowledge of Chrift's love to you 
 eafteth out all fear : for his love has con- 
 quered all your enemies, and is now almighty 
 to conquer them in you. For fm he has 
 made an atonement, death he has fubdued, 
 and him that had the power of death, he is 
 rifen from the grave as the firft fruits of the 
 dead, and has opened the gate of everlafting 
 life. O befeech him then to let you ihare 
 in that love, which was ftronger than death, 
 mightier than the grave ; whereby all his 
 conquefts fhall be yours. When you are 
 united to him in the bonds of love, he will 
 make you more than conqueror. He will 
 make your love triumphant like his. He 
 will fo ftrengthen it, that many waters Ihall 
 not be able to quench it, neither fhall the 
 floods be able to drown it. Neither dif- 
 •trefs nor perfecution, neither life nor death, 
 neither the pleafurcs of the world nor the 
 temptations of the devil, Ihall be able to 
 feparate you from the love of Chrift Jefus 
 your Lord, 
 
 If 
 
( 337 ) 
 
 If you fee your want of this love, feok, 
 and you * fhall find it. The promife is — 
 *' They that feek me early fhall find me." 
 And if any of you have been feeking and 
 have not found, you may conclude, that 
 you have been feeking wrong — and have 
 not followed the laft part of the text, vi^^i 
 feeking it as a free gift, which with all your 
 endeavours and pains you cannot merit: for 
 fuch is the free and ineftimable love of Chrift, 
 that if a man would give all the fubftance of 
 his houfe for this love it would utterly be 
 defpifed. If you had millions of worlds to 
 give, they would be counted as nothing* 
 He would rejedl you and your worthlefs 
 bribes — ^As one faid upon a like occafion, 
 *' Thy money periih with thee, becaufe thou 
 " haft thought, that the free gift of God was 
 *' to be purchafed with money." Not only 
 all that thou haft, but alfo all that thou canft 
 defire, is not to be compared with the love of 
 Chrift. Whatever can make the finner happy 
 In time, whatever can make him bleffed in 
 eternity, Chrift's love is able to beftow, and 
 does beftow upon thofe, who find their want 
 of it, and who come humbled under a fenfe 
 of their wants, to afk it as a matter of free 
 grace and bounty. It is to the glory of his 
 y iove, 
 
( 338 ) 
 
 love, that he beftows upon the unworthy. 
 And if his good Spirit has enabled'you to fee 
 your want of it, and you can aik it as an 
 unworthy finner, you will receive it. This 
 is your only qualification, to acknowledge 
 that you do not deferve it. Go to the throne 
 of his grace with this humble temper, hun- 
 gering and thirfting after righteoufnefs, and 
 the Lord Jefus will fend you away filled 
 with good things. 
 
 It is evident then from what has been faid, 
 that there is perfect happinefs to be found in 
 the love of our redeeming God. All that 
 call themfelves chriftians profefs their belief 
 of this truth, but the generality of them adt 
 in dire£l oppofition to their belief, and are 
 feeking happinefs where God has decreed it 
 fliall not be found. They try to find it in 
 the world, but are difappointed, and after 
 many difappolntments they wall not give 
 over the fearch. Their great love for the 
 world will not fuffer them to turn their backs 
 upon it, although it has deceived them fo 
 often. They are quite enamoured with its 
 fancied goods, and place their whole hearts 
 and ftffeQions upon its money, its pleafiires, 
 and its honours: thefe they purfue eagerly,. 
 
 and 
 
( 339 ) 
 
 and perhaps attain them ; they have their 
 heart's defire, and yet they are unhappy. 
 What is the realbn? Becaufe thefe things 
 cannot fatisfy the wants of a finful foul. 
 Sin feperated the foul from God; not only 
 fet them at a diftance from each other, but 
 alfo occafioned enmity between them. The 
 law and juftice of God are of purer eyes 
 than to behold the leaft fm, and therefore 
 he revealed his wrath from heaven againft 
 all unrighteoufnefs and ungodlinefs of men. 
 And until his law and juftice receive full 
 fatisfadion, God the Father will not appear 
 reconciled, nor pardon the finner, who can- 
 not return to God with any love or confi- 
 dence, and find happinefs in him, until he 
 believe that God is reconciled, and has par- 
 doned him. Now Jefus Chrift is the only 
 Saviour who has pardon of fm to give. His 
 good Spirit can give the finner the knowledge 
 of the pardon of fin, and fhed abroad in his 
 heart all the comforts of God's pardoning 
 love. Then he will know the truth of the 
 defcription in the text. Chrift's love will 
 appear to him as it is there defcribed. He 
 will be able to take up the words, and to ufe 
 them with the fame fpirit, with which they 
 were fpoken in the Song: for he is happy in 
 y 2 the 
 
( 34^ ) 
 
 the love of Chrift, and can truly fay, " I love 
 " him, becaufe he firft loved me, and gave 
 " himfelf for me." 
 
 Since thefe things are fo, furely, my 
 beloved brethren, you will not go away 
 refolved ftill to feek happinefs in the love 
 of creature-comforts. You cannot fuppofe, 
 that the world can make you happier than 
 its almighty Creator and Saviour can. If you 
 had it all in your pofTeffion, yet there are 
 times when it could be of no fervice. What 
 pieafure could it give you in ficknefs? How 
 could it remove the torments of a guilty 
 confcicnce? How could it keep off death, or 
 take out its fting ? How could it bring you 
 any comfort, if your poor foul fhould appear 
 with all its fnis unpardoned at the judgment- 
 feat of Chrift? Alas, in thefe circumltances 
 the world and the things of it cannot give 
 relief. You know they cannot. And why 
 then will you purfue them? Since there is 
 no happinefs to be found in them, and the 
 jHore you purfue them, the farther will they 
 lead you from true happinefs. Oh turn from 
 the world then, leave it, follow its vain 
 ihadows no longer, nor difquiet yourfelves 
 in vahi. No m.iu v/as ever happy in the 
 
 love 
 
( 341 ) 
 
