The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church

Sermon XXX.

STill it is the Spouse that speaketh. She had prayed, Draw me, and promised, that being drawn, both she and others would run after Christ. She had received a gracious answer to her prayer. The King had brought her into his Chambers. In this she hath Triumphed, We will be glad, and rejoice in thee. For this she hath covenanted that she would remember the Loves of her Beloved, more then all the pleasant, or profitable things in the world, Which she expresseth under the Metaphoricall notion of Wine. Now lest any should say to her, Why so fond (O thou fairest amongst women?) to justify herself in this rapture of Joy, this extacy of love she may be conceived to add these words. The upright love thee, or as the Hebrew is, Uprightnesses love thee the words may be variously rendered with consistency enough to the Grammar of the Hebrew text.

1. Uprightnesses [or right things] love thee. The Same word is used Psal. 17. 2. Thine eyes shall behold right things 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be right, or to appear so. The word is used in the form that it is here, Psal. 9. 9. He shall judge the World in righteousness and the People 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in uprightnesses. It is used Prov. 1. 3. Is. 33. 15. Prov. 2. 9. Psal. 75. 2. If we expound the phrase (as it is literally) according to the abstract, Righteousnesses, or Right things, the Question will be whether it should be read as in the Nominative case, Uprightnesses love thee, or as in the Oblique case (which the Heb. prefix seems to import) In Uprightnesses they love thee, accordingly the sense will be very different, for if we read it, as in the Nominative case, the import of it seems to be, to set out the Excellency of her beloved as he who was the very seat of all excellent things, in whom did all fullness dwell, even the fullness of the God-head, all righteousness, all Equity, whatsoever is good. If we read it as in the Ablative case (as the prefix in the Hebrew seemeth to guide us) The import of it seems to be to express to us the nature of the Saints love to God, which is not in word, or in tongue only, but in deed, and in truth, in uprightnesses, that is (as Buxtorf expoundeth it) Rectissime, fortiter, most entirely, intensely sincerely, thus I say it denoteth the truth, and reality of the believing Souls love to Christ.

2. But our translators have thought fit to translate it otherwise conceiving the abstract here put for the concrete, Uprightnesses, for upright men possessed of uprightness, this is very usual in the Hebrew dialect, and indeed in most languages; so the sense is this: Do not wonder, that I love Christ, and am so affected, with the enjoyment of him, there is never an upright Soul in the world but loves him, all upright Souls love him; Thus the Proposition is plain.

Propos. Upright Souls love Christ. To this I shall Speak in my ordinary method by Explication, Confirmation, & Application. Under the first, I shall give you the true notion of Uprightness and an üpright soul, & show you in what sense the Proposition is true.

The Question may well be propounded, Who is the upright, who is the righteous man? For the Psalmist tells us, & the Apostle, Rom. 3. confirmeth it, There is none righteous, no not one, and although God at first made man upright Eccles. 7. 29. Yet the world is so warped, by men seeking out to themselves inventions, that the prophet Micah, 7. 2. Tells us, there is none upright amongst men. To resolve this difficulty, I shall first give you two or three distinctions concerning righteousness, or uprightness, without which we shall hardly understand the true notion of an upright man.

1. There is an uprightness of heart. Psal. 32. 11. Shout for joy all you upright in heart; so Psal. 94. 11. Judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. And there is an uprightness of way or conversation Prov. 29. 27. The upright in his way is an abomination; so • Psal. 37. 14. The wicked man seeketh to slay such as be of upright conversation. Indeed it is true, there is no man, who is upright in his heart, but he will also be upright in his way, for the upright directeth his way, Prov. 21. 29. but there is a seeming uprightness of way, when the heart is not upright with God. Prov. 14. 12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. The Proposition must be understood of such as are upright not in their way only seemingly, but both in heart and in way.

2. Secondly there is a Legal, and there is an Evangelical righteousness or uprightness. The legal righteousness, or uprightness lieth in a full and perfect conformity to the Law of God. In this sense it is as true, That there is none righteous, no not one, none upright amongst men, as that there is none who liveth, and sinneth not against God, for the least Flye maketh this box of ointment to stink; all Sin is crookedness, and the least crookedness spoileth this rightness. But then there is an Evangelical righteousness, and uprightness, and thus every Soul, that is justified by grace through the imputation of Christ's righteousness is a righteous Soul; and every Soul that is Sanctifyed and renewed, the bent of which is towards God, and whose heart is sincere before God, is an upright and righteous Soul. In this Sense, the upright heart is the Sincere heart. Thus David saith of himself, I was upright before him, 2 Sam. 22. 24. And God saith of Job, He is a perfect, and an upright man. The Proposition must be understood of the latter, he that is Evangelically righteous, or upright; for there are none of the former upon the Earth, none that are legally righteous.

3. Thirdly. As there are degrees of Sanctification, so there are degrees of uprightness. The text seems to speak of the highest degrees, Uprightnesses. It is very ordinary with the Hebrew to express the Superlative degree, by the plural number; besides this is Signified by putting the Abstract for the Concrete, we usually call men notoriously vile and wicked, by the Abstract names of vice, and persons eminently good and virtuous, by the Abstract Names of virtue and goodness. Those that are highest in grace, & who do most excel in holiness are fullest of love to Christ. Love teacheth every Child of God, the weakest babe in grace to cry after Christ, and the grown Christian to delight in him, and to walk up and down in his name. Every righteous, every upright Soul loveth Christ, and that with a true, sincere love, though not in an equal degree, she (saith our Savior) who hath much forgiven will love much. Having premised these distinctions, let me a little further inquire into the true Notion of these upright men, upright by this Evangelical rectitude.

In short they are such as are justified, and Sanctified, made righteous through Christ's righteousness imputed to them, & holy, through the Sanctification of his Spirit. 1. Such as are justified. This is the first thing requisite to an upright, right man, let the unjustified Soul, be what it will, do what it can, it cannot be upright, either in heart or way. Suppose a stick naturally crooked, you may pare it and paint, and color it, and cover its crookedness a little, but until it hath been in the fire, and bended right, it will be crooked still; the natural man, the Soul not justified by grace, not washed with the blood of Christ may be pared by education, and brought off from some flagitious, and enormous practices, he may be coloured, and painted over by some acts of moral virtue, and some formal performances of religious duties, but still in God's Eye the Soul is a crooked Soul, until the Lord hath made it right, till it be justified by faith. 2. To this uprightness is required not only justification, or the removal of the Souls guilt, and imputation of a righteousness, a perfect righteousness, but the sanctification of the heart, God never sanctifieth any, whom he doth not justify, hence no Soul can be said to be an upright Soul, that is not justified, nor doth the Lord at any time justify a Soul, but he at the same time also reneweth, and sanctifieth it; hence the upright Soul must be a renewed, Sanctified Soul. But yet in regard our regeneration, and sanctification, is not as to degrees perfect, (though as to parts Divines say it is, that is, the whole man is renewed) it may be yet worthy to be inquired from what degrees of Regeneration, and Sanctification, a man may be denominated an upright man; the rectitude of anything is to be judged from its conformity to some rule. The rule of man's uprightness is the Lord's Statutes, which are right, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 19. 8. holy, and spiritual, and just, and good, Rom. 7. Thy judgments are right, saith David, Psal. 119. 75. 128. It is said so of nothing else, so as from a conformity to this rule, must rightness, or uprightness be judged. And thus,

1. There is an uprightness of judgment, when the Soul judgeth according to truth, both concerning notions, and practices, when it judgeth aright concerning truth, and is not warped by error, and when it judgeth aright concerning the ways of God, then the Soul is upright, with respect to the understanding and judgment.

2. There is an uprightness of the whole Soul, with respect to the scope and bent of it, when the heart of man doth not stand inclined, and bent to sin, but the Soul can say with David, I hate vain thoughts; but thy law do I love, I hate every false way, &c. The man that in all his actions, designeth, and intendeth the honor and glory of God, and obedience to his will, though in many things he cometh short, and offendeth, yet this man is an upright man, his end, and general scope is right.

3. There is an uprightness of will; in this the uprightness of a man's intention discovereth itself, when to will is present with the Soul, as St. Paul saith, Rom. 7. Though he wanteth a strength to perform; the man or woman in heart willeth the honor and glory of God, and this not by fits, but steadily, and certainly, and is really unwilling to do anything by which God may be dishonored, though through ignorance he may offend, and through a natural impotency, not being able to love the Lord with all his heart, and strength, yea, and through moral impotency, and a mixed infirmity, through the great power of temptations, whether from the seduction of lust, or the violent motions, and impressions of Satan.

4. There is an uprightness of action, which lieth in a true, and sincere endeavor to do the will of God, and by this both the uprightness of intention, and will also is to be judged. This is the upright man, though he may stumble and fall, and oft doth fail (who liveth, and sinneth not against God?) And as these holy dispositions are found in the Soul in more remiss, or intense degrees, so the Soul is more or less upright, and the man deserves this honorable denomination less or more. These now are the Souls that love Christ.

To love any object, whether person, or thing, signifieth to take a delight, and complacency in it. Whether in the thoughts of it (if absent) as the Apostle saith, whom we having not seen, yet love, or in the contemplation, and fruition in converse, and communion with it, if more present.

This Praedicate concerning the upright, that they love Christ, is to be understood exclusively, and inclusively, concerning the Person of Christ, and whatsoever beareth his image, and superscription.

1. Exclusively, these, and none but these love him. Others may talk of loving Christ, but it is but a talk and pretence, they love but in word, and tongue only, not in deed, and truth, there is something else, either lust or the world, something or other that hath more of their affection, more of their heart then Christ hath.

2. Inclusively. These, and all these love Christ, there is not an upright Soul in the world but loves Christ, and takes a pleasure & complacency in him, and preferreth him before his chief joy.

3. They love the person of Christ. He is in their Eyes altogether desires, the chiefest of ten thousand. there is nothing in the world so sweet, and pleasant to their thoughts, as to think of Jesus of Nazareth, him that was incarnate of the Virgin, that died upon the cross for sinners; all their contemplations, and meditations of him, are exceeding sweet, and their hearts exercised about them melt in them.

4. They love whatsoever bears the image, and superscription of Christ. The Gospel, that gives them the history of Christ, and revealeth to them his will, the ordinances of Christ, in which the loves of Christ are set forth, represented, opened, applied to the Souls of people. The members of Christ, even every Soul in which they can but see aliquid Christ • (as Bucer speaks) anything of the features of Christ. This is enough to have spoken for the explication of the Proposition. For the proof of it,

1. Look into the Word of God, see if you can find an instance either of an upright man, who did not love Christ, or of an bypocrite, or unregenerate man that did love him. Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, he was one that walked with God, and was perfect, that is, upright, he loved Christ. Our Lord saith of him, Abraham saw my day and rejoiced. Simon, and Anna, and Peter, and Mary Magd • lene, all were upright Persons, they all loved Christ. On the other side there is not so much as one instance of an unjustified, unregenerate Soul, that had any real love for Christ, no not when they saw him here in the flesh. It is said of the young Pharisee, who came to our Savior, Mat. 19. that when Christ saw him, he loved him, but he had no love for Christ, for when he bid him go sell all that he had, and he should have treasures in Heaven, it is said he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Judas followed Christ, and so did the Capernaites, but Judas carried the bag, and the Capernaites followed him for the loaves. None of them loved Christ in sincerity and truth. We need no other instances then what our own age affordeth us. But we need no Scripture in this case. Reason will evince the necessary truth of this Proposition, if we consider, that all love is founded, either, 1. In the apprehended goodness and excellency of the object beloved: Or, 2. In some similitude, and likeness, &c. Or • loweth, 3. From some instinct, of which we can give no very just account. I will begin with the last first.

1. Love to another often proceeds from some inaccountable instinct; we see this very ordinary amongst us, the heart of a woman cleaveth to a man, or of a man to a woman, • o the heart of one friend is knit to another, and we are able to give ourselves no great account of it, the man loveth the woman, to whom he had a former aversion, and the woman loveth, and chooseth the man for her Husband, that she did never think of, and they can give themselves no account of the change which they find in themselves, this is undoubtedly a providential instinct or influence, of which we can give no account. The Souls love to Christ, also floweth from an instinct of God, an influence of special grace, for certainly if we must be taught of God, to love one another, to love the brethren, whom we have seen, and daily do see, and much that is lovely in them, we have much more need to be taught of God to love Christ, whom we have not seen, and whose excellency, and amiableness, is only matter of faith to us. Hence it appeareth, that no unrenewed, no unsanctified heart, none but the upright Soul can possibly love the Lord Jesus Christ, for this love is no natural habit, no man by nature loveth Christ, nor is it any acquired habit, but an infused habit, and indeed a piece of regeneration.

2. Love to an object is founded in an apprehension of some goodness and excellency in that object, we cannot love any object, that appeareth to us evil, or unlovely. Now none but the renewed, and regenerate Soul can possibly see any goodness and excellency in Christ, for it is spiritually discerned, besides, the reason of love in us to any object, is not so much the abstracted goodness, and excellency of the object, as its relative goodness unto us; now none but the Soul that is justified, and regenerate Soul hath in anything tasted of the love of God, or hath found him in any degree good as to it.

3. Lastly, Whereas love is founded in likeness, in some similitude of nature, or disposition, and qualities, there is such a dissimilitude between a natural man, whether he be one that is profane and flagitious, or merely moral, and formal, and hypocritica • , that this Soul cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy, and harmless, and separate from sinners; and the very same reasons make it necessary for every Soul to love Christ, for every such Soul is renewed, and regenerate, and taught of God to love the Lord Jesus Christ, every such Soul is beloved of him, and under some apprehensions, and experience of the love of God in Christ unto it; every such Soul (finally) hath the Image of God renewed in it, in righteousness and holiness, and by grace wrought up into a conformity to Christ, and the more upright the Soul is, the more is the image of God renewed in it, the more it hath tasted the special love of Christ, the more it hath received of the potent influences of Divine Grace, hence it must needs love Christ more. I now come to the application.

In the first place, This may let us know, That Christ is a most excelling object, and the non-adherence of our hearts to him, is a piece of the natural crookedness, and defection of the Soul of man. The goodness or excellency of an object is not to be determined from a vulgar judgment. Learning is an excellent thing, the foolish ignorant person doth not so judge it, nor look after it, this detracts nothing from the excellency of it. Wise men value it. It hath no enemies but the ignorant man. Now the judgment of the best and wiser part of the world, their value, and prizing of it, is enough to commend it, though fools hate knowledge. So the upright man's loving Christ, is a sufficient evidence of the transcendent goodness, and excellency that is in him, though the loose, and profane man, the formal, hypocritical man hath no love at all for him. There are thousands in the world (in the Christian world) whose conversations testify, that they can see no beauty, no excellency in Christ at all, to them he grows up as a root out of a dry ground, in their Eyes he hath no beauty, no comeliness at all. They stand, and admire what sweetness God's people have in their meditations, and contemplations of him, what is that sometimes makes them so sick of love for him, so breaking with longings after him (as holy David expresseth it.) The business is not what fools judge of Wisdom in the mean time, Wisdom is justified of her Children. It is enough that the upright love him. The upright men, are the best men in the world. But you will say, were there such a beauty, such an excellency in Christ, why should not every rational man inquire after him, and love him? The answer is easy. Because his beauty, his excellency is not obvious to the Eye of sense, or to the Eye of reason, working from its own principles, but only to the Eye of faith, & that of reason, working upon revealed principles. The goodness & excellency of Christ considered as Mediator, doth not lie in a suitableness to our bodily wants, no nor to the wants of our Souls, considered only as rational and spiritual Beings; but in his suitableness to our Souls considered as lapsed, and fallen from the happy state wherein they were at first created, and by that fall exposed to the wrath of God, here, and hereafter. Now this is revealed only in Holy Writ, and is to be discerned only by the Eye of faith. So as those who do not by a firm and steady assent, agree to the revelation of the word, cannot possibly see any excellency in Christ as a Savior, and Mediator between God and Man.

