18. THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON

THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.—Song of Solomon 5:16.

Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee? My beloved is gone down, &c.—Song of Solomon 6:1-2. BY this time the church hath well quit herself in that safe subject, commending her beloved; first in general, and then in particular. She affirms in effect, there was none like him in general; which she after makes good, in all the particulars of her description. Now she sums up all with a kind of superabundant expression. What shall I say more of him? if that which is said be not enough, then know farther, he is altogether lovely. There were no end to go through all his perfections; but look on him wholly, ’he is altogether lovely,’ and therefore deserves my love. So that there is no cause why you should wonder at the strength of my affections, and care to find out this my beloved and this my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. Thus we see how the pitch of an enlightened soul is bent. It aspires to things suitable to itself; to God-wards; to union and communion with Christ; to supernatural objects. Nothing here below is worthy the name of its beloved. It fastens not on earthly, base things. But this is my beloved, and this is my friend, this so excellent a person, this Jedidiah,* this beloved Son, this judge of all, Lord of all, this chief of ten thousand. Here the church pitches her affections, which she conceals, not as ashamed thereof, but in a kind of triumphing, boasting of her choice. She concludes all with a kind of resolute assurance, that the object of this her choice is far beyond all comparison.

’This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.’ Which is the closing up of her commendations of Christ. ’This is my beloved, and this my friend,’ &c. Which shall only be touched, because we had occasion to speak thereof before. She calls Christ her beloved. Howsoever he had withdrawn himself in regard of the comfort and communion she had with him before, yet he is her beloved still. That which is specially to be stood upon is, that the church here doth set out not only in parcels, but in general, her beloved Christ. This is my beloved. She doth, as it were, boast in her beloved. Whence observe: A Christian soul seems to glory as it were in Christ.

’This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.’ But to unfold more fully this point, there be three or four ends why the church thus stands upon the expression of the excellencies of Christ, in particular and in general.

1. The one, to shew that it is most just that she should love and respect him in whom there is all this to deserve love. Both in himself, in regard of his own excellencies, so, and in relation to us, in regard of his merits and deserts.

2. Secondly, to justify her large affections before the world and all opposites. For the world thinks, what mean these who are called Christians to haunt the exercises of religion, to spend so much time in good things? They wonder at it for want of better information. Now the church here, to justify her large expressions, says, ’This is my beloved, this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.’

3. And not only to justify, but likewise to glory therein, as you have it, Psalms 44:8. The church there boasts of God, ’I will make my boast of thee all the day long.’ So that Christians may not only justify their course of life against enemies, but in some sort boast of Christ, as Paul oft doth. And he shews the reason of it, that God hath made Christ to us all in all, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30, that whosoever glorieth might glory in the Lord, ver. 31. For it is not a matter of glorying in the church when she hath such a head and such a husband. ’This is my beloved.’ The wife shines in the beams of her husband. Therefore this yields matter not only of justification but of glory.

4. And next, in the fourth place, the church is thus large and shuts up all with a repetition, ’This is my beloved,’ to enlarge her own affections and to feed our own love. For love feeds upon this fuel, as it were; upon expressions and meditations of the person or thing loved. Love is, as it were, wages of itself. The pains it takes is gain to itself. To the church here, it is an argument pleasing. She dilates upon a copious theme. I may truly say there is no greater comfort to a Christian, nor a readier way to enlarge the affections after Christ, than to speak oft of the excellencies of Christ; to have his tongue as the pen of a ready writer furnished this way, ’This is my beloved,’ &c.

5. In the fifth place, another end of this may be, to aggravate her own shame, as indeed God’s children are much in this argument; that upon their second thoughts of Christ’s worthiness, and therewithal reflecting upon their own unworthiness and unkindness, they may relish Christ the better. Therefore the church here, that it might appear to herself, for her humiliation, how unkind she had been to shut the door against Christ when he knocked (whereupon he deservedly did withdraw himself, and made her seek him so long sorrowing), I tell you, says she, what a kind of beloved he is, thus and thus excellent. How did the consideration of God’s kindness and love melt David’s heart after that horrible sin in the matter of Uriah, 2 Samuel 12:13; and the sweet looks of Christ upon Peter, Matthew 26:75, that had been so unkind, melted him. So here the church, when she considered how unkind she had been to Christ her beloved, so incomparably excellent above other beloveds, to let him stand at the door, till his locks were wet with the dew of the night, the consideration hereof made her ashamed of herself. What! so excellent, so deserving a person as my beloved is to me, to be used of me so! what indignity is this! Thus to raise up the aggravation of her unkindness, no question but the church takes this course. For God’s children are not as untoward worldlings and hypocrites, afraid to search and to understand themselves. The child of God loves to be well read in his own heart and unworthy ways. Therefore he lays all the blame he can upon himself every way. He knows he loseth nothing by this; for there is more mercy in Christ than there is sin in him. And the more sin abounds in his own feeling, the more grace shall abound. He knows the mystery of God’s carriage in this kind. Therefore for this end, amongst the rest, she says, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend,’ whom I have so unkindly used.

6. And the last reason why the church is thus large was, to draw and wind up the affections of those well-meaning Christians that were comers on, who were inquisitive of the way to Zion. O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that you may know that there is some cause to seek after Christ more than you have done before, I tell you what an excellent person my beloved is; to whet their affections more and more. And we see the success of this excellent discourse in the beginning of the next chapter. ’Whither is thy beloved gone?’ &c.

These and the like reasons there are of the large expressions of the church, of the excellencies of Christ. ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.’ But we will single out of these reasons for use, that which I think fittest for us to make use of.