 love of the world; but every man is happier 
 than the world can make him, who has only 
 accepted the invitation, " Oh come, tafte, 
 " and fee how gracious the Lord Jefus is;'* 
 but he that has tafted, and feen, and is under 
 the care and protedtion of Chrift's love, he 
 is completely happy, even in times of trial 
 and trouble; becaufe Chrift is almighty to 
 deliver; and when he does not deliver froni 
 affliiStion, he is able to fandiify it, and to 
 make it work together for good to them that 
 love him. And is not this an happy ftate? 
 What fmner would not defire it, and what 
 afflided perfon would not pray for it? May 
 he, who is able to bring you into it, put it 
 into all your hearts to feek it. Oh that he 
 may fend his good Spirit and give every one 
 of you earneil defires to have this fcripture 
 fultilled in your own fouls. May this be the 
 language of every foul here prefent — Set me, 
 bleifed Saviour, as a feal upon thine heart, 
 and as a feal upon thine arm, let thy love and 
 thy power act together for my ialvation: for 
 thy love is mightier than death, and ftronger 
 than the grave, Oh that I m^ay ihare in thefe 
 victories of thy love, the vehement ardor cf 
 wdiich many waters could not quench, neith.er 
 could the floods drown it. If a man woul4 
 Y 3 giy^ 
 
( 342 ) 
 
 give all the fubftance of his houfe to buy 
 this love it would utterly be contemned. I 
 have nothing to purchafe it with. Give it 
 to me Lord, as a free gift, and to the glory 
 of the giver. 
 
 O dear Redeemer, fend us away with thefe 
 good defires in all our hearts, and cherilh 
 them, until we know that love of thine, 
 which paffeth knowledge, which exceeds all 
 that can be faid of it upon earth, and will 
 exceed all that can be faid of it in heaven. 
 There will be no end of fmging its praifes 
 through eternity. Oh may it be your joy 
 and happinefs here in time to fmg with 
 grateful hearts the praifes of redeeming love 
 until Jefus take you to himfelf, and put 
 more love into your hearts, and fill your 
 mouths with louder fongs of praife to Father, 
 Son, and Holy Spirit, the adorable Trinity 
 in Unity, to whom may we all afcribe equal 
 honour and glory, majefty and dominion 
 now, henceforth, and for evermore, /^in.efi 
 and Amen, 
 
( 343 ) 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 Chap. viii. Ver. 14, 
 
 Make hajie^ 7?iy beloved^ and be thou like to a 
 roe^ or to a young hart upon the mountain^ 
 of/pices, 
 
 TH E church makes this her laft requeft. 
 She defires her beloved to haften his 
 coming, which under the Old Teflament 
 difpenfation referred to his coming in the 
 flelh, as under the New it refers to his 
 fecond coming. But the church of God, 
 both in the Old Teftament and the New, 
 expeded another coming of Chrift, viz. his 
 coming in grace. The believers knew that 
 he was to come, and to abide with them, 
 and not as a fojourner, but as an inhabitant, 
 to dwell in their hearts by faith. This was 
 promifed them, and this they have always 
 experienced. The words may with great 
 propriety treat of thefe three advents of our 
 Lord, And I will endeavour 
 
 Y 4 Fhfi, 
 
( 344 ) 
 
 Firjl^ To explain them in their full fenfe, 
 and then 
 
 Secondly^ To draw fpme pra(3;ical obferva-if 
 tions from them. 
 
 The words were fpoken before the coming 
 of Chrift in the flelh, and fuppofmg they 
 refer to it, they imply great hafte and fpeed. 
 The faithful would have Chrift to haften his 
 poming in the fwifteft manner, whereby 
 they exprefs the holy impatience of their 
 affe(3:ions, which could npt endure delay. 
 They longed to fee the defire of all nations 
 incarnate. It was their continual wifh and 
 prayer, that they might fee the day of Chrift, 
 Therefore upon the conclulion of the Song, 
 they break off as it were abruptly with this; 
 their laft requeft, upon which their hearts 
 were principally fet, make hafte^ my beloved. 
 
 This was the continual prayer of believers 
 under the Old Teftament, which they made 
 not frofn any doubt of God's faithfulnefs and 
 truth, but from their e^rneft defires after the 
 Saviour of the w^orld. They were fenfibly 
 convinced of their great want of him. They 
 found fm in themfelves — they read in the 
 
 •law 
 
{ 345 ) 
 
 Saw of the punifliment due to fin, which the 
 law had threatened, and juftice was bound 
 to infli<^, and they knew that they could do 
 nothing to make an atonement to law and 
 juftice, therefore they ardently prayed for 
 the coming of the promifed Lamb of God 
 who was to take away fin by the facrifice of 
 himfelf, and to anfwer all the demands of 
 law and juftice. The firft prophecy was fuf- 
 jEciently clear to be a ground for their prayers. 
 God had declared, that the feed of the wo- 
 man, one born of a woman, fhould brulfe 
 the ferpent's head, in which his poifon lay, 
 ^nd thereby deftroy the power which he had 
 ufurped over mankind. The types and fer- 
 vices then inftituted, which are in fum and 
 fubftancc the fame that were afterwards re- 
 corded in the written law, tended to explain 
 the lirft prophecy, and to Jkeep it continually 
 in remembrance. They ferved as a fchool- 
 majler to lead men to Chrift. From them 
 it was certain that the Saviour would come 
 and be made a facrifice for fm, but the pre- 
 cife time of his coming was not made known 
 in the firft ages of the world. This gave 
 men occafion to expe£t him in every age, 
 pntil the fixed time of his coming was re- 
 vealed. And accordingly we find the pa- 
 triarchs 
 
( 346 ) 
 
 triarchs before, and the prophets under the 
 law, waiting with eager defires for his coming : 
 As our Lord aiTured his apoftles. Matt, xiii. 
 1 7. " Verily I fay unto you, many prophets 
 " and righteous men have defired to fee thefe 
 *' things which ye fee and have not feen 
 *' them, and to hear thefe things which ye 
 " hear and have not heard them.'* There 
 were many prophets and righteous men in 
 the church of God as well before the written 
 law as fmce, who defired to fee God incar- 
 nate, and to hear the gracious words that 
 fhould proceed out of his mouth. Jacob 
 was one of thefe prophets and righteous men, 
 and he expreffes all their defires in his own — 
 •" I have waited for thy falvation, O Lord.'* 
 (G^;?. xlix. 18.) And the prophet ^m^, 
 fpeaking in his own name, and in the name 
 of the faithful, fays, — " In the way of thy 
 " judgments, O Lord, have we waited for 
 " thee: thedefireofourfoulistothyname, and 
 *' to the remembrance of thee." And there 
 were aHvays in the church fome waiting for 
 the promifed confolation of Ifrael, and efpe- 
 cially at the time of his appearing in the flefh, 
 fuch as the jufl and devout Simeon^ who when 
 the holy child Jefus was brought into the 
 temple took him'up in his arms, and bleffed 
 
 God 
 
( i47. ) 
 
 God and faid, " Lord, now lettefl: thou thy 
 " fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have 
 " feen thy falvation." And this, my bre- 
 thren, will be your happy cafe, when your 
 eyes, fee the falvation of God. When faith 
 gives you a clear view of your intereft in the 
 falvation of Jefus Chrift, then whenever you 
 die you will depart in peace. 
 
