THE TENTH SERMON.
1 opened to mi/ beloved; but my beloved had ivithdraicn himself and was gone: m;/ soul failed when he spake; I sought him, but could not find him ; I called him, but he gave no answer. — Cant. V. 6.
Thus we see that the life of a Christian is trouble upon trouble, as wave upon wave. God will not suffer us to rest in security, but one way or other he will fire us out of our starting-holes, and make us to run after him. How much better were it for us, then, to do our works cheerfully and joyfully, ' so to run as we may obtain,' 1 Cor. ix. 24, than to be thus hurried up and down, and through our own defeult, coming into desertions, and there receiving rebukes and blows and delays ere we have peace again, as it fell out with the church in the sequel ; for this text is but the beginning of her seeming misery. The watchmen, after this, ' found her, and wounded her,' &c., verse 7. But heaven is more worth than all, now that her affection? are set on fire. From thence she bestirs herself, is resolute to find out her beloved, whom she highly values above all this world. How her affections were stirred by Christ's putting in his finger at the hole of the door, we have heard. Now follows her action thereupon ; for here is rising, opening, seeking, calling, and inquiring after Christ.
Action follows afiection. After her bowels are moved, she ariseth and openeth ; from whence we may further observe —
Obs. 1. That where truth of affection is, it will discover itself in the out- ward man, one icag or other. If there be any affection of love and piety to God, there will be eyes lift up, knees bended down, and hands stretched forth to heaven. If there be any grief for sin, there will be the face de- jected, the eyes looking do^vn, some expression or other. If there be a desire, there will be a making forth to the thing desired ; for the outward man is commanded by the inward, which hath a kind of sovereign com- manding power over it, and says. Do this, and it doth it ; Speak this, and it speaks it. Therefore, those whose courses of life are not gracious, their affections and their hearts are not good ; for where the affections are good, the actions will be suitable. ' Her bowels were moved in her,' and pre- sently she shews the truth of her affection, in that she maketh after him.
Cant. V. 6.J * my belo\-ed had withdbawn himself.* Ill
1. Her soul failed tchen he spake.
2. She makes after him.
* My soul failed when he spake : I sought him, but I could not find him.' — Of Christ's withdrawing himself, we spake in general before, wherefore we will leave that and proceed.
* My soul failed when he spake.' That is, her soul failed when she re- membered what he had spoke when he stood at the door and said, ' Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled : for my head is wet with the dew,' &c. Now, when God"s Sphit had wTOUght upon her, then she remembered what Christ had said. All those sweet allurements were effectual now unto her, especially when she saw that after those sweet allm-ements Christ had withdi-awn himself; for that is the meaning oi these words, ' My soul failed when he spake unto me.' He did not speak now ; but her soul failed after he spake ; for so it should be read, that is, after she remembered his speech to her ; for now, when she opened, he was not there. Therefore, he could not speak to her.
Ohs. 2. The ivord of Christ, housoever for the present it be not effectual, yet afterwards it uill he in the rememhrance of it. To those that are gracious, it will be effectual when the Holy Ghost comes to seal it further upon their hearts. Christ spake many things to his disciples which they forgot ; but when afterwards the Holy Ghost the Comfoiier was come, his office was, ' to bricg all things to their remembrance that they had forgotten before,' John xiv. 26. The Holy Ghost taught them not new things, but brought former things to their remembrance ; for God will make the word effectual at one time or other. Perhaps the word we hear is not effectual for the present ; it may afterwards, many years after, when God awakes our consciences.
And as this is true of God's children, the seed now sown in them will not grow up till many years after, so it is trae also of those that are not God's children. They think they shall never hear again of those things they hear. Perhaps they will take order by sensuality, hardening of their hearts, and through God's judgments withal concurring, that conscience shall not awake in this world. But it shaU awake cue day ; for it is put into the heart to take God's part, and to witness against us for our sins. It shall have and pei'form its office hereafter, use it as you will now ; and it will preach over those things again that you now hear. You shall hear again of them, but it shall be a barren hearing. Now we may hear fruit- fully to do us good, but afterwards we shall call to mind what we have heard, and it shall cut us to the heart. Dives, we know, had Moses and the prophets to insti'uct him, but he never heeded them in his life, until afterwards to his tonnent, Luke xvi. 29. So men never heed what they hear and read ; they put off all, and lay their consciences asleep ; but God will bring them afterwards to remembrance. But because it is a point especially of comfort to the church ;