Cant. V. 6.] ' my belo^'ed had withdrawn himself.' 109
bowels' in another sense, out of love too, but in shame and mourning. Christ here leaves her to seek after him, that had waited and attended her leisure before, as we shall see after.
The next thing we may hence obsei've in that, ' that her bowels were turned in her,' from something left in the hole of the door by the Spirit of Christ, is.
That Christ hath our affctions in his government.
He hath our bowels in his rule and government, more than we ourselves have. We cannot of ourselves rule our grief, shame, sorrow, or such affections as these. The wisest man in the world cannot award- gi-ief and sorrow when God will turn it upon his bowels, and make a man ashamed and confounded in himself. All the wit and policy in the world cannot suppress those affections. For Christ rules our hearts, ' The hearts of kings are in his hand, as the rivers of water,' Prov. xxi. 1, as weU as the hearts of ordinaiy persons.
K he set anything upon the soul to afflict it and cast it down, it shall afflict it, if it be but a conceit. If he will take away the reins fi"om the soul, and leave it to its own passion, removing away its guard ; for he by his Spirit guards om* souls with peace, by commanding of tranquillity ; so as let him but leave it to itself, and it ^vill tear itself in sunder, as Ahitho- phel, who being left to himself, did tear himself in pieces, 2 Sam. xvii. 23. Cain also being thus left, was disquieted, tormented, and wrackedf himself, Gen. iv. 13. So Judas in this case, being divided in himself, you see what became of him, Mat. sxvii. 5. Let Christ but leave us to our own passion of sorrow, what will become of us but misery ? He hath more rule therefore of our passions than we ourselves have, because we cannot rule them gra- ciously, nor can we stay them when we would.
Use. Therefore this should strike an awe in us of God, ivith a care to please him. For there is not the wisest man in the world, but if he remove his guard from his soul, and leave him to himself ; if there were no de^^.l in hell, yet he would make him his own tormentor and executioner. There- fore the apostle makes this sweet promise. He bids them pray to God ; ' and the peace of God which passeth all understanding should guard their souls,' &c., Philip, iv. 7. So the word is in the original. I It is a great matter for the keeping of God's people, to have their souls guarded.
' Her bowels were turned in her.'
Here again, as the conclusion of all this, we seeing this estate of the church, may uonder at Christ's carriage towards her in this world. Christ is wonderful in his saints, and in his goodness towards them, 2 Thess. i. 10 ; sometimes alluring them, as we see Christ the church here; wondrous in patience, not- withstanding their provocation of him ; wondi'ous in his desertions ; wondrous in leaving something behind him in desertions. Those that are his he will not leave them without gi-ace, whereby they shall seek him again. Nay, the faUing out of lovers shall be the renewing of fresh and new love, more constant than ever the former was. Thus om- blessed Savioui* goes beyond us in our deserts, taking advantage even of our security ; for om- greater good, making all work to good in the issue, Rom. viii. 28; which shall end in a more near and close communion between Christ and his church than ever before. Carnal men feel not these changes, ebbings and flowings. They are not acquainted with God's foreakings. Indeed their whole life is nothing but a forsaking of God, and God's forsaking of them, who gives
* That is. ' ward off.'— Ed. % See note k, vol I. page 334.— G.
t Qu. ' racked r—G.
110 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON X.
them outward comforts, peace and friends in the world, wherein they solace themselves. But for inward communion with him, any strength to holy duties, or against sin, for to be instruments for God's honour, and service, to do any good, they are careless. For they live here to serve their own turns, leaving their state and inheritance behind them. The Scripture saith, ' They have no changes, therefore they fear not God,' Ps. Iv. 19 ; and so they go down to hell quietly and securely. Oh ! but it is otherwise with God's children. They are tossed up and down. God will not suffer them to prosper, or hve long in a secm'e, drowsy, sinful state, the continu- ance wherein is a fearful evidence that such an one as yet hath no saving grace, nor that he yet belongs to God, seeing Christ hates such an estate, and wUl not suffer his to be long therein, but will shift and remove them from vessel to vessel, from condition to condition, till he have wrought in them that disposition of soul that they shall regard and love him more and more, and have nearer and nearer communion with him.