 Thus the Old I'ejiament faints defired 
 Chrift to haften his coming in the flefh. 
 They wanted to behold his day. They 
 longed to fee the great myftery of godlinefs 
 opened and explained — God manifeft in the 
 flefn. In the fulnefs of time according to 
 their defires he came. He vifited us in great 
 humility, and in the form of a fervant, but 
 he thought it not robbery to be equal with 
 God : for he required the fame faith in himfelf 
 as in the Father, " Ye believe in God, be- 
 *' lieve alfo in me." yohn xiv. i. He com.- 
 manded the fame divine honour to be paid 
 to him, " All men lliould honour the Son, 
 " even as they honour the Father," {John v, 
 23.) for he is Jehovah, the lelf-exiftent 
 God {yohn viii. 24.) which whoever does 
 not believe fliall die in his fms. He fup- 
 ported thefe high claims by appealing to his 
 
 miracles. 
 
( 348 ) 
 
 miracles, which were God's teflimonv to the 
 truth of his words. Hear his own argument 
 upon this very fubjed:. The Jews were go- 
 ing to ftone him for faying that he was God, 
 " If I do not the works of my Father be- 
 " Here me not ; but if I do, though ye be- 
 " Ueve not me, believe the works, that ye 
 " may know and believe that the Father is 
 *' in me, and I in him," {John x. 37, 2>^.^ 
 He did all the works, which the prophets 
 had foretold the promifed Immanuel fliould 
 perform. And after he had fulfilled the 
 fcriptures of the Old Tejlament^ had fuffered 
 all that law and juftice required, and had 
 compleated the great work of falvation, he 
 afcended into heaven, and fat down at the 
 right hand of the majefty on high. And 
 we are now according, to his moft true pro- 
 mife waiting for his fecond coming. There 
 is a great day, and not far off, when every 
 eye fhall fee him coming in the clouds of 
 heaven with power and great glory. God 
 had revealed this very early to his fervants 
 the prophets: for Enoch the feventh from 
 Adam prophecied of it, faying, " Behold the 
 " Lord cometh with ten thoufand of his 
 " faints to execute judgment upon all, and to 
 ** convince all that are ungodly among them 
 
 " of 
 
( 349 ) 
 
 ** of all their ungodly deeds, which they 
 " have ungodly committed, and of all their 
 " hard fpeeches, which ungodly fmners have 
 *' fpoken againft him." In the Neiv T'efia- 
 ment we have the manner of our Lord's 
 coming to execute judgment, with the pro- 
 cefs of the laft day very particularly defcribed. 
 And it is the wiih and prayer of every faith- 
 ful foul — - that he would haften this his 
 glorious appearing, and accomplifh the great 
 things which are to go before it. When the 
 blefl'ed Jefus clofes the volume of revelation 
 with this promile, " Surely I come quickly," 
 the faithful reply, " Amen. Even fo come, 
 " Lord Jefus." And daily is it in their 
 prayers — Thy kingdom come. And they 
 have good reafon to defire it ; becaufe all 
 that their Lord and Saviour has to do upon 
 the earth will then be compleated. The 
 number of the ele6t will be perfected, and 
 he will be admired in them. His enemies 
 will be finally fubdued. An end will be put 
 to the reign of lln and fatan. There will be 
 no more death. Whatever robbed our re- 
 deeming God of his glory will be defcroyed. 
 Oh how greatly then is this fecond coming 
 of cur Lord to be defired by all his faithful 
 followers and fervaats, who ?.re defcribed in 
 
 fcripture 
 
( 35^ ) 
 
 fcripture by this charader, that they love hh 
 appearing. They love it firfl for his fake, be- 
 caufe he will then be glorified in his faints, he 
 will then be glorified for the great glory which 
 he will beftow upon them ; and they love 
 it alfo for their own fakes, becaufe then 
 all their wifhes and defires will be fulfilled, 
 when they fhall fee their beloved Saviour 
 face to face. They will have no more prayers 
 or requefi:s to make. When that great day 
 is come, there will be no more complaints, 
 no more wants or neceffities, forrow and 
 fighing will flee away for ever. Our war- 
 fare v>rill be ended, our victory compleated. 
 Our crowns fhall ftiine upon our heads with 
 never-fading luftre, our palms of vid:ory 
 fhall be ever green. How exceedingly great 
 this happinefs will be we cannot fully com- 
 prehend at prefent. However this one cir- 
 cumftance hightens every thing faid of it 
 in fcripiure, namely, that it will be eternal. 
 When we have afcended from judgment wuth 
 our Lord, he will admit us into his kingdom 
 of glory. After this meeting we (hall part 
 no more; but fhall ever be with the Lord, 
 praifmg and adoring his perfections, and be- 
 ing happy in the enjoyment of them to all 
 eternity. And is not all this happinefs ear- 
 
 neflly 
 
{ 35^ ) 
 
 iieftly to be defired by them, who have re- 
 ceived through faith the earneft of their in- 
 heritance ? And will it not be much upon 
 their hearts to pray him to haflen his com- 
 ing, and will not they, who love his appear- 
 ing, pray for it with great fervency ? Our 
 church is very earneft in her prayers: for 
 fhe teaches us in the Burial Service to be 
 continually praying to him, " that it would 
 " pleafe him of his gracious goodnefs fhortly 
 " to accomplifh the number of his eledl, and 
 *' to haften his kingdom." And he has pro- 
 mifed to hear and to anfwer thefe prayers : 
 for when he is defcribing in St. Matthew the 
 tribulation of the laft days, which fhall be 
 greater than any fmce the beginning of the 
 world to that time, he fays that " for the 
 elects fake thefe days fhall be fliortened." 
 Amen. So be it Lord Jefus. 
 
