The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Collection of sermons · Sermon 2
SERMON II. On Matth. XXV. Ver. 1. and ſo on.
Then ſhall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto Ten Virgins, which took their Lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom, &c.
I Have begun to lay, before you the great Importance of this Parable, and Reduced it to this Propoſition, as a Foundation of Diſcourſe on the Particulars;
That even the Pureſt, and moſt Virgin-Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, ſhould look well to it ſelf, and take great care, that it does not truſt even in the beſt of Appearance of Things; I ſay, in the very beſt of Appearances; but that it ſhould look to the inward Treaſure, and the intrinſick value of Chriſtianity in the Heart.
Becauſe here the Fooliſh Virgins were pleaſed with the Lamp of Profeſſion, without the Treaſure of Oil in the Veſſel; and when it came to the great Up-ſhot and Reſult, their Lamps quickly went out; they failed, even in the very time; and ſo they were for ever ſhut out from the Glory, and the Joy, and the Happineſs of the Solemnity of the Wedding.
Having laid out this Point in the Particulars of the Parable; I came to the firſt Particular, and that was to tell you, That the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt is throughout, from firſt to laſt, The Kingdom of Heaven; whether you conſider it in the Preaching of the Goſpel, it is the opening of Heaven, and of the great Counſels of the Eternal Wiſdom of God in the Heavens; Or, whether you conſider it, as it comes into the Heart of every particular Chriſtian; ſo it is the power of Heaven, enabling them to ſet ſuch a value upon Jeſus Chriſt, that all the Things of the World are of no Account, compared with the Pearl of Great Price▪ Or, whether you conſider it in the laſt Glorious Appearance of this Kingdom, ſo it is Heaven; It is not a State that doth ſo much as pretend to any Senſual Enjoyment, to any worldly Satisfaction; to any of the Grandeur of this World, or the Delights of it; but it is perfect Heaven; it is Heaven throughout. This I have ſpoken of, and ſo I ſhall not add any Thing to it.
I come to a Second Particular in This General; and that is, to let you know, from the Repreſentation our Saviour hath here given; That the very Intent of Chriſtianity, the Great Deſign and Purport of it is this; It is a Preparation to the Enjoyment of Jeſus Chriſt; as the Great Bridegroom of our Souls, and as the Bridegroom of his Church. For ſo it is ſaid here, Theſe Virgins They took their Lamps; That is, As ſoon as ever they began to make a Profeſſion of Chriſt, and a Profeſſion of Chriſtianity; Immediately, in that very moment, they had an Eye to the Bridegroom.
So that this is the Great Purport of Chriſtianity, That we ſhould have a Spiritual Marriage-Union with Jeſus Chriſt; and in Order to the Enjoyment of him, in the Glory of his Kingdom, as the Bridegroom of our Souls. It is a very Great Emphaſis and Weight that the Spirit of God has put upon this Reſemblance, or Similitude of the Marriage Union between Chriſt and the Soul, and between Chriſt and his Church.
And if I ſhould be any thing able to declare and to open it to you at this Time, in the Spirituality of it, and thereby ſolicit, and draw the Affections of every one of us to Jeſus Chriſt; I ſhould in ſome meaſure Anſwer that which John the Baptiſt Repreſents, John 3. 29. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom: but the Friend of the Bridegroom, which ſtandeth and heareth him, rejoyceth greatly becauſe of the Bridegroom's Voice. This my Joy therefore is fullfilled. That is, There is no one, Preaching the Goſpel, who ought to draw the Affection of Souls and of Spirits unto himſelf, but he is to look only to the Great Bridegroom; None of the Friends of the Bridegroom, That is, The Preachers of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, They are not to draw the Hearts of Men to themſelves. For what are they, as the Apoſtle ſaith (if they are the moſt Excellent) but Miniſters, by whom ye have believed? But, as the Apoſtle ſaith, We preach Chriſt Jeſus the Lord; and our ſelves your Servants for Chriſt's ſake: We preach Chriſt the Bridegroom, and our ſelves only the Friends of the Bridegroom. And therefore every one ſhould take heed, that there be no Centring in himſelf▪ (that ſpeaks of Chriſt) but onelyonly in Chriſt Himſelf. And ſo every one of us ſhould take heed, that we do not Reſt and Centre in an Ordinance, or in a Diſcourſe of Chriſt; but that our Hearts go up to Chriſt Himſelf. For he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom: And the Friend of the Bridegroom rejoyceth when he hears the voice of the Bridegroom. That is, when he finds that he ſpeaks to any Heart, and draws any Soul to him. How Happy would it be, if in this Diſcourſe the voice of the Bridegroom might be heard, and diſcovered in any of our Hearts▪ and that it might be known, that this Preaching of Chriſt hath prevail'd at all, upon any Soul! This is to Rejoice in hearing the voice of the Bridegroom. O therefore that this Joy might be fullfilled in you that hear, and in me that am ſpeaking to you! But as he goes on) he muſt encreaſe, and I muſt decreaſe. That is, In all wherein we may ſeem to be ſerviceable to Chriſt, or ſerviceable to the Souls of Men, that muſt go off: And then the Kingdom and Glory of Chriſt Himſelf, that is It that muſt encreaſe. And therefore for thoſe that hear, and thoſe that ſpeak, to meet one another in that Great Solemnity, and in that Great Glory; and to find that all is gone off, but only Chriſt; How Gloſious and how Bleſſed will this State be!
