SERMON XIII.—Revelation 14:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c.

SERMON XIII.—Revelation 14:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c.

SERMON XI - CANTICLES 2:14, 17

Christ and the Dove*

CANTICLES 2:14, 17.

IN the 14th verse, there is (1) a style given to the Kirk; (2) a suit made; (3) a doubt answered. In the 15th verse, a new doubt is answered, and a suit made.

He calls her "His dove." He rues nothing that He said; He bides by His word; He calls her "His love, His fair one, His undefiled." He avows it, He bides by it; you are even My dove: yet He is not flattering her. If ye be Christ's, He will give you all your styles of honour; He will speak much good of you, both behind your back and before your face.

She is termed Christ's dove:—First. Because the dove is a fearful bird, and soon scared. (Hosea 11:11.), "They shall tremble like a dove out of Assyria." Any thing, the smallest noise or din that can be, frights and chases these timorous birds in their dove-house, into Christ. It is an happy rain that chases Christ's doves in to Himself. For all the devil's wit, he is soon beguiled; the storm that arises against the ship where Christ and His disciples are makes them to awaken and pray.

Secondly. The dove is a mournful bird; so are the doves of Christ mourning, and in tears. (Ezek. 7:16.) "They that escape of them shall be on the mountains, like doves in the valleys, all of them mourning: every one of them for their iniquities." If ye be God's doves ye will have many a sorrowful day in the world. There are bloody wars betwixt the Kirk and the world. Keep the dove from the nest, and she mourns without; keep the Kirk from Christ, and she will break her heart.

Thirdly. She is not a revengeful bird; she has no other armour against the ravens and vultures, but her wings to flee away. God's children's best armour when they are wronged is, by faith in prayer to mount up to God. They must be like Christ. He went out of the world with many a wrong, and they are not yet revenged. His blood is keeping to the last court-day. Christ sits* with many a wrong in heaven; He has not gotten amends of those that spat in His face. Many a time the Kirk and her Husband, Christ, will be here wronged, albeit it be seen betwixt them. (Cant. 5), She shuts† Him to the door, and lets Him lodge all night in the rainy fields.

And then Fourthly, the Kirk is like a dove mourning without a marrow;‡ for that fowl cannot want a marrow. If ye be God's doves, woe will ye be when your marrow, Christ, flies away: she falls aswoon, and her heart flies out of her when Christ flies away.

Fifthly. The dove is an innocent, harmless bird; she cannot offend. So is the Kirk; the meek spouse of Christ will not marrow with a malicious house.

Sixthly. The dove is a silly, weak, tender fowl, and if they be compared to the rest of the birds, they are but counted the tenth of flying fowls. Surely God's Kirk in herself is but a weak bird and tender woman, compared in Rev. 12 to a woman with child lately delivered, and little betwixt her death and her life, if she be not carefully attended. A Christian is a tender thing; a jewel in the hand of Christ. If He let us fall we are soon broken in pieces. We should pray that Christ may handle us softly, and not let us be tempted above our strength. The Kirk is called (Micah 4:6) a cripple woman that goes only upon her one side. So surely we had need to come out of the wilderness leaning on our Beloved (Cant. 8:5).

Seventhly. And for their number they are but an handful (Isaiah 6:13). The tithe or remnant, God's part, is but the tenth, and the devil has all the stock; often God has one, and the devil nine; great need have we to labour to be of God's tenth.

"My dove that dwells in the holes of the rock."—We need not to go far off to seek the exposition of these words, for Christ is the rock upon which the Kirk is builded. (Matt. 16:18), "Upon this rock I will build My Church," says Christ. And (Psalm 18:2), "The Lord is my rock, and My fortress." And God is also "the secret place of the stairs," where the Kirk hides her from the storm. So David calls God his Secret Place, his Hiding Place (Psalm 32:7). Thou art a Secret Place to me from distress; Thou wilt preserve me (Psalm 91.) And because in all this song we must ever hold up the line and string of the allegory of marriage, and consider the Kirk as the spouse of Christ, the Rock is Christ; in whom the Kirk dwells by faith, and Christ dwells in her heart (Eph. 3:17). "Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15:4). Abide in Me, as branches imped* into the vine. Now the imp is ingrafted in a cutted stock; Christ was hagged,† hewed, and cut on the cross, the stock wherein we are ingrafted. So that the holes of the rock may well be exponed (as Bernard says) to be the wounds of Christ. So that the meaning is, O my dove, that by faith has thy abode in the wounds and the holes made in the hands and sides of crucified Jesus: or, O my dove, that believes, and that by faith has thy abode in the wounds, and abides in Christ as an imp ingrafted in a tree, in Christ, who died. And so, man, flee into Christ all wounded, and holed‡ for thy sin, flee into Christ, thy Rock; and so into God (Psalms 18:2). Hence we see what a Saviour the Kirk believes in; a Saviour that's God and man; as man to be a sufferer, and as God to be a supporter. There was great necessity of these two natures. God would not seek payment of our debt off His Son as God; for by the law He could not answer, for He was the creditor, and so could not be the debtor. And therefore, for the better understanding of this, I would have you with me to consider how our nature, and God's nature, work to other's hands in the work of our redemption. A sinner cannot dwell in Christ as God only. There is no hole nor chamber for a sinner to dwell in God; and therefore Christ behoved to be man, that we might find fair chambers in the wounds of Jesus, wherein the doves of Jesus might dwell. And if He had been only man, He could not have been an House upon a Rock, and so could not have borne the weight of all the doves. But there be some questions in the work of our redemption that only man can answer. Man has sinned, and man must die, says God's justice. Be it so, says Christ; Man sinned, and I, the Man, Christ, shall die. 2. Man took on the debt, therefore another cannot pay for him. Be it so, says Christ; I, the Man, shall pay the ransom. 3. Man behoved to make amends, because man did the fault. Let it be so, said Christ; I, the Man, Christ, shall make amends again.

Secondly. If Christ had not been our Rock, there had been no dwelling in Him, He would not have keeped wind and weather off us. Therefore, the Divine nature was a pillar on which the human nature did hang, and this is the cause why Christ-man leans to the Divine nature, as His warrant in all that He does. For if ye will consider in this work, there are three bargains, or covenants, so to speak.

a. God and man bargained together; ye shall believe, that's your part. I shall give you live eternal, that's My part, says God. Now man dare not promise this of himself without Christ's bond to relieve him, that is to enable him through His grace to believe.

b. God bargains with His Son (Isaiah 53:10), Son, if Thou shall lay down Thy life, Thou shall see Thy seed, and prolong Thy days, and have many fair children. (Psalm 2), Ye shall have the heathen to serve you. (Heb. 1), I will be Your Father, and Ye shall be My Son. Christ is content, but He cannot do this alone; He must borrow flesh and blood from man, and in it suffer.

c. The Man, Christ, bargains with the Divine nature. The human nature says, I love man, and I will die for him: the Divine nature says, now I shall hold Thee up under Thy sufferings, and Thou shall overcome death. The Man, Christ, without the backbond* (to speak so) durst not for ten thousand worlds have ventured to yoke* in the fields with the justice of God, and death, and hell, and sin, and the devil—except He had the Divine nature in a personal union to bear Him up under His sufferings. Therefore Christ, when He looks upon His sufferings, looks also upon His warrant. (Isaiah 50:6), "I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair." These be the words of the Man, Christ.

Now, it might have been said, A man will suffer all that his alone;† but here He looks to His warrant (verse 7) and says, I have My warrant with Me, "the Lord God will help Me, I shall not be confounded." I have God's warrant, who is united to Me in a personal union to bear Me up. Even sick-like‡ Christ goes down to the grave. (Psalm 16:10), "Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell (or the grave), neither wilt Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption." As if Christ would say; I am sure, O Lord, Thou will be as good as Thy word, and make good Thy bargain, and will warrant Me against death. See then how it goes; the Man, Christ, takes man by the hand to bring him out from under God's wrath. So, beloved, be glad in such a Saviour; come all into the Rock, for God, Christ, and man, all these three are linked together as in a chain, and Christ in the middle link of the chain. Now, let all the kings of the earth that boast of fair houses and stately palaces, come and see if they can compare with the dove that dwells in the holes of the Rock. Nebuchadnezzar said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built? Surely men are to be rebuked that are careful for houses and setthng in the world, and has no assurance of this lodging. Worldlings are but ravens that big* in the wild mountains. The Kirk is only at home bigging in faith. These be indeed dear chambers, being built by Christ Himself. God has made holes and windows in Christ that His doves may flee into, and make their nest in His heart. O dear and precious dwelling! the lodging cost us nothing, yet we are desired to dwell in it.

Now what is Christ's petition? "Cause Me to hear thy voice." Its ordinary for man to beg from God, for we be but His beggars; but it is a miracle to see God beg at man. Yet here is the Potter begging from the clay; the Saviour seeking from sinners! What is His suit? It must be some great thing; it is even a sight of His bride. He is even saying to her, My dear spouse, be kind to Me, let Me see thy face, be not blaite† and wavering; be plain with Me, your Husband, tell Me all your mind in prayer. I delight to hear your lisping and hisping, and speaking to Me in prayer. Ye may see all the wooing comes on Christ's side of it; she cannot hold up her face, or let one love-blink on Christ, but as He commands her, and wakens her up. She is a sour bride of herself: if she laugh, it is He that makes her rejoice by the Holy Spirit that is given to her (Romans 5:5). She keeps her chamber and is ashamed to go forth; He bids her be kind and shew her face. We cannot love Him till He first love us (1 John 4:19). We run because He draws us (Cant. 1:4). (John 6:44), We apprehend Christ, but we are first gripped of Him (Phil. 3:12). Beloved, there is great skill in wooing Christ, every bride has not the gate‡ of it, but He must teach us.

In all other matches ye will find two things that are not here. a. In other matches the bride makes some wooing of her own sort; but here men cannot move but as Christ's Spirit woos in us, and teaches us. b. In other contracts the bride and her friends are bound for their part, the bride has some tocher* of her own, or she may be an heretrix,† she may have all and he nothing. But here the bridegroom in this contract is obliged for all, He gives His name for Himself and His wife. (Ezek. 36:27), "I will put My Spirit in you, and cause you to walk in My judgments." Here the Kirk has no tocher of her own, and yet she has not the good manners to look up to her Lord, but as He commands and holds up her head: all the tocher is Christ's, and the inheritance is Christ's; the Kirk has nothing. He has the houses (John 14:2). He has the land (Rom. 8:17). He has the fine gold (Rev. 3:18), and buys the spouse the clothes of the religion that came in with her Saviour, Christ, and that is the best religion in the world; for it gives most to God and least to man. I will tell you who are meet for Christ, even those that are out of themselves, and lays all upon Christ. The best scholars that Christ gets are publicans and sinners, harlots, blind, lame, cripples, and such like, and such as feel themselves sinners. Look, how much you trust in yourselves, and rest upon the world, and love your lusts, as far ye are from Christ. And when ye are all out of yourselves and changed into God's image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18), then ye are meet for Christ, begging poor sinners are our Lord's scholars. The lintel-stone of our Lord's school-door is a low stone, ye must stoop low and lout.‡ Ye will be on your knees with it or ye§ can win in; ye must be very humble, else that stone will take your head and ding you back, and ye will not win in. Then be fools that Christ may be your wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30). There is as much merit in Christ as will buy a thousand heavens. Now if our wooer; Christ, were not kind, and sought our kindness (even words of us), and brought love-tokens, the friendship betwixt Christ and us would soon wear out of date, and grow cold. Christ aye blows at the coal ere it wear out: Christ would win a friend, yea a foe, to be kind to Him. He is aye threaping* and claiming kindness of us, as if He were the beggar and the poor man, and we the king. O, He claims kindness to us: then surely we need not think shame of our Friend. Would ye ken for whom Christ died, and prayed? even for dyvours, such as swore themselves bare,† and came out of prison upon caution, or a cessio bonorum.‡ Poor men that have been upon the dyvours-stone, and are far from payment by the dyvour bill, when there is not a finger in all your hand fastened upon yourself, then ye are meet for Christ. For who are better met and yoked than a poor, sick, dying man and a skilful physician; who is better yoked than a crying, begging sinner, and a rich Christ? But oh it is oftimes not so! for Christ would give us more nor§ we will receive. He scatters His gold; we proud beggars will not bow our back, and lout down and gather. He would fain sell, we will not buy; so there will be no blocking.

Let Me see thy countenance.—An allusion to Israel, that was to present themselves before the Lord thrice a year in the tabernacle; the meaning is, Walk before Me. It is not enough that thou believe, and so dwell by faith in the holes of the Rock; but thou must also shew thy faith by good works and prayers, and worshipping of God. Christ loves not professors that never wan* to love to pray, and such as hate not the world. But you will see they are believers by their holy living (Matt. 13:23). The word of God is seed sown that brings forth thirty, sixty, and an hundred fold. Ilk† boll brings out thirty; ilk sermon, ilk Communion should bring out an hundred good works. Beloved, God's land is set at an high price; He is a Master that will have all His own from His tenants; and as the Song says (chap. 4:2), Every one of God's sheep brings out twins. There is a ground that drinks in rain from heaven, and yet brings forth briers and thorns, it is near a curse. Bring forth fruit, or else ye will make God say, My curse and God's malison be upon thy heart, thou hearest much, and bringest forth no fruit. Therefore beware; a tree that once gets a dadd‡ with God's axe, it will never do well again. Ye shall become like the girdle (Jer. 13:17) which the prophet did hide at the river Euphrates; it was profitable for nothing, it was marred, it shall never go about God's waste again. Beware, then, that ye be not blasted professors and fruitless Christians; but be ye always in His sight. For there be some that come never in God's sight, they are God's dyvours: they are aughting§ so much that they dare not come to God, and compt|| and pay—outlaws and borderers that come not, or keep not Christ's kingdom, but run like wild asses and dromedaries up and down the mountains, and snuff up the wind at their pleasure. I compare their life to those that ride post. Many a horse has Satan in his stable; and when these outlaws have wearied in their greediness after sin, and have gotten they know not what, they mount upon a fresh horse, some upon pride! and if they ride once out of God's sight, they run till they be in hell in the end: for the devil is upon the horse and the rider. God seeks dear, and for His money ye must give Him more than ten in the hundred: for five talents, He must have ten again; He must have double stock. Look what grace ye receive by weight; render to Him His own in weight and more: if His gold want an ounce, He will cast it to you again: for one boll's sowing ye must give Him thirty again. God would have His servants aye keeping His chamber; if they go their own length from Him, He misses them. Ye must not be God's chamber pages, and steal out of His presence, and give the devil a baggage-yoking.* Nay, He must aye see your face, and hear your voice. There be many that would serve God, and be in Christ's school; but they are like souls that take the play, and run to play, sometimes with the world, and the devil, and love to sport themselves with the world and the devil. But God's scholars may not take the play.

"Let Me see thy face."—The Kirk might have said, Dear Lord, my face! Oh dost Thou desire to see my face, it is very black, I am sun-burnt, sin hath made me deformed; and for my voice it is both harsh and mistuned. What then says Christ? I think not so, My dear spouse; I think it is a fair face. I think ye have a sweet voice. It is great comfort for God's children when they rise many times off their knees from prayer with a woe heart,† thinking, because they have no heart, nor feeling, nor sense, that God is offended with their prayers, and thinks little of their works; when as their prayers, and tears, and works are accepted before God. Ye think nothing of one tear, yet God puts it in His bottle; and nothing of one sigh, but God gathers it in His treasure. If God thought of us as the world does, and as we think of ourselves, oftentimes woeful would our case be; but God has not a pleasanter sight in the world than the face of a child of God. No music delights Him more nor the sighs and tears, complaints and prayers of His children. See ye not the Spirit of God bringing in Christ, longing for a sight of His wife, longing for a word of her (Prov. 8:31). Christ rejoiceth, and sports, and plays in the habitable parts of the earth, and His delight is with the sons of men. Ye will see more of this upon the last words of this Song.

"Take us the foxes."—Its a speech of Christ to the Kirk, to take, convince, censure, rebuke, cut off, and excommunicate all inordinate livers and offenders in the Lord's vineyard (Ezek. 13:4). O Israel, thy prophets are like foxes in the deserts (Jer. 12:10). Many pastors have corrupted My vineyard. O what can there be upon the earth to make a Kirk happy, but it is here. To hear a Kirk sick of love for Christ, and hear Christ sick of love for His Kirk: Christ's left hand is under her head, and His right hand doth embrace her: she is His fair one, His love, His dove, His undefiled. She dwells in the wounds of her Lord by faith. Yet for all this, His Kirk is a vineyard that has many foxes in it to destroy the vines; so that we see, so long as God hath a vineyard there will be foxes in it to destroy the vines; that is, crafty men, false teachers, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ (2 Cor. 1:13). Paul planted a Church in Ephesus (Acts 20:28), yet after his departure, grievous wolves entered in, not sparing the flock. Surely in this life marches are not redd betwixt God and the devil; the devil files the score* and comes over the march upon God's bounds (Matt. 13) God sows His wheat, and the devil steals up the rigg, and with hot fur† he sows his tares (1 Kings 22) In Achab's court there is never an honest man. Till he be tried, the false knave and truth are door neighbours. (1 Kings 22), In Achab's court there is an honest man that tells the king the truth; but there are four hundred false knaves that say against him, and, poor man, he must to prison, and they get leave to keep the court. For the thief is ever the honest man till he be tried; the false knave and the truth are door neighbours, and almost twins born at one time; howbeit truth be eldest and first-born. Isaiah complains (chapter 56:2) of dumb dogs that could never have enough. In Jeremiah 10, He complains of many pastors that corrupted the vineyard. Ezekiel complains of foxes. Zachariah (11) of idol shepherds. Hymenœus and Philetus spoke against Paul. The Sadducees in Christ's days denied the resurrection. And not only are there false teachers in our days, but in the best kirks were, and are many foxes; for all is not fish that comes in the net. And if ye be God's sheep, ye must not think to want foxes to nibble, and to work under the earth to destroy you. Ye may not look‡ that Christ is Master of the fields without blood. Ye will not be long in prosperity in the world. There be a number of foolish people wonders that God brings such a good Husband that should not hold out the foxes from His own vineyard. They would have a Christ of gold, and a Kirk of velvet, or of fair white paper. They think Christ's bride should be clad in purple and scarlet, as the whore of Rome is, or does wear.

I will show you how Christ and His Kirk meet. When the bridegroom wooed His Kirk, many a black stroke got He both of God and man. He was the Vine, God and man strake at Him with axes! He bought her dear; it cost Him blood ere He got her. And think ye she has fair weather when she woos Him? Nay, many a cuff* gets she from the world; this fox and that fox pulls the skin off her. She is hardly handled in this wooing, there be strokes on both sides: for fain would the devil have the contract cancelled, and the marriage going back. And let me speak to you that are God's young vine; make you for it,† the foxes of the world will peel the bark off you. If there be grace in you, they will do what they can to eat it up in the bud. Hold your hands about the grace of God, be not robbed; if ye give them their will, they would pull the skin off your face.