Let us then oft think of the excellencies of Christ for this end, to justify our endeavours and pains we take in the exercises of religion, and to justify God’s people from the false imputations of the world, that they lay upon them; as if they were negligent in other matters, and were too much busied in spiritual things. You see how large the church is in setting out the excellencies of her beloved, and then she shuts up all (being able to say no more) justifying our cause, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend.’ Do you wonder that I seek so much after him then? or wonder you at Christians, when they take such pains to keep their communion with Christ in a holy walking with, and depending upon God? These are no wonders, if you consider how excellent Christ is, what he hath done for us, and what he keeps for us in another world? that he will preserve us to his heavenly kingdom, till he put us into possession of that glorious condition that he hath purchased? Let the hearts of men dwell upon the consideration of these things, and then you shall see that God’s children are rather to be blamed that they are no more careful, watchful, and industrious, than to be taxed that they are so much. Our Saviour Christ said, ’Wisdom is justified of all her children,’ Matthew 11:19. If you will make good that you are children of wisdom, you must be able to justify the wisdom of God every way, to justify your reading, hearing, your communion of saints; to justify all the exercises of religion from an experimental taste and sweetness of them, as the church doth here, ’This is my beloved.’ What says Joshua? ’This choice I have made; do you what you will, it matters me not, but I and my house will serve the Lord,’ Joshua 24:15. So Paul makes a voluntary profession of his affection, Romans 1:2, ’I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.’ Let the gospel be entertained in the world as it will, and let others think of me as they will, that I am forward in the preaching of it; I am not ashamed of it. And good reason he had not to be ashamed; for it is the power of God to salvation, to all that believe; yea the saving power to us. And have not I cause to stand in the defence of it? And so he saith, ’I know whom I have believed,’ &c., 2 Timothy 1:12. I am not ashamed to suffer bonds for his sake. Though the world thought him a mean person, ’I will not be scorned out of my faith and religion by shallow, empty persons, that know not what Christ and religion meaneth.’ No; ’I know whom I have believed; he is able to keep that that I have committed to him against that day.’ Let us therefore be able to justify from a judicious apprehension, sweet divine truths. You see what justifications there are of the church of God, ’Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?’ Micah 7:10, and Psalms 42:10. Oh, it went to David’s heart, when they said, ’Where is now their God,’ ’What was become of his God,’ when he was left in trouble, as the church here. And what doth he answer? Doth he let it go with a question? No, says he; our God is in heaven, Psalms 113:4, and hath done whatsoever he pleased. And this justification of religion, you may know by this sign. It is with the desertion of all discourses opposite to religion whatsoever. He that justifies the truth, he esteems meanly of other courses and discourses. Therefore in the next verse the church vilifies the idols. Our God is in heaven, and doth whatsoever he pleaseth; the idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands: they have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, Psalms 115:6. And the more we justify Christ, the more we will be against antichrist and his religion. We may know the owning of the one truth by the vilifying the other. Let us labour therefore to grow to such a convincing knowledge of Christ; the good things in him; and the ways of God, as we may be able to stand out against all opposition of the gates of hell whatsoever. And to this end proceed in the study of Christ, and to a deeper search of him, and of the excellencies and good things in him, that we may say as Micah 7:18, ’Who is a God like to thee, that pardons sins and iniquities?’ and as David, Psalms 113, ’Who is a God like our God, that humbleth himself to behold the things done here below?’ And desire also to this purpose, the spirit of revelation, that which Paul prays for, Ephesians 3:18, ’that we may know that knowledge that is above all knowledge, the height, depth, and breadth of God’s love in Christ.’ So sweet is God in the greatest abasements of his children, that he leaves such a taste in the soul of a Christian, that from thence he may be able to say, ’This is my beloved,’ when his beloved seems not to care for him. When the church seemed to be disrespected and neglected of Christ, yet she says, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.’ Shall rich men boast of their riches? Shall men that are in favour, boast of the favour of great persons? Shall a man that hath large possessions boast and think himself as good and as great as his estate is? Shall a base-minded worldling be able to boast? ’Why boastest thou thyself, O mighty man?’ Psalms 52:1. Nay, you shall have malignant-spirited men boast of their malignant destructive power. I can do this and that mischief. Shall a man boast of mischief, that he is able to do mischief? and hath not a Christian more cause to boast in God and in salvation? Lord, shine on me, says David, Psalms 4:6, let me enjoy the light of thy countenance; and that shall bring me more joy than they have, when their corn and wine increaseth. Know this, as he goes an in the same psalm, that God accepts the righteous man.

Therefore let us think we have much more cause to boast of God and of Christ in a spiritual manner, than the worldling hath of the world. Is not God and Christ our portion? and having Christ, have we not all things with Christ? Put case all things be took from us. If a man have Christ, he is rich though he have nothing else. If he have all without him, his plenty is (as a father saith, and as it is in truth) beggary. But whosoever hath Christ may thus rejoice with David, ’The lot is fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage,’ Psalms 16:6. Would we have more than God in Christ, a ring with a diamond very precious in it? Now the daughters of Jerusalem, hearing this large expression of affection, ask,

’Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee,’ chap. 6:1.

Here is another question. The first which the daughters of Jerusalem ask is, ’What is thy beloved?’ whereupon the church took occasion to express what her beloved was: upon her expression closing up all with this general, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend.’

Then the second question is, ’Whither is thy beloved gone?’ One question begets another; and indeed if this question be well satisfied, what is Christ above others? this will follow again. Where is he? How shall I get him? How shall I seek him? What is the reason this second question is seldom made? Whither is he gone? how shall I get Christ? Because the former question, namely, ’What is Christ? is so seldom made. For if we did once know what Christ is, we would be sure with the daughters of Jerusalem to ask whither is he gone, that we may seek him with thee.

We see here is a growth in the desires of the daughters of Jerusalem, whence we learn, That grace, though it be in never so little proportion at the first, it is growing still. From the first question, ’What is thy beloved?’ here is a second, upon better information, ’Whither is thy beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee?’ Nothing is less than grace at the first, nothing in the world so little in proportion. The kingdom of heaven is compared to a grain of mustard seed, Matthew 13:31, seq. That is, the work of grace in the heart, as well as in the preaching of the gospel, in the beginning is little. It is true of the work of grace, as well as of the word of grace, that it is like a grain of mustard seed at first. ’What is thy beloved?’ inquires the church at first; but when she hears of the excellency of Christ, then, ’Whither is thy beloved gone?’ Grace begets grace. There is a connection and knitting together in religion. Good things beget good things. It is a strange thing in religion how great a matter ariseth of a little beginning. The woman of Samaria had but a small beginning of grace, and yet she presently drew many of her neighbours to believe in Christ. So Andrew, John 1:41. As soon as he was converted, he finds his brother Simon, and tells him that he had found the Messiah, and so brings him to Christ. And Philip, as soon as he had got a spark of faith himself, he draws also Nathanael to come to Christ. Paul speaks of his bonds, how the noise of them was in Cæsar’s court, Philip. 1:13, and many believed the very report, which, howsoever it is not a working cause, yet it may be a preparing, inducing, leading cause to such things, from one thing to another, till there follow this change and full conversion. You see here the daughters of Jerusalem growing. Therefore, let us labour to be under good means. Some of the Romists and others, which are ill affected and grounded in that point, they think that the efficacy of grace is, as we call it, from the congruity, fitness, and proportion of the means to the heart and will of man. And thereupon God converts one and not another, because there is a congruous and fit offering of means to him when he is fitly disposed, and another is not fitly disposed. Therefore, there follows not upon it effectual calling. So that the virtue of the means offered depends upon suitableness and fitness in the party to whom the means are offered, and not upon the power and blessing of God. Verily, this is plausible, and goes down very roundly with many weak persons; but this is a false and a gross error, for unless God by his Holy Spirit do work by the means, no planting and watering will bring any increase, and change the heart and mind. Though there were greater means in Christ’s time when he wrought these miracles, than any time before, yet all those could not convert that froward generation; and it was Moses’s complaint in the wilderness, where they had abundance of means, ’God hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear until this day,’ Deuteronomy 29:4. When a man is planted under good means and frequents them, then ordinarily it pleaseth God, by the inward workings of his own powerful Spirit, to work greater matters; and those that keep out of God’s reach, that will not come into places where they may hear good things, there is no hope of them. Though there be many ill fish in the net, yet there is no hope to catch them that are without the net. So those that are kept out of all opportunities and occasions whereby God’s Spirit may work upon them, there is no hope of them.

Let us learn this heavenly wisdom, to advantage ourselves this way, by improving all good opportunities whatsoever whereby we may learn; for God works by outward means. Good company and good discourse, these breed excellent thoughts. As, therefore, we love our souls, take all advantages wherein the Spirit of God works. We shall find incredible fruit thereof, more than we would believe. But to come to the question.

