Again, whereas the church saith here, It is the voice of my beloved, &c., and knows this voice of her beloved, we may note —
Obs. That the church of God, and every Christian, taJces notice of the means that God useth for their salvation.
58 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON V.
A Christian is sensible of all the blessed helps he hath to salvation. To a dead heart, it is all one whether they have means or no means ; but a Christian soul takes notice of all the means. ' It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh.' It seeth Christ in all.
And mark what the church saith, moreover, ' It is the voice of my beloved.' She acknowledgeth Christ to be beloved of her, though she were asleep. So then here is a distinction between the sleep of a Christian and the dead sleep of another natural man. The one when he sleeps, his heart doth not only wake, but it is awake to discern the voice of Christ. It can relish in reading what is spiritual and good, what is savoury, and what not. And likewise take a Christian at the worst : when he is asleep, he loves Christ, he will do nothing against him. ' I can do nothing,' saith Paul, ' against the truth, but for the truth,' 2 Cor. xiii. 8. He will do nothing against the cause of religion. There is a new nature in him, that he can- not do otherwise. He cannot but love ; he cannot sin with a fuU purpose, nor speak against a good cause, because he hath a new nature, that leads him another way. Christ is her beloved still though she sleep.
Obs. Take a CJiristlaii at the lowest, his heart yearns after Christ.
Acknowledging him to be his beloved, there is a conjugal chastity in the soul of a Christian. Holding firm to the covenant and marriage between Christ and it, he keeps that unviolable. Though he may be untoward, sleepy, and drowsy, yet there is always a conjugal, spouse-like affection. ' It is the voice of my beloved,' &c.
Now, leaving the church's notice of the voice of Christ, we come to Christ's carriage towards her.
1. ' He knocketh ; ' and then we have — •
2. His patience in that carriage. ' My head is filled with dew, and my locks with the di'ops of the night,' &c. Here is patience and mercy, to endure this indignity at the church's hand, to stand at her courtesy to come in ; besides, 3, the compellation, afterwards to be spoken of. The general observation from Christ's carriage is this —
Obs. That Christ still desires a further and further communion with his church.
Even as the true soul that is touched with the Spirit, desires nearer and nearer communion with Christ ; so he seeks nearer and nearer communion with his spouse, by all sanctified means. Christ hath never enough of the soul. He would have them more and more open to him. Our hearts are for Christ, who hath the heaven of heavens, and the soul of a beUeving Christian for himself to dwell in. He contents not himself to be in heaven alone, but he will have our hearts. He knocks here, waits, speaks friendly and lovingly, with such sweet words, ' My love, my dove,' &c. We had a blessed communion in the state of innocency, and shall have a glorious communion in heaven, when the marriage shall be consummated ; but now the time of this life is but as the time of the contract, during which there are yet many mutual passages of love between him and his spouse, a desire of mutual communion of either side. Christ desires further entertainment in his chm'ch's heart and affection, that he might lodge and dwell there. And likewise there is the like desire in the church, when she is in a right temper ; so that if any strangeness be between Christ and any man's soul, that hath tasted how good the Lord is, let him not blame Christ for it, for he delights not in strangeness. He that knocks and stands knocking, while his locks are bedewed with the drops of the night, doth he dehght in strangeness, that makes all this love to a Christian's soul ? Certainly no.
Therefore look for the cause of his strangeness at any time in thine
Cant. V. 2. J * it is the voice of my beloved.' 59
own self. As, ivhether ive cast ourselves imprudently into company, that are not fit to be consulted tvithal, in whom the Spirit is not, and who cannot do us any good, or they cast themselves to us. Evil company is a great damping, whereby a Christian loseth his comfort much, especially that intimate communion with God ; whence we may fall into security.
Again, discontinuing of religious exercises doth ivonderfully cause Christ to withdraw himself. He makes no more love to our souls, when we neglect the means, and discontinue holy exercises, and religious company, when we stir not up the graces of God's Spirit. Being this way negligent, it is no wonder that Christ makes no more love to our souls, when we prize and value not the communion that should be between the soul and Christ, as we should. ' Whom have I in heaven but thee?' Ps. Ixxiii. 25. ' Thy lovingkindness is better than life,' saith the psalmist, Ps. Ixiii. 3. When we prize not this, it is just with Christ to make himself strange. Where love is not valued and esteemed, it is estranged, and for a while hides itself. So that these, with other courses and failings, we may find to be the gi-ound and reason of the strangeness between Christ and the soul, for certainly the cause is not in him. For we see here, he useth all means to be entertained by a Chi'istian soul : * he knocks.'