Secondly, Every gracious Soul is from this Proposition justified in all their pangs of love for, and toward Christ, and in all their actions, and sufferings in evidence of this love. That there is such a thing as a spiritual love sickness is evident to all those who know anything of the ways of God with the Soul, or the motions of the Soul toward God: Let persons of atheistical, and profane hearts mock so long as they please; no Soul that I know of, expresseth more of this nature, then his who is styled by God, the man according to God's own heart, Psal. 119. 20. My heart breaketh with the longings, which it hath to thy judgments at all times, Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks, so panteth my Soul after thee O God, my Soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, Psal. 63. 1. My Soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. Our Savior I am sure blesseth those who hunger and thirst after Righteousness, Mat. 5. (what work would the unhallowed wits of our Age have made with such metaphors as these in their Books of drollery, &c.) they are all expressive of those pangs of love that sometimes affect good Christians in the several states of their Souls, and besides these more inward motions, the Souls of good Christians cannot but express their love, by a zeal for his glory, a love to his institutions, a regard to all his commandments, and durst not do many things (as to which their Neighbors find no difficulty) because they love the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath said, If you love me, keep my Commandments. For Christ, that they may show their love by their obedience unto him, they are ready to suffer the loss of all things, yea, and do count them but dung, that they may win Christ; for this the men of the world mock them, let them mock on; The upright love him. I remember in the story of David, we read, 2 Sam. 6. 20. That Michal, his Wife (the Daughter of Saul) mocked him, for his dancing before the Ark in a linen Ephod. How glorious (saith she) was the King of Israel today, who uncovered himself today, in the Eyes of the handmaids of his Servants, as one of the vain fellows, shamelessly uncovereth himself. The holy man gives her a very smart answer; saith he, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy Father, to appoint me to be a ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel, therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile then thus, &c. Whiles carnal men mock at the secret sighings, and groanings of God's people, at their frequency, and strictness at, in, or to religious duties, and call it all whining, and canting, and what comes next to the end of their lewd Tongues, the Child of God is justified in this, that the upright love Christ, and all these their expressions of love are for, and towards him who hath chosen their Souls to Eternal life, and the use of all means which he hath made necessary in order to that Salvation, and who (for ought yet appeareth) hath passed over the Souls of these Scoffers, and left them to perish in their gainsayings. When ch. 5. of this Song, the Spouse chargeth the Daughters of Jerusalem, that if they found her beloved, they should tell him she was sick of love: They reply; What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou fairest among Women, what is thy beloved more then another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? Cant. 5. 8. 9. See into what an elogy of her beloved, she breaks out to the end of that Chap. My beloved (saith she) is white and reddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, &c. when the men of the world see a gracious Soul panting, sighting, and breathing after Christ▪ they are ready to speak to the same sense, though in ruder language, what is the beloved of this Soul, more then another's beloved; what makes these people so full of prayers, and tears, so full of duty, so fond of the ordinances of Christ? This justifies such Souls in all their pantings after Christ, in all the passions of their Souls for him, The upright love him.

Thirdly. From hence Christians may take measures of themselves, and make up a judgment of their Souls, whether they be upright Souls, yea, or no, very much lieth upon this, many are the promises that in Holy Writ we shall find made to upright Souls. Perfection of degrees is our mark, but what in this life we cannot attain unto, all perfection we are capable of, is uprightness, this may be attained, we are therefore highly concerned to inquire upon our uprightness. By this we shall know it; The Soul that truly loveth Christ, that is an upright Soul, so as that which we have to examine, is the truth of our love to Christ. This inquiry also is considerable in respect of the Apostolical Anathema, 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. It is a great point, how a Christian shall certainly know his spiritual state? he shall know it by his uprightness? how shall he know his uprightness? that is to be known by his love to Christ. But will some say, is not this as hard to be discerned as anything else? I answer; surely no. If it be no hard thing for a man to know whether he loves such a woman, or a woman to know that she loveth such a man, or for any to know they love such a friend, such a companion, why should it be so hard for a Soul to know whether it loveth Christ or no? love will work much in the same manner towards all its objects, and though the visibility, and sensibility of some objects, may draw out more of our passion, and excesses of affection, yet the reality and truth of our love may certainly be as well discerned rewards a spiritual, and invisible object as to one, that is more the object of our exterior senses, let us therefore try those measures, and see how we will make up our judgment of the truth of our love to a fellow creature; what is that which we call love, but the delight, and complacency, and satisfaction of the Soul in an object beloved, declared by the pantings and breathings of the heart after it, when absent, for an union, or re-union with it, the acquiescence and meltings of the heart upon it, when present, and an union with it is obtained, or apprehended; the Souls intercourse and communion with it, and free communications of its self unto it, its kindness to every person or thing, to whom, or which the object beloved, hath any relation, its patient, and pleasing bearing his reproofs, its readiness to go, or run, or do anything at the will, and command of such a person, its standing up in the defense of him or her, its rising up against any that would do them injury, or that it hears speak reproachfully, or diminutively of him. It's readiness to suffer anything for his sake, &c. Surely by some or all these notes we may try our love to Christ, and be as certain of it, as we can be of the sincerity of our love to any fellow creature; let me therefore desire you to propound these few questions to yourselves.

1. How far is Christ the object of thy thoughts? We say, 〈◊〉 amor ibi oculus, where love is, there the Eye will be; the reason of that is, because our thoughts are much employed about the object of our love, where our treasure is (saith our Savior) there will our hearts be also, the Psalmist therefore speaking of the wicked man who hath no love for God, saith, God is not in all his thoughts. Psal. 10. 4. So long as we live in the world, the things of it are so much, and so continually the objects of our senses, that it is not to be expected, but that our thoughts should in a great measure be exercised about the things of it, so that I would not put the issue upon that, whether the world or Christ have most of our thoughts? but certainly Christ will be much in the thoughts of that Soul in whom the love of Christ is, Te veniente die, te decedente canebat (saith the Poet of the lover) the Soul that loveth Christ, will think of him in the evening when he lieth down, and in the morning when he riseth up, and David had his waking thoughts in the night season with God. God will not have all of the best man's thoughts, because he is but flesh, and hath some thoughts to take about what he shall eat, and drink, and put on, but God will have much of his thoughts. Christ will be much in the thoughts of that Soul that truly loveth him. Secondly.

2. How are the motions of thy Soul after an absent Christ? Christ as to his person is always absent, that the Heavens must contain till the end of the World, but he is or may be graciously present in his institutions, and with respect to his gracious influences, and with respect to both these he is often, or may be absent; the first makes up the desertion of a Church, when it is general, or a particular person, when it is only the affliction of a particular Soul in some cases, and by some severer providences kept from the ordinances of God; the second is, the particular desertion of a gracious Soul, not as to necessary, but as to gradual influences; now how is thy Soul affected to Christ absent, when thou canst not enjoy the Ordinances of Christ, as thou hast formerly enjoyed them? You see the heart and affection of David in this cafe, in divers Psalms, particularly Psal. 42. Psal. 63. Psal. 84. what breathings, what longings, what impatience doth he there express? So when thou suspectest his absence as to the particular special influences of his grace, how doth thy heart move toward him? doth it move as the heart of the Spouse moved in the third and 5th Chapters of this admirable Song, Seeking him, sighing after him, enquiring of all like to inform thee, how thou mightest recover thy lost peace, being restless till thou hast recovered it? This is a sign of love.

3. How is thy heart affected in any presence or enjoyment of Christ? What pleasure, what delight and complacency hath thy Soul in the institutions of Christ, in the manifestations of his love to thy Soul. See the instance of the Spouse as to this, Can. 3. 4. I found him whom my Soul loveth, I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my Mothers House, and into the Chamber of her that conceived me. v. 5. 1 charge you O you Daughters of Jerusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that you stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. A rejoicing in the signs of his love, being glad, and resolving not again to part with him, a fear of offending him, and care to please him, are all of them signs of a love to the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. A freedom of converse, and communion with him, also speaketh love. Christ proves himself his Disciples friend, because he had made known to them whatsoever he had received from the Father, Joh. 15. 15. Dalilab challenged Sampson for want of love to her, because he had concealed his secrets from her. The withholding of prayer from God, the want of frequency, freedom, and boldness in prayer, speaks want of love to Christ in the Soul; frequency, freedom, and boldness, holy boldness speaks a Soul full of love to Christ.

5. What affections hast thou to those things and persons, that have a relation to Christ, that bear his image and superscription, the Word and Ordinances of God, the Ministers and People of God; by this you shall know your love to Christ. Again—

6. How canst thou bear the reproofs of Christ? Our nature doth not love reproof, we must love those very well, from whom we take reproof quietly. Let the righteous smite me (saith David) it shall be as an excellent Oil, which shall not break my head When a Christian can bear the verbal reproofs of Christ's Word, and Ministers, and the real reproofs and chastenings of his rod It is a sign of love.

7. What zeal hast thou for the honor and glory of Christ? Canst thou not hear him reproached, but that his reproaches fall on thee, thy blood riseth, and thy heart is troubled? It is an argument of little love for God or Christ, when we can patiently hear them abused, and dishonored, Psal. 69. 9. The zeal of thine house (saith David) hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen on me.

8. I must not forget that of our Savior, If you love me, keep my Commandments. No Soul can so much as pretend to a love to Christ, that makes no conscience of keeping the Commandments of Christ.

9. The Soul, lastly, that hath a love for Christ, will suffer anything for his sake, it will rather suffer the loss of all things, then the loss of Christ's favor. By these and such like questions, and notes as these, it will be no hard matter for a Soul to judge of its love to Christ, and by that it will be able to judge, and determine concerning its uprightness.

In the last place doth every Soul that is upright love Christ, and are the degrees of the Souls uprightness according to the degrees of the Souls love, How do we then all stand concerned to love Christ? In order to it,

1. The Soul must be dispossessed of other loves inconsistent, and incompetent with the love of Christ. Such is the love of all lust of anything that is contrary to the will of God. Such is the excessive and immoderate love of the world. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world (saith John, 1. Joh. 2. 25.) If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; in like manner we may say, If any man love the world, the love of Jesus Christ is not in him.

2. Do what in thee lies to persuade thyself of the suitableness of Christ to the sta • e, and needs of thy Soul; we love nothing but what appeareth good, that is some way suitable to, and convenient for us. All we can do as to this, is to read the Scriptures, which alone give a true account of the state of Souls: To hear them opened, and applied to our consciences by able and faithful Ministers, to meditate upon what we read, and hear. Christ must appear to our Souls an amiable object before we can love him.

3. Lastly, Pray for the Spirit of Grace; both effectually to discover Christ's loveliness to you, and also to draw out your hearts to love him, if we must be taught of God to love our Brethren, whom we have seen, we must much more be taught of God to love Jesus Christ whom we have not seen. Those that think man hath a power in his own will to love God, do not consider that we have not a power, in and of ourselves (as we often find upon experience) to love a creature, whom yet it were our great interest to love. O pray, pray without ceasing, that you may love the Lord Jesus Christ remember, that the upright love him, there is no upright Soul in the World but loves him. 2. Thus thou shalt show thyself to be upright. Nothing more discovereth an upright heart, then a sincere Love to Christ. Now of how great moment it is for a Christian to discern his uprightness, I need not tell you. I shall conclude with a bare naming of some Scriptures containing promises made to uprightness, leaving them to you at your leisure to meditate upon them. Psal. 7. 10. The Lord saveth the upright in heart, God's Righteousness belongeth to the upright in heart, Psal. 36. 10. The End of the upright man is Peace, Psal. 37. v. 37. Gladness belongeth to the upright in heart, Psal. 97. v. 11. The Generation of the upright shall be blessed, Psal. 112. v. 2. Light shall arise upon them in obscurity, v. 4. They shall dwell in God's presence, Psal. 140. 13. They shall dwell in the land, Prov. 2. 21. The way of the Lord is strength unto them, Prov. 10. 29. The integrity of the upright shall guide him, Prov. 11. 3. His Righteousness shall deliver him. v. 6. The upright in the way are the Lord's delight, v. 20. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way, but wickedness overthroweth the Sinner, Prov. 13▪ 6.

Sermon XXXI.

IT is the Spouse in this excellent Song of Love that yet Speaks, Twice we have heard her Speaking to her Beloved. Once, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, begging some distinguishing token of his Special love: Her heart suggesting to her, that her beloved, was far more ready to embrace her, then she was to run after him. She spake a Second time, Draw me, and we will run after thee, begging the sweet and powerful influences of divine grace, Here now she interrupteth her applications to her beloved, with an Apostrophe to her companions (whom she here calleth The Daughters of Jerusalem.) The verse contains a modest apology which the maketh for herself. In which are considerable,

1. The persons to whom she maketh it, here styled, The Daughters of Jerusalem.

2. The Apology itself. I am black (saith she) as the tents of Kedar, as the Curtains of Solomon, &c.

In the latter is considerable, 1. The thing which she apologizeth for: That is her Blackness, which she confesseth, I am black (saith she) and illustrateth, as the teints of Kedar &c.

2. The arguments of her Apology, or head from whence it is drawn. They are four or five.

1. The mixture of comeliness with her blackness. I am black but comely.

2. The Influence of heaven upon her. The Sun (saith she) hath looked upon me.

3. The oppositions she had met with on earth. My mothers children were angry with me.

4. Her worldly diversions and employments. They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards.

5. Her own neglect. But my own I have not kept.

Finally. She pleadeth with them that they would not look upon her because she was black.

But what needed this Apology? who faulted the Spouses blackness? who questioned her comeliness? This is not expressed in the letter of the Text but easily understood. Patet quod dett axer ant ei nigredinem improper antes. It is apparent, saith Bernard, that they did detract from her, charging her with blackness. Neither did the true Church of Christ, nor any truly believing Soul ever want those that reproached them. The man according to God's own heart, heard some telling him, There was no help for him, in God. We must therefore Suppose our Spouse to have heard some saying to her to this purpose. Canst thou think that Christ who is the fairest of ten thousand, should kiss the with the kisses of his mouth? Thee? That art by nature an Ethiopian, and by thy renewing actual Sins, hast made thyself much more black and ugly. Surely when the King of glory humbleth himself to make love to his Subjects, he will choose one much fairer then thou art. Did Aaron and Miriam, wonder at, & reproach, Moses, because he had married an Ethiopian Num. 12. 1. And should not Christ be the wonderment of the whole creation, if he should love one so black as thou art? Whispers to this sense, a believer often heareth from the Devil, from the men of the world, and from his own heart also. Solomon Personating the true Church, & every true believer, fancieth the voice of these Spiritual adversaries in his Ears, nor is there any Child of God but heareth it at some time, or other. The spouse therefore preoccupieth this objection by this Apostrophe. O you daughters of Jerusalem, I am black but comely like the tents of Kedar, like the Curtains of Solomon.

You daughters of Jerusalem] Jerusalem is an Hebrew word, and signifieth, The Vision of Peace, or They shall see Peace; it is to be considered in its Political, Ecclesiastical, and Typical notion.

1. In its Political Notion, it signifieth the Metropolis or chief City of Judea; a City supposed to have been built by Melchizedek, and by him called Salem, he is called the King of Salem, Gen. 14. 8. Heb. 7. 1. 2. Salem in Scripture is put for Herusalem. In Salem is God known, Psal. 76. 2. It was afterwards for some hundreds of years in the possession of the Canaanites. Adonizedek was the King of it, Josh. 10, 3. who was conquered, and slain by Joshua, Josh. 10. 26. the Jebusites afterward lived there in common with the Benjamites who did not drive them out, Jud. 1. 21. David smo • e these Jebusites, 2 Sam. 5. 7, 8. and took the strong hold of Zion, & made it his City. It was situated amongst the Mountains; hence you read of the mountains being round about Jerusalem Psal. 125. 2. Yet the habitable part of it was in the Valley, Jer 21. 13. Now if we take Jerusalem in this notion here, the Daughters of Jerusalem are the Inhabitants of this famous City.