I ſhall therefore endeavour to open this Great Point▪ in ſome meaſure unto you: Though I know it is not poſſible to ſpeak of it as it is to be ſpoken of. But I ſhall therefore,
Firſt, Lay down this, as a Great Scripture-Point, as a Great Scrippture▪ Truth;
That there is ſuch a Marriage-Union betwixt Chriſt and his Church, and betwixt Chriſt and every particular Soul.
In the ſecond place, I ſhall endeavour to ſhew you, wherein it ſtands at the preſent.
Firſt, In the Opening of it, I ſhall ſhew you, That there is a State of it Now. And then.
That there is to be the Glory, and the Heighth of this State in the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt. Therefore I ſhall endeavour to ſhew you, wherein it ſtands now. And then,
In the third place, How the Glory of it ſhall break out; and in what Expreſſions the Scripture hath aſſured that to us: And therefore, that every one of us ſhould look upon our Profeſſion, as a Fitting, and a Preparation to that Great Solemnity of the Marriage▪ Supper of the Lamb.
I. The firſt Scripture by which I ſhall make it evident to you, is indeed a Scripture full of Myſtery; full of Figure, of Metaphor and Emblem; and therefore it may not be ſo ea…ie to your Apprehenſion.
It's that of the Song of Solomon; It is an hard thing almoſt to adviſe you to the Reading of it; becauſe it lies hid under Veils; It …ies hid under curious Allegories and Repreſentations. But that is the very …enſe of it, Chap. 1. 3. Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth; therefore do the Virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: The King hath brought me into his Chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee; we will remember thy Love more than W…ne: the upright love thee, Ver. 3, 4. All this, it is but Metaphor, Repreſenting Chriſt, as Drawing with the Savour of his Good Ointments: As Perſons make themſelves Acceptable by thoſe things that draw and win upon the Senſe, and ſo upon the Senſe of Smelling. This Savour of his Good Oyntment draws Souls to Chriſt. That is, thoſe Rich, Spiritual Excellencies in Him, win upon the Souls of thoſe that are indeed truly his, that are indeed Virgins; They draw the Love of Souls after Chriſt: The Pardon of Sin; His Righteouſneſs; His Reſurrection in the Power of it; His Death in the Power of it: His Life in the Power of it; The Glory of His Kingdom: Theſe Draw Souls. Draw me, we will run after thee. And the upright love thee. All that have Sincerity in the Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, they truely love him.
And thus there is a Thread drawn throughout that whole Book, till it comes to the very Glory of the Kingdom of Chriſt. The laſt Words ſignifie it; Make haſte, my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or to a Young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices. That is; The State of the Kingdom of Chriſt is juſt like a Mount of the moſt Aromatick, of the Sweeteſt Perfumes of Glory and Happineſs. This is the firſt Scripture that lays this great Point down before us: And there are many Expreſſions, eſpecially in that Evangelical Prophet, the Prophet Iſaiah, comparing the Union betwixt Chriſt and his Servants to a Marriage; and to a Marriage that ſhall be ſolemnized, at laſt, in Glory.
But the ſecond Scripture that I would give you concerning it, is Epheſ. 5. Where the Apoſtle does draw, or delineate this very whole Repreſentation before us, in the Beginning, and in the Perfection of it: And indeed, he introduces the very firſt Inſtitution and Appointment of Marriage, to bring it all to this; That there was in it a much more Glorious Purpoſe, to prepare for, and to Repreſent the Union betwixt Chriſt and his Church. In ſpeaking therefore of the Duty of Husbands to their Wives, he enters into this Great Diſcourſe: ſaith he, The Husband is the Head of the Wife, even as Chriſt is the Head of the Church; and he is the Saviour of the Body. Therefore as the Church is ſubject unto Chriſt, ſo let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing: And Chriſt, as an Husband (ver. 25.) He loved the Church, and gave himſelf for it; That he might ſanctifie and cleanſe it with the waſhing of water by the Word, That he might preſent it to himſelf a Glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing; but that it ſhould be holy and without blemiſh. For indeed, (as I ſhall preſently ſhew you, out of a Great Type of the Law of Moſes, in this Thing) Chriſt takes thoſe, whom he muſt Beautifie: He takes thoſe whom he muſt every way fit for ſo great an Enjoyment as that of Himſelf: He takes them out of Corruption, out of Impurity and Defilement, in a Miſerable, and Loathſome, and Captivated State and Condition: But he never leaves till he brings it to this; That he may preſent them to Himſelf; That he may take them to Himſelf, without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing. And then (ſaith he) for this Cauſe a Man ſhall leave his Father and Mother, and ſhall be Joyned to his Wife; and they ſhall be one fleſh.
This is a Great Myſtery. But I ſpeak concerning Chriſt and the Church. That is, Here lies the Myſtery, the Great Point that I intend to preſent to you; that cloſe Union that is betwixt Chriſt and his Saints. And it comes (as I told you) to that Gloty, that He preſents it to Himſelf a Glorious Church, without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing.
And if you would know when this is; It is at the time of the Kingdom of Chriſt; at the time when he hath deſtroyed Falſe Chriſtianity; that Chriſtianity that is called in the Profeſſors, and Profeſſion of it The Whore. When that is quite taken away; that is, when all Falſe Chriſtianity ſhall be driven out of the World, and forced out, by the Power, and by the Glory of Chriſt; Then ſhall be this Glorious Solemnity of the Marriage of Chriſt, Rev. 19. 1, 2. And ſo on in the Chapter.