 My brethren, when you hear of our Lord's 
 fecond coming how does it affedt you ? Do 
 you love to think of the day of his great 
 glory ? Do you wifh and pray for it ? Does 
 the folemnity of it ftrike no terror into your 
 confciences ? Is all peace and joy within, 
 when you hear of the fuddennefs of his com- 
 ing, and of the general furprize it will be to 
 
 a care- 
 
( 352 ) 
 
 a carelefs world ? Do you now find no fear, 
 if the laft trump fhouid this moment found 
 and you fhouid lift up your eyes and fee the 
 God of glory coming in the clouds of heaven 
 attended w^ith all his holy angels ? Could you 
 look up with joy, knowing that your re- 
 demption draweth nigh ? Is your confcience 
 {o purged from dead works that it would not 
 be alarmed, if the air that we breathe being 
 on fire jfhould be diffolved, and the elements 
 fhouid melt with fervent heat, and the earth 
 alfo and the works that are therein fhouid be 
 burnt up ? Are you prepared to draw near 
 the judgment-feat with a true heart in full 
 affurance of faith, having your hearts fprinkled 
 from an evil confcience ? When you medi- 
 tate upon the folemn procefs of the lafl day, 
 as defcribed by the Judge himfelf, can you 
 fjppofe yourfelf to be in the midft of this 
 awful fcene, and your ftate ready to be deter- 
 mined to all eternity, and have you no 
 fearful apprehenfions about your falvation ? 
 If you have none, may he who delivered 
 you from them ftrengthen and eftablifh your 
 faith that you may daily love our Lord, and 
 love his appearing more and more. But if 
 guilty fear does arife in your heart, when you 
 thinkof thegloriousappearing of the great God 
 
 and 
 
( 353 ) 
 
 and our Saviour at the lafc day, this proves 
 that all is not right in your own foul. There 
 is a coming of Chrifl in grace^ which you 
 have" not yet experienced: for if you had, it 
 would have given you that love, which 
 cafteth out all tormenting fear.' If Chrifl: 
 had come and manifefl:ed himfelf to you, as 
 your Saviour, if he had awakened you, had 
 pardoned you freely, and given you flfie wit- 
 nefs of the Spirit in your heart, enabling you 
 to look upon God as your reconciled Father, 
 Chrifl: as your Saviour, and the Holy Spirit 
 as your guide and comforter, then you could 
 have no reafon to fear. And this coming of 
 Chrifl: is the mofl: to be defired, becaufe with- 
 out this you do not receive the graces and 
 blefl^ngs of his firft coming in the flefhj and 
 therefore are not prepared for his fecond 
 coming to judgment. What he did and fuf- 
 fered in the flefh is not imputed unto us for 
 righteoufnefs, until it be applied and appro- 
 priated. The Holy Spirit mufl: come and 
 iliew us our interefl: in it, he mufl: give us 
 prefent falvation from the pollution, and the 
 guilt, and the dominion of fm, and we muft 
 know and experience this by true faithj be- 
 fore the fear of Chrifl:'s coming to judgment 
 can be taken out of the confcience. BuC 
 
 ^ when 
 
( 354 ) 
 
 when Chrift thus dwells in the heart by faith, 
 then being interefted in all the graces of his 
 firft coming, we may wait for the bleflings 
 of his fecond coming with hopes full of im- 
 mortality. Therefore, 
 
 My brethren, above all things feek the ex- 
 perience of Chrift's coming to you in grace : 
 for when you once know and love him as 
 your Saviour, you cannot fear him as your 
 judge : but from the fenfe of his love to you^ 
 you will be able with the faithful in the text 
 to call him your beloved^ and to pray for his 
 fpeedy coming, that he may put all his ene- 
 mies under his feet. When they fay, Make 
 hajle my beloved^ this implies that there was 
 mutual love between them. The foul was 
 made fenfible of Chrift's love to it: " For 
 " we love him, fays the apoftle yohfi^ be- 
 " caufe he firft loved us." And when you 
 have fcripture evidence of his firft loving 
 you, then you can with true faith take up 
 the churches words, and fay, " My beloved 
 " is mine, and I am his." To know that 
 he is yours is the fame thing as to know 
 whatever he has is yours : for by being in- 
 terefted in him you have a property in all 
 his promifes, graces, and bleflings, in time 
 
 and 
 
{ 3SS ) 
 
 and in eternity. This is the bleffed ftate of 
 believers; and do you not defire, my bre- 
 thren, to be in it ? is it not happinefs indeed 
 to be freed from the fear of death and judg- 
 ment — nay more, to be able to pray for the 
 coming of Chrift, and to love his appearing ? 
 What can be more defirable than to know 
 that the almighty judge is your loving Sa- 
 viour, who when he comes at the lail day 
 will make you compleatly blefled both in 
 body and foul ? May God put it into all 
 your hearts to defire this, and may he give 
 you faith to pray in the words of the text — 
 *' Make hafte, my beloved, and be thou like 
 " to a roe or a young hart," — - like them 
 in fwiftnefs and fpeed, for which they are 
 remarkable. It is faid of Afahel the fon of 
 Zeruiah^ that he was as light of foot as a 
 wild roe; and the Gadites who came to Da^ 
 vid at Ziklag are celebrated for being as fwift 
 as roes upon the mountains. With all this 
 fpeed would the faithful have Chrift to haften 
 his coming. They had no ftronger idea of 
 the greateft fpeed than what they took from 
 the fwiftnefs of a wild roe, and therefore by 
 this they exprefs the fervent defires of their 
 fouls after his fpeedy coming. He heard their 
 prayers, and he will anfwer them. He gave 
 Z 2 them 
 