2. But there is an Ecclesiastical Notion of it so it signifiyeth the Jewish Church: Jerusalem was the place where the Temple stood, where was the most folemn Worship of God; thither all the males of the Israelites went up thrice a year to Worship God. There lived the High Priest; in that place alone (in their settled state) they were to Sacrifice. Hence Zion (a City contiguous to this City) the City of David, and Jerusalem are often in Scripture put for the Jewish Church; hence the Psalmist praying for the prosperity, and restauration of the Church of the Jews, Prays in this aialect; Build thou up the walls of Jerusalem. So Psal. 102. verse 23. to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem. that is, in the Jewish Church. In this sense, the Daughters of Jerusalem are the members of the Jewish Church.

3. But there is yet a further Typical Notion of it. So it signifieth the Church of God both that part which is in Heaven Triumphant, called the mother of us all which is called the New Jerusalem Rev. 3. 12. ch. 21. verse. 2, &c. or that part of it which under the Gospel is still militant on earth, Zech. 8. 22. Thus the Daughters of Jerusalem, are the Members of the visible Church. you may take it in either notion; either thus, O my neighbors, you people amongst whom I dwell, or O you that are members of the same Church of God with me; Brethren are too ready to censure and upbraid one another, Aaron, and Miriam spake against Moses, Num 12. 2. David complaineth that he was an alien to his mother's Children, Psal. 69. 8. and in the next words, the Spouse saith, my mothers Children were angry with me. To these she saith, I am black but comely; how the Church of God, or the particular Souls in it are Black, I shall have occasion more fully to show you hereafter. Everyone will understand, she speaketh in a figure and intends not the black color of the flesh, but some condition fitly enough represented and expressed by a blackness of color, [But comely] There is no contradiction in that, There is a comeliness in some blackness. The Black Eye is comely, so is the black marble. But I reserve a further and larger discourse, concerning the spouses blackness, and comeliness, till I come to the Propositions of Doctrine I intend to discourse from the words, but what is the meaning of the follow phrase.

As the tents of Kedar: as the Curtains of Solomon.] They are certainly two similitudes which the Spouse brings elegantly to set forth what she had said, either concerning her blackness, or concerning her beauty and comeliness. Only the question is, whether the sense be this; I am black like the tents of Kedar, and like the Curtains of Solomon: but I am also (like them) comely also: Or thus, I am, I confess, black, like the Tents of Kedar: but I am also comely like the Curtains of Solomon. The letter pleaseth me best because we read nothing of any black Curtains, that Solomon made for the Temple, and it is most likely he kept the colors of the Curtains of the Tabernacle which were Blue, Purple and Scarlet. Redar was one of the Sons of Ishmael as you read Gen. 25. 13. It is probable that he did build some, City in Arabia which (as was very usual) he called after his own name. We shall read that in the Prophecy of Isaiah against Arabia, Isaiah 21. 17. he hath this expression, The mighty men of the Children of Kedar shall be deminished. And in the Prophecy of the Gentiles coming in to Christ, Isaiah 60. 7. All the flocks of Kedar, shall be gathered unto thee, and the Rams of Nebujoth. You read of it also Jer. 2. 20. and Jer 49. 28. and Zech. 27. 21. Arabia and all the Princes of Kedar. Keder then was either a City or a Province of Arabia which was a very hot Country, they had at that time generally no such fixed houses, nor such ways of covering their habitations as we have: They did generally live in Tents, which were moveable places of habitation, these were ordinarily covered with the Skins of beasts which they killed for their uses. That kind of covering as you know in Countries where the Sun is very hot, is apt to tan into a very loathsome, and unlovely color▪ To these the Spouse compares herself. I am black like the tents of Kedar.

Like the Curtains of Solomon.] This I take to relate to the latter part of the Spouses words. Solomon made Curtains for the Temple, and it is very likely they were made in Proportion to those which were made (by God's Prescription) for the Tabernacle, Exod 36. 8. of fine twined Linnen, Blue, Purple, and Scarlet, with Cherubims of cunning works; the Spouse compareth herself to these for comeliness.

Look not upon me because I am black.] That is, you Daughters of Jerusalem, look not upon me. The Chaldee Paraphrast maketh this the voice of the Jewish Church speaking to the Heathens thus: O you Heathen Nations! do not despsse me because I have made myself blacker then you by doing after your deeds, Worshipping the Sun, Moon, and all the host of Heaven; false Prophets, have made me to err after your ways by which means the wrath of the Lord is poured out upon me. The reason of this interpretation is their dream that they are the only Church of God in the World. But the text is not to be so restrained. The true Church of Christ, or the truly believing Soul here speaks unto any others: That they would not look asquint upon her because she was black; Ne torvum intueamini, nec velut per contemptum despiciatis, (so Mercer glosseth upon the words) do not look upon me with an Eye of despite, scorn or, contempt. As the Leviat han beholdeth all things Job 41. 34. (so Mr. Ainsworth interpreteth it) or as he addeth, not with a rejoicing pleased or Satisfyed Eye, according to that, Obadiah v. 12. Edom should not have Looked upon the affliction of his brethren. Or not with an astonishing, admiring look: As the Apostle commandeth us not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial, and 1. Thessal. 2. 3. that none should be moved by the Churches afflictions, knowing that God had appointed them thereunto. The English Annotators add, not with a partial eye, beholding my blackness and not my comeliness; no nor yet with a dull de • jected, or despendent Eye; Nor yet so as to take a Copy from me for your imitation. Do not thus look upon me, because I am black.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 There is a little difference in the form of the word from the word as used before 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . It is the observation of some critical Interpreters, that this change of the form of the word, maketh a diminution in the sense. So as it should be read, because I am something black a little black, duskish, subnigra, fusca (thus Arias Montanus translates it.) Nun • se corrigit (saith Genebrard) here she correcteth herself. She had said before she was black. Now she altereth her phrase and speaks to this sense; I am indeed something brown, but not so black as you take me to be; thus I said critical Interpreters in the Hebr. carry it. Mercer also and Mr. Ainsworth, & our English Annotators take some notice of it. And Mr. Ainsworth quotes a text where another word much of the same form is translated, something red. We have now probably the sense of the words. O you that are the People of God, do not look upon me with a scornful abominating Eye, to flee from me, and avoid me: Nor yet to take out a Sinful Copy from me: you men of the world, do not scorn, do not clap your hands at me, do not stand amazed, because you see me full of trouble, and affliction, do not look upon me on one side partially; I am indeed something black, but not coal black, not wholly black.

The Sun hath looked upon me.] The Arabic version reads it, The Sun hath declined me, but Avenarius tells us, the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to look wistly and directly upon an Object; in that first Conjugation it is used but thrice in holy Writ, Job 20 9. The Eye also that saw him shall see him no more. Job. 28. 7. There is a path, which the Vultures Eye hath not seen. The third is this text. So as the ordinary reading is not to be declined. But concerning the Sun mentioned in this text there is a great Variety amongst Interpreters.

1. some understand bY the Sun here the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ who is so called Malachi 4. 2. and according to this sense, I find Delrio giving a singular sense of these words which he calleth the Tropological sense. As if these words were not brought in by the spouse as a reason of her blackness but only as a reason why they should not despise her by reason of her blackness. Tho I am black, (saith she) yet the Sun of righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ hath looked on me and hath clothed me with his Righteousness, therefore you ought not to despise me. There is a great truth in this. If we can Charitably judge concerning any soul that God hath received it, if we see any Person so living, so aright ordering his conversation, that we cannot but think he or she is one whom the Lord loves, and who is accepted of him, we ought not to despise them, because we see them gu • ley of some failings, or altho we find them made black through a pressure of trials and afflictions. But this seemeth not to be the sense of the words. 2. Others understanding by Sun here, the Sun of Righteousness make another improvement of the Notion. Christ, [The Sun of Righteousness] hath looked upon me, and I am become black, that is, Vile in my own Eyes: This is truth, the more the Lord looketh upon any Soul the more mean and low and vile it is in its own Eyes. When our Lord looked upon Peter he went out, and wept bitterly. Isaiah crieth out. Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amongst a People of unclean lips, for my Eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. The more the Lord looketh upon any Soul, or the more a Soul looketh up to and upon God, the more vile it judgeth its self; but though this be true, yet I cannot judge it the truth of this place, where I take the Spouse to be apologizing for her blackness in her outward appearance to others; though it be also true, That Exercises of repentance, and mortification do not commend Souls to the Eye of the world, though they highly commend them unto God. Bernard hath yet a 3d improvement of this notion— Ejus amore lang • eo. God by casting an Eye upon my Soul, hath so drawn out my heart after him, that I faint, and am broken with longings for and after him; this maketh me so unlovely, and black in your Eyes. I find both these last mentioned notions in Bernard. Thus the Souls blackness, had only been occasioned accidentally from the Sun's looking upon her.

2. I find that some by the Sun (in the Text) understand the fruits of the Spirit; such as zeal which inflameth the Soul where it is, and as it were burns it up, as it is written, The zeal of thy house hath Eaten me up: Brotherly Love which teacheth the Soul to weep with those that weep, from which ariseth what the world miscalleth a blackness.

3. But I find the generality of Interpreters by the Sun (in the Text) understanding Persecutions and Afflictions. Delrio and Bernard (after the mentioning some other notions) yet fix upon this as the most probable sense of this phrase, and we have in the Gospels a Text of Scripture which justifieth this Metaphorical acception of the term. It is that, Ma • th. 13. 6. in the Parable of the sower. In the parable our Savior telleth them that the seed which sell upon the Stony ground, when the Sun was up, was scorched, which he interpreteth v. 21. when Tribulation, or persecution ariseth because of the word, they fall away. In this sense I shall fix; so the sense is this:

It is true, I am black, but be not offended, do not contemn, or despise me for it; it is no native blackness, it is but accidental to me: it is not internal, but external, that which makes me thus black in your Eyes is, those Affl ctions, & persecutions, which I have met with in, and from the world. The exceeding heat of that sornace of affliction, into which the Providence of God hath cast me, hath scorched me: and that is it which maketh me appear so black in your Eyes. It followeth:

My Mothers Children were angry with me.] The Chaldee Paraphrast all along taking the Church of the Jews to be the Spouse here mentioned, by Mothers Children here understands the Heathen, who were the Children of her mother Eve, tempting, and seducing them to their Idolatryes. The thing is true of that Church very often by the Heathen seduced to their Idolatrys; but I find amongst Interpreters, two other senses much more large, and probable.

1. Some by Mothers Children understand those l • sts and Corruptions, which lie in the womb of our Souls. Together with the habits of grace. Thus Paul complaineth of the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and of a law in his m • mbers, rebelling against the law of his mind.

2. others (more probably) understand such as are presumptive members of the same visible Church. The true members of the Church can be no others then such as are ordained unto Life, such as are truly Sanctified through the Sanctification of the Spirit. But there are many others who from their external profession are presumptive members of it, so may be called our Mothers Children, though not the Children of our Heavenly Father; such are all false brethren, all hypocrites glorying in an External profession, and mere outward appearance. Such as these are ordinarily angry with such as are the true Spouse of Christ▪ David complained long since that he was become a stranger to his brethren, an alien to his Mothers Children; the Apostle, Acts 20. 30. foretelleth to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus that there should arise of themselves, men speaking perverse things to draw many disciples after them; you may read at large in the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, how the primitive Churches of Christ were troubled with them, and Paul, in his Epistles to Timothy, foretells that latter times should be more troubled with such as should resist the truth, as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses. It was Bernard's Observation, long since & more lately noted by Genebrard upon my text that she doth not call them Brethren, but only her Mothers Children, not her Fathers, for they were of their Father the Devil, his works they did. Many such there now are & will be in the Church to the End of the World, who have only a titular relation to Christ, no real relation. This now is a Second cause which the Spouse assigneth of her blackness. There were many false brethren in her communion who had falsely represented, and reported her and made her appear far more unlovely in the sight of others than indeed she was; this I take to be the most proper sense of this phrase.

They made me the keeper of the Vineyards.] The Chaldee Paraphrast by the Vineyards here understands the Idolatry and Superstition of the Heathen, to which the true members of the Jewish Church were tempted by the Heathen their Neighbors, and the false brethren they had amongst themselves. Hypocrites, and formal professors are very prone to admit the Superstitions of men in the Worship of God. The Pharisees in our Savior's time laid heavy burdens of human traditions upon others, Mat. 23. 4. Into this sense Mercer and Ainsworth interpret the text, observing that it is their Vineyards; their Vineyards opposed to her own Vineyard, seems to imply the false Worship, Rites, and Ceremonies of d • bauched and apostatized Churches.

There is yet another sense of the words hinted by Delrio and Genebrard. It is this, They entangled me in secular affairs, so made me neglect the things which were Spiritual and of much higher concernment to me. This now is a third cause, which the Spouse assigneth of her blackness: 1. She had before told us she was Scorched with afflictions and persecutions. The Sun had looked upon her. 2. She had been betrayed, by her own lusts, and by false brethren, and seduced her to entertain their corruptions, to keep their Vineyards, now she tells us That her secular diversions, did also much contribute to her darkness, she had been made to serve in the brick-kilns of the world. Keeping of Vineyards was a great deal of the labor of those Countrys a painful and laborious employment; therefore you read, 2 Kings. 25. 12. upon the King of Babylon's conquest of Judea that the Captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be Vine-dressers & husbandmen; & those who in the parable had been laboring in the Vineyard tell the Lord of the Vineyard, they had born the burden and heat of the day.

My own Vineyard I have not kept.] Here now the Spouse assigneth a fourth cause of her blackness. The question here is, what is meant by her own Vineyard? It is manifestly to be understood of something which the Lord had committed to her to keep, considering the Church as the Spouse. The Oracles of God were committed to the Church of the Jews (as the Apostle telleth us, Rom. 3. 2. and the Church is called, The pillar and ground of Truth, 1 Tim. 3. 15. Paul tell us. 1 Tim. 1. 11. that the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to his trust, and telleth Timothy the Ministry was committed to his trust. St. Paul calls it his Gospel upon this account, Rom. 26. 25. and saith they were put in trust with the Gospel, that is, the Custody and Ministration of it. And St. Paul commandeth Timothy to commit the things which he had heard of him, amongst many witnesses to faithful men, who should be able to teach others. That general term of the Gospel signifieth both the Propositions of the Truth, and Doctrine of Faith contained in the new Testament and also those excellent rules which are to be found in it, relating both to the Worship of God, and the Government of the Church of Christ, & the dispensation and administration of it. This Gospel as to the Ministration of it was by Christ committed, first to the Apostles, to be by them transmitted to faithful and able men, as to the keeping of it to the whole Church. The Church of Sardis, Rev. 3. 8. is commended, for keeping Christ's word, and not denying his name. This undoubtedly is the Churches Vineyard. The Province which God hath betrusted to her to keep. But every particular Soul hath a Vineyard too. And what is its Vineyard but its immortal Soul, and the particular trust which God hath committed to it, with relation both to its self and others? What is the keeping of this Vineyard, but a Christians observance of the duties incumbent upon him, with reference to his more general, or more particular calling? So that understanding by the Spouse the particular Christian, she complaineth here of her own voluntary neglect, and carelessness as to her own Soul, suffering the weeds of lusts and corruptions to grow up, and to prevail, according to that of Solomon, I passed by the Vineyard of him who was vaid of understanding, and to, it was overgrown with thorns: Nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone-wall thereof was broken down, Prov. 24. 30, 31. This now is the fourth cause which the Spouse here assigneth of her blackness; thus I have given you the best account I have been able of the sense of these words, which if you take them as the words of the Church (the collective Spouse of Christ) sound thus:

O you that are my Brethren (members of other Churches) you that are my Neighbors, the men of the World. I must confess I am something black, yet not wholly black, not inwardly black, not without some comeliness, I may be a little black, yet let not me be the object of your contempt, despite or scorn, let not my blackness make you decline, be afraid, or ashamed of the ways of God; let it not cause you to err as I have erred. I have been under great temptations, long, and sharp trials of persecution, these have a little tanned me, and made me to look something unlovely; I have had some Neighbors, and false Brethren, who have allured, inti • ed, and betrayed me, my Enemies have imposed upon me a superstitious Worship, superst • tious Rites and Ceremonies, and have prevailed with me something to comply with them. Nor am I as to myself to be wholly excused, I must own that through my own voluntary omission, and neglect, I have not kept the Truths, and Ordinances of Worship, nor any of the Laws of God concerning me, so as I ought to have done, or might have done.