Ye see Christ hath gotten out letters of caption,‡ against all His foxes. Here is a commission obtained in Christ's court, that all that hurts Christ's vineyard should be apprehended and laid fast! but alas! the commissioners, the pastors, the judges, over-see§ them. But here a comfort for you, who are the Lord's vines, that are troubled with foxes. I assure you, that the Kirk has law against all her enemies. Be not casten down, because the world hates you; twenty-six hundred years syne, Christ hath given out a decreet against all His enemies, and yours, to take them. Here ye have assurance; your enemies are rebels, and all of them under caption. (Psalms 110:6), "He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall wound the head over them, even in many countries." Ye that complain of your predominant sins, and think ye are hardened with them (for these also be foxes that do harm the Lord's vineyard), fight against them, for Christ has given out a decreet against those that they shall be taken.

"My beloved is mine."—These be the words of the contract of marriage; for there is a covenant betwixt Christ and His Kirk (Ezekiel 36:26), "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." But here there is a doubt to be answered by these words: it would seem Christ and His Kirk are two different parties in the contract, Christ upon the one side, and the Kirk upon the other. Is not Christ upon the Kirk's side, and obliges for His wife? I answer; Christ, having two natures, has two contrary considerations. He is one party, and we another; and so He promises to us life eternal, and we promise by His grace to believe.

Christ is considered as Mediator, God and man, and so He is upon our side; for the promise is made to Him and His; and He, as principal contractor, binds for us, and we are His assignees. So Jesus skips betwixt both the sides, because He is a friend to both. But it is certain these very words proves Him to be on our side of the covenant, because our Beloved is ours, and we are His; He is our Mediator, and Cautioner bound for us. The very words of the covenant are spoken to Christ (Psalm 89:27), "I will make Him My first-born, higher than the kings of the earth:" and He said (verse 26), "He shall cry to Me, Thou art My Father, My God, and the Rock of My salvation; My mercy will I keep for Him for evermore, and My covenant shall stand fast with Him." The enemies of grace would have Christ a God folding His fingers, and a looker-on, and beholding fair play. Liars! He is more than half play-Master! The devil will not get His name out of the contract; and, beloved, see ye not but it is a sweet thing to have anything to do with Christ. His chaff is better than other men's corn; if ye have any fastening* with Christ, the cause is won. Now hold you by Christ. It is a shame for Him that ye fall out of the covenant, because He is a Cautioner. As ye know, it is a shame for a nobleman that his poor friend be cast in prison for the debt that he is obliged to pay. Christ is now obliged that He fulfil the covenant, and make good both your part, and his part. Boast not of yourselves, or of your own strength; be not proud of yourselves, but ye shall have full liberty to boast yourself of Christ. Crack† enough of Christ; be proud of Christ's merits, ye cannot err there. The debt of faith and obedience that we are aughting‡ to God now (to speak so), is not our debt but Christ's, and He is Cautioner for us. It were a shame that a poor friend should be imprisoned for his chief's debt, especially since He is a rich man and able to pay.

Now let us consider the mutual interest Christ and the Kirk has every one of another; "He is mine, and I am His;" He is my Husband, and I am His wife; He is my head, and I am His body: He is my King, and I am His people; He is my rich Cautioner, and I am His dyvour. Let us see what claim Christ has in the Kirk, and what claim the Kirk has in Christ. Now, to hold§ upon the comparison of this song betwixt a husband and a wife. The husband and the wife have no sundry* goods; if he be a king, she is a queen; if he have a fair inheritance, it is hers also, as long as she lives; if they live ever together, it is ever hers. Then when she says, He is mine, I am His, Christ is mine, and I am His, and all His, His flesh and His blood; His death and merits; His glory; His kingdom; His court and credit, and all is mine; and all mine is His, my soul and body, my sins, my trouble, my cross, they are all His. Christ and she are (to speak so) carded through other. (John 15), "Abide in Me, and I in you." Cursed be he that says not amen to that. (John 17:21), "That they also may be one, as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; I in them, and they in Me." But we will labour to reduce them, the particulars to a certain number. There be these things common to us betwixt Christ and us.

1. There is a sibness† of nature betwixt Christ and us. There be pawns given and received betwixt both sides. He has a pawn of ours, our flesh, and He took that pawn with Him to heaven, and He is never minded to give it again. But we have as good a pawn of Him, His Spirit. We were of that flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14). Let us keep Christ's pawn, as long as He keeps ours; let Him not be to the fore‡ with us. Now He keeps our pawn for ever; He will never lay down our flesh; we are never minded to lose the pawn, let Him keep it for ever; long may He keep it. Let us keep His Spirit; for it is not His will to loose that pawn; let Him keep it for ever (Heb. 4:2). Christ would also be a bairn and partaker of flesh and blood. Would to God ye would all strive to get His pawn, and to keep it well; seek His Spirit, and keep it well. Worldly men, ye have little claim to Jesus; God help you, there is no borrowing nor lending betwixt you and Christ.

2. There is community. We got all His good, and He gets all our ill, that's a good coss* for us. He took our curses, we took His blessings; He our shame, we His glory; He our sins, we His righteousness: He is the Kirk's, and the Kirk is Christ's. That day God laid upon Christ, we were shifted out from under God's wrath; and God struck the Kirk's Head, to let the members go free. When Christ was in blocking† to buy His Kirk, He knew the faults in the wares; He kend well enough that curse of God, and wrath of God, and hell, and sin, and many ills followed the Kirk. Yet Christ would not rue in time; He said freely, I will take her, and all the ills that follow her, howbeit she be blind, lame, yea, a cursed bride; yet I will make her My wife. Would to God we could take Christ and all the faults that follow Him. There be men that will not coss with Christ; but will keep their will, their lust. God was about to strike us, and had lifted (to speak so) His wand to bring a stroke of His wrath upon us; and Christ came in, and held His hand, and laid down Himself, and bade His Father lay upon Him. Ye never saw such a suiter as Christ; He prays us to coss for the better. He cries to you for God's sake give Me your dross, and ye shall get My gold; give Me your sins, and I give you My righteousness. Is it not an hard matter? Men will not give their ill to Christ, and transfer and give over their sins to Christ. He says to you, Give Me your lust that I may crucify it, and I will give you love for it: give Me your anger, and I will give you My zeal for it. Then make a coss and take Him at His word, ilk day be making new blocks* with Christ. Deny your folly, and give it to Him to crucify; and seek ye His wisdom, you must do this ever, till all nature be away and done, and nothing in you but grace.

3. There is a community of gifts and graces betwixt Christ and us. Not a grace we get from God, but it comes through Christ's hands to us; so that Christ keeps the pawns betwixt God and us. God gives grace to His Kirk, but where is it? It is in Jesus. Grace is laid in pledge in the hands of Jesus, and it was made a running over fountain. For as we see in a race, the wage,† or the garland, is not in the hand of the runners, but some friends keeps the stakes‡ for both: so Christ keeps the wage for the Father and us. Christ indeed is the Fountain (John 1:14), "We beheld His glory, as the glory of the only begotten Son." Some friend keeps the stakes§ for both. There the Well is running over, but for what end? (verse 16), "That out of His fulness we might all receive, even grace for grace." So God gave us life eternal. But who has this life in pledge? Even Jesus Christ. (1 John 5:11), "And this is the witness that God hath given us, even eternal life; and this life is in His Son." Lord, send us part of this consigned grace. Again, ye send not up a sigh to God, but first it must be laid down in the hand of Him that keeps the pawns (Rev. 8:2).

(By the way I shall give the use, with every article of the doctrine.) Try thy light, try thy grace, try thy honour, and credit, riches, and all the blessings that ye have; the silver and the gold, whether these blessings be impawned* in Christ's hand or† ye get them. If ye get them not in Christ, they are unchristened blessings, and they want the fashion.‡ Woe be to these blessings that came never through Christ's holy hands. Again, try your prayers, sighs, and desires, and your service, if ye offer them to God in Christ. Many unchristened prayers go to heaven that are never welcomed of God. Ye must take your communion out of God's hand; at the nearest, out of Christ's hands. There should be nothing done betwixt God and us, but Christ should be at it.

4. There is a community of sufferings betwixt Christ and us. Poor would we be, if His sufferings were not ours; woe would be our case if His sufferings were not ours. But this way it goes; He is that apple tree excellent above all the trees of the forest, and we do rest under the tree. Now when the shower of rain falls, it lights first on the tree, and the stroke of it is broken, and it does not great harm to those that are under the tree. Each new shot at the Kirk, lights first on the head of Christ, and He breaks the point of the arrow. If ye be ill spoken of, so was He; if ye be hated of the world, so was He; if your blood be shed, and your face deformed, so was His fair face deformed and marred (Isaiah 52:14). Be content to drink with Christ. Woe be to them that are not in Christ, and yet are in trouble: the arrow with the sharp point comes upon them, and goes to their heart, and slays them. Try if your troubles be christened troubles, that light first upon Christ, the Head, and then upon you as the members. Try if by faith ye have an union with Him. Now here by the way is a great comfort in trouble: those that are dear to you die, and ye mourn: Christ mourned and groaned in spirit for dead Lazarus: ye weep, so He weeped. Are ye poor and aye at the borrowing? so was Christ at the borrowing trade all His days; should ye not then with good-will drink off the cup that He drank off before you. When ye murmur, and will not drink willingly, ye refuse to pledge Christ: but ye must pledge Him, and drink with God's blessing, and with joy; He will not poison you. They are none of Christ's friends that will not pledge Him (Matt. 20:21).

5. There is a community of glory betwixt Christ and us. The heaven that the Mediator, Christ, enjoys, is our heaven; our heaven is to the Man Christ in a conquest: heaven was bought with blood to Him and us. And to make you rejoice, none of God's children gets a heaven properly of their own; why? We got a share and part of Christ's inheritance, He is the principal heir (Rom. 8:5). We are the conjunct heirs. Sweet is that word which He speaks to His children. (Luke 22:29), "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me, that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, sitting on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The meaning is, My Father hath made a disposition* to Me of the kingdom of God. It is Mine; and, My dear children, I will think heaven uncouth† if ye be not with Me. Here I make a disposition and resignation of that kingdom to you; ye shall sit at My table in My kingdom. Up your heart! howbeit ye be not lords in earth ye shall be lords in heaven; I and ye shall part kingdoms and thrones together.

Rejoice in this, ye that are in Christ, and see your condition, ye and Christ are halfers* together of heaven and glory. O† if God's children be in a sweet case. As long as Christ is in heaven and keeps the inheritance, as long shall we keep our right; and who can cause Him flit?‡ The devil hath made the enemies of the grace of God to misken§ all our communion with Christ. They have put Christ and the elect together as a man in an inn for a night, and to go away to-morrow. They have yoked Christ and us together as if He were one and we another; as if He were His own, and we were our own; as if Christ had no law and right to us, and we had no law and right to Christ, but met at a venture, and sundered at a venture; as if we had one heaven, and He had another; as if He had His portion by Himself alone, and that He keeps for ever; and that we had our share by our alone,|| to sell when we pleased, so as if we dispone heaven, we dispone not Christ's heaven. Nay; in the fighting, He fights all the battles His alone; We but look on: but when it comes to the dividing of the spoil, we get a rich share of the spoil. Yea, He gave the whole sum for the inheritance, and we nothing; yet we are set at His elbow in a throne with Him. Now seeing our rights are good, slip not from them: do not as some unworthy heir, who having a good right, slips from it for a feckless composition after drink, and quits all, howbeit he should beg. Indeed the wicked do this. The devil drinks them blankful,¶ and fills them with worldly pleasures, and garrs** them subscribe a resignation, and gives them an unworthy composition, some present pleasure. Compone not with the devil to go the law with him; let Christ be your advocate, subscribe not a submission with the devil, come never in trysting* terms with him. Hold you aback from the world, and the lusts of it; it is the devil's arles that he gives to silly drunken heirs. When they cry hills and mountains fall on us, they would fain give back the arles, and rue; but it is out of time.

"And I am His."—This property of the covenant is mutual. As she says and acknowledges that He is hers, and so Christ is bound to her by His promise: so she acknowledges that she is bound to Him, and is His by right. Multitudes of the world would play fast and loose with Him: they would have Christ fast, and themselves loose. They devise a covenant of their own, and say, Christ died for all, and God is merciful to all, and God will relieve all Christian souls from hell; and they think God and Christ fast enough to them, but in the meantime they are loose, and live like dogs and swine in their filthiness. These men would have Christ as a child in making of the covenant, and exceeding silly. Should Christ give Himself for you, and will ye neither give life nor goods for Him? Christ came to save you (Matt. 20:28), and will ye be His master? Are ye not obliged to serve Him? This is to make a Gospel of your own: too many obey the Gospel as long as it flatters them. As long as it tells them Christ's part, and that He shed His blood, and came to save sinners freely: that is the best chapter in all the Bible! But when the Gospel begins to tell them what is their part, and that they must deny themselves, crucify their lusts, and take up Christ's heavy cross, they start back. These are tender-footed Christians that walk in the law and in the Gospel, so long as they go softly on it as a bed of roses, and hurt not their feet: but when a thorn of the command touches them, they stand aback. Ye may not have God's law, and take as much of it as serves you. As Christ gave Himself to be yours, and has subscribed the contract; so give yourselves to Him, and subscribe your part of the contract to be His, as He is yours. Take therefore the law and this sweet Saviour both together, bind yourselves to Him to be His, as He is bound to be yours.

"He feedeth among the lilies."—To prove that Christ doth esteem her as His kirk and flock, His wife, His beloved; she says, He feeds her amongst the lilies. That is, the pure and uncorrupted word of God. Or, the lilies are the fruits of the Spirit, opposed to stinking roots, and bitter roots that grow in the Kirk, when judgment is like hemlock, or wormwood. Or, the lilies are the saints of God, that are lilies amongst thorns. However it be, it is certain the Lord feeds His Kirk with as much spiritual food as holds in their life in the way to heaven, till their day of marriage come (Rom. 8:23). We receive here the first fruits. When a man has shorn a stouk* of his corn-field, that puts him in assurance of the whole crop. God would have Israel to taste of the vine grapes of Canaan, to assure them they should get the land itself (2 Cor. 1:22), God hath sealed us and given us the earnest of His Spirit in our hearts.

Here be two words. 1. God does with His children in this life as a merchant does with his wares he has bought; because he cannot transport them presently, he puts a "seal" or mark upon them, and then it may be sold to no other body. His children strike hands, He writes His name, and His arms, the image of God in their soul; and then when the devil comes through the market to buy (for he offers aye money in hand, pleasure, lusts, honours), ye have an answer to give him. Tell him, your soul is sealed already; you have blocked* with an honest Merchant, Christ; and He has put His mark upon you that ye may not sell; and it were a pity to beguile Him. And, therefore, bid that deceiving loon† go seek his market in another place; ye are not his merchant. The devil will promise them as fair as God: he will not prig‡ with them: he will not care to promise much more than heaven. "Ye shall be like God!" but he pays not so well as God doth. Agree not with him: block not with him.

2. There is another sweet word used; that God gives to His children, "the earnest" of His Spirit in this life; He gives them arles, faith, hope, joy. These be like six or seven shillings to warrant that ye shall get the principal. Beloved, God has blocked§ with you, and given you arles. He would therefore that the bargain hold. Will ye then take God's arles, and block with the devil? By God's arles ye have assurance of this, God will come and loose His arles; rue not of the block, never any man had cause to rue the block with Jesus Christ. There is another word used (John 16) Christ is going to heaven to leave His disciples; He promised to come again to them to see them: how sorry were they to want Him, and blythe|| were they of that word that He said, He will come again. Therefore, in sign and token that He would come again, He promised them a pawn; that was His Holy Spirit. Ye know Christ and we are contracted in this life; we will be married again at the day He comes to judge the world. Now all the wooing time, there goes love tokens betwixt them, and missive letters. Tell me when ye got a letter last from Christ? There will be messengers going betwixt you. This same word is a messenger; the Sacraments are love tokens that our Wooer has left to assure us that He is contracted with us. I pray you take no gifts from the devil; away with ill conquests;* away with lusts, and the love of the world. I hope ye are not minded to marry with sin; if ye do, ye are ashamed then for all your days. Ye are come off God's house, and are His image. Fy, it is a shame to hear tell of it, to marry with a base slave, the devil. I allow† you here to be wise and prudent in your marriage; marry not for gear,‡ keep yourself to be a good match. There be a sort of indifferent men, that ye call harmless men. They have neither good nor ill, they love not falsehood; they love not Popery, and yet they will not burn for the truth; they are like blank paper as it is thought, neither God nor the devil has blocked with them. But has God given you no arles, nor no pawn? Satan will get you. But do this first, hold yourself with Christ, and then ye have an answer to give other lovers, the world and the devil. Ye may laugh and say, ye are too long in coming; I have promised myself away to another husband, and therefore I cannot have you also; for I will not have two husbands (1 Cor. 6:19). The Apostle takes a reason to prove that the body should not be given to an harlot; it is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Set the house of your soul to God, and then for shame ye cannot win off Him to cause Him flit. "Ye are bought with a price." Married folk have not many wooers: the devil is busy to seek them that are virgins, and love not Christ to be their Husband.

"Till the day dawn;" that is, the marriage day; and in Hebrew called, The Day for excellency. To say the truth, it is a day! And called The Day of Christ, The Day of redemption (Eph. 4:29, 2 Tim. 1:12). It is called the day for these causes. It is the day when Christ is perfect in His members. Now Christ's body is mangled, arms, and legs, and hands, in sundry places; some not born, some born, but in the devil's service; some rotten in the earth, and casten in the sea. Christ is bleeding in His members; there is many a wound in the mystical body of Christ this day. All will be gathered; in that day He gets His bride, He enters in peaceable possession of her.

That day Christ shall give in His accompts, and all His Father's generally. He shall render an accompt of all that He took by the hand, and shall put up His sword, and never draw it again. And as the Chief Shepherd, He shall make an accompt of all His lambs, and tell His Father, these be all My silly sheep; they have win away with their life. I went through woods, and waters, and briers, and thorns, to gather them in, and My feet was pricked, and My hands and My side pierced, ere I could get a grip of them; but now here they are. Good cause shall the Lord have to clap Christ's head that day. And judge ye if ye will have a blyth heart, to hear Christ and His Father to compt* together, when ye shall be all standing under the broad scarlet robe of Christ's righteousness, and as many glorified angels looking on.