And after theſe things I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven, ſaying, Allelujah; Salvation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power unto the Lordour God: For true and righteous are his Judgments; for he hath judged the Great Whore? What is the Great Whore, but only Falſe Chriſtianity, called, Babylon the Great, that hath defiled the Doctrine, and defiled the Worſhip, and defiled the Holineſs of Converſation, and defiled the Spirituality of the Enjoyment of Chriſt. That's the meaning of the Great Whore. When therefore you ſee Chriſtianity is All Spirit, is All Heaven, is All Life, is All Purity, and Truth, and Glory, and Babylon deſtroyed; when you ſee that, then Immediately ſhall the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb follow: As you ſhall find in the 7th Verſe: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her ſelf ready. And to her was granted, that ſhe ſhould be arrayed in fine Linnen, clean and white: For the fine Linnen is the Righteouſneſs of Saints. And he ſaith unto me, Write, Bleſſed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And he ſaith unto me, Theſe are the true Sayings of God.
That you may not ſay as the World is ready to do; even the Sober World, even that which is the Profeſſing World of Chriſtians are ready to ſay, theſe things are nothing, but Whimſie, nothing but Fancy, it is ſaid, Theſe are the true ſayings of God. To ſhew us, that the things ſhall certainly, and muſt needs come to paſs: And it ſhall be, when Chriſtianity ſhall be no longer in Form, and it ſhall be no longer in Rites and Ceremonies; when it ſhall be no longer in Humane Inſtitutions, and Commands; and it ſhall be no longer in the ſhining Grandeur of the World.
For, Men cannot ſee the Glory of Chriſtianity, becauſe they ſee ſuch a Gliſter of this World: But all this muſt go off, and what is Glorious indeed muſt come in its place; It ſhall be all Spiritual, Pure, and Divine.
And, If any of us can Love ſuch a Jeſus, if we have ſuch upright Hearts, and are drawn with the Savour of His Good Oyntments, and ſuch a Name as His, be to us, as Oyntment poured forth; It is certain, our State is Good, we are of thoſe upright, that do indeed Love Chriſt. But, If we ſay, Here's nothing of the Bravery of this World; Here's nothing of the Wit, and of the Paſs-time and of the Gaudery, and of the Retinue, and what the World is ſo pleaſed with, and meeting together to talk of nothing, that ſignifies any thing, but ſhrivells into meer Emptineſs, and into perfect Vanity, and Froth: I ſay, except we have theſe things, we don't know what to make of this Jeſus, and of this Chriſtianity. VVhy then, we are but Fooliſh Virgins, that while we pretend; we have nothing but a Lamp, and our Lamp, at the proper time for its ſhining in Glory will go out.
And, ſo ſuitably and agreeably to this (you may ſee, and I deſire you may take notice of it, how Scriptures do agree, and Breath the very ſame thing) The Apoſtle John in the Revelation ſpeaks as Solomon, who lived many Hundred Years before John; yet they both came into the very ſame Spirit, and into the very ſame Repreſentation. For, you ſee, that which Solomon Celebrates under a Song of Marriage, a Song of Love; The Apoſtle John does in the very ſame manner, Repreſent. I ſaw (ſaith he) The New Jeruſalem come down, That is, the State of Saints, in this High, and Pure, and perfect Enjoyment of Chriſt. I ſaw it come down as a Bride adorned for her Husband. Chap. 22. 2. I ſaw the Holy City, New Jeruſalem. Which is nothing, but the Pure, and Holy, and Perfect, and Happy State of Saints. I ſaw it coming down from God out of Heaven, as a Bride adorned for her Husband.
And now, the earneſtneſs of all our deſires ſhould be after it. As it is ſaid, (ver. 17.) The Spirit and the Bride ſay, Come; And let him that heareth, ſay, Come. That is, let them who hear ſay ſo; as ſtruck with a Symphony, even as one Lute Anſwers another, the Lute upon the Wall, Anſwers that is ſtruck, and Tuned, and Play'd upon: So every Soul Tuned aright by Grace doth ſound alike, with the Spirit and with the Bride, when he does but hear it ſay Come; It immediately ſaith, Come.
Thus I have ſhew'd you, that this Alluſion, Repreſentation, and Figure, is a Figure Repreſenting this great thing; Jeſus Chriſt is the Bridegroom of the Church, and every Particular Soul the Bride, or Lambs Wife; For, it is a wild ſort of Notion, that ſome people have of a Church: Who by it Principally mean a kind of Juriſdiction, and Authority, and Power, and a ſort and ſett of Men who ſhould enjoy it; They mean this by the Church they ſpeak ſo much of; Whereas the Spirit of God means by the Church chiefly Real Chriſtians, ſound, ſincere-hearted Profeſſors of Jeſus Chriſt, and Lovers of him; The upright Love thee; This is the meaning of a Church by Chriſt, and not a kind of Authority and Juriſdiction, that looks more like a Train, and a Court of this World, than any thing of the Power of Chriſtianity, and the Power of the Goſpel.
I ſhall therefore come, in proceeding in this Diſcourſe, to open to you theſe two things.
Firſt, That there is a State of this Marriage-Relation to Chriſt; underſtand every thing (as I hope you do) ſpiritually and of the Power of Holineſs in our Hearts, and of the free Communication of the Righteouſneſs, and Grace, and Spirit of Chriſt, Till all appears in Glory; underſtanding it thus, (I ſay) There are two great Spaces, Two Great States of it, one that is Here; and then the other, that ſhall be in the Glory of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt. And it hath pleaſed God to take great care, that both theſe ſhould be Repreſented to us.
