Quest. But what is this to us or to the church ?
Ans. Yes ; for his beauty and excellency is the church's, because he is the church's. ' My beloved is white and ruddy, and my beloved is the chief among ten thousand.' It is the peculiar interest that the church hath in Christ that doth relish her spirit ; excellency with propriety in him ; ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' The more excellent the husband is, the more excellent is the wife. She only shines in his beams. Therefore it is the interest that we have in Christ that endears Christ to us. But to come to more particular application of it. Is Christ thus excellent, super- excellent, thus transcendently excellent, ' white and ruddy,' the chief often thousand ?' This serves,
1. To draw tliose that are not yet in Christ unto him.
2. To comfort tliose that are in Christ.
Use 1. Fu'st, those that are not yet in Christ, not contracted to him, to draw them ; what can prevail more than that ivhich is in Christ ? Beauty and excellencies, greatness and goodness. And indeed one main end of our calling, the ministry, is, to lay open and unfold the unsearchable riches of Christ ; to dig up the mine, thereby to draw the affections of those that belong to God to Christ.
Use 2. But it is not enough to know that there are excellencies in Christ to draw us to him, but, there must be a sight of our misery ; ivhat beggars we are, and how indebted. Before we are in Christ we are not our own. The devil lays claim to us that we are his ; death lays claim to us. We are under sin ; we cannot satisfy one of a thousand ; therefore this enforceth to make out to join with him that can discharge all our debts, answer all our suits, and non-suit Satan in the court of heaven. When once we are married to the Lord of heaven and earth, all is ours. We have a large charter, * All things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's,' 1 Cor iii. 22, 23.
Qu£st. Why are all things ours ?
Aiu. Because tee are married to Christ, who is Lord of all. It is the end of our calling to sue for a marriage between Christ and every soul. We are the friends of the bride, to bring the church to him ; and the friends of the church, to bring Christ to them. It is the end of our ministry to bring the soul and Christ together ; and let no debts, no sins hinder. For espe- cially he invites such as are sensible of their sins. * Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more,' Rom. v. 20. ' Come unto me, all ye that are * That is, ' teacher.' — G.
Cant. V. 10.] * the chiefest among ten thousand.' 143
weary and heavy laden,' Mat. xi. 28. And, ' he came to seek and to save that which was lost,' Luke xix. 10. He requii-es no more, but that we be sensible of oui- debts and miseries, which sense he works likewise by his Holy Spirit.
Use 3. Again, for those that have entertained Christ, let them see uhat an excellent gracious person they have entertained, who is ' the chief of ten thousand.' The world thinks them a company of siUy, mean people, that make choice of Christ, religion, the word, and such things ; but there is a justification of their choice. They choose him that is ' the chief of ten thousand.' ' Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,' saith the spouse, ' for thy love is better than wine, nay, than life itself,' Cant. i. 2. A Chi'istian must justify the choice that he hath made with Mary ' of the good part,' Luke x. 42 ; against all those that shall disparage his choice. Let the world account Christians what they will ; that they are a company of deluded, besotted persons, fools and madmen ; the Christian is the only wise man. Wisdom is seen in choice especially ; and here is the choice of that which is excellent and most excellent of all, ' the chief often thousand.'
Use 4. So also, we may see here the desiderate and base folly of all ivhatso- ever, save true Christians. What do they make choice of to join to ? that which is base, the condemned world, vain, transitory things ; and refuse Christ. Ai'e they in their right wits who refuse a husband that is noble for birth, rich for estate, mighty for power, abundant in kindness and love itself, every way excellent, and take a base, ignoble, beggarly person ? This is the choice of the world. God complains, ' Israel would none of me,' &c., Ps. Ixxxi. 11. What shall we judge therefore of those that will none of Christ when he woos and sues them ; but prefer with Esau a ' mess of pottage,' before their eternal birthright, Heb. xii. 16 ; with Adam, an apple before paradise ; and with Judas, thirty pieces of silver before Christ him- self. This is the state of many men. To be married to Christ is to take him for an husband ; to be ruled by him in all things. Now when we pre- fer base commodities and contentments before peace of conscience and the enjoying of his love — what is it, but for pelf and commodity, thirty pieces of silver (perhaps for sixpence, a thing of nothing), to refuse Christ. Yet this is the condition of base worldlings that live by sense and not by faith. So then as it serves to comfort those that have made a true choice ; so it serves to shew the madness and foUy of all others, which one day will feel their hearts fall of horror and confusion, and their faces of shame, when they shall think. What ? hath Christ made such suit to my heart to win my love ? hath he ordained a ministry for to bring me in ? made such large promises? is he so excellent? and was this discovered to me, and yet would I none of him ? what did I choose, and what did I leave ? I left Christ with all his riches, and made choice of the ' pleasures and profits of sin, which are but for a season,' Heb. xi. 25. When the conscience is once thoroughly awaked, this will tonnent it, — the punishment of loss, not of loss simply, as the loss of Christ and the loss of heaven, but the loss of Christ and of heaven so discovered and opened. Therefore there is no condition in the world so terrible as of those that live in the church, and hear those things of Chi'ist crucified unfolded to them before their eyes. As Paul speaks of the ministry, it makes Christ's cross so open to them as if he had been crucified before their eyes, Gal. iii. 1. Yet notwithstanding [they] yield to their base heart's desires and affections before these excellencies ; which if they had a spirit of faith would draw their hearts to him.