And every soldier that day shall shew his wounds to his Lord, saying, Lord, I have lost this and this for Thee! And God shall clap our head, and take us benn* to His chamber of presence, all glorious tapestry there! (Psalm 45:14). The Lord make you ready for that day.

"And the shadows flee away," or mist. This life is all but a night, because of the ignorance and darkness of our mind. We see but the portrait of the kingdom in the glass of the Word and sacraments. Then when that day dawns, we shall see Him face to face. So long as the night is, we do nothing but by the use of candle; when the sun rises, the candle is blown out, lest we should burn day-light. The Gospel is God's candle to let us see the way to heaven; but when it is day-light, and Christ lighted to us from heaven, then shall come light and heat from Him, clear light and knowledge that shall endure for ever. Our soul here is like an house in the night, when doors and windows are closed. In that day the doors and windows shall be cast† up, that the sun may shine for ever upon us. We shall not need to seek communions; the Lamb of God shall be present with you for evermore. (Rev. 21), "I saw no temple there, for the Lord God Almighty is their light." We get but here the parings of God's bread, and a four hours'‡ drink, a slight afternoon's meal, to speak so. There the board shall be covered, and the great loaf set upon it, and all shall eat, and all be welcome, and the table shall never be drawn. Ye shall have your fill of Christ. Ye shall drink, and drink at the well's head, the cup of salvation for evermore.

It is night here, because we know not what we are. Marches are not redd* betwixt God and Satan here. We are but silly bodies here, earthen vessels often in trouble (1 Cor. 1), and yet King's sons (1 John 3:2), "Behold, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He doth appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." A friend from a foe cannot be known in the night: care not what the world think of you, it is night, they cannot well see you.

It is night, because of great trouble which besets us (Luke 3:1, 2). Let us be content with an hard bed; the morn will be a good day. And think ye what a comfort it will be to you, when God puts up His own holy hands to your face, and to your watery eyes, and shall dry them with the napkin of His consolation. Through this short night, lie still in peace, and sleep by faith in God. Be content to lie down in your grave for a night or two; for your Husband, Christ, shall be at your bed-side soon in the morning.

"Turn, My beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether."—As (Psalm 71:21), Thou did turn about and comfort me. Turn about and come to me, as swiftly as a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. The mountains of division or separation, were Mount Gilead, severed or parted from the rest of the land of Judea by the river of Jordan; in the which mountains, there was pleasant haunting.† Here, she desires His presence, either in the last judgment, or in His incarnation, or by the comfort of His Holy Spirit; and prays that as roes and harts are not hindered any whit by any craigs or down-falls of the rocks to descend and meet one with another: so Christ would be kind to His love, and count mountains as valleys, and let no craigie-way* hinder the Lord Jesus to come. She can never get her fill of Christ; she is so browden† on Christ, that she ever would be at a union with Him, where is kissing (verse 7); in the place where He dwells (chap. 23) under His shadow, in His cellar. We cannot be far enough on in going to Christ: we can never be near hand enough Him.‡ Cry ye to Him, Come! for He crys to you, Come; and then ye will meet. Ill§ gate will not hinder our Bridegroom to come, He cares not for a shower of rain, or a dark night. He loups|| over hills to be at His Kirk. Give ye Him a meeting. Amen.

Sermon XII.—Christ's Love and Loveliness

IT is Christ's will that His bairns get their fill and that they grow. Christ never had an hungry house, nor His Father before Him. There is bread and drink in His Father's house: eat and drink: much good may it do you, for ye get it with Christ's good-will, and with His heartsome blessing. Now in the strength of it work a good work to Christ, your Master. He gives His servants meat and drink with a good house in a new city.

Who is this that hath His garments dipped in blood, yea, in red blood? Know ye Him, beloved? But He kens you full well. Come near Him, and stand not afar off. Christ says not, "Look by† Me," but, "Look on Me, Whom you have pierced with your sins." Ye must not turn your shoulder to Him, but set your face toward Him. Love your new Husband well, and let all the old go and play themselves. Rent‡ your contract, that was betwixt you and your hearts' lusts; and now Christ says, you shall have a better life than ever you had in your old husband's time. Provide much plenishing§ against the time ye and He take up house in heaven together. Christ is dressing all the chambers and the hall for you up in your Father's house. Make away as fast as ye can. Take home your writs with you: Christ hath subscribed them. Take home the King's pardon with you, written with your Lord's own heart-blood, and the King's great seal at it: and stamp upon the seal Christ's arms, even the slain Son of God, hanging upon the Cross, subscribing a large dispensation to you.

Now remember before witnesses ye are His. Have ye not reason to think that Christ is heartsome in His own house? He has made His wife a great feast to-day. Lie not down to sleep after your meat. Christ has fed you to run a race, even a race to heaven. Awake therefore! In the Word and Sacraments Christ now takes you into the chariot with Himself, and draws your hearts after Him. Be Satan's and the world's footmen no longer, for it is a wearisome life. But ride with Christ in His chariot, for it is all paved with love. The bottom of it is the love of slain Christ: ye must sit there upon love. Love is a soft cushion: but the devil and the world make you sweat at the sore work of sin, and run upon your own feet too. But it is better to be Christ's horsemen and ride, than to be Satan's trogged* footmen, and to travel upon clay. Christ says, He has washen you to-day; sin no more. Keep yourselves clean, go not to Satan's sooty houses; but take you to your Husband, The Fairest among ten thousand, that your lovely Husband may make your robes clean in the blood of the Lamb. Ye are going into a clean heaven and an undefiled city; take not filthy clayey hands, and clatty† feet with you. What say ye of your new Husband? Please‡ ye your new Husband well? May not His servants say in His name that ye are heartily welcome to Him? And may they not say in your name that He is heartily welcome to you? A plain answer? Ye cannot well want an half-marrow;* no soul liveth well a single life. Now, seeing ye must marry, marry Christ. Ye will never get a better Husband. Take Him, and His Father's blessing. Be holy, and get a good name, and Christ will not want you. It is many a day since ye were invited to this banquet, why should you bide from it? Ye are come not uncalled. Christ both sitteth and eateth with you, and standeth and serveth you. Christ both said the grace, and blessed the meat, and says it to-day, and prays, "My Father's blessing be on the banquet." Your Father cries, "Divorce, divorce all other lovers; go and agree with Christ, your Cautioner,† and purchase a discharge if ye can." It is better holding than drawing; better to say, "Here He is," than, "Here He was;" and, "Slippery-fingered‡ I held Him, and would not let Him go." Rive§ all His clothes, and He will not be angry at you. In death, He held a strait grip of you. Hell, devils, the wrath of God, the curse of the law, could not all loose His grips of you. Christ got a claught|| of you in the water, and He brought all with Him. Look up by faith to Christ. Ye could never have been set up by angels. May not Christ say, The law took such a cleek¶ of Me, and drew Me here amongst thieves, for your cause? And was not that strong love, that humble Christ cared not what they did to Him, so being He might get you?

In that night wherein our Lord was betrayed, He ordained the Supper for you upon His death-bed. He made His Testament, and left it in legacy to you. In death He had more mind of you, His wife, than He had of Himself. In the garden, on the cross, in the grave, His silly lost sheep was aye in His mind. Love has a brave memory, and cannot forget. He has graven you upon the palms of His hands; and when He looks to His hands and says, "My sheep I cannot forget. Yea, in my death, My Sister, My Spouse, was aye in my mind. She took my night's sleep from Me, that night I was sweating in the garden for her."

When Christ was dead, and sleeping on the cross, and His side broken with a spear, until blood and water came out, the Lord was forming a wife for the second Adam, your Husband. In death He was doing and working what no wedded man could do, even blessing and embracing His beloved. Come near, and kiss dead Jesus. O but slain Christ has a sweet smell, even when He is dead! What think ye of the smell of His love? What think ye of itself? What of these feet, that went up and down the world to seek His Father's lost sheep, pierced with nails? He that healed the diseases of the lame and the blind, He is now blind Himself. The eyes that were oft lift up to heaven unto God in prayer, wearied with tears? His head pierced with thorns? The face that is fairer than the sun, the dearest beloved, is now all maimed with blood, and the hair pulled out of His cheeks! Could love be painted then? Christ was pained, and Christ panted on the cross; so pained mercy and justice set* God in His loveliness towards man. Who comes with outstretched arms to meet and embrace Him? When Christ was black and blae† upon the cross, and pale with death, He was then fairest and pleasantest; God, the Father, was reconciled, and looked sweetly upon slain Christ. And then mercy and peace were proclaimed to all believing sinners. The law and justice gloomed* still, until Christ's life was put forth; and now they smile upon believers, and say, "Come into heaven, pulled open by Christ's holy arm from the cross, when it was shut by the strong iron bar that held to† the door of heaven, until He hurt His arm, and took it by." And now Christ says, "Be not afraid, come away." But ye will say, "We are weak, we dow‡ not put up§ Christ's door." "Well then," says Christ, "I am strong enough for you; and now seeing it is already open, get up quickly, and enter into it, and there abide." Ye are Christ's brethren and sisters. When ye were under hell and condemnation, He pleaded the law for you. It was no bought plea|| to His hand that Christ snappered¶ on when He fought with your enemies. Christ is "flesh of your flesh, and bone of your bone." He tired Himself in paying the law, and in getting the inheritance for you; and, God be thanked, He won the plea, but it was great charges to Him. Take to you now free purchased redemption, your Brother's new forgiveness of sins, peace, joy, and a kingdom. And more, take Him to be your Lord, and much good may you have of your new Master, Jesus Christ.

Of all wonders that ever were read in a printed book this is the first: Christ made an exchange; Christ would coss** lives with you, and make a niffer.‡ He never beguiled you, for He took shame, and gave you glory. He took the curse, and gave you the blessing, He took death, and gave you life. The fairest Candle that ever was lighted is blown out. The Head of the Church is dead, and the Lord of Life is laid down in the grave! No wonder that the sun, that did shew* part of his labours, be shut down; because the great Sun of Righteousness was shut down in the grave, and a stone laid above Him. Good right have ye to Christ, accept of His niffer, and change with Him, and take His best blessing and purchased redemption.

What a sight is our Lord Jesus going out of the gates of Jerusalem, and His cross upon His back! He went like to fall under it, He was so weak in body and weary in soul, when He went to the top of Mount Calvary. And all the time He saw black death before Him, and a curse. He was even then bearing God's curse upon His back, and that was heavier than the cross. Look on Him, and follow Him, He will not bid you lend Him a lift.† Give Him obedience, and give Him love, for it is better to Him than if you had been crucified for Him. Look upon Him, and look for Him. "Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Christ this day lets you see all the footsteps in your way to heaven. In His death and blood He made a new way to heaven. He went in an hard way Himself, through God's curse, and painful sufferings. He bids you not follow Him that way, but believe in Him, and love one another. And stick fast by Christ. The old gate‡ ye dought§ never have gone; but Christ's market-gate is a sweet and easy way. If ye will bear Christ's yoke, and so love Him, ye and He will come in each others' hands together to heaven. And ye will be the welcomer that He is with you—"A little while," says Christ, "and I will come again." Take you here Christ's flesh in token that He will come again to you, and marry you to Himself for ever. Your new Husband hath said, within a little while He will come again and see you; and see that ye keep yourselves for Him; abide in Him. Christ says to you, "My dearest ones, weary not, fight on, I shall be at you your fray-hour.* Be true to Me, as I was aye true to you."

Indeed, when our salvation was in Christ's hand, it was between the tyning† and winning. But our Lord Jesus played us not a slip, He was aye to be lippened‡ in. What think ye of Christ? Is not He fair, and lovely? Has not His wife good cause to say, "He is altogether lovely?" (Cant. 5:16). His breast is all made of love. If ye had but Him once in your arms, ye would thrust Him into your heart; yea, and beyond it, if it could be gotten done. Christ took a hearty grip of you upon the cross; He let you not slip out of His fingers again.

"Many waters cannot quench love."—Christ was the Lamb, roasted with fire for you. He suffered hot fire for you. He got a toast and a heat that made Him sweat blood, but yet His soul was not burnt away with love. Oh! Christ would fain have you; are ye not burning with love to be at Him? Dow ye§ find in your hearts to want Him? Oh! thrice sweet death—to die of love for Him that died of love for you! Christ in the garden, on the cross, in the grave, under the pursuing of His Father's wrath and anger, speired|| aye for His beloved, His Kirk. He sought you in all these places, and He sought aye till He found you. He would not want His errand for the seeking. He went triumphing and rejoicing, and His wife in His hand. Christ rueth* nothing that He has done for you. He thinks it all well wared.†

Christ loves you better than His life, for He gave away His life to get your love. He spared neither cost nor expense. Christ, who was without sin, gave Himself a ransom for you, sinners. His Father laid a cross on Him. He bought you with His Father's curse! Was not that a dear wife to Him? Then let Christ be dear to you. Pilate scourged Christ, and brought Him forth to the people, to see if they would rue‡ on Him when they saw His bloody shoulders. They might have said, "Poor Man, thou art ill enough handled else, for aught that thou hast done!" But these hell's hounds would have His heart's blood, and His life, or nothing. And your Husband said, "Amen," to it, for the love He did bear to you, and for all that God had done to Him—"Be it so, Amen, Father."

What a sight was innocent and harmless Jesus when He stood before the Governor, and had not one word to say! They laid thieves' bands on our Saviour's hands, that had never stolen, that had never shed blood. Bands bound His hands, but love, mercy, and grace bound His tender heart with stronger bands and cords, to loose us out of the bands of sin. He cried in the Spirit, "Father, bind Me, and loose them; slay Me, and save them. All their ill be upon Me." So be it, dear Jesus!

Christ cried with a loud voice in death, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit." Then our Lord died; because it was His will. Death could not bind Him, but love to His wife bound Him. Love is stronger than death; nay, love was as strong as Christ. The law was weak now, for Christ satisfied it; and now it has no power over you. Ye are in Christ; and He is a better Master than the law. Change not with any Master again. Follow Him all the way to heaven. Christ's new love got a wissil* in His blessed manhood.

How do ye since ye married Christ last? Tell your mind of Christ. Let faith speak, let love speak of slain Christ Jesus; of His kissing you. Ye are now at Christ's pierced side; get heaven and mercy when Christ has the cross on His back.

Was not Christ's love-tocher† good enough. O! what is sewed‡ and covered up in Christ's love! Come, and press His love, and get heaven and glory out of it. Live on His love, and you are wholly fed. Lie on His love, and that is a sweet bed. Ride on His love, and it shall carry you through hell and death, and every evil way. That which Christ has dear bought, He will not want. Ye are sold over to a Lord that will not want you, but will have you. Make no merchandise with any other. He rues not: why should ye rue?

Mount Calvary, since God laid the first stone of it, did never bear such a weight as when the Lord of Glory was hanging upon a tree there—O! it was made a fair tree when such an Apple grew on it! It was a green orchard! It was our summer, but death's winter! Darkness was in all Judea when our Lord suffered. And why? Because the Candle that lighted the sun and the moon was blown out. The God-head was eclipsed; and the world's eye was put out. He took away the sun with Him, as it were, to another world, when He that was the world's sun was put out. When He went out of the earth, the sun would not stay behind Him. Sun, what ails thee? "I have not will to shine when my Lord is going to another world." As if the sun had said to Jesus, "Lord, if Thou be going to another world, take me with You." The dead come out of the grave to welcome Christ's death. Life itself was coming to the grave, and therefore the graves opened, the dead lived; the bairns sprang and started in their mother's belly. Why? Because the Lord of Life was coming to the grave. The dead wondered, to see Life coming down among them. He went before-hand, to sponge* death and corruption for you.

Jesus cried with a loud voice, with such a shout as never before went to heaven. The Son, crying to the Father, shouting with tears and strong cries, "Father, Father, God's mercy!" O what a cry would all believers have made in hell, if Christ had not cried. Ye had been always crying. But O what a fray† was there! God weeping, God sobbing under the water! Never was there such a fray in heaven, and earth, either before, or shall be after. Angels might have quaked, if they be capable of such passion. They might have said, "Alas! What ails our dear Lord and Master to cry so hideously?" Christ worried‡ on a piece of tree! He who takes up the isles of the sea as a little thing; yea, He who can take up heaven and earth with a touch of His little finger! He who can weigh the mountains in a balance! O what a set§ was it to Christ's back and His fillets!* No wonder; there was more than a tree upon His back. The curse of the law of God was above the tree; and that was heavier than ten thousand mountains of iron. Ah! A wonder His back brake not in twa, and all His bones were not crushed with it!

Christ cries, "I thirst."

"I thirst."—No wonder; there was a fire in His soul. Such a furnace, that would have dried up the sea, and all the waters of it. Cast a coal of God's wrath in the midst of the sea, and it would soon suck it all up if there were as much water as might lie betwixt the bottom of the sea, and the heaven of heavens: between the east point of heaven, and the west point of heaven. The pure unmixed wrath of God would drink it all dry in a moment. All the wells in the earth set to Christ's mouth could not have quenched His thirst. A drink of His Father's well was that which cooled His burnt and dried soul. Christ cried, "My soul is heavy unto death. Sorrow is like to kill Me! Fear and horror is like to break My heart!" "What, dear Lord Jesus, art Thou ruing the voyage? Wouldst Thou cast Thy bargain?" "No, no, but it is a bargain of sorrow to Me. It's a sad cup." O! I see an ugly sight! I see the Lord covered with wrath! I see a fire, greater than if you put all the fires in hell in one! And the Lord has made Me, poor Me, greeting,† weak Me, His contrary party.‡ The Lord is running upon Me like a giant. My martyrs and My servants sing and rejoice at the gibbet and fire; but I weep, I lie sad and dreary, mine alone§—Why? Because My Lord is away.

O wells! O lochs! O running streams! Where were you all when my Lord could not get a drink? Oh fie on all Jerusalem! For there was wine enough in Jerusalem, and yet their King, Jesus, is burnt like a keel-stick.* O wells, what ails you at your Lord Jesus? The wells and lochs answer, "Alas! We dare not know Him; the Lord hath laid a fence† upon us; we are arrested;‡ we dare not serve our Master." Is there any cooling in all Judea? Or is there any room? Yea, there are tables full of vomit; but our Lord was forced to take a good-night of the creature, with a nay-say.§ Oh! to hear the wells say, "We will give Herod and Pilate a drink, but we will give Christ none." Yea, give me leave to say there is none on earth brewen for Christ; nothing but a drink of gall and vinegar! The wells say, "We will give oxen and horses drink; but never a drop for the Lord of glory." For all His service done at Jerusalem; for all His good preaching; for all His glorious miracles—not so much as a drop of cold water! Fie on you, famous Jerusalem! Is your stipend this? Is this your reward to your great High Priest? No, not so much as the beggar's courtesy, a drink of cold water, to your dear Redeemer, Jesus! But by this, Christ has bought drink for all believers.