Firſt of all, the State of the Soul here; It is like an Eſpouſal, it is like a Betrothing, it is like that, that we call among us, a Contract of Marriage: And according to Scripture, there is a diſtance between it, and the Solemnity, and Compleating and Conſummation of the Marriage. And this is very neceſſary for us to conſider, that now is the time of preparing, and fitting Souls for that Great Solemnity; And therefore we read of a Virgin Betrothed to an Husband, before the Solemnity of the Marriage; upon which Account, to the Jews it was appointed by Moſes, that there ſhould be at leaſt, Thirty days between the one and the other; And they looked upon it, as a Breach, and an Infraction upon the Moſaick-Law, If there was not ſuch a Time of Preparation; And ſome very Conſcientious Miniſters of the Goſpel have been of the Judgment, that there ought to be ſuch a kind of Preparation; And that it is agreeable to the Law of God, for the Wiſdom and Decency of ſuch a Solemnity as Marriage; I ſhall not inſiſt upon that. But it is very clear, that ſuch a thing was in uſe among the Jews, and that the Law hath very great regard and reſpect to ſuch a thing, and that the Scripture is drawn out in ſuch a manner of Expreſſion.
Now, It is nothing to ſpeak of the Figure, that's not at all to my purpoſe; But to let you know, that there is a Time of Eſpouſals of Sculs to Jeſus Chriſt.
According to this, and to Ground the Alluſion to you upon it; we find, Matth. 1. 18. The Birth of Jeſus Chriſt was on this wiſe; When as his Mother, Mary was Eſpouſed to Joſeph, before they came together: Before they came to dwell together, and to have the Marriage Solemnized, while ſhe was his Spouſe; and ſo the Goſpel Hiſtory goes on; So I ſay, there is an Eſpouſal of Souls to Jeſus Chriſt; and that is in the preſent State, in the preſent State wherein we are under the Preaching of the Goſpel; wherein we are under the motions of the Spirit of Chriſt; Here Chriſt begins, and he Sanctifies and Cleanſes by the Waſhing of Regeneration, and by his Word, that he may preſent every Soul: There's the method of it, It begins here in a preparation; And therefore we ſhould conſider, whether we are under this preparation now for Jeſus Chriſt; Whether our affections are drawn to him; Whether we hear the Voice of the Bridegroom ſpeaking to us; Whether we have found the Savour of the Good Oyntments of Chriſt, and that it is not a Savour of Death, As the Apoſtle ſpeaks, in that great Scripture 2 Cor. 2. 14. Now Thanks be unto God, which always cauſeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifeſt the Savour of his knowledge by us in every place. The Savour Oſme, that is the rich Perfume in every place, as in Solomons Song: ſaith he, Becauſe of the Savour of the good Oyntments, The Virgins Love thee. And, draw me, and we will run after thee; Thy Name is Oyntment poured forth: Now the Apoſtle ſpeaks juſt, as if he had taken his words out of that of Solomons Song; Saith he, Who maketh manifeſt the Savour, or Perfume, the Odour, or perfume of the Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt. For (ſaith he) We are unto God a ſweet Savour of Chriſt, in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh; That is, whether Men are taken, and drawn, and perſwaded by this Savour, Odour, or Rich Perfume, or not, it is all one. Suppoſe the Perfume does not go down into our Hearts, and into our Thoughts and Affections, yet it ariſes up to Heaven, and there it is accepted; If there be none of you, that hear, or, I that ſpeak at this Time (Which I hope is far different) who find the Savour, and Excellency and Perfume of Chriſt, and of his Doctrine, and of the Knowledge of him; yet ſtill this Savour, this Odour riſes up to Heaven, and God is pleaſed with the Savour, tho we find nothing at all in it: But, ſaith he, we are to ſome a Savour, or Odour of Death unto Death▪ That is, if a Man ſaith, I find nothing, that you can ſay, offering the ſtrong ſcent, and Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt; I do not find the Attractive, and VVinning Virtues and Powers of it; They do not at all prevail upon me: This is certainly unto Death; A Savour of Death, without Life, and unto Death: As it is ſaid of natural Odours and Scents, that they wrap, and twiſt themſelves about the Brain, and win upon the ſenſitive Power of a Man, and ſo they draw, and pleaſe, and allure. In the very ſame manner, the Knowledge of Chriſt; VVhen we hear of a Crucified Saviour, who dyed for our Sins, and to bring us out of this Miſery and Ruine, it gives us the Savour, it wraps it ſelf, and Twiſts, and Twines it ſelf about our Minds, our Hearts, and Affections, and we cannot ſtir away from it, becauſe it is ſo excellent, ſo deſirable; Heres a Savour of Life; here's a quick, and a powerful Savour.
But now, on the other ſide, when Men find not, when they feel not any ſuch thing; They ſay, this is a Dead Root; It hath not the proper ſcent of ſuch a Root; and it is not ſuch a Rich and an Admirable Oyntment, as you ſpeak of; we find nothing at all in it. If we ſpeak of Eating, and Drinking, and Buying, and Selling, and Riding out, and Enjoying and taking Pleaſure, and having great Entertainments of Company; this we underſtand; But to ſay, Get into Chriſt; mind Him; get the Aſſurance of the Love of God in Him; Pardon of Sin in Him: We find nothing in this: It is a Dead Savour; Why then (ſaith the Apoſtle) It is to Death: It argues all is to Death.
