If we find not our suits answered so soon as we would, remember, we have made him also wait for us. Perhaps to humble us, and after that to encourage us, he will make us wait ; for we have made him wait. Let us not give over, for certainly he that desires us to open, that he may pour out his grace upon us, he will not reject us when we come to him, Mat. vii. 7 ; Hab. ii. 3. If he answers us not at first, yet he will at last. Let us go on and wait, seeing there is no one duty pressed more in Scripture than this. And we see it is equity, ' He waits for us,' Isa. xxx. 18. It is good reason we should wait for him. If we have not comfort presently when we desire it, let us attend upon Christ, as he hath attended upon us, for when he comes, he comes with advantage, Isa. Ix. 16. So that when we wait, we lose nothing thereby, but are gainers by it, increasing om* patience, Isa. Ixiv. 4 ; James i. 4. The longer we wait, he comes with the more abundant grace and comfort in the end, and shews himself rich, and boimtiful to them that wait upon him, Isa. xl. 1, et seq.
THE SIXTH SERMON.
It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, sayinr/, Open unto me, my love, my dove, viy undcjiled, dc. — Cant. V. 2.
In the first part of this verse hath been handled the church's own condi- tion, which she was in, after some blessed feelings that she had of the love of Christ.
Now, in the next words, the church sets do.vn an acknowledgment of the carriage of Christ to her in this her sleepy condition. ' It is the voice of my beloved that knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove,' &c. She aclinowledgeth Christ's voice in her sleepy estate, and sets down his carriage thus, ' how he loioeks', and then also speaks, ' Open to me,' and then sets down what he sullered for her, ' My head is filled \vith dew, and my locks with the di-ops of the night.' And that nothing might be wanting that might move her heart to respect this his carriage towards her, he useth sweet titles, a lo\ing compellat'nu, ' Open
68 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON VI.
to me,' saitli he, 'my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled,' as so many cords of love to draw her. So here wants neither loving carriage, sweet words, nor patience. ' It is the voice of my beloved that Imocketh.'
The church, as she takes notice of the voice of Christ, so she doth also of the means he useth, and seeth his love in them all. ' It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me,' &c. Here is also another distinguishing note of a sound Christian from an unsound. A sanctified spirit sees Christ in the means. This is, says the heart, the word of Christ, and this the mercy of Christ, to take such pains with my soul, to send his ministers, to provide his ordinances, to give gifts to men, and men to the church, Eph. iv. 11, 12. ' It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh.'
But we must especially understand it of the ministerial voice, whereby Christ doth chiefly make way for himself into the heart, and that by aU kind of ways dispensed therein : as gifts of all sorts, some rougher, some milder, all kind of methods and ways in the ministry to make way for him- self. First of all by the threatenings of the law, and by terrors. As John was sent before Christ, and as the storm went before the still and cahn voice, wherein God came to Elias, 1 Ivings xix. 12, so he useth all kinds of courses in the ministry. And ministers, by the direction of the Spirit, turn themselves, as it were, into all shapes and fashions, both of speech and spirit, to win people to God, in so much, that God appeals to them, ' What could I have done more for my chm-ch, that I have not done ?' Isa. v. 4.
Use. Therefore let us take notice of this voice of Christ in the word, and not think as good Samuel thought, that Eli spake, when God spake, 1 Sam. iii. 5. Let us think that God speaks to us in the ministry, that Christ comes to woo us, and win us thereby.
And we ministers are the friends of the Bridegi'oom, who are to hear what Christ saith and would have said to the chm'ch ; and we must pray to him, that he would teach us what to teach others. We are to procure the contract, and to perfect it till the marriage be in heaven. That is our work. And you that are hearers, if you do not regard Christ's sweet voice in the ministry, which God hath appointed for the government of the world, know that there is a voice that you cannot shake ofi". That peremptory voice at the day of judgment, when he will say, ' Go, ye cm-sed, into hell fii'e,' &c., Mat. XXV. 30. And that God who delights to be styled ' a God heai'ing prayer,' Ps. Ixv. 2, wiU not hear thee, but saith, ' Such a one as turns his ear away from hearing the law, his prayer is abominable,' Prov. xxviii. 9. It is a doleful thing, that he that made us, and allureth us in the ministrj% that follows us with all evidences of his love, and adds, together with the ministr}^ many sweet motions of his Spirit, that he should delight in. the destruction of his creatures, and not endui-e the sight of them, ' Depart away from me, ye cursed, into hell fii'e,' &c. There are scarce any in the chm-ch, but Christ hath allured at one time or other to come in, and in many he opens their understandings in a great measure, and knocks upon their hearts, that they, as it were, half open unto Christ, hke Agrippa, that said to Paul, ' Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian,' Acts xxvi. 28. So Herod ' did many things, and ho heard gladly,' IVIark vi. 20. They are half open, seem to open, but are not effectually converted. But at last they see, that further yielding will not stand with that which they resolve not to part with, their lusts, their present condition, that they make their God, and their heaven. Whereupon they shut the door again. When they have opened it a Httle to the motions of God's Spirit, they dare give no