1. See here, first of all, in this question the blessed success of the church’s inquiry after Christ in the daughters of Jerusalem after they heard the large explications of the excellencies of Christ, especially by the church, whom they had a good conceit of, for they call her ’the fairest among women.’ And seeing, likewise, the confidence of the church, she stands to it, ’This is my beloved;’ yea, also, eagerness in the church to seek after him, they would seek him with her. So that where these meet, a large unfolding of the truth of God, and that by persons that are known to be good, well accepted, and conceited of, and where there is a large demonstration of real affection, and the things are spoken of with confidence, as knowing what they say; the word, I say, so managed, it is never without wondrous success.

(1.) For in the course of reason, what can I have to say, considering the party who speaks is an excellent person? He is wiser and holier than I; he takes to heart these things; and shall not I affect that which those that have better parts and graces do?

(2.) Then, withal, I see not only excellent persons do it, but I see how earnest they are. Surely there is some matter in it; for persons so holy, so wise, and gracious to be so earnest, surely either they are to blame, or I am too dull and too dead; but I have most cause to suspect myself.

(3.) And to see them carried with a spirit of confidence, as if they were well enough advised when they deliver this, ’This is my beloved,’ in particular, and then to shut up all in general, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend;’ I say, when there is grace and life in the heart, and earnestness with confidence, this, together with the explication of the heavenly excellencies of Christ and of religion, it hath admirable success. As here in the church, ’the fairest among women,’ the ’daughters of Jerusalem,’ seeing the church was so earnest, confident, and so large in the explication of the excellencies of Christ, see how it works. It draws out this question with resolution. They join with the church in seeking Christ, ’Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.’ Where by the way observe, as the church before doubles it, ’This is my beloved, and this is my friend,’ so they answer with a double question, ’Whither is thy beloved gone? whither is he turned aside? O thou fairest among women,’ &c. From this appellation note,

2. If we would be happy instruments to convert others, being converted ourselves, labour to be such as the world may think to be good and gracious. ’O thou fairest among women,’ fair in the robes of Christ took* out of his wardrobe. All the beauty and ornaments that the church hath she hath from Christ. Let us labour to be such as the world may conceit are good persons. We say of physicians, when the patient hath a good conceit of them, the cure is half wrought. So the doctrine is half persuaded when there is a good conceit of the speaker.

3. Again, labour to be earnest. If we would kindle others, we must be warmed ourselves; if we would make others weep, we must weep ourselves. Naturalists could observe this. The church spake this with large expressions, indeed, more than can be expressed. Let us labour to be deeply affected with what we speak, and speak with confidence as if we knew what we spoke, as the apostle John doth, in the beginning of his epistle, to bring others to be better persuaded of his doctrine. He affirmeth ’that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with these our eyes, which we have looked upon, and these hands of ours have handled of the word of life’ he delivered to them, 1 John 1:1. For when we are confident from spiritual experience, it is wonderful how we shall be instruments of God to gain upon others. So Peter. ’We followed not,’ says he, ’deceivable fables, when we opened unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but with our eyes we saw his majesty,’ 2 Peter 1:16. Do not think it belongs only to the ministry. There is an art of conversion that belongs to every one that is a grown Christian, to win others.

’Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?’ The next observation out of the words, because it is the especial, which works upon the daughters of Jerusalem, is from the large explication of Christ. That which most of all stirs up holy affections to search after Christ is the large explications of his excellencies.

Then be in love with the ministry of the gospel and the communion of saints, who have their tongues and their hearts taught of God to speak excellently. Their tongues are as refined silver; their hearts are enriched to increase the communion of saints, Proverbs 10:20. Mark this one excellency of that excellent ordinance of God in Christ, whereof Paul saith, Ephesians 3:7-8, ’To me is committed this excellent office, to lay open the unsearchable riches of Christ;’ such riches as may draw you to wonder, such ’as eye hath never seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive,’ 1 Corinthians 2:9; and so to draw the affections of people after them. And because it is the special office of the ministry to lay Him open, to hold up the tapestry, to unfold the hidden mysteries of Christ, labour we, therefore, to be alway speaking somewhat about Christ, or tending that way. When we speak of the law, let it drive us to Christ; when of moral duties, to teach us to walk worthy of Christ. Christ, or somewhat tending to Christ, should be our theme and mark to aim at.

Therefore what shall we judge of those that are hinderers of this glorious ordinance of Christ in the gospel? They are enemies of conversion and of the calling of God’s people; enemies of their comfort. And what shall we think of those wretched and miserable creatures that, like Cain, are vagabonds? who wander, and will not submit themselves to any ordinance meekly, but keep themselves out of this blessed opportunity of hearing the excellencies of Christ, which might draw their hearts to him? We are made for ever, if Christ and we be one. If we have all the world without him, it is nothing; if we have nothing in the world but Christ, we are happy. Oh! happy then when this match is made between Christ and the soul! The friends of the bride and of Christ, they, laying open the unsearchable riches of Christ to the spouse, draw the affections, work faith, and so bring the bride and the bridegroom together.

Thus far of the question. Now we have the church’s answer to the daughters of Jerusalem.

’My beloved is gone into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.’ The question was not for a bare satisfaction, but from a desire the church had to seek Christ. ’Whither is thy beloved gone, that we may seek him?’ It was not a curious question, but a question of inquisition tending to practice. Many are inquisitive; but when they know another man’s meaning, it is all they desire. Now I know your meaning, will they say, but I mean not to follow your counsel. The daughters of Jerusalem had a more sincere intention, ’O thou fairest among women, whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.’ Whereunto the church answered, ’My beloved is gone into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens.’ Where we see, The church is not squeamish, but directly answers to the question. For there is no envy in spiritual things, because they may be divided in solidum. One may have as much as another, and all alike. Envy is not in those things that are not divisible; in other things, the more one hath, another hath the less. But there is no envy in grace and glory, because all may share alike. Therefore here is no envy in the answer, as if she denied the daughters of Jerusalem the enjoying of her beloved. No. If you will know, says she, I will tell you directly whither my beloved is gone.

’My beloved is gone into his garden, to the bed of spices,’ &c.

God hath two gardens. The church catholic is his garden, and every particular church are gardens and beds of spices, in regard that many Christians are sown there that Christ’s soul delights in, as in sweet spices. This was spoken of before at large in chapter 5:1, why the church is called a garden, being a severed place from the waste.* The church is severed from the wilderness of the world in God’s care and love; likewise he tends and weeds his church and garden. As for the waste of the world, he is content the wilderness should have barren plants, but he will not endure such in his garden. Therefore those that give themselves liberty to be naught in the church of God, he will have a time to root them out. Trees that are not for fruit shall be for the fire; and above all other trees their doom shall be the heaviest that grow in God’s garden without fruit. That fig-tree shall be cursed, Luke 13:6-9.

Men are pleased with answering the bill of accusation against them thus: Are we not baptized? and do we not come to church? &c. What do you make of us? Yet they are abominable swearers, and filthy in their lives. To such I say, the more God hath lift you up and honoured you in the use of the means, the more just shall your damnation be, that you bring forth nothing but briers and brambles, Hebrews 6:4, seq., the grapes of Sodom and the vine of Gomorrah, Deuteronomy 32:32. Heavy will the doom be of many that live in the church’s bosom, to whom it had been better to have been born in America (r), in Turkey, or in the most barbarous parts in the world. They have a heavy account to make that have been such ill proficients under abundance of means. Therefore it ought to be taken to heart.

