2. What is that act of faith by which we close with Christ ? I answer — The apprehending, embracing, taking hold of Christ : * To as many as received him,' &c., John i. 12, trusting him with our souls ; that is the faith that gives us an interest in gospel privileges. But what is this receiving Christ? I answer — Eeceiving presupposeth offering ; it is a consent to what is offered, an accepting of what is given. Eeceiving is a word used in contracts, and noteth the consent of one part to the terms which the other offereth. The scripture chiefly delighteth in the similitude of the matrimonial contract. As a woman accepteth a man for her husband, so do we receive Christ. When a man's affections are set upon a woman, he sendeth spokesmen to tell her of his love, and that he is ready to give her an interest in liimself, and all that is his, if she will accept him for an husband. So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the heir of all things, sendeth messengers to treat and deal with us about a spiritual marriage, to tell us how he loved us, gave his life for us, established an everlasting righteousness, whereby we may be accepted with God, and that he is ready to bestow it upon us, if we will receive, and honour, and obey him as Lord and husband ; which if we do, then we are interested in this great privilege. Yea, Lord, I give up myself, body and soul, to thee, and I take thee for Lord and husband. For these are the terms : Hosea iii. 3, * Thou «halt not be for another man, so will I also be for thee.' You will think this is easy, because you do not understand what it is to receive
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146 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XLV.
Christ. Alas ! Christ stretcheth forth his hands to many that never lake him by the hand again : Isa. Ixv. 2, ' I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts.' He inviteth, clucketh, spreads his wings, but to no purpose, till he puts his fingers upon the handles of the lock : Cant. v. 4, * My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.' Herein he differeth from ordinary suitors, that he doth not only woo and invite, but draw by the secret and prevailing power of his Spirit ; he must enlarge the heart and open the hand, or else we shall not receive him. Why ! what is there in this receiving ? A renouncing of all others : ' Thou shalt not be for another.' Christ findeth ijs entangled with a former love of the world, addicted to carnal pleasures, in covenant with death and hell ; this must be renounced, for God is jealous, and cannot endure a rival ; it is spiritual adultery to have any thought of other lovers ; as when the ark was brought into the house, Dagon was thrown to the ground. Christ will be entertained alone ; you must not only renounce your former loves, but hate them. In ordinary marriages, if a woman loved one, and afterwards marry another man, it is enough that she withdraw her former love, though she be not an enemy to him whom before she loved. In some covenants, if you come off from such a side, it is enough. But here is a league offensive and defensive : when we receive Christ as our captain, his enemies must be our enemies ; if as dear as a right hand, or a right eye, it must be cut oflp and plucked out. And again, Christ himself is to be received, not his gifts and benefits ; you must not come to him as to a physician, to give ease to the conscience, but as a husband ; not marry the estate, but the man ; otherwise you do not take what God ofifereth. He hath given us his Son, and all things with him : Eom. viii. 32, ' He that spared not his own Son, but gave him up to the death for us all, how will he not with him also freely give us all things ? ' The father doth not offer the portion merely, but his daughter, and the portion with his daughter ; as you cannot have life without the Son, so you cannot have the Son without life, and you must receive him gladly. Marriage importeth not a forced, but a free consent ; you do not receive Christ as a land receiveth a conqueror for prince and king against their will, but as a woman for husband, as being convinced her state will be much bettered by him. So doth the soul receive Christ, as knowing in whom we be- lieve, and what we enjoy by him : Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' Neither angels in heaven, nor any creatures upon earth are so lovely, and fit for the soul's love and trust. You cannot live without him. If a woman can live without a husband, she doth well if she marrieth not, saith the apostle, 1 Cor. vii. 8 ; but you cannot, you are undone for ever if you have him not. And you must receive him sincerely to obey him, and serve him as Lord and husband, and not be ashamed to own him : Acts ii. 41, ' Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.' When articles are agreed and sealed, and the marriage completed, a woman is content to go into her husband's house, and leave her kindred, and father's house ; so must you profess