If we take the words as the words of the particular believing Soul, they sound thus.

O my Brethren! I am I confess black, but let not my blackness cause you to tr • umph over me, nor yet for my sake to decline the holy ways of God. I have been under many sore and great temptations, in great heats of affliction; the Sun hath looked upon me, others have too much seduced me, and I have been misled by them, I have been too much entangled in secular concerns, so as I have been too negligent as to the concerns of my own Soul. From the words thus opened, several Propositions may be raised, of which I shall discourse in their order. I shall only name them at this time.

That even the Spouse of Christ on this side of Heaven, hath her blacknesses, which will expose her to the reproach and obloquy of her Brethren, and the men of the world.

Though the Spouse of Christ be black, yet she is also comely.

As the Spouse of Christ ought to know that she is black, so she also ought to understand she is comely.

As the Spouse of Christ ought to own, and acknowledge her infirmity, and desormities, so it is also her duty at sometimes to own, and acknowledge her beauty, and graces, and to justify herself against those who would upbraid her for her blackness.

It is our duty to take heed how we look upon the Spouses blackness.

Affliction, and persecution from the world, will make the Church, and people of God look black, especially in the Eyes of the men of the world.

Corruptions within, and false Brethren in the bosom of the Church, will make both the Church, and the particular Soul appear black.

Great entanglements in worldly affairs, will make God's people look black.

The yieldings of a Church, or of particular Souls, to impositions of false and corrupt worship, are a great cause of their appearing blackness.

Nothing makes a Church, or particular Soul so black as their own neglect in keeping their own Vineyards, the trust which God hath betrusted them with. I shall speak something to all, or the most of these in their order hereafter.

Sermon XXXII.

I Shall now begin a larger discourse upon those Propositions which I did but name the last time after my explication of this, and the next verses. I will join the two first, and handle them severally, then apply them jointly.

The Spouse of Christ on this side of Heaven, hath her blackness, exposing her to the reproach and obloquy of others, but she is also comely, and therefore ought not to be looked upon, because she is black.

My business in the handling of this Proposition will chiefly lie in these two things.

1. First, Showing you wherein lies the Spouses blackness, exposing her to the obloquy of others.

2. Secondly, Showing you wherein her comeliness lieth. The confirmation I shall mix with the explication. By the Spouse here I have all along understood, the believing Soul, & the Church of Christ, which is a body made up of these as its Members, they have both their blackness, for which they are exposed to the obloquy of others.

1. First, Sins, and Corruptions make them black. The best of men, are but as white Swans, with black feet, they have in them a body of death, a law in their members rebelling against the law of their mind, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and they are many times brought into a captivity to the law of their members, and though these motions to sin be ordinarily suppressed, yet they sometimes break out. The Pride of one, and the ssionate anger and wrath of another, and other lusts in others often break out unseemly, and make even the best of God's People appear black, the habituated Sinner is all black, there is in him no whiteness, no comeliness at all. The glorified Saint is all white, there is in him no blackness at all. The militant Saint, is partly white, and in part black. All sin is black. Christ therefore in justification makes the Soul white through his blood, Rev. 7. 14. They are made white in the blood of the Lamb. In regeneration they are made white; cleansed through the washing of water, Eph. 5. 21. Hence, Christ tells his Disciples, except I wash you, you can never be made clean; they are clean, but yet had need wash their seat, John 13. 10. If there be in us anything of faith, yet there is also much of unbelief; who liveth, and sinneth not? the righteous man falleth seven times in a day, and who can tell how often he offendeth? and though indeed the lust and corruption, that is in a good man's heart, doth not commonly break out into scandalous acts, which standers by take notice of, yet sometimes they do. Lot and Noah were both overtaken with Wine, David was overco • e by the stranger that came to his House. Peter denied his Master. Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, all the good Kings of Judah had their great Errors, which are as black spots upon their memories to this day. And besides the blot which these eruptions of corruption leave upon the particular Souls, they leave also a blackness in the Church, which is made up of them. Besides that, there is no Church but hath in it some of unsanctified hearts, who as Jude tells us, are spots in our feasts of charity, and where they prevail in number, they bring in also another blackness upon the Church, by admission of corruptions, in Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline, &c.

2. Particular Souls are also black through acts of mortification. The people of God live a dying life; I die daily (saith Paul) they keep under their Bodies, that they may keep them in subjection to their Spirits. Now though there is nothing makes a Soul to look more white, and beautiful in the Eyes of God, yet nothing makes them appear more black and unlovely in the Eyes of the world. The world looks upon Christians chastising themselves with fasting, and tears, in their dejections, and humiliations, as very black, but this is indeed no real, but an appearing blackness, to such as understand no loveliness in anything but sensuality.

3. The People of God are often black through afflictions. Job speaking of affliction saith, Job 30. 30. My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burnt with heat. Hence the afflicted faces are said to gather blackness, Joel 1. 6. Nahum 2. 10. The skin of the Church in the hour of her affliction, is said to have been as black as a Raven, Lam. 5. 10. and it is said of the afflicted Nazarites, Lam. 4. 8. That their visage was more black then a Coal. So that you see Affliction is everywhere in Scripture called Blackness. Now there is no Child of God in this life exempted from afflictions, such as are from the hand of God immediately, of which nature are desertions, terrors, and Soul troubles of several sorts, bodily distempers, &c. or from Satan more immediately, of which nature are temptations. Or from the world, in persecutions, and injuries by it done unto them, and the Spouse seemeth to have a particular respect to these, for she adds, my Mothers Children were angry with me. And as the particular Soul is subject to these blacknesses, so is the Church.

1. Through a mixture of ill members, such as (to use Jude's phrase) are spots in the Churches feasts of charity. Such no Church of God hath been free from in any age, some that are corrupt in their tenets, and principles, others that are so in their conversations. God denominates his Church from the sincere, and better part of it, but the world always denominates it from the worser part, and cries— Crimine ab uno disce omnes, they are all alike, hence there is no man causeth the name of God to be so reproached, and evil spoken of, as persons professing to religion, and membership in Churches, and living loosely, o • growing corrupt in their Doctrines, and Principles.

2. The Church becomes black, Through the admission of corruption in Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline. All deviation from the Divine Rule (where it is a sufficient rule in the case) is the blackness of any Church; it is a wonderful thing to observe how prone the heart of man is to this. Though the Church of the Jews had a more infallible rule, and more plain in this case, then any other Church can pretend to. Yet I cannot find that ever the Worship of God continued in it in purity fourscore years. The longest was the time of David and Solomon, who each of them reigned forty years, but in the latter part of Solomon's time, it admitted of much corruption, there was a great toleration of Idolatry (as you read in the story) and you shall observe in the whole History of that Church, in how few Kings Reigns, the high places, and the groves were taken away, and when they were taken away in one Kings Reign, how soon they grew in fashion again in the next, though there were no sins for which the Jews so severely smarted, nor against which the wrath of God was more severely declared by the Prophets God sent amongst them. If (in the New Testament) you look over the Epistles wrote to the Church of Corinth, and Galatia, and the seven Churches of Asia, you will again find the same thing; it is true, every deviation from truth, or from the purity of Worship, or discipline, will not unchurch a Church, the Lord hateth putting away; concerning Idolatry, I know not what to say, that is a Spiritual Adultery, and everywhere in Scripture is called Whoredom, and going a Whoring, and as divorce was lawful in case of carnal adultery, so possibly it may be presumed as to spiritual adultery, that God hath said to a People Lo-ammi, you are not my people who are lapsed to idolatry: but for other failings, though the Lord liketh them not, but hath something against every Church that admits any corruptions of this nature, yet they are but spots and blemishes, and how far a separation from such a Church may be lawful, or is sinful, is a great question. I think a total separation is not. But that is not my task at present to discourse.

3. The Church also may be black through persecutions. The afflicted state of the Church is called a lying amongst the pots, Psal. 68. 13. Probably there may be a time towards the end of the World, when the true Church of Christ may enjoy some tranquility, and enjoy a more serene, quiet, and fixed state then it hath yet enjoyed, or doth at this day enjoy, when it shall not be so encumbered by the Cross, and those tribulations, by which Christians have hitherto entered into the Kingdom of God; there have been some both more ancient and modern Divines, who have inclined to think, that yet before the end of the World, Christ shall reign upon the Earth a thousand years, but whether that time which we call the day of Judgment, shall last so long, or those thousand years shall be a space of time preceding the last judgment, whether those Scriptures which are usually interpreted in favor of that opinion, signifying Christ's being heve in Person, or only a quiet, and more tranquil estate of the Church, are questions which I shall not undertake to determine. But as the history of the Gospel Church hitherto justifieth, that it hath been a state of affliction, and blackness; so most Divines are pretty well agreed, that we are not to expect any other, until those thousand years do begin, so as in this respect we must look to see the Church of Christ black, however white she be upon other accounts. Now thus the Spouse is black, not in God's Eyes, who judgeth not according to outward appearance, but according to the heart, and in his judgment of men counteth none the worse, for what happeneth to them from the World, or from the Devil, and though he cannot look upon iniquity in the best so as to approve of it, yet doth he not judge of them according to their failings, but giveth an allowance both for their infirmimities, and temptations, upon which account he calleth to us to behold the patience of Job, though Job had his fits of frowardness, and impatience, and often calleth his Spouse fair, and undefiled, though she hath many defilements. But.

1. The Spouse upon these accounts is black in her own Eyes. 2. In the Eyes of others.

1. In her own Eyes she is black; two things make her so. 1. Her Humility. 2. Her Love jealousy. The Child of God is always vile in his own Eyes, and hath a very low and mean opinion of himself, and therefore condemneth himself for every motion, and prevailing of corruption. I am a worm (saith David) and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people • , Psal. 22. 6. O wretched man that I am, (saith St. Paul) who shall deliver me from this body of death, Rom. 7. in another place he calleth himself the greatest of sinners, and the least of Saints. Woe is me (saith the Prophet) I am a man of unclean lips; the sense of former sins makes them call themselves black. I am (saith Paul) not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of Christ. The sense of present corruptions also makes them so judge; Iniquities (saith David) prevail against me. Hence is the ordinary dialect of pious Souls. There was never any had such unbelieving hearts, such proud, dead, false, & hypocritical hearts as ours are. Those who are most eminently comely in the Eyes of Christ, are usually most black in their own Eyes. 2. Their Love-jealousy is another cause. Their love for God is so great, that they suspect every frown of Providence, as speaking God out of favor with them for their sins. Hence it often proveth as great a matter of difficulty to persuade the Child of God, that God hath any favor for him, as it is to persuade a sinner that God hath any displeasure to him.

2. Secondly (which possibly is here chiefly intended) She is black in the Eyes of others. The World dealeth by the Disciples of Christ, as it dealt with him (nor is it reasonable to expect that the Disciple should be above his Master, or the Servant above his Lord) they saw Christ despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, they hid their faces from him, and esteemed him not. The men of the world see the people of God, men of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, they despise them, and esteem them not, yea, for the most part their business is to blacken them, loading them with reproach and calumny, and laying to their charge things which they know not, and all this through an implacable enmity, put betwixt the seed of the Woman, and the seed of the Serpent, or because they see themselves condemned by the more righteous conversation of such as fear God. Nay it often so falls out, that the People of God are black in the Eyes of their Brethren, through mistakes, as Eli mistook Hannah, or through envy or prejudice, &c. But this is enough to have spoken concerning the Spouses blackness.

2. Let me now come to show you how, and in what sense she is comely. 1. She hath a comeliness besides her blackness. 2. In some of her blackness there is a comeliness.

1. The Spouse is not wholly black, besides her blackness she hath a great beauty, and comeliness. Every believer hath something of unbelief in him, but he is not an unbeliever, he hath a truth of faith in him, there is his comeliness. Paul had a law in his members, that was his blackness, but he had also a law of his mind, that was his comeliness. All sin and lust is blackness all gracious habits are the Souls beauty and comeliness. The unbeliever, the natural man is wholly black, the godly man is not so, there is a mixture in his Soul, he is come into Canaan, though some Canaanites yet dwell in the Land, the faith, and love, and obedience of a good man, his pantings, and breathings after God, his complacency, delight, and rejoicing in God, these are all his comeliness. The Church of God may have spots in her assemblies, these are her blackness, but she keepeth up her assembl • es, and hath the Ordinances of God in them, that is her comeliness, she may have several hypocrites, mere seeming professors, these are her spots, from these is her blackness, but she hath many that love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity, these are her comeliness; she may-suffer some erroneous principles to be published in her, that is her blackness but she keepeth the foundation doctrines of faith and holiness pure, and incorrupt; that is her comeliness.

2. In much of her blackness there is a beauty, and a comeliness. It is Bernard's note, whatsoever is black is not therefore uncomely. The Eye is black, yet comely. Marble is black, but yet it is comely. Christ is black but yet he was comely. Look upon him (saith that devout man,) clothed with rags, blew with Stripes, daubed with his Enemies Spittle, pale with death, you will say he was black, but yet he was comely, yea the Chiefest of ten thousand. The Apostles saw him comely when upon the mountain they beheld his glory at his transfiguration. Nay in his blackness there was comeliness, to see him under all this becoming obedient to his Fathers will, even unto death, the bitter death upon the Cross, working out the redemption and Salvation of all those whom the Father had given him; this was comely. When the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us (saith St. John) we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. Look upon the Child of God, as daubed, and besmeared with the filth and obloquy which the men of the World cast upon him: Scorched with Afflictions, followed with dark, and hellish temptations; so indeed he looketh black in our carnal Eyes but in other respects he is comely, even in this blackness.

1. As by these afflictions Christ is magnified in his body, and he is made conformable unto Christ, and filling up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ: So he is comely. All conformity to Christ is beauty, Paul desired no more then that he might know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable unto his death, Philip. 3. 11. This is what our Savior told his disciples, John 15. to comfort them under the Worlds hatred which he knew would make them to appear black, If the World hateth you it hated me first. The suffering child of God looks black, but as Christ is by his sufferings magnified in his body as he is by his sufferings made more like to Christ, so he is comely.

2. Secondly. As a believers afflictions perfect him for glory, so even in his blackness there is a comeliness. The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect (as the Apostle tells us) through suffering Heb. 2. 10. and so must the Soldiers under this Captain be made perfect, for by much tribulation they also must enter into the Kingdom of God. By this (saith the Lord, speaking of the Afflictions of Jacob) shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and all the fruit shall be to take away Sin. Afflictions to the Church and People of God, are but as the furnace for the Silver, and the refining pot for the Gold, like polishing Irons to the Stone, and the File to the Steel.