( 356 ) 
 
 them many promifes in the Old Tejlament of 
 his coming in glory to judge the world, and 
 many more in the New. In his laft words, 
 with which he fliuts up the volume of reve- 
 lation, he leaves us this fweet and comfort- 
 able promife - — " Surely I come quickly." 
 Here we have his promife, he will come 
 quickly, and confirmed by a folemn afleve- 
 ration, furely — and furely, what his truth 
 hath promifed, nothing fhall be able to hin- 
 der his omnipotence from fulfilling : for yet 
 a little Avhile, and he that fhall come will 
 come, and will not tarry. And becaufe he 
 feems to tarry, therefore the unbeliever takes 
 occafion to reflect upon the faithfulneis of 
 God, and the carelefs finner fmks deeper in- 
 to carnal fecurity ; but both thefe forts of 
 perfons may read their condemnation in the 
 third chapter of the fecond Epiftle of Peter^ 
 in which he foretells that there fhould come 
 in the laft days fcoffers, walking after their 
 own lufts and faying. Where is the promife 
 of his coming ? We fee no figns of it,* for 
 fince the fathers fell afleep all things go on 
 as they did from the beginning of the crea- 
 tion. To this the apoftle replies, firft by 
 faying, it is wilful ignorance to maintain, 
 that the world has fuffered no change fince 
 
 the 
 
( 357 ) 
 
 the creation, for was it not once deftroyed 
 by a deluge of water ? And fecondly he an- 
 fwers, that the Lord is not flack concerning 
 his promife (as feme men count llacknefs) 
 but is long fufFering to us ward, not wilhng 
 that any Ihould perifh, but that all fhould 
 come to repentance. What thefe men call 
 flacknefs is an a6: of mercy. The judge only 
 waits till the time fixed in the counfel of God 
 be finifhed, till the number of the eledt be 
 perfected, and then fhall the end come. His 
 delay may feem long to us v/ho meafure time 
 by days and months and years, but with the 
 Lord a thoufand years are but as one day. 
 There is no time in eternity. What feems 
 long to us, who are but of yefterday, 
 is with the Lord fpeedy : for he that is 
 truth and cannot lie fays, Surely I come 
 quickly. The longer he has delayed, the 
 fooner he will come, and therefore my 
 brethren, you {hould be the more prepared. 
 If you think his delay long, this fhould haflen 
 you in your preparation, becaufe every mo-' 
 ment brings his coming nearer. No one dare 
 affirm that he fhall not live to fee the Son of 
 Man coming in the clouds of heaven with 
 power and great glory. If this may be, and 
 every one of us may live to fee it come to 
 Z 3 pafs, 
 
( 358 ) 
 
 pafs, Oh what manner of perfons ought we 
 to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs ? 
 What diligence fhould we give to make our 
 calling and eledion fure ? Ought we not to 
 have a clear knowledge of our intereft in the 
 judge, and to be afTured by faith of his be- 
 ing our Saviour, that we may love his ap- 
 pearing, and pray for it, as the faithful did 
 in the text. They finifhed their prayer, and 
 clofed the book with intreating him to come 
 fpeedily, and to give them more experience 
 of his love ; they defired to have daily more 
 proofs of his being their compleat Saviour, 
 by his adting in each of his anointed office* 
 for them and for their falvation, as their pro- 
 phet, their prieft, and their king. This is 
 I think the meaning of the laft words — ^ 
 *' Upon the mountains of fpices." In our 
 language we apply the word mountain to 
 the higheft hills, and we generally fix the 
 idea of barrennefs to it. But the fcripture 
 applies it to hills, of no great height, and to 
 the moil fruitful hills, fuch as Carmel^ and 
 Sharon^ and Gilead^ upon v^rhich grew the 
 fpices here mentioned. In the 30th of Exo- 
 dus we have a particular defcription of thefe 
 aromatic fpices. Mofes was commanded to 
 lake myrrh, cinnamon, fweet calamus, anc} 
 
 cafllaj 
 
( 359 ) 
 
 caflia, and to mix them up with oil olive, 
 to make a compofition that would diffufe its 
 fragrant odours without the help of fire. The 
 ufe of this holy ointment was to anoint the 
 tabernacle itfelf, and all its veflels, that they 
 might be holy unto the Lord — And it was 
 alfo to confecrate the high prieft, that he 
 might minifter in holy things. And it was 
 ilridtly forbidden in the law to ufe it to any 
 other purpofe, upon the penalty of death. 
 This holy anointing was to reprefent what 
 was to be in Chrift, and what was to flow 
 to us from him. It was the type and figure 
 of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which 
 was poured upon him without meafure, to 
 confecrate him to the high offices of prophet 
 prieft, and king, over the people of God, 
 He is their prophet to enlighten the blindnefs 
 of their underftanding, and to lead them in- 
 to all faving truth, their prieft to take away 
 the pollution and guilt of fin, and their king 
 to deftroy in them the dominion of fin, and 
 to carry on the divine life in their fouls here 
 in grace, and hereafter in glory. The faith- 
 ful in the Old Tejlament expelled him in 
 thefe gracious offices, for which he was to 
 be qualified by the undtion from the holy 
 one, and therefore they made it a matter of 
 
 % 4 theii: 
 
( 36o ) 
 
 their prayers that he would haften his com- 
 ing in his three office charaders, which 
 they exprefs by that holy anointing, where- 
 by he was conitituted and ordained to thefe 
 offices. 
 
 The meaning of the words from what ha§ 
 been faid appears to be this. The faithful 
 linifh this fweet portion of fcripture with a 
 prayer. They had experienced fo much of 
 Chrift's love, that their hearts were entirely 
 fet upon further communion, and therefore 
 they beg of him to haften his coming; in 
 the Old Tejlament they mean his coming in 
 the flefh, in the Neiv we mean his coming 
 to judgment; but both to them and us there 
 is another coming. Chrift muft come and 
 dwell in our hearts by faith, that we may 
 receive the benefits of his firft coming in the 
 flefh and be prepared for his fecond com-f 
 ing in glory : for until we have by faith 
 a clear view of our intereft in him, how 
 can we take up the words of the text and 
 fay — Make hafte, O thou beloved Jefus, 
 and for the elects fake fhorten thefe days of 
 fin and blafphemy. Why is thy chariot fo 
 long in coming ? Why tarry the wheels of 
 {;hy chariot f Oh come with all the fwiftnefs 
 ^ ' ^ ' ■ cf 
 
( 36i > 
 
 jof the fleeted roe, or wild deer, to fulfil 
 whatever remains of fcripture not com-? 
 pleated, efpecially come to fulfil what is writ- 
 ten of the facred offices, to which thou waft 
 anointed, and by which thou art to make us 
 an odour of a fweet fmell, a facrifice accept- 
 able, well-pleafing unto God. Thus come. 
 Lord Jefus, as our prophet and prieft, and 
 fet up thy kingdom of grace in every one of 
 our hearts, that we may love thy appear- 
 ing, and pray thee to haften thy kingdom 
 of glory. 
 