’My beloved is gone into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.’ That is, having first planted them lilies here, to gather them, and to transport them out of the garden here to the garden in heaven, where there shall be nothing but lilies. For the church of God hath two gardens or paradises since the first paradise (whereof that was a resemblance), the paradise of the church and the paradise of heaven. As Christ saith to the good thief, ’This day thou shalt be with me in paradise,’ Luke 23:43; so those that are good plants in the paradise of the church, they shall be glorious plants also in the paradise of heaven. We must not alway be here; we shall change our soil, and be taken into heaven. ’He is gone into his garden to gather lilies.’

1. Christians are compared to lilies for their purity and whiteness, unspotted in justification; and for their endeavours in sanctity and holiness, wherein also at length they shall be wholly unspotted. It is the end they are chosen to, ’to be holy without blame before him in love,’ Ephesians 1:4. God and Christ looks upon them without blame, not as they are here defiled and spotted, but as they intend, by little and little, to purge and purify themselves by the Spirit that is in them, that they may be altogether without blame. They are lilies, being clothed with the white garment of Christ’s righteousness, not having a natural whiteness and purity (s). The whiteness and purity of God’s children is borrowed. All their beauty and garments are taken out of another’s wardrobe. The church is all glorious within; but she borrows her glory, as the moon borrows all her light from the sun. The church’s excellency is borrowed. It is her own, but by gift; but being once her own, it is her own for ever. The church before was likened to a garden culled out, an Eden, a paradise. Now there, you know, were four streams, sweet and goodly rivers, which watered paradise; the heads of which rivers were without it. So the church of God, her graces are her own; that is, the Spirit of God comes through her nature, purgeth and purifieth it; but the spring of those graces, as in paradise, is out of herself.

2. And then the lily is a tall, goodly plant. Therefore the church is compared to them. Other men are compared to thorns, not only for a noxious, hurtful quality in them, but for their baseness likewise. What are thorns good for, but to cumber the ground, to eat out the heart of it, to hide snakes, and for the fire? Wicked men are not lilies, but thorns. They are base, mean persons. Antiochus, Daniel 11:21, is said to be a vile person, though he were a king, because he was a naughty* man. Wicked men, though they be never so great, being void of the grace of God, are vile persons. Though we must respect them in regard of their places, yet as they are in their qualification, they are vile and base thorns. But the church is not so, but as a lily among thorns, that is, among vile and abominable persons.

Use 1. The use is to comfort God’s children. They have an excellency and glory in them, which, howsoever it is not from them, yet it is theirs by gift, and eternally theirs. Therefore let them comfort themselves against all the censures of sinful persons that labour to trample them under foot, and think basely and meanly of them, as of the offscouring of the world. Let the unworthy world think of them as they will, they are lilies in God’s esteem, and are so indeed; glorious persons that have the Spirit of glory resting upon them, 1 Peter 4:14, and whom the world is not worthy of, Hebrews 11:38, though their glory be within. Therefore let us glory in it, that God vouchsafeth saving grace to us above any other privilege.

Use 2. Again, it comforts us in all our wants whatsoever, that God will take care for us. Christ useth this argument. God saith, he clotheth the lilies of the field with an excellent beauty; he cares even for the meanest plants, and will he not take care for you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:29. Doth he care for lilies, that are to-day, and to-morrow are cast into the oven? and shall he not care for the lilies of paradise, the living lilies, those holy reasonable lilies? Undoubtedly he will. Our Saviour Christ’s reason is undeniable. He that puts such a beauty upon the poor plants, that flourish to-day in the morning, and wither before night; he that puts such a beauty upon the grass of the field; will he not put more excellency upon his children? will he not provide for them, feed them? Undoubtedly he will. Thus we have shewed why God’s children in the church of God are compared to lilies.

’To gather lilies.’ Christ is said to gather these lilies, that is, he will gather them together. Christ will not have his lilies alone, scattered. Though he leaves them oft alone for a while, yet he will gather them to congregations and churches. The name of a church in the original is Ecclesia (t). It is nothing but a company gathered out of the world. Do we think that we are lilies by nature? No; we are thorns and briers. God makes us lilies, and then gathers us to other lilies, that one may strengthen another. The Spirit of God in his children is not a spirit of separation of Christians from Christians, but a spirit of separation from the waste, wild wilderness of the world, as we say of fire, Congregat homogenea et disgregat heterogenea. It congregates all homogeneal things, as gold, which it gathers, but disgregates heterogeneal things, consumeth dross. So the Spirit of God severs thorns, and gathers lilies; gathers Christians together in the church, and will gather them for ever in heaven.

Thus we see the answer of the church to the daughters of Jerusalem, what it was, with the occasion thereof; the question of the daughters of Jerusalem, ’Whither is thy beloved gone?’ So that the church was beholden to the daughters of Jerusalem for ministering such a question, to give her occasion to know better what her beloved was. Indeed, we many times gain by weaker Christians. Good questions, though from weak ones, minister suitable answers. It is a Greek proverb, that ’doubting begets plenty and abundance,’ for doubting at the first begets resolution at last. O! that we could take occasion hence to think of this. What excellent virtue is in the communion of saints, when they meet about heavenly exercises! What a blessing follows when, though at the entry their affections may be flat and dull, yet they part not so! Christ heats and inflames their hearts to do much good to one another. O! those that shall for ever live together in heaven, should they not delight to live more together on earth? THE NINETEENTH SERMON I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he feedeth among the lilies.—Song of Solomon 6:3.

THESE words are a kind of triumphant acclamation upon all the former passages; as it were, the foot of the song. For when the church had spoken formerly of her ill-dealing with Christ, and how he thereupon absented himself from her, with many other passages, she shuts up all at last with this, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’

Now she begins to feel some comfort from Christ, who had estranged himself from her. O! saith she, notwithstanding all my sufferings, desertions, crosses, and the like, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ words expressing the wondrous comfort, joy, and contentment the church now had in Christ; having her heart inflamed with love unto him, upon his manifesting of himself to her soul. ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.’

There is a mutual intercourse and vicissitude of claiming interest betwixt Christ and his church. I am Christ’s, and Christ is mine. ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ From the dependence and order of the words coming in after a desertion for a while, observe, That Christ will not be long from his church. The spiritual desertions (forsakings, as we use to call them), howsoever they be very irksome to the church (that loves communion with Christ), and to a loving soul to be deprived of the sense of her beloved, yet notwithstanding they are but short. Christ will not be long from his church. His love and her desire will not let him. They offer violence. Why art thou absent? say they. Why art thou so far off, and hidest thyself? Joseph may conceal himself for a space, but he will have much ado so to hold long, to be straitened to his brethren. Passion will break out. So Christ may seem hard to be entreated, and to cross his own sweet disposition, as to the woman of Canaan, but he will not long keep at this distance. He is soon overcome. ’O! woman, great is thy faith; have what thou wilt,’ Matthew 15:28. When she strove with him a little (as faith is a striving grace), see how she did win upon him! So the angel and Jacob may strive for a while, but Jacob at the length proves Israel; he prevails with God, Genesis 32:24, seq. So it is with the Christian soul and Christ. Howsoever there be desertion, for causes before mentioned, because the church was negligent, as we hear, and partly for the time to come, that Christ, by his estrangement, might sweeten his coming again howsoever there may be strangeness for a time, yet Christ will return again to his spouse.