Jesus "gave up the ghost."

O Life! wouldst thou bear that blessed Body no longer company? O Life of Life! wouldst thou be death's taken prisoner? Oh! to see that blessed Head fall to the one side! Oh! to see Life wanting life! To see Life lying dead! To see that blessed mouth silent! To see that fair corpse rolled in linen, and laid in a tomb! Oh! to see sweet Jesus, that blessed Body in Joseph's arms! Come hither, come hither, believers, and see a sight that ye never saw the like of! Oh, what would the disciples say, but that, "We are beguiled men! We thought that He should have restored the kingdom to Israel; and now He is gone away; and now He is dead, that raised Lazarus from the grave." Oh, angels would think "Our Master is dead." Meikle* scant of life in the world (might one say), before He should have died for want! The whole guard about Christ might say, "Oh what evil hath He done?" O sun! why wouldest not thou lend Him light? He never angered thee, but gave thee light! O floods, O rivers, O running streams! what has thus angered you at your Creator, that ye would not send your Lord a drink? O bread! why art thou gall to Him? O drink! why to Him vinegar? O worldly pomp and glory, what ails you at Him—that He is so ashamed? O Life, where goest thou? Why leavest thou the Lord of Life! O joys! why would ye not cheer Him? O disciples, why left ye Him, and forsook Him? O Father, what ails Thee at Thy dear and only Son? O what evil way went these feet, that they are pierced? What evil have these hands done that they are pierced? O what evil, and what vanity did these eyes behold, that death has closed them? O what sin hath that fair face done, that it is spitted on? O what did these hands steal, that they are bound? O what evil has that blessed Head done, that it is crowned with thorns?

SERMON XIII* —Revelation 19:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

The Lamb's Marriage

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready," &c.—Revelation 19:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

THIS text has three parts. 1. The Kirk's triumph under the Antichrist's persecution, in the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses. 2. John's fall in worshipping the Angel. 3. A new revelation, wherein Christ and His members are seen triumphing, which contains a glorious description of Christ. I take not this absolutely to be the victory and triumph of the kirk triumphant in heaven, but it is the joy of the kirk on earth, groaning and longing for the marriage day.

In the 7th verse is contained an exhortation to be glad and rejoice," with thanksgiving and two reasons of it, "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready." Here is a question in the entry: Is there not a time to rejoice, and a time to mourn? It is not rather a time for the church to mourn and be sad (chap. 12) The Kirk, the poor woman with child, hard at the down-lying (travailing), and has not an hour's reckoning, is chased by the dragon to the wilderness. But in chap. 14, a judgment is denounced; chap. 16, the arrows of God's wrath are going through all the earth, a great din and hurlie-burlie in the Kirk. But in chap. 19:7, the Kirk is brought in singing and rejoicing. Hence let the world turn upside down, and come as it will, the saints will get a life of it. They are God's birds that sing in the winter, for the time is come. Isaiah 54:1. "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing," &c. And yet they are captives and banished people in the meantime. Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O Jerusalem, shout, behold thy king cometh," and yet they had not a king at all, but were "in the pit where was no water;" they were in bondage. So in Isaiah 40:1, when the people were under the water, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says the Lord. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem." When the day is fair, and the spirit flows, and the wind is in the west, we can all then sing and rejoice, and believe. If God would each hour of the day come, and take His children on His knees, and lay their head in His bosom, saying, "Weep not, hold your tongue," we could all then sing and rejoice, and believe. But we must make a window in our prison, and look out and see daylight, and the Bridegroom coming, and rejoice beforehand. We are like fools and spilt* bairns, taking offence at our Lord, and, like Jacob,† will not be comforted. Our Lord cannot get us drawn to the house of wine to take a cup of consolation. But we must learn to sing when God bids us. If the winter night were never so dark, believers must aye rejoice. Therefore rejoice, my dearly beloved, for we will get day about‡ yet when the marriage day is come. Luke 6:23, "Rejoice for that day," and leap for joy every day, (verse 25), even when they hate you and separate you from their company. "When these things shall come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for the day of your redemption draweth near" (Luke 21:28). They were casting down their heads; but faith must rejoice in the hope of an out-get.*

"Let us give honour to Him."—Joy should not want praise. Alas! we rejoice in ourselves and not in God. It is a bastard joy that is enjoyed without praise, Psalm 33:1, 2, "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; praise the Lord with harp." In 1 Thess. 5:16, the apostle couples these together, "Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in all things give thanks." It is double music in heaven that wants† praising of Him who sits on the throne. Our Lord gets often deaf nuts from us in our spiritual joy. We take joy as a breakfast to cheer up our foolish sense, and sit down upon our joy, and whine as we do. So we wrong our Lord when our joy bringeth not forth thanksgiving. It is not enough to rejoice that ye hope to get a kiss of Christ in ordinances, except ye come to this, to give Him a sacrifice of praise. We often draw our joy home to ourselves, and make Christ a babe to play ourselves with, and feed our foolish sense. Were we thankful, and did refer all our sense to praising, we would not get so many hungry meals.

But what is the matter? Wherefore are we bidden rejoice and be glad? The Kirk speaks her words with a warrant, "Know ye no better nor so? Have we not good cause to rejoice? Is not the Lamb's marriage come?" Then nothing more feeds the soul of the godly with delight than this, that the marriage day is come, and is at hand. It is something worth indeed, that the poor widow, the Kirk, has married so rich a husband; "for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24). Ye need not fear scant,* nor that Christ will scale† house.

"The marriage is come."—It is not simply the glorified in heaven, but the time when God will make good all His promises to His Kirk in Christ. Say ye, was not this marriage of the Lamb before? Yea, was not Christ His Kirk's husband, and her well-beloved from the beginning? Answer. In God's purpose, He was from eternity the King, Lord, and Husband of His Kirk; but for the going out of the marriage, we are to know that the Kirk was suited‡ and wooed long before the marriage. Christ takes not His wife at the first blink, as Samson fell in love with his wife. But He married with advisement so to speak. He and His Kirk are thrice lawfully proclaimed in the preached gospel; there are meetings and communings about the heads of the contract, wherein Christ tells of His own excellencies, and the worth of His Father's glory, and what mansions are above. As long as the first husband lives (the law our first husband) Christ does not marry (Rom. 7:1). If ye and the world be hand-fastened§ together, that marriage must be divorced, or else He will not look on that side of the house that ye are in. Before it came to this, "Even so I take her," Christ made three journies to His wife: 1. When He came in the flesh He wooed sinners and offered Himself to the world. 2. After His Ascension to heaven He comes another journey, by His Spirit, in His ministers who preach the gospel. So Paul betrothed to a new husband.* 3. He will come again at the last day, and complete the marriage. I suspect a hasty marriage to be a sudden vengeance; men and women fly to Christ, and flock to ordinances, to eat and drink with Him, or† ever He woo them. Many come to take Christ, and have another husband at home, the world and your lusts. That is foul play: you must be single, or else ye cannot marry Him. I will ask at all of you that are come here this day, if your husband, the world, be dead? Try if your lusts be dead, and sin mortified; otherwise look for no match with Christ. If the world and you are as great‡ as ever you were, I shall not believe that Christ and you are in the way of marriage. They that are married to Christ have been cast down, wintered and summered, burnt and scalded, and can tell you what God's anger is, and what a strange put§ the love of Christ has to make. Loathe at sin and all other things.

"His wife hath made herself ready."—How makes the Kirk, the Lamb's wife, herself ready? In Col. 1:12, it is said, "Giving of thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Doth not God here readily answer both as true? God draws and we run; for God and we meet not against our will, as Simon carried Christ's cross; nor as Balaam's ass spake that knew not what he spake; nor as the lilies grow and labour not, and yet are better clothed than Solomon was. Our Lord has our heart in His hand, as man's way is with wax before the fire,* to wring and work it as he pleaseth, and to set the stamp on the man's heart. He puts on the stamp as the wax receiveth it; a stone would not receive it. The man blows the trumpet, but all the sound comes from the man's breath. The ship sails; the pilot fills not the sails, but it is the wind that fills the sails. Our Lord begins and works upon the will and the heart, and changes it, and lets us see the excellency of our new husband and lord. And when we "make ourselves ready," we follow on to the smell of His garments. If God draw and ye stand still, if God blow upon you, and strive and work and cast you down, and ye are as hard as a rock or a stone under His hand, you have not "made yourselves ready;" so ye are not at all married to Christ. O, my dearly beloved, make some preparation, less or more, for Him. Ye must be changed and manswear† your old Adam, and forget your father's house, cast off your ilk-day‡ garment and get a wedding garment. And think not that Christ and your old ragged garments, your lusts, will agree together.

Many on the other hand, hearing that there must be a preparation for the marriage, and that they must not come to Christ in their sin and guilt, and not knowing that He is angry, especially after a great outcast,§ will stand far off from Christ and not seek after Him, because not prepared. "The Lamb's Wife doth make herself ready."—But I have not made myself ready; (say ye) nay, I know not but if I go in my guilt, I shall be put away in His anger. And there ye stick, like a ship, on the sand-bed of fears and doubtings, lest God be angry; and not a foot can ye win nearer to Christ.

What, then, shall unprepared souls do under these doubtings, especially under challenges for unrepented of sins that anger Christ? I shall labour to answer what troubles such and hinders their humble setting to,* and coming away. 1. They are troubled about Christ's nature. 2. About their warrant to come unprepared. And 3. They are troubled with Satan and the Law of God. "As for Christ" (say they) "it is a needless errand; I will not amend myself, such an unprepared soul as I am." Answer. Go forward till† locked doors hold you again. You can have no less than you have; it is but that much lost travel. Say ye, "It is a needless errand; I will not mind myself." Answer. The sluggard tells aye his answer before he goes his errand. The knavish servant's excuse is aye, when he is sent an errand, "There is a lion in the way." What if ye find an open door, and Christ coming out to meet you mid-way? Christ played as merciful a sport to the forlorn son. "Ay, but I see fire and sword when I come to the door, how shall I go in?" Answer. What if it be a false glass wherein ye see? When sinners would be at Christ, He never holds out fire and sword to chase them away: that is but Satan's fire and sword that fears you. I love that (warrant) yet the better that the devil opposes it; but I say, though Christ gloom‡ on you, as on the woman of Canaan, yet go forward; they are sweet coals that burn a soul flightering* to be at Christ. That fire will never be your death. When want of preparation holds a man from Christ, it is of the devil. Men take Christ to be proud, when it is themselves; they are proud and will not go to Christ till they can give Him a meeting, and buy mercy. Nay, you are to go without money; that is a better market. O! think ye shame to be in Christ's common?†

2nd. Oh, says the soul, "I want a warrant; it is presumption to go to Christ with such a backful of guilt as I have." Answer. I say it is both pride and presumption to bide away. I hope you will not trust in yourselves or your own strength; you are doing so, or else you would not complain of your being unprepared as ye do. Lean but to Christ, and then complain not, but presume your fill on Him, providing you think yourself unworthy of Him. It is not presumption to take a grip of Christ's naked sword, though it should cut your hand. "Oh," says the soul, "you have not told me of a warrant to rush in unprepared to an angry Christ." Would ye have a warrant? there it is; the beggars warrant is as good as I would wish. His warrant and testimonial to a beggar is a lame leg, a cripple hand, a hungry belly, a bare back, that is good reason and cause for him. So I say, have ye a hungering and longing desire after Him? Or know ye that ye are unprepared, that is, a cripple both of legs and arms? That is a notable warrant to go to Christ. "Oh, but," says the soul, "I have not a promise, I have not the Covenant to take with me, and for want of faith I have lost the promise." Answer. The Covenant is twice written, God has a copy, the principal is in His hand and mind, and ye have a copy in your heart. If ye have lost your double,* what then? Says Christ, My copy is to the fore.† The Covenant stability is to the fore, it stands; not in this that ye shall evermore‡ believe; there is no such covenant as that, yourselves have made that covenant and not Christ. Let me see such a covenant as this, that all that doubt and say, they are unprepared for Christ should bide away, and never come to Christ, till they be prepared to come, and are ready as the Lamb's wife is for her marriage. Yet, says the soul, "the warrant is not sure. It is hell and utter darkness to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb without a wedding garment (Matt. 22:12), and so unprepared as I am." Answer. That man cared not how he came; he took no care of a wedding garment; he had not so much as a hungering for Christ, which is the beggar's warrant, as you have heard. But let us reason thus; if that ye grant ye are unprepared, and that ye want much that ye should have, ye think it is death to go to Christ? I say, it is death to bide away, and the greatest death of the two. A man chased by his enemies on death and life has but two ways to flee to; either to the fire or to the water. If he be wise he will take himself to the water, and not to the fire, where he may swim; the water may cast him out. The water is the little death, fire is the meikle death. To abide still in sin, and never to come to Christ is fire; choose it not. To come to Christ with a hungering heart is the little death. There is hope of mercy in dying in the presuming hand upon the point of Christ's sword. When ye come to Christ, it is life if ye long for Him.

3rd. When the devil and the law challenge you, then show Christ's blood; that is, God's great seal, against the which, to speak so, is treason. If they say ye believe not, answer ye them; despair not.

Verse 8.—"To her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen."—Wherefrom comes this preparation? It is God's free gift in Christ; all is on Christ's charges and expenses. The fine linen is Christ's righteousness imputed to saints, a web of Christ's own making. It cost Him dear or ever it came on our backs; velvets, silks, king's parliament robes, clothes of gold, are nothing in comparison to this web, woven out of Christ's own bowels and heart-blood. We are unworthy of Him; all that we can do or say here is with a borrowed tongue. When we say, "Even so I take Him," it was with a borrowed hand; for faith is not ours, it is the gift of God, to put on the fine linen. All this says that we are unworthy of Christ; if ye were worthy, slain Christ would not be your husband. Christ is a Saviour and Redeemer from head to foot, all made up of free grace, giving His blood, merits, and righteousness to His Kirk for stark nought. Men shape a sort of a Christ of their own making; not Christ but an idol; a Christ that will not ken* a man, except he get a meeting of holiness and righteousness in him, that is a Christ of your own making; but the true Christ that God gave unto the world will either marry with a beggar or none. It is His honour to match with "captives and prisoners" (Isa. 61:1); "the sick that need the physician" (Matt. 9:12); "sinners that are lost" (Luke 19:10); "the poor, the maimed, the halt and blind" (14:21); "the beggars and dyvers* of the world;" "the weary laden" (Matt. 11:28); "the thirsty, and those that have no money" (Isa. 55:1); "the wretched, blind, poor, and miserable, and naked" (Rev. 3:17); "the silly, halting, cripple kirk" (Micah 4:7).

"The fine linen white and clean, the righteousness of saints."—These are the properties of the linen which is Christ's righteousness, His perfect obedience, and sufferings. It is not gross and round spun; there is not a spot in it. I. Christ gave as much to God as He desired. The law cries, "With all the heart, soul, and strength." Christ answers, Psalm 40:8, "I delight to do Thy will, O God! Thy law is within My heart." Christ gives God lucky† heaped measure; not a penny that sinners took from God, but Christ restored a pound for it again. Nay, I say, if man had never sinned, God would never have given such a market.‡ Our righteousness would aye have been but MAN'S righteousness, which is gross and rund-spun§ in comparison of this. II. As for Christ's sufferings there was not a crack|| in them. Christ stood still; He never winked or minted¶ to take away His head; He did never jouk,** or lout,‡ to miss a cuff.‡ He would not ware§§ a stroke off Himself. Isaiah 50:6, "I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair." Our dear Redeemer was like no others. Few lose a cause with their will. But Christ was content that a decreet went against Him, and that the law should seize on Him. He purposed to pay, and not miscount; He took the strokes till God said it was enough, "it is finished." So His righteousness will do our turn, being clean, white, and fine. Then, when ye have put on this clean fine linen, keep it clean and white; spark* no dirt on Christ's righteousness. "Be ye as holy as He is holy." We are all ready to file† our new clothes after we have put them on. Ezekiel must have a watchword, Ezekiel 2:8, "Son of man, be not rebellious like the rebellious house." Isaiah 8:11, "The Lord instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people." When we have put on this fine linen, temptations (the devil's dogs) are hounded out against us, to rive‡ our clothes. This world is a smoky room, a filthy house. What are malice, pride, love to the world, security, and avarice, but the devil's smoky walls, that we should keep ourselves from.

Verse 9, "He saith to me, write, Blessed are they that are called."—That which is written by God is sure, a concluded thing. The saint's happiness is not, He said it, and shiegled.‡ God has booked§ your heaven and your happiness, if you be called to the Lamb's marriage-supper. As the wicked man's hell is booked and written of God, and sealed up among his treasures, so vengeance is laid up for him (Deut. 32:34). Be glad and rejoice, O believers, your salvation is past through the great seal; this testament is confirmed with Christ's blood. Say ye, "The testament is written, but my name is not there?" Answer. Neither Abraham's nor David's names are in it, yet it is sure enough. A father leaves his inheritance to be divided equally among his sons; ilk* one has no more ado† but to prove that he is a son; then he falls to his part of the inheritance. We err oftentimes in our applying either promises or threatenings. You make a question of God's part, "if Christ died for you, and loved you." Make aye sure your own part, and take no fear of God's part. If ye ask for whom Christ died, I answer; "for all that lean to Him, be who they will." Take ay‡ to you, till Christ say, I died not for you. A cord is cast down in a hollow pit to draw up you and a hundred more nor§ you. If ye dispute, "Is the cord cast down for me?" I will tell you how ye shall answer that doubt, grip and hold fast by it for your life, and out of question then it was cast down for you. If ye take the offer, question not His good will; step in; Christ's good will will not ask to whom pertain ye? And if He ask, say ye, "I am Thine." If He deny it, be ye humble and bide|| it. Cain's and Judas' names are not written in the sixth command. "But they have no due right to His promises." Yea,¶ they have to His threatenings against murderers. If ye ask if Christ died for you? He answers you with another question, Would ye die for Him? Or are ye dying for love to Him? that answers your question. Sinners are like a number of men swimming in the sea betwixt life and death. Christ and His merits are like a strong boat and a man holding out both his arms drawing them in one by one, saying, "Give me your hand;" and so he presses them in.