Or, in another compariſon, if we ſhould bring (as Phyſitians ſay) a ſtrong Suffumigation to the Noſtrils of a Perſon that is in a dangerous ſtate (as the way is, to bring ſtrong Scents juſt under their Noſtrills; thoſe that are proper to ſtir up the Brain): and no Effect follows; This is to Death; The man is a Dead man. So when Chriſt is brought, and the Doctrine of his Salvation, to a Soul; and there is nothing at all of Worth, Effect or Efficacy, This Death is unto Death; Juſt as ſuch a kind of Suffumigation brought to a Dying Perſon, and no Effect, argues, That he'll die preſently, if the ſtrongeſt Savours and Perfumes have no Effect, and the Brain is juſt ready to be laid aſleep in Death.
So Conſcience, and Inward Senſe, which God hath planted in a man, in order to Spiritual Life, if they ſtir not at the Savour of Chriſt, it argues a perſon left of God, and he is under the Doom and Sentence of Death: If our Goſpel be hid, it is hid to them who are loſt.
Further, To Repreſent the main Point we are upon, to you, to ſhew you in what a State we are now, give me leave to make uſe of a Type, in the Law of Moſes, in this Thing; becauſe it doth greatly Repreſent it; and I make no doubt, it was intended to this very purpoſe that I am now ſpeaking of. It is ſaid, Deut. 21. 10. When thou goeſt forth to war againſt thine Enemies. (I deſire you to take notice, that I ſpeak only of it, by way of Alluſion, and as a Type of this Thing). When thou goeſt forth to war againſt thine Enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou haſt taken them captive; and thou ſeeſt among the captives a beautiful woman, and haſt a deſire unto her, that thou wouldeſt have her to thy Wife: Then ſhalt thou bring her home unto thine houſe, and ſhe ſhall ſhave her Head, and pare her Nails; And ſhe ſhall put off the Raiment of her Captivity from off her, and ſhall remain in thine houſe, and bewail her father and her mother a full month, &c.
From which it may appear, (as I told you before) That God did ordain, and appoint under the Law, That there ſhould be Thirty Days between the Contract of Eſpouſals, and the Marriage. Such Time there was at leaſt to be, and eſpecially in the caſe of a Captive.
But here is the Thing that I intend:
We are all Captives, in a loſt, and in an undone condition, in a ruined ſtate; And therefore, if Chriſt hath a deſire to any of our Souls, in Grace, and Mercy, and Pity, and Compaſſion; there paſſes ſuch a kind of Preparation, ſuch a kind of fitting of us, for ſuch an Union to Jeſus Chriſt; There is a Shaving of the Head, and a Paring of the Nails; That is, the taking away of the Innate Superfluity of Luſt by Regeneration, the changing of the unholy, and unſpiritual, and unheavenly Temper of Heart and Mind, by Regeneration flowing from the Blood of Chriſt; That it may be brought into a nearneſs, and ſuitableneſs to Enjoy Chriſt: And there is the appointment of a Month, there is an appointment of Time of Preparation, wherein the Souls of his Servants are daily waſh'd in his Blood, and in the Chrystal Sea before the Throne; They generally walk with him, and find a Suitableneſs, and an Agreeableneſs between Chriſt, and them; till they come to ſay, they would never be ſeparated any more from him. They deſire to be joyned to him in an Everlaſting Covenant (as it is ſaid in the Prophet Jeremy) that ſhould never be forgotten; They deſire to forget all that, that they were uſed to, and united to before; and to be given up wholly and entirely to Jeſus Chriſt.
Now, as it was under the Law; If any Woman being Eſpouſed to a Husband, did violate the Covenant of the Eſpouſals, and the Contract of the Eſpouſals; They were to dye for it. The Woman and the Man, that did ſo violate the Covenant of the Eſpouſals; Both the Man and the VVoman were to dye, according to the Law of God, by Moſes; even as if the Eſpouſals had been fully, and compleatly conſummated, by Marriage; There was no Difference in that Caſe between the one and the other.
So I ſay, if now, in the Time of our Eſpouſals, when we are under a Profeſſion of Chriſt, under a Profeſſion of his Name, his Goſpel, and Salvation by him, if our Hearts be not true, and entire to him, and given up wholly to him; Our Condemnation will be as Great, nay, it will be greater, than of the Heathen, than thoſe of the unbelieving VVorld, of thoſe that deny Chriſt; of thoſe that we call Anti-Chriſtians, or Profeſſors at large; It will be greater Condemnation, becauſe we violate the Love of our Eſpouſals.
Here's the great VViſdom of God, in Repreſenting this thing to us; that we may know how to behave our ſelves, and give up our ſelves, to Chriſt, and to devote our ſelves to him, in this State of our Eſpouſals.
In Pſal. 45. You have an admirable Repreſentation of this, under Pharaoh's Daughter, that was an Egyptian, Married to that great Prince of the God of Iſrael, of the God that made Heaven and Earth; VVhere it's ſaid, ver. 10. Hearken, O Daughter, and conſider, and encline thine Ears, forget alſo thine own People, and thy Fathers Houſe; So ſhall the King greatly deſire thy Beauty, for he is thy Lord, and Worſhip thou him: The Kings Daughter is all Glorious within, her Cloathing is of wrought Gold, ſhe ſhall be brought unto the King in Rayment of Needle-Work; The Virgins the Companions that follow her, ſhall be brought unto thee: With gladneſs and rejoycing ſhall they be brought; They ſhall enter into the Kings Palace. Inſtead of thy Fathers ſhall be thy children, whom thou mayeſt make Princes in all the Earth; And ſo the Pſalm goes on in that ſame kind of Repreſentation; which is chiefly intended of Chriſt, and his Church, of Chriſt and the Soul.