Use 1. The use should be not only for comfort to stay us in such times, but to teach us likewise to wait, and never give over. If the church had given over here, she had not had such gracious manifestations of Christ to her. Learn hence, therefore, this use, to wait God’s leisure. God will wait to do good to them that wait on him, Isaiah 30:18. If we wait his leisure, he will wait an opportunity of doing good to us. When God seems not to answer our prayers, let us yet wait. We shall not lose by our tarrying. He will wait to do us good.

Use 2. In the next place, observe, after this temporary desertion, Christ visits his church with more abundant comfort than ever before.

Now, the church cannot hold, ’My beloved is mine, and I am his;’ and Christ cannot hold, but falls into a large commendation of his spouse back again. As she was large in his commendations, so he is large in hers, and more large. He will have the last word. Therefore, learn by this experience, ’that all things work together for the best to them that love God,’ Romans 8:28. All things. What? evil? Ay, evil. Why, even sin turns to their humiliation; yea, and desertion (those spiritual ills), turns to their good; for Christ seems to forsake for a while, that he may come after with more abundance of comfort. When once he hath enlarged the soul before with a spacious desire of his coming, to say, O! that he would come; when the soul is thus stretched with desire in the sense of want, then he fills it again till it burst forth, ’My beloved is mine, and I am his.’ It was a good experiment of Bernard, an holy man in ill times, tibi accidit, &c., speaking of Christ’s dealing with his church. He comes and he goeth away for thy good. He comes for thy good to comfort thee; after which, if thou be not careful to maintain communion with him, then he goeth away for thy good, to correct thy error, and to enlarge thy desire of him again, to teach thee to lay sure and faster hold upon him when thou hast him, not to let him go again.

If you would see a parallel place to this, look in Song of Solomon 3, where there is the like case of the spouse and Christ, ’By night on my bed I sought him.’ The church sought Christ not only by day, but by night, ’I sought him whom my soul loved.’ Though she wanted him, yet her soul loved him constantly. Though a Christian’s soul have not present communion with Christ, yet he may truly say, My soul loves him, because he seeks him diligently and constantly in the use of all the means. So we see the church, before my text, calls him my beloved still, though she wanted communion with him. Well, she goes on, ’I sought him, but I found him not.’ Would the church give over there? No; then she riseth and goeth about the city, and about the streets, and ’seeks him whom her soul loved,’ seeks him, and will not give over. So I sought him, but I wanted the issue of my seeking, I found him not. What comes upon that? ’The watchmen go about the city, and find her.’ Of whom, when by her own seeking she could not find Christ, she inquires, ’Saw you him whom my soul loveth?’ She inquires of the watchmen, the guides of God’s people, who could not satisfy her fully. She could not find her beloved, yet what doth she, she shews, verse 4. It was but a little that she stayed, after she had used all means, private and public—in her bed, out of her bed—by the watchmen and others, yet, saith she, it was but a little that I was past from them. She had not an answer presently, though the watchmen gave her some good counsel. It was not presently, yet not long after. Christ will exercise us a while with waiting: ’It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loved.’ After all our seeking, there must be waiting, and then we shall find him whom our soul loveth. Perhaps we have used all means, private and public, and yet find not that comfort we look for. Oh, but wait a while! God hath a long time waited for thee. Be thou content to wait a while for him. We shall not lose by it, for it follows in the next verse; after she had found him whom her soul loved, ’I held him, I would not let him go.’ So this is the issue of desertions. They stir up diligence and searching, in the use of means, private and public; and exercise patience to wait God’s leisure, who will not suffer a gracious soul to fail of its expectation. At length he will fulfil the desires of them that fear him, Psalms 145:19; and this comes of their patience. Grace grows greater and stronger. ’I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him unto my mother’s house.’ Thus you see how the Spirit expresseth the same truth in another state of the church. Compare place with place. To go on.

’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ The words themselves are a passionate expression of long-looked-for consolation. Affections have eloquence of their own beyond words. Fear hath a proper expression. Love vents itself in broken words and sighs, delighting in a peculiar eloquence suitable to the height and pitch of the affection, that no words can reach unto. So that here is more in the words breathed from such an inflamed heart, than in ordinary construction can be picked out, ’I am my beloved’s,’ &c., coming from a full and large heart, expressing the union and communion between Christ and the church, especially after a desertion. ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’

First, I say, the union, viz., the union of persons, which is before all comfort and communion of graces, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ Christ’s person is ours, and our persons are his. For, as it is in marriage, if the person of the husband be not the wife’s, his goods are not hers, nor his titles of honour; for these come all to her, because his person is hers: he having passed over the right of his own body and of his person to his wife, as she hath passed over all the right of herself to her husband. So it is in this mystical marriage. That that entitles us to communion of graces is union of persons between Christ and his church. ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved himself is mine.’ And indeed nothing else will content a Christian’s heart. He would not care so much for heaven itself, if he had not Christ there. The sacrament, word, and comforts, why doth he esteem them? As they come from Christ, and as they lead to Christ. It is but an adulterous and base affection to love anything severed from Christ.

Now, from this union of persons comes a communion of all other things whatsoever. ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ If Christ himself be mine, then all is mine (u). What he hath done, what be hath suffered, is mine; the benefit of all is mine. What he hath is mine. His prerogatives and privileges to be the Son of God, and heir of heaven, and the like, all is mine. Why? Himself is mine. Union is the foundation of communion. So it is here with the church, ’I am my beloved’s.’ My person is his, my life is his, to glorify him, and to lay it down when he will. My goods are his, my reputation his. I am content to sacrifice all for him. I am his, all mine is his. So you see there is union and communion mutually, between Christ and his church. The original and spring hereof is Christ’s uniting and communicating himself to his church first. The spring begins to* the stream. What hath the stream or cistern in it, but what is had from the spring? First we love him, because he loved us first, 1 John 4:19. It was a true speech of Augustine, Quicquid bonum, &c.: whatsoever is good in the world or lovely, it is either God or from God; it is either Christ or from Christ. He begins it. It is said in nature, love descends. The father and the mother love the child before the child can love them. Love, indeed, is of a fiery nature. Only here is the dissimilitude fire ascends, love descends. It is stronger, descending from the greater to the less, than ascending up from the meaner to the greater, and that for this amongst other reasons,

Because the greater person looks upon the lesser as a piece of himself—sees himself in it. The father and mother see themselves in their child. So God loves us more than we can love him, because he sees his image in us. Neither is there only a priority of order. He loves us first, and then we love him. But also of causality. He is the cause of our love, not by way of motive only. He loves us, and therefore from an ingenuous spirit we must love him again. But he gives us his Spirit, circumciseth our hearts to love him, Deuteronomy 30:6; for all the motives or moral persuasions in the world, without the Spirit, cannot make us love, 1 Thessalonians 4:9. We are taught of God to love one another, our brethren whom we see daily, saith Paul, much more need we to be taught to love him whom we never saw, so that his love kindles ours by way of reflection. In the new covenant God works both parts, his own and our parts too. Our love to him, our fear of him, our faith in him, he works all, even as he shews his own love to us.

