Cant. V. 2.] ' my undefiled.' 83
sttrely there can be no greater honom- to Christ than this. In the sense of sin, of wants, imperfections, stains, and blemishes, yet to wrap ourselves in the righteousness of Christ, God-man; and by faith , being thus covered with that absolute righteousness of Christ, with boldness to go, clothed in the garments of this our elder brother, to the throne of grace. This is an honour to Christ, to attribute so much to his righteousness, that being clothed therewith, we can boldly break through the fire of God's justice, and all those terrible attributes, when we see them all, as it were, satisfied fully in Christ. For Christ, with his righteousness, could go through the justice of God, having satisfied it to the fuU for us. And we being clothed with this his righteousness and satisfaction, may go through too.
Ans. 2. But besides that, there is another undefiledness in the church, in re- spect to which she is called undefiled, that is, in purity of disposition, tending to perfection. And God respects her according to her better part, and accord- ing to what he will bi'ing her in due time. For we are chosen unto perfec- tion, and to be holy in his sight ; and perfectly holy, undefiled, and pure. We are not chosen to weak beginnings.
In choosing us, what did God ami at ? Did he aim at these imperfect beginnings, to rest there? No; we were elected and chosen to perfection. For, as it is in this natural life, God purposed that we should not only have aU the hmbs of men, but grow fi-om infancy to activeness and perfec- tion. As God at first intended so much for our bodies, no question he intends as much also for the soul, that we should not only have the linea- ments of Christianity, a sanctified judgment, with afiections in part renewed, but he hath chosen us to perfection by degrees. As the seed first hes rotting in the ground, then grows to a stalk, and then to an ear, so God's wisdom shines here, by bringing things by degrees to perfection and undefiledness. His wisdom will have it thus (or else his power might have it otherwise), because he will have us to live by faith, to trast his mercy in Christ, and not to the undefiledness that is begun in us, but to admh-e that which we have in Christ himself.
And, indeed, it is the character of a judicious believing Christian soul, that he can set a price and value the righteousness of Chiist, out of himself, labouring, living, and djdng to appear in that; and yet to comfort and sus- tain himself dm-ing this conflict and fight between the flesh and the Spirit, that in time this inherent grace shall be brought to perfection.
And Chi-ist, he looks upon us as he means to perfect the work of gi'ace in us by little and little, as he means to purge and cleanse us, as Eph. V. 26, 27. The end of redemption is, that he might purge his chm-ch, and so never leave it till he have made it ' a glorious spouse in heaven.' He looks upon us as we shaU be ere long, and therefore we are said ' to be dead to sin,' while we are but dying to it. And, saith he, ' you have crucified the flesh with the affections, and lusts thereof,' Gal. v. 24, when we are but crucifying it. But it is said so because it is as sure to be done as if it were done already. As a man, when he is condemned, and going to his execution, he is a dead man,iso there is a sentence passed upon sin and corruption. It shall be abolished and die. Therefore it is dead in sen- tence, and is dying in execution. It is done ; ' They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh, with the lusts thereof/ Gal. v. 24. It is as sure to faith as if it were done already. So we are said ' to sit in heavenly places with Christ,' Eph. ii. 6. We are with him ah-eady. For Christ' having taken us so near in afiection to himself, he will never leave us till he have made us such as he may have fuU contentment in, which is in heaven,
84 BOWELS OPENED. [SeBMON VII.
when the contract between him and ns shall be fulfilled in consummation of the marriage. Thus faith looks, and Christ looks thus upon us.. Which should comfort us in wealmess, that God regards us not in our present im- perfections, but as he means to make us ere long. In the mean time, that he may look upon us in love, he looks upon us in the obedience of his son, in whom whatsoever is good shall be perfected at the last.
Use 1. What should we do then, if Christ doth make his church thus, ' his love,' ' his dove,' ' his undefiled,' by making his love to meet in it as the centre thereof, whereunto he doth confine all his love, as it were ? We should confine our love to him again ; and have no love out of Christ, since he hath no love out of us. There should be an everlasting mutual shining and reflection between him and the soul. We should lay open our souls to his love, as indeed he desires especially the communion of our affections. We should reflect love to him again. This perpetual everlasting intercourse between Christ and his spouse, is her main happiness here, and her eternal happiness in heaven. In looking on him who hath done so much for us, he shines on us, and we look back again upon him. Doth Christ love us so intimately, and so invincibly, that no indignities nor sin could overcome his love, which made, that he endured that which he hates most, ' to become sin for us,' 2 Cor. v. 21, nay, the want of that, which was more to him than all the world, the want of the sense of the favour of God for a time. ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' Hath Christ thus in- finitely loved us, and shall not we back again make him our love ? In their degree the saints of God have all done so. It was a good speech of Igna- tius the martyr, ' My love Christ was crucified ! ' (/i) So a Christian should say, ' My love was crucified,' ' My love died,' ' My love is in heaven.' And for the things on earth, I love them as they have a beam of him in them ; as they lead me to him. But he is my love, there my love is pitched, even upon him. This is the ground of these Scripture phrases, ' But our con- versation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,' &c., Phil. iii. 20 ; and ' set your afiections on the things that are above,' Col. iii. 1. Why? Christ our love is there. The soul is more where it loves, than where its residence is. It dies, as it were, to other things, and Uves in the thing it loves. Therefore our thoughts and affec- tions, our joy and delight should be di'awn up to Christ ; for indeed his love hath such a magnetical attractive force, that where it is, it will draw up the heavy iron, the gross soul ; and make it heavenly. For there is a binding, a drawing force in this excellent afiection of love.