Verse 9, "Blessed are they that are called."—Then all that hear His word are blessed. We are sent out to call you, and to cry, "Our Master, the King's son, is to be married, come to the feast, and bring all your best clothes with you." But there are many called, who are not called. That calling in the Proverbs 1:24, is not here meant, "I called and ye refused;" nor that in Matt. 20:19, "Many are called but few are chosen." There is a difference between the inward calling and the outward calling. First. In the person; none are called but the Bridegroom's friends, who are come of Christ's own house, and are native of kin to Him; strangers and bastards to the house get but a word. Different from this is that calling that is to the saints; a calling by their names, as when God called Abraham who said, "Here am I." The friends of the Bridegroom hear a voice upon their hearts, as if God had called them by their names; the rest are called, but they obey not the King. They hear a voice sounding in the air as afar off speak to a man of inheritance in Spain; he hears and hears not. The reprobate hear of God's calling as if ye were speaking to him of playing at the football, or some trifle. But speak to a man of his own inheritance, and how he shall be lord of all things; O, that goes near his heart. Secondly. The inward calling goes foot for foot with the decree of election. "Whom He did predestinate, them He also called" (Rom. 8:30). The inward calling is more than a word; it is a word with an arrow shot at the heart, or struck on the soul, but it must yield to Christ and be led captive at His will. "Other sheep I have, them also I must bring in" (John 10:16). I must have them, cost what it will. If they be unwilling, they shall be made willing. Indeed, the wicked run away with one of Christ's arrows sticking in them, as a wild beast with a dart; (but if it is shot with Christ's full strength, it goes to the bone); it but draws blood, and makes a hole in the skin. The arrow falls out and the wound closes again. But it is the Mediator's arrow John speaks of in John 10:28. O, says the man,* there is a grip called the Mediator's grip. "I, when I am lifted up to the Cross, will draw all men after Me" (John 12:32). No man can resist Him if he once get a blow of Him, and a wound in his soul with one of Christ's arrows. So Paul was not called to His supper till he was blind, and had fasted three days. So this in Zech. 12:10, "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced, and shall mourn as one that mourneth for his only son." These that are called to the marriage supper are "blessed" for ever. To be called to the marriage is to be promised away and spoken for in marriage; and when the contract is subscribed and the woman gives her oath, hand, and promise, to her husband—when she is hand-fastened† before God to him—she cannot with honesty enter into marriage with another man. By the law, the last‡ testament is of force. So, when we have given our names to our husband Christ, it is not honesty to fall in love again with other lovers; to marry two is vile falsehood. Are ye content that Christ get your first love, and to go with Him before§ another? All that are called to the marriage should be chaste, and think of that look of their husband Christ, who got the first promise of them. He has a tongue that is sweeter than all tongues. An honest merchant, who made the first black* and stroke with you, will not beguile you for a penny more. And, when all is done, the devil and the world cannot over-bid† our Lord Jesus Christ. Can they bid more than heart? or Christ? or God? Yet many, after they have given away their hand to Christ in covenant, the world ravishes them ere ever Christ can come to claim them again.

"The Lamb's Wife hath made herself ready."—It is not said that, "The Lamb made Himself ready." There is no stop‡ of the marriage on Christ's side of it. It is long since He died and rose again, and entered into His glory. But the wife is wild,§ sweer, and slow to the draught. The reason why the last marriage-day is deferred is because God will have none of His own to be lost, or perish (2 Peter 3:9). Long for the marriage-day. Cry, "Come, Lord Jesus." Ye would be at heaven; but your lusts are not yet subdued. Get the body of sin, and the world, crucified, and the wedding-garment ready; for on Christ's side there is no stop, the lodgings are taken. Ye bid Him come quickly; He may bid you go fast; for He runs, and ye creep at leisure. Ye come out of the world, as Lot came out of Sodom, sweerly.|| Put every day some of your journey over, that you and He may meet. But ye stand still and sleep; ye are like a drunkard that says, "We are over long here, in the ale-house," yet sits still and drinks on. It were not telling¶ us that the marriage came when we seek it; there is a great part of the wedding-garment yet still unready.

"The Marriage-Supper of the Lamb."—Gospel promises and mercies are called a marriage-supper. God calls not brass gold. He calls blessedness in Christ, a supper and a marriage-supper, wherein are all pleasures that can delight hearing and tasting, music, and good cheer. It is a supper after which meek men get rest, and the night's sleep; for the saints have many a hungry dinner in this world. Pleasures are the husks that the swine feed on, the devil's draff.*Hebrews 11:25, "The pleasures of sin for a season." They have much toil and labour the long summer day, but here is their blessedness, they know of a hearty meal of meat at night, and rest in the bosom of their well-beloved Christ. After this supper there is no such toil and trouble as is after dinner. Men have no rest, but are weary and laden till Christ and they meet; they are aye under Satan's yoke till Christ loose them. Habakkuk 2:13, "Behold it is not of the Lord of hosts that people should labour in the fire, and weary themselves with very vanity," and Jeremiah 2:20, "Of old I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands asunder." God's people were in Satan's yoke, and under abominable slavery in Egypt, till supper came, when they got some rest and sleep. Satan has men yoked in a plough, and profit, pleasure, and honour, are his iron pricking goads. Balaam hears of gold and honour, Judas of money, and they go sweating up the furrows. So God's children are yoked till God loose and ease them, and call them to His supper; and then they rest from their long summer day's toil. Ye marvel to see the wicked get so good cheer, and to wallow in pleasures; ye startle at providence here when ye see the godly in trouble. But the reprobates are not called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Wonder not that God gives a greedy dog a bone; and so indeed is the world to them. Let them get the belly full of it; they shall for all that "lie down in sorrow" (Isaiah 50:11) without tasting the marriage-supper.

"And He said to me those are the true sayings of God."—Angels got a taste of Christ at the beginning, and have learned something that they had never known if man had not fallen. And though they be but beholders, and eat not of the supper as we do, yet when Christ's meat is on the table, it casts a good smell, and they delight to learn something of Christ which they knew not before. If they say, much more cause have we to say so, that God's word is "faithful and true." All the messes of the supper are for us, "His flesh is meat indeed" to us, and "His blood is drink indeed" to us. Say ye, Will not all men as well as angels say so? Do any deny God's word and sayings to be true? It will be thought, men for shame will not give God the lie in His face. Indeed, in general, we say God's words are true, but, when it comes to practice, we stand not to give Him the lie in His face. Like archers who set their eye upon the mark, and when all is done, the bow it breaks, and the arrow falls at their foot. Whilst conscience keeps in generals, and is a hundred miles from the word, we say the word is good, but when the word is near to command us, and to control our lusts, and deny our wills; then we do as Jeroboam's conscience, that slipt the shackles, when God's word was like (as he did think) to deprive him of his kingdom. Our conscience goes along with the word in general, but when it meets with our wild humours, or lights on Herod's belt,* then we cry and complain as he did. When our lusts rise, and the Word binds our conscience, then conscience gives God fair words, like a flattering friend, or knavish servant that is aye to seek when there is most to do. The adulterer says God's word is true, yet in time of temptation, when the seventh command comes in handy† grips, and hard wresthng, then he tells another tale. The mind is as a judge that aye does right till he get ill counsel, and then never a good turn. The mind afar off judges aright of God's word, but in comes the affections as an ill counsellor and does lead conscience by the nose. When it comes to practice, the affection is conscience's ill neighbour, like Rehoboam's counsellors, that led him wrong to his hurt.

Verse 10, "And I fell down at His feet to worship."—We read of very few of John's faults. Here he fell twice in idolatry, inconsiderately taking the angel to be more than an angel, he directing his worship to God, no doubt, as he supposed; but his heart being too much addicted to admire and reverence a creature, he slips when he doats so much on instruments. Observe, humility can steal on our heart in the heat of love; and Satan can beguile us with it. Idolatry comes in upon John with a sweet disguise; he welcomed it as God's worship. Our hearts and Satan do work to other's hands. While we are not advising with God, our hearts go far on in pleasuring of sin, and covering of idolatry. But let men wash idolatry with all the holy water of Rome, it has aye a black skin. Many go farther on in idolatry than John did. Saul would not himself kill David, and does not mind the matter and event of it; nay, but he gives him over into the Philistines' hands. Sins (especially gross sins) have a bloody, black face, so that men must put on a mask before they kiss them. Men think to beguile their consciences by challenging of some circumstances. The Colossians worshipped angels (2:18), but they did it under pretence of humility. Israel did swear that they would not give their daughters to the Benjamites; but how made they up the matter? They bade the Benjamites at a dance take their daughters by force, and so they play their conscience a slip. Sin can go out at one door, when conscience bosts* it; and comes slipping in again with a new garment, it being that same sin. Pilate, he put murder from himself by washing his hands, and said, I am free of Christ's blood; he plastered his murder fairly with this, "The people caused him to do it." So swearing is good enough to many, if they swear the truth; men would fain have God's law beguiled. If vanity of apparel lose the name of pride, and commend this that it is called the fashion, it is thought good enough. But if your clothes be proud, your heart cannot be humble. If the deceiver can conn† his conscience, and win by‡ the eight command, and say, The bargain was made in daylight, your eye was your merchant, he thinks he has loupen§ dry-shod. But consider Jer. 2:22, "Though thou wash thyself with nitre, and take thee much soap; yet thy iniquity is marked before Me." Why is it that we learn not to deal honestly with God's law? Alas, we make the Almighty a child, provoking Him to anger, and then we put Him off with fair words. John here doated on the instruments, in his devotion, labouring to be thankful to God for the sweet news he had heard. It was an ordinary fault in many, to give more to some instruments, than was their due. Among the Hebrews (chap. 3), some will set up Moses as a High Priest. In Corinth, no preacher like Paul; says another, I think Apollos better; a third says, In my judgment, Cephas, Peter, is best of all. What are ministers but earthen pitchers carrying the heavenly treasures? If they be faithful, they should do as John the Baptist, when the people thought to have done homage to him, and took him to be Christ; he took them witness that he told them, "he was not the Christ, nor worthy to loose His shoe-latchet." Call no man Rabbi. God is witness that ministers desire to put you fair off their hands, and to send you to Christ. They are but the Bridegroom's friends carrying your love letters from your husband. But carry it who will, leave off comparing ministers with mysteries,* lest you provoke God to blow out the poor man's candle; and ye know that a blown out candle will have an ill smell. They but carry the trumpet; the Spirit blows. Ye should not dote on any man. Would you have an idol to waste your love on? There is one Christ Jesus; dote your fill on Him. Love, and better love† Him, till ye be wearied of loving Him. Beware that ye move not the Lord to take the gift from the ministers. The devil can cast wildfire in people's zeal, and cause them make a god of a man in whom there is not much stuff, if he were sifted. Is comfort bound to any man's tongue above another? Balaam's ass once made a preaching, that might have been a lesson to the ill man. I say, sirs, take God's meat, cook it who will. Alas! that ministers by their wicked lives should spoil God's meat, so as the children skunner.* Who would believe when John was in an angel's company, and ravished in the spirit, and had seen Christ so gloriously revealed to him, and such comfortable victories over Antichrist, having his heart so well set to praise God, that he would have snappered† on a course of idolatry. Hence, if we were in an angel's company, as was Judas,‡ the devil and sin are lying in wait to insnare us. This world is as a great wood, and at every tree-root there lies, and in every bush there lies a serpent. We had need to tell§ all our steps to heaven, and see whether we go right or wrong. When we are rejoicing in God, the devil can deceive us. Peter thought himself a humble man, when he said to Christ, "Thou shalt never wash my feet," but he was devilishly humble. In praying, reading, hearing, communicating, &c., temptations are at our elbow. Satan, in Job's days, came before the Lord to accuse the man; think ye not the devil is as bold as ever he was? And think ye that he dare not come to the Communion table? When Judas was at the table with Christ, Satan goes in with a sop. The devil has been at Christ's high messes, and will be waiting on to go into every believing soul. The world is like a piece of broad sea full of nets and lines. Satan hath laid his lines through the world, and it is all full of girns|| and traps wheresoever we go. In an instant John is here hooked with idolatry. David with the glance of an eye was hooked with adultery. We had need to pray, "Lead us not into temptation," and that we go not through Satan's camp without our armour, and our Christ with us. For Satan's arrows and bullets are flying thick about our ears, whatever we be doing. We live here beside ill neighbours, we dwell on a dry march* with Satan and his temptations. O let us beware of one that is at our elbow in the holiest work we can go about.

"See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant."—Angels will have none of God's glory. All that have gifts or light should labour to see that our Lord gets His glory. When that beast† suffered men to fall down on their knees to give him that worship and title that was due only to Christ, we may know by that what spirit was in him. The man that is nearest to God would have all glory given only to God. God and we must not be halvers‡ in His glory. Papists say they give glory to God, but images must have a bow by the way! Is not our part to keep good neighbourhood with God? to keep His marches?§ Grace may well satisfy us; glory is a high mass,|| none may say to Christ in that half mind. Cornelius gave his knee to Peter, but he refused it. Where there is betwixt God and us a creature that represents God, if we bow a knee to it, that smells of idolatry, although our worship be directed to God. We have a jealous husband. If ye bow the knee to a creature, and say it is to Christ, it is as a wife should prostrate herself to a strange lover, and then say, "God knows my heart is towards my husband." Idolatry may be idolatry although men intend not idolatry in worshipping the creature. They who say John intended to worship the angel, have not well considered the place. John directed both his inward worship and his knee worship to God, and took the angel to be God, otherwise the angel's reproof, "I am thy fellow-servant," were not worth a straw. And yet he is rebuked for idolatry in directing knee-worship to an angel. Cornelius intended not to give to Peter what was due to God, he kend,* as it was told him, that Peter was a man; yet he thought, for his Master's sake, and the gospel's sake, he would bow his knee to him. For which he was rebuked.

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."—This is the testimony of Christ, which comes from the Spirit of Christ, who reveals things to come. As ministers are witnesses for Christ, so they must see and hear, otherwise they cannot depone upon their consciences to the people. They must have the spirit that John had, John 15:26, "The Spirit of truth." 1 Cor. 12:3, "None can call Jesus the Lord, but by the Spirit." This will tell men if they be rightly called ministers; and if they want the Spirit, they sound not with the trumpets, but with rams'-horns. I shall add no more. Amen.

SERMON XIV* —Cant. 2:8–12.

The voice of my Beloved! Behold He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills, &c.—Cant. 2:8–12.

IN these words (as we observed in the last sermon on this text) there are set down five particulars as to how the Church calls Christ, "My Beloved," and how she takes Him up. I. She discerns His voice. II. She espies Him "coming." III. In His own person, "Behold He cometh." IV. The manner of His coming, "skipping and leaping." V. The impediments in His way, "mountains and hills."

These are already expounded, only there remaineth a few† things, that which should have been marked before, which I add in this place. The Church says not,‡ It is "the voice of my Beloved," but for haste she says no more but, "My Beloved's voice!" When Christ is either heard or seen by a faithful soul, He wakeneth up, in the twinkling of an eye, the passions of that soul. Joy will not let her get out the rest of her words. What raises the child of God's heart? What but news from heaven of Christ? When the disciples hear tell of Christ's resurrection, they run to the grave for joy. The heart runs before the mouth. Ye may try by this way whether ye be Christ's or not; if the heart leap for joy at the name of Jesus, if the affections leap out and embrace Christ about the neck, so that the heart strive and out run the tongue. The conscience is slow, the heart is quick and swift. The affections like dry timber, any spark of fire casten in upon them makes them soon to burn; the conscience is like green wood that burns not soon, yet keeps the fire durable. The affections are like the needle, the rest of the soul like the thread; and as the needle makes way and draws the thread, so holy affections pull forward and draw all to Jesus. The affections are the ground* and lower part of the soul, and when they are filled they set all the soul on work; when there is any love in the affections, it sets all the rest of the faculties of the soul on work to duty, and when there is any corruption in the affections, it stagnates the soul, will, mind, and conscience. Affections are the feet of the soul, and the wheels whereupon the conscience runs. When a man is off his feet he cannot run or walk; so when the affections are lame, the soul moves on crutches.

There does yet remain something to be spoken concerning these "mountains." God comes in mercy to two sorts of people. He comes to some before ever they be aware of His coming; He steals upon them before ever they hear or see Him. So Christ stealed in upon the thief on the cross, when he was wallowing in his sins. He came unawares upon Paul going to Damascus to persecute the church. But after Regeneration, the child of God knows His tongue, and hears the noise of His feet before He come; yea, they be like hungry cattle so given on* Christ, that they are ever looking over the mountains to see if He comes, and are always setting up their ears to hear if they can know His voice, and discern His leaps and skippings.

"Behold He is standing behind our wall."—Before Christ speak, He comes leaping upon the mountains. Now here He comes near ere they see Him, so that there is but one wall betwixt them, and lest the wall should hinder from a sight of Him, she sees Him looking out at the windows. We see that it is a note or mark of the true Church and child of God, to grow in fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 1:3, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly." The word signifieth that it groweth above the blade. Let us be carried through with faith and love, with our sails up, into perfection. Heb. 6:1. Paul is brought in by the Spirit of God chasing the kingdom of heaven, and doing nothing else but chasing it: "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We must press fast forward, and run as in a race after the prize of the high calling of God in the way to heaven, even in many difficulties. Like a boat sailing against tide, wind, and weather; if we do not go forward, we will not miss to sail backwards. This condemns many in our age, dwarf Christians, that eat much, and are not like to thrive! They have many glorious meetings at Communions with Christ, and yet they grow not; they remain still like the seven lean kine that Pharaoh saw, that devoured the seven fat kine, and yet remained still lean. And they may be compared to a strange fire that casts a blaze, and in end turns to smoke; and to locusts that loup up with a start, and fall down to the earth again. O! it is the ill of our church that it is going backward. Christ was once behind the wall; now He is beyond the curtain, and now removing. But how is this made good? How do I prove it to be the sign of a removing Christ? When God tells the prophet Jeremiah, (Jer. 16:2), that he was to remove, He says, "Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place." Alas! Jesus Christ marries few now! every one seeks their own things, and few are born over again by the immortal seed of the word. When Christ will not marry a Church, and beget sons and daughters, it is a token that He is going away. Christ must be going away when He is transporting His goods. The power and life of preaching is away, His servants banished to other lands; our Bishops complain that there are so many in the land that have Bibles. Woe to them when I depart from them.

"Behind our wall," that is, Behold He dwells in our house of clay, as it is termed, Job. 4:19. John 1:14, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." And it is called our wall, because we have an interest in the man Jesus Christ, since He has our nature upon Him. Christ Jesus is here resembled to a great city, the blessed human nature of Christ is a wall; the gate or porch to enter in through to that city, are the wounds of our Lord Jesus. There is a fair fountain in the midst of the city called David's well, which is meaned of the heart-blood of Christ Jesus crucified; the indwellers are the elect. The humanity of Christ is our wall of defence; all the stones of it are hewn stones, out of Adam; for Jesus Christ is Adam's son. Now, the use of walls is to defend the city. Zech. 2:5. God is a wall of fire about Jerusalem; all that are within our walls are sure from God's wrath; this wall holds off all sorts of cannon. The body and soul of our Lord Jesus Christ was the buckler that received all the strokes that God's justice did let out against us. When the Lord did cast that great and heavy dart of His wrath against elect sinners, Christ had a body, and He came running and received that dart, both in His soul and body. Isaiah 53:5, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."