If God love us thus, what must we do? Meditate upon his love. Let our hearts be warmed with the consideration of it. Let us bring them to that fire of his love, and then they will wax hot within us, and beg the Spirit, ’Lord, thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to them that ask it,’ Luke 11:10, and to circumcise our hearts to love thee, and to love one another, ’give thy Holy Spirit, as thou hast promised.’ In a word, these words, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ to join them both together.

1. They imply a mutual propriety, Christ hath a propriety in me, and I in Christ. Peculiar propriety. Christ is mine, so as I have none in the world. So mine, ’whom have I in heaven but Christ?’ and what is there in earth in comparison of him? He is mine, and mine in a peculiar manner, and I am his in a peculiar manner. There is propriety with peculiarity.

2. Then, again, these words, ’I am his,’ implies mutual love. All is mutual in them, mutual propriety, mutual peculiarity, and mutual love. I love Christ so as I love nothing else. There is nothing above him in my heart, as Christ loves me more than anything else, saith the church, and every Christian. He loves all, and gives outward benefits to all, but to me he hath given himself, so love I him. As the husband loves all in the family, his cattle and his servants, but he gives himself to his spouse. So Christ is mine, himself is mine, and myself am Christ’s. He hath my soul, my affections, my body, and all. He hath a propriety in me, and a peculiarity in me. He hath my affection and love to the uttermost, as I have his, for there is an intercourse in these words.

3. Then, again, they imply mutual familiarity. Christ is familiar to my soul, and I to Christ. He discovers himself to me in the secret of his love, and I discover myself to him in prayer and meditation, opening my soul to him upon all occasions. God’s children have a spirit of prayer, which is a spirit of fellowship, and talks, as it were, to God in Christ. It is the language of a new-born Christian. He cries to his Father. There is a kind of familiarity between him and his God in Christ, who gives the entrance and access to God. So that where there is not a kind of familiarity in prayer and opening of the soul to Christ upon all occasions, there is not this holy communion. Those that are not given to prayer, they cannot in truth speak these words, as the church doth here, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ for they imply sweet familiarity.

4. Then, again, they imply mutual likeness one to another. He is mine, and I am his. The one is a glass to the other. Christ sees himself in me, I see myself in him. For this is the issue of spiritual love, especially, that it breeds likeness and resemblance of the party loved in the soul that loveth; for love frameth the soul to the likeness of the party loved. I am his, I resemble him. I am his, I have given myself to him. I carry his picture and resemblance in my soul, for they are words of mutual conformity. Christ, out of love, became like me in all things, wherein I am not like the devil, that is, sin excepted. If he became like me, taking my nature that I might be near him in the fellowship of grace, ’My beloved is mine,’ I will be as like him as possibly I can, I am his. Every Christian carries a character of Christ’s disposition as far as weakness will suffer. You may know Christ in every Christian; for as the king’s coin carries the stamp of the king (Cæsar’s coin bears Cæsar’s superscription), so every Christian soul is God’s coin, and he sets his own stamp upon it. If we be Christ’s, there is a mutual conformity betwixt him and us.

Now, where you see a malicious, unclean, worldly spirit, know that is a stamp of the devil, none of Christ’s. He that hath not the Spirit of God is none of his. Now, where the Spirit of Christ is, it stamps Christ’s likeness upon the soul. Therefore we are exhorted, Php 2:5, to be likeminded to Christ.

5. Again, these words, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ imply a mutual care that Christ and the soul have of the good of one another, of each other’s honour and reputation. As Christ hath a care of our good, so a Christian soul, if it can say with truth and sincerity I am Christ’s, it must needs have care of Christ’s good, of his children, religion, and truth. What! will such a soul say, Shall Christ care for my body, soul, and salvation, and stoop to come from heaven to save me, and shall I have no care for him and his glory? He hath left his truth and his church behind him, and shall not I defend his truth, and stand for the poor church to the utmost of my power against all contrary power? Shall not I stand for religion? Shall it be all one to me what opinions are held? Shall I pretend he cares for me, and shall I not care for that I should care for? Is it not an honour to me that he hath trusted me to care for anything? that he will be honoured by my care? Beloved, it is an honour for us that we may speak a good word for religion, for Christ’s cause, for his church, against maligners and opposers; and we shall know one day that Christ will be a rewarder of every good word. Where this is said in sincerity, that Christ is mine, and I am Christ’s, there will be this mutual care.

6. Likewise there is implied a mutual complacency in these words. By a complacency I mean a resting, contenting love. Christ hath a complacency and resting in the church; and the church hath a sweet resting contentment in Christ. Christ in us and we in him. A true Christian soul that hath yielded up its consent to Christ, when it is beaten in the world, vexed and turmoiled, it can rely on this, ’I have yet a loving husband;’ yet I have Christ.

Let this put us upon a search into ourselves, what we retire to, when we meet with afflictions. Those that have brutish and beastly souls retire to carnal contentments, to good fellowship; forget, besot, and fly away from themselves; their own consciences and thought of their own trouble. Whereas a soul that hath any acquaintance with God in Christ, or any interest into Christ, so that it may say, that Christ is mine, and I am Christ’s, there will be contentment and rest in such a soul, whatsoever it meets with in the world.

7. The last thing implied is courage, a branch of the former. Say all against it what they can, saith the resolved soul, I will be Christ’s. Here is courage with resolution. Agreeable hereto is that, ’One shall say I am the Lord’s, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; another shall subscribe and surname himself by the name of Israel,’ Isaiah 44:5. Where there is not this resolution in good causes, there is not the Spirit of Christ; there is no interest into Christ. It is but a delusion and self-flattery to say I am Christ’s, when there is not resolution to stand to Christ. These words are the expression of a resolved heart, I am, and I will be Christ’s; I am not ashamed of my bargain; of the consent I have given him; I am and I will be his. You have the like in Micah 4:5, ’All people will walk every one in the name of his god, they will resolve on that, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and for ever.’ So that where these words are spoken in truth, that ’I am Christ’s,’ there is necessarily implied, I will own him and his cause for ever and ever.

He hath married me for ever and ever; therefore, if I hope to have interest in him for comfort for ever and ever, I must be sure to yield myself to him for ever and ever; and stand for his cause, in all oppositions, against all enemies whatsoever. These and such like places in Scripture run parallel with this in the text, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ not only holding in the person, but in the cause of Christ. Every man hopes his god will stand for him against the devil, who accuseth us daily. If we will have Christ to stand for us, and to be an advocate to plead our cause as he doth in heaven, we must resolve to stand for him against all enemies, heretics, schismatics, persecutors whatsoever; that we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever.

Quest. But when the case is not thus with us, and that neither we can feel comfort from Christ, nor have this assurance of his love to us, what should we judge of such?

Solution. We should not wonder to see poor souls distempered when they are in spiritual desertions, considering how the spouse cannot endure the absence of Christ. It is out of love therefore in the deepest plunge she hath this in her mouth, ’my beloved.’ Therefore let us not judge amiss of ourselves or others, when we are impatient in this kind. But for a more full answer, in want of feeling of the love of Christ in regard of that measure we would (for there is never altogether a want of feeling, there is so much as keeps from despair alway, yet), if we carry a constant love towards him, mourn to him and seek after him as the church here; if the desire of our souls be after him, that we make after him in the use of means, and are willing to speak of him as the church here, feel or feel not, we are his, and he will at length discover himself to us.