 Upon this ftate of the do£l:rine there are 
 two practical truths oftered to our ferious 
 confideration. 
 
 Firjl^ The prayer for Chrift*s coming. 
 And 
 
 Secondly^ The reafon upon which the prayer- 
 was grounded. 
 
 And F'lrjl^ As to his coming at the laft 
 (day, it is as certain, as that he came in the 
 flefh in the fulnefs of time. From the cer- 
 tainty of the fa£t the faithful were led to pray 
 for it. And can you, my brethren, join in 
 
 their 
 
( 362 ) 
 
 their prayer ? Do you defire from your hearts 
 that Chrift fhould foon come in all his glory 
 to judgment ? Are you preparing and look- 
 ing out for it as an event that may not be 
 far oft ? If you are, then you are fafe. But 
 if you are not, examine carefully what is 
 the reafon. Why cannot you pray along 
 with the faithful for Chrift's fpeedy coming 
 to judgment ? Surely you don't doubt of the 
 fad: ? That he will come to judge the world 
 is as certain as that he did come at the fixt 
 time to judge the Jewijh nation : " For we 
 *' muft all appear before the judgment-feat of 
 *' Chrift." The matter of fad upon fcrip- 
 ture principles is undeniably clear and cer- 
 tain. Why then are you not fo prepared for 
 it as to make it the fubjed of your prayers ? 
 Is it becaufe you put it at a great diftance, 
 and therefore think yourfelves fafe ? Confider 
 attentively, what the fcripture fays upon this 
 point. Our Lord has given us feveral marks 
 and figns of his coming, by which we might 
 know as certainly, when it was at hand, as 
 we could know, when the fig-tree puts forth 
 her green figs, that fummer is nigh. There 
 were to be wars and rumours of wars, pefti- 
 lences, earthquakes in divers places, very 
 little truth faith left upon the earth, and yet 
 
 as 
 
( 363 ) 
 
 as great fecurity among carelefs fmners as 
 there was in the days of Noab, when the 
 flood came and fwept them all away. Do 
 you think thefe cannot be the forerunners of 
 our Lord's fpeedy coming, becaufe there al- 
 ways have been fuch things in the world ? 
 But when all thefe figns are at once upon 
 the earth, and in a manner they never were 
 before, then they become loud calls to an 
 immediate preparation. Were there ever 
 greater wars, or more rumours of war ? Has 
 not an uncommon pellilence raged among 
 the cattle for feveral years, in this and in 
 other countries ? AVere there ever fuch earth- 
 quakes, fo univerfal, and of fo long continu- 
 ance, as have been for fome years paft ? And 
 4oes not the prefent flate of the world as to 
 religion greatly refemble our Lord's defcrip- 
 tion of the rnen, upon whom that day fhall 
 come unawares as a thief in the night ? And 
 when could the account which St. Paul 
 gives us in feveral of his epiflles, of tlie men 
 of the latter times be more true, than it is at 
 prefent ? Have they not the name and form, 
 of chriftianity without the power of it ? Ate 
 they not worldly-minded, funk into carnal 
 fecurity, and fo entirely influenced by the 
 Jove of pleaiure, tl^at the love of God and 
 
 of 
 
( 364 ) 
 
 of the things of God is not only waxed cold, 
 but quite frozen up? Was there ever any 
 age, wherein our Lord's words could be 
 more ftridly fulfilled, " When the Son of 
 " Man cometh fhall he find faith upon the 
 *' earth ?" By thefe figns our Lord is alarm- 
 ing a fmful world with notices of his fpeedy 
 coming, and if finners are not at all alarmed, 
 but continue ftill fecure in their fins, this is 
 a fcripture proof that he will foon come as a 
 thief in the night and furprize .them: for 
 when they fhall fay, Peace and fafety, then 
 fudden deftrud:Ion fhall come upon them, and 
 they fhall not efcape. 
 
 But flill you do not 'fee the figns of his 
 coming fo clearly, as to be convinced of the 
 necefTity of being immediately prepared. If 
 it be at all neceffary to be prepared, it is cer^ 
 tainly neceffary to be prepared immediately : 
 for you cannot be fure at any time, that he 
 will not come, and therefore you fhould be 
 at all times ready for his coming. Suppofe 
 he fhould come in a day that ye look not for 
 him, what would your eternal condition be ? 
 What, if he fliould furprize you in your fins, 
 have you no apprehenfion about your dan- 
 ger ? Who amongft you could dwell with 
 
 the 
 
( 365 ) 
 
 the devouring' fire ? Who amongft you could 
 dwell with the everlafting burnings ? And 
 fuppofe he fhould not come, yet if he fend 
 death to furprize you, it is the fame thing. 
 If you die unpardoned you are loft for 
 ever : for it is written, " the wdcked fhall be 
 " turned into hell, and all the people that 
 " forget God." So that put our Lord's com- 
 ing as far off as you pleafe, yet you cannot 
 put death off: and there is the fame prepa- 
 ration neceflary for the one as for the other. 
 You muft be turned from darknefs to light, 
 and from the power of fatan unto God, you 
 muft be juftified and fandlified, before you 
 are fit either to meet death or judgment. 
 And if you have no knowledge of Chrift's 
 being your Saviour, it is the fame tliinV to 
 you as if there was no Saviour : for if you 
 are not united by faith to Chrift , he is no 
 Clirift to you, according to the faying of the 
 firft reformers, " That an unapplied Chrift 
 *' is no Chrift ;" therefore, my beloved bre- 
 thren, if you have any real love for your 
 own fouls, if you indeed prefer everlafting 
 jcys to endlefs torments, feek for pardon and 
 peace from the hands of Jefus Chrift, w^ho 
 has them to give, that having received them 
 from him, you may be able with true faith 
 
 to 
 
( 366 ) 
 
 to ufe the prayer in the text, and for the 
 fame reafon the faithful here ufed it, namely, 
 from your experience of your intereft in 
 Chrift, which is the fecond pradical point in 
 the text I was to apply. 
 
