1. If we find ourselves carried to Christ, to run in that stream as strong as the affections of those that arc distempered with sickness of the love of other things, it trill discover to iis whetlier we he truly love-sick or not.
2. Take a man that is sick for any earthly thing, whether of Ahab's or Amjion's sickness, or of anything, take it as you will, that which the soul is sick of in love, it thinks of daihj. It dreams of it in the night. What do onr souls therefore think of ? What do our meditations run after ? When we are in our advised and best thoughts, what do we most think of ? K of Christ, of the state of the church here, of grace and glory, all is well. "What makes us, in the midst of all worldly discontentments, to think all dung and dross in comparison of Christ, but this sickness of love to Christ.
* That is, ' termed.'— G. t That is, ' foolish.'— G.
126 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XIT.
If our love be in such a degree as it makes us sick of it, it makes us not to hear what we hear, not to see what we see, not to regard what is present. The soul is in a kind of ecstasy ; it is carried so strongly, and taken up with things of heaven. It is deaded to other things, when our eyes are no more led with vanity than if we had none, and the flesh is so mortified as if we were dead men, by reason of the strength of our affections that run another way, to better things which are above.
3. Thus ive see it is in love. Talk with a man that is in any heat of affections, you talk with one that is not at home, you taUi with one absent. The soul is more where it loves than where it dwells. Surely where love is in any strength it draws up the soul, so that a man ofttimes, in his call- ing and ordinary emploj^ments, doth not heed them, but passeth through the world as a man at random. He regards not the things of the world ; for Christ is gotten into his heart, and draws all the affections to himself. Where the affection of love is strong, it cares not what it suffers for the party loved, nay, it glories in it. As it is said of the disciples, when they were whipped and scom-ged for preaching the gospel, it was a matter of glory to them. Acts v. 41. It is not labour, but favour. It is not labour and vexation, but favour that is taken, where love is to the party loved. Where the love of Christ is, which was here in the church, labour is no labour, suffering is no suffering, trouble is no trouble.
4. Again, it is the property of the party that is sick of this disease, to talce little contentment in other things. Tell a covetous worldling that is in love with the world a discourse of learning, what cai'es he for learning ? Tell him of a good bargain, of a matter of gain, and he will hearken to that. So it is with the soul that hath felt the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart. Tell him of the world, especially if he want* that which he deshes, the peace and strength that he found from Chi-ist in former times, he rehsheth not yoiu- discourse.
Labour we, therefore, every day more and more to have larger and larger affections to Chi-ist. The soul that loves Christ, the nearer to Christ the more joyful it is ; when he thinks of those mutual embracings, when Christ and his soul shall meet together there. This happiness is there, where the soul enjoys the thing loved ; but that is not here, but in heaven. Therefore, in the mean time, with joy he thankfuUy frequents the places where Christ is present in the word and sacrament. Aiid, that we may come to have this affection, let us see what our souls are without him ; mere dungeons of darkness and confusion, nothing coming from us that is good. This will breed love to the ordinances ; and then we shall reHsh Christ both in the word and sacrament. For he is food for the hungry soul, and requires nothing of us but good appetites ; and this will make us desire his love and presence.
THE THIKTEENTH SERMON.
I charge yoxi, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 0 thou fairest among women ? dc. — Cant. V. 8, 9.
The soul, as it is of an immortal substance, so in the right and true temper thereof, [itj aspireth towards immortality, unless when it is clouded and
CaXT. V. 8, 9.] ' IF YOU FIND MY BELOVED.' 127
OYerpressed ^vith that ' which presseth dowmvards, and the sin which hangeth so fast on,' as the apostle speaks, Heb. xii. 1,- which is the reason of those many and diverse tossings and tuiinoiHngs of the enhghtened soul, now up, now down, now nmning amain homewards, and now again sluggish, idle, and lazy ; until roused up by extraordinary means, it puts on again. As the fire mounteth upwards unto its proper place, and as the needle still trembleth till it stand at the north ; so the soul, once inflamed with an heavenly fu'e, and acquainted with her first original, cannot be at rest imtil it find itself in that comfortable way which certainly leads homewards. An instance whereof we have in the chui'ch here, who, having lost her sweet communion with Christ, and so paid dearly for her former neglect and slighting his kind invitations, as being troubled, restless in mind, ' beaten and wounded by the watchmen,' bereft of her veil, &c. Yet this heavenly fire of the blessed Spirit, this ' water of life,' John iv. 10, so restlessly springing in her, makes her sickness of love and ardent desire after Christ to be such, that she cannot contain herself, but breaks forth in this passion- ate charge and request —