Let such drooping spirits consider, that as he will not be long from us, nor wholly, so it shall not be for our disadvantage that he retires at all. His absence at length will end in a sweet discovery of himself more abundantly than before. He absents himself for our good, to make us more humble and watchful for the time to come; more pitiful to others; more to prize our former condition; to justify the ways of God more strictly; to walk with him; to regain that sweet communion which by our negligence and security we lost. When we are thus prepared by his absence, there ensues a more satisfying discovery of himself than ever before. But when is the time that he comes? Compare this with the former chapter. He comes after long waiting for him. The church waited for him, and waited in the use of all means. She runs to the watchmen, and then inquires after him of the daughters of Jerusalem. After this she finds him. After we have waited and expected Christ in the use of means, Christ at length will discover himself to us; and yet more immediately, it was after the church had so deservedly exalted him in such lofty praises, ’This is my beloved, the chief of ten thousand; he is altogether lovely.’ When we set our hearts to the high exaltation of Christ above all things in the world, proclaiming him ’the chief of ten thousand,’ this at the last breeds a gracious discovery, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,’ for Christ when he sees us faithful, and so loving that we will not endure his absence, and so constantly loving, that we love him notwithstanding some discouragements, it melts him at the last, as Joseph was melted by his brethren.

’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ In the words, you see a mutual interest and owning between Christ and the church. Howsoever in the order of words, the church saith, ’I am my beloved’s’ first, yet in order of nature Christ is ours first, though not in order of discovery. There is one order of knowing, and another order of causing. Many things are known by the effect, but they issue from a cause. I know he is mine, because I am his. I have given myself to him. I know it is day, because the sun is up. There is a proof from the effect. So I know a man is alive, because he walks. There is a proof of the cause by the effect. ’I am his;’ I have grace to give myself up to him. Therefore I know he loves me. He is mine. Thus I say in order of discovery; but in order of nature, he is first mine, and then I am his. ’My beloved is mine, and I am my beloved’s.’ The union and communion betwixt us and Christ hath been already spoken of.

Now to speak of the branches, ’I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ That Christ is first ours; and then we are his, because he is ours; and the wondrous comfort that issues hence—that Christ himself is ours.

How comes Christ to be ours? (1.) Christ is ours by his Father’s gift. God hath given him for us. (2.) Christ is ours by his own gift. He hath given himself for us. (3.) And Christ is ours by his Spirit that witnesseth so much to our spirits. For the Spirit is given for this purpose, to shew us all things that are given us of God, whereof Christ is the chief. Therefore the Spirit of Christ tells us that Christ is ours; and Christ being ours, all that he hath is ours.

If he be ours, if we have the field, we have all the treasures in the field. If we have him, we have all his. He was born for us; his birth was for us; he became man for us; he was given to death for us. And so likewise, he is ours in his other estate of exaltation. His rising is for our good. He will cause us to rise also, and ascend with him, and sit in heavenly places, judging the world and the angels. We recover in this second, what we lost in the first, Adam.

Use 1. This is a point of wondrous comfort to shew the riches of a Christian, his high estate, that Christ is his. And Christ being ours, God the Father and the Holy Spirit and all things else in the world, the rich promises, are ours; for in Christ they are all made, and for him they shall be performed. For, indeed, he is the chief promise of all himself, and all are ’yea and amen in him,’ 2 Corinthians 1:20. Can we want righteousness, while we have Christ’s righteousness? Is not his garment large enough for himself and us, too? Is not his obedience enough for us? Shall we need to patch it up with our own righteousness? He is ours, therefore his obedience is ours.

Use 2. And this should be a ground likewise of contentation* in our condition and state whatsoever,—Christ himself is ours. In the dividing of all things, some men have wealth, honours, friends, and greatness, but not Christ, nor the love of God in Christ, and therefore they have nothing in mercy. But a Christian, he hath Christ himself. Christ is his by faith and by the Spirit’s witness. Therefore, what if he want those appendencies, the lesser things? He hath the main; what if he want a riveret, a stream? He hath the spring, the ocean; him, in whom all things are, and shall he not be content? Put case a man be very covetous, yet God might satisfy him. What! should anxious thoughts disquiet us, when we have such bills, such obligations from him who is faithfulness itself? When a Christian cannot say, honour, favour, or great persons are his, yet he can say, he hath that that is worth all, more than all; Christ is his.

Obj. Oh! may some say, this is but a speculation,—Christ is yours. A man may want and be in misery for all that.

Ans. No; it is a reality. Christ is ours, and all things else are ours. He that can command all things is mine. Why then, do I want other things? Because he sees they are not for my good. If they were, he would not withhold them from me. If there were none to be had without a miracle, no comfort, no friends, he could and would make new out of nothing, nay, out of contraries, were it not better for me to be without them.

Use 3. That you may the more fully feed on this comfort, study the excellencies of Christ in the Scripture, the riches and honour that he hath, the favour he is in with his Father, with the intercession that he makes in heaven, John 17. Study his mercy, goodness, offices, power, &c., and then come home to yourselves, ’All this is mine, for he is mine; the love of God is mine.’ God loves him, and therefore he loves me, because we are both one. He loves me with the same love that he loves his Son. Thus we should make use of this, that Christ is ours. I come to the second.

’I am my beloved’s.’ This is a speech of reflection, second in nature, though first in place and in discovery to us. Sometimes we can know our own love, when we feel not so much the love of Christ, but Christ’s love must be there first. ’I am my beloved’s,’ 1 John 4:19.

How are we Christ’s beloved?

1. We are his, first of all, by his Father’s gift; for God in his eternal purpose gave him for us, and gives us to him, as it is in the excellent prayer, ’Father, thine they were, and thou, gavest them me,’ John 17:6. I had not them of myself first, but thine they were before all worlds were. Thou gavest them me to redeem them, and my commission doth not extend beyond thy gift. I die for all those that thou gavest me. I sanctify myself for them, that they may be sanctified. So we are Christ’s in his Father’s gift. But that is not all, though it be the chief, fundamental, principal ground of all.

For, 2. We are his likewise by redemption. Christ took our nature, that he might die for us, to purchase us. We cost him dear. We are a bloody spouse to Christ. As that froward woman wrongfully said to Moses, ’Thou art a bloody husband unto me,’ Exodus 4:25, so Christ may without wrong say to the church, ’Thou art a spouse of blood to me.’ We were, indeed, to be his spouse, but first he must win us by conquest in regard of Satan, and then satisfy justice. We were in such debt by sin, lying under God’s wrath, so as, till all debts were paid, we could not in the way of justice be given as a spouse to Christ.

3. Nor is this all; but we are Christ’s by marriage also. For when he purchased us, and paid so dear for us, when he died and satisfied divine justice, he did it with a purpose to marry us to himself. We have nothing to bring him but debt and misery; yet he took upon him our nature to discharge all, that he might marry us, and take us to himself. So we are his by marriage.