 They pray to Chrift to haften his coming ; 
 which they earneftly requefted, becaufe they 
 had clear evidence of his being their loving 
 Saviour. He firft loved them, and made 
 them fenfible of his love, therefore they loved 
 him. And having a fure intereft in the pre- 
 fent graces of his falvation (for they were in 
 pofleflion, and had actual enjoyment of them), 
 they knew that they fliould at his fecond 
 coming fhare in the bleflings of his eternal 
 kingdom ; for which reafon they offered up 
 to him the prayer of faith, requefting him 
 to come quickly — Make hafte, my beloved, 
 and may we foon fee thee manifeft in the 
 flefti, making an atonement for fin and bring- 
 ing in everlafting righteoufnefs, and when 
 thou haft by obeying, fuffering, dying, and 
 rifmg again fulfilled the law and the prophets. 
 Oh haften thy fecond coming. Let all things 
 be forwarded that are to go before it. Finifli 
 the number of thine eledt, yeivs and Gentiles^ 
 and then come in the clouds of heaven with 
 
 power 
 
C 367 ) 
 
 power and great glory. Now, my brethren, 
 do you pray thus for Chrift's fecond coming ? 
 Can you make it, do you make it, the daily 
 fubjedt of your prayers? Being afliired that 
 Jefus is your Saviour, have you no fear of 
 him as your judge ? Are you fo entirely de- 
 livered from fear that you love his appear- 
 ing, as the day of the Lord's great glory, 
 when he will be glorified In the dellrudion 
 of all his enemies, and glorified much more in 
 the eternal falvation of all his faints ? 
 
 Perhaps fome of you n\?y think, that it 
 favours of enthufiafm, for a man to pretend 
 to be fo certain of Chrift's love, as to pray 
 for his coming to judgment. Let us hear 
 then what the fcripture fays. The faithful 
 in the text defire Chrift to make hafte, and 
 upon this motive they ground their prayer, 
 that he was their beloved -, but they could not 
 have urged him to make hafte for this rea- 
 fon, unlefs they had been certain of their in- 
 tereft in him. If he had not been their be- 
 loved^ they could not have made their hopes 
 of meeting him foon the fubjedl of their 
 prayers ; but every one could fay for himfelf, 
 *' My beloved is mine and I am his," and 
 knowing that they were his, and belonged 
 
 to 
 
( 368 ) 
 
 to him, knov/ing this from the work of 
 grace which was in them, from the abiding 
 witnefs of the Spirit, and from the long and 
 fweet communion which they had enjoyed 
 with their beloved Jefus, they therefore 
 prayed him to make hafle, to haften his 
 firft and fecond coming. And if this be 
 enthufiafm, it is not peculiar to this por- 
 tion of fcripture. It runs through the 
 whole volume as well as through the fong. 
 All the patriarchs, as well as Abrahajn^ de- 
 fired to fee Chrift's day. Mofes prayed ear- 
 neftly for it, and was honoured with the fight 
 of it, as Ahraha7n was ; God fhewed it to 
 them in a vifion, but he did not vouchfafe the 
 fame to many prophets and kings and righ- 
 teous men, although they earneftly defired 
 to fee it. The Pfalms and the prophetical 
 writings are full of petitions to Chrift, pray- 
 ing him to come to the falvation of his peo- 
 ple. And the New 'Tejlament abounds with 
 the like petitions. It is faid of believers that 
 they love their Lord's appearing — they love 
 it and make it the fubjed; of their prayers^ 
 becaufe they know it v/ill be an happy event 
 for them. Daily are they looking up to him, 
 and praying " thy kingdom come," and be- 
 feeching him in the words of our churchy 
 
 " ihortly 
 
( 369 ) 
 
 ** fhortly to accomplifh the number of his 
 " eled:, and to haften his kingdom." 
 
 Thus it is fo far from being enthufiafm to 
 love Chrift's appearing, that it is one of the 
 plain truths of fcripture, clearly taught and 
 ftrongly enforced in numerous paflages both 
 of the Old Tejlament and of the New; and it 
 is a dodtrine received by our church, and 
 made ufe of in her liturgy. And certainly, 
 my brethren, you will not oppofe a truth 
 confirmed by fo many proofs ? This would be 
 adling a very irrational part, and would be a 
 clear fign of your being under great guilt : 
 for it would prove you to be without the 
 leaft fenfe of that love which you oppofe* 
 If you had ever feen your want of that love, 
 had ever been feeking it, or had ever tailed 
 of it, you could not deny there is fuch a 
 thing as loving Chrift, becaufe he firft loved 
 you. This is a received truth in fcripture. 
 In the Song it is taken for granted through- 
 out, and in the New Tejlamefit it is exprefsly 
 aflerted. " We have known, fay fome, the 
 " love that God hath to us." And another 
 declares, " Jefus Chrift loved me, and gave 
 *' himfelf for me." • And we may ftill know 
 this by the very fame means," by which they 
 A a knew 
 
( 370 ) 
 
 knew It, vki. by the Holy Ghoft's fhedding 
 abroad the love of God in our hearts. Until 
 he ihed it abroad in your hearts you cannot 
 join the faithful in the text, and pray with 
 them for Chrift's coming, becaufe if you love 
 him not, how can you love his appearing? 
 You cannot call him your beloved, and there- 
 fore you have no intereft in him. Confider 
 and examine whether this be a dehrable 
 ftate to live in, and to die in. What is it 
 to be without Chrifl? Is it not to be aliens 
 from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and 
 ftrangers from the covenants of promife, 
 to have no hope, and to be without God 
 in the world? This is the fcripture account 
 of your dangerous condition. And does not 
 it alarm you? If it does, fly to Chrlft, and 
 he will give you to tafte of his par- 
 doning love. If it does not, may he fend 
 his good Spirit to convince you what it is 
 to be without Chrift, that you may feel the 
 mifery of it in time, and therefore may feek 
 to be happy with him in eternity. 
 
