In this sweet conjunction we must know, that by nature we are clean otherways than spouses ; for what was Solomon's wife, Pharaoh's daughter ? A heathen, till she came to be Solomon's spouse. And as we read in Moses, the strange woman must have her hair cut off, and her nails pared, Deut. xxi. 12. Before she should be taken into the chiu'ch, there must be an alteration ; so before the church, which is not heathenish, but indeed
Cant, V. 1.] * my sister, mv spouse.' 25
hellish by nature, and led by the spuit of the world, be fit to be the spouse of Christ, there must be an alteration and a change of nature. Is. xi. 6—8 ; John iii. 3. Christ must alter, renew, purge, and fit us for himself. The apostle saith, Eph. v. 24, it was the end of his death, not only to take us to heaven, but to sanctify us on earth, and prepare us that we might be fit spouses for himself.
Use 1. Let us oft think of tJm nearness between Christ and us, if we have once given our names to him, and not be discouraged for any sin or un- worthiness in us. "VVho sues a wife for debt, when she is married ? Uxori lis non intendititr. Therefore answer all accusations thus: — ' Go to Christ.' If you have anything to say to me, go to my husband. God is ^ust, but he win not have his justice twice satisfied, seeing whatsoever is due there- unto is satisfied by Christ our husband. What a comfort is this to a distressed conscience ! If sin cannot dismay us, which is the ill of ills and cause of all evil, what other iU can dismay us ? He that exhorts us to bear with the infirmities one of another, and hath enjoined the husband to bear with the wife, as the weaker vessel, 1 Pet. iii. 7, will not he bear with his church as the weaker vessel, perfonning the duty of an husband in all our infii'mities ?
;r Use 2. Again, his desire is to make her better, and not to cast her away for that which is amiss. And for outward ills, they are but to refine, and make us more conformable to Christ our husband, to fit us for heaven, the same way that he went. They have a blessing in them all, for he takes away all that is hurtful, he pities and keeps us ' as the apple of his eye,' Zech. ii. 8. Therefore, let us often think of this, since he hath vouch- safed to take us so near to himself. Let us not lose the comfort that this meditation will yield us. We love for goodness, beauty, riches ; but Christ loves us to make us so, and then loves us because we are so, in aU estates whatsoever.
Use 3. And if Christ be so near us, let us labour for chaste judgments, that we do not defile them with errors, seeing the whole soul is espoused to Christ. Truth is the spouse of om' understandings. Veritas est sponsa intellectus. It is left* to us to be wanton in opinions, to take up what con- ceit we will of things. So we ought to have chaste afiections, not cleaving to base things. It hath been ofttimes seen, that one husband hath many wives, but never from the beginning of the world, that one wife hath had many husbands. God promiseth to betroth his church to him in righteous- ness and faithfulness, that is, as he will be faithful to her, so she shall by his grace be faithful to him ; faithfulness shall be mutual ; the church shall not be false to Christ. So there is no Chi-istian soul must think to have many husbands ; for Christ in this case is a jealous husband. Take heed therefore of spiritual harlotiy of heart, for om* afiections are for Christ, and cannot be better bestowed. In other things we lose our love, and the things loved ; but here we lose not our love, but this is a perfecting love, which draws us to love that which is better than ourselves. We are, as we afi'ect ;f our afiections are, as their objects be. If they be set upon better things than ourselves, they are bettered by it. They are never rightly bestowed, but when they are set upon Christ ; and upon other things as they answer and stand -wdth the love of Christ. For the prime love, when it is rightly bestowed, it orders and regulates all other loves whatsoever. No man knows how to use earthly things, but a Christian, that hath fii'st pitched his love on Christ. Then seeing all things in him, and in all them, a beam * Qu. ' not left? '—Ed. t That is, ' choose.'— G.
26 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON II.
of that love of his, intending happiness to him, so he knows how to use everything in order. Therefore let us keep our communion with Christ, and esteem nothing more than his love, because he esteems nothing more than ours.
Quest. But how shall we know, whether we be espoused to Christ or not ?
Ans. 1. Our hearts can tell us, whether ive yield consent to him or not. In particular, whether we have received him, as he will be received, as a right husband, that is, whether we receive him to be ruled by him, to make him our head. For the wife, when she yields to be married, therewith also sur- renders up her own will, to be ruled by her husband. So far she hath denied her own will ; she hath no will of her own. Christ hath wisdom enough for us, and himself too, whose wisdom and will must be oui's. To be led by divine truths so far as they are discovered unto us, and to submit ourselves thereunto, is a sign of a gracious heart, that is married to Christ.