3. Finally. There is a comeliness in this blackness, as Afflictions give the Spouse advantage, and opportunities for the more noble and perspicuous exercises of their graces. Faith never shineth so much as in a dark place, and state; now for a season (saith Peter, 1 Pet. 1. 7.) You are in heaviness through manifold temptations (their was their blackness) but it followeth, That the trial of your faith being much more precious then that of Gold which perisheth, might be found unto praise, honor, and glory. There now was a comeliness in their blackness; though he killeth me (saith Job) yet will I trust in him, there again was comeliness in blackness. Patience is another grace, the time for the exercise, of which is a time of afflictions, and trials; it is a feature in the face of a Child of God hardly discernible, but in a day of adversity, when we fall under severer Providences, then is the time for Patience to have its perfect work. If you look upon the Child of God as lying amongst the pots, under the reproach, and obloquy, and rage, and injuries of a vile and wicked generation, who fly at the image of God wherever they see it, out of that perfect hatred they have to God, so indeed he looks black. But now see him under this, owning the righteousness and goodness of God, kissing the Word of God, saying concerning his Enemies, Let them alone, perhaps God hath bidden them curse, and will requite me with blessing for all the cursings wherewith they have cursed me, or with Eli, 1 Sam. 3. 18. saying; It is the Lord, let him do unto me what seemeth good unto him, or with Stephen, praying for his Enemies, and saying, Father! forgive them! they know not what they do; so he appeareth comely. Look upon the Child of God, under the withdrawings of divine influences from him, when we hear him crying out, My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me? he appeareth to us black, but if we see him under such withdrawings, resolving to trust in God, not to depart from his integrity, nor to forget the Lord's precepts, nor deal falsely in his Covenant, but still adhering to God, and his ways, and following him with fervent and importunate prayers, so again he appeareth comely. In short;

1. The Spouse of Christ is comely in the Eyes of the generality of the Saints, and People of God. There may be some grains of envy, and passion in the hearts of the best of God's people, which may cause some misinterpretation of their brethren, as Joshua envied for Moses his sake, when Eldad, and Medad prophesied in the Camp, Num. 11. 29. and the Disciples of John were jealous for their Master; and by mistakes they may be judged black, as Hannah was by Eli. But by the generality of the Saints, all such as are partakers of the Divine Nature, they will be judged comely, notwithstanding their low and afflicted condition, and notwithstanding that partial blackness which appeareth in them.

2. They are comely in Christ's Eyes; and alas how small a thing to the Child of God is it to be judged of man's judgment? Bernard thus glosseth upon the words; Nigra vestro, formosa Divino Angelicoque judicio, I am black in your judgment, but fair in the judgment of God, and of the Angels. The Spouse is black in the Worlds Eyes, but exceeding comely in Christ's Eyes. The Spouse speaketh to her beloved, Can. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee. He replieth to her, v. 10. How fair is thy love, my Sister, my Spouse. v. 11. Thy lips (O my Spouse) drop as the Honey-comb, Honey and Milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy Garments is like the smell of Lebanon. Would you be confirmed in this, and understand whence it is that Christ judgeth his Spouse so comely? I will show you in a few particulars.

1. Because he loveth her. Love never calleth its object black, but always imprinteth a loveliness in its object beloved; the blackest woman is fair in her Husbands Eye, love with men covereth a multitude of faults, and infirmities, it overlooks blackness and lameness, and crookedness, and any external deformity, it calleth black things white, crooked things straight, and lame things perfect. Christ loves every Spouse of his with a dear and most tender love. But yet this is our infirmity. Christ cannot call any comely, who indeed is not so, the Spouse must be comely, before he can judge, or call her so.

2. Therefore she must needs be comely in the Eyes of Christ, because he hath made her so, by putting his comeliness upon her▪ Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee (saith the Lord God.) No Child of God is comely in his or her own comeliness, but in Christ's comeliness put upon him or her. Now this is twofold. 1. His perfect Righteousness. 2. His holy and blessed Spirit.

1. His perfect Righteousness. Thus the Soul is comely by imputation. All unrighteousness is blackness, and uncomeliness in the Eyes of God, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and it is impossible that the Lord should look upon any Soul as comely, but that Soul whom he looketh upon as righteous. Christ was of old prophesied of, under the notion of the Lord our righteousness, and the Apostle tells us he was made of God, Wisdom, Righteousness. &c. This righteousness of Christ lay in his perfect obedience to the whole law of God, and his suffering the curse of the law due to us for our transgression of it; it being the act of another, we could not have any interest in it, but by a gracious imputation, or reckoning it to us, and by this gracious act, upon our faith by apprehending it, it becomes ours, so we are said to be justified by his faith, Rom. 5. 1. yet by his blood, as v. 9, and yet by grace, Titus 3. 7. It was an act of grace in God to accept the performance of another for us, the act and satisfaction of the surety, for the satisfaction, and acts of the principals, yet a satisfaction must be given; for God, Rom. 3. 25. set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins—That he might be just while he became the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. So that upon every Souls believing in Jesus Christ, who justifies the ungodly. God becomes its justifier, and the Soul standeth as righteous in the fight of God, through God's imputation of righteousness to it without works, and not imputing sin (as the Apostle expounds the whole business of justification, Rom. 4. 5, 8.) Thus now every believing Soul becomes a righteous Soul in the Eye of God, through the righteousness of Christ put upon it. This is indeed what some modern wits laugh at. But as we say in other cases, let them laugh that win; so every serious Soul will think it hath cause of rejoicing, if it hath thus won Christ to use the Apostles expression, Phil. 3. 8. which he expoundeth in the very next words. v. 9. And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; and I would have all that love their own Souls, look to be one of that circumcision, which the Apostle speaketh of in that Chapter. v. 3. Which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Some trust in Chariots (faith the Psalmist) some in Horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God, Psal. 20. 7. (I do but allude to that Text. There are some that trust to a righteousness of other Saints (so do the Papists) some trust in a righteousness of their own, so do they also amongst others, some trust to the mere free grace of God, without any regard to a perfect righteousness, but we will trust alone in Jesus Christ, and in his righteousness. I fear what follows in the Psalmist. v. 8. will be found true in the day of Judgment. Those will be brought down and fall, but those that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and his righteousness, will rise and stand upright. Those that trust in the good works of other Saints, will find at that day, they will have none to spare, there will not be enough for themselves, and much less to lend to others (as the wife Virgins told the foolish Virgins in the Parable wanting O • l, and offering to borrow of them;) and those who trust to a righteousness of their own, will find that they do but trust to a Spiders webb, and which hath these two qualities analogous to a Spiders web: 1. That it is a thing spun out of their own bowels. 2. That the least touch of it sweeps it away, it is what upon examination, when judgment is laid to the line, and this righteousness to the plummet, will be found to be no such thing as will cover the Souls nakedness, a bed too short for a Soul to stretch itself in God's sight upon. They say the great Cardinal Bellarmine dying, confessed that it was safest to trust to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ; whether he said so or no, I am sure it will be found so. There is an original blackness, which cleaveth to every Soul, the not belief of which is possibly the foundation error as to this great point. 1. A blackness of imputation. The Apostle tells us, that in Adam all died; we were all in the loins of that our first Parent, what he lost he lost for us, we in him plucked a fruit of the Tree of forbidden fruit, and so loft that Original Righteousness in which God at first made man, and became black, and unrighteous. 2. An inherent blackness, for having lost the image of the heavenly, we were born with the Image of the Earthly, which lay in a Native aversion from God, and a Native proneness, and aptitude to sin against God. This is seen in our native ignorance, and blindness, stubbornness, and perverseness, in our naturally vile affections turbulent, and impetuous passions, things very far from the Image of God; and hence we are all by nature (saith the Apostle, Eph. 2. 3.) Children of Wrath. To say nothing of those actual sins, which are consequent to this native blackness, all our thoughts, words, and deeds, contrary to the law of God: Divines think the natural blackness of the Soul is well set out by the Prophet, Ezek. 16. Thy birth is of the land of Canaan, thy Father was an Amorite, thy Mother an Hittite. In the day wherein thou wert born, thy Navel was not cut, neither wert thou washed in water to supple thee, thou wert not salted at all, nor swaddled at all, none Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee, but thou wert cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day wherein thou wert born. All this while here is no appearance of anything but filthiness, and blackness. Now how cometh this black, and most filthy creature to be made clean, and comely. see v. 6. I said unto thee while thou wert in thy blood, live. (There is what we call effectual calling.) v. 7. I have caused thee to multiply—and thou art increased, and waxed great, and come to excellent Ornaments. v. 8. When I passed by thee, it was a time of Love, yea, I spread my skirt over thee, and I covered thy nakedness, yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water, (there the Spouses blackness began first to wear off) yea, I thoroughly washed thy blood off thee, and I anointed thee with Oil. (the Psalmist tells us, Oil makes the face to shine.) I clothed thee also. v. 14. And thy renown went forth among the Nations for thy beauty, for it was perfect through my comeliness put upon thee saith the Lord thy God. God there under the similitude of a wretched new born Infant, and the care of a Parent for it, setteth out the woeful state of the Jews, and God's care for them, and as Divines judge, the wretched state of every Soul by nature, till washed by Christ's blood, and made comely, by Christ's comeliness, is also by that similitude excellently expressed, but it is plain enough from other texts, that our comeliness of righteousness, that righteousness wherein we must stand righteous before God, is put upon us by Christ, and his comeliness, though by imputation, made ours.

2. Christ makes us righteous, by putting his Spirit into us. Hence he promiseth to put his Spirit into his people, and you read of the holy Spirit dwelling in believers, and working in them. This is the comeliness of Regeneration and Sanctification, which is called the Sanctification of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ in us, whose fruits Gal. 5. 22. are love, joy, meekness, &c. Indeed whatsoever rendereth a soul comely and beautiful in the eye of reason; upon the union of which holy Spirit with the soul, the soul becomes a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. In the same hour wherein Christ saith to the soul I will, be thou clean he also saith I will, be thou pure, and holy, an habitation for God through the Spirit, undefiled in the heart and in the way. This is also metaphorically set out by the same Prophet Ezekiel 16. 10, 11, 12. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain about thy neck, and I put a jewel upon thy forehead, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head. What do all these metaphorical expressions signify, but the various habits of grace, with which Christ adorneth the new creature, in the day of its new birth, in the day when he removeth from it the guilt of its iniquity, he doth not only wash, and cleanse it with his blood from the guilt of its Sin, but he reneweth and sanctifieth it, and furnisheth it with all habits of grace. This is also Christ's comeliness, for as the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, so himself received the Spirit without measure that he might measure it out by measures to his people, and they might of his fullness receive grace for grace. The holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, and all its operations are his; Christ tells his Spouse in this Song that she had ravished his heart with the chains about her neck, but there is not a jewel in those chains, but cometh out of Christ's cabinet, he giveth those chains with which himself is ravished, though these divine powers, and habits be his, yet being once given and by us produced into Acts they are truly and inherently ours: Our Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness Joy, &c. Our stock of grace upon which our souls live, yet not without the daily influence of Christ and assistance of his spirit; and this stock is capable of augmentation, or diminution, as it pleaseth God to let out upon us or to withdraw from us, and as we more or less improve it, though indeed Christ hath a constant inspection upon his Spouses treasury and will take care that it shall never so fail, but there shall be a seed of God abiding in the soul continually, and the grace of Regeneration in it shall be like a spring of water whose waters fail not. This now is the Spouses real beauty, and comeliness, which makes her inwardly comely, though she be externally black, comely in Christ's eyes, and comely, in the eyes of judicious Christians, though black in the Worlds eyes who judge from external accidents, or in the eyes of less judicious Christians, either judging from outward accidents, or particular acts or from some corrupt passion in themselves.

3. They must be comely in Christ's eyes, because he judgeth not of comeliness from the outward appearance, nor yet from single spots and defects, but according to the heart, the scope and intention of that: and from the more constant tenor of the Souls actions. The speaking of a few words to this, will prevent an objection: How Christ can judge a soul comely, that is yet full of spots, infirmities and defects, for even the best of men sinneth seven times a day, and who can tell how often he offendeth? I say Christ judgeth not from the outward appearance, man judgeth so, but God judgeth from the heart, he looketh at the inward man how that is; nor doth he there judge from every particular motion, anymore then from any particular act in our conversation, but from the sincerity and uprightness of the heart. If there be a willing mind it is accepted. The World judgeth from the outward appearance, and indeed that is one disadvantage with reference to the World that the spouse of Christ is under, she is Nigra extrinsecus, formosa, intrinsecus. Black outwardly but comely inwardly. The Kings Daughter, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 45. is all glorious within. A good Christian is like a Merchants warehouse, which is full of rich wares and commodities though little appeareth without: The hypocrite is l • ke a Pedlars stall, where all is exposed, and perhaps much more then the pretended owner is worth. There is a double judgment of the comeliness of Virgins; the one is sensual, from the lines, and color of the face, the Symmetry of parts, the other is rational from the complexion of the soul; Knowledge, Ingenuity, Modesty, Sobriety &c. Those who judge the former way may be deceived, that which the Vulgar calleth beauty, is deceitful, and vain, and fading, the person that is possessed of it is very often unlovely enough, through a crooked, and froward disposition, and badness of humor; the latter maketh the true judgment; men judge of the comeliness and beauty of persons, merely from the visage, and outside, so the children of God, are by them judged unlovely, and black as Ravens. If they see the Church or Child of God tossed with tempests and affl • cted, groaning under the sense of sin, they presently judge them according to the outward appearance black, Christ looketh upon the heart, the bent and scope of that, its sincerity, and uprightness, its purity and holiness. The World again judgeth of men by single acts, (though Philosophy teacheth us, that from them none is to be denominated either virtuous, or vicious.) God doth not so, which is remarkable in the two famous instances of Job and David. Job you know had great fits of impatience, yet saith God, Behold the patience of Job. David was a man of very great failings; his defiling of Bathsheba, his murder of Uria, his numbering of the People, were three (to name no more) yet God doth not only mention him, as a man whose heart was perfect, a man according to God's own heart; But in all the following story of the Kings of Judah God mentions him as a Pattern, telling us, that such a one did walk according to David, or such a one did not do according as David had done. The Apostle also tells us, that we have an high Priest that can have compassion on our Infirmities, upon the ignorant, and those that are out of the way. All which makes it appear that Christ's judgment of the Beauty and comeliness of persons is not from single acts, but from a constant and general course of life and conversation. Now every true believer sets his heart to seek the Lord, and to walk before God with a true and perfect heart, and though he faileth in many particulars, yet the Lord overlooketh them and judgeth of the Soul, only from its •• ope and intention, and the general course of his actions, hence it is that the spouse of Christ though in some respects she be black, and in the Worlds eyes she appeareth black, yet in truth, and in the Judgment of Jesus Christ she is comely.

Sermon XXXIII.

My business in this exercise, is but to apply my last discourse. Where, I shown you how, and in what sense the Spouse of Christ is Black and yet comely; black in her own eyes, in the worlds eyes, and sometimes so in the eyes of her weaker Brethren, but comely in Christ's eyes, and in the eyes of her more judicious Brethren. Having a great comeliness, in some of her blackness, and a comeliness besides her blackness: Black through remaining Just, and corruption, through Afflictions, and persecutions: But comely hrough an imputed righteousness, and through the habits of grace with which God hath adorned her. I come now to apply that discourse; and First,

We may from hence gather the true notion of a child of God, and understand how he stands distinguished from one that is a natural man, and yet an unbeliever. The true notion of a child of God is this: He is one who is imperfectly perfect. Black but comely, you shall observe in Scripture, that perfection is both predicated and denied concerning the People of God; Not as if I had attained, or were already perfect saith Paul Phil. 3. 12. We are commanded to strive after perfection, to endeavor to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, but it is a mark which no man hitteth, Heaven is the only place, where just Souls are made perfect, both as to their fruitions, and as to their Actions. A thing is then said to be perfect, and so a person, when there is nothing wanting to it, or him, nothing that can be added, and in this sense no man can be said to be perfect: on the other side we are not only commanded to study perfection, but it is said of many in holy Writ that they were perfect. Noah was a just and perfect man Gen. 6. 9. Job was perfect and upright, Job 1. 1. Paul saith he spake wisdom amongst them that are perfect. 1 Cor. 3. 6. Phil. 3. 15. Let us as many as be perfect. A Christian is perfect in the same sense that he is comely. In short there is a threefold perfection may be predicated of a Christian.

1. A Perfection of Justification. In this sense every believer is comely through Christ's righteousness put upon him and reckoned to him and he is perfect, for the state of justification is a state that admits not of degrees, thus we are (as the Apostle speaketh to the Colossions complete in Christ.