 If then the fame fpirit be in you, which 
 was in the faithful in the text, you will be 
 able to take up their words, and to ipeak 
 them with their faith. You will have llich 
 
 a clecir 
 
( 371 ) 
 
 a clear view of your intereft In the beloved 
 Jefus, that the thoughts of his coming foon 
 to judgment will be matter of joy and delight, 
 and this will furniih you with the befl com- 
 ment upon the Song. The experience of 
 Chrift's love makes it plain and eafy. For 
 he that has this love in his heart will not 
 be much at a lofs to underftand what is here 
 written of it. He is not like a novice, who 
 begins to learn the firft principles of fome 
 art^ or fcience, but he is a great proficient. 
 He has been taught of God, and has received 
 a practical and experimental knowledge of 
 the fubjeO: of this book. It treats of the 
 believers happinefs in being united to Chrift, 
 and he is united to Chrift, and finds him- 
 felf happy in that union: for he knows the 
 love which Chrift has to his foul, and he 
 has received many clear fcripture marks and 
 evidences of it. The Holy Spirit has ftied 
 abroad the love of Chrift in his heart, and 
 he loves Chrift, becaufe he knows Chrift 
 firft loved him. He loves God the Father, 
 who is now his reconciled father, and he 
 loves and delights to do his will. He loves 
 the Lord's-day, his ordinances, his people, 
 and in ftiort he loves every thing that God 
 loves. He has indeed in his heart that love 
 A a 2 of 
 
( 372 ) 
 
 of which this book treats, and his own ex* 
 perience daily opens and explains it fo clearly, 
 as if it had been written for his particular 
 ufe, and was a copy of God's dealings 
 with his foul. He finds that nearnefs to 
 God, which is here defcribed. He has 
 much fweet communion with him in prayer. 
 In time of temptation, or afflid:ion, he can 
 go boldly to the throne of grace; faith 
 gives him boldnefs and accefs with confi- 
 dence: for he is afliired that whatever he 
 a{ks in his Saviour's name he fhall receive. 
 When he hears or reads the word he can 
 mix faith with it, and he is enabled to 
 grov/ thereby. And when he goes to the 
 Lord's fupper, he finds that Chrift is ftill 
 prefent at his own table, and makes himfelf 
 known in breaking of bread. He finds a 
 nearnefs to Chrift, and enjoys fweet fell ow- 
 fliip with him in all the ordinances. He 
 lives in his prefence, is led by his Spirit, 
 and partakes of his comforts. In fliort he is 
 united to Chrift intimately an^ vitally, as a 
 member of the body is to the head, or as 
 the branches are to the vine, or as the bread 
 is to the eater, or as the building is to 
 the foundation; for under thefe and feveral 
 fuch-like images the fcripture defcribes the 
 
 union 
 
( 373 ) 
 
 union there is between Chrlft and the be- 
 liever. Our church fpeaking of it fays. 
 That believers are one w^ith Chrift, and 
 he with them, that they dwell in Chrift, 
 and Chrift in them. Surely then they that 
 are thus clofely united to Chrift will know 
 the moft of this book, and will be the 
 beft commentators upon it : for it is not 
 a fealed book to them. The fubjedt-matter is 
 to them plain and open. Daily experience 
 gives them clearer views of its fweetnefs and 
 fulnefs, and every ftep they advance in the 
 divine life affords them frcfti occafion to blefs 
 and praife God for this comfortable portion 
 of his holy word. 
 
 My brethren, if you are united to Chrift 
 in the bonds of love, you know that thefe 
 things are true ; but if you have not his 
 love in your heart, nor defire it, you are 
 not fit to read the Song : for you cannot 
 underftand it. A deaf man is as good a 
 judge of a fine piece of mufic, as you are 
 of a treatife upon that love, of which you 
 never had a tafte. The Song is a book 
 of experience, defcribing Chrift's love to 
 his people, and the happinefs they have in 
 the fenfe of his love ; but if you have no 
 
 fenfe 
 
( 374 ) 
 
 fenfe of It, how can you underftand what 
 is here written concerning it ? If you fhould 
 take it up and read it, having never had any 
 fellowfhip with the Father nor the Son by 
 the bond of the Spirit, it will appear to you 
 an unintelligible piece of jargon. The Eng-' 
 I'lfh tranflation would be as dark and myfte- 
 rious as the original Hebrew^ which you 
 do not underftand : for it is a fealed book, 
 until the Holy Spirit open its meaning ; 
 but all becomes plain and clear, when he 
 fheds abroad in the heart that love of which 
 it treats, and the more he gives you to tafte 
 of the love of Chrift, the plainer and fweeter 
 will the book grow in your efteem. 
 
 My chriitian friends and brethren, you 
 know thefe things to be true from your own 
 experience. You fet a great value upon this 
 fweet portion of fcripture, and dehre to fee 
 the depths and heights of it : they will open 
 more fully to your view, if you pray for 
 more love, and for nearer communion with 
 Chrift. And if any of you my brethren, 
 have been prevailed upon to feek for the 
 happy experience of Chrift's love, you are 
 ready to join your hearts with mine to pray 
 to him for a blelling on thefe difcourfes. 
 
 And 
 
{ 375 ) 
 
 And as to you who have not been flirred up 
 to feek, you ftand in great need of our 
 prayers, and we will offer them up for you. 
 May he that heareth prayer, hear and an~ 
 fwer. 
 
 We humbly befeech thee, O thou God of 
 love, to bring into the way of truth all thofe 
 who have erred and are deceived, concern- 
 ing this portion of thy divine word. Re- 
 move all their prejudices. Shew the natural 
 man, the ridiculer, and the unbeliever, that 
 they want the love of which it treats. Con- 
 vince them, bleffed Jefus, that thy love can 
 make them happy, and nothing elfe can. 
 Let them feel their guilt, and their dan- 
 ger, while the love of earthly and fenfual 
 hinders their feeking for thy fpiritual and 
 heavenly joys. And may thy good Spirit 
 flied abroad the love of God in the hearts of 
 all thofe who are feeking it, that they may 
 find this portion of fcripture verified in their 
 own fouls, and daily fulfilled in their own 
 experience. Oh that we may all know 
 more of the love of God, and tafte and fee 
 how gracious the Lord is. May we enjoy 
 that fellowfhip and commimion with the 
 Father, and his fon Jefus yhrifl, which will 
 
 explain 
 
 ,mimior 
 Airiil, 
 
( 376 ) 
 
 explain to our underftandings and apply to 
 Gur hearts all the comforts of this divine 
 treatife. So be it, Lord Jefus, to the praife 
 of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three 
 Perfons in one Jehovah, to v^hom the church 
 militant and triumphant gives equal honour, 
 and worfhip, and glory, now and for ever. 
 Amen and Amen. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 •at.^