Again, in that Christ is thus ready to come into his garden upon the church's invitation, we may further observe, that
Christ vouchsafes his gracious presence to his children ujwn their desire of it.
The point is clear. From the beginning of the world, the church hath had the presence of Christ alway ; for either he hath been present in sacri- fices, or in some other things, signs of his presence, as in the ' bush,' Exod. iii. 2, or some more glorious manifestation of his presence, the ark, Exod. XXV. 22, and in the cloud and pillar of fire, Exod. xiii. 21, and after that more gloriously in the temple. He hath ever been present with his church in some sign or evidence of his presence ; he delighted to be with the chil- dren of men. Sometimes before that he assumed a body, and afterward laid it down again, until he came, indeed, to take our nature upon him, never to leave it again. But here is meant a spiritual presence most of all, which the church in some sort overbad, now desires, and he offers, as being a God ' hearing prayer,' Ps. Ixv. 2. And to instance ia one place for all, to see how ready Christ hath always been to shew his presence to the church upon their desire. What else is the burden of the 107th Psalm but a repetition of God's readiness to shew his presence in the chui-ch, upon theu" seeking unto him, and unfeigned desire of it, notwithstanding all their manifold provocations of him to anger ? which is well summed up, Ps. cvi. 43, ' Many times did he deliver them, but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless, he regarded then- afflction when he heard their cry.'
It doth not content the church to have a kind of spiritual presence of
Cant. IV. 16.] ' i am come into my gakden. 21
Christ, but it is carried from desire to desire, till the whole desire be accom- phshed ; for as there are gradual presences of Christ, so there are suitable desires in the church which rise by degrees. Christ was present, 1, by his gracious spirit ; and then, 2, more graciously present in his incarnation, file sweetest time that ever the church had from the beginning of the world until then. It being ' the desire of nations,' Hag. ii. 7, for the description of those who Hved before his coming is from ' the waiting for the consola- tion of Israel,' that is, for the first coming of Christ. And then there is a 3d and more glorious presence of Christ, that all of us wait for, whereby we are described to be such ' as wait for the coming of Christ,' Mark xv. 43. For the soul of a Christian is never satisfied until it enjoy the highest de- sh'e of Christ's presence, which the church knew well enough must follow in time. Therefore, she especially desires this spiritual presence in a larger and fuller measure, which she in some measure aheady had. So, then, Christ is graciously present in his chm'ch by his Holy Spirit. * I will be with you,' saith he, ' imto the end of the world,' Mat. xxviii. 20. It is his promise. When I am gone myself, ' I will not leave you comfortless,' John xiv. 18, but leave ^ith you my vicar-general, the Holy Spii'it, the Com- forter, who shall be alway with you. But —
Quest. How shall we know that Chiist is present in us ?
Ans. To know this, we shall not need to pull him from heaven. We may know it in the word and sacraments, and in the communion of saints ; for these are the conveyances whereby he manifests himself, together with the work of his own gi-acious Spii'it in us ; for, as we need not take the sun from heaven to know whether or not it be up, or be day, which may be known by the light, heat, and fruitfulness of the creature ; and as in the spring we need not look to the heaven to see whether the sun be come near us or not, for looking on the earth we may see all green, fresh, lively, strong, and vigorous ; so it is with the presence of Christ. We may know he is present by that Ught which is in the soul, convincing us of better courses to be taken, of a spiritual life, to know heavenly things, and the difl'erence of them from earthly, and to set a price upon them. AVhen there is, together with light, a heat above nature, the affections are kindled to love the best things, and to joy in them ; and when, together with heat, there is strength and ■\'igour to cany us to spiritual duties, framing us to a holy communion v,-ith God, and one with another ; and likewise when there is every way cheerfulness and enlargement of spirit, as it is with the crea- ture when the sun approacheth. For these causes the church desires Christ, that she may have more light, life, heat, vigour, strength, and that she may be more cheerful and fiTiitful in duties. The soul, when it is once made spiritual, doth still desii-e a further and fui-ther presence of Christ, to be made better and better.