The Lord did cast upon man a great mountain of His wrath; but betwixt God's casting and the lighting of it, Jesus, a Saviour timeously ready in trouble, came in and bare the burden. God had shot the arrows of His indignation at us; but betwixt the loofing* of the arrow, and the lighting of it, our Lord came in and held the arrows off us. Christ's body was our shield of defence. Now, all ye that would be safe from judgment and the wrath to come, lie under this wall; keep the town as ye love your life; hold you within the city. If ye should die in the cause, it is but a pint or quart of your blood that ye lose for Christ, and it is not lost, it will surely be restored. Satan and the world strives to make a gap in this wall and to take the town; but stay within the ports and be saved. The Jews cast down this wall, but our Lord built it up in three days. It is a great benefit to us, that when (whereas) mountains of sin were betwixt God and us, now we are made so near, that in Christ there is but a wall betwixt God and us. How foolish is the church of Rome, that takes such a long journey by saints and angels to go to God by, when the way is easy and near, if they would come to Jesus Christ.

"He looketh forth at the windows, showing Himself through the lattice."—This looking out at the windows, and through the lattice, signifies the Lord Jesus showing Himself to His elect through the windows of His human nature. Jesus is a flower set in the windows of the human nature, and a rose with many leaves, that casteth a sweet smell through mankind. For as Jesus Christ is man, the Lord strikes certain windows out of Him. Now the use of windows is, that such as are within the house may see such as are without the house, and that they may see them again. Christ had infirmities as we have every way, except sin, for in that He suffered Himself, and was tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted. "He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). Now at the window of His own sorrow, He looketh out to your sorrow, and my sorrow, and out at this window He sees all the mourners of Zion, and the broken-hearted. This is a sweet thing that the cross of Christ is so fair a glass, in which He sees our heavy cross. Dost thou sigh and groan? Jesus Himself sighed, and saw these sighs in the glass of His own. Art thou poor? pitiful Jesus sees thy poverty, He knows what it is to be poor, He was poor Himself. Art thou hungry and thirsty? so was our Lord Jesus. And Jesus Christ knows what it is to die, for He died Himself. Here are the emblems or Christ and His church. Jesus has gone along the narrow bridge, and He reaches back His hand to lead us along the bridge. Christ and we came to a deep running water together, Christ ventured His life to dry the ford, and having broken the streams of it, He runs back and convoys us through with Himself. "For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). And more; when He bruised our Lord Jesus, He did strike out fair windows in His body, deep windows with abundance of blood gushing out at them; and through these windows, we see Jesus in His love and in His mercy. We see His tender heart for us when we are under crosses and infirmities; we have a copy before our eyes. All ye crossed ones of Jesus, look up to this window, and behold the like in Christ. When a potter is to make a number of vessels all of one measure, he casts one first in the mould, which is a pattern to all the rest. So Christ, being first cast in the mould, must have all His elect children to be so also, all must have His stamp, His colour, His livery, His coat of arms."

"My beloved spake and said unto me."—Now does the Church relate the words of her beloved calling upon her; and see how many ways the Lord shows himself to His church. 1. He speaks to her ear. 2. He runs and leaps before her eye. 3. He stands behind the wall. 4. He looks out at the window to her. 5. He ends as He began, and speaks to her ear. This lets us see there are some happy times, wherein Christ urgeth Himself upon His children, and fills both ears, eyes, tongues, hands, hearts, and fills all with Christ. The soul of the child of God has certain feast days; it is even with the child of God, as it is with Jordan, all the banks are full; sometimes the soul will be full of Christ, so that it is full from bank to brae. See how Christ fills the apostle, 1 John 1:1, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life, verse 3, that which we have heard and seen declare we unto you." Behold the apostle is going round about Christ, and filling himself with Christ, like hungry men at a feast. They hear Him, they see Him, they look upon Him, and eye Him, and which is more, they handle Him with their hands. O! these are glorious times when the child of God gets a great feast of Christ; and if He fill us here while we are from home, and are such narrow-hearted vessels that God must enlarge us, Psalm 119:32. How full shall we be of God when we shall see Him as He is! Psalm 63:5. "My soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness. Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved," Cant. 5:1. When any of these glorious times comes, we may not think but Christ will away again. What should we then do? Even as Joseph did, he caused his brethren to leave a pledge to assure him that they would return again: so ye must cause Jesus to leave His seal, and His ring, and some footsteps of His grace, and take instruments in the hand of the Spirit, that He will return.

Ye see in the Church a sweet and commendable virtue in these words, she sets down the very progress of all the ways and dealings of the King of kings to her soul. In all His ways she sees what Christ is doing; when He is afar off, she knows Him, she sees Him running and leaping, she sees Him behind the wall, looking out at the windows, and through the lattice. She hears Him nearer hand speaking, she writes up His very words. We see the child of God marks the ebbings and the flowings, the comings and goings of the Spirit of God, and sees Christ in all His footsteps. When Christ comes at the dead hour of the night, she hears His knocks through her sleep, and knows His voice. He can put in His hand, and open the bar of her conscience to come in, she knows what He is doing, she feels the smell that drops from His finger-ends. What bred* experience of Christ? even a daily walking with Him, ye know the courtiours that are about the king's person day and night, they can write a chronicle of the king's life, and can tell how many miles he rides in the day. So says David, "My eyes are ever towards the Lord." Then ye must see what God is doing: it is God's quarrel with Jerusalem, that she knew not the things that belonged to her peace. God was offering peace to her, but she knew not what He was doing. This is the way of the wicked, God is on their right hand, and on their left hand, behind them, and before them, and they never see Him; they regard not the work of the Lord. There is fire made ready in heaven, and Sodom eats and drinks till God comes with fire and brimstone and draws the table. The old world is making marriages, and sees not what Noah sees, till God, with the deluge of water, comes to the ending of their contracts. Men will not give their conscience leave to believe all of God that it should believe; they will not let their consciences go through the earth to see what God is doing, but imprison, and set a march to it. All that we have to do in this life is to take heed what God does, and what we ourselves do. Isaiah 26:11, "Lord, when Thy hand is lifted they will not see." It is the sin of our age, our Beloved is come on the mountains, yet His leaping upon us is like a serpent upon a stone, and like the way of an eagle in the air, it leaves no print of the Lord's footsteps behind it in men's hearts; and (which is a more pitiful thing) God is departing and no man looks to it. The prophet Jeremiah has a word which is the very extracts* of Scotland's case, Jer. 12:4. He sees the cause of God's wrath upon man and beast was upon the account of a speech among the people; "He shall not see our last end." A strange word! they say we shall die, and run through hell and the grave, and leap into eternity, and the Lord shall never see us! So we have said, God shall not see our last end; because we see not God, we think God sees not us; but persuade yourselves Scotland's doom is given up in heaven. And, therefore, for the glory of God, and your own salvation, see what God is doing. I will tell you what He is doing; He is bidding the king take his dough† upon His shoulder, in the twilight of the evening, because he must surely go into captivity.

"Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away."—Here is two things to be exponed. 1. Christ exhorting her to arise and come away. 2. Our Lord's title and style that He gives her, "My love, my fair one." The exhortation we may marvel at. What needs our Lord bid her arise and come away, for she cannot but wait; for he is coming to her.‡ But if Jesus come never so near a sitting and sleeping soul (as the church is here) Christ and that soul shall never meet. Before ever the Lord Jesus and we meet, we must once be wakened, and set upon our feet; 'tis true our Lord Jesus comes to us all lying; but before He and we have struck hands together, we must be on our feet. Ye have a notable example of this, Cant. 5. Christ comes a far journey to His spouse, our dear Lord Jesus, His head and His locks were wet with dew and rain, He comes to the door, He speaks to her, and she to Him, there is but a thin door betwixt them, men would think they will meet now; and yet for as near as Christ was to her they meet not; He goes His way, and that was upon the account she would not soil her feet, and open to Him. The reason is, heaven and salvation come to no man in a dream. There be two graces given to the children of God when the Lord and they meet, God's knocking and calling, or grace knocking and calling without; and God's wakening grace stirring up the soul within. When Christ comes near you in the word and sacraments beware of security. I know none in God's word that sleeped when they had the presence of Christ with them, but the three disciples. And they wakened with sorrowful hearts, they lost their Master, and never got Him again till He was shamefully put to death. Oh! security, security! may be called the Christian's falling sickness, wherever this sickness comes upon him, it will cast him into the fire and into the water. Solomon had a bed watched about with "threescore valiant men, that were expert in war" (Cant. 3:7). The spiritual meaning is, Christ is our Solomon, and the king of peace, that dwells in our hearts, and the souls of His children, by faith; (He lies betwixt their two breasts), so the bed of Christ must be guarded by more than threescore watchful thoughts, for fear Christ should be stolen out of the soul, when the soul sleeps: and for fear that the new creature, or the image of God in man should be destroyed. Sleeping is an enemy to health, when used too much, especially in the spring time, for it breeds fevers, and many dangerous diseases; much waking preserves the health. When the Gospel is in a land, then is spring time; and ye lose the life of godliness, and fall in dangerous diseases of soul, if ye fall asleep then. It is true, God dealeth mercifully with His own elect, howbeit they be secure, and forsake them not, but it is not their deserving. David cried to Abner, because he watched not carefully his master, Saul. 1 Sam. 26:16, "As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed." So it may be said to many Christians, "As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy of death, because ye watched not over Christ when dwelling in your hearts."

Now, if you shall ask for a guard to watch the soul, take these following. The first soldier that should be set in the very entry of your soul is, "the fear of God." See how excellently these two are conjoined, as the cause and the effect, fearing of God, and running away from evil. The second soldier to set at the door of your soul is, "sobriety and temperance." Noah and Lot forgot these, and therefore they fell into a nap or sleep. This sobriety is a modest and wise carriage, in the enjoying of the pleasures of this life. 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober and vigilant," &c. The third soldier is that virtue which Solomon calls discretion; let it be before the door to try what guests come into the soul, what thoughts enter in. As the apostle John says, "Try the spirits whether they be of God or not." One devil is like another devil, and when we are thinking we are holding out one, another rushes in. The fourth soldier is suspicion and fear of our own ways, which should hold us waking. "Blessed is the man that feareth always" (Proverbs 28:14). Paul says to Timothy, "In all things watch;" even in the things of this life, in the setting a cup to our head, in the putting a bite in our mouth, or a soup at table, we should watch. If that seems to be but a feckless business, yet the devil entered into Judas with a soup; it is to make us careful between the hand and the mouth, to look to ourselves. To speak two pitiful words to a friend seems a small matter; yet when Peter said to our Lord, "Master, pity Thyself," he was the devil's agent in that. Believe never well of yourself, nor of the old man within you. Let no man pass his word, or be caution for his own heart, "for the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The fifth soldier that stands at the door of the heart is meditation on death; let the meditation of death stand in the threshold of the door. Wherefore doth Jerusalem (Lam. 1:9) come down wonderfully? but because she remembered not her last end. If men would remember Christ and that death and judgment come in the night as a thief, they would have their hand ever at the door bar, and stand behind the door, watching till the Lord should knock, "Blessed is the man whom his Lord shall find so doing." The sixth soldier that keeps the soul ever on foot, is a continual practice of good, aud walking with God. Moving, walking, and serious business keep men from sleeping. Only be even-down honest with God, walking with Him in sincerity and truth, looking into His mercy, justice, kindness, and power. Remember the great work of your salvation, the keeping of an immortal soul, the gaining or losing of Christ. The seventh soldier, and last man of the guard, that I shall mention at this time is Faith, which tells us of the particular passages of heaven, hell, and judgment, of the wiles and devices of the roaring lion. And these be Solomon's valiant men that watch about His bed (Song 3:7). I mean the graces of God that keep Christ in the soul.

In this compellation there are two things to be cleared. 1. That He calleth her HIS love and HIS fair one. (We heard before how the Church called Christ HER Beloved.) 2. That He calls her in this exhortation, "love and fair one." Therefore, we must once for all expound in what meaning the Church is Christ's, and how He does, in law and equity, appropriate her to Himself, as His own. And 1. We are to observe that Christ has a right to the Church by birth; for He made us, and by the law of creation we are His, as the vessels are the potter's. And man did continue Christ's this way, even till He sold himself to Satan and sin; and now by nature we are the sons of God's wrath, strangers from the life of God (Ephes. 4:18). Adam did us this ill turn; he sold us unto Satan for the forbidden fruit. And yet, howbeit the inheritance was sold, Christ, being the nearest heir, was most kindly to us* as we say. The nearest kinsman among the Jews was a type of Christ. Among the Jews, he that redeemed land, or was a Goel, Brother, or Redeemer, behoved to have these two in his person; first, he behoved to have riches and substance to pay the sum that so he might enter into the inheritance; secondly, he behoved to be a brother or a near kinsman, and not a stranger. Now, these two were in Christ. 1. He was a brother, nearest the house; He was no stranger, but Emmanuel, "God with us," and took on Him not the nature of angels but the seed of Abraham; and so the law made Him nearest heir, and He had the right of reversion.* And then 2. He is a kinsman of great riches and substance; for He was God Himself, the Lord of lords, and Prince of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).

Here, then, we have to consider 1. With whom our Lord did bargain. 2. What price He gave for His Church. 3. How He takes possession.

There were three sorts of persons Christ had to do with in redeeming us. 1. The Lord, whose wrath and justice have a just claim to sinners; He was the principal to whom the price of redemption should be paid, and He was the person offended. Jesus satisfied Him, paid and satisfied Him for man, so that He said of Him, "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Now there was many claims, and arrestments upon the inheritance, before Jesus got it; there were parties at variance to be reconciled. There was first mercy and truth, saying, Alas! shall silly man die? truth and justice on the contrary pleading, Why should not man die? has not the God of truth said, that sinners shall die? Yes, says Jesus, man shall die; man shall die, for His word must be true; I am man, I am made of the Father, that I might die for sinners, and truth and justice shall be pleased, for I will die for men and save them; and mercy shall be pleased also, I will pity man and give my blood for him. Behold how Jesus made mercy and justice to shake hands and kiss each other. Blessed be our Peacemaker! 2. The law and the sinner were at red-war† against each other. It was the poor sinner's complaint, "I cannot speak an idle word, or think an idle thought, but it presently condemns me." And the law cried out against the sinner, "Man does neither eat nor drink, sleep nor wake, sleep nor think, but he treads me under foot; my curse (says the law) and the curse of God be upon him." But Jesus answered, "The curse of the law be upon Me, all the elect's idle words and thoughts be upon Me; all their light words and sinful deeds be upon Me." And upon this satisfaction the law is pleased with man. Whereas before it was a killing and condemning letter, working wrath, Christ turned it into a sweet and pleasant way to heaven. See what the child of God says, O! how I love Thy law! it is my meditation all the day or continually. Whereas the sinner under God's wrath says, "How hate I Thy law," behold Jesus hath made the believing sinner and the law shake hands together. 3. There were some parties that usurped the inheritance, but had no just right or title thereto, viz., Satan, that archfoe, and grand enemy of man's salvation. But Jesus would use no law with Satan; he spoiled principalities and powers; for man being God's creature, had no right to sell himself to God's enemy.

This much for the first anent being God's creature. As to the second, viz., the price, He gave for His own Church, His own precious blood, 1 Peter 1:10, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7); for we are not our own, we are bought with a price."

A third point is anent our Lord's actual possession; wherein there be these three acts of the Father and the Son. "All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me, and him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). "I have manifested Thy name unto the men which thou gavest Me out of the world, thine they were, and thou gavest them Me" (John 17:6). Upon the cross Christ paid for so many, and for no more. "I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:15). When the Father has given them, and the Son has paid the price, then Jesus has right indeed, but wants possession. He has them still to seek in the highway to hell, and must leap in with the sword of truth, and His sword girded upon His thigh, and take His sword, His bow, and His arrows in His hand. After He has fought a hard battle with God's wrath, and won the field, and escaped with His life, He must fight against the rebels whom He has good right to by virtue of His blood, and must pull down every stronghold and high imagination in the soul; and must come in and put the devil of hell to the doors, and take man for His own use and service. He seeks him long ere He gets him to answer when He calls. But when He meets with them, He makes a covenant with them, and they become His. "Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was a time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness; yea, I sware unto thee, and thou becomest mine, and I entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God" (Ezek. 16:8).

There be five things that give Jesus a right to us. 1. The Father's giving us in election. This is not so much an actual giving, as a purpose to give, for He but marks us for the giving, and here the Father says, Son, win them and have them. 2. The Son takes on our nature, and in that becomes an heir to old Adam, to redeem his mortgage. 3. The Son gives a price for us on the cross. 4. The Father makes a second resignation of man, and says, Son, Thou didst sweat for man, behold I give him to Thee, "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Psal. 2:8). "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). O! well* is our soul when the Father and the Son come (if we may so speak) to biding† and loving. 5. The Son seeks our consent, and brings us in, and says unto us, as it were, what think ye? will ye put in your names with Mine? And this should teach us our whole life to suspect our ways, even in God's ways or service, when we please ourselves. We should serve God as if we were not our own. A Christian is in a soldier's state, having received bounty-money, and the captain having enrolled his name, he is no more his own man, he is his captain's. There be many who wait upon God, like these they call dependents, waiting upon a nobleman; they are content to ride with the nobleman, and at times to serve him, and attend on him. Yet it is for his countenance or some gain in the meantime, they will not be tied to a daily onwaiting; they would for all that be their own men, and live at liberty in their own houses. So there be a number in the world, that are God's dependers and onwaiters as they are called, who at a start, will ride and run for God, and profess they are Christ's; yet they will serve their lusts and please themselves, or follow their own pleasures; they will not wait on as God's chamber-boys. But if ye be Christ's, ye must be His chamber-boys, and not have a house or calling of your own to serve your lusts with. Ye must stand always before Him as a page waiting on, and not like a landed gentleman, that keeps a day of law‡ with a certain nobleman, and perhaps for a year after will not saddle a horse for him. We deal with God as with children, who give and then take again, and we be like some that sell the land, and yet keep possession. We sell ourselves to Christ, and yet keep our hearts in our own possession. Now, beloved, ye all deem yourselves to be the redeemed of Christ, and I would it were so; but if ye be redeemed, ye are redeemed both in body and soul, and ye are not your own, neither must ye be your own. Your tongue is not your own, Christ has bought it with the rest of your body; ye must not therefore speak what seemeth good unto you. Your hands and your feet are not your own, ye must not work and walk at your own pleasure. Your eyes and heart are not your own, ye must not look to, or think what ye please or desire, and let the affections run out after Christ, with the bridle in their teeth! for ye must be either Christ's or your own. Wrong not our Lord Jesus, to spoil Him of His right. And again; give Christ possession, for in His word and sacraments He brings all His rights with Him. The decree is "Whosoever believes is Mine." Amen, dear Jesus. "As many as I paid the price of My blood for are Mine." In comes Christ by His Spirit to the believer's heart saying, "I paid the price with My blood for John, Mary, and all others of the elect, therefore they are Mine." Now, if ye can believe, see how you and Christ meet. He takes possession* of you earth and stone this day. Then, will ye not believe? O! then, ye put Christ out of His possession: beware Christ do not go to law with you. For it is so with all mankind; we must compound with Christ, and give Him what He will, that is obedience of faith: otherwise if men will not believe they renounce the Gospel; they force* Christ's infeftment. They say, Let Christ say what He will, and do what He will, I will bide the worst, I will not agree. What then remains, but that God may say, Since ye appeal to the law, ye shall go. And alas! poor sinner, there ye will get sharp justice, for there the Judge's first and last word will be, God's curse upon thee!