Therefore, I ſay to you, I ſay to every one; Hearken O Soul! Hearken, O Soul, and conſider; Forget thine own People, and thy Fathers Houſe; That is, Forget that State of Sin, and Vanity, and of the VVorld; All that thou deriveſt from the Firſt Adam thy Father, forget it all; So ſhall the King greatly deſire thy Beauty; for he is thy Lord, and Worſhip thou him. And if any thing ſeem valuable to us in this VVorld; Let us forget it all, that we may give up our ſelves to our Eſpouſed King. Ay, but how ſhall I leave my pleaſures? How ſhall I leave this and that Enjoyment, this and that Relation that are ſo dear to me? VVhy, ſaith the Spirit of God, ver. 16. Inſtead of thy Fathers ſhall be thy children, whom thou mayeſt make Princes in all the Earth, I will make thy Name to be Remembred in all Generations, therefore ſhall the People praiſe thee for ever and ever.
That is, there ſhall be a great Recompence to every one, that leaves this VVorld, and the things of it, in their Affections, to devote and give up themſelves to Chriſt. Inſtead of thy Fathers ſhall be thy children, whom thou mayeſt make Princes in all the Earth. Thou ſhalt have Recompences enough; And thou ſhalt be Praiſed for ever and ever. The Graces, the Priviledges, the Enjoyments ſhall be great, and thou ſhalt be Glorious for ever.
If therefore we could hearken, and encline to the Terms of Jeſus Chriſt, if we could be willing to ſhave our Heads, and to Pare our Nails, and to put off the Garments of our Captivity, The King would deſire our Beauty: Nay, indeed, He Loves, and Does all this for us, and makes us willing to have it all done. For a Spiritual Captivity is loved, while a Bodily Captivity is hated; We love the Garments of a Spiritual Captivity, even our Luſts and Pleaſures, and Worldly Enjoyments, which are the Garments of our Captivity; and They are ſo precious to us, we cannot Naturally endure to part with them, to be cloathed with change of Rayment, when Jeſus Chriſt, the Great Husband and Spouſe of our Souls is offered to us: And This Perpetuates our Captivity.
And thus I have made uſe of the Similitude, becauſe the Scripture is ſo very admirable, and abundant in it.
I'll offer you One Scripture more, and ſo paſs on to the Second Particular. Hoſea 2. God there compares his Church, and ſo every Soul, to an Impure and Adulterous Woman, that follows after her Lovers: But, ſaith God in the 6th Ver. Therefore behold, I will hedge up thy way with Thorns, and make a Wall, that ſhe ſhall not find her paths. And ſhe ſhall follow after ber Lovers, but ſhe ſhall not overtake them: And ſhe ſhall ſeek them, but ſhe ſhall not find them: Then ſhall ſhe ſay, I'll go and return to my firſt Husband, for then was it better with me than now. Therefore (ſaith God in the 4th Verſe) I'll allure her: That is, I'll ſpeak to her very heart. And I'll bring her into the Wilderneſs, and I'll draw her, and ſpeak every way to her heart; And then in the 19th Verſe, I'll betroth thee unto me for ever; Yea, I'll betroth thee unto me in Righteouſneſs, and in Judgment, and in loving kindneſs, and in mercies. All this indeed, hath a peculiar Relation to the Church of Iſrael: But it is true of every Soul, and of every Spirit, that Chriſt ſpeaks to, and draws to love him, as its Husband, and Spouſe: He doth allure, and ſpeak to their Hearts, He doth hedge up their way; If God ſee that any of His love the World, or Relations, or any Thing better than himſelf, He'll hedge up their way; They ſhall not find their way.
Thus you ſee there is a Time of Preparation, wherein Chriſt is fitting, and preparing, and drawing the Soul to Himſelf.
2. In the Second Particular I will enlarge a little further upon this Point of our Eſpouſals, and draw to a concluſion; and therein ſhew you, That we may all diſcern wherein, and whereby the Soul is thus drawn to an Union with Jeſus Chriſt, to this Spiritual Union with him.
1. In the firſt place; It is by the Souls ſeeing, and finding that it is in a miſerable, and a Loſt, and a Captivated condition without him; When it comes to find it ſelf in the Hands of Juſtice, In the Hands of Divine Wrath, and Indignation: When it finds it ſelf in all its Impurity, and in all its Unholineſs without Him, it comes then to deſire him, to receive his offer, to unite with him. Now, this is not onelyonly by way (as ſome, it may be, have inſiſted upon it) by way of preparation, but it runs throughout all the preſent State. A true Chriſtian is continually looking upon himſelf, as a Captive; It is not a thing of preparation onelyonly, But it flows out from the Efficacious Grace and Spirit of the Lord Jeſus; That every Soul that is thus united to Chriſt, it finds, it does not know what to do with it ſelf without him; Nor that it is onelyonly drawn by fear, but (as I ſhall preſently tell you, tho very Briefly) it is drawn by Love to him. But I ſay, becauſe we are Captives, becauſe we are brought out of another Land; a Land of Darkneſs, a Land of Impurity, a Land not ſuitable to the Land of Promiſe; becauſe we are brought out of that, Therefore there muſt be a continual conſideration of the neceſſity, that lies upon us: And it is not Derogatory to our Love of Chriſt, or to the Grace of Chriſt, that our firſt State, being a Captivated State is known to us to be ſuch a Captive State; And therefore to be made Free by ſuch Rich Grace, as that the Great Prince and Lord of Life ſhould have a deſire to us, that he ſhould look upon that of his own Grace, which is all the Beauty that is in any, that God hath Loved them with an Everlaſting Love; the Beautiful Perſon is onelyonly he, that God hath from an Eternal free Love, and Grace (when we were all together loſt and undone in our ſelves) look'd upon, and made his Time, in the proper ſeaſon of being brought home to him, tho we are found in all our Impurities, To be the Time of Love. How great is it!