2. There is a Perfection of Regeneration and Sanctification. this is threefold. 1. Of degrees; thus none is perfect, no not one; none liveth and Sinneth not against God, there is something to be added to the best man's habits and Acts of Grace. 2. Of Parts; thus again every believer is perfect, Sanctified, (as the Apostle speaketh) in body, and mind, and spirit, the man is made a new creature, all the faculties, and powers of his Soul are renewed and Sanctified. 3. Of scope, design and intention. This is uprightness, this is called perfectness because God upon the covenant of grace accepteth the Soul upon the account of Christ as if it had fulfilled the whole Law of God. Rom. 8. 3, 4. What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through our flesh, God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin (or by a Sacrifice for sin) condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. God accounteth the righteousness of the Law fulfilled, by those who walk after the Spirit, though personally it is not, because Christ condemned sin in the flesh. Thus Noah is said to be a perfect man, Gen. 6. 9. and Job a perfect man and upright; this is expounded v. 8. one that feareth God and escheweth Evil. For in the strict sense of perfection; Job saith chap. 9. v. 20. If he justified himself his own mouth should condemn him, if he should say he were perfect that should prove him perverse.

3. There is a comparative perfection in this sense the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3. 6. That he spake wisdom amongst them that were perfect, and Phil. 3 15. Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded that is, as many of us as are comparatively perfect, whose attainments as to knowledge and faith are higher than others. The State of the Saints is in no other sense a State of perfection. So as I say they are imperfectly perfect which is the same with that of the Text, Black but comely. And this sufficiently distinguisheth the believer from the unbeliever whether the profane person or the hypocrite. The unbeliever may say he is black, but he cannot say he is comely. What beauty can there be in any Soul not reconciled to God? they are all blackness, all deformity. It is true there is a great deal of difference in these men, some of them are black and filthy in the eyes of the rational, and more orderly part of the World, such is the Atheist, the profane Curser and Swearer, the Blasphemer, the Drunkard, the Thief, the Oppressor, the unrighteous, and intemperate man, these are the fots of the Earth, the spots of the World, the shame, and reproach of the Nation, or City in which they live, Beasts walking in human shapes. But there are many others who have much beauty in them in the eyes of the World, and human reason, yet are not comely in the eyes of Christ. If a man be Sober, and Temperate, Just, and Righteous, Kind, and Charitable, though he liveth not up to the strict rule of the Gospel, and the Commandments of God, yet living up to the conduct of human reason, and the advantages of human society (which the others infect, and destroy) the World counteth him a very good man, full of beauty, and comeliness, applaudeth, commends, and courts him. But now the Lord Christ, not judging according to the outward appearance, but according to the heart, seeing in this man's heart, no love of God constraining him to these acts, nothing of the fear of God awing this man's Soul unto his duty; God I say seeing him in these actions, neither acting from a persuasion that this is the will of God, nor from a belief of the Promises or of the Threatenings, nor from an Obedience to the Precepts of God, but merely from Politick, and rational principles, from self ends, & interests, that he may appear to men to be good, and seeking in these actions the praise of men, not of God. Or merely under the conduct of reason commanding their passions, in order to their more comfortable being in this World, and a more honorable and acceptable converse with the best men in it. God I say seeing this, judgeth these morally virtuous men black; we that are Parents to Children, and Masters 〈◊〉 Servants, though we cannot judge of their hearts, yet can distinguish betwixt actions which they do upon, and in obedience to our command, and what they do not at our command, nor out of obedience to us, though they be things which done please us, being what we would have had done. God who knoweth the heart will much more do so. I remember our Savior, Matth. 23. 23. pronounceth a woe, to the Scribes, and Pharisees; for (faith he) you pay Tythe of Mint, and Annis and Cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment mercy, and faith, these things ought you to have done and not to have left the other undone. Christ judgeth the comeliness of a Soul, not merely from its external acts, but from that faith in the Precepts, Promises, and Threatenings of the Word, from that love, fear, and obedience to God, which ought to have principled those acts, and if they had been so, would have made those acts more intense, certain, steady, and uniform, if these be wanting, the Life-colors are wanting to the Picture. Other things make but up the Skeleton of the duty, and are but as a draught of the lines of the Face without the Life-colors which seldom have much beauty in them, and the Soul, notwithstanding all this fair and splendid outside is in his eyes but as a painted Sepulcher within which is nothing but a stench, and rottenness, and the bones of dead men. So that no Soul that is without Faith, without the fear and love of God, and that acteth not out of obedience to Christ in what it doth, but is black, wholly black in the Lord's eyes, how fair soever in its own eyes, or the eyes of the men of the world; and what Augustine said of old of the best, and most virtuous actions of the Heathens is true of the best actions of these titular Christians, they are but Splendida Peccata, Splendid Sinnings. Thus now I say the true Christian standeth distinguished from unbelievers of all sizes whatsoever, none of them are comely, but wholly black in the eyes of Christ, because they have none of his comeliness put upon them. The glorified Saint is altogether whitehe hath not only washed his garments in the Blood of the Lamb, but he is also delivered from the infirmities of human nature, from the Sin that easily besetts him, the weight that presseth him down, the war in his members from the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, the law of his members so often rebelling against the law of his mind, and bringing him into a captivity oft times to the law of Sin, and is now presented before Christ without spot or wrinkle. This is the felicity of his State.

The Apostle saith that we are now the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Sin here maketh us black, affliction and sorrow make us appear more black then we are, the translated Soul neither sinneth nor yet suffereth, or sorroweth anymore; the state of the Child of God differeth from these, because he is black, it differeth from the state of the unbeliever in this life, because he is not only black but also comely; hence you may understand the error of those who dream of a state of perfection which the People of God, may and do attain in this life; some go very high in blasphemy, telleng us that we are Christed and Godded, and that the believer is as spotless as Christ, &c. The Apostle indeed tells us, we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, but it is one thing to be made partakers of, another thing to be transformed into the Divine Nature. Christ is the chief of ten thousand, altogether desires, there is no spot no blemish in him. The best of God's people is black as well as comely; black through inherent corruption, and unrighteousness, though comely in respect of imputed righteousness, and inherent habits of grace and holiness. The Apostle tells us that, by one man's disobedience many were made Sinners, and that we are all by nature, children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. Those who would have Christ to die for every man, being pinched with that question, What did Christ then purchase for those that shall never be saved? some of them answer, he purchased for all a total freedom from Adams Sin, I know no line in Scripture to justify that; it was after Christ had died that the Apostle tells us we are all by nature children of wrath, but he that can fancy that he liveth, and sinneth not against God, and so is not black through actual sin, doth yet more foully deceive himself, certainly, he must not look into the perfect law of God, or else is not able to distinguish white from black. If he looked into the divine law he would quickly with Saint Paul see that the law is Holy, and Spiritual, and Just, and Good, and that the best of men is but carnal sold under Sin. Let not then any glory in a fancied perfection, it is but a glorying in appearance, not in reality. All that the Spouse glorieth in is, that she was not altogether black. It is a true saying of Mr. Calvin, that it is the greatest piece of our perfection to be sensible of our imperfections. As vain is the glorying also of them who glory in an exemption from afflictions, that this Sun hath not looked upon them, afflictions have not scorched them, as they have scorched others, the Apostle tells us, that if we be without chastening then are we▪Bastards, and not Sons. It is not our glory to be free from them, but to endure them, not to be wholly exempted from them, but under them to exercise our faith and patience, and to glorify God in the Fires. The motto of a Child of God is Black but Comely, black through remaining lusts, and coruptions; comely through imputed righteousness and inherent habits of grace and holiness. Black through Affliction, and Persecution, Comely in, and under them, glorifying God in the Fires, by the exercises of Faith and Patience.

From hence every inquisitive Christian, may take just measures of himself, he is not to judge of himself by his blackness, whether it be the blackness of renewing sin, and corruption: or the blackness of Affliction and Worldly Opposition, and Persecutions. Let him examine himself,

1. Whether he hath not a mixture of grace with corruption. Sin in dominion is not indeed consistent with grace, but Sin in being is; there are Twins which struggle one with another in every good Soul. Every Christian will find he hath a flesh to be crucified, members to be mortified, and a law in his members, some impetuous motions of lust, at sometimes, but let him examine whether he doth not find also a Spiritual part, and a law in his mind; the flesh indeed lusteth against the Spirit, that is a Christians blackness, but doest thou not also find, the Spirit lusting against thy flesh? that is thy comeliness. A true Christian is not to judge himself from the freedom of his Soul from sin, but from the war and combat of his Soul with sin. He in the Gospel that said, I believe, Lord help my unbelief, expressed the lively Image of every true Christian. So doth St. Paul more largely, Rom. 7. 18, 19, 20. For I know in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me, but kow to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not that I do; now if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it, but sin, that dwelleth in me: I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

2. Let him Secondly examine himself, whether there be not a comeliness in him, in, and under his blackness of Affliction and worldly opposition. A wicked man may be black through affliction, but his blackness is like the blackness of a coal, which is a dead color and hath no beauty in it. The Child of God is also black from the same cause, but his is like the blackness of a polished marble, which hath a great beauty and comeliness in it, The trial of his faith in his afflictions appeareth more precious, then that of gold that perisheth, his love to God then appeareth, by his panting after him, and firm adherence of Soul unto him, his meekness, his patience, all shine forth under his afflictions. The demeanour of People under afflictions, will much discover whose they are.

3. Thirdly, The comeliness of the Spouse of Christ is not a comeliness without blackness, but a comeliness norwithstanding blackness: That is to say, It is not a Native, but an adventitious, and Superinduced comeliness, nor adventitious from any good dispositions, or any acts or endeavors of our own singly, but a gracious imputation and infusion. The imputation of Christ's righteousness, the infusion of gracious habits, a comeliness arising from Christ's comeliness put upon the Soul. So as though the poor creature hath been guilty before God, and iniquity yet doth sometimes prevail against it, the righteousness of Christ being reckoned to him for righteousness, and his heart being renewed, & Sanctified through the Spirit of Christ, and the bent of it being set right for God, notwithstanding his blackness, the Lord doth judge him comely and beautiful, overlooking his blackness by reason of sin, and infirmity.

4. Lastly, Every Child of God will own, and be truly sensible of his blackness. I am black saith the Spouse. The hypocrite boasteth of his whiteness; come, (saith Jehu to Jonadab) and see my zeal for the Lord God of hosts. God, I thank thee (saith the Pharisee) I am not as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican, I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess, Luk. 18. 11, 12. he owneth nothing in himself but whiteness, & aversates all blackness; yet v. 14. he went away to his house not justified. Hypocrites are hardly persuaded to own in themselves any blackness. The Children of God, are as hardly persuaded to own any beauty, or comeliness in themselves, I gave you before the Instances of David and of Paul. The reason is because the hypocrite trusts to a Spiders web, a righteousness from himself spun out of his own Bowels and he is concerned to justify his integrity, and to make it as whole as he can; again, all that he doth is to be seen of men, and therefore he must set the best face of his actions that he can, the Child of God seeketh for no such things in himself, but despairing in himself he flieth to the righteousness of Christ, and freely confesseth, and owneth his own nakedness, that he might be clothed with that righteousness; again, the Child of God seeketh not the praise of men, nor his own honor and glory, but seeketh the praise of God, and the honor and glory of Christ alone.

Thirdly, This notion affordeth a great relief to the People of God against their own dejections, and despondencies; 2. Satan's temptations; and 3. The worlds upbraidings.

1. Against his own despondencyes, and dejections. A Child of God living under the power of that Precept, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your solves, prous yourselves whether you be in the faith or u • ; is often looking into his own heart, and can seldom please himself with the prospect. He seeth in his own heart much of Unbelief, much of Vani • y much of Hypocrisy always some lust or other, a body of death remaining in him, iniquity prevailing against him, he sinneth 7 times every day, and he seeth it every night and oft times as much out of heart, much dejected, crying out, Unclean, Unclean, I am black, woefully black, no better then a painted hypocrite, I make a fair show to the World, and deceive some of my brethten, but alas they do not see that luft, and vanity, that pride, and passion, that folly and hypocrisy which I can with half an Eye discorn in my own Soul, surely I deceive myself, I have no portion in God, no relation to Christ, I cannot be his Spouse. Christian be of good Chear! thou art black, but art thou not also comely? When a Child of God hath found out the best of himself all his comfort will be found to lie in that one text, Rom. 8. v. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He can neither look into his own heart, and see his inward thoughts, and the motions there, nor consider his tongue, and the issues of that, nor compare the best of his actions with the Divine rule, but he feeth himself by all condemned, and findeth nothing to relieve him in is dark thoughts but in Christ's imputed righteousness, and that there no is condemnation to them that are in Christ. And that is enough, provided that he hath this evidence of his being in Christ, That he walketh not after the flesh but after the Spirit.

2. It affordeth the same relief against the most desperate temptations of our grand adversary the Devil. Satan we say first tempteth to Sin, and then he makes advantage of our hearkening to his temptations to tempt us to further sins, and those of a more heinous, and horrid nature, to despair of God's mercy, to destroy ourselves, &c. He first attempteth to make the Soul black by moving it to sinful acts, then his next work is to persuade the Soul, that God will never pardon such a sinner, Christ can never Love such an Ethiopian. Hence those strong & violent impressions upon Souls under the power of temptations. God is an holy God, of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, he can never set his heart upon such a polluted vile wretch as I am; I have been guilty of thousands of willful Omissions of duty, and Commissions contrary to my duty, possibly some particular sin or sins lie as an heavy load upon the poor creatures conscience. The Spouse here hath furnished such a Soul with an answer to the tempter. The Spouse of Christ is black, but yet comely. Let then such a Soul thus answer these suggestions of the tempter, O thou Prince of darkness, it is true, I have been a grievous sinner, and as such Christ cannot Love me, so far forth as I am black I am unlovely, but I am not wholly black, Christ cannot Love my sins, but he can pardon my sin and Love my Soul. The Lord hath been graciously pleased to pardon my sins upon my repentance and my acceptation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receiving him as my Savior; he hath said to me while I was in my blood, live, he hath fixed his Love upon me who was by birth an Ethiopian, he hath hung a Chain about my neck; I am black but I am comely. I have met with a story of a Minister, who going to visit and pray with a poor creature • possessed by the Devil, the Devil thought to have stopped his mouth, by objecting to him some sins committed by him in his youth. The holy man answered, confessing the charge, but Satan saith he, upon my repentance Christ, hath since that washed me with his blood. Another story I have met with of a worthy Person, who lying upon his sick bed, and being alone, one opens the door, and comes in, in the habit of a Scrivener, with a Pen, and Inkhorn and Paper, andsetting himself down at the table in the Chapter, called the sick man by name, and told him he was sent from God to take account of him, of all the sins he had done for which he must presently go and answer to God before his Judgment seat. The good man, rightly apprehending that it was the Devil, had assumed an habit to tempt, and distrub him, bid him go on, and write first, Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Upon which the evil Spirit presently disappeared. (Speaking only from my memory I may forget some circumstances, but this is the substance of the story.) What the Devil in these cases did by a more audible voice he doth yet every day by impressions made more secretly upon the Spirits of some or other that fear God. For though conscience will of itself often bring sin to remembrance, and reflect sins upon the Soul committed long before, yet they are sometimes reflected with such violence, and degrees of terror, and attended with such strong motions, and solicitations to despair of Divine mercy, and to self murder, that it is but reasonable to judge, there is more in them then the ordinary workings of conscience. In such a dark hour as this, it will be a great relief to a Soul to think that the Spouse of Christ is black, but comely. Doth the Devil then object thy blackness, whether by reason of past, or present sins, in bar to thy trust and confidence in God, for the forgiveness of them through the blood of Christ? Reply to him, Satan, I have been black, I confess it, I am black, but I am comely also, having my Garments washed, and rolled in the blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the World. I am as the Tents of Kedar, they are black, but I am also as the Curtains of Solomon, they are exceeding beautiful.