4. Then again, we are his by consent. We have passed ourselves over unto him. He hath given himself to us, and we have given ourselves to him back again. To come to some use of it, if we be Christ’s, as Christ is ours.

Use 1. First, it is a point of wondrous comfort. God will not suffer his own to want. He is worse than an infidel that will suffer his family to perish. When we are once of Christ’s family, and not only of his family, but of his body, his spouse, can we think he will suffer us to want that which is needful?

2. Then again, as it comforts us against want, so it likewise fenceth us against all the accusations of Satan. I am Christ’s; I am Christ’s. If he have anything to say, lo! we may bid him go to Christ. If the creditor comes to the wife, she is not liable to pay her own debts, but saith, Go to my husband. So in all temptations, learn hence to send Satan whither he should be sent. When we cannot answer him, send him to Christ.

3. And for the time to come, what a ground of comfort is this, that we are Christ’s, as well as he is ours. What a plea doth this put into our mouths for all things that are beneficial to us. ’Lord, I am thine; save me,’ saith the psalmist. Why? ’Save me, because I am thine, I am thine; Lord, teach me and direct me,’ Psalms 27:11. The husband is to direct the spouse. The head should direct all the senses. All the treasures of wisdom are in Christ, as all the senses are in the head for the good of the body. All fulness dwells in him. Therefore, plead with him, I want wisdom; teach me and instruct me how to behave myself in troubles, in dangers, in fears. If it be an argument strong enough amongst men, weak men, I am thine, I am thy child, I am thy spouse, &c, shall we attribute more pity and mercy to ourselves than to the God of mercy and comfort, who planted these affections in the creature? Shall he make men tender and careful over others, and shall not he himself be careful of his own flock? Do we think that he will neglect his jewels, his spouse, his diadem, and crown? Isaiah 62:3. He will not. But you will urge experience. We see how the church is used, even as a forlorn widow, as if she had no husband in the world, as an orphan that had no father. Therefore, how doth this stand good?

Ans. 1. The answer is, all that the church or any particular Christian suffers in this world, it is but that there may be a conformity between the spouse and the husband. The Head wore a crown of thorns, and went to heaven and happiness through a great deal of misery and abasement in the world, the lowest that ever was. And it is not meet that the church should go to heaven another way.

Ans. 2. Then again, all this is but to fashion the spouse to be like to Christ, but to bring the church and Christ nearer together. That is all the hurt they do, to drive the church nearer to Christ than before. Christ is as near to his church as ever in the greatest afflictions, by his Spirit. Christ cries out on the cross, ’My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ It is a strange voice, that God should be his God, and yet, notwithstanding, seem to forsake him. But God was never more his God than at that present. Indeed, he was not his God in regard of some feelings that he had enjoyed in former times. He seemed to be forsaken in regard of some sense, as Christ seems to forsake the church in regard of some sense and feeling, but yet his God still. So the church may say, I am thine still. Though she seem to be forsaken in regard of some feelings, yet she is not deserted in regard of God’s care for support of the inward man and fashioning to Christ. The church hath never sweeter communion with Christ than under the greatest crosses; and, therefore, they many times have proved the ground of the greatest comforts. For Christ leads the church into the wilderness, and then speaks to her heart, Hosea 2:14. Christ speaks to the heart of his spouse in the wilderness, that is, in a place of no comfort. There are no orchards or pleasures, but all discomforts there. A man must have it from heaven, if he have any good in the wilderness. In that wilderness, that is, in a desolate, disconsolate estate, Christ speaks to the heart of his children. There is in the wilderness oftentimes a sweet intercourse of love, incomparably beyond the time of prosperity.

Ans. 3 Again, to stay your hearts, know this will not be long; as we see here, the church seemed to be forsaken and neglected, fell into the hands of cruel watchmen, and was fain to go through this and that means, but it was not long ere she met with him whom she sought after. It may be midnight at this time, but the night continues not long; it will be morning ere long. Therefore the church may well say, ’Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; for though I be fallen, I shall rise again; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me,’ as it is Micah 7:8. It shall not be always ill with the church. Those that survive us shall see other manner of days than we see yet, whatsoever we shall ourselves.

4. Hence we have also an use of trial. Whosoever are Christ’s, they have hearts to give themselves to him. As he gives himself, not his goods or his honours, but himself for his church, so the church gives herself to Christ. My delight is in him; he hath myself, my heart, my love and affection, my joy and delight, and all with myself. If I have any honour, he shall have it. I will use it for his glory. My riches I will give them to him and his church and ministry and children, as occasion shall serve. I am his, therefore all that I have is his, if he ask it at my hands. It is said of the Macedonians, they gave themselves to Christ, and then their riches and goods, 2 Corinthians 8:5. It is an easy matter to give our riches to Christ when we have given ourselves first. A Christian, as soon as ever he becomes a Christian, and ever after, to death, and in death too, he gives up himself to Christ. They that stand with Christ, and will give this or that particular, will part only with idle things that they may spare, are they Christ’s? No. A Christian gives himself and all his to Christ. So we see here what we should do if Christ be ours. Let us give up ourselves to him, as it is Romans 12:1. The issue of all that learned profound discourse in the former part of the epistle, that Christ justifieth us by his righteousness and merit, and sanctifies us by his Spirit, and hath predestinated and elected us, and refused others, is this, ’I beseech you, give up your bodies and souls, and all as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. In brief, these words imply renunciation and resignation. ’I am his,’ that is, I have given up myself to him, therefore I renounce all others that stand not with his love and liking. I am not only his by way of service, which I owe him above all that call for it, but I am his by way of resignation. If he will have me die, I will die. If he will have me live here, I will. I have not myself to dispose of any longer. I have altogether alienated myself from myself. I am his to serve him, his to be disposed of by him. I have renounced all other.

Therefore here we have another answer to Satan, if he come to us and solicit us to sin. Let the Christian’s heart make this answer, I am not mine own. What hath Satan and his instruments to do with me? Is my body his to defile? Is my tongue his to swear at his pleasure? Shall I make the temple of God the member of an harlot? As the apostle reasons, ’Shall I defile my vessel with sin?’ 1 Corinthians 6:15. What saith converted Ephraim? ’What have I any more to do with idols? for I have seen and observed him?’ Hosea 14:8. We ought to have such resolutions ready in our hearts. Indeed, when a Christian is resolute, the world counts such to be lost. He is gone. We have lost him, say your dissolute, profane persons. It is true they have lost him indeed, for he is not his own, much less theirs, any longer. But he is found to God and himself and the church. Thus we see what springs from this, that Christ is ours, and that we are Christ’s back again. Let us carry this with us even to death; and if times should come that God should honour us by serving himself of us in our lives, if Christ will have us spend our blood, consider this, I am not mine own in life nor death, and it is my happiness that I am not my own. For if I were mine own, what should I do with myself? I should lose myself, as Adam did. It is therefore my happiness that I am not mine own, that I am not the world’s, that I am not the devil’s, that none else hath to do with me, to claim any interest in me, but I am Christ’s. If I do anything for others, it is for Christ’s sake. Remember this for the time to come. If there be anything that we will not part with for Christ’s sake, it will be our bane. We shall lose Christ and it too. If we will not say with a perfect spirit, I am his, my life, my credit, my person is his, anything his; look what we will not give for him, at length we shall lose and part with it and him too.