Now, when any one of us is under this Grace of God, Jeſus Chriſt looks upon us; He beholds the choice of God, he beholds the Love of God upon us; And ſuch a one is as a Beautiful Perſon in his Eye: And ſo he takes care to Shave the Head, and to Pare the Nails, and to change the Garments of Captivity, and to bring him home to himſelf. This I ſay, it is not preparation Hammered out, and Anvil'd by our own ſtrength, Povver or Conſideration; but it is a firſt Davvn of the Grace of Chriſt, of the Love of Chriſt, through the Election and Choice of God upon us
Here is the very Beginning of the thing. For, as I read to you out of Epheſ. 5. Chriſt Loves the Church firſt of all; and then he Sanctifies it, and Waſhes it with the Water, and with the Regeneration of his …ord, and of his Spirit: He firſt of all Loves it Who Loved the Church, and gave himſelf for it. His Love is like the firſt Love of Eſpouſals, of drawing the Soul into a Condition, and State of Eſpouſals to himſelf. And ſo he Sanctifies and Waſhes it with Water; and Regenerates and Renews it, and takes away the Priſon-Garments, the Captive-Garments; Which, it may be, look Beautiful to thoſe that are yet Enſnared; They look upon all the Enjoyments and Pleaſures of the World, to be the greateſt Bravery. But now, when Chriſt comes to ſhew them what their State is, then they come to cry out, at the firſt, and ſo ever after, as the Apoſtle, Rom. 7. 24. O wretched Man that I am, Who ſhalt deliver me from this Body of Death! And you ſee, he ſpeaks of it in the very ſame Language, (ver. 23.) I ſee another Law in my Members, warring againſt the Law of my mind, and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin, which is in any Members. It is a continuing ſenſe on every Soul in Chriſt.
2. The ſecond thing wherein this is ſhewed; It is in drawing the ſincereſt, and Pureſt, and Chaſteſt Love of the Soul unto Jeſus Chriſt.
When Chriſt, by his Spirit, in his word, and by the Friend of the Bridegroom, that is, by the Preaching of the Word of Chriſt, when he draws the entireſt affections of Souls to himſelf; Shewing his Love to them, in the Pardon and Forgiveneſs of Sins, he draws their hearts entirely, and unitedly to himſelf. He does therefore, firſt of all, (as it were) ſend the Soul the Wedding Garment of his own Righteouſneſs; He ſends it a Robe, a Veſt, from himſelf, of his own Righteouſneſs, and of the ſanctification of his own Spirit. And this enkindles, and enflames the Love of the Soul unto Jeſus Chriſt: The Apoſtle ſpeaks in this Language, in the 2 Cor. 11. 1. VVould to God you could bear with me a little, &c. For I am Jealous over you with a Godly Jealouſie: For I have Eſpouſed you to one Husband, that I may preſent you a chaſt Virgin to Chriſt. The Preaching of the Goſpel, and the drawing of Souls, it is the Eſpouſal of them to one Husband, and preſenting them a Chast Virgin. That is, with undefiled, and Inviolable affections to Jeſus Chriſt: When the Love of the Soul is thus drawn to him, united to him, The upright, as I ſaid to you before, Love him. And when once this Love of the Soul to Jeſus Chriſt is indeed kindled, where it is ſincere, and indeed kindled to him, O how ſtrong, and how vehement is it!
It is true, it is from the Love of Jeſus Chriſt made known to it: Even as you know, Love draws and wins Love back again upon it ſelf.
This is admirably ſet out to us in the eighth Chapter of the Song of Solomon. Set me (ſaith ſhe) as a Seal upon thine Heart, as a Seal upon thine Arm. Let the Love of Christ be to me ſo, as if be ſet me as a Seal upon his Heart, as a Seal upon his Arm.
This is the greateſt Indenture, the ſtrongeſt obligation and uniting of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to the Soul, and of the Soul thereby to him again: for then, Love is as ſtrong as Death, and it is cruel as the Grave; The coals thereof are coals of Fire, which hath a moſt vehement Flame; Many Waters cannot quench Love, neither can the flouds drown it: If a Man would give all the ſubſtance of his Houſe for Love. That is, to buy that Love off from Chriſt; That's the meaning of it; If a Man would give all the Subſtance of his Houſe, where Love is once fixed, to draw it off, It would utterly be contemned. Now this we ſhould look to, whether we have ſuch a chaſt, and Inviolable Love to Jeſus Chriſt, That all the ſubſtance of the VVorld would be utterly contemned? whether Chriſt hath Set us as a Seal upon his Heart, and Arm? It is impoſſible then, it ſhould ever be taken off.