Has the Church lain down, now when Jesus has but turned His back? Has she forgot that He took her into the wine-cellar, and that His arms were about her neck and waist, when she thought his fruit sweet to her taste? Yea, surely! (Howbeit Paul hath been up in the third heaven, he will grow proud after it.) Yet how doth Christ waken her? Not with a rod as she deserved, but in great meekness. Howbeit she had forgotten Jesus Christ, and turned her back upon Him, yet our Lord says not, I shall never welcome thee as I did before, I shall have no more ado with you. No, no, but in meekness he says, "Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away." When once Christ has gotten His poor elect within the reach of mercy, He holds mercy and truth before their eyes (Cant. 5:2) The Church shuts† Christ to the door, and yet He never gives her a hard word; but, "Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove," for your loving husband stands without, with His head all wet with dew, and His locks with the drops of the night." He spoke never a word to Zaccheus, Peter, and the thief on the cross that died with Him. "Return ye backsliding children," that is God's word to draw Israel to repentance, "for I am married unto you." I pray you return, we may not sunder and part so, dear Israel. "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall gather the lambs with His arm (He has not a shepherd's staff to cast at them), and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:11). If ye would know the reason of this, then,

1. Wherever the spirit of adoption is, it is a sweet, gentle, and meek spirit, and mercy is God's key that agrees with our hearts. Christ as Mediator does always come with peace, He brings good news. If the Gospel denounces wrath, it but puts a seal to the law's wrath, "He that believes not is condemned already." Wrath abides on him, which was on him before.

2. To whom is Christ now speaking? He is speaking to the elect that are in Christ. Now if Christ would summon a child of God before Him to answer as law will, he would refuse to obey the summons, and why? Because he would say, "I am not under the law, but under grace," I am dead to the law as a covenant of works, though under it as a rule of life, I have a Saviour, I have nothing to do with the law, I am in Christ, I am not obliged to answer that Court; ye will get nothing of me, I am not lawbiding.* But ye will say then, Does not Christ threaten in the Gospel, that He that believes not is condemned already? will He not thunder out judgments against His own children? and convince their consciences of sin by His Holy Spirit? John 16:8 says, "He shall convince the world of sin." Writes He not who has the seven stars in His right hand, sharp rebukes against the churches of Asia, that He will remove the candlestick from among them? I answer, God threatens in the Gospel indeed, but He doth it this way; he never cuts away hope of mercy so long as the Gospel is preached. The Gospel condemns sin, and infidelity, and denounces wrath: but this is always a new song in the end of it, "Believe and repent for all that ye have done, and ye shall be saved." But at the first breach the laws says, "The wrath of God and hell be upon sinners." And howbeit sinners would repent, yet the law will hear of no repentance; the Gospel says repent, or else ye shall perish.

3. Christ, the Mediator, speaks of judgment, even to the elect, but not as mediator. He knows the tongue and legs of the severe and self-condemning law, and then He speaks to the old man, to sin that dwells in the members. But the new man is the child of God. Although God Himself should come against him in law, he would say, I have nothing to do with the law, I am dead to the law, the law was my first husband, and I am married to a second husband, even to Christ Jesus. And here the Lord Jesus in threatening the elect with His judgment, and with the law, and wrath, is even like a man that summons his friends before a judge, but never calls* the summons. Why? They agree at home, and he passes from his claim. Jesus will summon His friend before the Judge of the world to answer, and threatens them; but in the meantime He sends His Holy Spirit to the soul, as a daysman, that makes us agree with Christ, and grip to His death; so our dear Lord Jesus Christ passes from His claim, and we agree. For a believing sinner in Christ will never be heard before a judge; they agree at length betwixt themselves. You shall get this doctrine warranted and proven from Jeremiah 31:20. "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still." I summoned Ephraim, my dear son, before my tribunal, and I have denounced fearful judgments against him, but think ye God will call the summons, and bring on the judgments? Nay, read the following words, "For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." What is that else but this? Howbeit I have summoned Ephraim, yet I shall never call* the summons; I shall cancel the processes and pass from my claim. O, well said, sweet Lord!

Now let us apply the doctrine. The Gospel speaks nothing in effect to God's children, but "My heart and my joy;" it says only, "Arise, my fair one, and come away." Yet doleful shall the day be that comes on them who contemn the Gospel, and the offers of Christ and His righteousness held forth therein. O how good a case are they in that are found in Christ; O woeful will be the case of such as reject Him. Such as are in Christ, they need not thank the law for any mercy they get. Yet the law can hinder no man from God's mercy; and there are good news following notwithstanding of all the hard news that the law speaks of. But such as sin against the Gospel, there shall never another Gospel be preached unto them; for the next Gospel that the rebels, who hate God, shall hear shall be, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." The Gospel-time is a dangerous time for a hard-hearted sinner. We in Scotland are now between heaven and hell—either now or never! This Gospel is God's mariner crying, "Tide! tide! who will sail to Canaan?" God says, Hear Him now, or else God shall be silent, and ye shall cry next to hills and mountains to fall on you. But here is the case of our Kingdom; mercy is fully holden out to us, and laid open to us, and we have trodden it under foot. There are but two meetings in the world; the first is the meeting of a broken-hearted sinner and a merciful God—this meeting we have now. The other meeting is fast coming, and it is a meeting betwixt a guilty sinner and a wrathful Judge. But if God and His Kingdom meet not in wrath, for the contempt of the Gospel and other great and grievous sins, He has forgotten to be just who is holy and just in all His ways.

"Come away."—This part of the exhortation is as much as if our Lord would have the Church leave some place she is in and come to Himself. Man never need think to come to Christ and bring his old sins with him. God finds fault with His people for this in Jeremiah 7:9, 10, "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name?" Many come to Christ as the young man that kept the commandments from his youth. Many come and would fill God's hand with sacrifices and new moons, as Isaiah 1:11–17. But God puts another task in their hand; "Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well." Before ever John the Baptist spake of Christ, he begins at this, Repent and mend your lives. If Christ would welcome all that would come to Him, pleasing themselves with a back-burden of sins and lusts, he would have a thick court. Well, beloved, ye come to Jesus (as ye think) when ye come to the Lord's Supper; have ye brought your lusts with you? Is there a sin that ye have purposed to keep? Then I give you your doom out of Jeremiah 15:1. God says of such men, "Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth;" a doleful word; they and I shall never see each other's faces again! God forbids His prophet to pray for them, nor to lift up a cry for them, for He says, He will nor hear them. Would any man say that Judas was welcome to Christ, who came and kissed Him, and in the meantime had a band of men at his back, that were set upon killing, and not upon kissing? Shall men be welcome, then, who come to Christ's house, with a burden of sin upon their back? who would crucify again the Lord of glory? Christ, in the word and sacrament, is like a king coming into a prison, and calling out so many by their names, and then departing and causing the prison doors to be closed again. When He has called the roll, and so many in Corinth, and Ephesus, yea, and in Scotland, have answered as are in His count book, He seeks no more.

"For lo! the winter is past."—In these words Jesus tells the spouse, that the winter is past; Christ invites His bride and Church to rise out of her dead sleep, and to come to Him; and the argument is taken from the time and season which is fit for journeying. It is now the spring and summer quarter, and winter's rough weather is past and gone; therefore, my love, "come away." The like reason does our Lord's Spirit use. Rom. 13:12, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

Doctrine I. The first doctrine is; the militant church, while here, she has always a summer and a winter, according as she enjoys the Sun of Righteousness, who hath "healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2) "The dayspring from on high hath visited us" (Luke 1:7, 8), and "Gentiles shall come to Thy light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising" (Isaiah 60:1, 2, 3). "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Now, when the sun departs, when Jesus goes away, then it is dead winter with the Church. So then ye see that the doctrine is warrantable from Scripture. It is clear that under Joshua the Church had her summer and fair weather; the prince of their salvation did fight for them and their enemies were subdued under them (Josh. 5:14). Again, the Lord left them many times under the Judges, and sold them to their enemies, and this was their winter, when God departed from them, and they worshipped other gods. And are they not sometimes mourning, at the rivers of Babel? and sometimes dwelling peaceably under their own fig-tree! This is true, that the Church in respect of outward peace and war is changeable; for she must wade through one water, and then she goes some miles on dry land, and then a water again. 2. In respect of the outward ministry of the word, Christ, when He has taken such as the Father has marked, then He blows out the candle. 3. In respect of His felt presence, He is ever coming and going, and He must up to court to His Father, and send down love-letters to us again. Christ Jesus, in the power and ministry of the word, is an abiding heritage to no people. Our Lord is riding through the world, on the white horse of the Gospel, riding indeed triumphantly, and as His people welcome Him, so does He remain. Christ Jesus in the Gospel, is like a king's servant, that comes into a prison, where there is neither coal nor candle, and brings a lighted candle in His hand, with a roll of 100 or 200 among 10,000, and the King's warrant to bring so many out; He calls the roll and brings them out, and blows out the candle, and then shuts the prison doors again, and lets the rest lie there till the day of execution. Jesus comes to blind Scotland, and finds them all in Satan's prison, without any light; He has two papers in His hand; one wherein the evangel is written; in it He preaches the casting* up of the prison doors to the captives; in the other the names of the elect. Now the roll is called, answer, for the winter will come, and then the prison doors will be closed. Christ is amongst us now on horseback, the summer is now well near an end. Ye know what be the tokens of winter? Before the winter, the leaves fall off the trees: men now fall from their profession; many are ashamed to own Christ, and to profess Him, they will not be called Puritans. Trees dry up, and cast their fruit; and become barren; ye never saw the Gospel barrener in good works, and alms deeds than now. The very repairing of God's house, in our own parish church, you need go no further,—the timber of the house of God rots, and we cannot move a whole parish to spend twenty or thirty pounds Scots†, upon the house of God to keep it dry.

Doctrine II.—A people in a land are in a lamentable case when Christ and His Gospel is not among them. Let men that want Christ go where they will, the wind is ever upon their face; it is always dead winter with them. Ezekiel (16:4, 5) says, "In the day thou wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou was cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born." Hosea 7:11–13, "Ephraim is a silly dove without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me, destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me." In such a case it being winter, there is no fit season for travelling to Christ, the rivers and waters are all aloft and swelled; and the great river of the displeasure of a wrathful God is betwixt the soul and Christ, and neither man nor horseman dare venture upon that river. Then let men who are not in Christ judge of their own case as they please, they cannot go to table, or yet to bed, but the vengeance of God is hard upon their back, for they that want Christ, "walk in the vanity of their mind" (Eph. 4:17, 18). "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, being past feeling." There are frozen hearts, and howbeit all the devils in hell dance upon a frozen heart, it feels not. A man who is sensible that he is under the curse of the law, sees the wrath of God betwixt him and God as a great river, and for his life, he dare neither swim, sail, nor wade on foot; Christ must come through the water, in the great ship of His bloody merits, and so carry him over to dry land. The soul and conscience of some is so frozen, that neither God's mercy, Christ's blood, nor the fire of hell's terror, will melt it; it is like Jerusalem. Zeph. 1:12, "That are settled on their lees; that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil." Jeremiah 48:11, What are your privileges by the Gospel? a. Howbeit we are bounded by the river of God's wrath. Yet we come to the waterside and cry to Jesus, "Lord, take me over! Come and hoist sails and fetch us over." For the law, and God's wrath, and the Spirit accompanying it, will make us pray, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24). b. There is another help of the Gospel. We know not the way to heaven, and how we shall swim over the river, but the Gospel is God's memorandum, telling us the way from this town to that town. It tells that Christ made Himself a bridge over the water and river of God's wrath. O it is the sweetest time we have in the world when Christ and the Gospel is among us! Then the sun shines upon our Jerusalem, the air is sweet, hot, and calm. The love of Jesus being shed abroad in the heart, the storms of God's wrath are over and gone, and the law dare not speak a word then; but in every street the Lord Jesus is heard crying, "God's mercy, peace, and blessing be upon all them that believe on the Son of God."

"The flowers appear upon the earth."—Then there is a fair garden in the Church: the hedge of it is the two arms of God Almighty going about His church, and the flowers and plants in it are the men of Judah and Israel. His own people fruitful in good works, the planting of the Lord in whom He will be glorified. There is the garden. And there is a clear fountain, our Lord's blood, running abundantly to all thirsty sinners; and in the midst of all the flowers of the garden is the Rose of roses, with an hundred, yea a thousand leaves, even Jesus, "the Rose of Sharon." The wind that blows upon this garden is the sweet north and south wind of the Spirit, blowing upon the beds of spices and causing them to cast out a sweet smell. And the voice of the birds sings sweet and glorious music, Christ speaking to His Church in His holy word, and His Church speaking to Him again in supplications, prayers, and thanksgivings. What pleasure would any soul have in the way to heaven which is not to be found in this garden? Men seek rest, Christ promiseth soul-rest. Matthew 11:28–30, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." And do men decline sorrow, sadness, and grief, and affect pleasure and joy? Then here is encouragement; for "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous. David says of the members of the church, Psalm 36:8, "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures."

But I know the way to heaven is judged a harsh way, a low-lifed, sad, and melancholy way, full of tears and mourning. I answer: it is known to all divines, that in every regenerated man there is, as it were, two men, the new man and the old man, the Spirit and the flesh; and these two men have contrary ways, contrary hearts, contrary hands, contrary judgments. When the children of God think the way to heaven unpleasant, and full of sorrow, then the old man bears rule in the soul, and that is but the opinion of the old man. The way to heaven is not the worse, though it be so to corrupt nature, which judges heaven and Christ Himself nothing worth. But ask the opinion of the new man, what he thinks of the way to heaven. O! he will say! God is dearer to him than thousands of gold and silver! sweeter than honey and the honey-comb! "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee" (Psalm 73:25). If ye then ask what is the reason of their mourning, tears, wresthng, agonies, and terrors of a guilty conscience? I answer; we may not think that the child of God, in His way to heaven, will never get a shower; nay, sometimes near mid-summer, there will fall out a blast of hail; but the nature and season of the year will soon melt and dry it up, and it will clear in the west, and the birds will renew their songs again, and the roses will spread their leaves again when the sun shines. So even whilst it is summer, the Sun of Righteousness will hide His face from the poor believer, Christ will seem to go away, and the conscience will quake and tremble. It was so with Hezekiah, when he mourned to God as a dove; and chattered like a crane. It was not the fear of death, but because, when he was so near death, God, in His feeling, was so far from him. It is said of the turtle that after it has lost its marrow, it never sits on a green branch; the soul that knows what it is to want Christ under these terrors will never look a blythe look until it clear in the west again, and the Sun of Righteousness begin to break the clouds of His wrath. See ye not Job's case when he was deserted of God? "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing I long for! even that it would please God to destroy me! that He would let loose His hand and cut me off!" (Job 6:8, 9). I say, no man knows what it is to want God, but such as once had Him. Such will cry when He deserts them, O when wilt thou return again! a thousand years in hell, for one kiss of a reconciled God! Men will say this is winter indeed, and the child of God is going backward, under such conflicts. I answer, that nothing grows and flourishes in winter, but even then there are many sweet flowers in the soul springing. It is true, sense and feeling wither, for it is not its time of year to grow; but now under these desertions humility grows, feeling of guilt grows, the love and longing to be kissed with the kisses of His mouth grows, a care to seek God's face grows, and smells sweetly like the rose in June.

The soul is never under such a good case as now; for the souls of God's children are ever but in three cases. 1. Towards Christ, it is mid-summer sometimes with the soul, when it enjoys God's sweet and felt presence. Sometimes we may be so drunken with sense, that we become proud and haughty. We think this a good case; yet, there is great danger that we provoke our Lord Christ to go away from us. Therefore, we have now need of a holy fear, and of ardent prayer to God to continue our case. 2. The soul will be in such a winter, that the Lord will withdraw Himself for many days and years, and yet the soul is so dead in sleepy security that it never misses Him. This is David's case; when news came to him that Uriah the Hittite was slain, he called it a chance of war, and sent Joab word to renew the battle again. But the Lord had then left David, and he knew it not. 3. The third case is best of all, when God is minting* to go away, and the child of God holds Him fast. And be persuaded that God is well worthy† your souls, when it is at holding and drawing betwixt God and your soul. When God is saying as He did to Jacob, "Let Me go for the day breaketh," and Jacob said, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me" (Genesis 32:26). When God is sounding in the ear of Job's conscience, "Depart from me for I will destroy thee;" Job answers, "Lord, I will not leave Thee, I will not depart from Thee: I will trust in thee, howbeit thou shouldst slay me." And when Christ saith to the woman of Canaan, I came to the world for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I came not for you, yet she still raps, and knocks, and cries for "mercy, mercy," and cries on Him, "Lord, sayst Thou so, that Thou camest not for me?" She would take no such answer. Now it is the sweetest season in the year, when faith binds and holds Christ so fastened that He cannot win away. No cord will hold our Samson but faith, love, zeal, new desire of Christ, humility, &c. When all these graces flourish, then the soul has joy and comfort in Christ.

Doctrine III.—The time of the Gospel is but short; it is but a summer quarter, or thirteen weeks as our text bears; yea, but one day, Luke 19:42, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day." Yea, but a piece of a day, a little before supper time, when the King's table is covered for His guests, (Luke 14:17). The longest date that the word of God gives to it is a year only, "the acceptable year of the Lord." I will persuade you that the summer runs away, and you may fear that Scotland's summer is near an end; and happy are they that embrace the time, and spend the summer quarter in journeying to Jesus Christ. The damned in hell would buy time at the expense of lying ten thousand years in hell for freedom from that place of misery and woe, to enjoy the evening of one of our summer days. Germany and Bohemia mourn now that their summer is gone, as it is to be feared, with them. And we have cause to say with the Church, Jer. 6:4, "Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out."