3. It also relieveth a Christian under Persecutions, and afflictions, and against the Worlds upbraidings, because of them. The Barbarians concluded Paul a Murderer, because they saw a Viper cleaving to his hand, and the men of the World are very prone to judge, and condemn the People of God for what happeneth to them in this life, they see the blackness of God's Peoples visages under affliction, and persecution, but the love of God in chastening them, that they might not be condemned with the World, the exercises of their faith, and trial of it, and its appearing more precious then that of Gold, their patience, & its perfect wor • ; h • se are things in which their comeliness appeareth in, and under afflictions; these are things which they do not see. God's People are also ready to conclude against themselves, because of their trials, but there is no just reason for it; afflictions are but a blackness of the skin, the Child of God may, notwithstanding them, be within exceeding beautiful, and comely. The tents of Kedar, though they had black and unlovely coverings and outsides, yet within might be filled with Spices and Riches.

I shall shut up this discourse with some few words of exhortation to that duty, which this notion of truth calls to us for.

1. It calleth to all the People of God for humility, a mean and low opinion of themselves; beauty is often a great temptation to Pride, whether it be natural or artificial. The Daughters of Zion were haughty, and walked with stretched forth Necks, and wanton Eyes, Isaiah 3. 16. Spiritual beauty gives no advantage to a Soul, to think of itself above what it ought to think. In all reason we should have been some cause to ourselves of that whereof we glory, we should have some propriety in it; and there should be in it some perfection. The comeliness of God's People is neither natural, nor any acquest of their own. There are three things which may keep the most comely of God's Children humble.

First, The consideration of their former blackness. Let but any of them look back to the rock out of which they are hewn, and to the hole of the Pit, out of which they were digged, and they will see no reason to be exalted above measure; their Father was a Syrian, their birth was of the land of Canaan, their Father was an Amorite, their Mother an Hittite, and in the day wherein they were born, they were cast out to the loathing of their persons, not salted, not swaddled at all. Nor was this all, there is none of them but had their conversation in times past, according to the Prince of the power of the Air, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, Children of Wrath by nature. &c, There is none of them but hath reason to pray, that the Lord would not remember the sins of their youth against them, and to beg of God that for them, he would not write against them bitter things, nor make them to possess their years of vanity. None of them but before Christ's comeliness, was put upon them, had been guilty of sin enough to make them to walk softly all the days of their lives.

Secondly, The consideration of their present blackness is enough, though they are comely, yet they are black still, they have a body of death, a law of their members, the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, sins that easily beset them, weights that often press them down; the beauty of the best of God's People is but like the beauty of the Moon, which is full of spots, hath a dark part, and often suffers great Eclipses, and all whose light is borrowed. He observeth not his own heart that doth not see enough in the imperfect, and extravagant motions of it, to keep him humble.

Thirdly, The third is the consideration from whence he deriveth his beauty. If men and women would but debate a little with their own reason, they would see no reason to be proud of a comeliness arising from any external Ornament; it is something beneath a Reasonable Being, to be beholden to a Stone (Jewels are no more) or a little Earth (such are Gold and Silver) a Plant, or a Fly, or a Silkworm, or a Sheep▪ a little Wool, or Flax, for that which should commend him or it No artificial beauty is our own, and so a thing not to be gloried in. All the comeliness of a Child of God is a derived comeliness. His blackness is his own, his comeliness is from another, it is Christ that hath made him to differ, he hath received his beauty, and therefore ought not to glory, as if he had not received it.

And this in the second place ought to mind them of their duty of thankfulness, and admiration of • he love of Christ. When (saith David) I consider the Heavens, the work of thy hands, the Moon and the Start which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Yet David in that Psalm is speaking of no more then God's more common mercies of Creation, and Providence, but what greater reason hath a Child of God to cry out, Lord; what is man, that thou shouldst remember him? Lord! What was I, that thou shouldst remember me, and fix thy love, and put thy comeliness upon me? I was by nature an Ethiopian, and have contracted much more blackness, by my conversation in the world; now that the Lord should make us comely through his comeliness, that he should fix his love upon any of our Souls, and put any of his Chains about our Necks? What manner of love was this? To which of the Angels said he at any time, a • Zech. 16. 8. 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 entered into a covenant of life with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine? Or as Jer. 3. v. 14. Turn O backsliding Children (saith the Lord) for I am married unto you? To which of them hath he at any time said, my Love, my Dove, my Undefiled? We had none of us either Beauty or Portion, Christ hath given us both. Admire the height, and depth of Divine Love, and consider what an ingratitude it would be, if any of us should now like Israel, Ezek. 16. 15. Trust in your own beauty, and play the Harlot • ▪ and pour out fornications on everyone that passeth by. Bestow our hearts, our love, and affections upon any objects contrary to him, beneath, and besides him; whether it be not reasonable that we should be wholly to him, and for him, who are wholly from him, and are nothing but what we are in him.

Thirdly. This notion calleth to the people of God, not to be overmuch disqu • eted, and dejected. It is one thing to walk humbly, (that is our duty) another thing to walk dejectedly (that is our infirmity;) we have no reason to be proud, because we are black, nor yet to despond, and be dejected; because in Christ's Eyes if we be upright, if we prepare, and fix our hearts to seek the Lord, we are comely. We have no reason, because of our blackness, to glory in ourselves, but we have reason to rejoice, and to glory in our comeliness, which though indeed Christ's comeliness, yet being pu • upon us, becometh ours. A believer hath therefore hath nothing to do, but to see that his interest in Christ be clear, and to see to wash his feet, and he is clean every whit. We have reason to consider our ways, to reflect upon our infirmities, to be humbled for our failings, and to walk humbly at all times, in the sense of them, but still to encourage ourselves in the Lord our righteousness, to hope in God, and rejoice in Christ, though we have no confidence in the flesh, either in any privileges of our birth, or in any works of our own.

Lastly, This Doctrine calleth upon all not to look upon the Spouse of Christ, because she is black. They are the words of our Spouse, following in the next verse, but the proper application of what she saith in this verse, the use which she desireth her Brethren to make of this her imperfect and black state. Something (God willing▪) shall be spoken hereafter more largely for the explication of those woe • d • , then the streightness of my time will now allow. I shall therefore reserve the fuller explication of this duty, until I come to the next verse, and shall give you but a short taste and specimen of what I shall then more fully enlarge upon.

1. We ought not to look upon the Spouse of Christ in these circumstances with a supercilious, scornful, and censorious Eye. The Eye is the O • gan of the body, by which the Soul first taketh the cognisa • ce of a thing, and is suitably affected; there are two false rules by which we judge of persons. 1. When we judge of them by particular actions. 2, When we judge of them by external ac • idents; the first of them indeed is more proper then the latter, because they are the fruit of the Soul, the other are foreign, and adventitious; neither of them are a safe rule of Judgment; not the former, because none is to be denominated from single, and particular acts, and this the Philosopher will teach us, and indeed if this rule of judgment should be true, what judgment must have passed upon Lot, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Job, David, P • te • , all the most eminent▪ Servants of God, whose names are upon Sacred Record, they were all guilty of irregular acts. Not the latter, for it is not that which is accidental to a man, but that which proceedeth from him that defileth a man. Take therefore heed of a censorious scornful Eye, when you look upon the People of God in their blackness, consider, that you also may be tempted, that although you now stand, yet you may fall.

2. Look not upon her with a pleased, and satisfied Eye. The Eye is that Organ of the Booy, which giveth the Soul delight, content, pleasure, and satisfaction in the object, Psal. 92. v. 11. Mine Eye also shall see my desire upon mine Enemies. We have naughty, and corrupt hearts, ready to take a secret delight and pleasure in the slips and failings of our Brethren, let this be far from you, either to rejoice in the real blackness (the failings, and miscarriages) of any, whose general conversation is not unworthy of the Gospel, or to rejoice in any of their afflictions, we are to weep with those that weep, not to rejoice, when we see our Brethren weep. The first rejoicing is opposite to your duty, with respect to the honor of God, which suffereth by others sins as well as our own. The second is eminently contrary to that love, and fellow-feeling, and compassion which we owe unto our Brethren.

Thirdly, look not upon them, so as to take out a copy for your imitation. Rocks stand up in the Sea, and lights stand upon the Land, to give Ships notice of Rocks and Sands, not that Mariners should run upon them, but that they may avoid them. for this end also are the failings and sins of God's People Recorded in Holy Writ. When you see a Child of God black, either through some sinful failing, or through some sharp trial of affliction, look upon him as wistly as you will, to move your pity, your Bowels of compassion, and tears, to excite in you the Spirit of Prayer, and supplication on his behalf, to quicken you to use all means in your power to help him up, and to restore him in the Spirit of meekness, but take heed of copying out his failings. But I shall speak more fully to these things hereafter, when I come to the next verse.

Sermon XXXIV.

YOU have heard me discoursing the first and second Propositions which I observed from this Text, I shall now discourse the third, and fourth, (for I shall handle them together, as I did the 2 former.) Take them thus.

As it is the duty of the believer to confess, own, and acknowledge his or her failings, and infirmities, so he ought also at other times to own, and acknowledge his graces, and beauties.

You see here are two Propositions. 1. Godly Men, and Women will, and ought at sometimes to acknowledge their corruptions, blackness and infirmities. 2. That they ought also at other times, to own and acknowledge their graces, and beauty. The Spouse doth both in one breath, I am (saith she) black, but comely. The handling of this Proposition will lead me to the discoursing of 2 Questions, or Cases of Conscience. I begin with the first.

Qu. In what cases, how, and to whom a conscientious Man or Woman is bound to confess his or her sins?

Ans. 1. Upon all occasions, and at all times, he is bound to confess all his sins unto God. Not that the Divine knowledge can be bettered by such a confession, for he who knows what things we have need of before we ask them, knoweth what sins we are guilty of before we confess them, but it is a piece of homage we owe unto God, and a duty which his revealed will hath made, and declared a medium in order to our obtaining of mercy and forgiveness, 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. There was of old a confession required before the bringing of the Trespass Offering, Num. 5. 6. Consonant to this you will find the practice of all the Servants of God. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, Psal. 32. 5. Thus you read of the more public Confessions of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah. This is on all hands granted as a duty out of question, and to be extended to all, and all manner of sins, especially in secret Prayer, where no sins ought to be hidden from the Lord, those we know, and remember ought to be confessed more particularly, others more generally.

2. There are diverse cases wherein a Christian is obliged to confess his sins unto his Brethren, or to such as God hath set over him as his Guides. They may all be reduced to three heads, Where 1. The glory of God: Or, 2. The good of his neighbor: Or, 3. The good, or peace of his own Soul, may be promoved, or advantaged by such a confession. I will mention 4 more special cases, in which all, or some of these may be concerned.

1. Where a Christian hath stumbled upon the same stone, and fallen, and by reason of such fall may be under temptations to cast away his confidence in God, and despair of Divine Mercy. In such a case as this, my Brothers peace and spiritual good may probably be promoved by telling him, that even also my foot slipped, but yet through Grace I was recovered. In this sense I understand David, confessing his sins, Psal. 51. 13. and praying for the restoring of God's Salvation. Then (saith he) I will teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. I will tell others what a great sinner I have been, and how, notwithstanding the multitude, and greatness of my sins, I found favor with thee, and this shall encourage them to confess their sins, and humble their Souls before thee, and implore also thy mercy and favor. Thus Christ bids Peter, Luk. 22. 32. When he was converted, strengthen his Brethren. When thou art converted in that Text, is as much, as when thou art recovered from thy fall, how • hold he strengthen his Brethren, but by confessing his fall, and God's goodness in recovering him, by telling our Brethren, that our circumstances were the same with theirs, and how the Lord shown us mercy, we both direct them what to do, we help their faith, and confidence in God, and strengthen them in their addresses, and applications to the Throne of Grace.

2. Where any man discerneth that his Brethren are prone to think of him above what they ought to think; this is that which made Paul forbear his glorying, 2 Cor. 12. 6. Lest (saith he) any man should think of me above what he seeth me to be, and doubtless, this was that which made that great Apostle, though he sometimes magnified his Office, and the Grace of God bestowed upon him, yet also so oft to vilify himself, as 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, injurious, but obtained mercy, less then the least of all Saints, Eph. 3. 8. One born out of due time; doubtless this ought to be carefully avoided by us, we ought to take heed, that God's glory be not given unto us, and his Grace obscured, or eclipsed, by men's having us in admiration. In such a case a true believer will not be ashamed more then Paul, to own his own sins and blackness.

3. A third case is, Where a Christian seeth, that without bringing a scandal upon the Gospel, he may by owning, and confessing his sins unto men, advance the glory of God's Free-Grace, and make God to be more admired, and adored in the emanations of it. Free-Grace is that which hath made the Child of God what he is, and is therefore the admirable object in the believers Eye, and where a Christian seeth an opportunity to predicate that, and advance it in the Eyes of any, he will not lose it, nor stick at the shaming, and dishonoring himself, so God may have his glory from that shaming of himself. Now because Free-Grace is never more magnified, then when a multitude of sins are forgiven, and a great sinner is received to favor, a good Christian (observing circumstances) where they will fit this end, will not spare this acknowledgment, though it tendeth to his own shame, and dishonor. So that God may be glorified, he is content to take shame to himself. I say observing circumstances, and indeed the chief circumstance to be observed, is the reputation of Religion. He will therefore decline it in the presence of profane and ungodly men, who would make an ill use of such discourse, to blaspheme the good, and holy ways of God. Thus David refrained from good talk whiles the wicked were in sight, Psa. 39. v. 1, 2. Confession of our sins one to another called for, Jam. 5. 16, 17. is one of those holy things which must not be cast before Dogs, one of those Pearls, which must not be thrown before Swine. Thus you shall observe in St. Paul, that in that part of his Epistles, where he writeth with reference to the Saints, he openeth himself, and layeth himself naked, but where he speaketh of himself with relation to the false Apostles, there he magnifieth his Office.

4. A fourth case is, where a Child of God can probably judge, that by his confession of his sin, and owning of his blackness before men, he may be advantaged by their counsels, or by their prayers. There are two ways by which a Christian may be advantaged by the confession of his sins unto men. 1. With respect to the obtaining of his pardon. 2. With respect to his peace, or the obtaining a sense of his pardon.

1. I say with respect to his obtaining pardon. Not that it is in the power of man to pardon sin, he only can discharge a debt, to whom it is owing. Sin is a debt to the justice of God, and who but God can remit this debt? It is not in the power of Pope, or Priest, or Minister, to pardon sins, or grant absolution to any, but declaratively, he can indeed declare the will of God, to pardon the sins of those that truly repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but that is all the Minister can do in the remission of sin, the Act is God's, the Ministers absolution is valid or invalid as the Person doth, or doth not truly repent, and truly believe. But yet I say the confession of sins, not only to Ministers, but to private Christians, may be of great use and effect▪ in order to the obtaining of our pardon, by virtue of that promise, 1 Joh. 5. 16. If a man see his Brother sin a sin, which is not unto death, he shall ask, and give him life who hath not sinned unto death. Now unless we know that our Brother hath sinned, how shall we ask for him, and unless we have seen him, how shall we know it, without his own confession of it us.

2. But secondly, It must also be of great advantage to us with respect to our peace, or sense of pardon, and that is not only (as the other) by obtaining their prayers for us, but also by obtaining their advice and counsel, thus ofttimes a Christians owning, and confessing some particular sins, either to a judicious and faithful Minister, or to some judicious, and well experienced Christians, proveth a great ease, and relief to his mind, by their speaking of some word in season, or by some seasonable advice, and counsel. Now in such a case as this a Christian may be under the same obligation to confess his sins unto men, that everyone is to do what is of most proper Spiritual advantage to his Soul.

3. Lastly. There are some cases wherein a Child of God will own his blackness even b • fore the world.

1 When he cannot conceal it without denying the truth. A Christian is not bound to proclaim his Sin to the men of the world when it may tend to the reproach, and blaspheming of the name of God, but if the case be so, that he hath failed in their sight, and they come to the knowledge of it, and charge him with it, they must not tell a lie to cover their own shame. When Tamar, Gen. 38. 25. sent to her Father in law the Signet, and Bracelets, and Staff, with that message. By the man whose these are I am with Child. Discern I pray thee, whose are th • se. Judah, acknowledged them, and said she hath been more righteous than I.