3. The third is this, when once we come to be thus united to Chriſt, in the Chaſtneſs and Purity of our Affections, in the ſenſe of his Love to us, and our Love to him; Immediately there follows, and all along there follows a Self-Reſignation, and Obedience: And it cannot be otherwiſe. For Love from a worthy Perſon hath a great command over thoſe that are Loved; It hath a mighty command on the Perſons Loved to engage to Love again; So that they are willing to do any thing, to give up themſelves to the will of the Perſon that Loves, and is Loved upon his Love firſt. And this is moſt due indeed to our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; Becauſe he is the moſt excellent of all that can be propoſed to us; And he Hath Loved us, and Waſhed us in his Blood; And he thus wins us to his own Holineſs, Eph. 5. Saith the Apoſtle, the Church is Subject unto Christ, as unto the Head, the Saviour of the Body. It is in a perfect complyance with the Holy will of God.
Object. If you ll ſay, But how can we ſay this? We find many Imperfections in our Obedience, many Motions in our Hearts, that are diſloyal to Jeſus Chriſt, and are not at all according to the Obligations that lie upon us.
Anſw. Becauſe we are going on to perfection in this ſtate, and becauſe we find that we are under a Degree of Captivity, and not perfectly freed; Therefore the Soul cries out earneſtly for the coming of the Great Bridegroom.
I ſhall but make Two or Three Expreſſions of Application, and ſo conclude this Point.
1. In the Firſt Place, I beſeech you, that you would conſider what your Chriſtianity is: If it be not ſo ſtrict an Adherence of your Souls and Affections to Chriſt, as every wiſe, and prudent, and good Husband requires and expects from his Wife: I ſay, if it be not ſo, how is it poſſible that you can ſay, That Chriſt is mine, and I am his? And therefore look well to it, and have a Jealous Eye, as the Apoſtle ſaid, I am Jealous over you with a Godly Jealouſie; So we ſhould be All Jealous over our own Hearts, and the Motions of our Eyes, to ſee whether there be ſuch a Faithfullneſs to Jeſus Chriſt, as ought to be: VVhen the Church is Subject to Chriſt, (as the moſt Excellent and Virtuous VVoman, and VVife, is to the moſt Honourable and Worthy Husband;) There is not any thing then, that can, or ought, or is poſſible to come between our Souls, and Jeſus Chriſt.
And, If we cry out, Alas! We are not able hereunto, we do not find this.
I ſhall after, by the Grace and Aſſiſtance of God, preſs upon you; Every ſuch Diſcovery of the remaining defection and falſeneſs of our hearts, It ſhould make us cry out earneſtly, Come thou Beloved of my Soul; That there may be an entire and a perfect Union between me and thee; Betwixt thy ſelf and my heart. This, it ſhould make us weary of the World, and weary of Life, and weary of the preſent State; We cannot find our hearts come up, as we deſire they ſhould. But in the mean time, there is a True, and a Real, and a Subſtantial Faithfulneſs, and Purity, and Chaſtity of Affections towards Chriſt in every Soul that is His: That tho there are things that do not look ſo Reſigning to Chriſt, as they ſhould do, and ſo perfectly complyant; Yet the Spirit is United to him: As the Apoſtle ſpeaks by way of Alluſion to this very thing, in the 1 Cor. 6. latter end. But he that is Joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit. That is, in regard of the preſent State of Fleſh and Blood, there will be ſome Wandrings of Heart; But the Spirit is Stedfaſt and Jealous over thoſe Unholy and Impure motions towards Sin, Fleſh, and the World, and it gathers it ſelf back, and it humbles it ſelf; And it bewails it ſelf, in regard of the Trayterouſneſs of the Fleſh, and corrupt part, wherein it does any way behave it ſelf unworthily towards Jeſus Chriſt, that Saviour of it ſelf; He is the Saviour of the Body, and therefore the Church is Subject to him. And then,
2. In the Second Place; It ſhould teach us very vehemently, to look and cry out for that Time of free and full Enjoyments of Chriſt. I wonder we ſhould not be earneſtly deſirous, when I conſider the Reaſon, the neceſſity, and the great obligation which lies upon us; I wonder, we are not more earneſt to dye, and to be with Chriſt; we are apt to think there is a State of the World ordained, wherein we ſhould have ſuch, and ſuch Enjoyments, and bear up our ſelves for a Time; While in the mean time, we forget Jeſus Chriſt: But hereafter, it will be endeavoured to be made plain, in this Diſcourſe, that either to go out of the Body, and to be with Jeſus Christ in Spirit; Or to have the whole frame of this VVorld unpinn'd and diſ-joynted one part from another; That there may come that Glorious Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, and that Marriage of the Lamb, and coming down of that New-Jeruſalem; (And our ſelves as a part of it) as a Bride adorned for her Husband, is the Inward Groan of every Saint. Theſe things ſhould be ſweet to us: And we ſhould not be Gulp'd down by the preſent Temptations of the World, which have ſo much force, becauſe our hearts are not ſteady to Chriſt; O Let us look earneſtly for that Love, which many Waters cannot quench, nor the Flouds drown.
And, If we find, that we cannot be, as we would be; We ſhould therefore cry out, Make haſte, O Beloved; And appear upon the Mountain of Spices! That we may be for ever quiet, and Pure, and Un-interrupted in our Love unto thee, and receiving thine upon us.