Doctrine IV.—When the Gospel is in a land, and the word of Christ among a people, in life and power of a heavenly ministry, the very season should move us to come to Christ. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light" (Rom 13:12). As if the apostle would say, It is a shame to lie asleep when the day is come and the night away; therefore cast off your night clothes, and draw on your coat, put your arm over the bed-stock and reach to your clothes; take a grip of Christ and put Him on as the armour of light. "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmit the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8). The apostle there reasons for the noble parts of "faith and love," and to cover the head with everlasting glory. In the day of the Gospel, the Lord Jesus holds out in His right hand a lanthorn, and a fair candle in it, and is crying, "Run, run fast! Haste, haste into Christ before the candle be blown out." Would you know what the Gospel is? It is Christ's "cock-crowing," crying, "Up, O sleeping world, ye have far to go; it is a long journey to heaven, and it is hard upon day; I pray you ride and make for the gate."* The Gospel is Christ's hour, the summer-sun; and all men know that the summer-sun is God's sandglass set above our head bidding the husbandman plough, sow, reap, for the winter is at hand—prepare houses and fire for the winter is at hand. So the Gospel is Christ's sandglass telling us the hour runs away; labour for the meat that endures to everlasting life; provide for winter. The last trumpet will waken the deadest and deafest of sinners that are in the world, and those that are in the deepest sleep; but they shall get the most doleful wakening who sleep when there is a candle burning, and a sun shining on their heads and bedsides—and these are they who sleep in the day of the Gospel. Men know that the Gospel is Christ's trumpet, and His voice, calling on all men whom it reaches; and ye know the poor man in the Gospel was so glad when they said, "Arise, Christ calleth thee," that he got up in haste and threw his cloak from him, that he might be the lighter and nimbler to run and come with speed to Jesus Christ. O beloved, up now! Christ calls you; cast off the world (it is an heavy cloak), and run to Jesus. And though men be obliged in the suntide* to come to Christ, yet in the summer-tide of the Gospel men are under a more strict obligation. And this will more appear if you consider what way the Gospel offers Jesus Christ unto you. Christ is the food that feeds and nourishes His people's souls; now, He cannot be eaten except He be dressed, and prepared, and broken to the soul. So long as Christ is not preached in the Gospel and offered in the Sacraments, He is a whole Christ and does not feed His people. But when we preach Christ before you, we let you see Him torn, rent, and wounded for sin. We lay Him upon your plate or trencher, in the word and sacraments. So you see it is summer: betwixt God and you be it, if ye come not to Jesus Christ again.†

If we speak of those who live in the winter of ignorance, idolatry, &c., and never heard of Christ crucified; for anything I know Christ has not made a covenant of peace with them. The contract is but drawn up in a minute‡ and unsubscribed. But it is not so with such as live under the drop of the Gospel; for Jesus Christ has formed the contract, and has written it, and ye know that a contract serves for nothing except it be subscribed by both parties. Our dear Jesus, to His great charges, subscribed the contract at the expense of His precious blood. Now, in the summer of the Gospel, He offers it to you this day; and there is His word for it, Isaiah 61:1, 2. Will ye consent and obey? The contract says in the general, "He that believes has life everlasting;" and in the word and sacraments the Lord comes to the conscience of every man in particular and says, "Wilt thou believe? Will ye quit yourselves and be Christ's wholly?" So there remains nothing, beloved, but that ye say, "Amen" to your Lord. I pray now, in this summer, give to Christ a good answer. So then, ye see, when the word of the Gospel is preached ye are obliged in a special manner to come to Christ.

This doctrine doth, in a special manner, strike against secure sluggards, and such as contemn the Gospel. A man that sins against the law, has indeed God's justice as a contrary advocate to plead against him; yet even in this case he has an advocate with God, even God's mercy, and that pleads for him, and requests Jesus Christ to take upon Him to be his mediator. But if a man close his ears at Christ's voice, in the Gospel, and sleep in summer when Christ calls upon him, and sin against the Mediator, and trample under foot the blood of the new covenant; both mercy and justice doth plead against him. And, therefore, he that sins against the law, justice is but angry at him; but he that sins against the Gospel, justice pursues him in wrath, and the very mercy of God is angry, and cries, "No mercy for that man, that sins under the sunshine, and summer tide of the Gospel." And this is righteousness with God. The Gospel cries mercy once, twice, thrice; these be the sweet and comfortable "O yeses,"* proclaimed upon the cross of Christ, viz.: "Mercy, mercy, mercy, to sinners!" With a loud voice, the Gospel cries this at the third hour, and the sixth, and at the eleventh hour, at the very striking of twelve, at the very going down of the sun, at supper time. But doth Chorazin and Bethsaida, England and Scotland, contemn this sweet voice? In God's righteousness and judgments, they shall never see another summer. When Lammas-wind† blows and summer is gone, a doleful winter of wrath, and all devouring fire of the anger and judgment of God, shall come. A man that has but one eye should keep that well. We have all sinned against God's justice; nothing remains as our eye to see God but through the prospect of His mercy. If we lose mercy, we are gone. In the first covenant, God takes man's word without a cautioner; in the second covenant Jesus became a cautioner: if we sin against our cautioner, and cast out with our advocate, offering Himself to us, we have none to speak for us. A man that cannot agree with Christ, he will agree with none; for without Him there is no access to God, for "He is the way, the truth, and the life."

"The flowers appear on the earth."—It is time now that we enter upon some directions upon the particular‡ evidences, signs, and marks of summer. The first sign is the appearance of flowers upon the earth; by which I understand, the holy lives of the saints, which are beautiful in the eyes of Jesus, as the flowers in summer are beautiful in the fields and gardens. "Israel shall blossom and bud as a rose, and fill the face of the world" (Isaiah 27:6). "And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth" (Psalm 72:16). "He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon" (Hosea 14:5). The Church is God's garden, and plot of ground, and He Himself sets flowers in it, by the ministry of the word. Here there is a mark of the true Church of God, that the word is accompanied by the effectual working of God's Spirit, that sweet-smelled flowers grow in this plot of ground, in the garden of the word. Will ye know what makes the Lord's flowers fruitful in His vineyard? There be these four things that makes all Christians fruitful in it. 1. The Father's husbandry; He is a good husbandman, if any man be set by Him he must grow. 2. Christ is a piece of fertile ground: He brings forth a hundred bolls for one. If once a flower be planted in Christ, he draws life from Christ: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection" (Rom 6:5). All that grows fruitfully to God must be planted in the death of Christ; for when Christ died, He was sown and planted in the earth, and the third day He came above the earth and budded. So our body of sin is sown in the body of Christ, and the third day the image of God buds up again. So it is our engrafting into Christ makes us fruitful, "I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). But, beloved, there be two things in an engrafting. 1. The imps* to be engrafted must be cut off their own stock, and imped in another; so we must be cut off old Adam, and must be engrafted in Christ Jesus. 2. Then, again, the stock in which the graft is set must be cutted and branched; for we were not planted into living Christ, but into crucified Christ! O! but our stock, Christ, was fearfully cutted and branched! He was cloven and hagged in body and soul, and we, the Lord's flowers, are imped in cutted and bleeding Jesus to draw life out of His death.

3. Abundance of rain makes flowers to grow. We are watered, and washed with the purging blood, and cleansing water, that came out of the side of Jesus.

4. Flowers must have sweet, wholesome air that will make them grow. The sweet worthiness* of God's Spirit rebuking the conscience for sin, and the sweet south wind of the same Spirit comforting the soul, blows upon God's flowers. What then makes so many stinking weeds in our land, so that God may say, as He said of the people in Micah 7:4, "The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge?" Pride has blossomed, "violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness" (Ezek. 7:11). "Judgment springeth up as a hemlock in the furrows of the field" (Hosea 10:4). Even here is the cause; men are not planted in Christ, but grow wild upon the mountains of the earth like nettles and thorns. And gain is a flower that smells sweet to many sorts of people; the inordinate pleasures of sin, oppression, covetousness, bloodshed, lust, &c., so that Christ must run out of His garden for the filthy smell of the weeds that grow in it.

"The time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."—The turtle is a mourning fowl, and is especially so after she has lost her mate. This voice is heard in the Church uttered by repenting sinners with tears. Alas! we have all lost our marrow by our sins; we have lost God. And this is Christ's music in the Church, singing and mourning,* mercy and judgment. Christ is our sweet Nightingale, that, in the time of the Gospel, sings sweetly. Wisdom sings without in the streets; for the evangel is Christ's love-song compiled by Himself, and the matter of it is how a Prince came from heaven to suit† a wife, and He loved her so dearly, that He lay down on the hard tree of a cursed cross, and died for His love, and thereafter lived again, and married her, a beloved dame. Now, when Christ is singing, rejoice at the glad tidings of mercy and salvation; be won with Christ's sweet music. The silly fowl is deceived and taken by the deceiving fowler's voice, which draws her to the net, where she is taken and slain. O! that we cannot be moved with the pleasant voice of Jesus, to be taken as captives, rendering ourselves over to Him. Jesus Christ also in the Gospel does mourn over us, and speaks of judgment with tears, as He did over Jerusalem (Luke 19:42), "If thou hadst known, in this thy day, but now they are hid from thine eyes." Beloved friends, that hear the Gospel, must have a soft heart to it, and not rejoice when Christ laments, and to pipe when Christ pipeth: because where neither mercy nor judgment will move a people, the heart is like a stone that will not receive the stamp.

"The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell."—The last mark of the summer of the Gospel is, that the fig-tree abounds unto fruits, which smell well unto God through Jesus Christ. This is conveniently casten in to us as the mark of the spouse of Christ; she is fruitful in good works. Faith cannot want holiness of life. "If any man will love Me, he will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8). "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ" (Phil. 1:27). When God's children are once planted in Christ, they begin then to bud. When Matthew was converted, he followed Christ; he made a feast to Christ, there is his bounty; he invited the publicans and sinners to Christ, there is his charity. So Job feared God, and eschewed evil. Cornelius prayed, and, with his prayers, his alms-deeds ascended up to heaven. Dorcas was a disciple full of good works. Many are disciples in profession, but they are empty vessels, and God has laid upon them the curse of the fig-tree. They are reprobate to good works. God, in His righteous judgment, has said to them, "Never man ripe* fruit of thee while the world standeth. Thou shalt never have grace to do a good turn in the Church of God." Many in our day profess Christ, and give up their names to Christ, and put their hand to our Lord's charter, and yet are not Christ's. They have made shipwreck of the faith, and a good conscience. Like men that after they have sold their lands in such a place, and subscribed the bargain, then they have no more but a naked title; so when we are going out of the world, we may take nothing with us; death, as master porter, waits at the entry of the grave, and takes all from us. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them."

"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."—Our Lord doubles the exhortation, arise and come away, and it teaches us that—

1. Our Lord allows not to His children one hour's sleep. When He calls us forth to watch, He bids us watch continually. He lets us see how ready we are to fall asleep. When the Lord turns His back upon us, our hearts are like the paces* of a clock, that must be drawn up every six hours; we are down upon this earth; except the Lord draw the paces of our hearts.

2. Our Lord would have present obedience. As soon as Christ said to Zaccheus, "Come down," he came down hastily, and when our Lord bade Matthew follow Him, he stayed not to tell his money, nor mark it in his count-books, but came presently (Luke 5:28).

3. The doubling of this exhortation notes the earnestness of Jesus, to have the spouse's company. Christ has fair weather and walks in pleasant fields, yet He thinks He has no pleasure except He have His church in His company. O! so† serious as God is in the conversion of a sinner! He comes out in the street, "and crieth upon the high places of the city" (Prov. 9:3); like a man that sees a town on fire, urging his hands, and shouting to this sleepy world, seeing the wrath that is coming on them, and he has both prayers and tears, (Luke 19:42). "We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). My dear sons, I pray for you to my Lord Jesus; He is saying, For My blood, and My wounds' sake, come. It is no marvel Christ hath a count‡above His head as Mediator, for as Mediator the Father has given the church to His keeping, and it is one part of the Mediator's calling to render a reckoning for His kingdom, and His subjects to His Father; that He may say, Father, there is the roll of all the names, all are there, I have lost none; and we shall all stand with Jesus at His back. Now, when Jesus has this reckoning to make, and God has His bond as cautioner of the covenant, it is no wonder that He cry oftener nor* once, twice, or thrice upon His church. For it goes this way betwixt the Father and the Son; the Father disposes and resigns so many to the Son. Says the Father, Son, I deliver such a man and such a woman, keep them and answer for them; and Jesus gives His bond for the receipt of them. Says Christ, "I, Jesus, Mediator of the new covenant, grant that I have received of My Father, so many children, and bind and oblige Myself to restore them all at the return of the last judgment." John 17:6–12, "Thine they were, and thou gavest them Me; those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost." John 6:37, 39, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out; but shall raise it up at the last day." Now from this count lying on Christ's head proceeds His earnestness in calling His church to come, crying, O come in! holding out His arms, which is a painful thing. "I have spread out My hands all the day to a rebellious people" (Isa. 65:2). In wishing, Deut. 5:29, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments." John 8:37, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." This is a singular comfort to a weak child of God, that has a true desire to come to Christ Jesus, and rise and forsake the world; Christ has also an earnest desire that we should come, and if we would seek Him, with earnest desires, the marriage must holds ye would do Christ a pleasure this day if ye would rise, He prays you; My brethren (says He) for My blood's sake, be reconciled to Me!

O! but our Lord would like to be in when He stands, when He knocks at the door saying, "My fair one!" This is an ordinary epithet, given by Christ through all this song to His church, that she is called fair, pleasant, and comely. Once for all in this place we shall expound it; she in herself is black like the moon, spotted like the leopard, but she is fair, because of His inherent fairness, with the washing of water by the word (Eph. 5:26, 27). But we must dig somewhat further in to seek the cause of this beauty. Ezek. 16:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, "Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness, yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest Mine; then washed I thee with water, yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil; I clothed thee also with embroidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk; I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chain on thy neck: and I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, honey, and oil, and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom; and thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God." The Lord's washing is the cause of her fairness; or rather it is Christ's fairness, that makes us fair. Christ is two ways fair, and clean: one way as God equal with the Father, and Holy Spirit, and so He is all beauty; another way as He is Mediator, and so He borrowed our spots, and took upon Him our sins, yea, He went into the wine press of the Father's wrath, and there did free Himself and us of the blot of our sins. He being our head come out clean and beautiful, through His perfect comeliness (Ezek. 16:14). He puts on us this beauty; then, it is our Lord's righteousness wherewith we are beautiful, and righteous in the sight of God.

But because this beauty is scorned by the Church of Rome, I will labour to show you how Christ's righteousness is ours. I observe two times when we are justified before God, and set free from the condemning power of the law as a covenant of works.

1. When Christ died and rose again for our justification.

2. When we believe in Christ dying and rising again, and resting and relying upon Him alone for salvation.

When Christ was summoned, judged, and condemned, we also were summoned, judged, and condemned in Him. And as Christ ended the work and came out a free man from hell, the grave, Satan, and sin, we came out also with Him, for we are one with Him; for Christ and we are one. Now, that day that Christ digged the well that made us all clean, He purchased to us His beauty, His comeliness, and His innocency. That day upon the cross, in the garden, and in the grave, Christ did spin that long white robe of His righteousness, and innocency, to be a garment to us all. He has fair velvets beside Him to cover all the elect. Before we were born, Christ made new garments for us; that was the day when our righteousness was bought. Christ had all the elect's sins bound on His back, and God looking to us could see no sin, and looking to Christ rising from the dead, and having left our sins in the grave behind Him, God could see sin neither in Him nor in us. He could not challenge Christ, for He had died and risen again; He could not challenge the elect, for Christ had suffered for them, and risen for them. As Adam was our murderer by eating the forbidden fruit, before he was our father, and made us guilty before we were born; so Jesus saved us ere we who now live were born; and had righteousness ready, as one has a garment shapen and made for a child that is not yet born. But there is another court, which is the judgment and court-hall of conscience, wherein conscience does accuse us as guilty sinners, and sets up a tribunal in the soul, and reads the book of the law, and makes the poor sinner see he is under God's curse and God's wrath. Here the child of God is feared to look God in the face, for fear God see sin in him, and see his filthy raggedness; and therefore he runs to the cross of Christ, and there puts on a garment of Christ's righteousness. The apostle says, Romans 3:25, that "God set forth" Christ (as in an open market place) "to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Christ is even the Lord's wardrobe (to speak so) to all poor sinners that come to Christ for a garment or clothes washen in our Lord's blood. Wash ye, then, in that blood, and God cannot see through that garment which makes a sinner so comely and fair that Jesus has reason to call her His "love" and His "fair one."

Use 1. Beloved, who knows how long and how large the web of Christ's righteousness is? We will be all summoned one day before the Judge that He may see us, and if we come not before Him in good apparel, it is Death. Now our own garments are ragged and torn, let us borrow from Christ, and above all things labour for His righteousness.

Use 2. If we speak of God's dealings with the consciences of men, many Christians wonder why God should deal with them so at the last court of the general judgment, to make them see their sins, and cause their consciences to convict and summon, when in the meantime, that day that Christ died, their debt was paid, their bill was answered, and the Judge appeased, and all paid and scored out. Answer. As it is known that some men are never sure of their inheritance until their rights be called in question before the judge, and then they get an absolution, and their rights made sure: so it is good our consciences should summon us before God, for by this means we get a decree of absolution or absolviture,* so that at the last court of the general judgment, we may say to God, Lord, remember such a day that I was by my conscience summoned before Thee, but before I went home Thy Spirit assured my conscience of the forgiveness of my sins, and Christ by His Spirit did write an absolution in my heart. "Indeed (Christ says) I cannot deny My own hand-write;" and when the Spirit is called, He cannot but say, "I will not deny the truth, it was so indeed." And when the Judge's count-book* is looked, all is fair scored out, and paid, that day that Christ died. Yet the Christian has need daily to be going to the blood of Christ to get his sins washed away.

"Arise and come."—This coming is faith. This rising is a setting of the heart up to heaven, where Christ is at God's right hand. And these are fitly conjoined together. We see faith will not suffer a man to sleep, but draws the soul upwards. Abraham was a man like us; yet that made him never to seek a settled dwelling in the earth, he looked to a city with an eye of faith, for a city that has a foundation. So Moses' faith is commended, Heb. 11:24, 25, 26. He was no earthly-minded man, he made small estimation to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and to play the courtier. The word signifies that he looked away from that; faith set his face to a contrary point of the compass, where he looked to the recompense of the reward. The like we see in the thief at Christ's right hand; he had no mind to this life, as the other had, who esteemed it his happiness to come down from the cross. So then, I make great question if a worldly-minded man has faith, for the love of the world is a lying upon the dust of the earth, but faith is a rising and coming to Christ. See Heb. 10:34, 35, "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."

To God be praise, both now and for ever more!

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Fourteen Communion Sermons by A. W. Pink, Copyright © 2018

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