Use 3. And as it is a point of comfort and terror, so it is a point of in- struction to us all, that ice having to deal tcith a judge that sees all, to icor-
152 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XVI.
ship Christ in spirit. If we had knowledge that such an eye of God is fixed upon us in all places, in all our affections and actions, would we give Hberty to base and filthy thoughts, to cruel designs, and to treacherous aims and intents ? to hatch a hell, as it were, ia our hearts, and to carry a fair show outwardly. It could not be. Men are not afraid of their thoughts, affections, desires, and inward delights of their soul, because there is no eye of justice upon them. But if they did consider that the all-seeing God did observe these inward evUs, and would call them to account one day for them, then they would be as well afraid to think ill as to do ill.
' His cheeks are as beds of spices, and as sweet flowers.'
Cheeks are the grace of the face. They are used here to denote the presence of Christ, which is sweet as spices and flowers. Not only his pre- sence is glorious in heaven, when we shall see that goodly person of Christ that became man for us, that transforming sight that shall make us like himself, but the spiritual presence of Christ ia his ordinances which we are capable of here, this is as spices and flowers.
Obj. But you will say, cheeks, face, and presence present coloui's to the eye, and not smells, as spices and flowers, which are the peculiar ob- ject of another sense.
Ans. Oh, but Christ is the object of all the senses. Beloved, he is not only beauty to the eye, but sweetness to the smell, and to the taste. There- fore faith hath the name of all the senses, to see, hear, taste, and smell, and doth all, because it carries us to Christ, that is instead of all to us. But the point is.
That the vianifestation of Christ to his church and children hij his Spirit in any of his ordinances, is a sweet manifestation, and delectable as spices and floivers ; as it is, Cant. i. 3 ; ' Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out, therefore the virgins love thee.' The very name of Christ, when he is known and laid open by the ministry, is a precious ointment, and the virgins, that is, all chaste souls, follow him by the smell of his ointments. All his ordinances con- vey a sweetness to the soul. His sacraments are sweet, his word sweet, the communion of saints sweet. The presence of the sun, you know, ia known in the spring time by the freshness of all things, which put forth the life and little livehness they have in them, some in blossoming, and some in flowers. That which lay, as it were, dead in winter, it comes out when the sun di-aws near ; so when Christ comes and shews his presence and face to the soul, he refresheth and delights it.
Hence we see they are enemies to Christ and to the souls of God's people that hinder the manifestation of Chi'ist, whereby his face might be seen, and his lovely cheeks discerned. Those that hate and vmdermine the ordinances of God, they hinder the comforts of their own souls.
And they are enemies to Christ. For when hath Christ glory but when the virgins follow him in the scent of his sweet ointments ? When the soul, in the sense of his sweetness, follows him, and cleaves to him with joy, love, and delight, this makes Christ Christ, and sets him up in the heaxt above all others. This is the proper work of the ordinances. Those, there- fore that are enemies to the ordinances of Christ, are enemies to the souls of God's people, and to the glory and honour of Chi'ist himself. Thus far •we may go safely, upon comparison of this with the other Scriptures.
Cant. V. 13.] * his lips are like lilies.' 15d
THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON.
His lips are like lilies, dropping siceet-smelling myrrh ; his hands are as gold rings set ivith beryl ; his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sap- phire: his legs, &c. — Cant. V. 13.
In speaking of these particulars we are to be very wary, for we have not that foundation as we have in other generals. For no doubt but the Spirit of God here did more intend to set out the large affection that the church had to Christ, than to insinuate any great particularity in every one of these. Therefore let us only cull out, and take those things that are of more easy expHcation.
' His lips are as lilies, dropping down sweet myrrh.'
That is, his doctrine is as sweet as the hhes, and sound as the myrrh, keeping from putrefaction, it being the nature of myrrh, as it is sound itself, so to make other things sound. In like manner, the speech of Christ makes the soul sound that embraceth it. What was ever more sweet than the truth of Christ ? When he spake himself, they all hung upon his lips, Luke iv. 20, as the phi-ase is in the gospel (?i), as a man hangs upon the lips of another whom he desu'es and delights to hear speak, and they marvelled at the gracious words that came out of his lips. Grace was in his lips, Ps. xlv. 2. All was sweet that came from him, for it came from the excellency of his Spirit. His words were dyed in these affections of his heart. In the learned language, the same word signifieth speech and reason (o), to intimate that speech is but the current of reason from the heart, the seat of reason. Therefore Christ's speeches were sweet, because his heart was sweet, full of all love, grace, mercy, and goodness. Mat. xii. 34, 35. His heart was a treasure. His lips must needs then be sweet. Beloved, therefore let us hence take a trial of ourselves, what our condi- tion is, whether the words that come from Christ when he speaks in his ministry to us be sweet or not.