2. When the sin is known, and is an eminent injury to our Neighbor. In case of all injuries to men, which are capable of reparation, and satisfaction, satisfaction is necessary in order to God's pardon, if we be able to make it, but not confession in all cases. As now suppose a Servant hath stolen from his Master, during his service with him, and his Master be one that is an Enemy to Religion, and Godliness; afterwards God changeth this Servants heart, he is certainly bound to his ability to make his Master reparation, & full satisfaction, but I do not know that he is bound to come to confess it unto him, who probably would make no other use of it, then to reproach, and blaspheme the name of God, and that way, and course of Religion, in which he is engaged. But in case the thing be known, then confession even to man may be our duty, to take shame to our own Souls, and give glory unto God.

3. Lastly, a Child of God will confess his sin even before Men of the World, where he sees a probable opportunity to do other sinners good by it. And this most commonly happeneth when men have been companions in sin, one to, and with another. When men have been companions one to another, in Drunkenness, These, Sabbathbreaking, or any other course of sinning. A good man may sometimes probably judge that his owni • g and confessing with tears, to his old Companions, his fellowship with them in sinning, may probably invite them to a fellowship with him, in a consideration of his or their ways, in a sense of, and godly sorrow for their sins, and if he hath any such hopes, any such prospect, he will confess his blackness even to them. Thus I find some Divines interpreting that, Jam. 5. 15. Confess your sins one to another. That those who have been colleagues, and companions in sin one to another, should confess and bewail their sins each to other, though I must confess I rather think that Text is to be understood of intimate, serious Christians, confessing their sins freely one to another, in order to the obtaining of the benefit of each others prayers, because of what follows, And pray one for another.

These now are those cases and times, in and under which, the Spouse of Christ will confess and acknowledge that she is black, black through the prevailings of sin and corruption.

Of this Confession of sins we have plentiful instances in Scripture, both of such as were more public, and such as were more p • ivate; it is brought as one argument to prove the Holy Scriptures to be no human Writings, but the Word of God, and that holy men wrote, as they were inspired by God, that they have published their own failings, and made their own sins to stand upon Record to Posterity, which is not the way of ordinary Writers, who commonly write for their own honor and praise. Besides the Scripture instances, we have it in the daily practice of God's people, not only in their daily prayers they put up to Almighty God; but in their more private converses, with Ministers, and with fellow Christians, which are very full of these confessions, and abasements of themselves.

This freedom of God's People in owning, and acknowledging their blackness, proceedeth from several causes. 1. The Souls humiliation before it be brought home to Christ. The Soul being enlightened by the Spirit of Grace, seeth the vileness, and filthiness of its own heart to that degree, that it is ashamed, and thinks that it cannot abase itself enough in the sight of God, and from this disposition of the Soul to abhor, loath, and shame itself, proceedeth this freedom, & willingness in the Soul upon all occasions (with respect had to Christian prudence) to vilify itself by the confession of its own blackness and infirmity.

2. It proceedeth also from the habit of humility given to, and wrought in the heart of every believer; this is one of the perfections of the new Creature, it differeth from the other little more then as the d • sposition from the habit. This teacheth the Soul at all times a mean and low opinion of itself. The Hypocrite is always proud, and looks upon all his gifts, and good actions with a multiplying glass, which makes them appear more then they are, and greater then they are. The humble Soul looks upon all as less. In me (saith Paul) there dwelleth no good thing? Hence he can hardly be heard to say anything but in diminution, and defamation of himself.

3. It proceeds also from this Souls more perfect understanding the mark of perfection. He knoweth better then another, what God requires of him, what degrees of faith, love, zeal, holiness, this makes him a better judge of his own imperfections, and more ready to confess, and bewail them. The Hypocrite and natural man understandeth not the breadth of the Divine Law, what faith, what holiness God requireth of him, he is proud, knowing nothing (as the Apostle speaks of some, 1 Tim. 6. 4.) not only his Pride, prompting him to exalt himself, but his ignorance, knowing nothing as he ought to know it, is the cause of his want of freedom to this duty. It is with such a man, as it is with a Sophister in the University. A little knowledge that he hath, puffeth him up; he thinks he knows all things. But when he comes to be Master of Arts, to have looked into Books a little more, and to understand the compass of learning a little better, then he complains of his ignorance, and the small portion of knowledge which he hath. So the man that hath but a mean and imperfect knowledge of the will of God, he is proud, and thinketh he knoweth all things; but when God comes to open his Eyes, and to let him see the mysteries of Divine knowledge, he seeth more duty then he saw before, and consequently more sin, and more defects in his own Soul: There is a vast difference betwixt that knowledge of duty & sin, which is in the heart of a Child of God under the illumination of the Spirit of Grace, and that which is in a Soul not under that special illumination.

4. Again a Christians often compuring himself with others, and judging himself by their measures, is often a great cause of this. The natural man ordinarily chooseth companions like unto himself, and judgeth of himself by their measures, seeing himself (as the Pharisee, Luk. 18.) to exceed the Drunkard in temperance, and sobriety. The Extortioner in justice, and mercy, the Adulterer in chastity. The Atheist in a formality of dutiness (a form of godliness; he seeth no blackness in himself to confess, he is Captain of his Form. But now the converted Soul being come to be a companion of those that fear the Lord, he sets before himself the examples of the Saints of God in Holy Writ, and of those that are yet in the world, that excel in virtue. In the Scripture he reads of the faith of holy Abraham, who believed in hope against hope, not staggering at the promise through unbelies, the patience of Job, who when he had lost all his Estate, all his Children, yet did not speak inadvisedly with his lips, nor charge God foolishly, he reads of David's exceeding love, and delight for, and in the law of the Lord. When he looks amongst his new Companions, he sees in one Christian more tenderness of heart, in another more faith, in a third more zeal, and activity for God then he can find in himself; hence he crieth out of his blackness and bewaileth his coming so short of others.

5. Again he liveth in a daily sense of his wants and defects; My sin saith David, is ever before me, and so his tongue doth but express the inward sense, and apprehensions of his Soul.

6. Lastly, as all such Souls will be sensible of their defects, and wants, so they are continually desirous of an healing of their wounds and a Supply and relief. Which they know confession is the way to obtain. As for confession unto God, the Wise man hath told us Prov. 28▪ 13. That he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. David telleth us, Psal. 32. 3. That when he kept silence, his bones waxed old, through his roaring, all the day, For (saith he) Day and night thine hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer. What remedy did he find? v. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin. Nor was this a particular favor to David but what others may expect upon the like application to God v. 6. For this shall everyone that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found, surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. A Godly man knoweth, that as the hiding of his disease from the Physician, and his wounds from the Chirurgeon is not the way to be cured, or healed, so neither is the hiding of the nakedness of his Soul f • om God, the way to have it covered; for altho in this there be a difference, that our spiritual Physician knoweth our diseases without our discovery of them to him, which the earthly Physician doth not, yet God notwithstanding his knowledge, requiring our acknowledgment, makes the case the same. And the reason is much the same for the confessing of our sins especially in some cases to a faithful Minister, or to private Christians. God sent Abraham to Abimelech Gen. 20. 7. For (faith he) he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee & thou shalt live. Genes • 20. v. 7 and he sent Jobs friend to Job, Job 42. v. 7.—and (saith he) my servant Job shall pray for you, for him I will accept.

This in the first place lets us see the difference between a Child of God and one who is but a formal hypocrite An hypocrite generally seeth nothing but whiteness in himself. Jehu can see, and call Jonadab to see his zeal for the Lord God, but he can see nothing of his own self ends in all that he did. The Church of Laodicea said, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, though at the same time she was wretched, miserable, blind and naked. On the other side Paul complained that he was the least of the Apostles, not worthy to be called an Apostle, &c. Yet so false are our hearts that there may be hypocrisy even in our confessions of our sin, and blackness, whether to God or to man, we must therefore take heed, both to our design and end in these confessions, and also to the truth and manner of them. The hypocrite never confesseth his blackness, but in hopes, that for his confession he shall be reputed white, and the praise of men is all that he seeks after. Hence. 2. he doth it without any serious sense of the sin which he confesseth, or heart contrition for it. A confession of sins which is but a bare recitation, and Enumeration of them, is not that confession which God requireth or accepteth.

Secondly. This calleth to us all for the practice of this duty. I have shown you that there is a threefold confession of our sin which is our duty. 1. A confession unto God. 2. U • to the faithful Ministers and Servants of God. 3. Unto the men of the World. The first is our duty at all times, and under all circumstances and we have nothing to regard as to that, but knowing the matter of confession, keeping a watch upon our hearts, and ways that we may know our errors and the plague of our own hearts, that we do it in such a manner as God hath directed, and prescribed; confession must not be the mere Sacrifice of the Calves of our lips, but the Sacrifice of a broken, and contrite heart. But this is not that of the Text, where the Spouse is not speaking to God, but to the daughters of Jerusalem, it is to them the Spouse faith, I am black. In what cases this confession to men is our duty, I have largely shown you, as also what advantage may arise from it, both with reference to God's glory, and the good of our own, and others Souls. I shall only offer you some few directions for the more advantageous performance of it.

1. There is a great deal of prudence to be used in the choice of that friend to whom thou doest thus unbosom thyself. 1. Conceal not thyself from that able and faithful Minister of Christ, whom thou hast entrusted with the charge of thy Soul. I am very far from pleading for that auricular confession in the Ear of the Priest, which the Papists make such a stir about. Amongst other supernumerary Sacraments which they have added to those 2 which alone were instituted by Christ, they have one which they call the Sacrament of Penance. In order to which they require in Lent especially, but at other times also a circumstantiated confession of all men and women's particular sins, which being so confessed to the Priest (who is therefore called their confessor) he appointeth them a penance to be done for them, and so absolveth them from the guilt of them (as they pretend.) As we know of no Satisfaction to be given for sin, but what is given by the death of Christ (excepting only in cases of wrong done unto men capable of reparation;) Nor of any power in any to forgive sins but only in God, only the Minister may declare what God hath done or will do in cafe of our true repentance and faith: so we know of no incumbent duty upon any Christian to make a particular confession of sin to the Priest, and only judge such particular confession necessary in some particular cases, for the disburthening, and easing of Christians consciences, pressed under the guilt of some particular sins, and in such a case an able and faithful Minister of Christ is doubtless the most proper Person to make confession to, both because as by his office he is both an Interpreter of the mind, and will of God, and to pray for the People, so he is or ought to be one of a thousand, like Saul, taller then his Brethren by the head, and shoulders in knowledge & gifts of greater knowledge & judgment in the things of God, and so more able to minister a word in season. It is sad that it cannot be said of all, they are so, but it is to be presumed, that the same wisdom which teacheth every man and woman, to commit the business of his bodily health, to the ablest & most faithful Physician he can choose, and the concern of his Estate, to the most able & faithful Lawyer he can, will also direct a Christian to commit the far more weighty concerns of his Soul, to the most able and faithful Minister that he can; nor ought any Christian to be more abridged in his liberty with reference to the latter of far more concernment, then with referenceto the former of far more minute concernment to him, But I say a good Christian having made choice of such a Person he is undoubtedly the fittest Person to confess our sins unto, when they lie heavy upon our conscience and we cannot recover our Peace, and that with respect to both the ends of such confession, whether Prayers for us or Counsel and advice, and that both with respect to the abilities of such a person, which cannot but be presumed greater in order to the revealing the mind, and will of God to us, and so giving us advice and counsel, and with reference to his Office, he being one whom God hath set over us, and gifted with reference unto us. But set aside the case of a disturbed conscience, not able otherwise to gain peace, or some particular cases, upon which cases of conscience, and perplexing questions may arise too hard for a private Christian to answer without some help, I see no need of any particular Confession unto Ministers more then others.

2. As to more private Christians. I have also shown you several cases wherein some particular Confessions of sin may be highly expedient, if not necessary. It must be the care of a good Christian so to manage this duty, that he may attain the ends which he aimeth at in it, without dashing upon such Rocks, as every good, and prudent Christian ought to avoid. To that end,

1. Christians ought to use so much wisdom as may protect their profession from reproach and scandal, & which may prejudice the repu • e either of themselves, or others walking in the holy ways of God. The honor of the Gospel, and profession of it is a great thing, and though we must not commit the least sin, that any such good may come of i • , yet whatsoever prudence we can use to prevent anything of this nature, is doubtless our duty. This evil ariseth from the needless publication of the sinful failings of professors. He that hath sinned openly, ought to be rebuked openly, and openly to confess his sin, that the Church of God offended by his fall, may be satisfied in the truth of his repentance, and recovery out of the snare of the Devil, but where the sin is of another nature, and hath been committed secretly, there is not only no need of such a public confession, but it may be of a greater mischief, and ill consequence, then good, by reason of a wicked world, which watcheth for God's Peoples haltings, to reproach profession, and the holy name of God. Though therefore in such cases private Confession, even of more private sins, may be necessary and expedient, yet it ought to be managed with prudence, as to the manner, that is, in the best consistency with the end to which it is directed, and for the avoiding such things as may tend to the dishonor of God, and disadvantage of the more public interest and cause of God, and therefore much wisdom is to be used in the choice of a friend in this case, for though Solomon hath advised us, Pro. 25. 9 To debate our case with our Neighbor, yet in the next words he hath added, discover not thy secret to another, thereby informing us that Neighbor in that Text is not to be expounded in that latitude, as in the Parable, concerning him who fell amongst Thieves. Everyone, no not every good man is to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls. Considering the end of this action, and the great thing that is to be avoided in the performance of it, Three things seem requisite in the choice of a private Christian, to whom a prudent Christian may thus unbosom himself. 1. Silence and Secrecy. 2. Knowledge and Wisdom. 3. One of whom we may presume that he hath some more then ordinary interest in God.

1. I say, first, Silence and Secrecy. Your ordinary experience telleth you, that even amongst good men, some have a much better command, and government of their tongue then others, and as it is observable that such fall into more errors themselves, then others, for in a multitude of words there wanteth not sin; so such persons are least to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls.

2. Secondly, he that confesseth his faults to another, doth it, in order to his advice, and counsel, this maketh knowledge, and spiritual wisdom, requisite in the person whom we choose to unbosom ourselves in this manner unto; every man who hath knowledge enough to guide his own Soul in the ways of God, yet hath not knowledge, judgment, or experience enough to give spiritual advice and counsel to his Brother.

3. If this Confession be made in order to obtaining the benefit of prayers, the same wisdom will direct us to make choice of such as we can reasonably judge to be persons likely to prevail with God in prayer; there are some that are more mighty in the Scriptures, more exercised in the ways of God then others▪ these are most fit for advice, and counsel. There are some that are more exercised in prayer then others, and more prevailing with God, these are fittest to hear our Confessions in order to our advantage by their prayers, and these generally are such as walk most uprightly, and closely with God. The Lord heareth not sinners but if any man be a Worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth, John 9. 31. The prayer of the upright (saith Solomon) is his delight.

Secondly, As there is a great deal of prudence to be observed in the choice of Persons, to whom we own and acknowledge our blackness, so there is a great deal of piety, and charity to be shown in the manner of the doing of it. That which of charity is to be shown in it, is to do it where the Soul of our Brother may be advantaged by the performance of it. That of piety, which is to be shown in its Eyes,

1. In a right sixing of our end, which ought to be the glory of God, the general end of all our actions. When Joshua exhorted Achan to confess his sin. My Son (saith he) confess, and give glory unto God; you read in Scripture of a confession of the Lord's name, a confession of truth, and a confession of sin. The glory of God is the end of all (that is the praedication of his glory, for that is all the way we have to glorify God.) A man by confession of his sins, either unto God, or men, may give glory to God, for in confeffing himself a sinner, he owned the Lord's Power, and Sovereignty over him, the Holiness, and Righteousness of his Law, and his patience, longsuffering, and goodness, that he is not cut off, and thrown into Hell, and indeed there is no confession of sin our duty, where this end cannot be attained some way or other, God doth not delight in the shame, and confusion of our faces, but he doth delight in the exalting of his own name, and in the praedication of his own praise and glory.